Chapter 149: Tomb

After his recent encounter with the guardian, Eden welcomed the opportunity to explore without having to fight for every step forward. His new skill, Ferocious Evolution, remained at the back of his mind, but he had no intention of testing it until he understood its mechanics better.

The thought of losing control of his body wasn’t especially appealing.

"At least this place isn’t completely hostile," he muttered.

A faint breeze passed through the forest, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly sweet. Strange particles drifted between the enormous trees, glowing briefly before fading into the darkness.

Eden glanced at one of them as it floated past his face.

Then he continued walking.

It took another twenty minutes before the scenery began to change.

The trees gradually grew farther apart, revealing a series of weathered stone structures half-buried beneath enormous roots. At first, Eden mistook them for natural rock formations. But as he approached, he noticed the deliberate angles, the intricate carvings, and the remnants of decorative pillars.

Someone had built something here.

And judging by the condition of the surrounding vegetation, it had been standing for a very long time.

Eden brushed his fingers against one of the stone surfaces.

The carvings were unlike anything he had seen on Earth. They resembled interwoven circles and angular symbols, some of which reminded him of the strange runes found on the double doors.

He studied them for a moment.

"More runes."

He was beginning to suspect that the entire place had been constructed around the same underlying system of symbols.

Whether they were instructions, seals, or something else entirely remained to be seen.

Following the scattered ruins, Eden eventually reached a clearing.

He stopped.

Before him stood a temple.

It was enormous, though its architecture was remarkably elegant. White stone pillars supported a sloping roof that curved upward at the edges, while dark green vines crawled along the walls. The entrance was framed by two statues of winged figures, their faces worn smooth by the passage of time.

Several of the pillars had collapsed, and sections of the roof were missing. Yet the structure itself remained intact, as though whatever force had preserved it had refused to let it crumble completely.

Eden tilted his head.

"A temple in the middle of an Abyss forest?"

He looked toward the entrance.

"That can’t possibly be suspicious."

He stepped inside.

The interior was dim, illuminated by the faint green glow of crystals embedded in the walls. A long corridor stretched ahead, its floor covered in dust that had remained undisturbed for what could have been centuries.

His footsteps echoed through the empty passage.

There were no guards.

No traps.

No monsters waiting to ambush him.

The absence of danger was becoming almost more unsettling than danger itself.

Eden continued deeper into the temple, passing several side chambers. Some contained broken pedestals and empty shelves. Others held strange sculptures depicting figures with halos above their heads.

He paused before one of them.

The figure was humanoid, dressed in flowing robes, with one hand raised toward the sky. Its face had been deliberately obscured, leaving only a smooth surface where its features should have been.

Eden stared at it for a moment.

’Probably connected to the Rulers.’

He moved on.

The corridor eventually opened into a vast chamber.

Eden took one step inside.

And froze.

At the center of the chamber stood a translucent green crystal several meters tall.

It rose from a circular platform, its surface smooth and flawless, radiating a soft light that illuminated the entire room. Strange patterns moved beneath its surface, flowing through the crystal like veins of liquid energy.

And inside it was a woman.

Eden didn’t move.

She appeared to be unconscious, suspended within the crystal as though time itself had stopped around her. Her long white hair floated gently around her shoulders, despite the absence of water or any visible current. Her features were delicate and almost impossibly beautiful, possessing a divine quality that made her seem less like a human being and more like something that had descended from the heavens.

A white halo hovered above her head.

Her clothing was equally immaculate, a flowing white garment adorned with intricate golden patterns. Her hands rested peacefully before her chest, and her expression was serene.

She looked as though she were dreaming.

Or perhaps waiting.

Eden felt it before he could fully process what he was seeing.

The energy radiating from the crystal was unmistakable.

It wasn’t identical to Mendax’s, but it carried a similar quality, an ancient and overwhelming presence that seemed to exist beyond the ordinary rules governing Essence.

For a moment, Eden forgot to breathe.

"...No way."

He had come here to investigate the Empty Gates, the strange runes, and the sealed doors that connected them to this place.

He hadn’t expected to find someone inside a crystal.

Much less someone who carried an aura so similar to the being who had changed his life.

A familiar voice spoke inside his mind.

[Master...]

Sylvia’s tone was unusually serious.

Eden didn’t look away from the crystal.

"You feel it too?"

"Yes."

There was no trace of her usual teasing or casual confidence.

[This presence... I have never felt anything quite like it. But there is no mistaking its nature.]

Eden swallowed.

"So that’s..."

Sylvia remained silent for a moment, as though she were trying to reconcile what she sensed with what she already knew.

Then she finished her Masters sentence.

"The Ruler of Sorcery."

’So this is the being this tomb belongs to.’

’One of the five Rulers who descended into the Abyss.’

Eden slowly exhaled.

"That explains why this Temple feels different."

[Master, please be careful,] Sylvia warned. [We do not know why she is here, how long she has been asleep, or what might happen if you interfere with the crystal.]

"Wasn’t planning on smashing it."

[Knowing you, I felt the need to clarify.]

Eden’s gaze remained fixed on the woman.

Something about the scene bothered him. It felt strangely familiar, as though he had been approaching this moment for far longer than he realized.

Eden took a step toward the crystal.

[Master, wait—]

He took another.

The instant his foot touched the edge of the circular platform, the world disappeared.