Written by -Silver crown
Ch-13 The one who changes the Lore from the dark side
The luminous moon with 14 rings was shining brightly in the night sky. Together with a cluster of stars, it was giving light to all beings. Its soft rays of light shine upon everything. It was the end of a lunar month, so the luminosity is twice brighter than usual.
It shines on the sky of many towns and cities. Humans from poor to Rich, commoners to nobles, all got the lunar light that drove away the darkness. This gentle moonlight was guiding the man for each of his steps back to his home. Under the starry sky children from the neighborhood were playing happily.
Some powerful empires had already conquered the night. Every street and the prosperous area has warm magic lanterns, illuminating the subject of the empire to thrive even at night time.
The bright moon itself was shining not only on humans but also on wildlife, forests, and plants living in its range.
The howling of wild canines while gazing at the moon, the screeching of hunting bats, and a symphony of animal noises make a unique song of the animal kingdom. By the allure of night breezes, some small plants and tree leaves were dancing together with flowers blooming under the moonlight.
The lake and stream, the flowing river, sea, and ocean each reflecting the moonlight and a galaxy of stars in a beautiful manner.
You might think that this moonlight reached everywhere above the ground on its range.
However, you guessed wrong. There was a certain place where no one ever reached the depth of it. Even the light from the sun and moon refused to come near that place. A place that personified the endless darkness, fear, and eeriness. A place where they called 'The Abyss'.
Whether it was a river of death, a forsaken place, or a giant trench, nobody was willing to confirm its myth. Because no one ever lived to tell the tale of the abyss after venturing deeper into it.
While the 'Tales of Crimson ruler' is the mostly renounced bedtime story diverse among folklore. This particular place called 'The Abyss' is used to scare disobedient children, as an infamous bedtime story. Stories about the abyss that used to dye fear upon the living.
This infamous abyss is located across the Onaxx desert and spreads through the southern plane of Nifivr. It is a dividing line between the Onaxx desert and the great wilderness. It finally ended at five hundred Gilas (1gila=3.142 kilometers) away from Cadus province. A province of the Faucheux Empire, which is located in the southwest part of it. It is also the heel of the empire on the map.
A thick dark miasma was covering its whole range. There were no signs of life or activity that can be found near the abyss. Even the soil around the abyss is dry and cracked. Unable to grow vegetation, it appeared to be scarier than the dead ground from the cemetery.
Looking from above, this black line looks like a horrible wound inflicted upon the world. From the main line, the abyss splits multiple branches from it like a dark river.
Although the abyss was the place described as a symbol of fear and eeriness, there are a bunch of daredevils and adventures who come to explore it.
A minority of them come from small kingdoms across the Nifivr continent. Where most of them came from the Faucheux empire which greatly advanced in magic and wizardry culture. They attributed a steady stream of explorers for their daring endeavor of unveiling the secret of the abyss.
No matter how dangerous the Abyss was, it is an undeniable fact that the abyss produced some exotic mystic materials. Unique kind of material that couldn't be found anywhere in the Nifivr continent.
The mystery and unknown riches of the Abyss is a field worth researching and exploring for some magus and aristocrats. However, even with multiple breakthroughs in the standard of magic, mysticism, and the invention of many innovative tools in the current era. The exploration didn't progress too much.
For the past 100 (CDA) Crimson dynasty Age, the Abyss consumed many adventures and renounced wizards who came to conquer the mystery around this place. In the current era 582 (CDA), the empire is heavily invested in overseas trading. In these few years, these casualties toned down a bit.
Yet, Human greed has no end.
The drive and desire for riches lured some influential men to perform multiple exploration campaigns for the abyss. Their multiple attempts at exploration finally bore the fruit of their labor.
It was a memory crystal which is also known as a tear of a mage. Unlike crystal recorders, this tear of a mage only shows a fraction of the memory before the owner's death.
The crystal was found by an exploration team from the empire. Inside the recorded memory, a wizard found a crystal mine filled with pure mana and many other exotic materials. The wizard was tempted to mine these materials but he kept his cool. He continued exploring the cave.
There were many high-grade mystic magic materials and pure mineral veins like mithril, terror mystic ore, Heart of nether fire, and dragon bane. Most of these materials can be found only inside the abyss. He kept exploring the tunnel and found a stairway that led toward a hall. It was a broad and enormous hall, glittering with light from the ceiling.
The hall was filled with treasure and gold ingots, many kinds of glittering jewels, and crystal ingots. These treasures were piling around the hall. At the top of each treasure mountain, an ownerless artifact was radiating with a splendorous magic signal.
There were multiple flying vessels and carts filled brim to an extent with treasure, and outdated destructive weaponry was littered around the hall. He also saw a giant meteoric rock at some corner.
The wizard couldn't contain his joy anymore and accidentally grabbed a treasure beside him. As soon as his hand touched a treasure, the hall shook intensely. That was the last picture that can be seen in his memory.
After finding out about the memory crystal, the fever for exploration reignited and many explorers come to the abyss. This news also leaks out to some kingdoms and nations. These nations also sent their exploration team to the abyss. They all come for one purpose.
'To find the legendary hall of gold in the abyss.'
Nevertheless, they still did not find out the reason why the hall of gold was located inside the abyss. There were many popular theories and assumptions about it.
Some said a giant abyss dragon created that place. Where some said that was a lost treasury of the empire. They provide their claim with renounced lost artifacts during the warring era and the red velvet banner hanging on the flying ship. Some even doubt the authenticity of the information. But the most debated thing was the giant meteoric rock.
Why was this rock placed inside the golden hall?
It doesn't even have a mana signature. Some theorized it was one of a meteoric rock that fell at 'the god shock'. However, without the material and solid evidence, they couldn't prove their claim.
The reality was quite simple. The hall was no doubt a treasury but not from the empire but from the glorious empire from the past. The one who ruled over a plane that would be known as 'The Great Wilderness' in this era.
The giant rock was also a meteorite but it has fallen from the sky more than a millennia before the great shock.
The meteor itself wasn't anything special but there was an artifact residing at the core of it. To be exact, it is a totem carved as a carp-dragon figurine. An ancient artifact where a powerful spirit resided. The same spirit who knows the secret of the world.
It was quite ironic that people doesn't know the severity of the meteoric rock. They don't know that a totem spirit that changed the lore of the whole world was sealed in this rock.
The totem spirit, An Shi waiting to break away not only from the rock but also from the loop. One of the beings that will create mayhem and a more severe blow on the story than that of 'The God Shock'.