RISE OF EROS-Chapter 699 - 698

Even if many saw her they wouldn’t be able to recognize her, but this woman is Sereda, the best arcanist on the continent. In fact, not even those who saw Crhono at this moment would be able to recognize him.

They were acting incognito, they didn’t want anyone to see them or guess what they were trying to do, not even their closest allies because even though they trust them, there are many ways to get information.

It’s not that they believe that their allies are weak and that they can get information out of them. It’s that in this world there are too many strange magics and sometimes not even power can stop them.

That’s why they decided that this matter would remain between the two of them. The fewer people know about this, the easier it is to hide it. While it sounds easy, it’s actually quite complex.

Just think about it, the most powerful being and the most powerful arcanist on the continent disappear at the same time. That’s a clear indication that they’re together, anyone would notice that.

For that reason, they had to take many extra measures, so that no one would notice their absences and now they were meeting with the intention of destroying the fragment of the fallen god left by Carcom.

The cavern where Sereda and Crhono met was hidden in an inhospitable valley, far from any known civilization. The walls were irregular and covered in phosphorescent lichens, whose dim light cast shadows that danced to the beat of the lit torches.

At first glance, the cavern looked like a forgotten shelter, but it was much more than that. It was an ancient point of power, one of the few places on the continent capable of containing the unstable energies surrounding the Fragment of the Fallen God.

Sereda, wrapped in a dark cloak that seemed to absorb the light, walked around a circle drawn on the ground with arcane symbols that glowed with a faint blue glow. His face, partially covered by a hood, was focused, and his fingers drew patterns in the air, leaving behind trails of magic that slowly faded.

Crhono, for his part, remained silent, standing beside a makeshift table filled with scrolls, maps, and containment crystals. While his imposing presence used to inspire respect and fear, he was now hunched, focused on deciphering an ancient text.

The torchlight illuminated his partially covered face, revealing scars and an expression of relentless concentration. "Are you sure this is all?" Crhono asked, breaking the silence. His voice was low, but it echoed in the cavern with a force that seemed to need no volume.

Sereda nodded, not taking her eyes off the symbols, "This is what I have found in the ancient texts. The energies surrounding the Fragment are not just residual. They are active as if they are searching for something… or someone."

Crhono crossed his arms, staring at the runes she had drawn, "Could they be trying to corrupt?" The arcanist stopped and looked directly at him, her expression grave.

"I don’t think so. The Shard doesn’t act on a will of its own, but its power is so vast that it distorts everything around it. If someone finds it, even unintentionally, it could unleash something worse than Carcom," Sereda said.

Crhono was silent for a moment. He was not a man to be overcome by fear, but he understood the gravity of what Sereda was saying. The Shard was a reminder of a time when divinities fell and the entire world trembled.

"Then we must act quickly," he said finally. "What have you discovered about its exact location?" he asked, intrigued and a little impatient. He didn’t like the situation very much and wanted to turn the tables.

Sereda raised a hand and conjured an image in the air, a map of the valley that stretched west of where they were. A region marked by canyons and perpetual mists appeared floating between them.

"Here," he said, pointing to a specific spot on the map. "The magical fluctuations I studied converge in this area. Ancient texts call it the Pit of Dusk, a place where time and space are distorted by the energy of the battle that destroyed the fallen god." Stay tuned to novelbuddy

Crhono nodded slowly. He had heard of the Pit, but few survived to describe it clearly. It was a place where reality itself seemed to break, a scar on the fabric of the world. "If it is there, it will be dangerous even for us," Crhono warned. Sereda smiled slightly, a flash of dark humor on her lips, and said, "When is what we do not dangerous?"

The journey to the Dusk Pit was arduous. To avoid drawing attention to themselves, they traveled apart most of the time, using hidden paths and routes few knew about.

Crhono, with his innate ability to alter the flow of space, covered impossible distances in a matter of hours. Sereda, for her part, used short, precise portals, leaving behind barely a detectable trace.

Along the way, they collected fragments of information and pieces of knowledge necessary for their task. Sereda examined ancient texts in forgotten ruins, deciphering symbols that only the most learned could recognize.

Crhono visited abandoned places of power, searching for echoes of the energy the Shard might emit. In a forgotten village in the mountains, Sereda found a mural buried beneath dust and vegetation.

It depicted the fall of the fallen god, a titanic battle between light and shadow that seemed to consume the sky itself. In the center, a dragon-like figure held a glowing shard, while the other deities attacked him from all sides.

When Crhono arrived at the village, Sereda showed him the discovery, "Look at this," she said, pointing to the shard in the picture. "This confirms what we suspected. This shard is obviously what gave Carcom his madness and power, but it also seems to be the key to his destruction," Sereda concluded.

Crhono studied the mural, his mind calculating possibilities, "If it is the key, it could also be a weapon. And that makes it even more dangerous." Upon reaching the Dusk Pit, they both understood why no one returned from that place alive.

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The atmosphere was heavy, almost oppressive, and the air seemed to vibrate with an unstable energy. The ground was fragmented, with deep cracks that seemed to descend into the void and the fog that covered everything distorted shapes and sounds.

Sereda walked cautiously, tracing protective runes as she went as she tried to keep her balance on the uneven ground. Crhono moved behind her, his senses heightened, watching every shadow that moved in the mist.

"Here it is," Sereda said finally, pointing to a particularly wide crack. A faint light pulsed from the depths, a light that didn’t seem natural. Crhono nodded, moving closer to the edge of the crack. The energy emanating from the place was almost tangible, a mix of heat and cold that ran across her skin.

"This is where the fallen god died," she said quietly. Sereda began preparing a ritual, drawing symbols on the ground with glowing dust she pulled from a small bag. As she worked, she explained,

"In order to destroy the Shard, we must first contain it. We cannot allow its energy to disperse or it will attract every magic-sensitive creature for miles around". Crhono watched as she worked, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of danger, before asking, "And you’re sure this will work?"

Sereda glanced at him briefly, a spark of determination in her eyes, and replied, "No, but it’s our best bet." When the ritual was ready, Sereda stepped to the edge of the rift and raised her hands, speaking words in a forgotten language.

The air around them began to vibrate more intensely, and the light in the rift grew brighter as if answering her call. Suddenly, a blinding flash illuminated the cavern, and the Shard appeared, floating in the air.

It was a dark piece of crystal, surrounded by a shifting aura that seemed to contain impossible colors. Despite its small size, the energy emanating from it was overwhelming.

Crhono stepped forward, watching the Shard with a mix of wariness and fascination. "Now I understand why Carcom lost control. This isn’t just magic." "I thought it was something given by the fallen god, but it’s his very body."

Sereda began to channel her energy, creating a containment field around the Shard. Her face was tense, beads of sweat running down her forehead as she maintained the spell.

"I can’t keep this up for long," she warned. "We need to destroy it now." Crhono nodded, preparing his part of the plan. He pulled out an ethereal crystal sword, a weapon created specifically to break the barriers between planes.

As she wielded it, the air around her seemed to freeze. "When I destroy it, step back," Crhono said in a firm voice. "We don’t know how the surroundings will react". Sereda nodded, focusing on maintaining containment as Crhono prepared for the strike. Before Crhono could strike, a subtle shift in the air made them stop.

Something, or someone, seemed to be watching them from the shadows. Sereda felt a chill run down her spine, and Crhono raised his sword, ready for anything. "We are not alone," Sereda said quietly.

However, there was no time to be distracted. Crhono nodded to her, and with a determined movement, he directed the sword towards the Fragment. The blow released a burst of energy, and it remained to be seen if the fragment could be destroyed.