As Karzan’s astral form ventured inside Ashok, he found himself surrounded by an all-encompassing darkness that seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction.
The oppressive void was thick and suffocating, pressing in on him from all sides.
Yet, amidst this seemingly eternal night, a faint glow caught his eye. Suspended in the darkness was a chain, radiating a deep purple light. Streaks of red pulsed through it like a heartbeat.
"Chain? And what’s with the color?" Karzan murmured, his voice echoing in the empty expanse. He ventured further, his astral form trailing the lengthening chain, as he pushed more mana into the Seeker’s Eye.
At one point the once vibrant hues of purple that adorned the chain began to dim, the lively colors slowly fading away as an inky black color crept in.
Seeing the black color, Karzan’s thoughts raced. ’I have a feeling I am coming closer to the secrets held by this kid,’ he mused, his determination renewed. He ventured even deeper, following the chain.
As he pressed on, he realized with growing unease that the chain’s color had become so black it was merging seamlessly with the surrounding darkness.
It wasn’t long before Karzan felt the telltale signs of exhaustion. His mana reserves were depleted, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.
’What’s with this kid? Just what kind of secrets does this long chain hold inside his body? I can’t go back now,’ Karzan thought, steeling his resolve. ’For the Great One.’ He made a fateful decision, tapping into his very life force to fuel the Seeker’s Eye.
Since using life force is considered a form of sacrifice, the power of Karzan’s special eye greatly increased. With this newfound surge of energy, he sped through the chains with unparalleled swiftness.
He sped through the chains, his determination unwavering as he followed their darkened path. At one point, he reached an area where the chains had become so black they merged seamlessly with the surrounding darkness. It was as if the chains had dissolved into the very fabric of the void.
’Is this the end? What is here? Where is the secret?’ Karzan’s thoughts raced as he gazed around, his eyes straining to pierce the impenetrable darkness. ’Does this mean that this kid possesses a talent of the darkness attribute or something like that?’
Karzan’s mind struggled to comprehend what he was witnessing. Normally, the Seeker’s Eye would reveal a cascade of images, like a moving story, or present him with snippets of conversations—two or three voices speaking.
These visions and sounds were clues he could use to deduce the secrets of the person he was observing. But now, for the first time, he was confronted with an impenetrable wall of darkness.
’I am suddenly having a bad feeling about this place. I should leave,’ Karzan thought, a sense of dread creeping over him. He ceased channeling his life force to return to his body.
However, to his dismay, he found himself still standing in the same place. The void around him remained unchanged, and the heavy silence pressed down on him.
Karzan saw tendrils of darkness curling all around his astral form, locking him in place. ’When?’ he wondered, realizing with growing dread that he hadn’t even felt the darkness creeping around him. The tendrils tightened their grip, and a cold, suffocating sensation engulfed him.
He no longer felt any connection to his body or his astral form.
Karzan watched in growing apprehension as the inky blackness began to coalesce and take shape, forming into something resembling a figure.
The moment Karzan gazed into the figure, memories flooded back to him. He was taken back to the fateful day he was granted a rare audience with the Great One, following his gruesome sacrifice of the eyes of a hundred virgin women.
A presence greater than the Great One could be felt emanating from the darkness. The sheer magnitude of this force was overwhelming, and it sent shivers down Karzan’s spine. ’It can’t be—’
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME! NOOOOOOO," shouted Karzan as he felt immense pain radiating from every part of his body. The agony was unbearable, and just as it seemed he could endure no more, he heard a voice.
"A morta-" The voice didn’t even complete its sentence, but the sheer power of the divine tongue was enough. Karzan’s life was snuffed out in an instant, his consciousness extinguished by the mere utterance of a word and a half.
Unbeknownst to him, Karzan had connected to the Abyss through the bond between Ashok and Morriathis, a connection forged by the stigma on Ashok’s chest.
In his final moments, he had glimpsed the greatest secret Ashok possessed - a physical connection between a God and a Mortal. Yet, he would never have the chance to use it, his life is claimed by the Morriathis that even his God would be unable to resurrect.
Moments before Karzan’s death,
The Duke, Head Butler, and Cassius stood as silent sentinels, their eyes fixed on the unfolding scene. They observed with bated breath, analyzing Karzan’s every move against Ashok and anticipating Ashok’s response.
Cassius, ever vigilant, had sheathed his sword but gripped the hilt tightly. Small electric currents flickered around his clenched fist, a testament to his readiness to act at the slightest sign of danger towards Ashok.
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Because after Karzan was proven a Cultist, Ashok was their only hope and he already had proven his extraordinary knowledge.
’No matter how harsh his tongue is, this kid needs to live for the young miss,’ thought Cassius. The weight of his responsibility pressed heavily on him, knowing that Ashok’s safety was paramount.
Karzan, instead of making a move, stood motionless, staring blankly at Ashok. In turn, Ashok’s gaze remained locked on Karzan. {Karzan was using Seeker’s Eye}
Then, without warning, a change occurred. A black liquid, resembling a tear, began to trickle down from Karzan’s unbruised eye. Seconds later, the same dark liquid oozed from his bruised eye.
The droplets fell slowly at first, but soon, the flow intensified, and the amount of the black liquid streaming from his eyes began to increase.