Fire Mage (Web Novel)

Chapter 653: Purple Star

'A Pseudo Intellectual artifact? So, it comes under the same rank as the first system artifact, huh?' Charles nodded his head and imprinted it with his wisdom power.

Although a slight resistance appeared initially, the artifact soon recognized him as its owner.

'Now, let's see what they are up to.' Charles muttered and quietly looked in the direction where the Winged Lion statue was standing.

At the statue's base, three people sat on the ground and looked in his direction. They were Cardinal Luke, Radiant Knight Ruby, and the assassin-robed man.

Soon, Radiant Knight Ruby stood up hesitantly and walked towards him.

"Why bother asking him? He won't understand a word." Cardinal Luke said with a trace of annoyance. He would've long raised his staff and captured him if not for Jamie's warning.

"Speaking isn't the only option. And he is the only one who came before everyone." Radiant Knight Ruby spoke and started making hand signs.

She first made a handshape with her dominant hand and touched her chin, then moved her hand forward and slightly downward. She then held an open handshape near her chest, moving it in a small circle. After that, she made handshapes on both hands, with her palms facing each other, and moved her hands forward together. Following that, she started with her dominant hand near her non-dominant shoulder, moved her hand down, and slightly outward with a twisting motion.

'When will our companions return?' Charles instantly recognized what she was saying with the help of the 'Enigmatic Unraveling' skill and soon understood the pattern of her sign language.

With a nod, Charles held both hands out in front of her, palms down and fingers slightly apart.

"They?" Radiant Knight Ruby widened her eyes as she understood the otherworldly man was using the same sign language and carefully followed his hand movements.

After a short period, she understood what he was saying and muttered.

"They will never return?" She froze for a moment and asked hurriedly using the same sign language.

"Why is that?"

"Unless they managed to get the inheritance, it's impossible for them to leave the room," Ruby muttered as she followed his hand movements and continued.

"But they won't die. When the duration ends, they will be teleported out of the Dungeon and appear in Edhen World..." At that moment, Charles stopped making hand signs and started walking toward the statue of the woman.

'Will he succeed?' He thought for a moment and shook his head.

'If the test is as hard as mine, only that young boy named Jamie has a chance. Even it's only around 5%.' After some thought, he walked past all the statues and moved toward the small metal gate on the other end of the chamber.

"W-Wait, sir! Please let's move together." Ruby chased after him, but Cardinal stopped her.

"Let him go on his own, Ruby. Even if we work together, he will not be of any help." Upon hearing Cardinal Luke's words, she could only nod her head and give up on persuading him to join their team.

At that moment, the silent-looking assassin-robed man also chuckled and spoke.

"Moreover, that path only leads to the necropolis. The only things within the coffins are nothing but piles of bones and sand." In truth, they had long checked the third chamber and found nothing remarkable. Not only that, but they also noticed no further passage to any other room and returned to the Second Chamber disappointedly.

As they were chatting, Charles arrived before the metal door and opened it with a light push.

He slowly stepped forward with anticipation, crossing the threshold into the mysterious, enigmatic, narrow passage ahead.

As he ventured deeper into the dimly lit passage, the shadows seemed to dance around him, and the echoes of his footsteps reverberated in the confined space. Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity. Charles navigated through the twisting labyrinth of the passage, his only guiding force being the faint glimmer of light that shone from a distance, hinting at the final destination that awaited him.

But what made him frown a bit was that the destination remained the same place even after walking for more than two hours.

Suddenly, Charles stopped his footsteps and tried to perceive any mysterious energy in the surroundings. At the same time, he also activated his 'Faceless Eye' and noticed something was manipulating him.

'Why did I suddenly fall in those future images? Did I get injured? Wait, I see a large hole in my chest area.' He furrowed his brows and instantly activated the 'Phantom Analysis' skill.

As the seconds ticked, the world around him seemed to undergo a surreal transformation, as if reality was bending and reshaping. The scenery he had known just a moment ago now dissolved and morphed into an entirely new and unfamiliar setting.

His surroundings were bland and unremarkable in the previous illusion, nothing more than an empty passage stretching into the distance.

However, in this newly altered reality, a startling scene greeted him. Standing tall and imposing, just a few feet away were two humans clad in gleaming silver armor. These armored figures held long spears, their sharp points aimed directly at his chest, creating an aura of tension and danger.

What struck him most about these enigmatic beings was their striking appearance. Their long blonde hair cascaded down their shoulders, framing faces that bore an otherworldly beauty. Moreover, they had a unique third eye on their foreheads and looked vertically upside down. Their ears, elongated and pointed, hinted at their connection to a different lineage or race. Their finely chiseled features, including sharp noses and dark skin, gave them an air of regal distinction as if they were the guardians of an ancient and noble heritage.

Before he could look closer, a bolt of chaotic black lightning came from one of the spears and flew toward him at an incredible speed.

But just as it was about to land on his chest and incinerate him, a dense amount of shadow energy came from his black robe and created a forcefield-like structure.

A moment later, the 'Eclipse Shield' took form and nullified the bolt of black lightning.

'They are Corpse Devourers? And, both of them have the strength of Rank-6?' Charles's eyes squinted sharper as he scanned them for a moment.

Without delay, he cast the [Chaos Eye] spell and attacked the Corpse Devourer on the right side. But to his surprise, the one on the left seemed to have sensed his attack beforehand and pulled his companion toward its side.

Although the Chaos Eye spell gave a deep wound on the Corpse Devourer's shoulder, it wasn't fatal enough to kill it.

'Both are moving co-ordinately. If not for my wisdom skill, I would've really thought of them as real beings.'

But he wasn't fazed by their action and focused on the wounded Corpse Devourer.

Simultaneously, he cast another round of [Chaos Eye] spell and sent a dense, chaotic ray towards its head.

"*^$^%*$" The other Corpse Devourer shouted in a strange language and covered its body in a crystal-like layer.

But suddenly, it noticed its companion's eyes turned motionless like a doll and tried to reach out its hand to save it.

Alas, it was already too late.

The fierce chaotic ray entered its head and exploded before the Corpse Devourer's hand could touch its companion's shoulder.

A heartbeat later, it was sent up in the air and crashed onto the rocky wall.

Slowly, it fell to the ground and let out a painful groan.

"So, you guys can even communicate, huh?" Charles waved his hand as he spoke and cast [Purple Consciousness] on the remaining Corpse Devourer.

But just as his 'Purple Consciousness' entered the Corpse Devourer's Inner World, Charles's eyes widened.

At that moment, Purple Consciousness saw not a person's inner world filled with memories but a strange star made of pure mind fire!

But what startled Charles was the dozens of strange purple rings circling the star, which looked fascinating and beautiful.

As his Purple Consciousness was about to get closer to take a detailed look at this unique star, a sudden omnipotent power appeared around his Consciousness and froze him completely.

At the same time, Charles's connection with the Purple Flame was cut off abruptly.

'An omnipotent consciousness?'

As he muttered, the Corpse Devourer's body suddenly twitched and was soon enveloped in a purple flame.

"Found you!" Charles's lips curled upward as he gazed at the burning Corpse Devourer and then resumed walking.

A few minutes later, Charles walked more than a kilometer and emerged into a vast and hauntingly eerie chamber, the final destination of his perilous journey. To his surprise, there was no ceiling above him, and the pitch-black expanse of the night sky loomed overhead, a stark contrast to the confined walls he had traversed moments ago.

Within this ancient necropolis, where history and legends intertwined, he beheld an awe-inspiring sight that left him speechless. Hundreds of hero stones adorned with intricate carvings and engravings were meticulously laid out throughout the chamber, immortalizing the brave deeds and valorous acts of long-forgotten warriors and heroes.

The atmosphere was charged with reverence and solemnity as if the spirits of these brave souls still lingered among the stone memorials.