The Downward Kingdom

Luther followed Adam, moving his steps numbly.

For the most part of their journey, they trekked across desolate wilderness, but occasionally they would encounter some different scenery.

Sometimes, they would pass through several abandoned cities, where no one remained, only dilapidated buildings and weathered tombs;

Sometimes, they would encounter breathtaking wonders—deep rifts that tore the earth like terrible wounds, with molten lava surging at the bottom, seemingly burning since the beginning of that divine war, like a ferocious beast lurking in the wilderness, and fierce, sharp, giant Storm, radiating golden light, constantly singing praises to the great and radiant mountains...

These are perhaps all remnants of the Great Cataclysm of that time.

The monotonous and dull environment blurred Luther's perception of time. He didn't know how long he had been walking, nor where he was.

Adam seemed to use some strange power; even though he was just walking, he would always inadvertently traverse long distances.

"It's Monday morning, the day that meeting is usually held."

M's figure quietly appeared beside him, walking alongside him, and gently reminded him.

Yes, this is indeed an opportunity... If we aren't caught in the Gray Fog by Three o'clock in the afternoon, everyone else should be able to notice the problem and take action...

Luther thought to himself.

If the Hermit is vigilant, perhaps she can contact the "Queen Mystic" and let Roselle know they are in danger... The key is how to reveal her current location and situation...

He was deep in thought when he suddenly felt his steps falter.

Looking up, a circular city appeared in front of me. The city had long been abandoned, the buildings were severely weathered, and the cracks in the bricks were covered with tenacious plants with the unique vitality of the "Forsaken Land of the Gods". The black Vines looked like cast iron and silently expanded their territory.

Adam led Luther into the city.

The residential area inside the wall was in ruins, with large areas of buildings collapsed, but judging from the size of the doors, windows and roads, the users should have been of normal human build.

"The inhabitants who once lived here had Elf blood and worshipped the Elf King Soniathrym. Later, after the Elf King was defeated by the Lord, they converted to other faiths and became believers living in the glory of the Sun..."

He explained calmly.

"But they all died out after the Great Cataclysm, right?"

Luther interjected.

The two continued onward, arriving at the city center.

There stood a magnificent building. Thick stone pillars supported a high vaulted ceiling, the reliefs on which were blurred by wind erosion, but even so, the overall style of the building still appeared sacred and majestic.

"This Temple was originally dedicated to the Elf King, but later the object of worship was changed to the Creator."

Adam offered an explanation and led Luther into the Temple.

The aura surrounding Him illuminated the darkness within.

With the help of the light, Luther began to survey his surroundings.

This is a long, vertically extending hall with a thick layer of dust on the floor. There are murals painted on the walls on both sides, but they have become mottled and unclear due to the Corrosion of time.

Unfortunately, not every painter possesses the power of Ouroboros, capable of preserving their work through the passage of time. Nevertheless, Luther managed to discern some details from the remaining discolored paintings.

Strange patterns symbolizing Storm and lightning, a towering man with blue hair... this probably depicts the Elf King... leading the Elf to slay Demon Wolf, Dragon, and other creatures...

As you walk further ahead, the content of the murals changes.

The symbols of Storm and waves are gone, replaced by radiating golden lines. A majestic figure stands atop the clouds, gazing down upon the earth with Divinity eyes. The blue-haired Elf King occupies only the lower left corner, overshadowed by the golden light.

This is probably the period when the Ancient Sun God ruled... The reason the murals about the Elf King weren't painted over might be to emphasize the Sun God's power, enough to crush Tyrant...

Luther thought to himself.

So, what exactly did Adam want to do by bringing himself here?

They continued inside, where the murals on both sides depicted the Ancient Sun God, praising his power and the salvation he brought to humanity.

However, at a certain moment, the mural's magnificent style came to an abrupt end.

The praise and hymns to the Lord have vanished, replaced by descriptions of horrific Catastrophe. Flames descend from the sky, lightning tears the earth apart, and majestic figures radiating awe-inspiring light appear in the clouds, while the people below seem like ants, howling and sinking amidst Blood Sea.

As you walk further in, the colors of the murals become increasingly dim and the variety of colors decreases until only black and brown remain, seemingly because the precious pigments are gradually depleted.

But the murals are not yet finished.

"It seems the people here held on for a while after the Great Cataclysm... for several hundred years?"

Luther muttered to himself.

Perhaps due to a break in the lineage, the later paintings are far less refined than the earlier ones, instead becoming more impressionistic and wild. In those murals, darkness shrouds the city, and people wander helplessly in despair, merely clinging to life.

Then, the scene changes, and people discover a pit outside the city, which seems to contain many strange-looking things.

What are all these...?

Luther frowned as he looked at the artifacts that had been unearthed. They had been artistically altered, making their original shapes difficult to discern. He could only tell they varied in size and material. The largest one resembled a horse-drawn carriage, square and rectangular, with wheels underneath.

Damn, this thing even looks a bit like a car...

He muttered to himself, guessing it might be a similar Mystical Item.

In the subsequent murals, these residents began digging pits extensively. Surprisingly, the things buried in the pits seemed to be endless, and the deeper they dug, the more there were. Most of these things were strangely shaped and could not help the residents' lives, but they gave the people of the city real hope.

According to the murals that follow, they later even began to worship this pit, seemingly believing that it contained a deity and that digging it out sooner would bring salvation to the inhabitants and allow them to leave this hopeless world.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately disappointed.

The murals had come to an end; the last one was crudely painted, as if the painter was in a state of great terror.

In that mural, the pit had been dug extremely deep. After the efforts of countless generations, the local residents finally reached the end, but what was buried there was not a deity, but a pitch-black liquid that overflowed from the pit, engulfing the diggers. Their bodies were collapsing and Distortion, as if they had been exposed to the great pollution brought to them by the Tide.

"This is..."

Luther's eyes narrowed suddenly.

Chaos Sea?