94 Hidden Chamber.



Lying on my back, I struggled to move. Without mana and my legs in agonizing pain, even the slightest movement felt impossible.

The chamber was dark with nothing in sight,it felt empty.

"Is this the place?" I gasped, each breath draining my energy.

"Yeah this is it," Blaze replied.

Unlike the previous floor where the Archanroke Spider tore off my lower half, and the system instantly healed me, this time Gorthan's claws latched onto me as I passed through the wall using the arcane conduit.

The arcane conduit, a type of engraving, allows passage through solid barriers and gateways by channeling mana. But locating the specific placement of the engravings is crucial. Thanks to Blaze's guidance, I knew this time it was a spiral engraving.

In this world, engravings and runes hold immense importance and are deeply intertwined with the core of magic. Researchers delve into their mysteries, seeking greater understanding of the magical realm.

But as I attempted to connect the Azure flame and my mana core again...

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System Alert!

*The host is in a location beyond the system owners oversight. System services cannot be accessed.

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"And with this notification, it's clear that someone was tracking me... the Soul Tracker, perhaps?" I sighed, a lingering feeling that I was being watched whenever I used the system. I had been cautious, minimizing my reliance on it—only checking my stats and making occasional purchases from the store. It seems my instincts were right.

"Hey, is it normal for someone to implant this tracking device?" I asked Blaze, despite our dire situation, he appeared remarkably calm.

"Nope, it's a one-in-a-million chance that someone actually employs this technique. Can't you recall the Sentinel's reaction a few days ago?" Blaze replied. "Only celestial beings possess this ability, so it must be a god or a demigod. Soul trackers are used to monitor the whereabouts of mortals who have caught the attention of the gods. But..."

"But what?" I pressed, eager for his explanation.

"Well, typically, soul trackers can take any form—even a living being. However, it's highly unlikely for a celestial being to leave a fragment of themselves inside someone," Blaze explained, his words brimming with intrigue.

"Which god did this, though?" I couldn't help but be curious about which god took such an interest in me to go to such lengths to track me.

Blaze paused for a moment before replying, "Hard to say. It's not difficult for a god to create this type of flame, and they purposely designed the soul tracker to be devoid of any distinctive characteristics, making it impossible to determine its origin."

A lot had transpired, but the realization that a god was tracking me was an entirely new revelation. I pondered on it, and a few things started to make sense. The connection between the soul tracker and the system's battery core became apparent when the Crystalwing Sentinel extracted the azure flame from my body. It felt like something inside me had broken, severing the link between the battery core, or soul tracker, and the system panel.

Now, I needed to reconnect the freely moving azure flame to my core, much like fixing a broken switch, in order to regain access to the system.

"And why can't the gods track me in here?" I had numerous questions and had formed some theories of my own, but it was best to seek answers from someone with a better understanding of the situation.

"This space was created by the goddess herself. Her power shields it from the prying eyes of the Great Eight. When she... sacrificed herself, she left this chamber behind as her final possession. It contains the Bloodwell, an artifact that will help us break free from this cycle of stalking," Blaze explained, a tinge of sadness coloring his voice. He had his own share of hardships in the past, but he had moved on.

"But I'm more concerned about the Eldertree Pillar. There shouldn't be something like that on the tenth floor," Blaze expressed, his worry evident. The Eldertree Pillar belonged to the category of restraining spell dispensers, a rather uncommon artifact.

Creating such artifacts required extreme caution and rare materials. Elves specialized in this field, thanks to their access to the immense tree of life that provided them with unique resources.

"Nothing is going as it should, so there's no point in dwelling on that. What am I supposed to do now?" I voiced my frustration. Time was of the essence, and I needed to find a way to stop the bleeding before it became fatal. I had already lost a significant amount of blood due to the injury, and every passing moment increased the urgency.

"Crawl," Blaze suggested.

"What?" I thought I misheard him.

"I said crawl deeper into the chamber, towards the center. You'll find a box there. I want you to retrieve something from it. If you can't walk, then crawl," Blaze repeated, his instructions clear.

.....

I began crawling, my body trembling with agony. The excruciating pain in my legs intensified with each desperate movement, as fresh waves of blood spilled from my torn flesh. I summoned a small fire ember with the last flicker of mana I could muster, hoping to provide some feeble source of light and warmth in this dark chamber. Every inch I covered was a battle against searing torment, as if my legs were being shredded by fiery razors. I sank my teeth into the soft flesh of my cheek, suppressing the guttural screams that threatened to erupt from my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn't afford to show weakness, not when Blaze wasn't here to witness my struggle.

Sigh*

'And I can't cry because what would she think if she saw me crying,' I chuckled through the searing pain. Her face flashed in my mind, and I imagined the concern and worry that would fill her eyes if she witnessed me in this state. She would shed tears for me, more than I could ever shed for myself.

"Hey, you're smiling in this situation? I always knew you were a masochist," Blaze remarked, his voice laced with both amusement and concern. This guy never missed an opportunity to tease me, even in the midst of such torment.

Dragging myself straight in one line, I kept following the direction the Blaze gave,he always looked at the floor before telling me, Ah and yes the floor is smooth marble so it's better than just cobblestone floor.

....

.....Silence.....

Tud.

"Huh?" Something grazed past my right shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. I slowly turned my head, the flickering flame in my hand casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"There it is!!!" Blaze's voice filled the chamber with excitement and intrigue.

"What is it?" I brought my face closer to examine the object. It was a vivid red in color, crafted from smooth stone, adorned with intricate flower patterns. Its shape was that of a rectangular box, resembling a coffin.

"It's a coffin," Blaze replied in a serene voice, his eyes fixed on the enigmatic object. Okay, so it was a coffin. I pulled back, my face no longer touching its surface.

"And why is this coffin placed here on the floor?" I asked, my curiosity growing with each passing moment. Today seemed to be a day filled with unanswered questions and unexpected discoveries.

"We didn't have time to give her a good funeral so we just left it here and Bloodwell attached to her." Blaze explained his words awkwardly sounding..... guilty and funny at the same time.

"Open it." Blaze commands and I compel, who's the master here?

*Creak*

"Whoa!"The lid of the coffin creaked open, revealing a sight that took my breath away. Inside, lay the preserved corpse of a majestic woman. Her ethereal beauty was frozen in time, even in death. 

"She's the only friend I had besides Falkor,

Ignisara,she looks exactly the same the last time we saw her." Blaze muttered and I redirected my gaze back to the phoenix goddess.

Her body, adorned in vibrant plumage, shimmered with hues of gold, crimson, and emerald. Each feather seemed to retain a trace of its former luster, as if the flames of life still flickered within. Delicate, yet resilient, her wings were gracefully folded against her body, showcasing intricate patterns of iridescent feathers.

Her eyes, once ablaze with an otherworldly radiance, were closed as if in eternal slumber. Long lashes adorned her tranquil face, framing features that exuded both strength and serenity. The soft curve of her beak, now pale and motionless, once held the power to sing songs that stirred the very essence of existence.

"..."Resting atop her chest, a shimmering pendant in the shape of a blazing sun caught the faint light, casting a gentle glow upon her lifeless form. Symbols of ancient power were etched into her skin, telling tales of her once-glorious reign and the reverence bestowed upon her by worshippers.

Despite the stillness of death, an aura of magnificence lingered around her, as if the very air in the chamber held echoes of her fiery spirit. It was a bittersweet sight, a reminder of the goddess's eternal sacrifice and the power she once wielded.

"She's beautiful," I complimented.

In that moment, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and sadness, honored to witness the resting place of a divine being, yet mournful for the loss of such a radiant presence.

"She is, isn't she." Blaze chuckled,this guy.... he's something very different from inside.

"Now, what should I do?" I asked, unsure if my consciousness could endure much longer.

Blaze took a deep breath before uttering the next words, "Cut her open and take her heart."

As I had said, he was a completely different person on the inside.