The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 318. Entering the Dark Horizon

"Is he dead?" Misra asked in surprise, her gaze fixed on the shattered remains of ice.

"Nah... it’s just his Ice Escape Art or whatever it’s called," Mathilda said, shaking her head.

As if on cue, Tyler reappeared near the girls. The distorted energy surrounding him dissipated, and his form slowly returned to normal.

"I feel like throwing up..." he muttered, rubbing his temple. His stomach churned, and his head felt light. The aftereffects of using abyssal energy were hitting him hard.

"Oh? I didn’t feel anything like that," Misra shrugged.

"That’s because I can feel the nausea in my soul..." Tyler groaned. Then, smirking slightly, he added, "Oh wait... you don’t have a—Ouch!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mathilda stomped on his foot.

"Less talking, more explaining," she huffed.

Meanwhile, the corrupted wolf that had attacked Tyler was still standing. It had devoured the ice statue that had been left in his place. Its remaining eye flickered as it turned its attention back to them.

Then, it let out a low growl before lunging forward.

Tyler and the others tensed.

"Do you think it will work?" Misra asked again, glancing at Tyler.

Tyler exhaled. "Not sure... I hope it does."

He gripped his trident tightly and dashed forward to meet the beast.

The battle was quick but intense. Tyler fought fiercely, dodging the wolf’s massive claws and counterattacking with his weapon. The wolf snapped at him, its enormous fangs nearly grazing his arm. But Tyler was faster.

With each exchange, the beast became slower, its movements sluggish.

Then, without warning, it wobbled...

And fell.

The corrupted wolf collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. Its abyssal energy flickered weakly before vanishing completely.

"It actually worked?!" Misra asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Tyler stood over the fallen beast, breathing heavily. "Yeah... looks like it."

"What did you do?" Mana asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Tyler scratched the back of his head, looking a little sheepish. "Well... it might sound silly..."

The girls stared at him expectantly.

"When I used Ice Escape Art, I filled that ice statue with... chocolate."

Silence.

"...Chocolate?" Astrid blinked in confusion.

"You see..." Tyler began, gesturing with his hands, "chocolate is toxic to many animals, including dogs, cats, rodents, wolves, horses, pigs, and chickens." He paused, watching their reactions. "So, I filled that ice statue with rings of chocolate and a few other poisons... just in case. I didn’t know if the wolf had resistance to poison, so I wasn’t sure if it would work."

The group fell silent for a moment.

Misra broke the silence first. "You’re telling me... you defeated an abyss-corrupted wolf with chocolate?"

Tyler shrugged. "Yep."

"...I don’t know whether to be impressed or insulted on behalf of the wolf," Mathilda muttered.

Misra tilted her head. "That actually makes sense. But where did you even get chocolate?"

"I have almost everything in my storage device," Tyler said casually. "And quantity was never a problem for me "

Mana chuckled. "That has to be the weirdest way Mana have seen a monster go down."

"Well, whatever works," Misra sighed. "At least it’s dealt with."

Now that the wolf was no longer a threat, Tyler pulled out his compass. It flickered slightly before pointing in a specific direction.

"Alright, let’s keep moving," he said, taking the lead.

As they walked, they encountered a few more creatures along the way. However, compared to the Silverfrost Wolves, these enemies were significantly weaker. The group dispatched them with ease, barely breaking a sweat.

Soon, the dense forest began to thin. The eerie atmosphere that had loomed over them seemed to fade as well.

And then—

They stepped out of the forest and froze.

What lay before them was something none of them had ever seen before.

A colossal black screen stretched endlessly toward the sky, towering over everything in sight. It was unlike anything natural. There were no stars, no reflections—just pure, infinite darkness. It was as if the edge of the world.

At least the real edge of the world had stars and planets scattered in the distance. This?

This was just an endless abyss.

"What... is this?" Mathilda whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

Misra’s expression darkened. "We’ve reached the boundary, The Dark Horizon."

Tyler stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he observed the massive structure before them. He placed a hand against the surface. It was cold—colder than anything he had felt before. A shiver ran down his spine.

"This doesn’t feel like a Barrier" he muttered. "It’s just a pathway without light?"

Misra then replied, "More like Pathway without colour. According to the records it’s not dark inside, just only white , black and gray exist."

Tyler didn’t answer immediately. He took a deep breath and focused. The compass in his hand flickered again, this time pointing directly at the Dark Horizon.

"...Looks like we don’t have a choice," he finally said "We came this far. If we turn back now, we might not get another chance."

The girls nodded.

With a final glance at the others, he took a deep breath—

And stepped forward.

The moment his body touched the dark barrier, everything changed.

A wave of dizziness washed over him as his vision blurred. The weight of the abyss pressed against his very soul, and for a brief moment, he felt as if he were being pulled into an endless void.

Then—

A flash of light.

And suddenly, the world around them was no longer the same.

The group found themselves standing on solid ground, but the sky above them twisted. The air felt heavy, charged with an unknown energy. The land was vast yet empty, as if it had been abandoned for eons. Gray snows began to fall on them.

"...It’s really black and white?" Mathilda whispered, her voice laced with unease.

Everything around them was devoid of color.

Tyler scanned his surroundings, his eyes narrowing as he took in the eerie landscape. The trees stood tall but lifeless, their skeletal branches stretching toward the sky like grasping fingers. The ground was cracked and barren, with no sign of vegetation or life. Even the air itself felt unnatural, carrying a strange weight that pressed against their chests.

The pathways they walked on were not made of stone or dirt but of bones—massive, fossilized remains that crunched under their feet. As they stepped carefully forward, Tyler noticed the bones belonged to various creatures, some unrecognizable, others resembling monstrous fish with gaping jaws frozen in silent screams.

The gloomy atmosphere was suffocating.

Tyler pulled out his compass. The golden needle wavered for a moment before locking onto a single direction.

"There," he said, pointing ahead.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, but they pressed on, following the compass’s guidance.

As they continued down the path, their unease grew.

The skeletal remains beneath their feet gradually became larger. Soon, they were walking on the bones of what seemed to be a colossal sea creature. Jagged ribs jutted out like the remains of a sunken ship, stretching so high that they cast long, twisted shadows across the land.

And then—

They froze.

Even Misra, who had remained relatively calm until now, went rigid with shock.

Tyler’s breath caught in his throat.

"...Impossible," Misra whispered, her voice trembling.

Before them stood something that should not exist.

It was their village.

The Village of Vale.

Or at least... a version of it.

The same structures, the same buildings—they were all there. But unlike the village they knew, this one was different. It was empty.

Devoid of life.

And completely colorless.

It was as if the entire place had been drained of its soul.

The wind howled through the silent streets, carrying no warmth, only an eerie whisper that sent chills down their spines. Windows stood open, revealing dark, empty rooms. There were no signs of people— no villagers, no children playing.

It was a ghost town.

A heavy silence fell over them.

Then, Misra took a deep breath. "Shall we take a diversion? I have a bad feeling about this."

Tyler didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at the compass.

The needle was pointing directly at the village.

He turned the compass toward Misra, showing her the unwavering direction.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Wait..." Tyler muttered, his gaze fixed on the village. Something about it felt off.

A strange realization crept into his mind, and he turned toward Mana.

She had already sensed his thoughts. Without a word, she flew high above the village, scanning it from the sky.

Moments later, she landed beside him.

"It does look like a face," she confirmed.

"Face?" Mathilda frowned.

Before anyone could react, the ground trembled.

The village itself shifted. Houses, streets, and the land beneath them began to move, reshaping and twisting unnaturally.

The entire village rose, forming into an enormous, towering face.

Then—

The eyes opened.

Hollow. Empty.

And yet, undeniably alive.

A deep, rumbling yawn echoed through the air.

"Who... woke... me up?" a slow, ancient voice rumbled.

Its massive, vacant eyes scanned the group.

Then—

Recognition.

"Oh... my... cute... villagers..." the colossal entity murmured.