Chapter 293: Yumo

More and more people feared provoking the Barbarian King, worried they would end up becoming his targets inside the World of Death.

They rushed into the gate, forming a stream that resembled a flock of birds in flight.

Richard hadn’t expected so many to enter.

"Let’s go!" Carla led the members of the Order of the Crimson Veil.

Richard followed right beside her.

As the hosts, people were even more wary of them, quickly clearing a path. They entered the gate with ease, and the moment Richard stepped through, he felt a distinct shift—the sensation of entering an entirely different world.

This world was saturated with the aura of death.

Richard considered himself quite strong.

Yet here, death felt unnervingly close.

The world appeared vast, yet dark—almost as if it had no sky at all, more like an enormous underground realm.

That suffocating sense of death grew stronger over time, and many began to feel uneasy.

Even if they could endure it, the discomfort was obvious.

"Everyone, keep following me!" Carla remained calm as she spoke after briefly observing their surroundings.

But just as she was about to move, she paused, frowning as she looked at the crowd of outsiders trailing behind them.

"No one is allowed to follow us," she declared.

"If you have the courage to try, don’t blame the Order of the Crimson Veil for being ruthless."

Those who had intended to follow immediately fell silent.

No one dared to offend her.

It wasn’t just because the Order of the Crimson Veil was powerful—this was their territory.

"Hahaha! So this is the legendary World of Death? I can already feel how satisfying the battles here will be!"

The Barbarian King burst into loud laughter as he entered with his tribe.

He showed no fear or unease—only excitement.

People shook their heads, knowing the Ancient Barbarian Tribe thrived on the sensation of death.

"Move aside!" the Barbarian King roared arrogantly, sweeping people away with a single wave of his massive arm.

Several were sent flying, coughing up blood.

Carla frowned at his behavior but chose to ignore it for now, moving in the opposite direction.

Richard, still concealing his identity, continued observing everything.

He saw countless graves.

They varied in size, but even the smallest stretched around a hundred meters. Others were enormous—graves spanning one kilometer were common, and the largest reached ten kilometers in length.

Even the tombstones resembled giant monuments.

Yet none of them bore any inscriptions.

"Remember, our purpose here is to train and break through our limits—not to explore," Carla reminded everyone once more. They all nodded.

Curiosity could easily lead someone astray.

And this was not a place meant for exploration.

Peak Ruler was the bare minimum strength required to even attempt it.

Even Ancient Sovereigns would not dare act carelessly.

Richard knew some Ancient Sovereigns had entered as well—perhaps even his own ancestor—but they chose to remain low-profile and entered later.

With their power, catching up to a one-hour lead would take them mere minutes.

The journey with Carla wasn’t short.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at an area filled with countless chasms. From above, it resembled a labyrinth—dark and bottomless.

Carla stopped above them.

"Here," she said.

"Approach a chasm, but don’t go inside. Keep at least ten meters away. The creatures below will come out on their own—from weak to stronger ones as you defeat them."

She waved her hand, and everyone immediately spread out.

Richard didn’t move, as Carla hadn’t moved yet.

"Brother Richard, this place is relatively safe but still very effective. The enemies appear gradually, from weak to strong. Elsewhere, you might immediately face creatures far stronger than you—and that would mean instant death," she explained.

"But since you want to keep your identity hidden, you can go further ahead. Eventually, you’ll find red chasms. I can’t go there—my strength isn’t sufficient."

"Red chasms? What’s different about them?" Richard asked.

"The creatures there are far more aggressive. And unlike here, once they appear, hundreds will come at once."

ROAR! ROAR!

Suddenly, Richard heard countless roars from below.

He looked down and saw creatures emerging.

Each person was confronted by around ten of them.

They were pitch-black, resembling demonic figures—three to four meters tall, with horns on their heads and spikes covering their bodies.

Their aura was vast and oppressive, shaking the very air.

"They’re called Yumo. Only the strong know their true name," Carla said.

"Yumo... a race?" Richard grew even more curious.

"Yes. Perhaps a cursed race."

"Then what lies beneath these chasms? Their nest?"

"I wasn’t told anything—only warned never to enter," Carla shook her head.

"Alright, I’ll go now," Richard said.

He flew forward at high speed—not even his true speed.

Even so, it was enough to astonish the members of the Order of the Crimson Veil.

As he advanced, he saw even more chasms, separated by mountains—not real mountains, but piles of skeletal remains.

DING!

(Your Aether has increased from 50,000 to 100,000!)

[Aether: 100,000 / 500,000 <Tier 3>]

[Aether Accumulation: 385,000 <Tier 3>]

The notification stunned Richard.

His Aether... had been directly increased by the System.

And by such a massive amount.

When was the last time the System had done something like this?

He couldn’t even remember.

At some point, he had assumed the System would no longer grant such direct boosts in the Lord Realm, where breakthroughs required personal effort.

An additional 50,000 Aether...

Naturally, it made him feel significantly stronger.

Richard didn’t slow down. Passing behind a towering pile of bones, he finally caught sight of a crimson chasm stretching over a hundred kilometers.

Thick red smoke continuously surged from within it, rising upward yet dispersing before it could reach too far, leaving only the upper region of the chasm shrouded in a hazy crimson mist.

To Richard, it felt like staring into the lair of a dragon.

The sense of danger emanating from that red chasm was overwhelming.

Yet he felt no fear.

Instead, a thought crossed his mind—whether he should explore the chasm later.

After all, he possessed extraordinary speed... and even the Void Element.