The Last Sacrifice of Kalinga: Crushing the Goddess's Harem

Chapter 7: The Tomb of the Barong

"Duck!" Aristha shoved Gayatri onto the damp leaves.

A massive armored claw tore through the rotting wood of the hollow trunk, spraying sharp splinters across their heads.

"I am fine!" Gayatri gasped, her eyes suddenly flashing with a brilliant, newborn blue light. "Get behind me, Aristha!"

"Are you sure about this?" Aristha asked, raising an eyebrow as he crouched. "That thing looks like it wants a second course."

"I am more than sure," she sneered, her voice dripping with cold confidence. "I am absolutely furious."

She thrust her palm forward, targeting the opening in the bark. A violent wave of blue spiritual energy erupted from her hand, slamming directly into the wolf's armored leg. The beast howled in sheer agony as the energy shattered its bones, and it scrambled backward into the fog.

"Wow," Aristha said, letting out a low whistle. "Note to self: never, ever mess with your pastry budget."

"Quiet," Gayatri snapped, shaking the dirt from her hair. "We must move before the others sniff out my Prana."

"Right behind you, princess," Aristha grinned, slipping through the broken roots into the misty woods.

*

"How much further is this cemetery?" Gayatri asked, pushing past a heavy, wet branch.

"Just over this ridge," Aristha said, checking the mental map provided by his system. "You're doing great, by the way. Not a single complaint about the mud."

"Do not push your luck, Pecalang," she grumbled, looking down at her ruined hem. "My boots are completely destroyed. But... the Prana in my meridians. It feels different. Safer."

"That's because I broke Rama's cheap seal," Aristha said. "You're welcome, again."

"You keep saying that," she said, glancing over her shoulder at him. "What exactly did you do to me? My family's elders always said a royal seal could only be broken by the one who cast it, or through death."

"Let's just say I have a very specialized set of tools," Aristha smirked. "And a very annoying voice in my head."

`[System: Prana levels stabilizing. Current Host Prana: 2,140. Warning: Approaching high-density spiritual zone.]`

"Speak of the devil," Aristha muttered.

"Did you say something?" Gayatri asked, stopping at the edge of a rocky clearing.

"No, just talking to myself. Look ahead."

Gayatri gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "The skulls... there are hundreds of them."

"Yeah," Aristha said, stepping onto the stone path. "Welcome to the Terunyan Cemetery. No dirt burials here. Just open-air rotting. Quite the tourist attraction, right?"

"It is sacred," she whispered, her eyes wide as she stared at the rows of moss-covered skulls lining the stone altars. "They believe the Taru Menyan tree absorbs the scent of death. But the spiritual pressure here... it is heavy, Aristha. My skin is crawling."

"That's the relic," Aristha said, scanning the central stone altar. "The Barong Mask. It's supposed to be right up there."

"Are you certain we should touch it?" Gayatri asked, her grip tightening on the rusted dagger she held. "Relics of this level are always guarded by curses. Or worse."

"Of course it's cursed," Aristha laughed. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth the trip. Stay close."

"I am only staying close because I do not want to step on a skull," she muttered, keeping pace.

"Sure, let's go with that."

*

Aristha reached the central altar, where a wooden, fanged mask with bulging eyes rested on a stone pedestal.

"Wait, Aristha, do not touch it!" Gayatri warned.

"Too late," Aristha said, his fingers wrapping around the dry wood.

The world instantly dissolved. The cold mist and the skulls vanished, replaced by a grand, shimmering temple of white marble and pure gold.

"Where the hell am I?" Aristha muttered, looking around. "System, report."

Silence.

"Great. No system. Just me and my thoughts."

"Welcome, traveler," a melodic, echoing voice chimed from above.

A woman descended from a flight of golden steps. She was blindingly beautiful, draped in flowing white silks, her dark hair adorned with golden lotus flowers. Her eyes held a deep, comforting warmth that seemed to wash away all his pain.

"Let me guess," Aristha said, crossing his arms. "The Holy Maiden Sita?"

"You know of me?" she smiled, her voice like soft bells. "Then you know why you are here. You seek the strength to save this world. To defeat the tyrant Rama."

"I'm mostly just trying to keep my head attached to my neck," Aristha said casually. "But sure, let's go with 'saving the world'."

"I can grant you that power," Sita said, stepping closer. She reached out, her glowing fingers hovering just inches from his chest. "The primal power of the Barong Spirit. It can crush Rama's divine sword. It can make you a god among these mortals."

"And what's the catch? There's always a catch. Do I have to sign my soul away?"

"Nothing so complex," Sita whispered, her eyes turning deep and mesmerizing. "Just one small sacrifice. The girl outside. The fallen princess. Her soul is already fractured. Give her to me, and the world is yours to rule."

Aristha stared at her, his expression unreadable. "Give you Gayatri?"

"Yes," Sita urged, her voice wrapping around his mind like warm silk. "She is a burden to you. You know this. With her gone, you will have no weaknesses. No anchors holding you back. Think of the power, Aristha. Think of the vengeance."

Aristha let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "You know, you're really good at this. The voice, the lighting, the whole 'divine goddess' vibe. It's top-tier acting."

"Then you accept?"

"Not a chance," Aristha smirked.

Sita's expression hardened, her perfect features shifting. "You would choose a useless, broken girl over the power of a god? Are you a fool?"

"No," Aristha said, his eyes turning ice cold. "I'm just a guy who remembers Player Three."

Sita froze. "What?"

"Han Ji-hoon," Aristha said, taking a step forward. "The college student. He stood right where I'm standing. You offered him the same deal, didn't you? 'Give me the soul, get the power.' Except you didn't give him power. You drained his Prana, left him weak, and let Rama flay him."

"You... how do you know that name?" Sita's perfect face began to crack, black veins spidering across her porcelain skin.

"Because I have his memories, you parasitic freak," Aristha snarled. He reached into his belt, pulling the rusted dagger he'd taken from Gayatri. "And I don't make the same mistake twice."

"Stop! You cannot kill a goddess!" she shrieked, her beautiful voice turning into a metallic grating sound as the golden temple began to crumble into black dust.

"Watch me," Aristha roared, lunging forward. He drove the dagger straight into her chest.

*

With a violent gasp, Aristha's eyes snapped open. He fell to his knees on the cold stone, coughing heavily.

"Aristha!" Gayatri was kneeling right beside him, her hands gripping his shoulders, her face pale with terror. "You're awake! Thank gods! Your eyes... they turned completely black!"

"Just... taking out the trash," Aristha wheezed, rubbing his temples. "Did you miss me?"

"I was about to leave your body for the wild dogs," she snapped, though her eyes were shining with relief. "But then the mask... look at it."

Aristha looked up. The fanged Barong Mask on the altar was crumbling into glowing gold dust. The dust swirled in the air, then violently surged straight into Aristha's chest.

`[System: Host has successfully bypassed the parasitic illusion!]`

`[System: Commencing integration of the 'Primal Barong Spirit' relic...]`

`[System: Host Prana capacity expanding. Upgrading to 'Spiritual Warrior' realm!]`

"Whoa," Aristha muttered as a sudden, massive surge of golden-red energy erupted from his body.

"Aristha! Your chest!" Gayatri gasped, stepping back as a massive, lion-like golden aura materialized behind him, roaring silently into the night sky. "The pressure... it's incredible!"

"I feel like I could punch a mountain," Aristha grinned, flexing his fists as the golden light flared even brighter, illuminating the entire misty cemetery.

"Aristha, wait," Gayatri said, her face suddenly losing all its color as she looked up. "The light... it's shooting straight into the clouds."

Aristha looked up. A pillar of golden light had pierced the thick fog, shining like a giant beacon in the dark wilderness.

"Oh," Aristha whispered. "That's... not stealthy."

"Not stealthy?!" Gayatri shrieked. "Every hunter in Kalinga can see this from twenty miles away!"

`[System: Warning. Multiple high-level spiritual signatures detected rapidly approaching your coordinates. Estimated arrival: 180 seconds.]`

"Well," Aristha said, his smirk returning as he grabbed Gayatri's hand. "Looks like our quiet tea shop is going to have to wait."

"You're unbelievable!" she yelled as he dragged her into a run.

"Hey, I promised you we'd make his kingdom burn," Aristha laughed. "Consider this the spark!"