Chapter 172 The Mysterious Figure

I checked on the description of the whip and then stored it in my inventory, even though it had no use for me at the moment. I figured I could lend it to someone skilled in pyromancy.

Turning my attention back to the door that appeared after defeating Balor, I approached it slowly. The door opened on its own and I stepped inside, only to be met with a bright white light.

And I was suddenly transported to a grandeur and eerie throne hall.

Despite the ornate surroundings, my attention was quickly drawn to a powerful demonic energy that seemed to emanate from my left.

Struggling to maintain my footing, I turned toward the source of the energy, and... what I saw made my eyes widen in shock.

Ding!—

[You Have Come Across A Sealed Demon Lord...!]

I didn't have to see the system notification to tell what it was.

A huge, translucent crystal was suspended in mid-air, surrounded by massive, transparent chains and shining runes.

I could clearly see the figure of a demon lord sealed inside the crystal.

It was Pazuzu, the demon lord from ancient myths, his eyes were shut and his appearance was unmistakable.

The intricate design of the crystal and chains, combined with the aura of Pazuzu's powerful energy, creates an eerie and foreboding atmosphere.

The cracks on the chains inscribed with runes only serve to heighten the sense of danger, as it seems as though the demon lord's power is about to break free from its confines.

"If a sealed demon lord is this powerful, then how much more powerful will it be if it were to break free from its seal?" I muttered to myself.

As I approached the crystal, I could see the figure inside becoming clearer.

His form was imposing, standing tall and proud even in his sealed state. His skin was a dark, scaly black, contrasting sharply with the bright, shining runes inscribed on the chains that bound him.

His eyes were closed, and his sharp, jagged teeth were bared in a snarl that hinted at the anger and rage that must have been bubbling just beneath the surface.

His wings were the most striking feature, stretching out from his back and nearly reaching the edges of the crystal.

They were huge and leathery, tipped with razor-sharp claws that would have easily been able to rip apart anything that got too close.

I reached out to touch the crystal and understand the runes on its chains. As I noticed cracks in the seals and wondered if I could strengthen them.

But just as my hand was about to make contact, I heard a voice behind me.

"Oh, so you're planning on reinforcing the seal by comprehending the runes?"

!?

The voice caught me off guard and I spun around startled, my katana appearing in my hand in an instant. I was on high alert, ready for any threat.

In front of me, I saw a figure nonchalantly seated on the throne, their entire body enveloped in a bright, white light, making it impossible to determine their appearance.

"Who are you?" I asked, my katana still in hand and shurikens now orbiting me.

"I never would have thought you'd make it this far," Instead of answering me, the figure said, a grin spreading across its face.

"...."

When I heard that, my mind raced with questions. 'Who is this person? I don't sense any malicious intent from them. And what did they mean when they said they didn't think I'd make it here?'

But most of all, I couldn't even determine the figure's gender despite hearing their voice.

"No, I wasn't doubting your ability to defeat those mere guardians. I was talking about the time when you arrived in this world," the figure explained, continuing to grin as if he could read my thoughts.

"...."

"...This world has no such thing as privacy, huh?" I said with a chuckle when I heard him, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease.

"You were acting a bit too impulsively, why would you take on an A-Rank monster on the very day you arrived in this world? Did you want to meet your girlfriend that badly?" The figure said, still wearing a mysterious grin.

"....."

I tried to keep my emotions in check and not show any reaction to the figure's words.

As I still did not know his identity, and couldn't understand how this figure knew about my arrival in this world, and about my deceased girlfriend.

"If that woman hadn't arrived on time, you would have been done for. All the efforts in bringing you here would have gone to waste," the figure added, shaking its head.

!?

"...Was it you who brought me to this world?" I asked, trying to piece together the puzzle in my mind.

"Pftt, Me? I wonder," the figure replied, as if deep in thought.

"Well, who cares about such trivial details. And don't ask me anything else related to that, I won't be able to tell you anything," the figure added, with a yawn.

"What— " I started to speak, but the figure cut me off.

"I already told you that I can't answer any questions about how you ended up in this world. I'm just a fragment," the figure stated, reading my mind.

"...."

"Alright...let me ask you this then. What happened to the real Ares, the owner of this body?" I asked, staring at the figure intently.

"You're quite the curious one, aren't you? I don't think it'll hurt to tell you this much. It's just as you've suspected, his soul merged with yours, allowing you to access his memories and take on his identity. And it is also why it didn't take you much time to get used to that body," the figure explained.

"...."

I continued to stare at the figure, still not fully satisfied with its answer.

Seeing my unfulfilled gaze, the figure spoke again.

"Tch, how bothersome. I hope I don't run into any trouble after this," the figure muttered.

"That body always belonged to you!" the figure exclaimed, his voice ringing out through the chamber. "...And that body just had always been a vessel, waiting to be claimed by the missing piece of its soul," the figure stated, his voice echoing in the room.

"It was an empty shell, devoid of mana, until your soul came along and merged with it. And that, my dear friend, was how you came to possess the memories and identity of Ares, the real owner of that body."

As he spoke, the figure leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. The aura of white light around him seemed to shimmer and dance, almost as if it was a living entity of its own.

"You see, you humans can only possess a single source of mana," the figure continued. "And since you had already been using your soul force to gather mana, it made that body incapable of sustaining any of its own. It was simply waiting for you to claim it as your own."

I remained silent, my mind racing as I tried to piece together the information that had just been revealed to me.

"And—" As the figure was about to speak again, suddenly, cracks appeared in the thin air, as if the whole space was about to be torn apart.

Crack—Crack—