The Hidden Treasure was updated by @AwesomeAllFather143.

Prologue: The Curse of Apo Mumbaki

The magical world of Maharlika is governed by the supreme god, Apo Bathala. With his divine power, he bestowed upon the chosen people a power called mahika. And with this power, he said to them, "Eliminate the darkness, and keep the people out of the hand of evil."

There are two known types of mahika in this world: white magic known as "Kabutihan" and black magic known as "Kadiliman." The chosen ones who wield mahika are known as Katalonan, Babaylan, Asog, or Mumbaki. It depends on the job description and how these kinds of sorcerers use their mahika.

Katalonans, who use Kabutihan, are usually experts when it comes to combat. They wield the mahika of known elements, from water to light. A Katalonan would always have with them the weapon of their choice and would infuse it with mahika during a fight.

Also hailing from the same mahika as the Katalonans, are the Babaylans (female) and Asogs (male). They are sorcerers and experts in healing, herbalism, incantations, rituals, and divination. Although experts in their chosen fields, do not use their mahika for combat and are usually present for support during a quest. The jobs of a Babaylan and an Asog are frequently regarded as too delicate for those who have chosen the Katalonan path.

Lastly are the Mumbakis, who are experts in curses, hexes, voodoo, and other sinister magic. It has been said that the Mumbakis have no right to live in this world. They use Kadiliman, which is deliberately unacceptable because of its inherent evil nature that often destroys the people.

The users of Kabutihan and the users of Kadiliman have been at each other's throats since the dawn of time. The War of Light and Darkness is one example of such a conflict.

It is one of those historical events that people will never forget. It was the day Apo Mumbaki caused terror in the whole continent of Ligaya.

It was three hundred years ago when the continent was in total consternation. Hundreds and thousands of mahika users, as well as ordinary people's corpses, littered the land.

The rustic scent of fresh blood, as well as the rotten smell of decayed flesh that lingered in the air, caused people to swear and vomit. Tall buildings that were formerly adorned with lavish decorations have vanished. Large chunks of rock and dust were all that remained. Looking back, the people are unsure whether the continent on which they now reside is still their home or simply a location where the Mumbakis and Katalonans fought.

The mahika, which had been offered by the gods, was now utilized as a terrifying instrument, resulting in the deaths of nearly fifty thousand Katalonans in a single night. The only individual capable of carrying out such heinous acts was the Sitan tribe's leader, Raha Sitan, also known as Apo Mumbaki. He is legendary for being the Mumbaki who used a forbidden Kadiliman ritual to become immortal.

Nobody in the land has heard about the Apo Mumbaki. He is so infamous that no one dares to mention his real name for fear of bringing bad luck on themselves. He used to be a Katalonan, but to unknown circumstances, he lost his Kabutihan mahika. Because he had lost Kabutihan, he opted to utilize Kadiliman, which was frowned upon by the people, particularly the Kapatiran, the official Katalonan organization on the continent of Ligaya. Imagine the outrage on the Katalonans' faces when he returned and proclaimed that he had followed Mumbaki's path.

His behavior had always been unusual. He is regarded as the craziest man on the continent, and his family's name has been tainted as a result. He did not adhere to traditional clothing rules, and how he spoke was considered obscene by many. Not only that, but his views are constantly regarded as unsuitable and absurd, and no one can ever tell whether there is a small rationality in his assertions. Because who in their right mind would think that Kadiliman's mahika could be used to aid people? Only the Apo Mumbaki could believe in such nonsense.

There were even darker theories about how he came to be immortal. Many people think that as a Mumbaki, he attained immortality by offering human bodies to a wicked demon using prohibited sorcery. And to make his actions more shameful, he dared to use the name of the god of the underworld as his surname!

The Hiraya tribe, the Bughaw tribe, the Dakila tribe, the Dalisay tribe, the Marikit tribe, and the Humaling tribe were among the Ligaya Continent's greatest tribes who gathered together to seal him. The Apo Mumbaki was overpowered and brought to his knees by these seven powers merged into one.

Bagani Hiraya, the Hiraya tribe's then-tribe leader and the Apo Mumbaki's deadliest adversary, spearheaded the campaign. They discovered the Apo Mumbaki sheltering in a cave, severely injured and without a mahika to defend himself.

Apo Mumbaki was resting on his side, his ashen face showing his exhaustion. When he raised his eyes to view his captors, the Katalonans behind Bagani Hiraya trembled with horror. Who would not be scared shitless when those eyes that resembled the color of fresh blood stared playfully at them? It almost seemed to shine in the dark, and its gaze was that of a predator poised to pounce on its prey.

When Apo Mumbaki's eyes met Bagani Hiraya's, he clenched his teeth in rage. "And you dared to reveal your disgusting face to me!"

Bagani Hiraya sighed, yet his remarks were contemptuous. "You have betrayed the Kapatiran, bit the hands that fed you, and used Kadiliman to stir up trouble on this peaceful continent, and you...killed my loving wife."

His mouth twitched for a second before he burst out laughing as if he had overheard an inane joke from his adversary. "Loving wife, you say? Amelya Kalinaw, in my opinion, would be better off dead than with someone like you, Bagani Hiraya."

Bagani Hiraya was not pleased with what he had heard. He charged straight toward Apo Mumbaki, punching him in the face. "Admit it, Apo Mumbaki, you're simply envious because Amelya chose to marry me. She would never love someone worse than a monster like you. Just die already, Raha Sitan!" he shouted without pausing.

Apo Mumbaki's menacing laugh grew so loud that it terrified the crowd. He was able to instill dread and panic while being outmanned and weak. "How can a meager mortal like you defeat an immortal?" he asked, smiling even more as he noticed Bagani Hiraya's apprehension. "Esteemed hero, you will always be beneath me."

Bagani Hiraya grabbed him by the neck. "If you won't die, then for now I will just have to imprison you. And before my death comes, I promise that I will find a way to erase your existence in Maharlika. "

He then dragged Apo Mumbaki by the hair and threw him in front of the Babaylans of the Humaling tribe. Chief Babaylan, Malaya Humaling, looked down at him. "Raha, what have you done?"

Apo Mumbaki spoke calmly, "I am innocent, Apo Malaya, I have done nothing wrong. What I did was because of the will of the supreme god, Apo Bathala. "

The Katalonans from behind shouted out of anger because of his words. "Shameless!"

"You even dare to taint the name of our supreme god!"

"Despicable!"

"Chief Babaylan Apo Malaya Humaling, please imprison this traitor!"

Chief Babaylan nodded and signaled the other Babaylans to prepare for the sealing ritual.

Twenty Babaylan circled the Apo Mumbaki, and with their staffs, they started chanting into the cold air.

"Darkness will be conquered by light.

This is the judgment of the supreme god Bathala.

The fiend shall be confined to the cursed earthen jar.

And the fear that he has brought will disappear.

From now on and forever.

Apo Bathala, lend us your power! "

Apo Mumbaki fought to fight the mahika that was enslaving his entire body, but it was too much for him to bear. When he finally gave up trying to flee, he turned to Bagani Hiraya to say his final words. And his utterance came out like a curse.

"I swear to Apo Bathala and Apo Sitan that I shall return no later than 500 years. Furthermore, I will sully your illustrious family by marrying one of your kin and having her bear my children. Mark my fucking words, Bagani Hiraya: the direct Hiraya woman will be the one to bring you down!"

The light surrounding the Apo Mumbaki grew bigger and bigger until it exploded inside the cave. After that, the roaring of the wind came to a sudden halt, the once-bright cave became dim, and the surroundings became dead silent. What was left of Raha Sitan was a black earthen jar covered in golden strings that sealed it shut.

No one cheered, no one smiled, and no one dared even speak. Even though Raha Sitan was sealed, his overwhelming power still lingered in the air. And to make matters worse, a kaleidoscope of black butterflies flew around the earthen jar and covered it, as though protecting it from harm.

All the sorcerers shuddered, their faces were red with unfathomable fright!

Out of fear, one even screamed, "Bad luck!"

Malaya Humaling stood beside Bagani Hiraya. "One black butterfly is already bad luck, but a kaleidoscope of it? May the gods have mercy on us. "

After the war ended, the continent of Ligaya did not return to its peaceful state. Since Apo Mumbaki was imprisoned, the number of monsters that cause nightmares in most villages has increased. Not only that, even after hundreds of years of being imprisoned, his name is still spread far and wide, giving fear to humans.