Chapter 53 Shockingly revelation
Then he took a step forward, carefully placing his foot on a specific point.
“Follow exactly where I step,” he said.
They moved slowly, each step measured.
As they progressed, faint reactions occurred beneath the ground, subtle vibrations that were almost imperceptible, as if something was responding to their presence.
At one point, Hutrar’s foot slipped slightly out of position.
The ground beneath him suddenly cracked open, and a surge of pressure shot upward violently.
Before it could fully erupt, Vandal reacted instantly, pulling him back and shifting his position.
The surge dissipated just as quickly as it appeared.
Hutrar exhaled heavily. “That was close.”
“This formation is not meant to kill immediately,” Vandal said. “It accumulates pressure and releases it all at once if fully triggered.” Somehow, he knew this from his experience of living Alarik’s life for one hundred years when he was trapped in Alarik’s mind. It was knowledge he had lived through, so it felt instinctual.
They continued forward more carefully after that.
After several minutes, they finally crossed the formation area.
Ahead, the faint glow grew clearer.
They stepped into a temple enclosed within a quiet and oppressive space, its stone walls almost entirely overtaken by twisted vines that crept along the surface like living things, tightening the atmosphere and giving the entire structure a suffocating sense of age and abandonment. At the center of a wide circular clearing stood a raised stone platform.
On it rested a small object.
A stone.
It was dull red in color, no longer the vibrant green it once might have been. At its core, a faint infinity symbol could be seen, slowly rotating as if it existed independently of the stone itself.
The Jade Infinity Stone.
But the moment they laid eyes on it, the atmosphere shifted again.
A presence emerged.
From behind the altar, a figure slowly rose.
Unlike the previous remnants, this one was far more complete. Its form was stable, its features almost human, though distorted by something deeper.
Its eyes opened.
And this time, there was awareness within them.
“You… should… not… be… here,” it said.
Its voice was low, but it carried across the entire area without effort.
The pressure in the surroundings intensified immediately.
Vandal’s expression hardened slightly. He could tell that fighting this thing would be difficult. What do I do?
He looked toward Malouf, who had been very helpful so far, hoping for an idea, but Malouf seemed to still be thinking. Then his expression brightened, as if he had come up with something.
“I know what we can do,” Malouf said.
“What is it then?” Vandal asked.
“First, this is a complete echo remnant, so it will not attack mindlessly if we do not provoke it. Seeing us in large numbers might make it think we intend to attack it, so it will want to fight back,” Malouf explained.
“Have everyone leave this temple and wait outside, and make sure they do not look in this direction. They should also cover their ears because I read that this particular kind of creature can invade the minds of people through its voice.”
“This way, when we attack, it will not expect it, and considering that I have a treasure that blocks mind control, you will need to protect yourself if you want to be able to fight this thing with me,” Malouf said.
“But you said these things are stronger than the incomplete ones, so what if we cannot overpower it with just the two of us?” Vandal asked, worry evident on his face.
“We will use the element of surprise, and my brother also has a treasure that blocks mind control, so he will support us,” Malouf continued to explain in a low voice.
“Alright, that makes sense,” Vandal said, nodding in approval. So far, Malouf had proven himself to be very helpful, and Vandal had formed a good impression of him.
“Alright, everyone, here is the plan,” Vandal said. Then he explained everything to them, and Mael wanted to object but decided against it since this was a life and death situation, and in truth, Vandal had guided them properly so far.
“Vandal, will you be okay?” Sabine asked with worry. Vandal touched her chin and answered warmly.
“Yes, Sabine, I will be fine. Do you not trust your husband anymore?” he said with a playful smirk.
“You bastard… you better not die,” Sabine replied with a pout that showed her annoyance.
The sight of this made Yazmeen frown, her irritation clearly visible.
“Please, we need to go so this plan can be executed smoothly,” Yazmeen said, interrupting the moment.
“Oh, yes, you are right,” Vandal replied, still maintaining eye contact with Sabine as their hands reluctantly parted. Malouf smiled at the brief exchange.
As they began to leave, Malouf teased Vandal.
“You playboy, stealing the hearts of girls wherever you go,” Malouf said.
Vandal smiled but said nothing, looking at Malouf with mock confusion.
“Alright, let us kill this thing. Follow my lead,” Malouf said. He pretended to speak normally, but his voice was lowered, and he used his eyes to signal Vandal. As they continued their act, they moved closer step by step.
The echo remnant stared at them in confusion, unable to determine whether they intended to attack or retreat.
“What… are… you… doing,” it struggled to say.
“Okay, now what?” Vandal asked when they were five paces away from the echo remnant.
“Now, look at the lower half of the echo remnant and tell me what you notice, but do not make it obvious. Turn your head slowly, as if you are still observing the surroundings,” Malouf said in a low voice.
“Okay,” Vandal replied as he slowly turned his head to observe what Malouf was pointing out.
“Heh…”
At the exact moment Vandal turned his head, the corners of Malouf’s mouth rose into a wicked curve.
Vandal’s perception had sharpened from his experiences, so he immediately sensed something wrong and turned back just in time to see Malouf slash out with an echo sword, the blade heading straight for his neck.
The movement was so fluid and precise that Vandal’s eyes barely registered it in time, the blade cutting through the air in a straight and merciless line as it closed the distance to his throat in an instant.
Whoosh
The blade sliced cleanly through Vandal’s neck, parting flesh and bone with terrifying ease, as if it had encountered no resistance at all, before emerging from the other side in a single uninterrupted motion.