Chapter 134 ‒ The Shattered Veil
Chapter 134 ‒ The Shattered Veil
Tyler’s voice quivered as it tore from his throat. “So what happened to Jumo Raccoon? Did he not come here at all?”
The village elder’s gaze drifted to the stone floor, a slow sigh escaping his lips. “He did come here… but we did not let him in.”
Tyler’s head jerked up, disbelief flaring in his eyes. “Why? You were aware of the situation in Ashborough, right? You knew they were suffering!”
The elder’s tail flicked, the fur along it bristling slightly before settling again. His amber eyes reflected the dim torchlight as he watched Tyler. “Yes… we village elders have our own scouts who travel throughout the world, observing and collecting information. Even the villagers do not know of these activities. They believe we are gone for prayers when, in truth, we walk unseen paths, watching and recording. We knew of Ashborough’s plight… and much more.”
Tyler’s breath hitched, his fists curling until his knuckles turned pale beneath the armour. “Then why didn’t you help?! Why simply observe when you could have actually stopped it?!”
The elder’s voice lowered, each word heavy with centuries of resigned wisdom. “You must understand, [Player]… We are not as benevolent as you may wish to believe. We do not consider ourselves saviours. We explore the world as observers, not helpers. And perhaps you will not like this truth… but we still harbour a deep, ancestral hatred toward humans — and by extension, toward the hybrids, who were crafted by their hands. We may sympathize with their suffering… but sympathy does not bind us to intervene.”
Tyler stood frozen, the elder’s words slamming into him like battering waves. His jaw worked in silent rebellion, but no argument formed. Finally, he drew in a ragged breath, forcing the words out. “Then… why are you telling me all of this now? Why not just let me go on in ignorance?”
A small, almost knowing smile touched the elder’s lips. “Well… I would not call this helping. I am merely narrating the past to you. Whether it aids you or not… that is up to you to decide. But if it does bring clarity, then I am content.”
Tyler pressed a hand to his temple, trying to tame the chaos inside his skull. Memories of that other self in his mental world clawed their way back up — the monstrous figure with torn skin and bleeding eyes, glaring at him with raw hatred. Was that… really me? Or something planted… or twisted inside me? Could it be Yandeon’s doing? Or… someone else?
The image of that snarling reflection, the words “Leave me alone” echoing in the void, burned against his mind. A shiver traced his spine, his stomach twisting with a nausea deeper than any poison.
Finally, he lowered his hand, swallowing the dryness choking his throat. His voice came out hoarse. “Then… is it perhaps Yandeon who gave Jumo that vial of black liquid?”
The elder’s eyes darkened, a shadow passing across his face. “That is indeed correct. The item you refer to is called [Corrupted Essence]. It was Yandeon’s creation — an attempt to replicate the effects of Chrysopteryxiella Umbrosynth, though tainted and foul beyond imagining. He distributed it to many who came seeking power, their hearts blinded by ambition.”
Tyler swallowed again, his helmet trembling slightly as he fought to steady himself. “Can you tell me… if unknowingly consuming it could cause… personality issues? Or… mind control?”
The elder shook his head slowly, his eyes steady and calm. “No. According to our knowledge, no such effects have ever been observed. It corrupts the body, drains the soul of its vitality… but it does not control the mind, nor warp personality in the way you describe. And more importantly… I highly doubt Yandeon would give you the [Corrupted Essence] directly. You are a [Player]. Your body would not accept it as an elixir of power — it would reject it as poison outright.”
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Tyler lowered his head, the helmet catching the flickering temple light like a dying star. Then… if it wasn’t him… then who? Who else could have planted that thing inside me? Who made that monster appear in my mind? The questions spiralled through him like black whirlpools, each one leaving a deeper gouge in his spirit.
After a moment that stretched like an eternity, he forced his gaze upward, trembling with urgency. “Then… now… where do I find him? Where is Yandeon?”
The elder’s whiskers twitched ever so slightly, his eyes shining with a subtle, knowing glint. “Well… I do not know exactly where he is… but I believe you already do.”
Tyler’s shoulders stiffened, disbelief and frustration flaring. “What?! But I’ve searched everywhere! I scoured every town, every ruin, every trail — he’s nowhere!”
The elder took a step forward, his tail curling thoughtfully. “The world is built on balance. Yandeon, who craves the power of the Primordial Beasts, can only ascend if one of them falls… or is sacrificed. So think carefully, [Player]. Where would he go?”
A violent shudder rolled through Tyler’s chest as the realization detonated inside him. The ice sword. The prison. Shindeon’s mocking voice. Yandeon’s sly grin. The pieces snapped together like a cruel puzzle.
“No… no… the ice sword… he tricked me! From the beginning… he planned it all!”
The elder’s expression softened into solemn confirmation. “Indeed.”
Tyler staggered backward, his breath ragged and sharp. Then, without another word, he spun and dashed out of the temple. His armoured boots slammed against the broken streets, echoing like war drums in the chilled evening air. Villagers ducked aside, terrified, watching him vanish into the horizon.
The elder stood in the temple doorway, his eyes following the distant glint of Tyler’s armour. He sighed, deep and tired. “Always in a hurry… always chasing shadows…”
He turned back into the temple’s dimness, his voice dropping to a private murmur. “Well… Mister, I’ve done what you asked. I told him everything. Now… it is time for you to keep your end of the bargain.”
From the shadows behind the altar, a shape emerged — sleek and silent as a ripple on a midnight pond. A claw tipped with chitinous ridges and faintly iridescent in the torchlight, extended toward the elder. Dangling from the pincer was a small cloth sack, tied with a delicate string.
The pincer shook gently, and the soft rattle of seeds echoed through the temple like distant wind chimes.
The elder squinted at it, unimpressed. “You know, I’m not some gullible bird who gets excited by the sound of seeds clinking.”
A sly, lilting voice oozed from the darkness, dripping with amusement. “One hundred seeds of Chrysopteryxiella Umbrosynth, as promised.”
The elder took the bag from the pincer, his fingers brushing its rough, clicking surface. For a moment, his eyes gleamed with rare, quiet excitement. “Well… I certainly get excited by the sound of that.”
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Tyler burst from the teleportation station in Noobia, the dim light of dusk bleeding into the empty plaza. He clenched his fists so tightly that the metal plates of his gauntlets shrieked under the pressure. Shindo… I have to get there — now!
The teleportation station to Shindo had long since been obliterated, a cratered wound left from the clash with Shindeon. But Tyler did not hesitate for even a heartbeat. He bolted forward, his form blurring into a streak of blue-white lightning.
[Activated Skill: Dash]
The world tore past him in a roaring cyclone — rivers coiled like silver veins, trees shattered into green smears, and canyons yawned beneath his feet. His mind repeated the same single command, over and over: Faster… faster… before it’s too late!
As the ragged skyline of Shindo appeared, transformed into the gaping maw of the Crucible Gate, a deep, suffocating chill clawed into his bones. He skidded to a halt at the shattered steps leading into the plateau, dust exploding around him.
He swept his gaze across the desolate ruin — melted walls, scorched ground, streets split into black, jagged scars. At the centre of this desecration lay a massive magic circle, pulsing in a sickly violet and blue glow, its symbols writhing like living veins.
And at its heart — the ice sword. Shindeon’s prison. Its blade shimmered in the darkness like a frozen star, spectral mist curling up around it in silent lament.
Tyler’s teeth ground together, rage and horror writhing in his chest. Shindeon… your sole reason of existence might be the destruction of this world… But no soul deserves to be devoured like this. And if Yandeon succeeds… it will be the end. I cannot allow it!
Tyler’s gaze locked onto the silhouette within the circle — Yandeon, arms raised in triumph, eyes gleaming with maddened hunger. The sickly glow of the magic sigils painted his robes in shifting shadows. Tyler clenched his fists, breath steadying. In that instant, every regret, every wound, every scream crystallized into a single, burning resolve: “I will stop you.”