Erasmus awoke in a dimly lit space, his surroundings shrouded in darkness. Though disoriented, he remained calm despite his lack of knowledge about his current location and how he arrived there. After all, he was renowned as the world's most notorious killer.

Speculating that he had entered the afterlife, Erasmus was aware that he had died, having taken his own life. How could he forget, considering the countless lives he had taken before his demise? Explosions, fire, poison, guns, knives, swords... He had employed every means imaginable.

"Is this how it ends? My magnum opus left incomplete. I suppose they must be rejoicing now that I'm dead. So, is this hell?" he pondered aloud, scanning his surroundings for any clues he might have missed.

"Well, if it is hell, it's rather underwhelming. Not the damnation and torture I expected," Erasmus mused to himself, when suddenly a voice emerged from the abyss before him.

[YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED. I WAS EXPECTING YOU.]

"Yeah? And who might you be? God? The devil?" Erasmus inquired, his mind racing to decipher the identity of the enigmatic voice.

[I AM NEITHER. I AM "RAKLASH, THE LORD OF DARKNESS."]

"Never heard of you," replied Erasmus, as he contemplated the true nature of the being communicating with him.

[....]

[HUMAN, I WANT YOU TO INHERIT MY POWERS AND BRING ABOUT THE EXTINCTION OF THE TRIAD CONTINENT FROM THE NINE IMMORTAL REALMS.]

"I refuse," declared Erasmus defiantly.

[YOU DARE!!!]

"Why shouldn't I? I am already dead. What will you do, erase my soul into oblivion?" he retorted. "Even if you were to do so, I couldn't care less."

[YOU TRULY HAVE NO FEAR, MORTAL. GOOD!! LISTEN TO ME, HUMAN! IF YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK, YOU CAN ASSUME MY POSITION AS THE LORD OF DARKNESS AND OBTAIN THE POWERS OF A GOD.]

[THAT ALSO MEANS YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR WORLD TO COMPLETE YOUR "UNFINISHED ART PROJECT."]

"Hmmm?!? You mean... But even so, why should I believe you? Do you honestly expect me to believe that I can become a god? If you were a GOD, wouldn't your presence here imply your own demise?"

"Do you expect me to finish what you started? Even if I fear neither death nor those stronger than me, I bet your 'godly ass' has countless enemies who would hunt me down if I assumed your position. And I detest troublesome matters."

[YOU ARE QUITE PERCEPTIVE FOR A LOWLY MORTAL.]

"Otherwise, how do you think I managed to survive for as long as I did?" Erasmus remarked wryly.

"Regardless, the answer is still NO. You can leave now."

[HOW AMUSING. HAHAHA... THINKING YOU CAN REFUSE. HUMAN, WHETHER YOU DESIRE IT OR NOT, YOU WILL BRING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF TRIAD.]

"You despicable piece of..." Erasmus began, but his consciousness gradually faded before he could finish his sentence.

"Lord of Darkness, huh? You can be sure that once I become a god, you'll be the first one I come after. YOU BASTARD, JUST YOU WAIT!"

Somewhere on the Triad Continent

"Uhhhh, I can't believe that idiot went ahead with it... Anyway, where am I now?"

At that moment, an excruciating headache overcame him. Erasmus clutched his head with his arms and writhed on the ground until he lost consciousness. The pain was unbearable.

A few hours later

"I see. So that's what happened. I must ensure that bastard pays for all the troubles that lie ahead," Erasmus muttered as he slowly rose from the ground. He had just inherited all the memories of the Lord of Darkness who summoned him to this world.

Presently, he found himself on the Triad Continent, one of the five known continents. Some speculated that there might be more, but the Great Blood Sea prevented passage beyond these five.

The continents were as follows: Triad, Hellstad, Oriole, Frestia, and Uruguan.

In any case, the region he currently stood in was known as the Forest of the End—the former stronghold of the Lord of Darkness. It teemed with dangerous monsters and unpredictable phenomena. Although Erasmus now possessed the memories of his predecessor, he had not yet acquired his full powers. As a mere mortal, how could his body withstand the might of a god without any cultivation? Would he not simply explode?

"No matter. As I progress in my cultivation, I will gain more of the power of Darkness. For now, my priority is to find shelter and cultivate, advancing my realm. Even a Beginner-level monster with Qi gathering abilities could easily kill me in my current state."

Erasmus surveyed his surroundings in the Forest of the End, contemplating his next move. The forest exuded an eerie aura, with twisted trees and strange, otherworldly creatures lurking in the shadows. It was clear that this place would test his resilience and determination to survive.

As he started to walk cautiously through the dense forest, Erasmus recalled the hierarchy of realms he had glimpsed in the Lord of Darkness's memories. He understood that cultivating his own strength was paramount if he were to have any chance of fulfilling his own ambitions and seeking retribution against his manipulative summoner.

"I must reach the Qi Refinement Stage as swiftly as possible," Erasmus murmured to himself, a spark of determination igniting within him. He knew that increasing his realm was the key to unlocking the powers bestowed upon him.