Chapter 365: A Spirits Devourer (1/2)
In the Celestial World of the Spirits Realm sat an individual on the branch of a high tree. A gourd could be seen in their hand, lined with numerous runic lines.
”Where is he now?” The neutral voice asked to empty air, and the tree whispered an answer.
”The seeker reached the stairway; it seems he attempts to ring the bell, my liege.” The sound of hissing tree morphed into words that plastered a smile on the gourd-holding being.
The being stood up and threw their gourd over their shoulder. It had long black hair that reached down to its waist. If someone looked at them, they wouldn't be able to tell what's their gender was.
”Seika of Living Beings...” The eyes of the beings were entirely black except for a white cross in the middle. ”Let me know if you are truly the one.”
***
As the chains struck the bell, there was a pause before a booming sound shook heavens and earth. Arthur was thrown off his feet by his attack and flew backward together with Mr. Hopper.
”DING~”
The chiming of the bell came like thunderclaps, and it dispelled the clouds and fog. Arthur could barely keep his eyes open to see a large crack forming in the sky.
”Is this... supposed to happen?” Arthur asked with a dazed expression. ”Mr. Hopper?”
”Let me grab something, first!” Mr. Hopper was holding onto Arthur's golden hair. ”This has never happened before! The amount of spiritual energy you used was more than the bell can take!”
”Uh,” Arthur was confused, not knowing what to do now. He looked at the ringing bell, which its chimes tore a gap in the sky every time it rang.
The gap grew more prominent across the sky, looking like a giant mouth. It was at the end of the stairway, but Arthur didn't think it should look like that.
”So, what is going to happen now? Can I go up?”
”Go up? You want to go through that thing?” Mr. Hopper asked with a shocked tone as it pointed toward the gap. Arthur simply shrugged.
”You have disturbed the diving line between the worlds! Forget about going up. We need to run away before...”
Before Mr. Hopper could say anything, a deep growl shook the heavens. A pair of red eyes opened from within the torn-up sky as a giant, endless tongue got out of it.
”What the hell is that?” Arthur was taken aback as a pair of giant hands stretched out of the gap.
”Oh no, it's a devourer.”
”A what now?”
”It's an Abyssal Spirit! It used the disturbance you created to enter the Infra world!” Mr. Hopper said with fear. ”It's a powerful being that devours other spirits, and you're no exception!”
”Why does such a thing exist in the Spirits World?” Arthur was shocked as he looked at the giant enter the world. It had massive grey arms and a huge head that looked like a ball.
The gap widened under the Abyssal Spirit's hands, and it made its debut to the world. Its foot landed on the ground, caving it and creating a large crater beneath it.
”Hurry, run!”
”What about this Devourer? Wouldn't it run amok in this world? What will happen to the other spirits?” Arthur hesitated. All of the spirits until now were friendly ones.
”The other... spirits?” Mr. Hopper asked with puzzlement. ”It might devour a few of them, but there's nothing you can do. If this thing devours you, you will live in its belly for the rest of eternity.”
Arthur looked at the grasshopper with doubt. He turned toward the giant spirit, which took a deep breath, and roared. Its roar peeled the earth off its skin and stole the color of the sky.
”You are telling me that even after you saw what I did to the bell, I can't defeat it?” Arthur asked the grasshopper with suspicion. ”I opened a door that this spirit needs to enter,”
Arthur took a step forward and raised his arms. His chains extended for tens of meters, hundreds of meters, thousands of meters before they stopped.
”I don't believe that I can't send it back. Bind it.”
Arthur ordered the chains, which hurried to obey. They wrapped themselves around the spirit, which roared and stomped on the ground. A shockwave traveled toward Arthur from the spirit's stomp on the ground.