Gargoyle
“All my efforts in coming here are for your sake.” The old man watched his grandson lovingly.
“You have the best talent in our family. As long as you have a high-grade meditation technique and magic artifact, advancing to rank 2 and rank 3 will definitely not be an issue. You even have hope of reaching Morning Star!”
The old man was so emotional that he trembled, on the verge of spitting froth.
This immediately caused Leylin, who was hidden, to roll his eyes. He was the most qualified to talk about the difficulty of reaching Morning Star, and this old man was just spouting nonsense.
If one could reach Morning Star with just better talent and a high-grade meditation technique, the continent would not have so many Crystal Phase Magi who had lived out their lives without being able to advance.
However, Leylin did not think them completely wrong. The many planes were so vast, and if their ancestor really had some method of reaching the Morning Star realm unimpeded, it could very well be possible.
“But...” The young grandson seemed to hesitate, seemingly not believing in this judgement. If not for the tomb of his ancestor, and his blood-related grandfather bringing him here, he might even have had plans of leaving.
“Awakening the ancestor’s spirit and honour with my blood and heading towards the door of success, with hell as the final destination...”
The old man took a silver-white dagger and sliced his wrist, dripping the blood on the roots. He continuously chanted something, as if conducting a solemn ceremony.
With the blood spreading everywhere, coupled with the eerie surroundings, the young boy shrunk back.
“Grandpa, look!” All of a sudden, his pupils shrunk and he tugged at the old man’s sleeves while beginning to yell.
Following his gaze, the blood on the tree roots had been absorbed by the soil and roots quickly. It was as if water had been sprinkled on a sponge.
“This is a defensive mechanism that our family set up. Only the blood of the descendants, coupled with the correct chants, can open it...”
The old man spoke slowly. However, Leylin’s eyes lit up with suspicion, “A bloodline lock. A bloodline lock again! Could they be a Warlock family? They don’t have any Warlock undulations on them though...”
*Huala!* After absorbing the old man’s blood, the giant walnut tree’s messy arrangement of branches began to tremble, and the trunk turned a bloody red.
*Ka-cha!* All of a sudden, the middle of the trunk cracked apart to form a hole, and a passageway that led downwards could be seen.
“Follow me!” The old man walked ahead, and the young grandson followed closely behind, hands tugging tightly on the old man’s sleeves. He appeared terrified.
Leylin bowed his head in thought for a moment, but eventually followed behind them.
The passage was short, and in no time they reached a tomb.
The old man lit an oil lamp in the middle, and under the dim light the tomb presented itself to Leylin.
This underground room was very small. There were two gargoyles at two ends, seemingly standing guard over the place.
Between the two gargoyle guards, a stone coffin appeared before them, with sealing runes on the surface.
The young man’s teeth began to chatter as he pulled at his grandpa’s sleeves tightly, “This- There’s nothing here at all. Let’s leave as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling about this...”
“What are you afraid of?” The old man flung his sleeve in annoyance, and a stream of air began to flow. The light breeze blew over the lights and darkened the tomb.
“Look closely!” The old man’s voice was hoarse and full of emotion that he could not conceal, “I lit the lamp just so you could see this...”
The young man could not help but widen his eyes, his pupils enlarging as well. Through the dark yellow flames, he could see a great number of coloured murals on the walls of the tomb. Through the murals, he could see the process of a Magus acolyte struggling ahead, from rank 1 to rank 3.
After that, there was a legendary battle. The Magus in the mural, who was also the owner of the tomb, seemed to have obtained something in the battle and reached Morning Star.
The young man’s eyes widened. However, other than a scaly monster with multiple eyes and arms battling his ancestor, he recognised nothing else.
“This is the most brilliant piece of our ancestor’s history. It only appears when this oil lamp is lit...”
The old man’s voice showed his pride, “If it’s an outsider who doesn’t know this mechanism, they will be attacked!”
Leylin had hidden in a crevice in the shadows. He was surprised by the mural on the wall. The monster that had eventually been killed was one he had seen before, on another mural. “We meet again, Beelzebub. Or should I say the Sovereign King of Gluttony?”
Leylin’s voice was light but resolute.
In ancient times, a clone of the Sovereign King of Gluttony descended upon the Magus world, causing large numbers of casualties. It was eventually killed, body split into countless pieces.
One of the pieces fell into the hands of the Quicksand organisation, becoming the cause of the Parble Family’s tragedy after Robin obtained it.
It seemed like the owner of the tomb had once been a participant in that great war, and had been extremely fortunate to obtain a gluttony imprint.
‘Then it’s obvious how this fellow advanced to Morning Star after victory,’ Leylin touched his chin, “With the power of gluttony, spurring on one’s spiritual force to break through and reach the Morning Star realm is quite possible!”
He already had an imprint like this in his hands, and had even been prepared to use it to advance to the Morning Star realm. However, he had already made ample preparations and ended up not needing external support. Leylin had no wish to be connected to Beelzebub anyway.
This was someone who was probably at or above rank 7! Just a finger would be enough to crush the current Leylin. It was obvious why he would not want to have any connection with him. Even if something related to Beelzebub fell at his feet, Leylin would want nothing to do with it.
“Based on the records of the ancestor, his meditation technique, as well as the treasure that can help one break through, are all within the coffin, accompanying his long sleep...”
The elderly Magus’ eyes shot out a piercing glare as he ambled forward slowly, arriving in front of the coffin.
A mechanism was activated, creaking sounds coming out as a red light shot out of the two gargoyle’s eyes. They shrugged off their stone skin and pounced towards the old Magus.
*Weng!* A golden membrane suddenly rose on the Magus’ body, separating the sharp claws of the gargoyles from his person.
A look of disbelief appeared on the old Magus’ face, “I am his descendant and came with directions. Why am I being attacked?”
*Creak!* The gargoyles would not answer him. The two immediately let out piercing sound waves, and as the berserk waves swept through the acolyte immediately fainted.
“Blu!” The old man’s eyes turned red, hands morphing into beast talons.
*Ka-cha!* He grabbed hold of one gargoyle and viciously ripped it into two. Great amounts of soil and rocks flew everywhere, and the other stood very still, the light on its body reserved. It began to emanate a violent energy.
“Want to self-destruct?” Light burst out of the old Magus’ eyes as he charged to the front. A thick layer of light, alike to the kind emitted by a Spear Spell, covered his sharp claws.
*Pu!* A single claw swept forward, and went through the gargoyle’s body like a knife through hot butter. With a twist of his hand, a giant mechanical heart was gouged out.
After losing its power core, the aura on the gargoyle crackled and disappeared, leaving it dead.
“Blu, Blu! Wake up!” The old man undid the transformation of his hands, and a green radiance that was full of vitality wrapped around the young boy.
Minutes later, the young boy came to, looking dazed.
“This is probably not the ancestor’s tomb, but a place sealing some terrifying thing. If not, why would this sort of guard be around?” The first thing the young man did after waking up was warn his grandfather.
“I’m not willing to leave just like this!” The old Magus’ eyes turned red, and he looked stubborn, “Perhaps, those two protectors were a test by the ancestor, or a joke on the younger generation...”
Even so, even he himself could not believe his words.
However, his perseverance and the cry in his heart were urging him to open the coffin and obtain the things within.
“I’ll take just one look, I promise! Then we’ll seal this place and leave immediately!” The old man’s eyes were distant as he approached and pushed the cover of the stone coffin away, revealing the items within.
“Hm?!” Leylin, who had been watching at the side, suddenly had a change of expression.
What was inside the giant coffin was indeed the remains of a Magus. His body was rather thin, but his hair and eyebrows were still present. He looked lifelike, and the imposing aura of a Morning Star emanated from his body.
Though his eyes were tightly closed, his features were extremely sharp, with a steadfast resolution and strength. His hands were folded before his chest as if holding something.
With Leylin’s eyes, he was able to see a stone rune without any trouble. Though it was different from what he had, this was definitely a true gluttony imprint!
“I told you there’s a treasure!” The old Magus was in a bad situation. He looked dazed, as if he was being controlled by something. He went forward, hands reaching for the rune.
“Grandpa!” Just as his fingers were about to touch the rune, the young boy’s cries pulled him back.
“What’s going on? Why am I here?” The old man was bewildered, but immediately after, a stranger situation occurred.
With wailing that sounded like hell reappearing, multiple black shadow fingers appeared within the tomb, threads of black gas being dispelled from the old man’s bosom.