Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 261: The Mysterious Old man in the Stone chamber

Ever since she had obtained the Ring of Chaos, aside from the Scripture of Summoning, she had not discovered any other treasures inside it.

Even so, the vast space within the ring alone had already been of immense help to her. Allowing Shihtzu to cultivate within the ring had saved her countless troubles.

Although she had not seen many items within the Ring of Chaos, the existence of the Scripture of Summoning alone was enough to prove how extraordinary it was. It was precisely because of that scripture that her strength had risen so rapidly.

"Master, come take a look!" Black urged eagerly. "There are definitely treasures inside the stone chamber. Normally, the stone doors stay closed, but I think one of them finally opened after you broke through to the Innate Realm."

Black’s face was full of excitement. Even after staying inside the Ring of Chaos for so long, it still could not fully understand the true purpose of this mysterious treasure. The only thing it was certain of was that the Ring of Chaos was unbelievably powerful.

Moved by its words, Zora immediately entered the Ring of Chaos, her consciousness sinking once more into that vast palace.

Shihtzu was still cultivating quietly in a corner of the palace, eyes closed, its aura gently fluctuating. From the faint yet steady energy surrounding it, it was clear that it was in the middle of a breakthrough and would need some time before succeeding.

"Where is this stone chamber?" Zora asked.

There were countless stone chambers throughout the palace, arranged in a complex and interwoven layout. In the past, she had explored part of it, but aside from the stone chamber containing the Scripture of Summoning, every other door had been tightly sealed.

"Master, come with us!" Black and White said together.

The two little fellows hurried ahead, leading the way. Zora followed closely behind them, venturing deeper into the palace, her curiosity growing with every step as they headed toward the newly opened stone chamber.

"Master, it’s here." Black stopped in front of a stone door and turned back, its eyes bright with anticipation.

Zora followed its gaze and realized that this stone chamber stood right beside the one that housed the Scripture of Summoning.

The placement alone made her heart tighten slightly. The Ring of Chaos had never been casual with its arrangements. Anything positioned here could not be ordinary.

She stepped forward and placed her hand on the stone door.

*Swish*

With a soft push, the door slid open without resistance, just as Black and White had said. The mechanism that once kept it sealed probably yielded due to her breakthrough.

But the moment the door opened fully, Zora froze. "Waa..."

A flicker of shock, followed by disbelief, passed through her clear eyes as she stared at the scene before her. For a brief instant, she even suspected that she was still trapped in some illusion.

"This... how is this possible?" she murmured under her breath, her voice unconsciously lowered.

Black and White craned their heads forward. The next second, both of them widened their eyes to the extreme.

"Did we... come to the wrong place?" White whispered blankly.

"There’s a person here?" Black blurted out, unable to contain itself. "Is this thing messing with us?"

For creatures as well-informed as the two of them, it was rare to lose composure so completely. Yet the scene before them shattered every expectation they had formed.

At the center of this vast stone chamber stood a long stone table, covered with materials, tools, and half-finished work. And behind that table was an old man, his silver hair neatly bound, his figure slightly stooped yet steady. His movements were unhurried and precise, as though the passing of time held no power over him.

The old man’s face was gentle, his brows kind, carrying an air of calm wisdom. There was no sharpness, nor an oppressive aura. Instead, he radiated a warmth that put the heart at ease, like a quiet spring breeze.

However, he did not look up.

He did not pause.

His hands moved continuously, guiding a fine carving tool across a surface inscribed with complex lines. Every stroke flowed naturally into the next, smooth and confident, as though the patterns already existed and he was merely revealing them.

Zora’s shock slowly deepened into something far more profound. "This..."

From the materials scattered across the table and the faint fluctuations of energy in the air, she had already reached a conclusion.

"An inscription master."

And this person didn’t seem like just any ordinary inscriptionist, but one whose skill had reached a level where the act itself looked effortless.

Inscriptions were a profession no less precious than alchemy, sometimes even rarer.

Where alchemists concoct potions for internal use, inscriptionists enhance weapons, armor, and artifacts, granting them terrifying external power as they etch the runes onto them. A single high-level inscription could completely change the value of an item.

True inscription masters were very few in number. Each one is an existence that even the top guilds of the continent rush to curry favor with. The profession demanded extreme patience, absolute focus, and an extraordinary sensitivity to energy. Ordinary Spirit Warriors simply could not walk this path.

In her previous life, back in the Eastern Continent, Zora had encountered inscription masters before and had always held deep respect for them.

However, her family specialized in alchemy, not inscriptions, and all her effort had gone into concocting potions and making medicinal pills. Inscriptions had remained something she admired from afar.

She had never imagined that within the Ring of Chaos, she would encounter such a figure.

And judging by the way those impossibly intricate patterns flowed from the old man’s hands as naturally as breathing, this was no ordinary inscriptionist.

This was a master among masters.

Her heart steadied, and she stepped forward respectfully. "Senior," Zora called out softly.

The old man did not respond.

She waited a moment, then spoke again, still carrying courtesy and restraint, but she changed her address slightly, thinking this person is expecting more respect. "Your Grace."

Still nothing.

It was as though the old man existed in a world entirely separate from theirs, his senses completely immersed in the work before him.

Black frowned, scratching its head in frustration. "What’s going on? He didn’t even react. Does he not hear us at all?"

Zora did not answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on the old man’s hands, on the faint energy lines forming beneath his tool.

She studied the old man in front of her more carefully, and the sense of unease in her heart gradually deepened. The longer she observed, the more things felt out of place.

This Ring of Chaos had existed for countless years. The stone chamber had remained sealed all this time. Yet the old man before her showed no signs of aging, hunger, or fatigue. There was no food stored in the room, no bed, no living necessities of any kind.

If this were a real person, how could he have survived here?

Unless... he was never alive to begin with.

As this thought surfaced, everything suddenly became clear.

If an ordinary person had truly been trapped in this stone chamber for so long, madness would have been inevitable. But the old man’s expression was calm, his movements precise, his focus unwavering, as if time itself had lost all meaning.

With that realization, Zora stepped closer and waved her hand slowly in front of the old man’s eyes.

There was no reaction at all.

"As I thought," She murmured under her breath.

Meanwhile, the old man continued carving inscriptions, fully immersed in his work, completely unaware of her presence.

Black’s eyes flickered with realization. "Master... is this old man not real at all? Just a projection or a simulation of this Ring?"

White quickly came to the same conclusion. The initial shock had faded, replaced by growing understanding.

Zora nodded lightly. "That’s right."

"So his existence here..." Black’s voice rose with excitement as the idea formed. "Is it to teach you inscriptions?"

At those words, Zora and Black exchanged a glance. Neither of them needed to say more. There was simply no other explanation that made sense.

"Haha! Inscription techniques!" Black laughed, barely containing itself. "Master, congratulations! This is an incredible opportunity!"

Zora’s gaze returned to the old man. Watching his hands move with effortless mastery, the excitement in her eyes became impossible to hide.

If she could truly learn inscription techniques here, the benefits would be immeasurable.

"This Ring of Chaos..." she murmured softly, unable to suppress her awe. "It really is astonishing."