NOVEL NEXT Chapter 236: Relic
Each rune shimmered with different hues, crimson for fire, obsidian for death, deep azure for time, emerald for nature, and silver for space. They drifted lazily like celestial bodies orbiting a divine sun, humming with energy so dense Damien could feel it vibrate in his bones.
To the sides of the hall, the marble floor gave way to smooth black stone inscribed with flowing lines of ancient script. The inscriptions glowed faintly beneath their feet, guiding them without words.
Above, there was no roof, only a swirling dome of stars, as if the entire structure floated somewhere between realms. A sky of eternity stretched above them, silent and watching.
Before the altar, arranged in perfect rows, were 97 cushions.
No more, no less.
Each one was equidistant from the other, a clear reminder that no matter how many allies stood with you outside, the comprehension of the Dao was a solitary path.
Each cushion was etched with its own rune, subtle yet unmistakable, and each called to a different resonance within the soul.
Damien and Lyrisa slowed as they entered, the weight of the space settling upon them like a cloak. Neither spoke. They didn't need to. The sight before them was enough to command reverence.
"What is this place…" Lyrisa whispered, her eyes wide, the glow of the altar reflecting in her irises.
Damien's gaze stayed fixed on the altar and its orbiting runes. He could feel them—not just see them. They pulsed with presence. Death, time, fire, space, betrayal, eternity. Not just concepts, but forces.
Wills.
He nodded slowly, expression calm. He had read about this in the Living Library. "The altar of Dao comprehension."
Lyrisa turned to him, surprised. "You've heard of this?"
"Only in theory. I never thought it was real."
He gestured at the cushions. "They're not for rest. Once you sit… it begins. The Dao floods in. If your mind is weak, you lose yourself."
They both stared forward in silence.
Then came the voice. Ancient. Unfeeling. Final.
"SIT. COMPREHEND. LIVE."
The words echoed off the infinite walls, sinking directly into their minds. There was no need to ask what happened if they failed. The silence that followed was louder than any threat.
"Ready?" Damien asked quietly, glancing toward Lyrisa.
She nodded firmly, eyes filled with unwavering trust and determination. "Always."
Damien felt reality warp around him as soon as he settled onto the cushion, his consciousness immediately plunging into a realm of strange and profound darkness. The sudden shift was jarring, his senses momentarily overloaded by the suffocating, overwhelming presence of death energy.
When his vision cleared, Damien found himself standing before a colossal stone monument, an ancient and towering monolith carved from black rock so dark it seemed to absorb all surrounding light.
The very air around the stone rippled subtly, pulsing gently with an inexorable force that resonated deeply within Damien's necromantic core. The sensation was heavy and profound, as though the stone itself was the beating heart of death energy.
"Death as Homecoming… What a powerful Artistic Intent," came the familiar, ominous voice, echoing around him, tinged with genuine awe. "This is your luck and your curse. My most powerful relic is surprisingly not of my Darkness Element, but this Death Stone Relic, acquired from a mighty Death Apostle. Study it. Comprehend it. And if you possess the capability... claim it as yours."
Damien inhaled slowly, steadying his thoughts, and stepped closer to the monolith. His necromantic core hummed eagerly, spinning faster within his chest, while tendrils of death energy swirled protectively around him, instinctively drawn toward the immense presence radiating from the stone.
Strangely, his internal system was utterly silent, providing no guidance or warnings. Damien understood implicitly, this trial was purely reliant on his own comprehension, unaided by external systems. Or… The system was afraid of being discovered.
Either way, he was on his own.
Settling calmly at the foot of the monolith, Damien crossed his legs and rested his hands lightly upon his knees, allowing his mind to fully open to the profound power emanating from the relic.
His senses sharpened, expanding gradually to embrace the all-encompassing presence of death energy surrounding him.
Initially, Damien's consciousness struggled against the flood of chaotic thoughts, visions of mortality, entropy, decay, despair, the relentless cycle of life and death, the inevitability of return. But gradually, as he sat unmoving, his breathing steady and even, Damien began to discern subtle threads of meaning weaving through the cacophony.
Death was not an end, but rather an integral stage of renewal. It was the ultimate equilibrium, balancing the constant flux of existence. Death was homecoming, reunion, and resolution.
He began to visualize death not as destruction, but as transformation. Each life, each soul, was a temporary ripple upon the surface of an endless ocean of existence, inevitably merging once more into the vast, eternal source.
Damien felt his perception shift slightly, deepening his intuitive understanding. With each heartbeat, he felt himself drawn closer to the core truth of death energy, grasping the profound simplicity within its complexity.
Days passed unnoticed within this timeless realm of contemplation. Damien's awareness expanded gently yet irresistibly, his grasp upon death's essence strengthening gradually with each passing moment. The lethality and purity of his innate death energy became increasingly refined, honed into a sharper, more devastating force.
Outside his awareness, one week slipped into two, then three, and soon an entire month had elapsed in this endless contemplation.
Slowly, others emerged from their cushions, pale-faced and shaken, struggling to recover from the immense mental strain. Among them were Vathrian and his allies, their expressions cold and satisfied despite evident exhaustion.
Soon after, the enigmatic woman from House Umbra rose calmly from her seat, her expression unchanged and serene as ever. She moved quietly aside, waiting patiently, her eyes fixed thoughtfully upon the remaining seated participants.
Finally, Lyrisa emerged from her meditative state, breathing deeply, eyes flickering briefly with exhaustion yet filled with determination and newfound comprehension.
The bright beam of light that covered her and protected her as she understood the Dao also disappeared.