Chapter 865 D 6
Seeing the expression of shock on Daneel's face, Elanev smirked before saying, "The old man said you would figure it out without me needing to say anything. Yes, this was always the end result in mind…and isn't it glorious?"
He spread out his arms as he said this, and when he did, his whole body seemed to radiate with power.
Faxul watched on with awe, as he could tell that the power being displayed by Elanev was rapidly rising with each second.
One, two, and finally…three.
An increase of three minor realms!
Daneel could tell that Elanev had 'switched on' his Champion Path for them to see.
Before, when he had woken up, it was unconscious, but now, seeing it in full effect was really something else.
However…was it really safe to use it so soon after breaking through?
"Heok! Cough- Dammit, it hurts!"
Right as Daneel got this thought, Elanev actually…coughed out blood and collapsed to the ground.
"That's what you get for showing off! I told you to do it later! You're too weak now, boy! Besides, this is just the beginning! We are going to take this to the Hero level and make sure that my name- er, I mean, your name echoes throughout the Heavens forever! It's just the start! Hahahaha!"
The old man who had only made his presence known using his voice till now appeared above Elanev as this happened, and it made the two of them understand that it must be backlash from pushing himself when in a weakened state.
They knew their elder brother's penchant for theatrics, so it was noting to be too surprised about.
Elanev's cheeks blushed as he heard this, and he started to curse under his breath before beginning to argue with his master about how he should have helped in his display, rather than coming out to admonish him in this way.
Seeing the two quarreling as if everything was back to normal, Daneel smiled, and at the moment, the thing he felt most was relief: relief that his elder brother was all right, and that he had obtained a level of power that he was happy with.
And with this thought…came the images of all those on the outside whose memories he had had to wipe before running like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Tightening his fist with anger, Daneel let a little bit of that anger engulf him before locking it back up.
The result…was renewed determination to definitely accomplish what he wished here.
"Take a rest. You're useless like this, anyway. Spend a few hours to train and get back to the peak, while Faxul and I look around. Don't worry, we won't get into any danger."
Hearing Daneel's stoic tone, the other two were also reminded of the dire situation they were in.
Steeling his face, Elanev let go of his goofy attitude and promptly sat down before taking out a few Key Gems and beginning to replenish all the Energy he had lost during the chase and the subsequent breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Faxul came to Daneel's side, and together, they made their way to the door that they had ignored until now.
In the entire room, there was nothing else of import- Daneel had already scanned it using the system, and he had been notified that the door was open.
It could not scan anything beyond the walls, though, but that was to be expected: this was the costliest project that the Empire had undertaken, and they had not skimped anywhere.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door, and suddenly…a stench unlike no other drifter into their nostrils.
Together, Daneel and Faxul began coughing incessantly before using a spell to drive away the putrid essence that was invading them.
Thankfully, they had only taken in the slightest bit of the smell before activating their barriers, but even then, their eyes began to water and they had to take a minute to get back to normal.
Finally, when they did adjust…the image that greeted them made them stand rooted to the spot.
In front of them was a large hall, whose ceiling they could not even see because of the general gloom that was prevalent everywhere.
Even without any source of light except that which fell out of the room they were in, they could tell that it was a gigantic place that could easily hold hundreds within it.
Although they couldn't really see the whole place clearly, this fact stood out to them, and the reason behind this was also apparent: extravagance.
A place that had as pompous a name as 'Elysium' would definitely have to live up to the expectations that one would feel about how the inside would be. And this room…definitely did not disappoint.
Even in the limited area they could see, multiple sets of armor and weapons of the highest quality that were there just for decoration could be seen.
The room was circular, and there were other doors just like theirs to the sides. These were mostly the other reception areas, and so, the one that they had entered must be some kind of 'common area' where those entering Elysium could congregate.
The walls and floor were made of rock smoothed as if by the hands of giants, and even after all these years, the level of perfection that had gone into creating them could be seen.
Glancing at Faxul and nodding, Daneel flicked his fingers, and a large globe of light appeared in the air to illuminate the entire room.
As the entire thing was revealed to them, the two could only stand there and marvel.
Daneel had been right: the point was to give an extravagant welcome to whoever was coming to this place.
Golden streamers hung down from the ceiling, and the smooth walls were covered with lavish paintings, too, apart from all the weapons and sets of armor that shone faintly even with the dust that covered them.
There were many other details to notice, too, but at once, the gazes of the two were diverted to a spot right in the center, which had been hidden in the darkness until now.
As they observed what lay there, it was as if their eyes had been caught in a spell, as what they saw defied all the expectations that they had had regarding this place.
Nine chairs stood in a straight line. Of them, the one in the middle was a throne which was grander even than the one that Daneel was accustomed to sit on.
It was studded with Ker Gems, from the tall back to the four legs which were artfully carved with the likenesses of different Godbeasts.
The other chairs, 4 on each side of this one were also thrones, albeit not as extravagant.
Yet, it was actually the inhabitants of all of these thrones which drew all the attention of the two Kings of the Central Continent.
Indeed…they were not empty, and the ones sitting on them were not dead bodies, either.
"Welcome to Elysium! This is the last bastion of Angaria: built to withstand an Apocalypse, itself, and to act as the seed that will bloom into a new age if doom ever befalls our beautiful continent. State your purpose, and you shall be directed to where you need to go."
The voice that boomed in the enormous chamber was familiar, and so was the man who said it.
It was Emperor Fenoras in his prime, and he was truly a sight to behold.
In the giant form that had awed Daneel once, he gazed at them serenely, and as for those that sat on both sides of him, they looked on, too, as if waiting for an answer.
Observing them, Daneel saw that he could tell who they were: these were the Emperor's most trusted and feared commanders and followers, and each of them had a story that would need a book to be written if justice was to be done to their accomplishments.
"I wish to use the training resources stored here to save the continent from a foe who threatens to destroy it."
Daneel only gave this answer because it was what was on his mind. By now, it was clear that this was another formation induced welcome, and it was certainly one of higher quality, due to the fact that it was still functioning after all these years.
For a few seconds after he said the statement, nothing happened, but just as he was about to ignore the nine individuals, the same voice was heard again.
"The resources you seek are stored in a vault within the deepest reaches of this grand undertaking of my Empire. If you have the permission to access them, you will face no resistance. Go through that door after verifying your identity. Glory be to Angaria!"
With that, all nine individuals disappeared.
Letting out a sigh, Daneel said, "Well, at least we know that some formations still work. We should-"
Midsentence, Daneel stopped as he turned in the direction that had been pointed at by the Emperor before disappearing.
There, the first thing that one would see was a pair of tall doors which were closed, but on the floor in front of them was the thing that had made him stop talking.
A skeleton lay there, with its back to the doors, and it was almost as if it had been keeping them closed with its presence.
Due to the sheer size of the room, Daneel had noticed it until now. At least a few hundred people could easily inhabit it with no want for space, so it was to be expected that some things would stay unnoticed until one carefully went through every inch of the large area.
Daneel had only ascertained that there were no threats, as he had decided that he would investigate everything by himself, instead of asking the system to give him a summary.
Hurrying forward, he saw a letter placed neatly in front of the skeleton which was a few sizes bigger than an ordinary human, and picking it up, he read it out loud for Faxul's benefit.
"Here I stood watch in life, and here I shall take eternal rest. We chose this fate, and we are proud to have been of service. Glory be to Angaria!"
As the words echoed in the chamber, Faxul and Daneel looked at the skeleton with perplexed expressions on their faces.
What was going on?
After a second, Daneel saw a book tucked in the robes worn by the man, whoever he was.
Unlike their master, they were not close to falling apart after decomposing, and bending forward, Daneel picked it up before noticing that it was a diary.
As he began reading it, the tale began to unfold, and together…the two of them became completely engrossed.
"The 543rd Year of the Empire, Morning.
Today shall be my last day. I can feel it. Although I have clung to life much more firmly than all of my companions, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would come to save us, all that has resulted in is me being alone. When we swore to seal Elysium and stay within to stand guard, we knew what we were getting into. None of us have regretted our actions, but was it all worth it? If someone is reading this, I beg you to answer. Did our sacrifice work? Was Angaria saved? Have we returned to the glory we had? Haha, I don't know why I care, but I do. Whatever the case, I leave this world with doubt and regret. Oh, Felicia, if only I could see you one more time…"