Chapter 157: Calling of Darkness (2/2)

”What makes you think I can't get near Celestia?”

”The darkness is banished from Celestia,” she said as she sat in front of him. ”I know all of the known gods. No god uses darkness because whoever uses it is banished.”

”There are gods who use it,” smiled Nikolai, his grin making the archeologist grow nervous. ”You are a scholar, so you should know that the truth is never known.”

”You are talking about the sealed gods,” she breathed out. ”There is only one place in Celestia where the darkness resides, and that is the Abyss. However, the gods made sure that whatever goes into that place never returns.”

”My motives have nothing to do with you. This is a trade between us, and we would both benefit. I am not sure that you would survive long enough afterward, though.”

”Are you threatening me?”

”I am warning you,” smirked Nikolai. ”I know of your plans for revenge. However,” he paused, ”the gods are fearsome,” he said as he stopped his hand from shaking.

”I have already seen the might of demigods, so I understand. However, there has to be a way to go against the gods.”

”A demigod is what you call an S-ranker who holds a fragment of divinity. However, gods are far more powerful than a demigod. Therefore, the difference between a god and a demigod is the same as the difference between a demigod and a normal person.”

”That cannot be,” her eyes grew wide. ”If that was the case, then this world has no hopes of going against them. So there is no reason for us to fight.”

”No one is planning on fighting them,” smiled Nikolai as he stood up and walked toward the door. ”They should appear in a few years: people who Celestia favors. The gods will resume their battle using toys this time.”

***

Nikolai left the cabin after waking Lucas to stand guard. There was no reason for leaving other than his need to recover. The tablet was a holy item, and he spent the past two days near it. His body could only endure so much.

Furthermore, there was something in this forest. There was something vicious, and it was calling for Nikolai. It invited him into a feast, but Nikolai knew that he should not get closer.

”However, the holy item should alert whatever has arrived.”

They chose to hide in this forest because it was far away from the city. However, it seems that another visitor came for the same reason. Nikolai wanted to make sure that they didn't need to flee again.

Nikolai entered his stealth, and the dark dimension was more prominent. His steps were slow as he got closer toward the source of this unsettling energy, which was different from his darkness somehow.

Nikolai found himself standing on a cliff that bordered a deep valley. Nothing could be seen within the valley's darkness, and the creature was there. Furthermore, it was not alone.

'This reminds me of a different place,' Nikolai thought to himself as his robes fluttered by the wind coming from within. 'It reminds me of The Nether.'

There was a place where not even Lilith managed to conquer, and it was none other than a land known as The Nether. There was something within that place that made all life flee it. However, no one knew what it was, and no one dared to venture.

'However, it does not compare to that place. There is only a slight similarity in the aura they give off, but nowhere close to being called the same.'

Nikolai wanted to avoid this place lest he gets dragged into a more unwanted mess. First, however, they needed to change the location, but it was a small price to pay.

There were chills on his back as he turned and walked back toward the cabin. Nikolai was not a fool as much as there was an itch to find out what was inside this place.

There were times where he wanted to be adventurous in his past life to satisfy his curiosity, but they always ended horribly.

”I know that you are here,” a voice said from behind him as he was walking away. ”I know that you want to meet me. We are similar. Come here, outcast of this world. There is no place for you other than here.”

As the voice tried to lure him into the valley, Nikolai could feel the valley's darkness spreading to cover the world. He turned slowly toward the source of the voice, and he could feel something looking back at him.