[One is used to open the rift, thus breaking, and the other... can be used to open the secret area, leading to the apostles.]
Meaning that waiting for other people to find the rift had saved Stark a huge amount of time to find whoever owned the second key!
"Well, doesn't matter," the entire rift was silent now.
Click!
He pulled out the key from his [Spatial Inventory] and placed it in front of the aura barrier.
[Do you want to use the 'Devil's Abyss Key'?]
"Yeah."
As the key turned, the barrier pulsed with energy, rippling like the surface of water.
Then, with a soft click, it dissipated entirely, revealing a massive stone doorway beyond.
The air around it was oppressive, thick with the weight of demonic energy, but Stark barely flinched.
His excitement only grew as he stepped forward, eager to see what awaited him in this secret, unexplored part of the rift.
[Sixth Zone: The Doors of Hell]
The zone before him was unlike anything he had seen so far in the abyss.
Stark found himself standing in a vast stone chamber, dimly lit by glowing red runes that ran across the walls and floor.
At the far end of the chamber stood three massive doors, each one carved in the likeness of something terrifying.
The first door bore the face of a monstrous figure, humanoid but twisted, with burning red eyes and horns that curled back like a ram's.
Stark could feel the raw power emanating from it, the air around it thick with malevolent energy.
The second door was a grotesque three-headed dog, its snarling mouths wide open, ready to devour anything that came near.
The demonic energy radiating from the door was suffocating, as if the beast behind it was ready to tear him apart.
The third door was adorned with the visage of a cruel, skeletal figure, its face hidden beneath a tattered hood, eyes glowing with a ghostly light. It seemed to represent death itself, the aura cold and foreboding, sending a chill down Stark's spine.
"Hm..." Stark muttered to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
The whole setup reminded him of the first Domination trial, where he had to defeat the guardians before battling the Mirror Master.
But there was a difference now: he had grown far stronger, had faced down an apostle stronger than they are, and even crushed Olikar.
"If it's like that trial, this should be a piece of cake," Stark said confidently, cracking his knuckles, "I mean, Olikar was level 400 and in his final form was more like a level 500, so—"
He didn't get to finish his thought.
In an instant, the three doors glowed fiercely, and three figures materialized in front of him, each resembling the carvings on the doors.
The first one was the demonic figure, tall and imposing, his skin a charred black, horns curling back from his skull.
His burning eyes narrowed as he looked at Stark, exuding an aura of immense power.
"Hm..." the demon rumbled, his deep voice reverberating in the chamber, "It seems he's really here."
Beside him stood Cerberus, or at least a monstrous, fiery manifestation of it.
The three-headed beast growled, its massive form bristling with demonic energy, each of its heads snarling in unison as its eyes locked onto Stark.
His presence alone seemed to distort the space around him, making the air heavy and hard to breathe.
Beside him, Cerberus, the massive three-headed beast, growled low, each head snapping and snarling with anticipation.
Its body was covered in molten chains, each link glowing red-hot, and lava dripped from its jaws, sizzling as it hit the ground.
And finally, the skeletal figure, now revealed as Malthus the Death Devil, hovered silently, his tattered robes billowing in a non-existent wind.
He gripped a massive scythe, its blade glowing with a sickly green light that radiated death and decay.
Stark paused for a moment, taking in the sight before him.
He had fought through countless demons, defeated apostles, and now, the culmination of his journey in the Devil's Abyss was right in front of him.
"Well," Stark said, cracking his neck, "time to show you guys why I'm not to be messed with."
Without another word, he surged forward, his aura flaring as he activated Holy Infusion.
His body lit up with divine energy, and he summoned Crimson Spears and Aura Smash. .net
Valgorth was the first to move, lunging forward with terrifying speed, his massive fist aimed directly at Stark's head.
Stark dodged, barely avoiding the strike, and retaliated with a flurry of Crimson Spears, each one enhanced with holy energy.
The spears struck Valgorth's chest, but the apostle shrugged them off, his smoldering skin absorbing the blows.
"Nice try, but my body adapted to receiving divine attacks!"
"The fuck?" Stark raised his eyebrows.
As Valgorth backed away, Cerberus charged in, its three heads snapping at Stark with deadly precision.
Stark leapt into the air, dodging the beast's massive jaws, and summoned Wielding Cross, the enormous, glowing cross appearing above him.
He swung it down with all his might, smashing it into Cerberus's back, causing the beast to howl in pain as its molten chains shattered.
-457,374!
But before he could land another blow, Malthus joined the party, his scythe cutting through the air with a bone-chilling sound.
Stark barely managed to block the strike, the force of the blow sending him skidding across the ground.
-7361!
"Damn," Stark grunted, his arms shaking from the impact as he used them to do a back flip and recover.
The apostles began to close in on him at the same time, their combined power overwhelming.
But Stark wasn't done yet. Summoning all his strength, he began to charge a, [Energy Ball] between his two hands, readying it for the impact.
For a moment, the chamber was filled with light, but the apostles didn't stagger as they kept marching, their forms flickering because of his aura, yet their determination just as strong as his.
"This is gonna be fun," he muttered to himself, "I've been waiting to clear this stupid for a year now."
"Judicator had the key didn't he?" Valgorth spoke to his companions, but mainly Matlhus since, well, Cerberus couldn't really talk.
"Yeah, wouldn't have trusted him with that if I knew he would die so easily, but at least a year later it brings the human to us so that we can kill him."
"Lord Godless will surely reward us..."
And so, all the apostles smiled.