Exploring the hidden space sounded appealing. Damon was quite curious to know what Chro had been researching.
Too bad he had killed the old man. He could have tortured and interrogated him.
Still, he had killed him for that very reason.
Simply put, if he let Chro live, the old man might’ve dragged him down with him. After all, Damon had been devouring fellow students—and Chro knew. The professor could’ve exposed him easily.
That alone was reason enough for him to die.
And yet, that wasn’t the only reason.
But Damon remained cautious. Stepping into so unknown hidden space was dangerous business.
Lilith spent nearly an hour probing the area, scanning it thoroughly for traps or triggers. In the end, she confird there were none.
Still, to be extra cautious, they left Matia behind.
She would ensure the door remained open and act as a tether to prevent them from getting trapped inside.
Damon sighed. He had just killed a major problem, but instead of praise, he was being treated like a monster by the rest of the academy.
That was fine for now.
Once the academy finished forging their version of events, the story would change. He would go from villain to misunderstood hero. All in due ti.
Until then, he was on everyone’s shit list—for killing the kind professor.
Which actually worked well for him.
Commoners didn’t hold much weight in the eyes of nobility. And when one of the successful ones turned out to be a madman or a heretic, the public faith in commoner talents would take a hit.
Not that nobles were fond of commoners to begin with, especially those who refused to trade their label for a noble title despite surpassing them in strength or skill.
Damon had always wondered why soone like Chro, who was respected even by the imperial court and cabinet, never received a title.
Now, with Chro gone, many questions would remain unanswered.
A sha—dead n tell no tales.
Devouring his corpse had granted Damon so shadow energy, but not much else.
He approached the rippling door. The space shimred like disturbed water.
Lilith took his hand as he looked back briefly at Matia. A raven was perched on her head, completely still.
"You two can wait here," Damon said simply.
Without another word, he stepped through the spatial ripple with Lilith beside him.
The first thing he noticed was the shift in temperature. Subtle, but present—like the entire space was air-conditioned.
Not unusual for a lab.
But what caught his eye were the test tubes—so containing bones that looked ancient, others holding what resembled fresh embryos. The lab itself was spotless. To the side was a desk with neatly arranged docunts.
Lilith’s eyes were drawn to a large vaulted door on the far end and several smaller ones nearby. She narrowed her eyes.
"Are we in a dungeon?"
Damon was more interested in the contents of the lab. He stepped toward one of the embryos.
The ceiling arced into darkness, and sotis, if he stared long enough, Damon swore he could see stars.
The shadows in the corners didn’t follow the light—they moved on their own
"More importantly, what was he researching... Was he trying to create a homunculus? That’s illegal. Well, so is summoning a dark spirit strong enough to destroy a city, but sohow... this feels worse."
Lilith approached the research table and pressed a button. A hidden bookshelf rotated into view, revealing stacks of ancient tos.
Damon’s eyes glead. "Demonology. Black arts. Forbidden magic... If this space wasn’t so valuable, turning this stuff in would net us a ton of points."
Lilith nodded. "But the space itself is priceless. A hidden subdinsion like this... whoever made it was a true master of spatial craft."
She picked up a worn page—just a single sheet, but one that pulsed with a faint magical aura.
"Hey, look at this."
Damon stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.
It looked like a torn piece of a diary. What caught his attention, though, was the signature at the bottom.
Mugu.
His heart skipped. "This is..."
Lilith nodded. "A page from Mugu’s journal. Or a record left behind by him. He must’ve been a major figure in the First Epoch—even if no one today rembers his na. Or maybe... he was erased from the history books."
Damon leaned in as she held the paper.
The words scrawled across the page were raw, almost desperate.
"Ever lost, I remain now... I have no more purpose. Why have I sacrificed so much for this outco?
I do not even know who to hate...
Still, I thank you for hearing my cries that never made a sound... and for the knowledge you have freely shared with .
What beauty your final goal presents...
I shall strive to aid you in your wish—Unknown God."
The ink had aged, the page brittle, but the words still pulsed with significance.
A fragnt of despair... but also devotion.
Damon flipped the page.
This one was different—more structured.
"The Unknown God said knowledge is power, and ignorance is a sin.
To that end, He shared with truths—so I may never be able to use.
I lost because I was pathetic and weak.
And when I gained power... it was too late.
Today I have learned of the three primary paths of power. Mana is only one of them.
A person may utilize a maximum of two... and only rare beings can wield all three.
Each leads to a pinnacle:
Mana flows from the heart. Its final destination is Akasha.
Akasha, The pinnacle of magical knowledge. To understand the world, one must first master it.
Akasha is the path to absolute truth. Objective truth
Ki flows through the Dantian. Its goal is Dao.
A path of defiance against heaven. All truths are subjective. Cultivators are selfish by design.
Here the self is greater than the heavens and therefore truth is relative.
Relative truth.
Ether flows through the mind. It leads to Aatraxia.
A realm where truths are born within the self and beco as absolute as the heavens.
Subjective truth.
The Unknown God revealed one final truth
All beings—great and small—may rise through Apotheon, the Pillar of Ascension, even if the gods do not allow it.
’There is only one absolute truth:
You can achieve Akasha... if you dare to defy.’
– Mugu"
Damon and Lilith fell silent, both breathing in sharply.
It felt as if the Unknown God had whispered the words directly to them.
"Anyone can achieve Akasha..." Damon muttered, voice low.
Lilith’s eyes glead with the sa thought.
This wasn’t just forbidden knowledge—it was a revelation.
A path forward.
And a declaration of war... against gods themselves.
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