Chapter 601: Five Stages of Citadel
Max had always thought the Four God Nations were the peak of power, the shining pillars of order in the vast world of Acaris, but now he realized just how much had been erased from history. A fifth nation. A fifth divine family. And one that had been stronger than all four combined before it was wiped away. An evil fifth god nation.
He could still feel the eerie weight of that dark legacy lingering in the air, as though the echoes of that fallen kingdom were watching him from the shadows.
"This citadel…" he muttered, finally piecing it together. It wasn’t just some random ancient ruin filled with treasures and trials—it was the legacy left behind by the Divine King Atherion himself, a final gift to the people of the Devil God Nation.
When Atherion had ascended, he must have foreseen the war that would follow. So he left behind the Citadel—sealed, hidden, protected by keys and deadly stages—waiting for someone of his bloodline or spirit to reclaim it.
Silus, Max now understood, had somehow stumbled upon one of the rare maps of this legacy site, perhaps handed down through stolen inheritance or forbidden research. That map had allowed him to navigate this place with ease, knowing about the stages, the treasures, and the secrets none of the others could even guess.
But now, Silus was dead—and Max was the only one who knew the truth. The legacy of the Devil God Nation wasn’t lost. It had only just begun to awaken.
But one thing continued to nag at Max, a question that refused to leave his mind no matter how many pieces of the puzzle he had gathered—why was the legacy left behind in the Lower Domain? And even more baffling, why had the Four God Nation, despite knowing that this citadel was connected to Divine King Atherion, taken no concrete steps to claim or destroy it?
Surely, with all their vast resources, ancient knowledge, and deep-rooted hatred for the Devil God Nation, they would have found and erased every trace of Atherion’s legacy by now.
Max frowned, pondering the contradictions. It made no sense. The Four God Nation had been meticulous in hunting down every remnant of the Devil God Nation, going as far as erasing bloodlines and leveling cities. So why leave the citadel untouched? Why allow it to remain hidden in the Lower Domain, where anyone could stumble upon it—even someone like him?
Shaking his head, Max let out a slow breath. There were still too many gaps, too many unanswered questions circling the citadel. From what he’d seen in Silus’ memories, the knowledge he’d gained was limited to the history of the Middle Domain, and while it explained the rise and fall of the Five God Nation, even Silus had no clue why the higher-ups of the Four God Nation had not moved against the citadel.