The Forest of Fire Creatures Part - 4

When the mausoleum door opened fully, a cold breeze blew through Kane's body, sending a shiver down his spine.

Swallowing dry saliva and cold sweat sliding down his forehead, he cautiously advanced into the mausoleum, his nerves on edge after reading the eerie message window.

Once inside, he was enveloped by a dense, almost palpable darkness that seemed to have a life of its own and did not allow him to see more than a meter.

Crossing the threshold, Kane felt as if the world around him suddenly turned upside down, as if gravity began to fail the place. Although startled, he did not detect any immediate danger, so he decided not to make any sudden movements, fearing the possible consequences.

Despite the strange feeling that everything had been reversed, he continued to move forward until he reached the main chamber, a majestic room flooded with light, in stark contrast to the gloom of the entrance.

An imposing figure stood in the center of the chamber on a raised throne made of dark material and decorated with intricate detailing, evoking the image of a fallen emperor. He wore dark, weathered armor, with a long, tattered cloak cascading down the throne's steps.

His head, with a black crown inlaid with many dark gems, was slightly tilted forward. In his chest, a rusty sword was stuck deep.

"So that's the first leader of the Augustus family...?" Kane looked with surprise and amazement at the imposing figure seated on the throne, with a sword thrust into his chest.

As far as he knew, the person standing there was the first leader of the Augustus family of the Goetia Empire, one of the three great families of that time, which no one nowadays remembers, as it was forgotten along with the Goetia dynasty.

Kane was conflicted. He did not know whether to approach the imposing figure, which looked like a giant; from where he stood, he estimated it was between three and four meters tall.

At that moment, a strange force began to drag him toward the throne. He felt a deep fear, and terror invaded him as he saw that something invisible was pulling him, but he could do nothing but try to move in vain.

In a panic, he remembered the message that had appeared when the mausoleum door opened. 'That can't be, can it? That figure is alive?' he thought as the panic steadily increased in his body.

He couldn't move an inch or escape the invisible force dragging him along. Kane couldn't believe what was happening. He had only entered this place to get a trait, but he hadn't expected something like this to happen.

After being led to the throne, Kane looked up and met the dark, abysmal eyes of the imposing figure standing before him.

Before he could react, darkness enveloped the entire main chamber, plunging it into an absolute void. There was "nothing" to be seen, not even the figure before him. When Kane blinked, his vision returned to normal.

But they were no longer in the mausoleum. Now, they were in what appeared to be outer space, with a breathtaking view of a blue, Earth-like planet in the background. Kane and the figure were seated in front of an elegant table covered with a dark red tablecloth. On the table, there was a delicate arrangement of tea and cakes.

The figure was leaning back in his chair, watching Kane calmly.

Kane didn't understand anything that was happening. '...Could this be some illusion?' he thought, trying to comprehend what had just happened. They were in the mausoleum only a moment ago, and now they seemed to be in outer space.

The figure's mouth opened and spoke in a deep, majestic tone, using the ancient Sumerian tongue, "Was it you who opened the door?"

Drenched in cold sweat and struggling against the figure's overwhelming aura, Kane replied with great difficulty in the same tongue, "...Yes."

"I see..." muttered the figure. His voice echoed throughout the place despite being a whisper. "That means you are my descendant."

"Yes," Kane lied matter-of-factly.

The figure remained silent momentarily, examining Kane's face with a penetrating gaze before speaking again, "So, what does my descendant seek in this place?"

The pressure pressing on Kane's body eased considerably, allowing him to breathe more easily. After inhaling deeply, he replied, "I have come for the [Black Thorned Symbol]."

"I see, so you wish for that..." A small smile tugged at the figure's lips. "Fine, I'll grant it to you..." He didn't finish the sentence but let out a long sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Kane asked as he heard the deep, drawn-out sigh.

The figure moved his hand slowly, placing it on his forehead as he murmured, "So 'He' has set 'His' gaze upon you... And it had to be precisely a descendant of mine."

Kane's brow furrowed at those words. "What do you mean?"

The figure did not respond immediately but waved his hand. Instantly, Kane felt an intense burning in his chest and back, as if a red-hot rod had embedded itself in his flesh. He squirmed in the chair, enduring the searing pain that swept over him.

"Ready, I have bestowed upon you the [Black Thorn Symbol]," echoed the figure's deep voice. "In addition, I will give you something else since you are my descendant."

The black crown, inlaid with dark gems on the figure's head, slowly rose into the air and came to rest on Kane's head, who was still wincing in pain.

...

After a few minutes that seemed like forever, the pain faded, and Kane finally opened his eyes.

Ding!

[You have obtained the trait "Black Thorny Symbol"!]

[You have obtained the trait "Mark of the Emperor of Calamity!"]

"Damn it! I didn't expect it to hurt so much to obtain a simple trait," he muttered irritably.

Kane inhaled and exhaled several times to calm himself, noticing that everything around him had returned to normal. He was back in the main chamber of the mausoleum.

'I'd say this was all a dream, but unfortunately, it wasn't...' he thought with a long sigh, glancing at the figure seated on the throne before leaving the mausoleum.

He had gotten what he needed: the [Black Thorned Symbol] trait. He had no intention of staying in that place any longer. Once outside the mausoleum, Kane looked up the hill beyond the forest and started heading that way.