Chapter 292: Give Me Jie Luo’s Soul Fragment
“Muse… wait…”
Athena reached out, a hint of exasperation in her voice. She wanted to warn him against rushing in. They had only disabled the entrance barrier. There could be other traps inside.
This place filled her with unease.
Even standing at the entrance made her skin crawl. She had a bad feeling about this.
But Muse, in his eagerness, had already charged inside before she could finish her sentence.
She watched him disappear into the eerie chamber. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to stay at the entrance.
She would heed her instincts and not enter.
A strange scene unfolded before her eyes. With the purple barrier gone, the chamber was now bathed in a sickly green light, emanating from the black worms within the clay pot.
As Muse entered, the green mist converged upon him, covering him from head to toe.
Athena’s throat tightened, the sight making her scalp tingle. She saw the mist seeping into Muse’s skin.
His condition, which had improved slightly after her healing spells, rapidly deteriorated. Blisters erupted on his skin, bursting and festering without him even scratching.
His coughing intensified.
And despite the cold, his skin flushed as if he had a fever.
The green mist began to seep out of the chamber, towards Athena.
But as it touched her magical shield, the shield flared, incinerating the mist.
Athena’s eyes narrowed, scanning the chamber. She saw a grotesque statue near the stone slab.
It resembled a squatting toad with a wide, gaping mouth and a bumpy back, its form bloated and decaying.
A shiver ran down her spine. Was this the deity worshipped by the deceased alchemist?
She had some knowledge of mystical arts, but she had never seen such a bizarre deity.
It clearly wasn’t a benevolent one.
A dark cloud, swarming with tiny insects, surrounded the statue. A cauldron sat before it…
A wave of terror washed over Athena, stronger than before. She instinctively stepped back, calling out: “Muse, come out!”
Her voice was sharper than she intended.
Muse, oblivious to his deteriorating condition, was fixated on the soul fragment, ignoring everything else.
His eyes shone with a manic light, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Huff… huff…
He didn’t even notice his cracked lips.
His face was flushed with fever.
His head spun, but he shook it, forcing himself to stay focused, his trembling hands reaching for the soul fragment.
It was Jie Luo’s soul fragment.
The hope of his resurrection.
He didn’t notice the blisters on his hands, resembling clusters of grapes.
His eyes were wide, the pain and discomfort forgotten, replaced by a strange euphoria.
Muse’s feelings for Jie Luo weren’t as twisted as Ronald’s.
His preferences were… normal.
But Jie Luo was his closest friend, closer even than Karsus or Benson. Jie Luo was the only one who truly understood him.
Jie Luo hadn’t judged him for his bloodlust. He had even encouraged him, seeing killing as an art form. They had often discussed new, more elegant and brutal methods of killing.
Jie Luo held an irreplaceable position in Muse’s heart.
He crudely broke the skeletal finger and carefully removed the ring, gazing at the gem-like fragment, his breathing quickening.
It was so beautiful.
Athena’s voice startled him, breaking his reverie. He felt a surge of annoyance. What was she yelling about?
He had already forgotten her earlier kindness.
He vaguely sensed something was wrong with the environment. He spat at the skeleton, cursing under his breath, then turned to leave.
Athena waved her staff, summoning a gust of wind that swept the skeleton off the slab. She then extended her hands, mana converging between her fingers, capturing a magical image of the chamber, focusing on the runes on the stone slab.
This place made her skin crawl. She didn’t want to stay a moment longer.
As Muse exited the chamber, she slammed her staff against the floor.
Earthfire!
Buzz.
Flames erupted, filling the chamber, burning fiercely.
The green mist dissipated, the metal tools melted, the vial shattered, and even the skeleton was reduced to ashes…
The black worms in the clay pot writhed frantically, as if sensing their impending doom, emitting faint, high-pitched screeches.
And the statue…
In the flickering firelight, it seemed to grin, a strangely benevolent smile.
Athena’s mind reeled, her soul trembling.
The strange sensation vanished as quickly as it appeared, lasting less than a second. She looked again, but the statue’s smile was gone, the flames consuming everything within the chamber.
She swallowed, not daring to linger, and turned to leave…
Muse, who had wanted to celebrate, followed reluctantly.
As they ran, Athena continued to unleash fireballs behind them.
She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she felt as if invisible threads were clinging to her.
Only after they left the cave and emerged into the snowy landscape did the oppressive feeling subside.
The exertion hadn’t been strenuous for someone of her level, but she felt strangely exhausted. She leaned against her knees, gasping for breath.
After a while, she straightened up, wiping the sweat from her brow.
The memory of the chamber still sent shivers down her spine.
She couldn’t explain it, but the chamber, its contents, and especially the statue, had filled her with a primal, inexplicable terror.
She just wanted to be as far away from it as possible.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
A violent coughing fit erupted behind her.
She turned to see Muse’s condition worsening, even worse than before.
His coughs were raspy and dry, as if his throat was tearing.
Blood mixed with his saliva, staining the snow crimson.
After a long while, his coughing subsided. He scratched at his head, clumps of hair falling out.
His condition was deteriorating rapidly.
“Muse, you need to go to the Holy See or the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess for treatment. You’re in bad shape,” Athena said gravely.
Muse nodded.
Even he, with his usual arrogance, had to admit something was seriously wrong.
“Give me Jie Luo’s soul fragment,” Athena said, extending her hand.
Muse’s face changed, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
He clutched the ring protectively: “What do you need it for? It’s safe with me.”
“I just want to check if it’s really Jie Luo’s soul fragment and if it’s damaged,” Athena said calmly. “You don’t need to be so wary.”
“If I had ulterior motives, I wouldn’t have healed you. Or I could have simply killed you while you were weak. You know you’re no match for me in your current state,” she added coldly.
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