Hero of Darkness

The Hero's Party had reached the final realm, where God's Altar was said to be located. This realm was vastly different from the ones they had previously traversed. It was an expansive, cold desert with a massive, glowing moon in the night sky. The eerie chill in the air sent shivers down their spines.

Before them, a stone bridge stretched for hundreds of meters, leading to a foreboding black castle with dreary architecture. The castle emanated an ominous aura that unsettled all who gazed upon it.

The party had come a long way, facing numerous challenges and powerful guardians. With uncertainty looming over them, they now stood at the threshold of their final trial, ready to confront the last guardian and reach God's Altar. 

The outcome of this encounter would determine their fate and the fate of the Beast Empire.

Step!

Step!

As the party made their way across the stone bridge towards the enormous black castle, a dark fog surrounded them, prompting everyone to activate their defensive skills and heighten their senses.

"Everyone be alert and assist each other in case there is a surprise ambush on us." commanded Maximus as he took the lead, conjuring a massive 10-meter-tall golden shield of his imposing aura to protect the group from the front.

[I sense nobody here. Its as if there is no living being inside this castle.] thought Kahn after he inspected this estate.

Kahn, using his Hunter's Domain skill, attempted to sense any presence within the castle but was met with an unsettling revelation. He couldn't detect the souls of any living beings, nor could he sense any movement within the castle or the barren desert surrounding it. 

It was as if this entire realm had been stripped of life.

CREAK!!

And right then, the massive 15-meter tall and 6-meter-wide black gates at the front, opened.

"Come inside. I have been waiting for you."

With the massive black gates swinging open on their own, the party was greeted by a majestic yet ominous voice that reverberated through the realm, inviting them to enter.

"Alright, everyone. Looks like the host was already looking forward to seeing us. There's no point in staying here.

Let's see through this till the end." said Maximus with a resolute tone.

The hero of nature, displaying his characteristic determination, urged the group to press forward despite the potential risks. 

They all understood that this could very well be a trap, but finding God's Altar was their ultimate goal, and confronting the Last Guardian was a necessary step on that path.

With their resolve steeled and their senses finely tuned for any threat, the Hero's Party stepped through the imposing gates and into the foreboding darkness of the black castle, ready to face their final adversary.

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The group passed through hallways after hallways, climbed up floors and finally at the top floor of this castle, they ventured inside a grand hall that resembled a king's throne room.

Step!

Step!

With Maximus in the lead, the group finally saw a dark-brown-haired man with blue eyes, adorning the lightweight black and red armor and cloak of a mage as he sat on a golden throne at the end of the hall.

In his hands, was a scepter with a fist-sized glowing blue crystal at its top. 

"Welcome to my humble abode." spoke this handsome and mature man who looked to be in his mid-30s.

His gaze was intense despite the friendly smile on his face and the dimly lit room added to a sense of eeriness in the atmosphere.

"You… You know why we are here, don't you?" asked Maximus, with his domineering posture of a leader.

"Of course, I do. It's been a long time since I have been doing this.

But first, answer my question." said the man with short hair as he showed a hint of curiosity on his face.

"Which number are you?" he asked.

"What do you mean by 'which number'?" asked Maximus with a befuddled tone.

"I mean which number of summoned Hero of Nature are you?" he elaborated.

"And what does that have to do with you? Aren't you just a guardian tasked to test the new Hero or Heroine of Nature during the Conclave of Heroes?" questioned Maximus in return with a skeptical glance.

A guardian bound to this place should have no business knowing the happening of the world outside of Babylon and his designated god's domain.

"Stubborn, I see. Compared to the previous Heroine of Nature, you are not easily intimidated despite knowing that I can end your life whenever I want.

I like that." spoke the last guardian and chuckled lightly.

"Hah! We won't know who can kill who unless we fight to the death first." responded Maximus, asserting his own dominance with a resolute stature.

"Ha ha! They all say that until I start showing them their place. The previous party that came 300 years ago was no different.

Sadly, that coward Heroine survived by using her party members as her shields and entered the God's Altar before I could finish her." he spoke with an incredulous tone.

"Since you won't answer my first question… tell me what happened to the Falkor Empire." commended the last guardian with an expectant gaze.

"What? I don't know any Falkor Empire. Never heard of it." responded Maximus.

Gasp!

But right then, a loud gasp was heard from behind. And the person to gasp, having his eyes filled with shock and terror was none other than Borat, the green-maned lionkin knight.

Everyone looked at Borat with confused countenances.

"Do you know anything about this Falkor Empire?" asked Rolakan to Borat.

"Of course, I do. I'm a direct descendant of the First Emperor's bloodline.

Falkor Empire… was the original name of Nadur Empire." spoke Borat with a bated breath.

"You mean…" said Conan, as he connected the pieces together.

"Yes, it was before the revolution when Humans had enslaved all the Demi-Humans and Beastkin races of the empire.

That was 700 years ago." said Borat as he shared a knowledge passed down to generations of his family since their ancestor was the first emperor of the Beast Empire. 

Borat was a descendant of the powerful figure who threw the tyrannical rule of humans and brought freedom to all the non-human species and netizens, renaming their home as the Nadur Empire.

"Ah, so it's been 700 years since then. Time flies by so easily." spoke the last guardian suddenly with a reminiscent gaze.

"Wait a minute… if you know about the Falkor Empire despite being inside Babylon, and given the fact that you are a human…" said Borat, his entire being bewildered to his core.

"Yes, I am who you think I am." said the last guardian and stood up from his throne. 

A menacing smile appeared on his face as he let out a devilish grin.

"Everyone!! Run!! 

He isn't just some guardian...

In my family's records, he is called the First Fallen.

He died 700 years ago inside the God's Domain." exclaimed Borat, his heart palpating in sheer terror as he revealed the true identity of the Last Guardian...

"The 7th Hero of Nature... Marcus Brutus!"