Chapter 160: Sealed Creature & Cooperation

The Undead Knight watched Aurelius flip through the Skill Book and nodded imperceptibly.

Upon noticing that he had finished reading it, it was prepared to step back and give him some time to comprehend the skill.

But just then, a golden glow erupted within the underground hall.

At first, the skeleton did not think much of it.

But when it saw the source—a tiny light hovering above Aurelius’ palm—and felt the familiar sacred aura, it couldn’t help but tremble.

’This...’

’How is this possible?’

The Undead Knight almost doubted its own two eyes.

Could it be that it had seen wrong? Was it affected by the long sleep?

For an Awakener of its level, the Purification skill was indeed commonplace and something that could be mastered with a single glance.

However, given Aurelius’ current Rank, that should have been impossible. Even comprehending it in a matter of hours would have been difficult, only possible due to the skill’s simplicity and the Awakener’s high Intelligence.

Seeing that Aurelius had completed this troublesome process in minutes, the Undead Knight almost felt as though it were in a dream.

But when it confirmed that the golden glow could actually harm it, slowly "purifying" its bones, it knew that it had not been mistaken.

Aurelius had actually mastered the skill nearly instantly!

On the other side, Aurelius activated Purification, conjuring a tiny golden light on top of his palm.

Bathed in its sacred brilliance, he couldn’t help but feel comfortable, as though all the burdens on his shoulders had been lifted.

Purification!

It truly lived up to its name.

Not only could it purify evil powers and creatures, but it could even cleanse one’s mind, relieving them of their worries.

’If I ever need to in the future, I can try disguising myself as a Psychologist. No one will doubt me,’ Aurelius joked.

After familiarizing himself with the Skill, he let the golden light disperse.

He glanced at the Undead Knight, intending to let it lead him to the sealed coffin so that they could start their plan.

But just as he was about to speak, he came face to face with a pair of violently flickering flames.

Although the other party had no face to display any emotions, Aurelius’ mind wandered.

The skeleton’s empty face overlapped with that of Selene’s back in the Goblin Mountains.

Both of them had displayed the same astonishment at his ability to learn skills so quickly.

To this, Aurelius offered no explanation.

Although mastering skills quickly seemed terrifying, it was actually nothing too shocking in Nova Roma as a whole.

After all, this merely showed that he possessed a high degree of comprehension.

Whether that comprehension could be converted into strength was ultimately a matter of his own hard work and luck.

Aurelius’ thoughts were soon confirmed.

Only a few seconds later, the Undead Knight recovered.

It didn’t ask Aurelius how he had managed to learn Purification so quickly, believing it was due to his natural talent. Instead, it steadily approached the coffin and motioned for him to follow it.

Aurelius did as told.

He quickly noticed that the trembling of the coffin was growing even more violent with their every step, as though the being sealed inside had sensed their arrival, noticed the danger, and was struggling to break free.

Since the Undead Knight did not do anything, Aurelius didn’t either.

Soon, the two stopped only a couple of feet away from the coffin.

The Undead Knight stepped to its other side and looked at Aurelius.

"Be careful."

"Although these chains seal that person and their strength has declined over the years, they will surely try to counterattack when they discover that there is no chance for survival."

"Don’t let your guard down. Otherwise, if you die, you can’t blame me."

After saying these words, Aurelius saw the Undead Knight stretch out its hand.

A golden light appeared above its bones, similar to the one he had conjured earlier.

The moment it was brought closer to the coffin, it triggered a violent reaction.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The wooden lid shook violently, as though the being inside was desperately trying to break free.

Unfortunately for it, its efforts seemed meaningless. The chains around the coffin tightened further, binding it firmly in place.

Black mist emerged from the tiny gaps, the result of Purification.

It seemed that this skill could indeed damage the opponent.

Aurelius noticed, however, that the Undead Knight was not faring very well either.

It was not because it had been affected by the aftermath of that creature’s struggles.

Rather, what was injuring it was its own skills.

Purification!

It directly targeted everything evil.

And the Undead Knight... was also evil!

’No wonder it claimed that suppressing the creature inside had prevented it from recovering further.’

’If it has to continuously cast Purification to suppress it, it would be strange if it hadn’t faced any trouble.’

Moreover, Aurelius suddenly thought of the Undead Knight’s missing memories.

Could it be that Purification had affected its mind as well? Had it developed a mental illness?

For a moment, Aurelius couldn’t help but cast a sympathetic glance at the skeleton.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, or perhaps simply annoyed by his behavior, the Undead Knight spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Are you planning to break our agreement?" it said loudly.

"Yes. Yes." Aurelius nodded, suppressing his strange thoughts.

Then, mimicking the skeleton’s actions, he also cast Purification.

The moment the golden light brushed against the coffin, he felt a reaction.

Not only from the being sealed inside, but also from the skill itself.

Or rather...

From the Player Panel.

Looking at Purification’s progress bar, which was filling at a terrifying rate, Aurelius smacked his lips.

He hadn’t expected that this mission would not only grant him a free skill but also help him practice it.

Of course, whether that was a good thing or not was a matter of debate.

After all...

’For Purification to advance this quickly, the being sealed inside must possess a terrifying level of strength!’

Aurelius’ eyes narrowed.