Swoosh-
Brilliance filled the room; the sight was simply astonishing.
The light was mystical; it contained several profound powers. Even the engraved ancient patterns were brimming with purplish light.
It was simply mind-opening!
However, that wasn't what shocked Chrove.
It was the artifact's interface function!
It was a mysterious, unfamiliar interface that appeared at the top of the artifact.
It was blue and could be seen through, and when he tried touching it, his hand simply slipped past it!
The information of the scroll appeared in the interface:
Type: Scroll (Expendable)
Name: Tranquil Deception
Current rank: Tier 3
Grade: Unique
Item description: Enhances control over emotion. Acting will appear more natural. The emotion of the user will not waver unless facing an unprecedented power or innate trauma. Deeply enhance the appeal, making the user appear more trustworthy.
Special effect: By successfully deceiving another person, the effect of the mask will be upgraded. (Unique)
Passive.
Good lord!
Chrove trembled in disbelief; he almost fainted!
Such a thing like this really exists...
He couldn't help but sigh and laugh inwardly.
Compared to the whole world, I'm but a mere child in terms of experience.
The process of absorbing the skill is much easier and faster compared to tearing it directly.
With the help of Insight and Shadowstone Codex, the effect was very evident; not only did it make the process quicker, but it also quickened the time he grasped its function.
Despite his memories being fragmented, he is certain that there was never such a thing as this in the lower realm! (Chrove's previous world)
The world truly is abundant with treasure.
It was unknown how much time had passed; in a blink of an eye, it was already morning.
Inside the cave, Neil was drenched in sweat, his body twitching slightly.
"Perse...vere... we're almost there..."
"You are our pride... Go!"
"Don't make our sacrifices be in vain!"
"Go!"
At this point in his dream, a human-like monstrosity suddenly pounced on them, killing comrades on the spot all while he held them!
"N-ahhhhh!"
Thud!
A loud bang reverberated inside the cave; it was Neil whose head was bleeding.
He woke up from his 'dream', and inside what he saw was like a reminder of what had past—a reminder of his weakness.
Neil had just woken up, yet the change in him is very visible.
He stared blankly at the wall as though trying to process what happened.
His eyes, as though dominated by a demonic force, were lifeless, but a small hope flicked within.
Compared to Chrove, who had lived a for so long he can remember, he was still just a sapling.
Not long after, he started mumbling and even laughing; it was filled with grudges, hate, despair, helplessness—and self disdain.
Chrove naturally watched all of this.
It was actually quite peculiar.
Neil, who seemed righteous, prideful, and very finial—now a existence on the verge of insanity.
He was murmuring random words with his fragile voice—all while his face shows the emotion of that of a man who turned insane.
His nails were like daggers scratching his face until it bled, and his hair turned disheveled like that of a beggar.
He felt despair, helplessness, and a fiery desire to... take revenge, to find the demon and kill it.
He was like a madman driven by revenge, a man who lived to take revenge.
Clunk. Clunk.
Footsteps echoed inside the cave.
Each step was with great power, causing slight tremors on the ground.
A pair of abyssal eyes observed the inside of the cave until it reached the figure of a young man who seemed stunned.
The owner of these abyss-like eyes wore a robe; his hair was long and his skin pale.
His clothes were like a leaf of a gabi; dust and droplets of water were not a bother to it.
It was Chrove; he found useful clothes from the loot he got from the three that he encountered before.
'I wonder how they'd react when they realize the artifact is missing,' he couldn't help but chuckle as he thought of it inwardly.
But now is not the time to worry about it; he could worry about it later.
The important thing right now is to deal with the young man in front of him and to try the skill within the scroll to see its effect.
However, at this moment, Neil suddenly erupted with rage; the moment he saw Chrove, his figure reminded him of the monster from his nightmare and most probable suspect of the massacre!
Neil tried to leap towards Chrove; driven by rage, he got impulsive and actually dared to run the path of his death, but Chrove is a 'good' man; he would, of course, not kill Neil.
Seeing the 'pitiful young man', he spoke calmly.
"Young man, fight your demons."
The moment he spoke, he vanished from his original spot, almost instantly appearing beside the rushing figure of Neil.
He grabbed his collar the exact moment he finished speaking.
He then followed, "I saw you lamenting on a ruined village while I was observing the beast tide. It was a miracle you survived that, but from the looks of it, I believe the disaster struck your family."
I will forgive you for your impulsiveness just now, but there will be no another."
His voice was gentle and low in tone, then a mysterious aura brimmed his body, and the aura flowed, making his words comfort themselves, like solace in front of such despair.
His temperament was gentle like the spring and calm like a river, making his words appear sincere.
Then, a strange aura started to cultivate his prowess, making his body shake a bit; the feeling was reassuring and was somehow pleasurable.
After finishing his 'speech,' Neil started to show signs of wavering, his body trembling until it finally stopped with him stunned.
"Where am I...?"
Neil involuntarily asked.
Seeing the powerful senior in front of him, along with the suspicion from the feeling earlier, he asked. "Who are you, senior...? Can you...put me down, please?"
Without hesitation, Chrove told him 'exactly' what happened.
...
After a few minutes, his brief telling came to an end, and another tension intensified.
Neil felt embarrassed and ashamed in front of the senior in front of him. He was the one who saved him from dying, yet he pounced on him like a madman.
A silence followed.
Chroves eyes were unfathomably deep, and his gaze was extremely profound.
He clicked his tongue and took the initiative to break the silence, thinking it was finally the time to attack, with a sigh he said.
"That said, I actually am your savior."