novelzi Chapter 428 Another pathetic test
Chapter 428 Another pathetic test
Dante stepped across the edge of the crater, his dark cloak billowing behind him as he descended into the depths of Limbo. Each step was accompanied by the muffled crunch of crushed stone beneath his feet. The air around him felt heavier now, laden with an almost tangible oppression. It was as if Limbo itself reacted to Minos's defeat, resisting the presence of the Demon King.
The miasmatic hounds, now satiated by the fragments of power they had torn from Minos's corpse, slunk back into the shadows surrounding Dante. Their forms were like living smoke, shifting without defined shape, yet always present, lurking like loyal and hungry guardians.
As he descended, Dante felt the environment change. The vast, desolate plains of Limbo gave way to more structured terrain. Ancient ruins began to emerge in the distance, remnants of lost civilizations that had never found redemption. Broken arches and tilted pillars rose from the mist, and indistinct voices whispered on the wind, hissing words that could not be understood but still carried the weight of accusations.
He stopped for a moment, his gaze fixing on a fallen statue partially buried in the gray earth. It was an angelic figure, but its wings had been broken, and its face was worn smooth by time, as though Limbo itself was consuming even symbols of hope and purity.
"Interesting," Dante muttered, running a hand over the statue before continuing. "This place clings to remnants of what could have been. But no matter how hard it holds on to the past, nothing escapes the now."
Further ahead, the path narrowed, winding through a deep ravine. Sheer walls of black rock rose on either side, their surfaces etched with ancient runes that glowed faintly red, like scars that refused to heal. Dante brushed his fingers over one of the markings, feeling a residual pulse of energy beneath his hand.
"Binding runes," he observed aloud. "This place holds more secrets than I expected."
As he pressed forward, the oppressive weight of Limbo began to grow. The whispering voices grew louder, becoming a dissonant chorus that seemed to echo inside his mind. He knew Limbo was testing him again, probing his weaknesses, searching for cracks in his resolve. But Dante was no ordinary man; he was the Demon King, shaped by eons of conflict and power. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and pressed on without hesitation.
Eventually, he reached an open space that resembled a natural arena. At its center, a large circle of pale light illuminated the ground, casting long, dancing shadows from the surrounding ruins. Dante stopped, his crimson gaze fixed on the light.
From the far side of the arena, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was tall and slender, cloaked in black robes that seemed woven from darkness itself. A hood concealed its face, but two glowing eyes, like extinguished stars, shone faintly in the gloom.
"Dante," the figure said, its voice reverberating like the sound of broken bells. "You challenge Limbo and defeat Minos. Yet you have not proven your worth to descend further."
Dante raised an eyebrow, his expression a blend of disdain and curiosity. "Another test? I thought Limbo had already played its best card."
The figure chuckled softly, a laugh that seemed to echo endlessly. "Minos was merely the gatekeeper. I am the guardian of the path ahead. And it is not just your strength that will be tested, but your very essence."
Dante lifted his sword, the steel reflecting the pale light as he pointed it at the figure. "I have no patience for riddles. If you're here to stop me, then step forward. I'm eager to see what else this place has to offer."
Another voice, this one masculine, followed. "You trampled over us to reach the throne. For what? To be alone?"
Dante scowled but kept his gaze locked on the hooded figure. "This is a pathetic attempt to weaken me. You think slapping familiar faces on these echoes will make me hesitate? You don't know who you're dealing with."
The guardian laughed, a cold and distant sound. "This is no illusion, Dante. This is truth. Limbo merely reflects what is already within you."
Dante shook his head. "I carry my choices with pride. Every decision I've made brought me here. There's no regret in me."
The hooded figure raised a hand, and the specters stopped. They hovered around Dante, as if waiting for something. "If there is no regret," the guardian said, "then show me. Prove you can face these voices without hesitation, without doubt."
The ground beneath Dante began to glow with red and golden runes, forming a magical circle around him. He felt the weight of the runes pressing down, forcing him to confront the truth behind his words.
"Let's see, Demon King," the guardian said. "Can you continue your descent? Or will the weight of what you've done finally crush you?"
Dante closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, they burned with renewed fire. He slammed his sword into the ground, cracking the runes beneath him.
"I am Dante," he declared, his voice echoing through the void. "And my journey won't be stopped by a bunch of shadows and a pathetic guardian. Everything I am, everything I've done, everything I've lost—I accept it all as part of me. Now get the hell out of my way, I've got to stop Astaroth's damn mess!"
The magic circle trembled, and the specters began to dissipate one by one, their forms fragmenting into particles of light. The guardian observed silently as Dante's resolve manifested into an oppressive aura, suffocating the very energy of Limbo.
Dante advanced toward the hooded figure, each step dispersing the shadows around him. He raised his sword again, the blade pulsating with dark energy. "Now, step aside, or I'll make you regret crossing my path."
The hooded figure remained still for a moment before letting out a low chuckle. "Very well, Demon King. You have passed. But remember, what lies below is far more challenging than what you've faced so far."
With a gesture, the figure vanished, and the path ahead opened. A spiral stone staircase descended into the darkness, faintly illuminated by a flickering, dim light.
Dante rested his sword on his shoulder, casting one last glance at the void he left behind. "If that was a test, I hope the next one proves more challenging," he muttered before beginning his descent to the next circle of Hell.