With his light swords, Aedan swiftly finished the remaining Azure Serpent Tribesmen. The blades cut through their defenses like a hot knife through butter. Their desperate attempts to counter were futile, and Aedan's every move seemed almost dance-like in its precision. The serpent people, once so confident, now panicked as their leader, Kaela, shouted orders that went unanswered.
Aedan's eyes glowed with the remnants of the red crystals' intensity as he advanced, the blades of light leaving trails of brilliance in the dim chamber. One by one, the serpent people fell, their tribal markings offering no protection against the radiant onslaught. The air was thick with the acrid smell of singed scales and the desperate cries of the Azure Serpent Tribe.
As the last of his adversaries fell, Aedan turned his attention to Kaela. She stood defiant, though the fear in her eyes betrayed her. "You may have defeated my warriors, outsider, but you won't break the spirit of the Azure Serpent Tribe," she hissed, a mixture of pride and defiance in her voice.
Aedan, his blades of light dissipating, regarded her for a moment. "I don't seek to break spirits, only to end a misguided quest," he replied calmly. With a swift motion, he disarmed her, knocking the weapon from her hand.
As the weapon clattered to the ground, Kaela glared at Aedan. "What will you do? Kill me? You won't find satisfaction in that. The path we follow is beyond your understanding."
Aedan's expression remained stoic. "I don't care about your path as it is all forms of cultivation that I despite. And while I'm no hero, there's a old saying "For one to be a warrior isn't merely taking lives as a true warrior must be ready to die like those whose lives end at his hands."
With a final, decisive strike, Aedan incapacitated Kaela, rendering her unconscious while causing numerous cracks on her core bringing her back to early stages of the first layer of core formation. She was still alive, but she would soon learn that life as a mortal in this world is much worse than death.
Done with the fight, the blades of light dissipated along with his armor, and just as it vanished, Aedan dropped to the ground like a rock. The toll of wielding such power was evident. He could feel nothing but an overwhelming exhaustion, his limbs unresponsive. Taking deep breaths, he slowly shut his eyes, surrendering to the fatigue.
The blood that had seeped deeply into the ground flowed towards the stone wall, which greedily absorbed all of it before it shone in a purple light and turned to dust. The transformation revealed a large and old chamber behind the wall.
Waking up twenty hours later with a growl of his stomach, the first thing Aedan saw upon waking was the dark chamber in front of him.
As for Kaela, she was hiding behind him with eyes filled with terror and stood there while flinching.
He was surprised by the passage opening but grinned sharply before heading inside. For some reason, there were no traps or any defense mechanism in that chamber, only large chests, some bars of gold, coins, and the body of a giant greenish-blue serpent.
Aedan's eyes widened at the sight. The serpent, while colossal, seemed ancient and lifeless. The treasure surrounding it was a testament to the value the Azure Serpent Tribe placed on whatever lay in this hidden chamber.
He meticulously inspected the entire chamber and, to his satisfaction, found the very object he sought—a complete rod of the rare metal, surrounded by other natural treasures that had flourished near the serpent's remains. The air in the chamber was thick with the scent of ancient wealth.
However, faced with the sheer abundance of treasures, Aedan contemplated how he could possibly carry it all. It was then that the space beast, in his mind, offered a solution. It suggested that Aedan could use his innate ability to transport these objects into his pocket space, eliminating the need to bear the weight of the treasure physically.
Aedan, pleased with the proposition, followed the instructions. He focused, and one by one, each valuable item disappeared from the chamber, including the body of the serpent itself—a treasure in its own right. The once-filled chamber now seemed eerily empty, devoid of the riches that had adorned it.
Satisfied with his haul, Aedan prepared to leave. Before he departed, he cast a smile towards the now-terrified Kaela. It was a smile that held the weight of justice served and the consequences faced. With a subtle nod, Aedan left the chamber, the hidden treasures now safely stored in his pocket space, leaving no trace of the azure serpent's lair behind.
Aedan's countenance shifted as he indulged in memories of a person who occupied a significant space in his heart. He paused, a subtle warmth tinging his features, and spoke with a touch of sentimentality, "Before I depart from this world, there's one more thing I must do. There's someone I need to see."
Seph, the Space Beast, keenly noticed the shift in Aedan's aura. "Ah, matters of the heart. Always intriguing. Tell me more," it encouraged, its mental voice carrying an air of understanding.
Aedan's gaze wandered into the distant recesses of the mountain chamber as he delved into the recollection of his past. "Our paths crossed in a city when I was desperately trying to find my way, lost, as usual. I collided with a young girl, garbed in clothes slightly too large for her. She wore a brown cloak that veiled most of her face. Without uttering a word, she grasped that I was lost. Despite no prior interaction, she gestured for me to follow her," he recounted.
Seph, ever the attentive listener, absorbed Aedan's words with curiosity. "So, a bit of a crush?"
"Yeah, and she was oblivious to it," Aedan continued, a fond smile playing on his lips. "She guided me back to the inn, revealing the city's entrance and exit. Over the following months, we encountered each other frequently. Words were sparse, and she exuded this dark and cold aura. Few friends, minimal interaction with others. Odd, but I always felt an inexplicable closeness to her. You could say she was a bit of an enigma."
Seph rumbled with a gentle sound, akin to a purr, manifesting its amusement. "Love, my friend, often wears the face of mystery. And this girl... what's her name?"
Aedan's eyes sparkled with a mix of emotions before registering puzzlement. "Oddly enough, I vividly recall her, yet her name eludes me. She set out to study Astral Arts in the west, and we went our separate ways. What's strange is that none of our mutual acquaintances seemed to discuss her. Heck, even I seemed to have forgotten her name for a time."
Seph immediately took a keener interest upon hearing that and said, "Wait a bit, let me try to use our neural connection." After some time, a surprised screech resonated, followed by a serious voice in Aedan's mind. "Kid, it's best if you let it go. Even if you head west, I believe you won't find her there. No, it would be better to say she wouldn't find the one she knows."
Aedan suppressed his questions as he moved to the infirmary under Seph's guidance, situated near his left kidney.
Seph, appearing composed, initiated a device that emitted a series of rays, targeting different regions of Aedan's body, notably focusing on his brain.
Upon analyzing the results, Seph let out a concerned sigh. "Boy, this is more complex than I initially perceived. I should have foreseen such an outcome when you shared your experience with the sacred soul sect, but the reality is even more intricate. When the demon processed those souls, it deliberately segregated the energy from the associated memories. Subsequently, those detached memories affixed themselves to the only available host and sole survivor, you."
Seph proceeded to elucidate the details in more scientific terms, delving into the intricacies of Aedan's unique circumstances. Despite Seph's effort to simplify the information, the complexity of the matter remained palpable.
Watching the boy, the space beast expressed some regret, "This was predictable given your exceptionally potent mental capacity and the belt, capable of harnessing energy through intense emotions. Now, the memories and thoughts of over a thousand now reside in you, I can only imagine how it must be for your brain, it must have taken quite the heavy beating."
After laying bare insights, Seph gently relocated Aedan's body to a specially prepared room near its head. The room boasted a fusion of eras, blending modern and ancient furnishings, alongside artifacts from civilizations existing far beyond the bounds of known stars.
While Aedan was in contemplation, absorbing the weight of this revelation, he ruminated on the information. The day of the sacrifice coincided with the beginning of his frequent fainting spells and severe headaches.
However, he did not foresee that the tragic events wove within him the memories of the other victims, a myriad of experiences and knowledge that he could not say whether they were his own or not.
This realization cast a shadow over his spirit, and as he closed his eyes, sleep became both an escape and a prelude to the uncertainties of the next day.