748 Kro'Han Unsealed (1)
With Mazton's assistance, Ashton finally broke free to pursue Astaroth. Yet, Astaroth's speed far surpassed Ashton's, and with a head start, he could have ventured anywhere. However, Ashton was aware of it and already had a plan in place for such a situation. During their earlier fight, Ashton had intentionally allowed Astaroth's kick to hit him. Why? To discretely apply [Werewolf's Mark] on Astaroth. The mark, once placed on Astaroth, ensured that regardless of the distance, Ashton could locate him. Besides, there was no escape from the mark; once it was on someone, it wouldn't disappear until the prey had been hunted down. But rather than blindly following the direction Astaroth vanished into, Ashton took to the sky, his gaze focused on locating the distinctive mark. That way, he could easily find the mark and take the shortest route to Astaroth.
"Eastern Palace?" Ashton muttered in surprise as he honed in on Astaroth's location. "Why would he suddenly go there, of all places?"
Typically, Ashton might not have given it much thought. However, the peculiar choice of the Eastern Palace intrigued him. OncePalaceing with activity, the Palace now stood empty, thanks to Ashton deploying the Wraith wolves and Griffins in the ongoing war. But if Astaroth intended to cause chaos, why would he visit an empty castle? However, realisation suddenly hit him. All the Precursor technology Ashton took from planet Euphoria was stored there. It could be that Astaroth wasn't aiming for the Eastern Palace itself, but the tech and artefacts stored there. "No point in thinking about it now," Ashton said determinedly, shaking off his bewilderment. He accelerated towards the Palace with relentless speed. "I'll get my answers whether Astaroth lives or dies."
The sky became a blur as Ashton streaked towards the Eastern Palace. The air whistled past him, and the empty expanse of the Palace got closer. The once-grand structure now stood as a silent witness to the conflicts that had unfolded. But the silence was strange. Ashton was expecting more robots there, but there were none. Either Astaroth was confident in his speed, or he simply didn't think Ashton could stop whatever he was planning to do. Either case wasn't like something Astaroth would do. "Being overconfident is my trait, not his." Ashton shrugged as he landed close to the Palace to scan the area for any traps Astaroth might have left for him as gifts on Christmas.
Ashton's eyes were alert, and his senses heightened. He carefully made his way inside while the silence enveloped the Palace, which was disrupted only by the distant echoes of the ongoing battle between the Precursors robots and Ashton's army.
Entering cautiously inside the Palace, Ashton navigated the empty corridors, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. The eerie stillness put him on edge as he moved deeper into the Palace guided by the [Werewolf's Mark].
Ashton was expecting Astaroth to go for the relics, but strangely enough, he was on the other end of the Palace. "Looks like he hasn't found the stash yet," Ashton mumbled as he rushed towards Astaroth's location. "better hurry and stop him before he gets his hands on whatever he wants."
Alowly reaching the inner chamber that used to be the Lich's abode, Ashton's eyes narrowed as he sensed Astaroth's presence. Astaroth stood at the far end of the room, his back turned to Ashton. It looked like he was busy operating some sort of panel, and he continuously typed away. "What are you doing here?" Ashton questioned, his voice cutting through the silence.
"Ah, Ashton, persistent as always," Astaroth turned around slowly with a smile on his lips. "I knew you'd find me. But it's too late now."
Ignoring Astaroth's taunts, Ashton pressed further. "If you're looking for relics and artefacts, I have long since shifted everything to someplace secure."
"You still don't know, do you?" Astaroth shook his head before turning around, and a portal opened behind him as he did. "The first time I gained consciousness inside these boundaries, I knew there was something different about this place."
Ashton brought out Balmond, ready to strike if necessary. However, Astaroth showed no aggression and calmly circled around the portal.
"Did it never cross your mind? Why was a grade A Lich guarding the Palace when we stumbled upon it?" Astaroth pondered aloud. "Consider this – what's a grade-A creature doing in a realm where the highest grade is C? How did the Lich even attain such a level? Astaroth continued, "It would be impossible to do it even if he killed millions of grade C beings. So, how did he get here? The answer was simple: someone placed the Lich here to guard something."
"What are you getting at?" Ashton interrupted as he got impatient. "Patience, brother... Patience. I'm getting to the point," Astaroth sighed before giving Ashton another hint. "A lich, an entity impervious to conventional death, capable of enduring for countless millennia. Who might have placed such a being here?"
"The Precursors..." Ashton mumbled as the truth dawned upon him.
"Exactly, but to be precise, it was your father, Jo'Han. Now tell me, what could he be guarding here on Earth?"
At that moment, realisation hit Ashton like a truck. The only thing his father cared about was ensuring Kro'Han's demise. Could it be that there's a weapon capable of slaying Kro'Han hidden there?
However, Astaroth shook his head. While the Palace had something to do with Kro'Han, it wasn't to kill him.
"It isn't a weapon; it's a seal. The very same seal that confines Kro'Han to Euphoria. Jo'Han kept the seal hidden on Earth so he could keep an eye on it," Astaroth clarified. He continued, "However, when he sensed his life nearing its end and recognised you weren't ready for the responsibility, he entrusted a Lich to handle it until you learned about the task on your own."
"How the fuck do you know all this?" Ashton blurted, charging towards Astaroth with Balmond in his hands.
Ashton wished to say that Astaroth was lying, but his [Heartbeat Sense] told him otherwise. For that reason, he lashed out at Astaroth. However, before the two could collide, the portal sent a shockwave that threw Ashton and Astaroth away from the chamber.
"What did you do!?" Ashton yelled at the top of his lungs.
"What I was supposed to..." Astaroth replied. "Unsealed Kro'Han."