(A few hours later)
After mourning his mother, Felix returned to the house to say goodbye to the memories that it once held.
Some saw him as a crazy person so they actively avoided him while going about their business, allowing him so time to himself.
Once he was done, he turned his back and left with no plans of ever coming back.
Meanwhile, Nathan returned to the Enforcement agency to report the issue and also sort out any problems that could arise from Felix's murder of an entire Scavenger team.
Of course, a little settlement was all it took to resolve the issue but the Enforcers took the liberty to leave Nathan with a warning.
"We might not care about what happened to those Scavengers, but best believe that their owners will come asking questions and we are not planning to hide anything."
It was simple and concise.
Nathan couldn't be angry, after all, they had the decency to tell him in advance.
Sighing helplessly, he left the agency after purchasing some food supplies before meeting up with Felix on the outskirts.
Currently, the latter was seated on a wooden bench that somehow managed to survive the destruction that affected the surrounding area.
"I wonder what the Old world looked like," Nathan remarked as he walked toward Felix.
The latter was studying the heirloom he retrieved from the Scavengers which was something he hadn't done since he got it back.
[Notice. A strange seal is blocking me from inspecting the chest]
Getting no response, Nathan rolled his eyes before taking a seat beside Felix.
"What do you plan to do with it?" He asked after a few more seconds of silence.
Felix paused his scrutiny as he looked up. "I want to try and open it. If I can help it, then I will."
"If not?"
"Then I can only keep it somewhere safe. I don't plan on keeping it anyway."
Nathan nodded.
It was understandable considering the chest was the root cause of his mother's death.
Carrying it around would indeed be a source of discomfort.
Rubbing his temples, he stared at the chest for a while before speaking up with a raised brow. "The chest is sealed?... I can't see anything even with the system. Quite impressive."
As Nathan attempted to figure out a means to open the seal, Felix was already one step ahead.
[Analysis completed]
"Can you break it?"
[Notice. There is no need. From the designs, a blood offering from a designated individual would be enough to open the seal]
Designated individual?
Why did that sound like chosen one?... Felix placed the chest down and bit his finger, allowing the blood to slowly drop onto the top of the chest.
Plop
It fell with a certain rhythm until six drops had touched the chest.
Meanwhile, Nathan stayed silent as he watched the process with a slight hint of curiosity.
What would the chest contain?
A special weapon?... An elixir?
It was well known that the objects considered treasures by the Cultivators that once protected Earth was heaven-defying.
If they weren't, the Demirs wouldn't be so enthusiastic every time a treasure was found.
In any case, it was quite exciting as he anticipated the contents of the chest.
Just as his anticipation was about to turn to frustration, A blinding light flashed from the chest causing him to cover his eyes.
He opened his eyes a few seconds later after the light was gone to find the chest open and within, a strange book with an eye-catching cover.
It had no title, with only a symbol of a sword etched on the cover.
As Nathan marveled at the sight, Felix recalled the words of his father on a certain night while staring at the book.
….
"Our roots are deep, Felix my boy, which is why we have such an amazing treasure with us. I don't have the talent to use it so I can only hide it away, but if you do one day get the power… don't hesitate to open this chest. Although I hope that never happens… Felix my boy, I hope you don't have to fight."
….
That night was the last time his father spoke such heartfelt words to him because the next day, the Enforcers arrived.
"So that's how it was," Felix muttered sadly as he reached out and picked up the book.
At that time, he hadn't believed that they were from a major cultivation faction.
Why?
Because all major factions were destroyed, from their sect leader to the unborn babies, not a single one was left alive.
Yet as it turned out… he was from one of those factions.
"I wonder which one…" Felix muttered as he reached out and grabbed the book.
Just as he was about to put the chest down, Aya's voice rang in his head.
[Notice. The chest is not worthless as it holds a great deal of life force. It is possible to absorb it if you wait a few seconds]
Felix nodded wordlessly as he gripped the chest tightly.
A second later and a notification popped up.
[1 Soul essence absorbed]
"Are you planning on reading it?" Nathan suddenly said while trying to reach for the book.
"I'll do so now," Felix replied while actively ensuring that Nathan didn't touch the book.
He took a deep breath and slowly leafed through the contents.
Descriptions, meditation techniques, diagrams, and much more were inscribed on the pages but they all had one thing in common… they dealt with the sword.
[Notice. The contents of the manual are quite profound. More time is required to assess and assimilate properly]
Even though he didn't show it on his face, Felix was quite astounded by what he saw.
He understood the diagrams at least but the concept was complex enough to give him a headache.
"Flying swords, one sword can split the world… wait a minute, this sounds a lot like the concept Sword cultivators lived by in the Old World," Nathan said.
Felix glanced at him. "You are familiar with this?"
"Of course. Just basic information though. This is the first time I'm seeing such a detailed cultivation manual. I thought these things were destroyed."
Felix nodded in agreement as he turned back to the book and continued leafing through.
By the time he was done, a familiar sound rang in his head.
Ting
[Analysis complete. Results will be compiled now]