The Last King Of Darkness

Rod followed Horus into the deep cave and soon arrived at a massive cavern.

It resembled a giant extinguished furnace, filled with ashes, piled into thirteen tall mountains.

At the peaks of these thirteen mountains lay thirteen grey thrones.

Eight of them faintly glowed with spiritual light, while five were dull and silent.

Horus said, "This is the Ashen Throne, a semi-divine artifact passed down since ancient times, said to have been crafted by Giant King Omir. It can converge human fate and catalyze powerful individuals in humanity... That is your seat."

Rod stepped up to the eighth Gray Mountain, gazing at the throne seemingly formed from ashes, spiritual light flashing above it, an indescribable feeling arose within his heart.

"Why did Giant King Omir craft the Ashen Throne to converge human fate?"

"Perhaps by then the giants had suffered heavy casualties? Giant King Omir, who rivaled the divine, saw human potential... If we could find the corpse of Giant King Omir, these secrets might be unraveled. Unfortunately, he disappeared in the Second Epoch, causing Giant King City to be abandoned for countless years... until the arrival of Trolian."

Horus paused and spoke.

"Go ahead, gently touch it, leaving your spirit imprint. When your soul strength reaches the level of a king, you can attempt to sit on it."

Rod ascended Gray Mountain, lightly touching the Ashen Throne. A strange sensation echoed in his soul, as if touching summer ice, the cool comfort permeating his entire being.

The Ashen Throne emitted a gentle rumbling sound, as if calling his name.

Suddenly, a thought appeared in Rod's mind.

"What would happen if I sat on it?"

Horus seemed to know what he was thinking and raised his voice to say, "Your soul cannot withstand its power now; it would suffer damage, or even worse, could lead to death."

But perhaps due to the divine sense still lingering, Rod's intuition kicked in. He realized a possibility and raised his voice to ask, "Do I have a chance?"

"One in a thousand!"

"Great! As long as I have a chance!"

Rod retrieved "Colorful Dreams" from the dream realm and used it on the Ashen Throne, then swiftly seated himself upon it.

Horus was shocked and shouted urgently, "Get down quickly!"

A strong light burst forth from the Ashen Throne, intangible ribbons flew in from all directions, converging on the throne.

Rod's soul instantly bore immense pressure.

Horus, anxious and frantic, flew up trying to pull Rod down, but the strong pressure prevented him from approaching.

"Get down now; your soul can't withstand it!"

But Rod ignored him, veins bulging in his hands, clutching tightly to the armrests, the tremendous pressure twisting his form and causing blood to spurt from him, staining the Ashen Throne and seeping into the ash below.

Horus was extremely anxious, only able to use healing powers from afar to mend his physical wounds.

But this couldn't last long; Horus had to call for aid.

However, Special Level Combatants had already departed, and the King was still recovering.

Who to call?

Horus's heart was filled with despair.

Could it be that our newly improved days were about to end?

But in the next moment, a miracle occurred.

The intangible ribbons became gentle, forming a miraculous balance of pressure, and the strong light on the Ashen Throne gradually faded, replaced by a soft radiance.

It resonated with the other seven thrones.

Horus sensed a new order being established.

The eight Ashen Thrones collectively shared all human fate, providing power for their master to take that final step.

Rod opened his eyes, feeling a strange force activating within his soul, connecting him to all sentient beings in an almost incomprehensible way.

Success?

Rod stood up and looked back.

The Ashen Throne glowed softly, giving him a sense of closeness.

And upon the tall back of the chair appeared Rod's name.

In the next moment, he felt his soul strength loosen, bouncing upward.

This was the beginning!

Rod could hardly believe it; he noticed strong forces gathering within him, continuously applying soul growth.

I actually succeeded!

Rod turned his gaze to Horus, discovering that his expression remained frozen.

"King of Ashes?"

He arduously forced out a few words.