Shiva's inner instincts were sending out warnings of danger. Something was different in this room.
Kavi said, "Why does everything feel so strange here? There's only a statue—where are the monsters?"
Ansh replied, "Could this also be the work of some evil pawn?"
Siya asked, "Evil pawn?"
Ansh said, "Didn't you hear it before—first Karan, and then that flying dog—saying that we are evil pawns?"
(He was referring to Karan and the noble vampire.)
Siya said, "You're always in a joking mood. Try being serious sometimes."
Shiva said, "Siya, I feel the same. These seem to be only the initial pawns of that organization, and behind them there could be far more dangerous powers. As for the boss of this room… maybe this statue itself is the answer."
Ansh said again, "You too, Shiva—what kind of talk is this? It's made of stone. How can it possibly speak?"
Siya pulled Ansh by the ear and said, "That's enough. Be quiet now. You're not saying anything more."
Ansh replied, "I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Everyone moved closer to the statue and looked around carefully.
Kavi noticed something written on a stone tablet lying in front of the statue. It read:
"When water, wind, and metal are struck by time, they become even stronger."
Ansh said, "Is that all it says? And why can't I read it properly?"
Siya replied, "Have you ever studied ancient literature? Of course you wouldn't understand."
Then Siya added, "Read further. There's more written here."
Kavi read aloud,
"When four great warriors reach this place and stand in all four directions to present themselves, the summoned power shall be born."
Shiva said, "Perhaps this means that when the wielders of water, fire, and metal—"
(pointing toward Ansh, Siya, and Kavi)
"—and time… meaning perhaps for a certain duration… are together—"
Siya continued, "And the four great warriors means the four of us standing in different corners."
Ansh looked toward the corners of the room and said,
"Look, there are symbols over there. On the right—fire. On the left—water. Behind the statue—metal. And in front, there's a black circle. Maybe Shiva needs to stand there."
Kavi said,
"This has come down to do or die. We don't know what kind of monster will be summoned. Everyone, drink your potions."
Everyone drank their potions and took their positions.
From the places where they stood, light began to emerge—
red from Siya,
blue from Ansh,
sparks like clashing metal from Kavi,
and from Shiva, a calm, pure white light.
The lights began moving toward the statue, and suddenly, silence fell.
Ansh said, "Is it done?"
At that moment, light spread throughout the chamber.
At first, it was a golden glow—like lamps and candles—giving a sense of divinity.
But slowly, it began to darken, like a moonless night.
Then, with a thunderous blast, darkness spread again across the room.
And with a soul-shaking voice—
From within the shadows, a figure emerged—tall, wrapped in darkness, its eyes glowing with a terrifying red light. The air around it crackled with black energy.
(This was no ordinary Evil Heir or pawn. This was a Fallen Evil God—a herald of the Forgotten Gods, an existence directly connected to the age of gods.)
He was not a mere monster, but an existence far more dangerous.
"An evil fallen god," Siya hissed. Flames erupted from her hands as she prepared for battle.
The figure laughed—a laugh filled with pure malice.
"So you have heard of me. But I am no ordinary monster…
I am one of the forgotten gods—one of those abandoned by this world."
Shubhu's blood ran cold. The spirits within him reacted violently, warning him of this being's overwhelming power.
Whoever this was, he was far more dangerous than Karan—or even Satya.
Why was there a need to reveal yourself now?" Shiva asked as he stepped forward, trying to buy time so he could form a plan. "What do you want from us?"
The man's smile widened even more. His red eyes locked onto Shiva.
"I have come to test the limits of the so-called God Heirs. Do you think your gods protect you? Do you think their power is limitless? Come—let's see what you can do without them."
He waved his hand, and a powerful black aura spread throughout the chamber. In an instant, Ansh, Kavi, and Siya were cut off from their respective gods. They gasped—their powers vanished in a single moment.
Shiva staggered but quickly steadied himself. He realized that the spirits within him—unseen by the Evil God—were completely unaffected.
The figure laughed—a laugh filled with pure malice.
"It seems that all those who chose you, and whatever I have heard about them, is far from the truth. Do you really think without your divine power you can stop me?"
Shiva said, a plan beginning to take shape in his mind, "You think severing our divine power will make us stop?"
The man sneered mockingly.
"You are all nothing without your gods. Let me show you just how helpless you are."
As dark energy swirled throughout the chamber, Shiva silently commanded his spirits. With extreme subtlety—and hidden from the Evil God's sight—the spirits began channeling power toward Ansh, Kavi, and Siya. One by one, they felt their strength returning, but they made sure not to reveal it.
Suddenly, the Evil God charged forward and unleashed a barrage of black lightning at Shiva. But Shiva was ready. He observed the movements carefully, dodged the attacks with ease, and counterattacked using the powers of wind and earth. The strike was so devastating that the entire dungeon shook like a mountain collapsing. A violent tremor rippled beneath the ground.
Everyone thought that perhaps Shiva had dealt significant damage to the Evil God—but then they saw that the figure was standing there without even moving, as if not even a speck of dust had touched his clothes.
Shiva said, "Not yet."
Then Ansh used his restored power to summon a massive wave of water, flooding the chamber. The Evil God was submerged, and instantly, using a freeze skill, Ansh froze the water solid.
Kavi summoned his knives and hurled them at the enemy, slicing the Evil figure into pieces.
Ansh said, "Is it over?"
But slowly, the mist began to gather again, and that form stood up once more—this time larger and far more dangerous than before. His form had changed; now he looked like a grotesque, distorted being.
Siya unleashed a raging torrent of fire, surrounding him from all sides. The Evil God snarled—struggling under the pressure of the combined elements—but his power was immense. He began amplifying the dark energy within the chamber, growing stronger with every passing second.
"We can't hold this much longer," Ansh said through clenched teeth.
Shiva knew time was running out. He had to do something extremely risky. The spirits whispered in his ears, suggesting a solution—but it was dangerous.
"Trust me," Shiva replied softly. "I'll control it."
Taking a deep breath, Shiva gathered all of his power—calling upon the spirits of time, space, fire, water, earth, and wind together. The air around him shimmered as he focused all the energy into a single point.
"Now!" he shouted.
In that instant, time slowed. In the blink of an eye, Shiva surged forward at blinding speed and struck the Evil God with the combined power of all elements. A terrifying explosion shook the entire chamber.
The Dark Heir was thrown backward, crashing into the stone pillars with a thunderous impact. The black aura dissipated. Their connection to their gods returned, and their remaining powers fully came back.
The Evil Heir lay motionless—but Shiva knew this was not the end.
His body began to disintegrate. Before completely vanishing, he looked toward Shiva and gave a twisted smile.
"This is only the beginning," he whispered.
"The Forgotten Gods will return… and you will become their greatest weapon."
With that, he dissolved into nothingness, leaving the group standing in stunned silence.
Shiva clenched his fists.
The battle may have ended—but the war had only just begun.