"[Notice: The 1st Pillar of the Array 'Undying Souls of the Abyss' has been destroyed!]"
"[Notice: The Status Effect 'Invincibility' has been cancelled!]"
The final anchor of the demonic ritual shattered as I drove my palm into the stone beside the throne of the 'Nymera Palace'. Nearby, I found Thorvek unconscious and bound in jagged, dark energy. It was a predictable outcome; attempting to sneak through a palace while a {Demon Peer} was lurking about was a suicidal task at our current levels. Fortunately, his injuries were superficial, and I was able to mend his wounds with a quick pulse of healing mana.
Why did I send Thorvek if it was a suicide mission, you asked? Well... No reason hahaha.
Once Thorvek regained consciousness, I offered him a filtered version of how I had repelled the enemy, carefully omitted the details of my 'Stigma' pact and others. We began to navigate the ruined halls, which were currently choked with a dark, violent energy that made the very water feel stagnant.
It was 'Death Qi', a term coined by the cultivators of the [Sanjie] Nebula. This primal energy manifests wherever mass slaughter occurs, and it was particularly thick here, serving as a grisly testament to the demons' massacre of the 'Nymera Clan'.
The idea of cooperating with a creature like {Gunthafer} was repulsive, but in the Tower, pragmatism often outweighed morality.
While 'Demonic Energy' is corrosive and loud, 'Death Qi' is the chilling, silent cold of the grave, an eerie, out-of-the-world sensation.
In the primordial hierarchy, 'Death Qi' and 'Life Qi', also often called 'Life Force' are the twin pillars of existence. When these two mix, they give birth to the various specialized energies of the world. Since 'Chaos' is the ultimate convergence of all these filtered energies, absorbing the 'Death Qi' here wouldn't just replenish me; it would act as a massive catalyst for growth. They were, in essence, 'Siblings'.
"[Activating The Exclusive Skill, 'Crimson Constellation Sovereign: Genesis of the Chaotic Universe' Lvl 1!]"
I unleashed my energy in a calm, rhythmic wave. Almost immediately, the stagnant 'Death Qi' began to swirl, drawn toward me like iron filings to a magnet.
"[Notice: The 'Death Qi' has sensed a feeling of 'oneness' in you!]"
"[Notice: Your 'Chaos' has been completely replenished!]"
The sheer density of the primal energy was staggering. I felt a surge of vitality that far surpassed the recovery from normal mana potions. My very core seemed to expand and solidify.
"[Notice: Your 'Chaos' has leveled up!]"
"[Notice: Your 'Chaos' has leveled up!]"
I allowed myself a small smile. That was a welcome bonus.
We continued deeper into the palace until we reached a massive pillar made of ancient, unblemished stone. Despite the demonic corruption and the physical battle that had raged nearby, the stone was pristine. It was an 'Absolute Barrier' of sorts, resisting all damage unless presented with two specific keys.
"Thorvek, would you mind helping me out here?" I asked, gesturing to the pillar. "I just need you to cut a small wound on your palm and place it on the surface of the stone."
Surprisingly, Thorvek obeyed without a single question, his trust in me apparently absolute after the battle. He drew a shallow line across his palm and pressed it against the cold stone. The first key was the blood of a 'Royal Naga' of the 'Dokryong' line.
For the second key, I reached into the 'Void' of 'Erravoth'. My Named Sword 'Erravoth' possessed a unique storage capability far superior to a standard [Inventory] or 'Sub-space'. I materialized a small vial of purple liquid containing the blood of Giaya Nymera. I had discreetly collected it using the 'Void' abilities of my Sword when I pierced her chest to remove her title earlier. I broke the vial, coating my own hand in her royal blood, and pressed it onto the pillar beside Thorvek's.
The ancient stone reacted instantly. The palace hummed as intense green-yellow 'Ethereal Runes' flared to life, illuminating the dark water with the brilliance of a miniature sun. From the center of the glowing pillar, a fist-sized, light-blue diamond crystal slowly emerged.
By the way, the third clan, the 'Uraga', weren't needed for this seal; as scholars rather than warriors, the ancestors had trusted the 'Dokryong' and 'Nymera' to act as the physical guardians of this treasure.
"[Notice: You have discovered the Hidden Divine Artifact, 'Heart of the Sea'!]"
In the original lore, such an important artifact would usually be hidden in the interconnected oceans of the Higher Floors. However, the 'sea-folk' ancestors had been clever; they realized that hiding a 'Divine Artifact' in the Lower Floors where higher beings rarely deigned to look was the ultimate strategy.
It was now clear why {Demon King 'Megicula'} had been so obsessed with this Floor. The 'Heart of the Sea' was a conceptual necessity if one wished to defeat the 'Divine Beasts' that ruled the oceans of the upper tiers. Why she wanted to slay such a beast was a riddle for another day, but for now, the prize was mine.
Thorvek stared at the crystal, his expression one of primal recognition. He didn't know the name of the Item, but his very blood seemed to resonate with the 'Energy' it emitted. And when I first reached out to grab it, the artifact's 'Status' flared in rejection, its ancient pride rebuffing a 'Human'.
I didn't pull away. Instead, I let my 'Chaos' energy bleed out, wrapping the crystal in the same frequency I had used to absorb the 'Death Qi'.
"[Notice: The Divine Artifact 'Heart of the Sea' is looking at you!]"
"[Notice: The Divine Artifact 'Heart of the Sea' is feeling a sense of 'oneness' inside you!]"
"[Notice: The Divine Artifact 'Heart of the Sea' is drinking your energy!]"
"[Notice: The Divine Artifact 'Heart of the Sea' has accepted you as its master!]"