Chapter 167: The Shadow Approaching

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Shadow Approaching

The faint pulses of gray energy continued to spread across the distant mountains.

Inside the Eastern Sanctuary, Arden stood before the damaged detection formation, watching the inscriptions flicker.

The formation had been partially restored after the battle, but its range was considerably smaller than before. Even so, it was enough to detect the disturbance approaching from the north.

"How many?" one of the guardians asked.

Arden remained silent for a moment.

"At least twelve energy signatures."

The guardian’s expression changed.

"Twelve Hollow warriors?"

"I can’t be certain. Their energy signatures are fluctuating."

Arden placed his palm against the formation.

A moment later, his expression became even more serious.

"Something is following them."

Before he could say anything else, hurried footsteps came from the entrance.

A wounded guardian stumbled into the chamber.

"Senior Guardian!"

Arden immediately turned.

"What happened?"

"The northern patrol... we found them near the outer ridge. Most of the team is dead."

"Who attacked them?"

The wounded guardian struggled to catch his breath.

"Masked figures. They were searching through the remains of an abandoned outpost. We tried to observe them from a distance, but one of them discovered us."

He lowered his head.

"Only two of us escaped."

Arden’s expression darkened.

"Where is the other survivor?"

"Being treated outside."

Ronan, who had been sitting nearby, slowly opened his eyes.

He had been resting since the previous night, allowing his injuries to recover. Although his condition had improved, he was still not at full strength.

However, the mention of an abandoned outpost caught his attention.

"Did you see anything unusual?" he asked.

The wounded guardian looked at him.

"Who are you?"

"Someone asking a question."

Arden intervened before the situation could become uncomfortable.

"Answer him. He has already fought the Hollow."

The guardian hesitated before speaking.

"There was a black structure beneath the outpost. It looked similar to the formations inside this sanctuary, but the entire structure was covered in gray energy."

Ronan stood up.

"Did you see what was inside?"

"No. But the masked figures were carrying several bodies towards it."

"Living or dead?"

The guardian swallowed.

"I couldn’t tell."

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

He already had an idea of what might be happening.

The Hollow had demonstrated their ability to gather energy from fallen warriors during the previous battle. If they were transporting bodies to an ancient structure, they might be using them as another source of energy.

Alternatively, they could be searching for something hidden beneath the outpost.

Either possibility was worth investigating.

"Where is this place?" Ronan asked.

Arden looked towards him.

"The northern ridge. It’s not far from the Black Veil Mountains."

Ronan nodded.

That was close to the abandoned sanctuary he had planned to investigate.

It seemed he wouldn’t need to search for an opportunity.

One had come looking for him.

---

"You’re not going alone."

Arden’s voice stopped Ronan as he prepared to leave.

Ronan glanced over his shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because the Hollow commander who attacked us is still alive. We don’t know whether he has returned to the northern region, and I won’t allow another team to disappear without understanding what we’re dealing with."

"Then send your own people."

"I intend to."

Arden gestured towards the entrance.

"Three guardians will accompany us. They’ll guide us to the outpost and help identify the structure."

Ronan considered the offer.

He didn’t particularly care about the Covenant’s missing patrols, but having people familiar with the region would make the journey easier.

More importantly, he wanted to examine the structure.

"Fine."

Arden studied his injuries.

"You’re still recovering. If we encounter an opponent beyond our capabilities, we’ll withdraw."

Ronan gave him a faint smile.

"That’s what I was planning to do anyway."

Arden wasn’t entirely convinced.

---

The northern ridge was considerably colder than the area surrounding the sanctuary.

Gray clouds covered the sky, and the ground was filled with broken rocks and patches of black vegetation.

Ronan travelled at the front of the group, with Arden following several meters behind.

The three guardians were considerably weaker than their senior. Their strongest member was a Five-Star King Realm warrior, while the other two were below that level.

They weren’t particularly useful in a direct confrontation against powerful enemies, but their knowledge of the region made them valuable.

After travelling for nearly an hour, they reached the abandoned outpost.

The structure was little more than a collection of ruined buildings surrounded by broken walls.

Several bodies lay near the entrance.

Ronan stopped.

He could smell the blood.

However, something else caught his attention.

The corpses weren’t simply dead.

Thin strands of gray energy were extending from their bodies, disappearing beneath the ground.

"Don’t touch them," Arden warned.

Ronan crouched beside the nearest corpse.

Its skin had turned pale, and several dark veins were visible beneath its surface.

He activated Predator’s Perception.

The surrounding energy became clearer.

The gray strands weren’t spreading randomly. They were following a specific route, connecting the bodies to something buried beneath the outpost.

"There’s a structure underground," he said.

Arden nodded.

"That’s what our patrol suspected."

Ronan stood up.

"Then let’s find the entrance."

They searched the surrounding ruins until one of the guardians discovered a broken staircase beneath a collapsed building.

The stairs descended into darkness.

Ronan entered first.

The underground passage was narrow, with black stones covering its walls. Strange inscriptions had been carved into the surface, resembling the markings found in the Eastern Sanctuary.

However, there was one noticeable difference.

These inscriptions had been deliberately damaged.

Someone had attempted to destroy the original formation before covering it with gray energy.

Ronan examined the markings.

Formation Sense activated.

The energy channels became visible in his perception.

He could see how the original formation had been constructed, as well as the points where it had been damaged.

But the gray energy was interfering with his understanding.

It didn’t follow the same structure.

Instead, it was spreading through the broken channels, connecting different sections that should have remained separate.

"Someone modified this formation," Ronan said.

Arden approached.

"Can you determine its purpose?"

"Not yet."

Ronan continued forward.

The passage eventually opened into a large underground chamber.

Several black pillars stood around a circular platform. Chains extended from the ceiling, connecting to a massive stone structure in the centre.

Bodies were suspended above the platform.

There were at least twenty of them.

Some were wearing the armor of the Ashen Covenant.

Others appeared to be ordinary inhabitants of nearby settlements.

Arden’s expression darkened.

"Those are the missing people."

Ronan didn’t respond.

His attention was fixed on the platform.

The gray energy gathered around the bodies before flowing into a black crystal embedded in the central structure.

Unlike the energy he had encountered in the sanctuary, this energy was moving in a controlled cycle.

Something was processing it.

Before he could examine it further, a metallic sound echoed through the chamber.

Clang!

A figure emerged from behind one of the pillars.

It wore black armor and a white mask.

Another appeared.

Then another.

Within seconds, seven masked warriors surrounded the chamber.

Arden immediately released his energy.

"The Hollow!"

One of the masked figures stepped forward.

"Intruders."

Its voice was distorted.

"The marked one has arrived."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

So they had been expecting him.

"Who told you I was coming?"

The masked figure didn’t answer.

Instead, gray energy spread across its body.

The surrounding warriors followed.

Arden moved forward, but Ronan raised one hand.

"Don’t interfere with this one."

Arden looked at him.

"Are you certain?"

Ronan didn’t answer.

He was already examining his opponent.

Six-Star King Realm.

That was the masked warrior’s apparent strength.

It wasn’t particularly impressive compared to the commander who had fought him previously, but something about its energy was unusual.

The warrior suddenly disappeared.

A violent impact struck Ronan’s chest.

His body slid backwards, breaking through a stone pillar.

Before he could recover, the masked warrior appeared above him and swung its weapon down.

Ronan raised his arm.

Clang!

The weapon struck his White Bone Skin, producing a metallic sound.

The impact forced him several steps backwards.

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

Its physical strength was considerably higher than its realm suggested.

He activated Gravity Affinity.

The gravitational force around the chamber shifted.

The masked warrior’s movements slowed for an instant.

Ronan immediately used Burst Acceleration.

His figure disappeared.

A fist slammed into the warrior’s abdomen.

Crack!

The opponent was thrown backwards, but gray energy spread across its body and reduced the damage.

Ronan followed with another attack.

This time, he concentrated Annihilation Force around his fist.

The masked warrior raised both arms to defend itself.

The impact shattered its armor.

A deep crack appeared across its chest.

But before Ronan could finish the fight, the surrounding pillars began glowing.

The gray energy inside the chamber surged.

The suspended bodies trembled.

Arden immediately shouted.

"Stop! The formation is activating!"

Ronan looked towards the central platform.

The black crystal was absorbing energy from the bodies at an alarming rate.

The masked warrior suddenly retreated.

It wasn’t trying to continue the battle.

It was buying time.

Ronan understood immediately.

He released a powerful Crushing Roar.

The soundwave spread throughout the chamber, disrupting the energy flowing between the pillars.

Several inscriptions flickered.

The formation’s operation slowed.

Ronan used the opening to close the distance.

His hand pierced through the damaged armor.

He grabbed the masked warrior’s chest and activated his crushing force.

The opponent’s body collapsed beneath his grip.

Gray energy erupted from the wound.

Ronan immediately activated Energy Devouring.

The energy entered his hand.

Pain spread through his arm.

His expression tightened, but he didn’t stop immediately.

He absorbed only a small amount before withdrawing.

The remaining gray energy dispersed.

Target eliminated.

The other six warriors moved simultaneously.

Arden and the Covenant guardians intercepted three, while Ronan faced the remaining opponents.

He didn’t intend to waste time fighting all of them.

The formation was still active, and the bodies suspended above the platform were beginning to deteriorate.

He needed to stop it.

Ronan activated Formation Sense.

The energy channels became visible.

There were three main connections feeding the central crystal.

He identified the weakest point.

"Arden! Destroy the pillar on your left!"

Arden immediately understood.

He unleashed a concentrated attack.

The pillar shattered.

The formation trembled.

Ronan turned towards the second connection and released a burst of gravitational force, crushing the energy channel beneath the stone floor.

The final connection remained.

One of the masked warriors rushed towards him.

Ronan stepped aside.

His opponent’s weapon struck the ground.

He caught its arm and twisted.

The joint snapped.

Then he drove his other hand through its chest.

The warrior collapsed.

Ronan immediately turned towards the remaining pillar.

He gathered Annihilation Force around his palm.

Boom!

The pillar exploded.

The central crystal flickered violently.

Then the entire formation shut down.

The gray energy stopped flowing.

The suspended bodies fell.

Arden and the other guardians rushed forward to check them.

Most were already dead.

However, one of the Covenant warriors was still breathing.

"Senior Guardian..."

Arden approached him.

"Hold on. We’ll get you out."

The injured warrior grabbed his arm.

"The Keeper... he knows..."

His breathing became weaker.

"He knows the marked one has arrived."

His hand fell.

Arden froze.

Ronan looked towards the central platform.

The crystal embedded in it had cracked during the battle.

A dark fragment had fallen onto the ground.

He approached and picked it up.

The moment it touched his palm, the mark beneath his skin reacted.

A faint pulse travelled through his hand.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The fragment was connected to the same ancient energy he had encountered beneath the Eastern Sanctuary.

But unlike the previous crystals, this one contained a different concentration of gray energy.

He activated Energy Devouring.

The trait responded immediately.

However, before he could absorb anything, a notification appeared.

[System Warning]

[Unknown energy detected.]

[Compatibility: Unstable.]

[Absorption is not recommended.]

Ronan withdrew his hand.

He placed the fragment into his storage space.

There was no reason to damage himself over something he could examine later.

More importantly, he had discovered something valuable.

The Hollow weren’t simply searching for the mark.

They were using ancient structures to process energy, and the structures were connected to the same network as the Eastern Sanctuary.

The question was why.

---

After securing the chamber, Arden approached Ronan.

"That formation was extracting energy from living beings."

"Yes."

"And the masked warriors were using the extracted energy to strengthen themselves."

Ronan glanced towards the bodies.

"Probably."

Arden’s expression was grim.

"How many settlements have suffered this fate?"

"More than we know."

Ronan turned towards the passage.

He had no intention of remaining underground any longer than necessary.

The fight had given him something useful, but the enemies they had encountered were only the lower-ranking members of the Hollow.

The commander who had escaped the Eastern Sanctuary was still alive.

And somewhere beyond the Ashen Reach, an even stronger presence was moving.

Ronan needed to become stronger before encountering them again.

But first, he wanted to understand the fragment he had collected.

He checked his condition.

His injuries had worsened slightly during the battle, but they weren’t serious enough to prevent him from moving.

His realm remained unchanged.

Seventh-Star King Realm.

Still, the battle had provided a useful opportunity to test his newly acquired traits.

Gravity Affinity and Burst Acceleration worked well together, while Formation Sense had allowed him to identify and destroy the modified energy channels.

Energy Devouring remained dangerous, but the fragment might provide another opportunity to study the refined and unrefined forms of the gray energy.

Ronan smiled faintly.

There were still plenty of things worth exploring.

As the group left the underground chamber, Arden suddenly stopped.

He was staring at the entrance.

A thin line of gray energy had appeared across the ground.

It extended from the underground passage towards the northern mountains.

Ronan followed its direction.

Far in the distance, beyond the Black Veil Mountains, a faint red light appeared beneath the clouds.

Then a voice echoed through the surroundings.

It was distant, yet everyone heard it clearly.

"Bring me the marked one."

Ronan’s expression turned cold.

The voice continued.

"Alive."

The red light disappeared.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Arden slowly turned towards Ronan.

"That wasn’t the commander."

Ronan looked towards the mountains.

He had already figured that much out.

The Hollow’s leader had finally noticed him.

And judging by the command, whatever was waiting beyond the Black Veil Mountains had no intention of letting him leave unnoticed.

Ronan smiled.

"Good."

Arden stared at him.

"Good?"

Ronan turned away.

"If they want me alive, that means there’s something they need from me."

His eyes narrowed.

"And if they need something from me, perhaps I can find out what it’s worth."

He began walking towards the sanctuary.

He wasn’t going to chase an unknown enemy while injured.

Not yet.

But the next time they crossed paths, he intended to be considerably stronger.