Chapter 703: The Castle's Secret
Vale jolted as he heard the name of the Dungeon.
"Remnant of the Celestial Realm?" He asked once again.
Agent Axe could tell that the Immortal was indeed surprised. Vale ascended as an Immortal without the help of an Immortal Spirit. Because of that, he didn't inherit the common knowledge of other Immortals that had walked in this realm.
With a gentle nod, Agent Axe replied.
"That's right, Sir Immortal. It's only discovered about six months ago... The problem is that this land or Dungeon is not stable anymore... Because of that, the Half-Immortal are having difficulty taking the treasure."
"What about it being unstable?" Vale asked, although he already had an idea.
"According to the reports, ruptures can form, and controlling your Immortal powers may be difficult in that realm. Lastly, there are Void Creatures that were stopping our Half-Immortals from taking the Artifact. As for the reason it must be taken or destroyed, I'm simply told that the golden key or the Otherworldly Artifact may be the key that was sealing a nightmare that must be forgotten..."
Agent Axe replied.
"A nightmare?" Vale repeated, intrigued by such a description.
"Yes... I'm not too sure, but the Bureau has some clues that it can be one of the keys that can be used in the Prison Realm. Anyone in that Realm is a dangerous being sealed by the Immortals or other powerful beings. As for the nightmare, we're not too sure, but it's probably a being that we can't win against. So it was better to destroy the key or seal it forever."
Agent Axe said...
Vale finally realized what was going on.
"This Bureau seemed quite amazing... They actually know so much."
"Ahem... We are still a huge organization, and our archeology team is the best in the whole continent. Our organization studies every clue about our past to ensure that the previous disasters we encountered will no longer be repeated."
Agent Axe said proudly.
However, after not hearing a reply for a few moments, he cleared his throat and continued.
"Ahem... I can show you the way to the Dungeon. There are already people there protecting the place, and they can also help maintain the entrance... According to the Half-Immortals, the Dungeon is protected by many traps and is guarded by many void creatures or those who have come from unknown realms and somehow end up in the Dungeon. I hope you can agree to our request, Sir Immortal."
"Do I have to do this now?" Vale asked.
Agent Axe shook his head and answered.
"Although the Dungeon is also time-sensitive, you still have some time to prepare. It will remain open for the next four days, and it will close after that. Opening it again may only take a year or two, but we're worried that the Golden Key will be possessed by other people who could also access the Dungeon in a different place. We hope you can visit the place within two days so you'll have enough time to take the Artifact."
Vale then considered a few things before giving a reply.
Well, he doesn't want to leave this castle undefended. He knew very well that the Demon Saints may still be watching the castle from afar.
If they somehow learned that he was absent, he was worried that they would attack the castle and kill all the people he treasures.
'So I have to call back Sage Merlin and the Pontiff...' Vale mused as he also considered whether to call those two Council Members to guard the castle.
However, he suddenly thought of an idea! It should be the best method to ensure the safety of the castle!
Vale then nodded and replied to the Agent.
"I understand. I will go there and take the Artifact. I will go there tomorrow, first thing in the morning. You should stay here and lead me the way tomorrow."
Agent Axe smiled as he heard this reply. "That's great, Sir Immortal! I'm glad you agree. I will accompany you and serve you to the best of my ability.
"Alright... You've already visited this place, so I won't ask the others to show you around. You already know about the guest room, so you can help yourself. Just don't visit the restricted places, and you won't be in trouble." Vale said.
He then closed the small box and put it in his pocket.
After that, he called for Magnus to handle the representatives, who wanted to speak with Chad.
Vale didn't want to waste any more time. He made his way to a secret chamber concealed beneath the castle.
Descending into the Mausoleum, Vale was met with rows of neatly arranged coffins.
The chamber exuded an aura of solemnity, and the air was heavy with the amount of mysterious energy being released by the coffins and the laid bodies.
The coffins were arranged in two parallel rows, ten on each side, with intricate engravings adorning their surfaces. Twelve of the coffins contained the remains of the deceased, their presence a silent testament to the passage of time.
Six of them are Demon Saints, and the other six are Immortal. These corpses have been providing Vale with some Divinity and Corrupted Divinity Points with the help of Divine Extraction System.
However, Vale's attention was focused on the remaining eight coffins, each housing beings that appeared to be in a state of slumber rather than death.
Indeed, these enigmatic figures seemed to exist in a state between life and death, their forms exuding an otherworldly presence.
Four of these beings held the essence of Demon Saints, distinguished by their imposing, horned visages.
Their skin was red but with a hint of purple. They had sharp teeth, claws, and tails, which were quite different from the other Demon Saints, and seemed less like monsters. Nonetheless, they all radiated a sinister and evil aura.
Furthermore, they were the enemies of the Immortals and the scourge of the world.
On the other hand, the other four exuded the aura of Immortals, their genderless forms shrouded in an ethereal glow. They had smooth hair, elegant features, and graceful bodies. They emitted a noble and divine aura.
They were also in a state of what Vale liked to call hibernation.
'I should be fine... All the Formation Arts and Seals had been placed. Pearl and Magnus arranged them together... If I still postpone this, it would be a shame for my title as an Immortal.' Vale thought as he approached the coffins and decided to extract the seals of the Immortals.
He had been doing this extraction for a while, using his Divine Extraction System.
He had done it slowly and carefully, fearing that if he rushed the process, he would harm the sleeping beings.
Right now, he felt that it was the perfect time to wake them.
He wanted to know their names, their stories, their powers. Lastly, he wanted to know if they were allies or enemies.
After all, he wasn't a normal Immortal but a Shadow Immortal.
He wanted to know if they would cooperate with him or if he could trust them... If not, he would have no other option but to either eliminate or enslave them with his Slave Mark Spell.
Vale then chose one of the coffins, and touched it with his hand.
'It's now or never...' He thought.
He then activated his Divine Extraction System.
[ Energy Source has been discovered. Would you like to start the extraction? ]
"Yes..." Vale replied.
[ Extraction Successful. Energy +200 ]
[ Extraction Successful. Energy +200 ]
[ Extraction Successful. Energy +200 ]
[ Extraction Successful. Energy +200 ]
[ Extraction Successful. Energy +200 ]
...
Soon, Vale felt the seal's energy flow into him. As he was doing this, he saw the seal's pattern being completely exposed and as he continued with his extraction, he heard the seal's breaking sound!
The Divinity of the Immortal in the coffin had also started leaking!
The coffin was now completely open and revealed the Immortal inside!
It was an Immortal with human-like appearance but genderless... He had long silver hair, and fair skin...
He had a slender figure and seemed very calm as he slowly spread his Divinity to observe his surroundings.
After some time, he opened his eyes and looked at Vale with curiosity... His eyes were blue and clear. However, they had no pupils and no irises.
Vale was a bit started as he felt no emotion and no life.
It was completely different from him!
'So this is a True Immortal... It's quite different from what I thought, but it certainly does make sense.
The Immortal then spoke, and his voice was soft and cold.
"Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?" He asked calmly. However, there was something in his voice and aura!
Vale felt a chill run down his spine!
He sensed a powerful and ancient presence from him...
'This guy... Is he testing me?'
Vale sensed a hidden and dangerous potential in him. Nonetheless, both of them had also sensed a familiar and mysterious connection between them.