Chapter 48

Burying the unsettling feeling deep down…

The analysis of the soul has progressed to a certain extent, and it seems like dark spirits are gathering.

Now, all that remains is preparing the location for the afterlife’s creation and deciding on its system.

Between these two tasks, creating a place for the afterlife seems like the first step, doesn’t it?

So… how should we proceed? Should we create the afterlife somewhere in this world?

In Greek mythology, the Underworld exists beneath the earth where souls cross the River Styx. It does sound fitting, doesn’t it?

No, wait. That won’t do.

There’s an element of unease within the earth.

Erebus, an embodiment of darkness itself, which couldn’t be found despite searching every corner of the surface.

Wouldn’t it be foolish to create the afterlife above the very place where Erebus might still lurk, along with its cursed descendants?

And employing the shadow spirits transformed from Erebus’ offspring there?

It’s bound to cause problems—100% guaranteed!

Hmm… Earth is out. At least until Erebus gets taught a lesson or two. Creating anything underground at this point would be absurd.

What about the heavens then?

Gathering souls as they naturally ascend could make things much smoother…

But no, that won’t work either. The nature of dark spirits makes the sky impossible.

Dark spirits can move through soil, hide in shadows, or even operate under dim light—but they’re useless in bright areas without any shade.

High up in the sky, there’s nothing for them to cling to but wispy clouds, no shadows, just endless sunlight.

Some powerful ones could manage without shadows, but their numbers are limited.

Weaker dark spirits wouldn’t stand a chance.

Even if they could move freely during the night, transporting souls during the day would become impossible.

Using dark spirits effectively means heaven is also off the table.

Creating the afterlife somewhere in this world might truly be impossible.

I let out a small sigh.

This method was something I didn’t want to use, but there’s no other choice.

I activated the first bonus ability given to me by the Creator God: Creation.

A translucent window appeared before me. A window where I could set what I wanted to create.

A screen capable of crafting anything my heart desires.

With that power, I created a single gate.

A massive gate carved roughly from black rock.

Standing alone without any walls to support it, this peculiar sight was ignored as I swung open the enormous doors.

Like wings spreading wide, the giant gate revealed a wall made entirely of black stone inside.

Despite being unattached to anything, the gate led to a world filled with black rocks—a bizarre yet fascinating sight.

It looked as though it connected to another world entirely.

Curiosity got the better of me, but lo and behold—it really works! A gate connecting to another world.

All I did was write “a gate connecting to another world” into the creation settings, and here we are. Who would’ve thought?

A world devoid of anything but black rock. The description matched perfectly. Honestly, what *is* this power?

This ability to create… just how far does it go? Could I make an entire new world? Is this even different from being a Creator God?

No, no. Let’s not get sidetracked. Isn’t this great? I’ve confirmed my power holds limitless potential. Yes indeed.

Taking a small breath, I closed the gate and returned to normal, grabbing the surprisingly heavy door.

While creating the gate was easy enough, deciding where to place it is troubling.

Since this will serve as the entrance to the underworld, it needs to be somewhere hard to reach.

It also must allow easy access for the dark spirits who will act as laborers.

Given its connection to the underworld, it may affect other creatures, so ideally, it should be placed somewhere isolated.

Combining all these conditions creates quite the challenge.

Fortunately, during my travels around the world, I found one spot that fits perfectly.

If it were merely a matter of remoteness, there’d be several options, but only one place satisfies all these criteria.

Spreading my wings, I began flying toward it.

The destination? The northernmost edge of this world.

A land covered in pristine white snow.

—

A frigid expanse filled with ice and snow, too cold for most spirits to endure.

An unforgiving wasteland devoid of life, where even animals rarely tread.

Here, amidst the icy waves crashing against jagged icebergs, lies a tiny island.

Completely isolated from other forms of life, distant from human territories, not underground, and… hmm, can those kids swim underwater? Probably.

Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just build a bridge connecting this small island to the mainland using the black rocks inside the gate.

Transforming back into human form, I opened the gate once more. A cavernous space filled with black stones greeted me.

Alright. Let’s start by casting a durability spell on the gate. Of course, the black rocks inside will remain exempt—they’re already prone to shattering!

After confirming the gate wouldn’t break with a gentle tap, I clenched my fist, imbued it with magical power, and struck the solid wall.

KWAANG!!!

A deafening roar echoed as the black rocks shattered violently, spilling out of the gate.

One punch. Magical power aside, it’s hard to believe such destruction came from this petite fist.

That single blow left a gaping hole inside the gate.

Good. Now gather the fragments with magic and dump them into the sea between the island and the continent.

Of course, this alone won’t suffice to connect the two.

I clenched my fists again. Time to mine!

Funny how this reminds me of an old game. Breaking blocks and mining ores.

Though now, instead of using a pickaxe, I’m smashing everything apart with bare hands and dumping the pieces into the ocean!

—

Let’s see… since this gate leads to another world, Erebus shouldn’t be able to invade directly, right? Even if they could pass through the gate, I’ll cast a detection spell later to capture Erebus immediately upon sensing it.

Breaking apart the black rock world inside the gate at an angle, I continued downward.

Naturally, all fragments were dumped into the sea.

—

The hero Rychlen, inheritor of divine blood, accomplished countless feats but drunkenly killed his friend in a brawl. Grieving over his loss, he resolved to retrieve his friend’s soul from the underworld and embarked on a perilous journey.

Yet this voyage proved no ordinary task, even for the legendary hero Rychlen.

Guided by a sage from the deep forest, Rychlen headed towards the world’s northernmost end, where the entrance to the underworld supposedly lay.

Facing giants for aid and battling predators and beasts along the way, Rychlen pressed onward toward the frozen north.

Crossing a black bridge surrounded by knife-like ice waves—a crossing said to be one-way—he arrived at the fearsome gates of the underworld.

“Abandon all hope ye who enter here,” inscribed upon the ominous portal carved from pitch-black stone, radiated a soul-crushing dread.

An average man wouldn’t have reached this far, and even a typical hero might flee upon seeing the gate. But Rychlen, the hero among heroes, stood firm, rolled up his sleeves, and began pushing the colossal doors.

Heavy enough to challenge even mountain-moving strength, it took nearly an entire day to open the gates wide enough for one person to pass through.

Stepping inside, Rychlen ventured further into the underworld.

What followed would be unlike any adventure Rychlen had faced before.

Descending into a dark cave beneath the earth, each step required him to tremble with fear.

Neither his mountain-lifting strength nor his steel-hard skin could shield him from the terror of death.

Eventually, Rychlen encountered the three overseers of the underworld.

The commander of the grim reapers, tasked with collecting lost souls in the shadows.

The investigator who checks the register of the deceased to ensure proper judgment.

And the judge who weighs the sins of the dead and delivers final verdicts.

These three overseers, regardless of their heroic standing in the living world, were beings no mortal could oppose.

Beings capable of turning even the greatest hero into another nameless soul with a mere flick of their fingers.

Thus concludes the tale of Rychlen’s adventure.