Chapter 87: She noticed! Impending threat?
“This seems related to that incident… Can we contact the clan guardian and ask for her pointers on this situation? While I respect her decision, she might have her own circumstances for not informing us, but now that it has come to the safety of the whole clan, I suggest we ask her straight.”
“You’re right.” Some of them agreed.
As for the thought that the clan guardian might be colluding with demons to harm them?
It did not even cross their minds; the clan guardian had been there since the founding. She had devoted her entire being to the clan.
Centuries of loyalty was not something that could be doubted.
Not to mention, she was a spiritual entity, and demons were something she hated.
Not only that, even the patriarch respected her.
They wouldn’t dare to doubt her. Not only was she older than them, but her powers were also not widely known.
“I will try to contact her.” The female elder nodded and informed the others.
They quickly coordinated and divided the tasks among themselves.
At this moment, they quickly came to a decision and activated the clan barrier using the array formation.
Even if the clouds were still and unmoving, no one dared to be careless.
This level of phenomenon could cause widespread destruction. Even a single drop of void could directly destroy a fertile land forever.
_____________
In another place, a woman dressed in a flower-patterned white kimono was sitting in a courtyard under an umbrella.
Her eyes were a beautiful shade of silver, and her face was nothing but a piece of art.
She was also looking at the pitch-black sky; however, her expression was calm and unmoving, unlike the other elders.
It was as if she was not affected by it at all. There was not an ounce of fear or tension on her beautiful face.
What was on her face was extreme coldness. An aura of death filled her surroundings.
She calmly observed the clouds, her eyes shining with a mysterious light.
It was as if she could see through the clouds and beyond what even the clan guardian was unable to.
Her eyes moved and looked in the direction where Oliver and the other children were.
It was as if she could directly see what was happening there.
Her eyes flickered for a moment as if she saw something unexpected.
“Interesting… did I calculate it wrong?”
She asked to no one in particular. Although her voice was gentle and honey-like, her tone was chilling cold and grave.
She slowly got up and picked up her umbrella.
Her body slowly turned into countless fine particles as she slowly disappeared from her spot.
Her eyes had a certain glint to them as she kept looking towards the place where Oliver and others were.
_________________
The head judge had a headache as he looked at the unmoving clouds, his senses felt suffocated due to the presence of Void.
He was calmly guarding the chambers while he informed the other elders inside to be with the children and not let them out.
If any of them got hurt, he would not be able to show his face to others.
These were the cream of the crop, the best among the best. They had a huge potential that had to be polished. Even if he perished today, he must ensure their safety.
Those three were too precious to be left unguarded.
Three?
The head judge froze. He suddenly remembered that Oliver was also in the three he counted.
Earlier, due to the sudden phenomenon and the elder’s call, he forgot about the fact that earlier Oliver was not there when he looked around.
At that time, he was more focused on Nadia due to her breakthrough and thought he might have gone to freshen up or something.
But he was still not there when the clouds suddenly appeared outside.
He frowned heavily. If something happened, then the responsibility would fall on his shoulders for not taking extra steps to maintain their safety.
He wanted to go and search around, but he was afraid that if something were to happen with the ominous void clouds above, he might not be able to protect this chamber behind him.
He could only wait for reinforcements now as he quickly sent a short message to his subordinates to reach where he was.
He wondered if the others were able to get in contact with the clan guardian or not?
_______________
The clan guardian, meanwhile, had already sensed the situation. She sped through the corridors, her feline form a blur of motion. The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second as she neared the source of the disturbance.
She was keenly aware of the chambers where the rewards were supposed to be distributed.
He and others should be there by now.
Her heart pounded as she remembered the boy—Oliver. The strange phenomenon that surrounded him seemed to be repeating itself, only this time it was far more intense.
Far more intense.
She instantly reached the chambers and looked around. She could see an old man guarding the chambers, but Oliver was not inside when she sensed in.
Her senses expanded, covering more of the area before she quickly located him.
She found him lying on the ground, his body convulsing and eyes shut tight. The pitch-black clouds swirling above were an ominous sign.
“Oliver!” she hissed, trying to rouse him from his state. She could feel the void energy seeping into him, changing him.
As she tried to sense his condition, the void clouds began to stir ominously, crackling with latent power. She knew that if she did not act quickly, the entire clan could be in grave danger.
“He needs to be stabilized,” she muttered, focusing her own powers to create a protective barrier around him.
She channeled her espera, hoping to contain the void’s influence.
As she did this, the void clouds trembled as if they would rain at any moment.
The onlookers could not help but shudder, feeling the ominous aura above them.
A feeling of dread was present inside the hearts of every person at this moment.
The only sense of relief was the clan barrier over their heads.
The oblivious ones who could not feel the true nature of the threat merely considered the clouds as thunderclouds that were darker than usual and continued with their lives as usual.
However, those with heightened senses knew better. They watched the clouds with bated breath, knowing that the slightest disturbance could unleash untold destruction.
As the clan guardian poured her power into stabilizing Oliver, she could feel the void energy resisting her efforts. It was as if the very essence of the void was alive, pushing back against her control.
“Hold on, Oliver,” she whispered, her voice filled with determination. “You must endure this.”
She was aware that if Oliver didn’t wake up in time, it might be too late. At that time, she might have to take the extreme measures which she absolutely wanted to avoid no matter what.
Oliver’s convulsions began to slow, his body gradually calming as the void energy was contained. The clouds above started to dissipate, their ominous presence fading slowly.
‘He’s gaining control,’ she looked at him, ‘it’s finally happening.’
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Oliver lay still, the void energy contained within him.
The clan guardian sighed in relief, her body sagging with exhaustion. “It’s over, for now.”
But even as she said those words, she knew that this was only a temporary reprieve. The power within Oliver was something unprecedented, and they would need to be vigilant in the days to come.
‘He needs to learn to control this or else, in the future, I cannot imagine what might happen…’
She was serious when she thought about it. For now, she was glad that the cloud were slowly fading too.
As she walked around his unconscious body, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far greater and more dangerous.
