Ashton's eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the seals. They were ancient, their intricate designs etched deeply into the stone, and their surfaces pulsated with dark energy. He could feel the power of the seals resonating through the ruins, filling the air with a thick, malevolent force.
Ashton knew that he would have to destroy these seals if he hoped to cleanse the ruins of their demonic influence. But he also knew that doing so would be no small task. Each seal represented a powerful force of evil, and their destruction would not come easily.
He began to study each of the seals in turn, taking note of their individual characteristics and the forces of darkness that they represented. One seal was adorned with images of writhing serpents, another with grotesque faces of demonic beings. The third was etched with strange sigils that seemed to move and shift, while the fourth was surrounded by an aura of pure darkness.
Ashton paused as he gazed upon the fifth seal. It was unlike the others, its surface shimmering with an almost ethereal light. The images etched into its surface were those of angelic beings, their forms twisted and corrupted into demonic mockery.
'Huh, come to think of it, I've never seen angels here. They weren't included in the records either. It's highly unusual but shouldn't be impossible. After all, the Celestial Race have just as many worlds to conquer as the Hypogeans.' Ashton murmured to himself.
As he thought about the Celestials, a bitter taste rose to his mouth. However, he forcefully swallowed it down. He thought to himself that now is not the time to think about any of that. He had other stuff to worry about.
His attention went back to the imagery...
He could feel the power of the seal radiating from it, and he knew that its destruction would not come easily. But he also knew that this was the key to the ruins' corruption. If he could destroy this seal, the rest would be weakened and vulnerable.
He raised his staff and began to chant a powerful incantation, calling forth the elements of fire, earth, water, and air. The power of his magic surged through him, and he focused all of his energy on the fifth seal.
The air around the seal crackled with energy as Ashton's spell struck it, and the surface of the seal began to ripple and distort. For a moment, it seemed as if the seal would resist his magic, but then with a sudden burst of light, it shattered into a thousand pieces.
Ashton went silent as he stood amidst the ruins of Ashenfort, his eyes were closed but his senses were active. He had just broken the first seal that was causing the demonic corruption of the area, but in doing so, he had also alerted the attention of the demons.
Right, each of those seals acts as a portal that demons used to infiltrate Elstar. Destroying one of them would inevitably raise an alarm.
Ashton heard the demons' howls and growls from the opposite side of the seal. He knew he had alerted an entire horde with what he did. And despite knowing that he'll be mobbed soon, Ashton did nothing to escape that fate.
Instead, he stood perfectly still and waited for the horde to start pouring in. There were no traces of fear or hesitation on his face. On the contrary, he even looked bored and tired of waiting.
As expected, the horde starts pouring in. Their numbers easily filled the ruins as a whole. They were all snarling at him, but Ashton stood unphased.
Ashton took a deep breath and focused his magic, ready to fight off the demons. He raised his staff and chanted a spell, sending a wave of fire toward the demons. The fire engulfed several of the demons, causing them to screech in agony and burn to ashes.
There were too many demons, yes, but Ashton couldn't care less. He need not to move at all. With just a wave of his staff, he eliminated swathes of the horde.
Ashton even had the time to analyze what he'll need to break the second seal as he was dealing with the horde. After his analysis, he condensed a powerful orb of pure magic which destroyed the second seal.
Some demons managed to reach him but were caught off guard, they didn't expect there to be a barrier of magic surrounding Ashton, one that was virtually unbreakable no matter how much trauma it suffers.
Ashton let the demons claw away at his barrier as he continued to chant spells, using his magic to blast the swathes of demons, focusing on areas where they were concentrated. A part of him cheered whenever he took out large numbers of demons.
Ashton could see the fear in the demons' eyes as they realized he was more powerful than they had anticipated. He took advantage of their fear and broke the third seal, causing the demons to retreat momentarily.
"Oh? You wanna leave now? But I don't recall giving you permission though." Ashton sneered as he released yet another volley of spells as if he had an unlimited amount of mana.
This one-sided slaughter continued while Ashton studied the other seals to discover the best way of breaking them. Amidst the pained roars of the demons around him, Ashton broke another seal successfully.
The other seals trembled and shook, weakened by the destruction of the other seals. Ashton discovered that the other seals were starting to regenerate and knew that he would have to act quickly if he hoped to destroy them before they could regain their strength.
With a steely look in his eyes, he raised his staff once again and began to chant another spell, calling forth the power of the elements to aid him in his quest. The air grew thick with the energy of his magic, and he felt the forces of darkness grow weaker as his spell struck each of the remaining seals.
Finally, with a final burst of light, the last of the seals shattered into dust, and the ruins were filled with a sudden stillness. Ashton stood amidst the ruins, his eyes roaming around to check for any visible movements, after finding nothing, his heart was immediately filled with a sense of satisfaction.
The seals had been destroyed, and the ruins were now cleansed of their demonic influence. But Ashton knew that there was still work to be done. It's not ever just yet, but for now, he shall have his well-deserved rest.
***
Ashton stood at the center of the Ruins of Ashenfort, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment for having successfully destroyed the demonic seals that plagued this area. However, he knew that the demons might find another way to infiltrate the ruins if he didn't take further action.
Ashton decided to perform the same powerful purification rituals that he had used before in the Abyssal Caverns. He began with the Purification Ritual, a powerful magic that cleanses any area of all evil energies and purges any demonic presence.
Since he had gotten rid of the demon horde, nothing was stopping him or interrupting this ritual, so he took his time.
Ashton chanted ancient incantations, drawing on his powerful magic to create a powerful force of light that spread across the ruins. The light illuminated every corner of the ruins, reaching every nook and cranny and eliminating any traces of demonic energy that remained.
Ashton then performed the Guarding Ritual, which created Guardian Spirits that took the form of mythological animals that will roam this place and mostly stay hidden. These creatures will only appear when they sensed demonic influence nearby and Ashton gave them enough power to eliminate those who stand in the way of their mission.
Finally, Ashton performed the Spatial Reinforcement Ritual, a complex magic that invokes the power of Space Laws, it permanently alters the spatial energy of an area, making it impossible for the Netherworld to breach the space within the ruins, which also prevents them from sending any demons here from now on.
The ritual took hours to complete, but Ashton was patient and meticulous, ensuring that every aspect of the ritual was perfect.
With the rituals complete, Ashton knew that the Ruins of Ashenfort would be safe for the foreseeable future. He could finally rest easy, knowing that he had done everything he could to protect the people from the demonic corruption that had plagued the ruins for so long.
Ashton took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. He knew that his work here was done, and he could move on to his next mission with the knowledge that he had made the world a safer place.
Sometime later, people would come to realize that the Ruins of Ashenfort were now safe. There are no demons in sight and no demonic corruptions either. The place was peaceful and serene, ready to be rehabilitated for future use. This would become a hot topic for the villages near the ruins. Most of them will wonder who was the saint that cleansed this place of evil.
But none of this concerned Ashton anymore. He only did what he was supposed to do. And by the time people even come to realize that the ruins were now safe, he'd already be dealing with other demon-infested places.
