Reborn as an Extra Chapter 545: Inside Hell. Part-4.

The concentration of miasma here is incredibly intense, to the point where the 'law' of 'mana' finds itself greatly restrained.

This implies that the 'law' of 'Miasma and Corruption' dominates so strongly in this area that all other worldly 'laws' suffer severe suppression, allowing all sorts of strange events to unfold.

'It's essentially a milder form of the miasma sea within the spirit realm... everything stands thoroughly tainted...'

Rio glanced at the hovering cube and observed its operations proceeding far more sluggishly than they did in the outer regions.

'Fortunately, I've shielded it with my sword intent from the beginning, or else this device might have fallen prey to the miasma's assaults...'

Though miasma poses no threat to Rio himself, it could still lash out by targeting his 'compass,' obstructing his objectives, or stirring up numerous obstacles in his path.

Similar to how mages erect mana barriers to ward off physical harm, Rio fashioned a robust miasma barrier around himself by drawing from the ambient miasma.

'Having sword intent as protection means I don't require an extra layer, yet enveloping my surroundings in miasma enhances my stealth even further...'

Rio had already detected the miasma beginning to focus on him.

It interfered earlier by shattering the soul of the creature he attempted to inspect, signaling that the miasma would probably keep generating hurdles for him over time.

'I can handle the majority of threats... but encountering an SS-rank Evil Spirit is the last thing I want...'

The spirit realm, warped by miasma, serves as an ideal habitat for evil spirits; countless millions of them could lurk throughout this domain.

Rio manages against most foes, yet SS-rank entities remain beyond his current capabilities, and the miasma might well dispatch one toward him.

'With this miasma shroud in place... not even an SS-rank evil spirit's miasmic detection could pierce through to me...'

Rio let out a sigh before advancing in the direction indicated by the cube.

'It's no surprise that navigating the spirit realm proves nearly impossible and disorientation strikes easily here...'

Rio's own instincts and perceptions felt muddled, much less those of others; despite employing miasmic detection, pinpointing directions eluded him, and the area's spatial distortions proved wildly erratic.

At times, space twisted without warning, while at others, void storms gnawed away at it.

In this realm, space contracted and expanded haphazardly, rendering it profoundly unstable across numerous spots.

Rio carefully steered clear of those volatile zones as he pressed onward.

Should a sudden spatial shift or instability eject him from the spirit realm, he risked teleporting to some arbitrary point across the universe.

Such an occurrence could render returning to his home solar system an arduous ordeal.

'The spirit realm lingers betwixt reality and the void... its inhabitants display utterly freakish traits; even the fabric of space-time twists in uncanny fashions here...'

'Little wonder the shadow dragons earned exile to this forsaken domain as retribution for their treachery amid the demon extinction war...'

Condemning any being to this hell serves as one of the severest penalties imaginable.

Merely enduring here transforms you into miasma and corruption's tormented toy, subjecting you to excruciating agony across eons unless someone slays you and liberates your soul.

'What monumental crime did the shadow dragons perpetrate to warrant banishment into this infernal abyss...'

Shadow dragons excel in shadow manipulation and wield mastery over shadow and dark elementals.

They boast formidable defenses against miasmic taint, yet prolonged exposure in such an environment would erode even their sanity.

'How did Ellie manage to remain so 'humane' and 'sane' despite her true form dwelling in a nightmare like this?'

Rio felt truly astonished that Ellie could linger near Liam without sparking any chaos.

Any other shadow dragon would have descended into madness long ago, unleashing corruption far and wide until slain or repatriated to the spirit realm.

'Ellie... Whatever schemes you harbor for Liam's soul, I pray you withstand the miasmic corruption and avoid any irredeemable acts...'

Rio remained clueless about the pact binding Liam and Ellie, ignorant of the profound bonds they shared.

Yet as their ally, he felt compelled to offer aid whenever peril loomed over them.

As Rio traversed the area, he spotted numerous grotesque 'flowers' weeping and spewing bile across the terrain, though he steered clear this time.

Rio understood that probing their memories would cause them to rupture, once more alerting the miasma to his presence.

He aimed to conceal his position to evade detection by SS-rankers; revealing his precise whereabouts could prove deadly under these conditions.

'Were I an SS-ranker, I'd have commenced purging this whole sector of the spirit realm, claiming all the miasma as my personal power source...'

'Regrettably, unleashing that degree of turmoil lies beyond me at present...'

As Rio often declares, he embodies not an 'Assassin' but a 'Humble Swordsman,' and skulking in shadows clashes with his preferred approach.

In his view, the swiftest path to locating Liam involved confronting a roaming SS-rank evil spirit, tormenting its soul, and extracting its recollections.

He'd repeat the process across scores of them, forging a comprehensive mental chart of the region from their merged insights.

Armed with such a map and regional familiarity, pinpointing Liam would prove far simpler.

'Alas, lacking sufficient power renders everything so tediously slow...'

To preserve his flawless disguise, he resorted to stealthy, deliberate progress; absent that caution, he'd have ignited pandemonium throughout the zone.

Amid Rio's contemplations, a colossal, mountain-like evil spirit lumbered into view far off.

This enormous turtle shook the earth with every stride, mimicking a raging quake.

Its immensity spared Rio the need for miasmic detection to confirm; he instantly recognized this monstrosity as an undeniable SS-ranker!

'Uh... Yes, an SS-ranker for sure... though its condition appears rather dire as well...'

The evil spirit resembled a behemoth tortoise; its enormous carapace consisted of myriad colossal maggots, desiccated and fused to its surface.

Rot and decay cloaked its form entirely; enormous eyes dangled from it like clock pendulums.

The abomination's freakish physique generated unpredictable spatial ripples that Rio couldn't fully anticipate.

Myriad gashes marred its flesh, oozing rivers of inky blood nonstop.

A vast swath of gore marked its path as it advanced, with hordes of lesser evil spirits trailing behind to lap up the effluent.

The spectacle proved profoundly disturbing to behold.