"Huh?"
The confused sound left Antares’ lips as he watched Ryuk begin gathering fragments from the destroyed skeletal remains. He then walked toward the graves and buried each item back where it was.
Then, with a subtle motion, he sealed the gates shut.
"What are you doing?" Antares asked.
After catching his breath, he appeared behind Ryuk, who had just shut the last grave after returning all that was missing.
"Returning things to what they were?" Ryuk replied with a hint of nonchalance, as Antares glanced at the graves before he simply shrugged.
"You know, those graves I opened were the ones I sensed were the weakest. And would you believe—they’re at the Eternity Stage, and they’re not even the strongest of the bunch."
"So, it means there are truly those stronger than Eternity... and they’re not just one. Maybe a dozen is just the starting point?"
"How did you even get your hands on this thing? The graves of so many strong experts?" he asked, as Ryuk’s brows furrowed, but Antares turned away.
"And there..." he suddenly said, pointing into the deep darkness of the Void.
"I can sense something horrifying from that place. It chills me to the bones. When I try to get close, my legs twitch from fear—unconsciously."
"And just to let you know, the times I’ve been afraid in my life, I can count them on one hand."
"This place is highly abnormal. And this grave point is like the only safe zone. If you turn away and go deeper, there are much, much worse things."
"And with dangers, of course, come opportunities. Have you ever thought of walking around and seeing things for yourself, and if you’re lucky enough, getting your hands on a treasure, maybe a weapon, hmm?" Antares asked, as Ryuk shrugged his shoulders.
"When I had it, I was very weak. Even touching the graves shocked me badly, and I just ignored them. If things are much worse like you said, then I’d probably die if I leave here."
"So, I haven’t gone away from this place."
"And whatever this place is, I don’t have no idea."
"It was an artifact I found that gave me this—part of a reward. And it’s not really mine, nor is it lost to me, nor do I have a map of everywhere burned into my head."
"I don’t know anything."
"And my advice to you is—just leave things alone as they are... or risk the chance of death if you venture around. I don’t know, you might find something good," Ryuk said with a shrug, as he floated back to the platform where he had last used to cultivated.
Antares would always want answers to what this space was, believing that since Ryuk had access to it, he must know a lot about it. He must be the "master." So he outright just told him the truth.
And truly, Ryuk had no idea what was out there.
He only ever stayed in this Grave Region because it was what he needed for his Void Cultivation’s first level.
Anything else—any other zones—he hadn’t reached that level, so no need to wander around.
If Antares wanted to wander and go look for opportunities, Ryuk wouldn’t stop him. Just warn him that he could very well die—and that he wouldn’t care less.
He already warned him anyway.
"Tsk, not even a bit adventurous," Antares said, trying to strike a chord, but he only watched as the young man sat down on the platform.
"What are you doing?"
"Hey, Antares, what’s the most concentrated energy here?" Ryuk asked back as Antares answered.
"Void energy. It’s literally everywhere."
"Correct. So, isn’t this the best place to cultivate Void Energy, hmm?" he asked, as Antares nodded his head.
"I guess you’re right. You’re a dual elementalist. Those are rare," Antares said.
He had seen Ryuk pull off those void-based abilities during their battle, and he had also watched him use his ice. And of course, those were special elementalists—those who could use an element only to have it possess another special effect.
But looking at Ryuk, who seemed to want to cultivate just Void energy as a separate force...
That was a sign of a dual elementalist.
"Good, it’s all clear now," Ryuk said before he balanced his breath, entering into a quiet state before closing his eyes.
’Hey System, please keep count of the time. Once it’s exactly 30 hours, then alert me to go out,’ Ryuk said inwardly.
]No problem,] the System replied.
And finally, his last worries faded away as he was about to review the information of the Void Aura Grimoire in his head to make sure he knew what he was going to do next, when the voice came in.
"Hey."
It was Antares, and Ryuk groaned in exasperation.
"I’m trying to cultivate."
"I know. But do you know that a cultivator’s meditation stage is the easiest time to catch them in a good sneak attack and kill them off with one stroke? My point is—it’s your most vulnerable state."
"You sure you want to go in that state without first checking the surroundings and ensuring everything is, um... safe?" Antares asked, as Ryuk rolled his eyes, sensing what he was concealing under the surface.
"To be honest, Antares. You’re right. Meditating is dangerous because one’s consciousness is drowned in blankness and slumber, and it’s the best time for a sneak attack to come too."
"But this isn’t my first time cultivating here, and I had been safe. The only difference is—you weren’t there the last time."
"So the only one who can make me unsafe... is you giving me a punch right in the head while I’m cultivating," he said, as Antares’ brows tightened.
"And why would I do such a cowardly thing? If I want your ass whooped, I’d wait for you to get out of cultivation and give you a nice whooping," Antares said matter-of-factly, as Ryuk chuckled in mockery.
"You keep talking about getting my ass whooped. You still think you can whoop my ass again?" he asked humorously, as Antares laughed out loud.
"Kid. Did you know—I am thrice stronger than the first time we met? Hahaha!" Antares said, laughing boldly at Ryuk, who raised up his head and laughed out loud in mockery too until...
[He’s right, and really it’s strange. My scan are showing that his energy wave have somehow risen to three times the last time he fought you] The system said but Ryuk wouldn’t fall for that crap.
"Oh yeah? Then why were you getting pushed around by those skeletons? You were quite on a pretty bad foot when I came in—as if one more second and you’d fall to your death."
"And those skeletons aren’t even that strong. They’re like initial-stage Eternity experts."
"And you still struggled against just four of them. Seems like to me, you got weaker compared to the previous you, instead."