The place was quiet since Atlas was the only living being there. So he stuck his torch on a rock and devoured the meal prepared earlier at home.
It was not as good quality as his grandmother's food, but it was more than enough to satiate his stomach. A delicious meal was ideal, but it was also time to rest, so Atlas lay on the floor, intending to sleep for a few hours. But it was just then that he noticed something interesting from the corner of his eyes.
"Hmm?!"
There was something in the distance similar to a small red dot.
The young man did not think twice and, accompanied by the light of the torch, made his way toward it.
"Maybe it's one of those strange crystals..."
Because of all that debris, it took Atlas a long time to reach it, but when he was only a few steps away, the red dot disappeared into thin air.
"Damn... where did it go?"
Upon reaching his destination, the young man found nothing but debris and felt cheated.
What was that strange source of light?
Perhaps it had been an illusion?
He felt lost for a brief moment, but once he recovered from that moment of despondency, he kept walking straight ahead, hoping to find something else.
Atlas walked for a few minutes, and just when he was ready to give up, the young man caught a glimpse of what he was so ardently searching for.
"Finally... how big is this fucking room ... I felt like I was walking for days."
The closer the young man got to the wall, the clearer it became.
Initially, Atlas was not very convinced that he would find a way out so soon.
"... STAIRS... HAHAHA!"
Of course, the mysteries of that place had left a deep mark on his mind, so for no reason in the world would the young adventurer abandon this place forever like its previous inhabitants. Unfortunately, he needed better tools to complete his exploration.
Once the mission was completed, he could return here without too much worry and fully enjoy exploring the ancient ruin, now abandoned for many years.
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The intrepid adventurer lingered no longer and began to slowly climb the stairs.
It was hard for Atlas to forget what he had discovered just now.
However, the unknown that awaited him beyond the stairs slowly forced him to cast out those thoughts and focus entirely on a possible enemy ambush.
After all, he needed a clear, distraction-free mind for what awaited him beyond those stairs.
"Man... I need to calm down. I'm sure I can easily deal with those stupid monsters with my current power..."
Some time passed, and finally, after an almost interminable climb, a mighty stone door lined with a bluish metal on its edges appeared before the young man, blocking his way.
"Another door... let's hope it's the last one!" Atlas gently ran the palm of his hand along the surface and found that it was smooth and free of imperfections.
The lack of handles or other apparent clues led Atlas to immediately think of a secret passageway operated by a hidden mechanism. So he looked around carefully.
"There must be a mechanism, like the one found in the underground room..."
There was nothing strange on the door, but to his right, precisely one meter high, was the same hollow stone he had found earlier.
Fortunately, this time, the unusual black crystal was present.
Atlas began transferring Chaos Energy from his body without wasting more time operating that ingenious mechanism. However, something strange happened this time.
"How strange. Before, it only took about a few minutes. What's going on?"
The crystal size was the same as before, but for some strange reason, the energy absorbed had exceeded twice the amount previously used for a single crystal.
"It's dangerous, but I can't stop now..."
Although puzzled by the strange event, Atlas didn't hesitate even for a moment. Instead, he consumed a Regenerating Potion and absorbed the Chaos Stones, letting the energy drain from his body without pause.
Energy continued to flow from his body to the crystal, but even as the potion was slowly filling his core, Atlas's head began to waver, and a feeling of fatigue assailed him.
As soon as those synthons presented themselves, the young man promptly moved his hand from the crystal, wanting to reduce that heavy burden.
However, there was a strange force binding his hand and the crystal.
"Damn... what is going on?"
Alarmed by the unfortunate situation, Atlas came to his senses momentarily.
Unfortunately, that was only his last vain attempt before his demise, for his eyes slowly closed shortly after that.
His body faltered and inevitably fell forward right against the rocky door.
The young man was now unconscious, but the black crystal continued undaunted to absorb his Chaos Energy and consumed so much of it that eventually, the young man's core became empty.
The crystal could no longer take Chaos Energy from its body, but nothing could stop its insatiable desire for power.
The Chaotical Core was empty, but every living thing was composed of that primordial energy. Every single cell was saturated with that magnificent power. So rather than finish the absorption process, the crystal began to devour the life force from every part of his body.
Atlas had been unconscious for some time, and little did he know that the crystal was devouring him.
The young man's body began to lose mass. In a few moments, his skin went from a rosy color to a pale blue, and even his raven black hair was losing its luster.
Alone in that underground place, Atlas was slowly reaching the door to the underworld. All seemed lost for him, but suddenly, a bright light surrounded his body, and the voice of Nihilir from the void: "Hmm... Probably I sent him here too soon... he can't still handle all that power well..."
Clearly, Nihilir couldn't let him die for his mistakes and inevitably helped the young man to satiate the greediness of that voracious crystal.
In just a couple of breaths, the young man's body returned to his previous conditions, very far from the dangerous one that was gradually bringing him closer to his demise.
The external source of energy worked out efficiently and, in the following minutes, sustained the long process until the pitch-black crystal glowed with an intense red light, a color so bright that it looked like a precious ruby.