Chapter 80: Soul Constructs

Hum—!

The instant that sliver of Aiden’s Soul Sovereign aura touched the hidden door, the ancient runes that had previously remained faint and blurry suddenly seemed to receive a surge of energy.

One after another, they lit up with a faint blue glow.

The light flowed through the interconnected runes like water, gradually converging toward the center of the hidden door.

Then—

Click...

A low, ancient mechanical sound echoed through the cave, as though gears that had remained dormant for countless years had finally begun to turn.

The seamless stone door slowly slid inward without making the slightest scraping sound, revealing a pitch-black passage beyond it.

A wave of long-sealed air rushed toward them, carrying the scent of old dust, withered herbs, and some strange chemical reagent.

Success!

The three exchanged glances, unable to conceal the excitement in their eyes.

Aiden was the first to act. He switched on a high-intensity flashlight and stepped through the doorway.

Silas immediately followed, positioning himself between Aiden and Luna while keeping the latter safely protected in the middle.

The passage beyond the door wasn’t particularly long.

After walking roughly ten meters, their vision suddenly opened up to reveal a massive underground chamber that appeared to have been excavated and reinforced by humans. But rather than a cave, it was more like... a laboratory.

At the center of the chamber stood a massive workbench made of some unknown dark metal. Strange glassware, flasks, and intricate conduits were scattered across its surface. Though covered in layers of thick dust, their precise craftsmanship and extraordinary design were still unmistakable.

The surrounding walls had been carved into countless storage compartments, each containing sealed crystal jars. Within them were various biological organs and mineral samples that had long since fallen into dormancy. Under the beam of the flashlight, they refracted an eerie, faint luster, making the entire laboratory feel even more unsettling.

In the corner, a series of bookshelves had long since rotted away. Most of the parchment scrolls and paper books that had once filled them had already crumbled into dust. Only a handful made from special materials had survived, barely retaining their original shape.

The entire laboratory was terrifyingly silent. There were no traces of monsters. No signs of recent activity.

Only the suffocating silence left behind by the passage of countless years.

Then, almost simultaneously, their gazes settled on something at the very back of the laboratory.

Behind the workbench stood a high-backed stone chair.

A complete human skeleton sat upon it, draped in a tattered gray cloak.

The skeleton’s posture was strangely peaceful. Its skull hung slightly forward, while its hand bones rested calmly across its abdomen. Between its finger bones was a thick, leather-bound notebook that had somehow remained relatively well-preserved.

A corpse seated in silence. A laboratory sealed away from the world. And an unknown history buried beneath the passage of time.

There were no guardian monsters as they had expected. No deadly traps. Only the remnants of a forgotten past.

Aiden raised a hand, signaling Silas to remain vigilant. He then approached the skeleton cautiously.

When he reached the stone chair, Aiden paused and muttered a little ’rest in peace’ toward the remains before carefully removing the notebook from between its finger bones.

The leather cover felt cold and surprisingly tough beneath his fingers.

On its surface, written in elegant, ancient handwriting with dark-silver ink, was a single line:

[Alderton’s Alchemy Log — Forbidden Research on "Life Essence" and "Soul Constructs"]

’Alderton? Life Essence? Soul Constructs?’ Aiden’s pupils constricted slightly.

The combination of those terms carried an extraordinary... and dangerous aura.

He vaguely remembered that, in some of the high-level dungeons and background stories he had encountered in his previous life, there had been mentions of an ancient alchemy master named Alderton.

An extraordinarily talented alchemist who had disappeared after delving too deeply into forbidden knowledge.

Could this be that very same Alderton?

But what truly caught Aiden’s attention wasn’t the name.

It was the final two words.

’Soul Constructs.’ Aiden’s heart began to beat faster. As the possessor of the SSS-Rank Unique Class Sovereign of Souls, anything related to souls was of extraordinary importance to him.

Soul Constructs... He had never heard of anything like them in his previous life.

He didn’t even know whether this underground laboratory had existed on Earth before the Apocalypse or if it was one of the countless things that had been added to the world after Eclipse Online began merging with reality.

But one thing was certain. He was going to learn a lot here.

If Alderton’s research truly contained knowledge about the nature of souls, then this wasn’t merely some ancient alchemist’s research log.

It was an opportunity. An opportunity for him to understand souls on a deeper level, uncover more of the mysteries surrounding his own class, and perhaps even discover new ways to utilize the powers of the Sovereign of Souls.

If he could convert that knowledge into class proficiency, his current strength could potentially rise to an entirely new level.

Aiden’s gaze became increasingly serious. He took a deep breath and opened the log.

The earlier entries consisted mostly of notes regarding basic alchemy theories, material processing, and various experimental procedures. Even from those seemingly ordinary records, one could clearly see Master Alderton’s profound understanding of alchemy and his almost fanatical passion for the subject.

But as Aiden continued turning the pages, the content gradually became more profound.

And increasingly... Shocking. Alderton had begun questioning the traditional definition of life.

According to his research, ’Life Essence’ or ’Vitality’ was not merely an abstract concept, but a form of pure energy that could potentially be extracted, stored, and even transferred.

He then turned his attention toward the soul. He attempted to analyze its composition, study its structure, and uncover the fundamental principles governing its existence.

And eventually, he made an even more audacious proposal.

He wanted to create ’Constructs’ that possessed true souls.

***

A/N:

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