Chapter 17 - An ancient voice rings out...
After walking for sometime, they entered a cave that was surprisingly empty.
Then when they looked around, trying to search for the blue crystal lily, one of them unexpectedly noticed one.
"Look. There is one over there." He said, commanding the attention of others towards the blue crystal lily that he saw, which was surrounded—almost concealed, by brown lotuses.
Immediately, they all hurried over to uproot the blue crystal lily from the ground.
Once they did so, they produced triumphant smiles on their faces with Varthan saying to Hilgamech, "Hilgamech, we would be returning soon. Thank you so much for your help. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to come this far."
Hilgamech nodded his head and smiled. He was glad that they had discovered what they were looking for and could return to their academy, where rewards would be waiting for each one of them.
Nalgorria appeared before him and said with a smile on her face, "We would be taking our leave now. But we hope to see to you again."
"Me too." Hilgamech said while Nalgorria nodded her head.
She then suddenly asked, "I guess you would continue with your training, right?"
"Yes, I will." Hilgamech answered.
"Alright. But make sure you don't go far inside. It could be filled with beasts far above your level." Nalgorria said, trying to advice him.
"I know that too. Thank you for the advice." Hilgamech said while Nalgorria subtly nodded her head. Then she left Hilgamech's presence with her colleague who were being led out by Varthan.
After looking around in the empty cave for sometime, he walked out to enter other routes and continue his training.
At the moment, he had discovered a few marveling things about himself. For example, the unique properties possessed by his tyrannical AeroFlux energy.
He remembered the bright golden hues that tinged his cyan-colored energy and couldn't help but wonder what caused them to surface. Their unexpected appearance had caused the destructive power of his fearsome, hundred-blade attack to massively increase—to the stage he could destroy a condensation-rank beast. Though it came at a disadvantageous cost of clogging his Energy Circuit since he was using the dangerous, immensely boosting Wind Elixir technique.
"That golden hue that tainted my AeroFlux energy, I wonder what it is." Hilgamech said, a strong light of curiosity emitting from his eyes.
After walking for sometime and discovered that he could be heading deeper into the mountain—another realm that would possess immensely powerful sentient beasts, he immediately turned around and prepared to leave.
But then, he suddenly heard his name, seeming like someone was calling out to him.
"Hilgamech."
"Who is there?" Hilgamech immediately asked, his brows deeply furrowed.
Then he began to back away step by step to leave the cave he was in.
"Hilgamech, I have a legacy for you. But you are still too young to be able to accept it. Actually, your age is okay. But your current cultivation stage is really low. So, once you have gotten stronger—after entering the Earth Adept realm, which I can manage, you can come back to look for me. I will wait."
"However, there is a condition. This offer is severely time-limited. It will only last for as long as I make it last. Also, if I find another inheritor that I took a liking to—probably because of their prowess, the person might get it instead of you."
"So, I will advise you to fervently train, diligently cultivate, and go out there into the world to fulfill as many incredibly hard tasks as possible to increase or hone your battle prowess."
"That's the only way you will be able to grow quickly to possess the strength, might, vigor, and endurance to undertake my series of really hard, inheritance-bestowing tests, of course at the Earth Adept cultivation realm or above." The voice said and went completely silent.
Hilgamech who was tremendously amazed by what the enigmatic voice said, said with a certain look on his face, "Greetings, senior. This young one greets you."
He however heard nothing and shook his head, understanding that the voice of the mysterious ancient expert had spoken and gone fully silent. Nothing he would ever say or utter would cause it to speak again.
"But wow. The legacy of a primordial expert awaits me. I wonder why he selected me. Perhaps because of the prowess I revealed earlier when fighting those damned beasts." Hilgamech said, nodding his head.
Then he bowed and said with a polite tone in his voice, "Thank you, senior. I will do well to return in time to take your tests, which I assure you that I won't fail."
Once he said so, he immediately turned around to leave the cave.
...
After coming out of the entrance cave dug at the foot of the mountain, he suddenly came across a group of cultivators. This group consisted of ten individuals—seven boys and three girls who looked at him with intense surprise on their faces.
"Boy, what the hell are you doing walking about by yourself in this dangerous place? It's really dangerous for someone of your age to be out here alone. Kidnappers could abduct and sell you off to certain diabolical people who would harvest your organs and drain your blood which they could use to cultivate or develop profound, evil and fetish battle skills."
"You should be more careful next time. Don't leave to go anywhere yourself until you are at a certain age. Okay?" The leader of the group said while Hilgamech nodded his head.
"I will heed to your advise. Thank you." Hilgamech said and smiled, while the group of adventurers winked at him and wished him luck. Then they prepared to go into the cave to start their hunt for wild beasts.
...
About 40 minutes later, Hilgamech arrived in the city via a certain vehicle that conveyed him to the city from the valley.
As soon as he got down from the vehicle, he could suddenly perceive that something was strange. It was too noticeable that a lot of things weren't right.
"What's going on?" He asked himself with a look of utter perplexity written all over his face.
He then went to one of the many discussing groups gathered in the area to listen to what they were saying, just so he could have an idea on why the whole atmosphere seemed so bleak, stygian, and sinisterly.
But when he heard what they were seriously talking about, his eyes shone...