With the 'key' clenched in his hands, Orien slowly left the place where everyone was gathered and arrived at the topmost floor of the castle. Everyone else remained below, standing guard, ensuring that nothing disturbed him during the process.

After reaching the rooftop of the Dwarven King's castle in the underground city, Orien began forming an array on the ground using blood. Each line was drawn with care, and as time passed, the array continued to expand. It slowly spread across the stone surface until it covered nearly half of the large rooftop.

Several hours later, the ritual array was finally completed. Strange and twisted symbols were carved into the ground, each connected to the next through complex patterns that felt unnatural to look at. Orien moved to the center of the array and placed a small, pitch-black pedestal at its center.

It was an altar.

After placing it, Orien stepped back carefully and stood on a section of the rooftop untouched by the array, his gaze never leaving the altar.

"Send them!!!"

There was no one nearby to answer him, yet he did not have to wait long. Within seconds, all eight Saints of the Dwarven Kingdom appeared on the rooftop, their movements stiff and their gazes unfocused, as if their consciousness had been suppressed.

With Hollowborns spread throughout the continent, the Hollow Queen could hear his command and act upon it whenever he wished.

"Sit on the eight circular markings surrounding the altar."

Without hesitation or resistance, the Dwarven Saints moved forward and sat down on the circular markings around the altar, their expressions remaining blank.

Seeing this, Orien nodded lightly. He tapped his foot against the ground, and demonic energy surged out from his body, flowing directly into the ritual array.

The array activated immediately, releasing a blood-red, eerie light that illuminated the rooftop. At the same time, the cultivation and age of the eight Saints began to fall rapidly as blood slowly seeped out from the surface of their bodies, soaking into the array beneath them.

First Step: Make a sacrifice of at least two Saints to temporarily connect with the Abyss. Increasing the amount of sacrifice strengthens the connection and makes it more stable...

"Looks like everything is going smoothly."

Orien muttered as he observed the changes. In less than a quarter of an hour, the Saints were reduced to nothing but blood, which was completely absorbed by the ritual array. As that happened, the blood-red light gradually darkened and turned pitch black.

The moment the color changed, the surrounding atmosphere shifted. The air became cold and heavy, carrying a suffocating pressure that pressed down on the rooftop. A dreadful presence spread outward, as if something from beyond this world had begun to take notice.

Looking at the scene before him, Orien knew the first step had been completed.

I can feel it, something inside me wanting to get fully unleashed. This is only the aura of the Abyss, but even this alone is enough to stir something deep within me, something that wants to break free completely....

Other than revenge, there was another important reason why Orien wanted to open the path to the Abyss.

It was due to the locked trait he was born with.

He did not know what this trait truly was, nor did he know its powers. However, he was certain of one thing. The moment he entered the Abyss, that trait would unlock, and the power he would gain would far exceed anything he possessed now.

There was another way to awaken his trait without stepping into the Abyss itself. If he could successfully evolve his demonic energy into abyssal energy, the trait would awaken naturally. But this process required a catalyst, and no record existed that explained how such a catalyst could be obtained.

Even so, Orien could feel that he was already standing at the edge of that transformation. His demonic energy was unstable, restless, as if it was waiting for something to push it forward. The opening of the Abyss was that final push, at least that was what Orien believed.

He did not allow himself to drown in excitement and quickly regained his composure. With a controlled motion, he summoned the body of the Unicorn prodigy, a being born with the combined traits of both the Unicorn King and Queen.

With a wave of his hand, the body appeared above the altar and was carefully placed upon it, resting at the very center.

"---- -- -- - - -- -"

Orien began reciting ritualistic spells in the demonic tongue. His voice was steady, calm, and devoid of hesitation. He continued chanting until pitch-black symbols slowly rose from the altar, floating into the air and wrapping around the Unicorn's body like living shadows.

"$%##% (Soul sacrifice)"

The instant the final phrase left his lips, the black light erupted violently. It released a blinding dark glow that did not fade, instead growing deeper and denser, turning into a shade of black that seemed to swallow light itself.

Although the naked eye could not perceive it, Orien knew exactly what was happening. At that moment, the souls of dead within the underground city were being dragged toward the black array, feeding it continuously.

He could not see the souls, but he could clearly sense them. Countless presences were being pulled away, flowing toward the altar like an invisible tide. To further ensure the ritual's success, Orien issued another command.

"Kill everyone."

Instantly, every dwarf in the city collapsed to the ground. Their brains were destroyed in a single moment, granting them a silent and painless death.

-Thud!!

-Thud!!

-Thud!!

-Thud!!

-Thud!!

-Thud!!

Bodies fell one after another, producing a heavy, dull sound as they hit the ground. From a distance, it looked like a row of dominos falling in sequence.

Orien watched the scene with impassive eyes.

He could not see the souls leaving their bodies, but he could feel them clearly. An overwhelming number of souls passed through him, brushing against his existence as they rushed toward the black array.

What an unpleasant experience, feeling so many souls passing through me...

Still, he remained unmoved and waited.

Time passed, and soon every soul within the central city, numbering close to few million, was completely absorbed by the array.

Moments later, a blinding pillar of pitch-black energy erupted from the altar.

Seeing this, Orien's eyes widened, and his blood surged with excitement.

Abyssal energy...

He could feel the clear superiority of this power. It was horrifying, devastating, corrupted, and vile, and that only made it more intoxicating to him.

The pillar of abyssal light tore through the ground above the underground city, ripping apart layers of soil and stone before shooting straight into the sky, disappearing toward an unknown place.

Let's not waste any more time, the gate is about to open soon..

Without hesitation, Orien summoned both Elysia and Aurora.

The moment they appeared, their eyes widened in fear. An instinctive terror washed over them as they felt the abyssal energy filling the surroundings. They did not understand what it was, but they knew it was something deeply wrong.

Their bodies trembled slightly as their instincts screamed at them.

Whatever this power was, it was something that should never exist in their world.

**

On the planet of Akumia, a pillar of abyssal light pierced through the ground and shot straight into the sky, instantly drawing the attention of everyone across the world.

The first to sense it was the World Tree.

A sudden tremor shook the Elven capital city as the will of the World Tree manifested beside Serena and the other Saints. Her expression was grim and heavy, filled with a seriousness that none of them had ever seen before.

"Someone is trying to open the Abyss."

The Saints and Serena did not know what the Abyss truly was, but just from the World Tree's expression, they could tell that this was not something minor or manageable.

Fear crept into their hearts without them realizing it.

"Hurry toward it. We need to stop it at all costs. If the Abyss opens, we will all die a horrifying death."

Her words carried weight, and none of them dared to question it.

**

At the same time, on the Human Continent.

"GRANDFATHER!!"

Amelia came running toward the Whisperer with bloodshot eyes. Dark circles were deeply carved beneath them, and her body looked much thinner than before, as if all her strength had been drained away.

There was not even a trace of her usual playful nature left. She looked utterly terrified.

"What happened, my child."

The Whisperer's heart tightened instantly. The moment he saw her state, his expression turned serious.

Amelia rushed forward and hugged him tightly, her body trembling as she began to sob. Her breathing was rushed and uneven, as if she could barely catch her breath.

"Grandfather, they-they-they-they are coming. We will die, everyone will die. Let's escape this place, please, please, please, please. They were… they were… they were…"

Her words broke apart, turning into incoherent murmurs.

The Whisperer felt a deep chill crawl up his spine. He immediately understood that she had seen something far too horrifying, something that had shattered her from within.

His eyes flashed faintly as he peered into her memories. He knew he might suffer backlash due to Amelia's high affinity with fate, but at that moment, he did not care about the consequences.

Then he saw the dream she had witnessed only minutes ago.

As the vision unfolded, his face turned deathly pale, as if all the blood had drained from it. A moment later, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Without hesitation, he struck Amelia gently, knocking her unconscious and preventing further damage to her mind.

"ALL OF YOU, MOVE RIGHT NOW, OTHERWISE WE ALL WILL DIE!!!!!"

His voice echoed directly into the minds of every Human Saint and Mythical being.

Before they could even gather together to discuss what had happened, a vile presence began to spread through the surroundings. It felt corrupted, horrifying, and deeply demonic, making their instincts scream in warning.

Then they saw it.

A blinding pillar of pitch-black energy shooting straight into the sky.

Every Human Saint instantly understood what the Whisperer meant by moving right now.

Without holding back, they rushed toward it with all their strength.

**

In the void.

A being was moving freely through the emptiness, a place where even Saints could not exist or breathe. His eyes were closed, as if he was searching for something across the endless darkness.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

He turned his gaze toward a distant galaxy, far away from his current location.

"A path to the Abyss is being opened in such a remote corner of the Cosmos…."

A chilling light flashed through his eyes as he moved. In the next instant, he shot forward with unnatural speed, crossing light years in the blink of an eye.

A golden trail was left behind as he headed straight toward the world of Akumia.

From afar, if anyone could see him, they would notice massive white wings flapping behind him, each movement increasing his speed as he raced toward the unfolding disaster.

***

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