Opening his substat panel, he took a deep breath.
Attribute Points Available: 420
Constitution +70 → 139
Total used: 420 points
[Sub-Stats After Allocation]
The moment he hit confirm, Victor's body responded.
A surge of heat flowed through his limbs. His muscles subtly expanded beneath his robes, and his senses sharpened dramatically.
The gentle chimes of the array chamber became clear as individual vibrations; even the qi pulses of distant cultivators became faintly perceptible.
Victor exhaled. "Much better."
A small smile crept onto his lips. Every piece of progress and every grain of knowledge all served a greater purpose.
Now it was time to test out his new bloodline ability.
Victor sat in the lotus position and let out slow breaths.
In this moment of calm, he activated his Void Emperor bloodline again.
Space echoed around him in soft vibrationd as his body emitted a celestial glow.
His skin turned a milky hue, smooth and ethereal like moonlight on water. His long white hair fluttered gently as if teased by an unseen breeze with strands glowing faintly.
Arrow-like sigils began to appear along his arms, neck, and collarbone which were markings of the Void Empower power.
[ Activating Void Emperor Bloodline Ability - Space Echo ]
The moment the final sigil lit up, his senses exploded outward.
A wave of perception spread from his body like sonar, expanding in all directions.
He noticed that wherever he focused on, even if it was more than five hundred feet away, he'd be able to see and ear everything within that particular vicinity.
While testing the new ability out, he focused and directed the pulse downward through the palace floor and deeper into the City Lord's estate.
His eyes remained shut, but in his mind, a world of echoes and invisible threads came alive... every movement, every breath, every flicker of energy all exposed before his mind eye.
That's when he heard it...
Faint sardonic laughter bubbling up from the depths of the palace dungeon.
"…That particular material will never be found," came a familiar wicked and unrepentant female voice. "No matter what they try... That seal will break."
Victor's eyes snapped open.
Without hesitation, he stormed toward the main palace building with urgency.
The guards at the entrance noticed the cold look in his eyes and didn't dare question his pace. Moments later, Victor stood before the City Lord while speaking with a very urgent tone.
"I heard something. Serika. She said one of the items needed for the seal can't be found. We need to speak with her—immediately."
The City Lord blinked in surprise. "What? What did you say?"
"There's no time. She was mocking us. Laughing about the seal. She claims something we need doesn't exist anymore."
With no more questions, the City Lord signaled his guards.
The dungeon was dim and damp and the walls were lined with old stone and reinforced with qi-draining chains.
The torches flickered as the group approached, casting grim shadows along the hallway.
Serika sat in the reinforced cell with her legs crossed like a noble on a throne, despite the rags she wore.
Her long gray hair was braided loosely but the smugness in her expression remained ageless.
When she saw Victor, her lips curled into a mockingly wide grin.
"Well, well… if it isn't my favorite little thorn," she crooned. "Looks like they finally found you. Thought you'd keep hiding like a good boy."
Victor stepped forward while folding his arms as he gave her a disinterested look. "Still running your mouth, old hag?"
"You little...! I'm young! Damn you!" she voiced with a venomous tone. "Must be feeling mighty proud with that shiny sword of yours. But let me remind you—confidence often comes before a very ugly fall."
The City Lord stepped forward. "Enough games. Tell us what you meant. About the seal. About the material that 'will never be found.' What did you do?"
Serika grin faltered as she paused briefly. "...Excuse me?"
Victor smirked. "You talk to yourself a lot, huh? Shame someone happened to be listening."
Her expression twisted in realization. "That's… impossible. No one should've heard that."
"Guess you underestimated me again," Victor said coldly. "Now answer the question."
Serika's chuckle returned, though a little strained now. She leaned forward. "Even if I did say something, what can you possibly do? It's far too late. Many years ago, I made sure that one of the materials needed to reinforce the seal would no longer exist."
The City Lord narrowed his eyes. "What material?"
Serika's smile turned dark. "A rare plant… *Moonveil Thistle.* Grows only once every sixty years in a secluded glade within the Celestial Rift Basin... right where the Blight Swamps are located... Or rather—used to grow. I made sure that glade no longer exists. The ecosystem was delicate. All it took was the right corruption and a little spiritual fire."
"I even left a little trap," she continued gleefully. "Just in case some fool tried to check. A cursed trap with a beast bound to the place. Anyone who gets too close? They die. Painfully."
Victor clenched his fists. "Who did we send to retrieve that material?"
The City Lord grimaced. "...The assassin."
Victor turned to him with a chilling look.
He hadn't seen Tarkos in almost three weeks. Tarkos had departed a few days after they compiled the list of rare resources. Originally, he wouldn't have been sent but one of the cultivators that was supposed to show up, remained unavailable even after all others had left to retrieve the materials they were assigned to.
Tarkos wasn't given the most dangerous one but the danger threshold wasn't low either. It initially made sense but now, it was horrifying.
Victor's eyes narrowed. "He's been gone for three weeks already… There's no way to get to him in time, is there?"
The City Lord looked grim. "Even if we wanted to use a teleportation scroll, we can't pinpoint his exact location. The Celestial Rift Basin distorts spatial magic, anyone sent through a teleportation scroll could end up in a different location entirely. We don't even know if he's still alive."
Victor turned back to Serika, whose smile had only grown wider.
"You monsters always talk too much," he voiced with a sigh.
"Perhaps," she cooed. "But it doesn't change the truth, does it?"
"You put the life of my favorite NPC in danger... I'll deal with you when the time comes," Victor muttered as his thoughts raced.
If what she said was true, then the seal could not be reinforced.
If Tarkos was dead or the Moonveil Thistle remain unattainable, it could mean catastrophe.
Victor exhaled and turned to the City Lord. "There has to be something we can do."
"I'll send a communication flare to every known person around that region. If Tarkos is still alive, perhaps someone may spot him," the City Lord said. "But if not... we'll need a miracle."
"I'll go myself," Victor suddenly declared. "If Serika planted a trap for Tarkos, then we can't afford to wait. He's been gone too long."
The City Lord shook his head. "Fang Chen... you can't."
Victor turned with a scowl. "Why not?"
"Because you're the only one who can enter the Ancient Groves. The only one capable of handling the arrays that keep the corrupt immortals sealed. If anything goes wrong in that place, the world may face an extinction-level catastrophe. I can't allow the only qualified person to run off on a rescue mission."
Victor's lips tightened.
He knew the old man was right. The ancient seals were a ticking time bomb, and learning to properly reinforce or realign them was no child's play.
He low-key wondered how the game would turn out if he the corrupt immortals escaped. How both NPC and players would be affected and what the new quests/objectives might entail...
"I understand," Victor muttered while lowering his gaze. "But Tarkos—"
"I will send a specialized group after him. You focus on the Groves. But... if it'll give you peace of mind, you may meet the team before they set out."
Victor nodded slowly. "Then I want to see them. I need to know who I'm entrusting this to."
The plaza buzzed with excitement as players wandered the sunny streets of Blueflame City.
The massive digital bulletin board was swarmed by cultivators and adventurers alike. A new golden-framed quest had just appeared, glowing softly at the top of the mission list:
> [URGENT QUEST FROM CITY LORD – RANK: B]
> "Elite rescue and retrieval mission. Objective: locate and assist Assassin Tarkos.
> Realm Minimum: Nascent Soul.
> Reward: 5x Premium Treasure Boxes, City Lord's Favor, and a piece of Tier 3 Gear."
> — Limited Slots Available —