Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1800 Guardians of the Underworld

The carvings on the wall sent a chill down Adamʼs spine.

He dared not guess the true identity of the ferryman. The lichʼs final words still rang clearly within his mind:

You will be wise not to linger too long upon the Road of the Dead.

Unbeknownst to him, another strand of hair turned white.

Adam gulped subconsciously as he cast one final glance at the figure sitting on the bone throne, as well as the lich with the mark across his face.

Then he turned and ran. He only thought of his homeworld. He desperately hoped that he wasnʼt late. Pearls of tears trickled from the corner of his eyes and danced sorrowfully in the wind. Terror gripped his heart as he couldnʼt help but think of the worst possibility: What if… the war is already over back at home?

What if we…

No!

He screamed in his heart, refusing to accept that possibility.

As he pushed through the endless sea of dead creatures, another mural briefly caught his attention.

For only a fleeting moment, he saw countless undead kneeling on the ground, bowing toward a feminine figure standing high above them. Endless armies stretched across the carving like an ocean of the dead, paying reverence to their queen.

But Adam did not stop to look further.

He only caught that brief glimpse before continuing to run through the cavern.

Another strand of hair turned white without him knowing.

As he headed deeper, another mural flashed past Adamʼs vision.

It depicted giants, undead creatures, and shadowy spirits forging a pair of colossal gates deep within the mountain. Massive chains hung across the carving while countless figures worked beneath towering flames.

High above them all stood a lone feminine figure watching everything in silence. Even without seeing her face clearly, Adam immediately understood who she was.

As he journeyed deeper into the mountain, more and more murals appeared along the cavern walls, illuminated by the dim flames.

Each one looked older than the last, as though they had existed since the birth of the Underworld itself.

One mural depicted a gigantic hound kneeling beneath a feminine figure as she rested a hand upon its head. Mountains of corpses surrounded them while the beast silently guarded the entrance to a dark cave.

Another showed black waters erupting from the earth itself. Countless screaming souls twisted within the river as the feminine figure stood at the center, her feet pressed against the ground.

Further ahead, Adam caught sight of a lonely wasteland of black stone and endless mist. The feminine figure raised a hand, and the first dead slowly gathered around her in silence.

Then came the mural that made Adamʼs steps falter. It was the oldest mural of them all.

An old man stood atop a massive cliff, his face mysteriously eroded by time. Below him, the feminine figure endlessly fell into darkness, while countless dead souls stretched their hands upward from beneath the stygian depths.

Something about that old man felt strangely familiar to Adam. It was as though he had seen him somewhere before, yet no matter how hard he tried, he could not remember where.

And the moment he turned away from the mural, the thought of the old man completely slipped away from his mind…

At long last, the endless cavern tunnel began to fade.

Far ahead, a faint golden light appeared within the darkness. It spilled from the mouth of the cave like sunlight piercing through a grave, growing brighter with every step Adam took.

After journeying through endless death, mist, and darkness, the sight almost felt surreal.

He narrowed his eyes against the overwhelming brightness as he finally reached the end of the tunnel. Then, with a final step, he emerged from the throat of the cave.

And as soon as he stepped out…

ROAR!!!

The thunderous sound filled him with terror. And then, a vast and ominous aura instantly overwhelmed him. The aura was so great, so terrifying, that Adam found it difficult to even draw a breath.

Standing at the mouth of the cave was a gigantic bloodhound. Its monstrous body towered above the entrance like a living mountain of flesh and fur. Crimson eyes burned with fury as it glared directly at Adam, its massive jaws slowly parting to reveal rows of jagged teeth.

The Guardian of the Death Gate!

A deep growl rumbled from its throat, shaking the ground beneath. Even the countless dead figures in the surroundings shuddered in abject horror.

The beast looked utterly enraged, as though furious that a living human had dared to return from within the cave.

In the presence of such a creature, there was nothing that Adam could say or do. He gaped in fear as his body shuddered subconsciously. But he quickly looked away, fearing his feeble mind might get overwhelmed again.

But then, suddenly, the hound froze.

Its pupils slowly dilated as it sensed a familiar presence lingering around the raven-haired youth. The furious growl gradually faded away, replaced by hints of hesitation. It lowered its head toward the human.

Adam was utterly frozen in terror. All he could do was hold his breath as the behemoth got closer to him and took a long sniff. Then, as if it had completely lost interest, the giant hound simply turned away.

The youth let out a shaky breath and slowly got back to his feet. He gulped nervously as he cast one final short glance at the giant hound before turning and running forward.

Another strand of hair turned white…

He frantically rushed onto the Golden Bridge, forcing his way through the endless sea of dead slowly crossing it. Countless pale figures brushed past him in silence, their hollow eyes fixed ahead as they walked across the massive bridge beneath the ashen sky.

Until now, the bridge had been completely silent. But the moment Adam stepped on it…

BOOM!

The entire Golden Bridge violently trembled beneath his feet.

A deafening, thunderous sound echoed as the ancient structure shook from end to end. Adamʼs expression changed instantly. He only hesitated briefly before continuing his journey.

The dead crossed the bridge in silence because they were light, empty, and weightless. But when a living stepped on it, the bridge thundered and shook beneath their weight.

And there was another reason the bridge shook so violently when the living crossed it.

It was a signal meant to alert someone…

Far ahead, beyond the endless procession of dead souls, a colossal figure slowly came into view. The maiden giantess turned toward Adamʼs direction, her eyes narrowing.

The Guardian of the Golden Bridge!