Bane of the Gods

"Big brother, what's that?" Starr asked, marveling at the majestic Epic Rank flying treasure hovering three feet off the ground.

The boat had the appearance of a normal paddling boat, but the wings attached to it were simply beautiful. With colors shimmering under the dimly lit sun, the entire sight resembled the palanquin of a king.

Aside from its beauty, the boat was spacious enough to accommodate twelve people comfortably without any need for squeezing in.

"Do you want to go for a ride later?" Karsha asked the little snake who had turned his hair into dreadlocks.

"Yes!" Starr exclaimed, her face lighting up with happiness.

"Alright, we will go for a ride later," Karsha promised, then turned back to Lady Illo.

"I have some more questions I hope you can help me with. May I ask?" Karsha spoke with a guilty look. He knew he was getting more from the woman than he had given. Although he had saved their people from fatal poison, what they did for him was far more significant.

His life was millions of times more important than the lives of the four shadow guards he had helped. So, for him to be stockpiling favors, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Don't worry, Karsha, go ahead and ask," Lady Illo said with a smile, giving him the go-ahead.

"What do you know about the Inner Area of Snake Island?" Karsha asked. Immediately, the people in the room turned pale.

"Where did you hear that from?" Lady Illo asked in a shocked tone.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of the Snake humans, Karsha knew something was wrong. He refrained from revealing the existence of the map. He needed to assess the information first and decide whether to reveal it.

"An old man who came to this island long ago told me before he died. He said there is a gateway to the Inner Area of Snake Island. As far as I know, there is only one Snake Island, so I am wondering if you know anything about it."

Karsha lied through his teeth since the information he had was purely from the invaluable map he obtained on his first day on the island.

"Listen carefully, Karsha, no matter what happens, never look into the Inner Area of the island," Lady Illo replied, her expression as pale as the white dune.

'Something isn't right. I need to get to the bottom of this,' Karsha thought, seeing the pale look on Lady Illo's face. He knew there was something significant they were hiding from him, and he intended to uncover the truth.

"That's exactly the look that appeared on the faces of the people when they heard I would be banished to this island for 60 days back in the human realm," Karsha said, looking like he was about to do something he shouldn't have.

"I know this must sound like a shock to you, but I already have a sure way to locate the gateway to the Inner Area, and believe me when I say, I will one day go there," he said with a smile.

"I know you want the best for me. Believe me, I appreciate that, but I also want to know more about the place. Right now, you are the only one who can tell me. One way or another, I know destiny will take me there, so it's better to be prepared now than later."

Lady Illo continued to gaze at the young man sitting in front of her, her expression filled with a mix of emotions. She was well aware of what Karsha desired, but revealing it now posed significant risks. However, upon hearing Karsha's reasoning, she couldn't help but contemplate whether withholding the information would ultimately harm him instead of safeguarding him. After all, he was the Annihilator. If anyone was qualified to embark on such a quest, it should be him.

"Mom, tell him," Ayarr chimed in when she saw the dilemma her mother was in. "He should know about that now instead of finding out the hard way."

"Alright. Listen well, Karsha, for I will only say it once," Lady Illo said. "I already told you about how terrifying the Ten Overlords are. Now, picture a scenario where those Ten Savages, instead of being overlords, are rather treated as puppies."

Karsha arched an eyebrow as he listened. He didn't know why, but he started regretting his decision. If the monsters he was about to face were mere puppies in that place, then how would he appear when he stepped there?

"From what little I know, the Ten Overlords are nobodies that have been banished from the Inner Area. They are merely bugs there, and their importance is insignificant. They don't have the power to reside there, so they are banished to the section where they can become someone important.

But that is not the terrifying thing about that place. Long ago, there was a very powerful Serpent Beast that reigned supreme over many species; his legend was above all else. Legend has it that he had risen to a level where, though he wasn't a God, people feared him more than Gods. Even the gods are afraid of him.

However, an incident happened, and for unknown reasons, he was never heard from again. Some say he died and entered the cycle of reincarnation. Others say he ascended into Godhood, among many other theories.

However, the truth of the matter is that this terrifying existence died from unknown causes. Yet, he left behind his legacy. They say his legacy encompasses the entirety of this island, but in reality, his legacy lies even beyond the Inner Area.

According to the legends passed down by my ancestors, those who wish to seek his legacy must enter the Inner Area and can only leave when they succeed. Failure means death."

Karsha broke into a cold sweat as he listened to the serpent lady. An existence that could even make the gods tremble—how was that even possible? "Can I rise to that level someday?" he wondered, but for now, he needed to hear more about the mysterious beast.

"Do you perhaps know his name?" Karsha, feeling drawn to the story, started probing for more information. But alas, Lady Illo just shook her head.

"No one knows his name. According to my ancestors, people refer to him as the Bane of the Gods."

"Isn't that name a little dramatic?" Karsha said, but immediately after he did, he felt like he was being watched. Though the gaze he felt wasn't malicious, as someone who had trained to remain composed in the face of danger, he didn't even flinch.

"One last question and I promise I won't ask anymore," Karsha said with a slightly embarrassed look. Lady Illo simply nodded, giving him the go-ahead.

"Do you know anything about the entrance to the Hidden Realm of the Fallen Leviathan?" Karsha innocently asked, but once again, his innocent question left the serpents with pale looks.

"Again, where did you hear that from?" Lady Illo asked, raising an eyebrow. For a snake to have such an expression, it meant she meant business.

"You would be surprised how much humans know about this island. I read about it in a book a few weeks ago," Karsha remarked. Revealing the truth to her was not something he planned on doing anytime soon. Despite her resemblance to his late mother, he knew she was not her. Trusting her with major secrets was not something he intended to do, at least not yet.

"Why did I even ask?" Lady Illo, who could tell Karsha wasn't telling her the truth, decided to give up and just let him in on yet another secret.

"I don't know where the gateway is, nor do I know much about the Fallen Leviathans. But what I can tell you is that they are monsters rejected by the heavens. Everything about them is chaos, so don't even think about stepping into that realm. After all, the guardian guarding the doorway from the inside is a Tier 8 Dark Mutant. Killing it is next to impossible," Lady Illo cautioned.

Lady Illo sighed and then added, "Come to think of it, maybe you should stick to the Overlords here. They are much more within your level." Karsha smiled bitterly upon hearing the advice from the snake lady.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Lady Illo," Karsha expressed his gratitude before standing up and leaping into the hovering boat. He needed time to digest the information he had just absorbed, and what better way to do that than with a ride across the countryside?

"Let's go for a ride, Starr." Taking her slender hands, he lifted her inside, and the boat started moving outside.

"We will be back soon," Karsha declared. With that, he channeled a small amount of mana into the boat. To his surprise, the boat dashed forward at incredible speed, leaving dust in its wake as it moved forward. Not only did it speed ahead, but it also continued to rise into the air.

Once they were out of sight, Lady Illo looked at the five guards in the room and smiled. "I hope you are all aware of what is about to happen and what needs to be done." They all nodded with bitter smiles.

"Mother, do you think he can kill the overlords?" Ayarr asked.

"I don't know, but from what your grandfather said about the prophecy, the Annihilator will liberate this island and break the long-existing curse." Lady Illo stood up, approached the five shadow guards, and said, "I hope you five are ready to swear your allegiance to the Annihilator. You made an oath, after all."

The five nodded in understanding. Even though they could not directly attack the overlords, they could still provide some assistance, like helping him kill more monsters for drops, experience points, skill points, and many more.

"We won't fail the Purple Tail Anaconda and the Annihilator," the five shadow guards declared as they stood and departed to commence preparations to accompany Karsha, who would spend the next 13 days getting ready. The final 30 days would mark his move against the Ten Overlords, beginning with the ScaleCrusher who had nearly crushed him to death.