Shifting his focus away from the dilapidated structure behind the old man, Raydon directed his smile towards him and responded, "It's good to see you too. Though I can't say the same about being full of life."
Raydon recognized the familiar face before him. It was Samuen, his grandfather, and the head of the Demugen family. Despite the fact that his memories of the time spent with him were hazy and he could only recall it through his memory in this body, he didn't harbor any negative feelings toward him.
Unlike his parents, Samuen had always treated Raydon as a true grandfather would. He never distinguished him from his other grandchildren or children, and in fact, he had been actively involved in Raydon's life, much like Diam. Their bond was one of genuine care and connection within the family.
When Raydon saw his frail face and heard his frail voice, he even felt a little bit of sadness.
Raydon harbored no ill will toward the people who had shown him compassion and unconditional love throughout his life. In fact, one could argue that he felt genuine goodwill and empathy towards such individuals. They were a rarity in his previous life, and even in this new world, they could be counted on just a few fingers.
After everyone heard Raydon's carefree demeanor and thoughtless response, they all cast sidelong glances in his direction out of the corner of their eyes; however, it was clear that Samuen didn't care about this as he said with a sincere laugh and slowly stood up.
''You can tell, huh? It was just a little misfortune that happened to me in my last match, so there's no need to worry about it. ''
'Just a little misfortune? ' When they heard what he said, everyone heaved a sigh of resignation and made the conscious decision to keep quiet.
''Alright, you can come inside. We can't let this thing spread throughout the mansion and frighten everyone. '' Samuen called out to everyone and motioned for them to come inside. He was clearly referring to the pressure of the presence emanating from the ruined structure behind him.
Everyone entered the room with quick steps, overcome with awe and surprise, and then the door quickly shut behind them, isolating the room once more from the outside world.
''Father, what is this? It's like… I'm sure I've seen something similar somewhere. '' Arden approached and inquired about the ruined structure. It dawned on him that the ancient ruin of dark stones that stood in the background of the old man was the source of the pressure.
''It's a rift. A gate to a fallen world, though it appears to have been closed a long time ago. '' Zephyr spoke without waiting for Samuen to respond.
As Arden listened to these words, he became surprised and examined this structure more closely. As he did so, he came to the realization that what he had said was accurate. He had witnessed a significant number of gates being opened and closed throughout the course of rift events. However, in comparison to the other gates, this one appeared to be unique. It exuded an odd pressure, and its appearance was distinct from that of any other closed gate he'd encountered.
"There is one thing that I just don't get." Zephyr continued to speak. '' What is this familiar pressure emanating from it, and more importantly, why is there a gate under our family mansion? ''
This was another reason they didn't notice it was a gate at first. Rifts could be opened pretty much anywhere in the world, but they were always opened in a location where it was easy for everyone to notice them. But what they were observing at this very moment was located in a peculiar underground room, which was on top of the fact that it was beneath the family mansion.
Additionally, a gate that had been successfully closed would typically leave nothing behind but the dusty residue, and more importantly, an extremely potent presence such as this one wouldn't spread out into the surrounding area.
"I know there are so many questions you all want answers to. '' Samuen finally removed his gaze from Raydon and began speaking while staring directly into the interested and perplexed faces of those around him.
"If I have to answer the first question, you all know what this presence you feel actually belongs to, and that all of you must have felt it once upon a time a very long time ago. '' After that, he continued while once again focusing his gaze on Raydon.
''You in particular need to recall very clearly that it has not been all that much time since you saw and felt the presence of this being. ''
After hearing these words, Raydon did not show any sign of surprise and immediately turned his attention back to the structure. Actually, he didn't need the old man's words to remember this because he had remembered it from the moment he felt it.
'Why does the presence of that thing is here? '
Raydon vividly recalled a black eye that had appeared in a dark void while he was awakening to become an item holder a few weeks ago.
Because his body was still quite frail at the time, the pressure that was applied to him caused him to have the sensation that all of his bones were going to break and that needles were pricking his entire body. However, he was unable to sense them at this time because his body had become more resilient and the pressure was lower than it had been previously.
Also what truly intrigued Raydon was not just the destructive effect that the presence had on his physical body, but the deep sense of disgust it invoked within him. Despite not feeling any pain or pressure at the moment, this entity managed to grate on his nerves in an inexplicable way.
''This is something I can't accept. '' Raydon scowled and spoke with annoyance and anger.
''What do you mean? '' Samuen asked confusedly.
Raydon continued as he raised his hand and pointed to the blue barrier that surrounded him. ''Remove it. I don't need anyone to shield me from the presence of this lowly creature. ''
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