Chapter 327: Starfall Edge
The group moved cautiously through the dark chamber, Ignis’s golden flames providing the only reliable light. The oppressive darkness seemed to fight against it, making the fire flicker weakly.
As they ventured deeper into the ruined section, Adam’s foot bumped against something on the ground. He crouched down, brushing away thick layers of dust.
A human-like skull stared back at him— hollow eye sockets and a slightly elongated cranium. Beside it lay a weathered leather-bound book and scattered tools: broken quills, cracked ink pots, and rusted metal instruments.
"There are remains here," Adam said quietly. "Looks like whoever lived here died while trying to document something."
Lilith knelt beside him and picked up the book carefully. "A diary... or a record."
Adam took the book and opened it gently. The pages were brittle but surprisingly intact, written in an ancient but readable script. The group gathered around as he began reading aloud in a low voice.
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Day 347 of the Eternal Night
We are the last ones. The Void Empire has fallen.
Our greed blinded us. We sought to rule every land under the sky. We slew the Eternal Dragon King, the great Ouroboros and drank his divine blood in hopes of achieving immortality and godhood. For a time, we succeeded. Our power grew beyond imagination. We believed ourselves above all other races.
But the gods were watching.
In their wrath, they sent down divine punishment. Plagues, spatial storms, and endless darkness descended upon our empire. The Goddess of Fate herself descended and constructed the Loom of Fate to weave our doom.
Those of us who survived were hunted. The survivors were sealed within this eternal darkness— a prison of our own making. Here, we are forced to relive our sins for eternity.
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The group fell silent after Adam finished reading.
Azrynn’s face was pale. "So this Wasteland... it was the prison of an entire fallen empire. The Void race..."
Lilith’s expression was serious. "They killed Ouroboros and tried to steal his power. No wonder this place is so cursed. The Loom of Fate wasn’t just a trial for us, it was originally built to punish them."
Ignis shivered. "They sound really bad... but still, being sealed in eternal darkness forever is scary."
Isolde stared at the skull on the ground. "Hubris always has a price."
Adam closed the diary slowly, his fingers lingering on the brittle cover for a moment as he absorbed everything he had just read.
"This confirms that the Ouroboros connection runs much deeper than we thought," he said. "And if the Abyssal Bloom is here, it might be related to this ancient tragedy."
The darkness around them seemed to grow even heavier, as if the ruins themselves were listening.
The group stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the diary’s revelation still lingering in the cold air.
Isolde broke the silence first, her voice calm but grim. "So all this time... we’ve been walking through the tomb of the Void race."
Azrynn shivered visibly and hugged herself. "Please don’t phrase it like that... you’re making me even more nervous."
Adam stared back at the massive door they had come through, his crimson eyes narrowing in thought. "That explains a lot. The sealed door wasn’t just a random barrier. It was deliberately locked to prevent the Void from escaping into the outside world. The endless illusions and spatial distortions of the Wasteland... they were probably created to trap the Void inside and to confuse or deter any outsiders from accidentally breaking the seal."
Lilith crossed her arms, her silver threads drifting slowly around her. "It makes sense. But that Void we fought back in the dungeon... could it have escaped from this place as well?"
Adam nodded slowly. "It’s very possible. If one managed to slip through the seal, there could be others. Knowing that this is essentially a prison for the Void, we have to be extremely careful from now on."
Ignis looked anxious, her flames flickering uneasily. "But... they can’t still be alive after all this time, right? They’re supposed to be sealed here forever..."
Isolde gave a small, cold smile. "Have you forgotten already? The Void drank the blood of the Eternal Ouroboros. They gained a twisted form of immortality. Even if their bodies are destroyed, their grudges and existence might still linger in this darkness."
Azrynn’s face turned even paler. She gripped her bow tightly, clearly trying to steady herself.
Adam stared at the ancient diary in his hands, his expression growing heavier.
"This is getting far more complicated than it seems," he muttered. "The deeper we dig, the more secrets this place reveals."
Lilith moved closer, peering at the old pages. "Maybe there’s more useful information in there. Read further. There might be something we can use."
Adam nodded and carefully flipped through the brittle pages, his crimson eyes scanning the faded writing. After a few moments, he began reading aloud again.
————×————
Day 289 - Titans
The Titan race was once our greatest obstacle.
They were beings of immense strength and majestic presence, yet their hearts were too kind. We exploited that kindness. We turned them into slaves, forcing them to build our greatest monuments and weapons. In the end, the Titans cursed us with their dying breath— a curse of eternal misfortune and twisted fate upon the entire Void race.
May their souls rot for what they did to us.
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Adam flipped to another section.
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Day 312 - Sword
The surface races formed an alliance against us.
The Elves commissioned the Dwarves to forge a legendary blade— "Starfall Edge" — a sword specifically designed to cut through Void flesh and sever our immortal regeneration. It was a masterpiece of dwarven craftsmanship infused with elven star magic.
Yet in the end, the wielder was too inexperienced. He could not master the blade’s true power. The sword failed at the critical moment and was sealed away somewhere deep within these ruins to prevent it from falling into our hands again.
A foolish waste.
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Adam continued turning the pages until he found the final relevant entry.
————×————
Day 341 - Abyssal Bloom
The Abyssal Bloom only grows in the thickest, most absolute darkness where even the gods’ light cannot reach. It feeds on despair, cursed mana, and the remnants of fallen immortals. If you seek it, you must go to the deepest layer of this prison.
But beware... the Bloom does not give its power freely.
————×————
Adam closed the diary slowly.
"So this is where the Abyssal Bloom is," he murmured. "The deepest layer of this prison."
Lilith’s eyes gleamed with interest. "A sword that can sever Void immortality... that could be very useful if we encounter more of them."
Ignis tilted her head. "But it was sealed away, right? Do you think it’s still here somewhere?"
