The Law Initiate was the last tier of cultivation in the mortal world. The old man before him was such a powerhouse.
And he was alive. Rhys arched his brows.
’To think that I would see a living man in this group of dead people, how interesting,’ Rhys thought.
The shock of seeing a Tier 8 cultivation level was immense, but the fact that this man was alive, unlike the other Wanderers, was even more surprising.
’But how did his cultivation fall from Tier 8 all the way down to Tier 4?’ He was very interested to know the reason for this.
[The entity is classified as alive because its soul is still active,] the System explained in his mind.
[However, he has nothing that a living being is supposed to have. His physical body has almost completely disappeared. He is just a soul living under a shell of skin and bone.]
’So he is a living corpse?’
[That is an accurate, if crude, description.]
’What could cause something like that?’ Rhys wondered.
[Analysing the entity’s unique Trait...]
[Trait: Sands of a Thousand Years.]
[Description: The Sands of a Thousand Years is a powerful Trait that allows the user to sacrifice parts of their own physical body to manipulate the flow of time in a small area.
Every time this power is used, a part of the user’s body stops working and begins to decay, which is the reason for the Elder’s current weakened and shrivelled state.]
’Time manipulation... Can it be considered the use of a conceptual element?’
[No and Yes. No, because him having a conceptual element in his Trait does not cause a ’reality move’ or a ’crash’. From a technical point of view, it is not against the heavens because he was born with it. Yes, because of that same conceptual element, he has to pay a price. Here, it is his body parts.]
’I have Void in my constitution. The price for that was my lifespan, right?’
[...]
’If I did not have an infinite lifespan, I could not have this constitution, or my lifespan would be dried out by it, right?’
[...]
’Then what will be the prices for the rest of the conceptual elements?’
Only time could tell. In any case, conceptual elements were too powerful. Only if someone had enough capability to pay the price.
Elder Solon had a profound look, staring at him. An immense, invisible pressure suddenly washed over Rhys.
He felt as if his body was being buried alive in mud, but in his brain. This was the spiritual probe of a Tier 8 powerhouse. It was a force that should have instantly shattered the soul of a Body Tempering cultivator.
Rhys felt his own consciousness start to buckle under the strain. The world began to go dark at the edges of his vision. But then, his constitution reacted.
His Void-Tempered Immortal Body was not just a physical shell; it was a vessel forged from a concept that stood outside the normal laws of the world.
It resisted the mental pressure, its innate nature refusing to be dominated. A new notification from the System appeared in his mind.
[Host is under sustained pressure from a high-tier mental and spiritual probe.]
[The Void-Tempered Immortal Body is adapting to the conceptual pressure to protect the Host’s soul...]
[A new lifeskill is being formed...]
[Lifeskill [Will of the Sand] has been acquired.]
[About: A mental attack skill that floods the target’s mind with the overwhelming sensation of being buried and suffocated by sand. This causes confusion, disrupts concentration, and can paralyse weaker-willed enemies with terror.]
The moment the skill was acquired, the terrifying pressure lessened. It did not disappear, but it no longer felt as if it was crushing him.
It was now like a heavy blanket, uncomfortable but bearable. A surprised expression appeared on Elder Solon’s face.
[Eggy is saying it wants to break the old man’s nose.]
’Same.’
[It is also saying the two corpses are the same; both of them should be beaten.]
Rhys glanced at Yuki and shook his head.
Elder Solon looked past Bael. He looked past Rhys. His ancient eyes focused directly on Yuki.
"Leave us," Elder Solon said. His voice was weak and raspy, like the sound of dry leaves skittering across stone, but it was filled with an undeniable authority.
Bael looked surprised. "But, Elder..."
But the Elder’s eyes were not on him. They were on Yuki. Rhys could feel a coldness sweeping into the surroundings.
Time itself appeared to be freezing as visible ice started to crack the atmosphere. Rhys held Yuki’s hands, shaking his head.
The dangerous atmosphere melted away the same way it came. Bael breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead, and gasped upon seeing ice stains there.
"You go," Rhys muttered in her ear. "But..." "Shh," his fingers touched her lips. He leaned closer and looked straight into her eyes. "I will let you eat me as you like after this." "Cough!" Bael choked on his own saliva after hearing his words. Meanwhile, Yuki happily nodded with a smile, having no idea how beautiful it was.
[Host, we have other urgent priorities now.]
’A man can’t neglect his primal priorities.’ Bael bowed, looking eager to run away from here.
"As you wish, Elder." He turned around and waited a few seconds for Yuki to follow. Yuki nodded at Rhys and went out with him.
Now, only he and the Elder were left in the room.
"Do not be afraid, child of the outside," Elder Solon said. His voice was weak and raspy, but it was surprisingly calm.
"If I wanted to harm you, you would already be dust."
Rhys had a strange expression on his face.
’When was I scared?’
[Let the old man live in his delusions.]
"I am Solon," the old man said. "The last living person in this forgotten place."
His words confirmed that he knew everyone else here was dead. Rhys was surprised.
"Don’t be scared, child of the outside."
Again? What was that for? He wasn’t scared at all!
"Those people," Solon continued, "they are echoes. Memories of the people who once lived in my tribe, long ago. They are trapped in a cycle, forever repeating their final days, unaware of their true nature. They are a part of my long, lonely prison."
"Prison?" Rhys asked for no reason.
"The labyrinth," Elder Solon said, his gaze distant.
"You know it is a labyrinth?"
"Don’t be—"
"I am not scared anymore," Rhys cut off his words. "When did you know it was a labyrinth?"
"When you came here," Elder Solon said as a matter of fact.
"Ohh..."
"Don’t be—"
"I am really not scared."
"Ahem." Elder Solon cleared his throat while Eggy laughed through their bond. The little egg was very happy to hear the funny corpse’s words.
[Eggy is saying let’s kidnap this old man and leave Yuki behind.] The System sounded as if it was agreeing.
’You hate Yuki now too?’
[...]
"I was trapped here thousands of years ago," the reminiscent voice of the Elder woke him up.
"Trapped by whom?"
"A being whose power is beyond that of a god. I have been here ever since, watching my people fade into memories, watching the world outside change in ways I can only imagine."
Rhys felt a sense of pity for the old man. To be trapped for so long, alone with only ghosts for company... it was a terrible fate.
"Why are you telling me this?" Rhys asked.
"Because you are an outsider," Elder Solon said, his sharp eyes focusing on Rhys again. "You are not a part of this cycle. That means you are the only one who can break it. I have a plan to defeat the Tyrant storm, a plan I have worked on for centuries."
"Then why don’t you try it yourself?"
"I will die if I try."
"Then you want me to die?" Rhys almost cursed the old corpse.