The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 179: Where Do You Think You’re Going?

The day before...

Eidolon traversed the Territory of Flame, his feet leaving no trace in the snow; it was as if he was a spectral phantom wandering aimlessly in the land of pristine white.

Of course, his steps were anything but aimless.

In fact, they were bold and confident, bordering on arrogant.

Eidolon did not bat an eye as a Paladin suddenly walked right through him, his figure rippling silently, but otherwise unharmed. The warrior on guard duty, meanwhile, continued on with their task, completely unaware of Eidolon’s presence.

The spectral wraith sneered.

He turned left into an obscure alley, phasing through waste, discarded weapons and clothing alike. Once the back-alley ended and a run-down stone wall greeted him, Eidolon stepped right through it, without a care in the world.

He found himself in an old, dilapidated shop.

The shopkeeper - an old crone with one foot in the grave - did not look up from her book, remaining engrossed in the worn-out tome she perused in her hands. Eidolon scanned the shelves, finding nothing of note, mostly useless junk and the occassional dried medicinal herb.

’A pity.’

He would have loved to snag something, but none of the items on display were worth the effort. Shaking his head, the spectral wraith continued his journey, phasing out of the shop.

Very soon, he reached the hedge-lined path which led out of the Territory. From there, he slowed slightly. His steps were still confident and assured, but there was no harm in being cautious.

After all, it would be troublesome if a Master of the Ember Clan sensed him, unlikely as it was. As a quasi-Master himself, Eidolon was confident he could pull the wool over the eyes of anyone below the Transcendent rank.

From there, things got a lot trickier. However, it wasn’t as if he had no cards at all.

A little while later, Eidolon came to a halt, reinforcing the stability of his concealing shroud. For this mission to go off without a hitch, no one could notice him, not even the most irrelevant and weak mundane.

The entire plan hinged solely on Eidolon’s ability to remain unseen.

Light snow fell from the heavens, phasing right through his figure. As time passed, more and more flakes passed through him. The wind also picked up, inciting a flurry of snowdrift, which also had no effect on Eidolon.

In his spectral form, he knew no hunger, thirst or cold.

The wraith also did not need to fret over excessive mana consumption and activating his Magic Class for long periods of time. The former was easily remedied through a simple mana recovery potion, while the latter was of no consequence to him.

Eidolon had trained himself extensively over the years in order to withstand the strain.

To cope with the boredom of standing still, Eidolon entertained himself with idle thoughts of his reward. For he had no doubt he was capable of pulling this operation off.

Especially, if what the broker had revealed was true.

’What should I request?’

Eidolon thought for a few moments, before he gnashed his intangible teeth. It irked him how the Holy Knight Order and the Lunar Eclipse Guild had received precious herbs... just for placing second and third in a trifling, little tournament.

The herbs should have been gifted to him, instead.

If they had, Eidolon would have then asked the great Medicine Sage to refine the herbs into a pill for him. Through that, their efficacy would doubtless increase, which was just what he wanted.

’One more step... that’s all I need.’

The spectral wraith gritted his phantasmal teeth.

Finally, after waiting for a veritable eternity in the snow, Eidolon spied an opportunity. A section of the inconspicuous stone wall that travelled along the length of the path suddenly slid open to reveal a maw of blackness.

From that darkness, a Paladin stepped out.

Less than a breath later, the stone wall shut.

Eidolon had already entered, though.

’So far, so good.’

His mana sense flared, encompassing the stairwell.

’Traps? Not bad.’

The spectral wraith climbed fearlessly up the stairs, his stride never once slowing. At the top, a thick, wooden door greeted him. Taking a deep breath - or rather, going through the motions of doing so - Eidolon soon pushed against it, stepping inside.

The first thing he sensed was a thick, oppressive mist.

It hampered his perception, limiting its reach.

’A formation designed to muddle one’s senses?

Eidolon’s gaze narrowed.

He wasn’t an expert on runic arrays or formations, but he knew enough at a glance to glean that this one was mostly harmless. The spectral wraith lingered, gathering his resolve.

Clarity simmered within his mind.

Carefully, he inched forward.

As he did, Eidolon silently retrieved a special dagger from his Dimensional Bracelet. It was crafted from the tusk of a Saber Tiger and coated in the venom of a Six-Fanged Eel.

The weapon glinted ominously in the light gloom.

Slowly creeping forward, Eidolon scanned his immediate vicinity. The mist was annoying, but he had come across similar formations before, so it posed little difficulty.

Cautiously, he extended his mana sense further, gaining a rough picture of the space.

Eventually, Eidolon reached the edge of the mist.

That was when he heard it.

...Voices.

His gaze sharpened.

The spectral wraith instinctively held his breath, or at least, tried to. His grip on his dagger tightened, his hand now the only tangible part of his frame.

Shuffling closer, Eidolon finally broke through the mist.

Not a moment later, he froze, unable to believe the sight before him.

Before he had set off, the broker had informed Eidolon that the Keeper of the End had suffered a grave injury and was as a result, close to death. However, even in Eidolon’s wildest imagination, he did not expect them to be this feeble.

The mysterious Keeper of the End, wildly rumoured to be the strongest Transcendent... was just an old woman?

Eidolon almost barked in disbelief.

He swiftly controlled the impulse, shaking off his shock as he witnessed the Keeper addressing her guard.

"Kael, when Alden embarks on his Exam tomorrow, I want you to shadow him. You must not interfere. Not until... he escapes from a prison of Blood. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my liege."

A kneeling figure outfitted in a full knight ensemble replied.

Eidolon paused.

...The Keeper’s Apprentice was embarking on a mission outside the sanctuary?

His phantasmal eyes gleamed.

Things just seemed to become better and better.

Eidolon grinned wickedly, hardly believing his luck.

His fingers twitched, itching to return and spread the news, but he had to bide his time.

Suppressing his excitement, the spectral wraith watched as the knight soon disappeared.

Silence descended on the Donjon.

Eidolon’s mana began to surge in anticipation of a lightning-fast strike. However, before he could even take a single step, the Keeper of the End suddenly turned in his direction.

Two unseeing milky-white eyes pierced his very being. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Eidolon shuddered.

"Oh dear, it seems I have an important guest. Where are my manners?"

’...!’

Instinctively, the spectral wraith lunged, hurling his dagger.

The ominous weapon blinked out of existence, shooting straight for the Keeper’s forehead. Its speed was so terrible that he wondered if a Transcendent could react, much less a weakened one.

Eidolon smirked.

However, his gloating sneer froze before it had even fully formed.

Intangible shivers wracked the assassin’s frame, his incorporeal form rippling with shock.

The reason for his distress hovered within an inch of the old woman’s wrinkled face.

’H-How?’

Eidolon staggered backwards.

"Now, where do you think you’re going?"

The Keeper smiled.

It was the most terrifying smile the wraith had ever seen.