However, after Roderika stepped through the stone gate…
Nothing happened.
She was not transported into the Underworld.
Roderika blinked in confusion.
"Lord Arthur… what's going on?"
Arthur suddenly looked awkward.
He had almost forgotten—
He had never used a materialization attempt on Roderika.
As a result, she was restricted to traveling only between the Zen Garden and the Lands Between.
Arthur coughed lightly.
"Give me a moment."
Then, an idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.
After briefly reassuring Roderika, Arthur dispersed the projection.
Internally, he called out:
"System, are you there?"
[Host, I am here. What do you require?]
Arthur asked:
"You should know where the core of the Underworld is located, right?"
"And… can the Zen Garden absorb it?"
That was the solution Arthur had come up with.
The inspiration came from the time the Zen Garden fused with the Phoenix clan's pocket realm.
Since that blessed land had possessed a core…
Then surely the Underworld must also possess one.
Roderika couldn't enter the Underworld?
Simple.
Then he would just turn the entire Underworld into part of the Zen Garden.
After learning Arthur's thought process, the System silently praised him as a genius.
As expected—
When it came to exploiting loopholes and taking advantage of systems, its host never disappointed.
In order to save a single materialization attempt…
Arthur had actually come up with the idea of relocating the entire Underworld.
The System suddenly began seriously considering whether it should simply abolish the materialization-attempt restriction altogether.
After all, Arthur always found ways around it anyway.
Originally, the restriction had only existed to prevent Arthur from materializing objects beyond his ability to handle safely.
But reality had proven the System overly cautious.
Its chosen host was an extraordinarily careful person.
At the very least, unless he was absolutely confident, Arthur would never recklessly throw himself into danger.
So the System no longer worried about him accidentally getting himself killed.
As for whether the restriction should actually be removed…
The System was still considering it.
But that didn't stop it from answering Arthur's question.
[The Zen Garden is capable of assimilating the core of the Underworld. Navigation guidance toward the Underworld Core has now been activated for the host.]
As the voice faded—
A glowing ribbon of light materialized before Arthur.
Like the quest-guidance systems from ordinary video games, it stretched forward and pointed directly toward the location of the Underworld's core.
Arthur's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, System."
He genuinely hadn't expected the System to be considerate enough to provide real-time navigation.
[No need for thanks, host.]
After replying, the System estimated that Arthur likely wouldn't need it again anytime soon.
So it quietly returned to standby mode.
Ranni looked curiously at the ribbon of light floating ahead of them.
It resembled the Guidance of Grace from the Lands Between.
"My king," she asked softly, "what is this?"
Arthur replied:
"A guide leading to the core of the Underworld."
"Come on."
"Let's turn the Underworld into part of the Zen Garden."
The moment Ranni heard the phrase "core of the Underworld," her eyes brightened slightly.
Back when she studied the core of the Phoenix clan's blessed realm, she had already gained enormous insight.
But this—
This was the core of an entire Underworld.
A realm far vaster than ordinary pocket dimensions.
A realm with thicker spatial barriers and more complete laws.
Ranni had a strong feeling that her understanding of space would advance dramatically once again.
At that moment, she felt extremely fortunate that she had insisted on accompanying Arthur.
Otherwise, she might have missed this opportunity entirely.
Following the guiding ribbon, the two eventually arrived at a barren region.
Though, technically speaking, the entire Underworld was barren.
Arthur honestly had no idea how Thanatos had endured living here for thousands of years.
Still—
This particular area felt different.
Arthur could clearly sense a strange unreality in the surrounding space.
The core of the Underworld was likely hidden behind this distorted layer of reality.
Before Arthur could even begin investigating how to break through it—
Ranni casually extended a finger and tapped the air before her.
Cracks instantly spread outward like shattered glass.
Then—
With a crisp sound—
The spatial barrier collapsed.
The hidden scene behind it was finally revealed.
Honestly, it made sense.
Arthur's own spatial abilities had largely been learned from Ranni in the first place.
If he could notice the abnormality, then there was no reason Ranni wouldn't detect it immediately.
And naturally, dismantling it was effortless for her.
Floating silently within the hidden space…
Was the core of the Underworld itself.
Unlike the small core Arthur had once seen within the Phoenix clan's realm—
This sphere of light was enormous.
Nearly two meters in diameter.
And it consisted entirely of black and white energy.
Just like the Underworld itself.
White soul-stars illuminating the heavens above.
And endless black wastelands stretching beneath.
Ranni had been just about to ask Arthur for permission to study the core—
Only to discover him already looking at her.
Arthur smiled softly and nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Analyze the Underworld Core."
From the moment Ranni eagerly shattered the spatial barrier earlier, Arthur had already guessed what she wanted.
Ranni nodded gently.
Then she reached toward the floating core.
Blue moonlight flowed around her fingertips.
A clear sign that she had begun utilizing her spatial authority.
Meanwhile, Arthur remained quietly beside her, standing guard.
This time, however, Ranni's analysis took far longer than it had when studying the previous realm core.
Much longer.
Twelve entire hours passed.
During that time, Arthur used mental transmission to contact Rya, asking her to take Roderika on a tour around the Zen Garden.
Otherwise, the poor girl would simply be standing around waiting for him endlessly.
Arthur also informed Hermione that he and Ranni were currently away together.
Otherwise, the little witch would probably start panicking once she couldn't find him.
Twelve hours later—
It was already broad daylight in the mortal world.
Yet the Underworld remained eternally dim.
The only illumination came from the countless soul-stars suspended high above.
Finally, Ranni slowly withdrew her power and reopened her eyes.
Arthur immediately walked over.
"How was it?"
Ranni exhaled softly.
"The gains were tremendous."
"I never imagined that a spatial core could fuse together with entirely different forms of power."
"It's fascinating."
She paused briefly before continuing:
"Unfortunately, I know too little about death and souls."
"Otherwise…"
"I might have been able to construct a second Underworld myself."
Arthur gently stroked her cheek and smiled.
"Why do you insist on limiting yourself to death and souls?"
"Couldn't you build one using the moonlight power you're best at?"
After all, Arthur had already noticed the true nature of the Underworld Core.
Its uniqueness came from the fusion of spatial laws with the concepts of death and souls themselves.
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