''Man, I have stood in front of this door many times before, but I've never seen it open, this waiting really is making me on edge. '' As he awaited the door's opening and invitation to enter, Zephyr remarked.
''Don't worry, we share the same sentiments as you. After all, the only people who are permitted to enter the training room of the family head are Mr. Cael and Miss Diam. '' The same ecstatic feelings could be heard in Seren's voice.
They were aware that this underground room served as the training room for the head of the family, but none of them had ever looked inside. Now they were just waiting for the door to open for them so they could see what was inside.
*Creak*
Everyone was getting increasingly tense and excited as they waited, and these feelings were amplified when they realized that the door was finally beginning to open.
A wave of anticipation swept through the group as the ancient and enormous wooden door began to creak open and the sound of its opening reverberated through the stone corridor. They leaned forward, eager to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond the widening gap.
However, instead of revealing the interior, the opening gap unleashed an overwhelming presence, a force that pressed upon them with incredible weight. Instantaneously, the atmosphere became oppressive, and apprehension rapidly spread throughout their bodies.
''What is this? '' Arden clenched his teeth as he asked. His entire body began to tremble as soon as he sensed this pressure, both from the weight that was placed upon him and from an instinct he was unable to comprehend.
"What is this unpleasant and unsettling feeling?" ' Elara also said while wearing a frown and displaying a tense expression on her face. The oppressive pressure bore down on her, though it wasn't overwhelming for a C-Rank like her. Yet, inexplicably, she began to feel a sense of powerlessness creeping over her. Sweat beads formed on her forehead, trickling down her face and dripping from her chin, betraying the unease she felt deep within.
''This? '' Zephyr experienced the same emotions as everyone else, but in contrast to the others, he felt that the pressure was oddly familiar. He and the others fought against the urge to kneel down and succumb to the overwhelming presence, resisting the instinct to welcome whatever entity this presence belonged to.
As the door continued to open, the pressure that was emanating from within the room continued to crash over them like a wave with increasing power, and at the same time, a word started ringing in everyone's ears.
'Submit… '
'Submit… '
'Submit… '
"I can't take this any longer." Elara, who was experiencing a great deal of discomfort as a result of the pressure, used her defensive skill when she could no longer take it.
Others, including Cael and Diam, quickly followed suit and decided to isolate themselves from this pressure by activating their own defensive skills.
After Zephyr had activated his defensive skill, when he felt that all of the pressure that had been on him was lifted and the troubling emotions that he had been experiencing left him, he took a deep breath with a sense of peace in his mind, and at that moment, Raydon came to his mind and turned to look at him.
'What this guy? ' When he saw the look on Raydon's face, the thought that crossed his mind was one of astonishment.
The expression that the others had shown was quite different from the look that Raydon had on his face. He appeared calm as if the pressure hadn't affected him in any way, but Zephyr had observed one more very clear detail.
Raydon's eyes were filled with a deep sense of disgust as he directed his gaze towards the door. Unlike the others, who were overwhelmed by the pressure and felt compelled to yield, he stared at it with a piercing look, as if it were a loathsome insect deserving of contempt.
After giving this awkward situation some thought for a while, Zephyr eventually decided to expand his blue flimsy defensive skill so that it could encompass Raydon as well.
'He won't be grateful to me, will he? ' Zephyr chuckled as he observed Raydon continuing to fixate on the door in the same manner as before, seemingly unaware of the defensive skill defending him.
After that, he turned his attention back to the door, which at that point had been opened nearly all the way.
The interior appeared to be extremely spacious, and similar to the corridor, the walls, which were made of brown stones, were adorned with flickering torches that cast dancing shadows. Contrary to everyone's expectations, there was no indication of item formation or training tools inside. The only thing that gave the impression that the room was full was a sizable black stone door in the middle of the space that resembled an old, decaying castle entrance.
''Father? ''
After giving the ruined structure a cursory look for a moment, Zephyr drew everyone's attention to the person who was sitting cross-legged in front of it with his eyes closed.
The individual whom Zephyr referred to as Father had short hair that was entirely white, as well as a white beard that was neatly combed and reached all the way down to his neck. The fact that he was dressed in a white robe and something that could pass for pants, along with the serene and peaceful expression that was present on his face, contributed to the overall impression that he was an experienced and knowledgeable old wise man.
''Father. '' All three of them, including Cael and Arden, showed him the utmost respect by bowing their heads as they greeted him.
''Family head. '' Others showed their respect by kneeling.
Raydon was still gazing in his direction with the same expression as before as the old man slowly opened his eyelids to reveal the deep black pupils behind them. He said with a sincere smile, ignoring everyone else's greetings.
"It's so nice to finally see you so full of life. ''
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