Zorath the Silent's exclamation caught Kael's attention.
The ground was littered with bones—all uniformly black, dark as ink, a sight both eerie and unsettling.
"These are the remains of Darkwing Mages?" Kael was surprised by Zorath the Silent's words. Were these truly the bones of Darkwing Mages?
Both Zorath the Silent and Councilor Mia wore grave expressions. Unlike Zorath, however, Mia was not as reckless. She cautiously stepped forward and examined the bones closely before explaining, "Indeed, these are the remains of Darkwing Mages. It's said that Darkwing Mages devoted themselves to forbidden dark magic, and over time, their bodies became tainted by dark magic elements. The corruption seeped into their bones, turning them this jet-black color."
So that was the reason!
"That means a group of Darkwing Mages once broke into this place," Kael muttered, frowning. He approached and touched one of the skeletons. The moment his fingers made contact, the bones crumbled into dust. Black particles scattered into the air before vanishing completely.
Kael's frown deepened as he analyzed, "These remains are ancient—likely from the Darkwing Mages of the primordial era." A mage's bones were not so easily destroyed. Typically, a mage's skeletal structure was infused with potent magical energy, making their remains incredibly durable even after death. Yet these Darkwing Mages' bones turned to dust at a mere touch, indicating they had decayed over an immeasurably long time.
"Yes, that must be the case," Mia agreed solemnly.
It seemed this palace was not only connected to the primordial era three thousand years ago but also to the Darkwing Mages!
"Look!" Zorath the Silent, who had been vigilantly scanning their surroundings, suddenly stiffened, his expression shifting. "There's another pile of bones over there!"
"Hmm?"
Kael and Councilor Mia turned their gaze to where he pointed. About a hundred meters away, another cluster of skeletal remains lay scattered. However, unlike the others, these bones were not pitch-black—meaning they did not belong to Darkwing Mages!
The three of them—Kael, Zorath the Silent, and Councilor Mia—swiftly approached the pile of bones. There were over a dozen skeletons, all of normal coloration, lying peacefully where they had fallen.
"These must be the remains of ordinary mages," Councilor Mia observed. "It seems this place witnessed a great battle between mages in the primordial era!"
Kael and Zorath the Silent nodded in agreement.
I wonder who emerged victorious in the end… Kael mused silently, curious about the outcome of that ancient conflict.
"They must have discovered something mysterious about this palace back then," Mia said, quickly refocusing their attention. "Perhaps we're already close to it. Let's search the area!"
"Agreed," Kael responded decisively. "We'll split up. If we find nothing, we'll regroup here in thirty minutes. If anyone discovers something, use the communication crystal to alert the others." With the crystals, there was no risk of getting lost.
Zorath the Silent and Mia nodded, and the three immediately dispersed, each exploring different sections of the palace.
Though the palace wasn't particularly large, its interior was labyrinthine in design, resembling a maze. After parting ways with Mia and Zorath, Kael carefully marked his path as he advanced, ensuring he wouldn't lose his way.
Yet, after searching for some time, Kael found nothing but dark, unremarkable stone walls—a disappointing result.
Just as his frustration began to mount, Zorath the Silent's voice rang clearly through the communication crystal, reigniting his focus.
"Brother Kael, Mia—I've found something!" Zorath announced. "There's a hidden chamber here. Come quickly!" He relayed his exact location to the others.
A hidden chamber?
Kael's pulse quickened. So there is something extraordinary here after all.
In an instant, his body blurred as he took to the air, streaking like a meteor toward Zorath's position.
By the time Kael arrived, both Zorath the Silent and Mia were already there. True to his word, Zorath had indeed discovered a concealed chamber—a Dark Sanctum.
The Dark Sanctum was not far from the two piles of bones, confirming the trio's earlier suspicions. At the spot where Zorath the Silent stood, a stone door, concealed by a hidden mechanism, blended seamlessly into the surroundings—so well that one could easily overlook it without careful inspection. Zorath triggered the mechanism, and with a deep rumble, the door slowly swung open.
"Heh, guess luck's on my side today," Zorath chuckled, his grin widening. "Since we're all here, let's make it fair—whatever treasure we find, it's first come, first served!"
To his credit, Zorath was surprisingly honorable. Despite discovering the door first, he had waited for Kael and Mia before opening it. He could've easily entered alone to claim any spoils for himself. Though rough around the edges, Zorath was, at heart, a decent man.
Kael smirked. "Fair enough." The little cat perched on his shoulder twitched its ears—if there was one thing unmatched in treasure-hunting, it was this feline's instincts.
Councilor Mia smiled faintly, her luminous eyes flickering between Kael and Zorath before she nodded in agreement.
With a final groan, the stone door fully opened, revealing an abyss of darkness within. Without hesitation, Kael twisted his staff, and a burst of magical flame ignited at its tip, casting a brilliant glow that illuminated the entire chamber.
Kael's gaze sharpened as he stepped inside. The fire's radiance flooded the sanctum, turning the pitch-black space as bright as day—every detail within a hundred-meter radius now starkly visible.
His eyes swept across the interior. The first thing that caught his attention was six towering stone pillars, arranged in a perfect hexagram. Each stretched hundreds of meters high, supporting the vast ceiling—a sight that left all three momentarily awestruck. Yet the sanctum itself was overgrown with wild vegetation, its floor littered with debris. There was too much to take in at once, forcing them to proceed cautiously.
"Hah! Dragon's Heartblood!" Zorath's sudden exclamation cut through the silence. His eyes gleamed as he spotted an unusual plant tangled in the undergrowth. With a triumphant grin, he plucked it and held it aloft, his voice booming with excitement.
Dragon's Heartblood!
This was a relatively rare spirit herb, worth at least tens of thousands of gold coins. Not only that, it could be brewed into potent elixirs, greatly benefiting cultivation.
Stumbling upon such a treasure put Zorath the Silent in an excellent mood.
Kael merely smiled, unbothered. While Zorath had been distracted by the herb, he and the little cat had been studying the sanctum's layout, which was why they hadn't noticed it first. But Kael felt no regret—a single Dragon's Heartblood, valuable as it was, barely registered to him now. With his current wealth, tens of thousands of gold were hardly worth his excitement.
Still, there might be other rare spirit herbs here that would catch his interest.
The thought made his eyes gleam faintly as he began searching in earnest. The little cat, perched on his shoulder, also focused intently, its whiskers twitching with curiosity.
Suddenly, amidst the tangled undergrowth, Kael spotted a small white flower. Its petals bore an eerie resemblance to a skull, giving it an unsettling appearance. His gaze sharpened as he approached, carefully plucking the strange bloom.
"What kind of herb is that?" Zorath the Silent asked, eyeing Kael's movements with puzzlement. His knowledge of spirit herbs was admittedly limited.
"That's a Skeleton Bloom," Councilor Mia said coolly, her bright eyes flickering over the bone-white flower in Kael's hand. "A highly toxic variant. Its venom is so potent that even experts above the tenth rank fear it. Unless you understand its properties, it's best to steer clear."
Zorath blinked. "Wait—that's the Skeleton Bloom?"
"Indeed," Mia confirmed. In truth, as a high-level alchemist herself, she was well-versed in such rare and dangerous flora. But how had Kael recognized it?
A flicker of suspicion crossed her mind. "Kael," she asked, curiosity lacing her voice, "how did you identify it?" For most, even touching a Skeleton Bloom would be unthinkable—yet Kael had handled it with practiced ease. Could he also be… an alchemist?
The idea gave her pause. Kael's magical prowess was already staggering. If he possessed alchemical expertise as well…
Kael nodded, carefully storing the Skeleton Bloom away. Despite its lethal toxicity, such rare herbs had their uses—Kael could distill potent poisons from it, granting him an unexpected edge when needed.
"Yes, I am an alchemist," Kael admitted truthfully. There was no point in hiding it, nor could he.
A real alchemist?
Councilor Mia was inwardly astonished, while Zorath the Silent blinked in surprise—he hadn't known Kael was versed in alchemy either. Unable to contain her curiosity, Mia pressed further: "What rank of alchemist are you?"
Kael paused briefly before answering, "Grandmaster."
In truth, with The Book of Immortality in his possession, Kael was undoubtedly an Arch-Alchemist. But revealing himself as such—especially at his age—would be far too shocking. Thus, he downplayed his expertise, claiming the rank of Grandmaster instead.
"A Grandmaster Alchemist?!"
Zorath the Silent and Mia exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with disbelief.