Chapter 2: Demon King Seal Gate!

Ashen Land!

It is itself the Demon King of the Underground City, a half-paradise for subterranean creatures.

Therefore, the underground of Ramol High Tower City-state possesses extremely complex subterranean passages.

Deep within a cold, silent, dark subterranean passage.

Ta Ke held a horse lantern emitting orange-yellow light, dispelling the darkness as he proceeded cautiously.

If it were the "Ashen Date," perhaps there would still be some kobolds, gnomes, goblins, and other dark creatures foraging for rats here.

But now it is the "Ashen Night Period," cold filling the entire world, including subterranean passages near the surface.

Those subterranean creatures can only flee deeper underground to escape the severe cold.

This also spared Ta Ke some unnecessary battles.

After all, kobolds and gnomes usually measure the strength of both sides by numbers.

Ta Ke, alone, obviously belongs to the "weak" side.

Soon, at the end of the subterranean passage, a flickering burning campfire imprinted itself on Ta Ke's vision.

Carlos had already been waiting there.

Carlos, who possesses the Climbing ability, did not take a detour like Ta Ke.

"If you don't come soon, I thought you'd been caught by those kobolds!"

Seeing Ta Ke arrive, Carlos, who was roasting by the fire, rare made a teasing remark.

Ta Ke ignored Carlos, instead squeezing in beside the campfire, using the flame to dispel the chill.

Although Ta Ke possesses a first-stage Crimson Flame Bracelet, making him more cold-resistant than ordinary supernatural beings, he cannot ignore the cold for long.

The firelight shone on Ta Ke's face, the Crimson Flame Bracelet quickly absorbing heat, the chill beginning to be dispelled.

Ta Ke raised his head.

His gaze passed over the campfire flames, over Carlos.

Placed behind Carlos was a door approximately five meters high and three meters wide, constructed entirely of magical obsidian in a round-arched magical seal.

Its surface was densely covered with powerful sealing-system magical sigils.

And this powerful "Demon King Seal Gate".

This is Ta Ke's purpose for this journey.

Before, Ta Ke used the Stable Development System, anchoring the region as:

Abandoned mine.

Kobold tribe cleared from the depths of the subterranean passage.

Deep in the wilderness, some peculiar ancient ruins.

And, near the Ramol Steam High Tower, a warm subterranean passage with relatively abundant source energy.

But!

These ordinary areas yield only "source energy experience" as resources.

But the area beyond this dangerous, yet source-energy-abundant magical seal gate before us.

is the true treasure.

A treasure sufficient to let oneself transform.

"Ta Ke, this magic seal door is indeed the gateway jointly sealed by powerful wizards to imprison the Underground City Demon King."

"It is said that the beheaded Underground City Demon King is sealed within."

"Every year many adventurers come here to try, but all return empty-handed."

"Given our level and strength."

"Can we open it using the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone?"

Carlos, twisting his neck to scrutinize that ancient seal gate.

He held no hope that Ta Ke could open this ancient magical seal gate.

Feeling that the chill had mostly been dispelled, his body would not be hindered by cold in the upcoming battle.

"Give me the thing!"

Ta Ke stood up and said.

At this moment, Carlos also showed a serious expression.

He wasn't worried that Ta Ke could open this seal gate.

But rather afraid that something unexpected might occur.

After all, that is the Demon King Seal Gate; even though the Demon King has fallen, its fallen lair remains extremely dangerous.

As Carlos took out the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone from his supernatural storage bracelet.

Hum—

A thick aura of "rune" and "sequence" power enveloped the two of them and the surrounding world!

The cold was instantly expelled.

The blazing campfire, its flames suppressed nearly to extinction.

Darkness pressed in from all directions.

As the rune power descended.

Ta Ke only felt as if he were carrying a tank on his shoulders, his legs involuntarily trembling.

【Rune Stone】!

It is a crystallization of natural supernatural power from the supernatural world.

It is expensive in price, but its function is sufficiently powerful.

【Spirit Bridge Rune Stone】

It can construct passages that cross barriers, seals, and passages between different strata.

Carlos has a 'Supernatural Storage Bracelet' that can gather the power of the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone, while Ta Ke does not.

This is why Ta Ke sought Carlos's cooperation.

Ta Ke, bearing the pressure, took the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone and then firmly pressed it onto the Demon King Seal Gate.

The moment they made contact!

Hum……

Hum……

On the Obsidian Magic Seal Gate, large patches of rune markings lit up.

The Demon King Seal Gate, after all, is a product from over three hundred years ago, long abandoned and unmaintained.

Even if the rune markings lit up, less than one-third of them were illuminated.

Moreover, most of the rune markings were dull, and many showed a tendency to crack.

But even so, Ta Ke clearly understood that using the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone to try to open this powerful seal gate was nothing short of a pipe dream.

In fact!

Ta Ke's purpose for this trip was certainly not to open this Demon King Seal Gate.

Rather, it was to use the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone to make an extremely brief contact with the area beyond the Demon King Seal Gate.

Even just a moment of contact was enough for the System to take effect.

Before, Ta Ke had come here many times to conduct surveys and gather considerable data from other adventurers' explorations of this place.

He knew that some areas of the Demon King Seal Gate had cracks.

Using this kind of Spirit Bridge Rune Stone.

Naturally, the hope of opening the seal was slim.

But, using the power of the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone to contact the area beyond the seal gate offered a certain hope.

Once contact was made with the world beyond the Demon King Seal Gate.

The System, then, could take effect.

Manipulating the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone, Ta Ke quickly screened one crack after another.

Soon, Ta Ke locked onto a highly fractured seal crack.

"Go!"

Ta Ke gathered the power of the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone, intending to squeeze through the gap.

I don't know if it's because this seal is too ancient, already a waning candle in the wind.

Or perhaps the spot Ta Ke chose is particularly vicious and tricky.

Or perhaps the effect of this Spirit Bridge Rune Stone is too outstanding.

When Ta Ke was constructing a Spirit Bridge in the crack.

The Demon King Seal Gate emitted a cracking sound.

The entire Demon King Seal Gate trembled slightly.

Along with it, the whole underground passage shuddered slightly, and many stones and dust fell down rustling.

"No way!"

Beside him, Carlos's eyes widened in disbelief, while he also prepared to flee at a moment's notice should the underground passage collapse.

Ta Ke, too, felt a jolt, his eye twitching slightly.

"I just wanted to make contact with the other side; I never intended to break the seal gate."

When the Spirit Bridge Rune Stone formed a small rainbow Spirit Bridge.

"Whoosh!"

Large chunks of stone peeled off.

Then, on the wholly black Demon King Seal Gate, a fist-sized hole appeared before the two of them.

"Holy shit!"

"Holy shit!"

Examining the hole in the Demon King Seal Gate, the two stared at each other in unison.

The Demon King Seal Gate, which countless people had been helpless against, was thus chiseled by Ta Ke into a large hole.

(End of Chapter)