Chapter 645: Grace
Chapter 645: Purple Star
By then, Charles had begun to grasp the Core Essence of the Sage’s Gem. He had even touched enlightenment.
His streak count stood at 3604.
’Almost four full Wisdom Essences... And it’s only because of the Rebirth Flame and the Flame Body spell. Without them, I would’ve failed.’
He silently thanked Bishop Reynolds.
Another four and a half months passed inside.
’My understanding has deepened. I can now predict the flow of Wisdom Rules...’
And at long last, he comprehended the tenth Wisdom Essence—unlocking the fifth skill: Mythos Decoding.
"Mythos Decoding..." he murmured. "It can extract hidden truths from ancient legends and apply them to real-world problems."
Satisfied, he exited the Crystal Dimension.
One hour later, Charles reappeared in the room, returning to his human form. He retrieved the Crystal Dimension stone from the cot.
Esim’s voice echoed once more.
’You remained in the Time Freeze zone for two days... Remarkable. Tell me—how many Wisdom Essences did you manage to comprehend?’
Charles didn’t reply. He simply activated his [Rune Eye].
A dozen Wisdom Essences rotated in his irises, glowing softly as he turned to the skeletal remains.
"You were poisoned before death?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. His rune vision highlighted traces of foreign energy within the bones.
"No... It’s a curse, not a poison."
Silence blanketed the room.
Then Esim’s voice returned, somber.
’Young man... You are more than worthy of inheriting my life’s work. Use it well. And never seek me again. That path only brings ruin.’
The tone grew distant. Final.
’May you live endlessly... and achieve your dream. Goodbye.’
Suddenly, Charles’s vision blurred. A suction pulled him.
The next moment, he stood before the hooded statue once again. Another item hovered before him, slowly descending to the ground.
It was the black robe Esim had once worn.
"That old man could’ve at least said farewell with a smile," Charles muttered. He reached out, caught the robe mid-air, and activated his upgraded [Rune Eye].
...
[Item Name: Robe of the Shadowed Sage]
Rank: Pseudo-Intellectual
Description:
A flowing robe woven from arcane silk and shadow threads. Its deep indigo hue absorbs light, making the wearer seem cloaked in darkness. Ancient rune patterns, symbolizing knowledge and protection, are subtly embedded throughout. Born from a fusion of wisdom essence and rune arrays, the robe exists as a symbiotic entity.
Abilities:
Wisdom’s Insight – Enhances intellect and perception. Allows comprehension of complex texts, illusions, and arcane history. (No cooldown) Veil of Shadows – Enables near-invisibility in dim environments, with silent movement. (No cooldown) Eclipse Shield – Generates a shadow barrier that negates magical attacks. Strength scales with wisdom and focus. (Lasts 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour) Shadowstep – Teleports the wearer between nearby shadows. (Cooldown: 10 seconds) Ancient Ward – When near death, automatically casts a Demi-God–level ward to repel enemies and threats. (Cooldown: 10 days)
Bonding and Limitations:
Only those with wisdom, intelligence, and moral balance can wield the robe. It empowers seekers of knowledge with pure intent. However, excessive use of shadow abilities may weigh on the wearer’s spirit, tempting them toward darkness. Only steadfast resolve and clarity of purpose can resist the robe’s deeper pull.
...
A Pseudo Intellectual artifact? So, it’s in the same rank as the first system artifact, huh? Charles nodded and imprinted it with his wisdom power.
Although the artifact resisted him at first, it quickly accepted him as its owner.
Now, let’s see what they’re up to, he muttered, turning his gaze toward the Winged Lion statue.
At its base, three figures sat on the ground, their eyes fixed on him—Cardinal Luke, Radiant Knight Ruby, and the assassin-robed man.
After a brief pause, Ruby stood and approached, her steps hesitant.
"Why bother?" Cardinal Luke scoffed with a trace of annoyance. "He won’t understand a word." If not for Jamie’s warning, he would’ve already raised his staff and restrained the man.
"Speaking isn’t the only way to communicate," Ruby replied calmly. "And he’s the only one who arrived before the rest." She began signing with graceful, practiced movements.
She first shaped her dominant hand and touched her chin, then moved it forward and slightly downward. Next, she placed an open hand near her chest and made a small circular motion. She followed with mirrored hand shapes, palms facing each other, pushing both hands forward. Finally, she drew her dominant hand from her non-dominant shoulder downward in a twisting motion.
When will our companions return? Charles deciphered her question easily through the ’Enigmatic Unraveling’ skill and began to recognize the nuances in her signs.
He nodded and responded by spreading his hands in front of her, palms down and fingers slightly apart.
"They...?" Ruby’s eyes widened as she caught the meaning in his movements. She focused intently on his gestures.
"They will never return?" she echoed, stunned, then asked quickly in signs, Why is that?
Charles signed his response.
"Unless they inherit the legacy, there’s no way out of that room," Ruby muttered aloud as she translated. "But... they won’t die. When time runs out, they’ll be teleported back to the Edhen World..."
Charles stopped signing and turned away, heading toward the statue of the woman.
Will he succeed? The thought lingered briefly in his mind before he shook his head. If the test is anything like mine, only that young boy, Jamie, has a chance. And even that’s barely five percent.
With that, he walked past the statues and made his way to the small metal gate at the far end of the chamber.
"W-Wait, sir! Let’s go together!" Ruby called after him, starting to follow, but Cardinal Luke held her back.
"Let him go, Ruby. Even if we joined forces, he wouldn’t be much help."
She hesitated, then nodded and stepped back, letting him go.
The assassin-robed man chuckled quietly. "Besides, that path only leads to the necropolis. Just coffins filled with bones and sand." They had already explored that third chamber and found nothing of value—no passage to another room. Disappointed, they’d returned to the Second Chamber.
Meanwhile, Charles reached the metal door and pushed it open. With measured steps, he crossed the threshold into a narrow, enigmatic passage.
The deeper he went, the more the shadows danced around him. The sound of his footsteps echoed eerily in the tight corridor. Minutes crawled by like hours as he wandered through the winding labyrinth, guided only by a distant, flickering light.
And yet, the scenery ahead didn’t change.
Even after two hours, the path led to the same spot.
He suddenly stopped and tried to sense the ambient energy. At the same time, he activated his Faceless Eye—and immediately sensed manipulation.
Why did I suddenly fall in those future visions? Was I injured? His brow furrowed. Wait... there’s a large hole in my chest.
He instantly activated Phantom Analysis.
Reality twisted. The passage around him dissolved into a new, unfamiliar scene.
Before, it had been an endless corridor.
Now, towering just a few feet away stood two humanoid figures clad in gleaming silver armor. Long spears pointed directly at his chest, radiating menace.
Their appearance was stunning—long blond hair, faces of ethereal beauty, a third vertical eye on their foreheads, and elongated, pointed ears. Their sharp noses and dark skin gave them an ancient, noble aura—as if they were guardians of a forgotten lineage.
Before he could react, a bolt of chaotic black lightning surged from one spear, streaking toward his chest.
But just before impact, a dense wave of shadow energy surged from his black robe, forming a forcefield.
A moment later, Eclipse Shield activated, absorbing the blow.
Corpse Devourers? Both Rank-6? Charles narrowed his eyes, scanning them.
Without hesitation, he cast [Chaos Eye] at the one on the right. But the left one moved instinctively, yanking its companion aside.
The spell struck the right one’s shoulder—deep, but not fatal.
They’re moving in sync. If not for my wisdom skill, I might’ve thought they were real beings...
Unbothered, Charles focused on the wounded one and cast another [Chaos Eye], this time aiming for the head.
"$^%&!" the second Devourer shouted in a strange tongue, cloaking itself in a crystal-like barrier.
But it was too late.
The chaotic ray pierced the wounded one’s skull. Its eyes went blank. A second later, the blast hurled its body into the rocky wall. It collapsed with a groan.
Charles stepped forward, casting [Purple Consciousness] on the remaining one.
As his consciousness entered its inner world, his eyes widened.
There were no memories.
Instead, a radiant star of pure mind fire hovered at the center—surrounded by dozens of spinning purple rings, each more mesmerizing than the last.
Just as he tried to examine it, a wave of omnipotent force seized his consciousness and froze it.
The connection to the Purple Flame snapped.
An omnipotent consciousness...?
Even as the thought formed, the Corpse Devourer twitched. Purple flames erupted from its body.
"Found you," Charles murmured, lips curling into a faint smile. He turned and walked on.
After more than a kilometer, he emerged into a vast, eerily silent chamber—the end of his journey.
There was no ceiling above him, only the pitch-black expanse of night sky. The sudden openness was jarring after the tight confines of the passage.
Before him stretched an ancient necropolis.
Hundreds of hero stones stood tall, etched with intricate carvings and inscriptions, honoring long-forgotten warriors.
A heavy, sacred stillness clung to the air. It was as if the spirits of the fallen still lingered, watching from the shadows of history.
