“Why do I have to do this,” Dominic groaned, “I have an academy to take care of for Lord Hatred…”
“Because you’re the idiot that lost us the [Vial of Undead Blood], dumbass,” Kyofu responded, using his purple tongue to kill every enemy in the [Cave of Oblivion] in mere seconds.
“Actually, if you had been faster to catch him, we would be much more advanced,” Yokubo, the only girl of the group of commanders, retorted.
Along with them were Gekido, the gentleman in the red hat and Kento, the commander with the black tentacles around his body, though they didn’t speak.
Right now, the [Hatred Sect] was participating in what they could only call one of their most important missions: retrieve the [Heart of Calamity].
Alex’s appearance before them had been not only a curse, but also a blessing.
Because right after he left, Lord X suddenly realized something.
“That kid… had another presence within him,” he spoke, his eyes widening.
“What is it, Lord?”
“Something important?”
He could sense the [Heart of Calamity] within Alex.
“I think I sensed such a presence in a nearby place before,” he quickly recovered from the vial being stolen, instead turning to the other commanders, “I want 5 of you to go to the [Cave of Oblivion].”
“Why-”
“NOW, I TOLD YOU!” he shouted, which was something he didn’t do if it wasn’t important.
They had no leads as to where the [Heart of Calamity] was since all those years, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that the moment they saw this kid, who stole the vial, Lord X suddenly had a revelation.
“If I’m correct, the most important item should be there,” Kyofu repeated, citing Lord X’s words.
And so here they were, forced to travel for a while.
Lord X said “nearby”, but it still took them 2 weeks to reach it.
Remember that the [Cave of Oblivion] was located in the [Desolate Lands], which is also where [Undead Land] was, not near Star City.
They didn’t have spatial skills at Alex’s level either, forcing them to walk.
“Don’t worry, the portals to my office and to the hideout are still set, the return will be easier,” Dominic sighed.
“I swear to god if I see that guy again I’m going to murder him…”
The group pressed on. It wasn’t long before they reached the deepest part of the cave, an enormous chamber shrouded in darkness.
And as they stepped inside, a glowing panel flickered into existence before them.
[Heart of Calamity Chamber]
The words shone in eerie, golden light, and a collective gasp escaped their lips.
This was confirmation that Lord X’s revelation was true.
“The [Heart of Calamity]…” Kyofu whispered, his expression twisting into a manic grin. “With this, the resurrection of the Hatred Demon will be within our grasp! Faster than we ever anticipated!”
Without waiting, he surged forward.
Of course, the dozens upon dozens of monsters that were hiding within the chamber’s darkness emerged, but with a single swipe of his tongue, all of them were cut.
“Are we certain it’s here?” Yokubo asked, eyeing the chamber warily. “I expected some kind of trial, not just a monster-filled cavern.”
“If Lord X detected it, then it must be here,” Dominic replied, though doubt crept into his voice. “Still, Gekido, confirm it for us. Your skill is the most reliable.”
The gentleman in the crimson hat nodded gracefully. “Very well. But I expect my efforts to be duly appreciated.”
He knelt on the cold stone floor and pressed a gloved hand against it.
A faint golden aura radiated from his body, spreading outward in rippling waves.
[Artifact Detection: Activating.]
This was Gekido’s unique skill, a power that allowed him to pinpoint the presence of any artifact within a vast radius.
He was the most useful in terms of finding the items for the ritual, thanks to this skill.
The golden light surged through the chamber, tendrils of energy probing every crevice and corridor of the cave.
For several tense moments, they waited in silence. Then, a notification appeared before Gekido’s eyes.
[One Artifact Detected: Heart of Calamity.]
Gekido rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his gloves. “It has been here before,” he confirmed with a satisfied smile.
The group advanced deeper into the chamber.
As they moved, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier, the air thick with latent energy.
It wasn’t long before they reached a grand pedestal in the heart of the cavern.
The pedestal was ornately carved, its surface adorned with runes that pulsed faintly. It was clear this was where the [Heart of Calamity] had once rested.
But now, the pedestal was empty.
“…”
“…”
“…”
For a moment, no one spoke.
The reality of the situation dawned on them all at once.
“Where is it?” Dominic growled.
“Someone took it,” Kyofu spat, his voice dripping with rage. “But who?!”
Yokubo’s eyes narrowed. “Wait. If Lord X sensed the artifact’s aura on that boy, doesn’t that mean…”
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the implications sinking in.
“That kid,” Gekido muttered, his voice unusually sharp. “Not only did he take the [Vial of Undead Blood], but he also has the [Heart of Calamity]. He’s collecting the very items we need for the summoning ritual.”
A notification panel materialized before them, confirming their fears:
[Heart of Calamity: Status – Taken.]
“No time to waste,” Dominic said grimly, summoning a portal with a flick of his wrist. “We need to report back to Lord X immediately.”
The group hurried through the portal, their thoughts racing.
As they emerged back at their hideout, a single question hung heavy in the air: How had the boy taken the [Heart of Calamity] without dying?
It was a well-known fact among the [Hatred Sect] that the [Heart of Calamity] was untouchable.
Even the strongest commanders wouldn’t dare lay a hand on it directly, knowing the artifact’s destructive power would consume them instantly.
Yet somehow, Alex had not only taken it but managed to keep it hidden from their grasp.
“Did he discover a method to bypass its defenses?” Yokubo wondered aloud, pacing.
Kyofu slammed a fist into the wall, the stone cracking under the force. “No ordinary human could pull off something like this. He’s hiding something, something big.”
Dominic rubbed his temples. “Regardless of how he did it, we can’t let this slide. If he’s targeting the ritual’s items, then he’s more dangerous than we thought.”
…
Meanwhile, still in the [Fox Tribe Village], Alex waited a few minutes before using [Spatial Detection] again.
[0 presences found.]
“They’re gone,” he sighed, finally deciding to teleport to the [Heart of Calamity Chamber] too.
But the moment he did, he was met with a surprising sight: all the monsters that should have been his attribute points loot bags were dead, seemingly all killed by a singular attack as they were all cut in half.
“They stole my attribute points for the day too,” Alex sulked, “I really need to get the most I can right now before the examination.”
Not only would it allow him to grow in power, thanks to some strong monsters and items, but some dragons were also present, allowing Alphox to evolve too.
He couldn’t miss this opportunity.
