Legacy of the Dark Sage

Since there was no way for Kyran to know the answers to his questions until one of his Sigils found a connecting array, he stopped stressing over it and focused on studying the huge golden array above while guarding True Void.

After a few minutes, the light coming out of True Void's temporary body started to dim, and this brought a smile to Kyran's face. He might not know how the whole process of True Void's awakening would go, but he believed the dimming of light was a sign that the latter was close to completing the process.

Another reason Kyran thought this was because the magic fluctuation and the surge of magic energy in the surroundings also began to calm down.

Kyran looked at True Void. Rather than feeling thrilled about finally witnessing how 'majestic' True Void truly was, Kyran felt glad he was finally realizing his dream of returning to his real body.

Kyran turned his attention back to the huge array above. He observed the emerging part in the middle— something inverted with chains all around it— and furrowed his brows.

Kyran found it familiar for some reason but did not dwell on it because the feeling might have been influenced by the Void core— or, more accurately, his predecessor's memories stored in it.

What was about to come out of the array was his predecessor's magic weapon, and seeing a part of it could have triggered a memory in the Void Core.

Still, Kyran found the feeling strange because normally, when his Void core reacted to Caelan's memories, it would let out a soft hum.

Nothing like that happened.

CRACKLE!

Just as Kyran was thinking about this, a thick lightning bolt struck close to the heart of the Key he was guarding.

Soon after, the inverted tip coming out of the array descended further, almost showing half of it now.

'Isn't that...?' He frowned slightly because he finally recognized what it was.

Or at least part of what it could be.

The inverted 'thing' coming out from the middle of the array actually looked like a piece of floating land.

Actually, Kyran could not call it land because it was not made of earth. Rather, it was made out of a glittery dark purple and black material, which reminded Kyran of a star-filled night sky.

As for the chains that snaked around it, the other end had not yet come out of the array, so Kyran could not see what it was.

'Wait... this land-like material....'

Cold sweat started to trickle down the side of Kyran's face as he finally remembered why it looked familiar.

'Isn't it similar to the land where the Chaos Palace was built?' Kyran thought, his eyes widening in realization. He had only seen the Chaos Palace once, and honestly, he did not pay attention to where it was built.

Kyran's reaction was quite understandable because the Chaos Palace was floating midair at a center of a huge chasm. Instead of paying attention to where it stood— which was an empty space— he had been drawn to the bottomless chasm below it.

Nevertheless, Kyran still remembered the crude patch of land, and it was really similar to the inverted 'something' coming out of the array.

'Don't tell me that material is not True Void's real body but the thing those chains are connected to. Could it be, like the Chaos Palace, True Void's body was built above that land-like material....'

A possibility crossed Kyran's mind, and he nearly broke out in another cold sweat.

'Don't tell me there is a palace similar to the one in the Misty Forest standing above that land-like material...?'

This possibility drew up more questions than answers, thus, Kyran thought how absurd it was.

In the first place, when Kyran first saw the Chaos Palace, his Void core did not react...

Err... Actually, it might have reacted that time. But because the Draconic core's reaction overwhelmed it, especially when the Remnant Souls started to relay their story, Kyran might have overlooked it.

No. No. No.

True Void might have been sealed inside the Void core, but he once admitted to seeing and feeling things Kyran had experienced whenever he regained consciousness.

Because of the conflict that happened between the Draconic energy and the Void energy at that time, Kyran was sure True Void had been awake during the whole thing. Thus, he definitely saw the Chaos Palace.

If True Void's real body was something like the Chaos Palace, he would have mentioned something when he could finally communicate with Kyran. The former was prone to slipping and even boasting, so his prattling on about how his real body looked as majestic as the Chaos Palace would not be impossible.

However, True Void never mentioned the Chaos Palace.

Or could his avoidance of commenting about the palace be a tell-tale sign that Kyran's guess was correct?

No.

Kyran still thought it was not the case.

Instead of a palace standing atop that land-like material, a weapon— akin to a sword or any other cold weapon— might be pierced there, and the chains shackled it.

Kyran did not have to dwell much on the subject because the inverted item slid further down, finally revealing why the chains were there. Just as he imagined, the chains shackled whatever was atop the land-like material.

As it continued to slide down, Kyran could finally see and even say it really did look familiar. Not because the shape of the item atop the land-like material was akin to a palace or a cold weapon but because it looked similar to one of those obelisks in the Lignum Plane.

Unlike any of those obelisks, however, this one was far bigger, and its color was a deep shade of purple. The chains were not really shackled around it but pierced through it.

It gave anyone who saw it the feeling that the obelisk was not really there from the way those chains pierced it.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Cracking sounds reverberated throughout the sky as the chains started to break.

Now that Kyran had a closer look at those chains, he realized there were three in total.

Three Chains.

Three Keys.

It appeared that once the chains were completely broken, it also meant the seals on which the Keys correspond would also be removed.

And at that time, True Void would finally return to his body.

At the same time, in the floating Ravenpass, Layla and Obstruction were solemnly looking at the obelisk.

Unlike Obstruction, whose solemnity was due to the fact he was finally seeing what the Ultimate weapon of the previous Dark Sage looked like, Layla's look was more to the fact that she did not recognize the obelisk at all.

That was right.

Layla did not remember True Void's appearance to be an obelisk. Then again, whenever Caelan revealed his weapon, it looked different every time.

The first time she saw Caelan wield his magic weapon, it looked like an overly burnt branch of an old tree. It looked that way to Layla because its color was like charcoal, and reddish-purple veins covered its body, making it look like a tree branch that had only been pulled out of a fiery pit.

After that, Layla saw Caelan wield a long glittery dark purple long staff— its color reminding her of a starry dusk sky. Rune writings in purple, circled it, looking like beautiful purple rings.

Finally, that time Caelan summoned his magic weapon to warp nearly half a million of his forces to battle; it appeared like a huge reddish-purple cube covered in glowing reddish-purple rune writings.

As a matter of fact, it only looked like a huge cube because of the way those rune writings were arranged. And at the core of the cube, a dark purple orb with reddish-purple veins glowed from within.

It was a wonder how an overly burnt tree branch could turn into a huge cube. The overall mass that made up the tree branch was too small to turn into a cube that huge.

Of course, there was a possibility that they were two entirely different items. But judging from the aura it emitted, Layla knew they were one and the same.

There were cases wherein a magic weapon that developed its own sentient would evolve. However, its evolution would have to conform to its original shape. It could not become an entirely different item.

The burnt tree branch turning into a long staff was still acceptable. But when it turned into a huge cube.... That was truly a wonder that Layla never figured out, even today.

"It looks like it has evolved again," Layla muttered.

Although she had spoken in a small voice, Obstruction caught her words and looked at her in surprise.

"'Evolved again'?" He repeated.

Layla's eyes narrowed while nodding her head, "Yes. The last time I saw it, it didn't look like that."

Obstruction reeled at her words. But it was not because of what it meant but the things she did not say.

"You..." he started, his mood turning a little unstable. "Who are you?"