Ragon was now deep inside the woods, which was so dark that little sunlight could pass through. It was definitely a place that any normal person would fear.
However, Ragon was not one to easily back down from such challenges; he had faced worse than this to even entertain those thoughts.
Despite that, he was quite shocked. There were definitely high-level beasts lurking in this dark forest, which was why people rarely ventured into it. To his surprise, after two hours of walking, he hadn't encountered a single one.
"I thought I was warned that there would be a lot of trouble fighting the creatures," Ragon muttered as he scanned his surroundings. He could feel the faint breath of animals watching from a distance. As a demigod, his senses were heightened to their peak.
Little did he know that the divine energy he possessed was part of the reason the creatures feared him. Of course, having a divine aura was akin to having the presence of a divine entity, but that varied in level. Currently, this was a star-level dark forest, so Ragon's divine energy, though not very high, would likely be enough to subdue such beasts.
Staring at the map, he saw that it led to the entrance of a cave. Just as he was about to step inside, which was covered by branches, a spiritual being materialized in front of him.
It was a very tall figure with a bald head, resembling a monk, floating like a spirit.
"Who is this? And why does he have such a strong aura?" Ragon was shocked because the aura the spirit emitted was powerful enough that even in his prime, he would have hesitated to fight him one-on-one.
"I never thought the Earth realm would have such strong beings," Ragon whispered under his breath, despite the fact that the figure before him was barely a phantom.
If he were to rank the man as if he were alive, he would definitely place him at the threshold of becoming a God.
"Young man, what are you doing here, and why are you disturbing my slumber?" the bald figure asked, now floating with his legs crossed.
Ragon, who was not afraid of the phantom, replied, "I would definitely like to see the treasure's hidden here, and I would love to benefit from them."
"A young man who is barely at the star stage dares to covet my legacy? You must be joking," the man exclaimed in a loud voice, causing some nearby trees to sway.
"I didn't see any sign indicating that there is a certain level for entry here." Ragon wasn't shaking at all; he was highly confident in himself.
The monk, still in a cross-legged position, thought, "He definitely doesn't give off the aura of a star warrior, and I can't even tell if he is a warrior or a mage." The monk was curious.
"I will give him a chance to see if he is worthy of this legacy. After all, if he isn't able to pass the entrance, then he is not worthy of inheriting my legacies," the monk finally decided.
"Hmmm... Due to your immense confidence, I will give you a chance to enter the cave. But you should know it won't be an easy task." The monk stared at Ragon, smiling.
Ragon could see that the monk was right; there were skeletons of various people who had tried to enter.
After seeing all this, Ragon made up his mind. "I will definitely get through," Ragon smiled.
"I accept whatever challenge!" Ragon shouted to the monk.
"Then, I'm not stopping you," the monk said as he gestured for Ragon to proceed.
Ragon decided to assess the situation; he didn't want to endanger himself in the name of being a past demigod.
If he took rash decisions, he would definitely end up dead like a mortal.
He immediately bent down, picked up a bone from the ground, and threw it directly at the open cave. To his surprise, a purple cloud engulfed the bone, and it immediately disappeared as if devoured.
"Hmmm... this is definitely an easy one," Ragon muttered to himself.
What he sensed was a formation known as the Devil's Eater. It usually fed on living bodies and was almost impossible to bypass. The only way to clear the path when it was around was through a melodic chant. Knowing that the monk was present, Ragon realized this was the right solution, as the formation was used exclusively by monks.
He quickly took a knife from his pocket, approached a nearby tree, and began to put his plan into action.
First, he broke the tree with his fist and then used the knife to craft an instrument, taking his time.
"This young man truly knows what he's doing," the monk remarked, surprised as he watched Ragon construct an acoustic guitar.
Twenty minutes later, Ragon had finished with the guitar design. The monk stared at him, impressed. "He is really creative and definitely tried to understand the formation at least. This shows that he is well-versed," the monk complimented him. "But too bad there are many chants that a Devil's Eater can have in creating the formation. Only the exact chant I used to create the formation will work, and the backlash would be severe if he plays the wrong melody," the monk murmured to himself.
Ragon, however, seemed entirely undeterred. He strummed the strings of his guitar, testing its resonance. As he adjusted the instrument, his gaze shifted to the monk's necklace. It was a simple, weathered pendant, but Ragon's sharp memory immediately recognized its intricate carvings.
"That pendant…" Ragon muttered, his eyes narrowing as his mind raced. His photographic memory kicked in, recalling a specific entry he had read in the Library of Olympia. The pendant was a symbol of the musical warriors Path, in which a rare discipline uses music as both a weapon and a means of breaking magical formations.
He vividly remembered a scroll detailing the musical notations associated with this ancient art. The scroll had included a melody tied to the very same pendant design.
The monk's ghostly brows furrowed as he noticed Ragon's change in expression. "Could he possibly…"
Ragon stood still for a moment, closing his eyes as he replayed the melody in his head. His fingers hovered over the guitar strings, and then he strummed the first chord.
The monk's spectral form flickered slightly, "He's… using the right notes?"
Ragon's melody grew louder, the chords precise and deliberate. The music resonated with the energy of the Devil's Eater formation, and faint purple ripples began to emerge from the cave's entrance.
"Impossible," the monk muttered, his legs uncrossing as he floated upright. "He knows the melody. But how?"
As the melody continued, Ragon's posture shifted. He straightened his back, holding the guitar like a weapon.
The energy of the formation began to waver, the purple mist swirling and retreating slightly.
As Ragon reached the crescendo of the melody, the purple mist began to disintegrate, evaporating into the air with each note. The ground trembled slightly as the Devil's Eater formation collapsed entirely, leaving the cave entrance unguarded.
The monk stood with his arms folded, his eyes narrowing as he observed the last remnants of the formation vanish. A slight smirk creased his lips. "You've surprised me, young man. Few would have the knowledge or skill to break that formation, let alone with such precision."
"You can get in," the figure said, gesturing toward the cave entrance with a sweeping motion of his hand.
Ragon smiled, As he stepped forward, he felt as if he were being pulled into the cave, the sensation akin to falling into an endless depth. "Ahhhh! What's going on?" he exclaimed, his arms flailing instinctively as he grasped for balance in the unseen void.