Chapter 46: Interrogation and Recuperation

  The stifling darkness of the underground chamber bore down on the gathered crowd, crushing their minds like the pressure of the ocean’s depths. Within the flickering shadows, five figures stood in an arc around a pile of remains illuminated by a few levitating lamps. Along either side of the dungeon, where the light barely reached, numerous figures stood in single file, half-hidden within the gloom.

  One man standing at the very edge, abruptly muttered under his shallow breath.

  “Is that him? It can’t be!”

  He suddenly felt the weight of every gaze shifting to him. He trembled slightly, his hands and feet going numb.

  “It’s Levi, right? You recognize him?”

  The man at the center asked in a commanding tone. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his short blond hair shining under the lamplight. An elegant crimson robe, heavy with silk layers, concealed his large frame. His light blue eyes were framed by small wrinkles, revealing his affable countenance.

  “Y… Yes, I am Levi Moore, Lord Dumont,” the man stammered. “This man… He is Skylar Brooks.”

  The attention of the room shifted back to the chained man kneeling before the five central figures. His body was riddled with bloody wounds, and his breath came in ragged gasps. The armored guard yanked his lilac hair back, forcing his pale face into the minimal light.

  “We have been monitoring this man for a couple of weeks, ever since we discovered him leaving the city in secret,” the guard stated in a gruff, monotonous voice. “The Disciple tasked to tail him ceased reporting in a few days ago. We lost him for a while, but then caught the rat as he attempted to escape the Academy during the disaster.”

  “I see. Skylar Brooks, huh? Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and reveal your true identity and affiliation instead of making it harder for both of us?”

  Dumont crouched down to Skylar’s eye level and flashed a warm smile at him. Even the skin around his eyes crinkled in a friendly way. The disparity between his disposition and his words caused shivers to run down Levi’s spine.

  “Ha… Haha… Hahahahaha!” Skylar chuckled between his labored breaths before breaking out into an uproarious laughter. His shoulders shook as his guffawing mixed with the wet gurgling in his throat. Swallowing back his blood, he continued, “You’re nothing but a lowly Adept. Do you think you frighten me? Even if one of your Warden Ancestors emerged, I would still spit in their face. Just wait until my Master arrives.”

  Dumont’s smile did not fade from the outburst. In fact, it widened. He leaned in closer until their faces were mere inches apart, his large body filling Skylar’s entire vision. His previously illuminated face was now covered in ghastly shadows, causing Skylar to gulp involuntarily.

  “Oh? Your Master? Why don’t you tell me more?”

  Even as he was interrogating the prisoner, Dumont signaled someone behind him. A woman retreated into the gloom and discreetly circled the two, drifting behind Skylar silently like a ghost. She withdrew a cube-shaped artifact before placing some of his splattered blood within. It began glowing with subtle white light.

  Levi was shaken to his core. He had been extremely close to Skylar, forming a strong bond over the many years since he had entered the Academy. They had even spent countless days and nights studying runes together without a wink of sleep. Yet, here he was… a traitor? The expression on his face when he was laughing at Lord Dumont was nothing like the gentle and good-natured smile he had shown for years.

  Though his shoulders were shaking from fear, Skylar gathered the will to spit the acrid blood constantly filling his mouth at Dumont. “There’s no point. You will all perish soon. If you want to survive, I suggest you let me go. Otherwise, I will make sure your corpse is fed to the dogs, rather than giving you a proper burial.” His bright eyes were wide open, glaring at Dumont with a demented grin, dribbling a trail of blood down his chin.

  Dumont straightened up and pulled out a handkerchief from his robes. As he wiped the smear of blood on his face, he glanced behind Skylar. The woman met his gaze, giving him a slight shake of her head. The color being emitted from the cube in the woman’s hand had not changed. He gazed back at Skylar, still displaying his polished smile.

  “This Master of yours. He was behind the attack, right? Even though you’re hiding your true cultivation, it is only at the mid stage of Channel Weaving. You couldn’t have pulled off this disaster alone.”

  Skylar’s lips parted as his grin expanded, exposing his blood-stained teeth. “You really don’t know a single thing, do you?” His eyes glinting in delight, he licked his cracked lips. “I’ll tell you just one thing, since you’re all as good as dead anyway. My Master. He is…”

  At this moment, the look on Skylar’s face changed drastically as he looked beyond Dumont’s shoulder. Dumont followed his gaze and glanced back at the corner of the chamber. There was nothing there, only darkness. When he turned back around to face Skylar, his previous demented grin was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was met with an expression of inconceivable terror.

  “Master! No… I wasn’t…” Skylar stuttered in between pauses, as though he were conversing with someone. His eyes suddenly widened in disbelief as he shrieked, “You promised to ensure my future!”

  A red jewel emerged from Skylar’s forehead, emitting an ominous, bloody light. He screamed in pain as his eyes rolled back, beginning to convulse as foam emerged from his mouth. The whites of his eyes grew more and more red, as the minute blood vessels within burst and soon tears of blood poured down his face. It had happened so abruptly, nobody had the time to react.

  By the time their mind had comprehended the rapid changes, the clanking of chains hitting the cold stone floor rang out. Skylar had already become limp in the guard’s grasp, and the light in his eyes had disappeared. The only thing remaining was a trace of immense dread.

  At one corner, Levi’s jaw dropped as his breathing quickened. His quivering heart pounded against his chest, and the heavy silence of the room threatened to force him into fainting. However, one thought managed to keep his consciousness alert. The jewel… It was the same as the monsters’. Perhaps… He wasn’t a traitor?

  A crack finally formed in the amiable exterior of Dumont. His arched eyebrows had furrowed, covering his forehead in thick wrinkles. Even he had not been able to react in time to prevent the prisoner’s death. He remained in the same spot as he observed the motionless Skylar, but his hands had tightened into fists.

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  “Dead. He truly died. What is this?” Dumont muttered under his breath as he reached out to the red jewel embedded on Skylar’s forehead. The moment his finger touched it, it shattered into dust, disappearing into the air. His furrowed brows sharpened as he crossed his arms and began contemplating.

  The woman in front of him walked forward and said, “Zoltan, the Cube of Mendacity did not react. All his words were genuine, until the very end.” She was wearing loose azure robes that looked similar to a dressing gown. Her sleek black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of thick spectacles.

  “I appreciate the assistance, Belinda. Unfortunately, we got nothing in the end.” Zoltan Dumont responded dejectedly as he placed his fist against his forehead.

  A man with long disheveled white hair and an unkempt beard wearing coarse gray clothing shuffled forward. “Principal. Actually, I may have something. That jewel, along with the way he died… I have my suspicions.”

  “Do you recognize this bizarre phenomenon, Tidus?” Zoltan asked impatiently.

  “It’s not exactly the same… But…” Tidus squinted his eyes at Skylar’s corpse as he smoothed out his long beard with his right hand. “I read an ancient record once, detailing the methods of the path that came before the Auric.”

  “Stop being so cryptic, you old fool.” Another woman walked forward as she spoke in a rebuking tone. “You mean to say that this was the work of a Psion?” This was an old woman with glossy white hair tied up in a large bun above her head. Unlike Tidus, she did not have a single hair out of place, nor even a crease in her simple white robes.

  “Grouchy old hag, how dare you call me a fool? Always so quick to dismiss facts as hearsay if you haven’t read it yourself, aren’t you, Elana? Your mind is as shallow as your cultivation.” Tidus chided back.

  Before they could keep bickering, a short and skinny boy walked forward. He was the last person who had been standing in the center with the others. “Now, now, you two. That’s enough. You have both aged so much, and yet, you still bicker as if you are children. Let’s get back to the matter at hand. You suspect that this was the doing of that extinct ancient path?”

  Tidus grumbled under his breath but did not continue. “Yes, Senior Brother Loki. Specifically because of the cause of death. In the record, they described the state of a cultivator who had fallen to the attacks of a Psion. The outcome was very similar. There have also been a few cases of independent Psion having emerged during the recent era as well. I do not believe it to be extinct.”

  “Hmm…” Loki crossed his arms and rubbed his bare chin.

  “The key to uncovering more information is to analyze those red jewels.” Zoltan declared. He then shifted his attention to the guard. “We captured some of the infected apprentices. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, Lord Dumont. They are being held in the caged prisons in the adjacent room.” The guard responded with his head bowed. Just the presence of the higher-ups from the Academy caused him to break out in cold sweat.

  “Good. Let’s go take a look.” Zoltan decided. He turned and walked toward the exit, stopping just before he left. “Mission Hall Leader.”

  “Yes, Lord Dumont?” A tall, wiry man with frizzy brown hair and a smooth face responded, bowing deeply.

  “Identify the ones who defeated the infected apprentices and reward them with adequate merit points. We should always show our gratitude toward those who stand up to protect the Academy. Also compile a list of all who perished. If they have a next of kin, send them ample resources as our condolences and apology for being unable to protect them.”

  Having finished laying out the task, Zoltan strode out of the room, followed by the four other Adepts. Levi stood back up from his respectful bow, along with everyone else. They slowly filed out of the room as they quietly chatted amongst themselves. Some even looked excited from having just learned about a secret ancient path from the Adepts’ conversation. Levi was not among them. Before exiting, he looked back at Skylar’s corpse with sad eyes. He did not know if Skylar truly was a traitor, but he knew that he had lost a close friend.

  The harsh sunlight pierced into the large windows framing the northern wall of a magnificent villa. It was made of hardwood coated in a layer of white paint, making it look scholarly and luxurious at the same time. The beams of light that filtered through the glass lost their unrelenting harshness and transformed into a comfortable warmth, filling the living quarters inside with a pleasant atmosphere.

  “So this is the kind of lifestyle an Adept experiences.” Damon was relaxing in that very villa, lying atop a soft cotton bed and blanketed by smooth silk. The decorations were extremely cultured, featuring artistic landscape paintings on the walls and elegant furniture. The calming scent of pine mixed with the sweet aroma of apples wafted from an incense stick burning next to his bed.

  Damon had been temporarily placed in a guest villa for visiting Adepts, as his dorm room was destroyed during the disaster. He actually wasn’t supposed to be allocated such an opulent residence, however… It was a benefit of knowing Claire. Or should it be called a reparation?

  The Academy had called for every apprentice to gather in a single location to record the survivors. Damon had been moving to the gathering area with Dylan when he had encountered Claire. Before he could even greet her, she had sprinted over, accelerated by her wind powers, and tackled him. This had actually completely broken his fractured ribs, causing one of them to pierce through his lung.

  Due to the severity of the injury, Damon had to be transported to the infirmary for a healer to look over him. The late stage Disciple who specialized in the light element spent an entire hour repeatedly casting a second-tier heal spell on him. Afterward, Claire had given a third-tier bone regrowth potion for him to consume. Initially hesitant to drink any potion that came from Claire’s hands, he was finally persuaded once the healer verified its authenticity. Though the potion caused him to suffer through the pain of his bones reforming rapidly, it finally managed to heal the majority of the injuries.

  Damon was eventually allowed to leave, but he was ordered to rest for several days. The entire time, Claire apologized profusely, even coming close to bawling her eyes out. It took immense effort for Damon to convince her that he wasn’t angry or upset with her. She finally left when night fell, still looking as terrified as when he had first collapsed. The next day, he was brought to this villa to rest. It was most definitely set up by Claire.

  Damon quickly got over the extravagance and returned to focusing on his recuperation. His physical injuries had actually improved drastically, thanks to the consistent heal spells. Just like the healing specialist had said, he only needed to rest for a few days, and he would be as good as new. The main worry in his mind wasn’t his body, but what was in his mind.

  Still embedded in the border of his Mind Node, the red jewel silently and motionlessly engulfed Damon in a sense of crisis. It had not moved at all since it first implanted itself there, but Damon knew that he could not let down his guard. The moment he relaxed, it might dig through the outer shell of his node. He did not know what would happen if it managed to completely enter, but he knew it would be grim.

  “How do I deal with this… Mind spikes don’t work… Neither does consuming Mindsoul Dew. I can’t progress with my mind cultivation as long as it's there.”

  Damon had attempted everything he could think of to try and remove it, to no avail. His mind spikes inflicted infinitesimal damage to the jewel, like trying to break a boulder with a wooden spear. With enough time and persistent effort, it might be possible to remove it from sheer consistency, but that would most likely require several years. As it also prevented him from gathering more mental power, it meant he could not advance his cultivation during that time. Therefore, he aspired to destroy it earlier. He couldn’t even ask anyone about it, lest he reveal his secrets. His last ray of hope was to find something in the Legacy Hall that would give him an idea of what to do.

  Shaking his head, Damon decided to put aside the matter. He would continue to hammer away with his spikes as often as he could for now. Instead, he had something else to deal with. From his robes, he withdrew a small, exquisite scroll and unfurled it. It was different from the rough parchment he used for crafting spell scrolls. The little piece of delicate parchment felt incredibly heavy in his hands. He would have welcomed it any other day, but it came at a terrible time.

  “So, in the end, I’ve been chosen.”

  Culprit was Skylar?