Chapter Ten

Diegen moved slowly and cautiously towards the tower, taking care not to alert any nearby skeletons. This part of the rocky cavern was dimly lit, with small patches of moss and lichen clinging to the walls of the buildings around him. The sound of his footsteps softly echoed off the rough stone walls, and he could feel the chill of the damp air on his skin.

His stealth skills, ranked as Advanced in the Discovery stage, were enough to keep him hidden in the shadows, making it difficult for others to detect him unless they were actively searching. The sound of his breathing was barely audible as he crept towards the tower, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger.

Though he knew he could take down some skeletons with his stealth ring, there was a limit to how many times he could use it. If he found himself out of charges while facing a skeleton, there was no telling whether he would be able to successfully take it down and hide before the others were alerted. If an Astral skeleton found him, he was almost certain that he wouldn't be able to get away unscathed, charge or no charge.

Careful not to get caught off guard, Diegen took the long way to the tower, carefully stepping over loose rocks and avoiding any noisy debris. As Diegen drew closer, the air seemed to grow colder, and he shivered. He looked up at the tower and saw that it cast a long shadow that stretched out into the cavern, its edges fuzzy and indistinct. The tower was white and dimly lit, lending it an ethereal quality.

He took a moment to catch his breath and calm his racing heart before stepping any closer. The sound of his footsteps became muted as he stepped onto a patch of soft, spongy moss. He took a deep breath and caught a whiff of earthy, damp vegetation mixed with a hint of something metallic.

Diegen's eyes darted around, scanning the area for any sign of danger. He could see nothing but shadows and the occasional glint of reflected light off wet rocks. He continued on, each careful step taken with precision, until he finally reached the base of the tower.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he patted himself on the back for a job well done, knowing that he probably wouldn't have been able to do the same thing just a few weeks ago. He felt good knowing that he was growing in real-time.

As if it was congratulating him as well, the tower seemed to shine brighter than ever. Diegen was in awe of its impressive size and construction. The tower was built entirely of interlocking stone brackets that spiralled upwards in a seamless and impressive manner. The light from the tower cast flickering shadows on the cavern walls, creating an eerie and mesmerizing effect. Diegen had seen diagrams of the tower's construction during his explorations of the village, but seeing it in person was a different experience.

He had never seen anything like it before, and it was clear that the village's inhabitants had put a great deal of time and effort into constructing it. He couldn't imagine how they had managed to build such an impressive structure in the middle of this rocky cavern. Who were these people? Did they have some sort of special knowledge or power that allowed them to construct such an incredible feat of engineering?

It made him wonder what the purpose of the tower was. There was no way that a village in the middle of this sort of place just randomly decided to build a tower here. He'd initially thought that it was built to help distribute light throughout the cavern, but he was pretty sure there was more to it than that. He had found tablet drawings of towers with a flower at the bottom and an eye at the top during his explorations of the village. He had no idea what the flower represented, but the eye seemed religious in nature. He even suspected that it represented a Deity.

Diegen knew of the Seven Deities of the Church, which were the most popular of the Deities that he knew of, but there were others that were worshipped by smaller sects across the galaxy. None of the Seven Deities was symbolized by a giant eye as far as he knew, so perhaps the village's inhabitants worshipped one of those lesser known Deities and had constructed this tower in its name.

In any case, Diegen couldn't wait to explore the tower and see what secrets it held. He felt a thrill of excitement as he imagined what he might find inside. Would there be ancient artifacts or lost knowledge waiting to be discovered? Or perhaps there would be treasure that would make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.

As he approached the tower from the shadows, he noticed golden threads protruding out from a spot in the tower, wiggling in their strange manner. He checked whether the coast was clear and crept closer to investigate, finding a small keyhole that reminded him of the stone key he had discovered earlier. He inserted the key, and a small passage opened up, revealing a path into the tower.

"Hell yeah!" he said excitedly, but he did so a little too loudly. He winced at the loudness of his own voice, which was certain to draw unwanted attention, and dashed inside. The door shut behind him before he had a chance to see if any of the skeletons had reacted to his voice, but he had no doubt they were converging on his location. He ducked behind the inside wall, wary of skeletons barging into the tower at any moment. However, he forgot all about it when he saw his surroundings, which were as mesmerizing as they were beautiful.

The inner chamber of the tower was a sight to behold, with murals that seemed to come alive as they adorned the walls. Each painting told a unique story, depicting scenes that were both awe-inspiring and hauntingly beautiful. The colors were vivid, and the details were intricate, showcasing the villagers' skill and dedication to their craft. He had no idea what materials they used to achieve such an effect, but it was nothing like he had ever seen.

One mural, in particular, caught Diegen's attention. It portrayed three Sa'nasi, with their heads bowed before a colossal eye that seemed to be watching over them. The eye itself was an intricate work of art, with each individual lash and iris etched with precision. Diegen couldn't help but wonder if this was a depiction of a religious ceremony or if it held some deeper meaning that he couldn't yet comprehend.

As he moved on to the next mural, his gaze fell upon a poignant scene. It showed a heavily pregnant Sa'nasi woman being attended to by a group of helpers. They were tending to her every need, bringing her food and water, and even fanning her with palm fronds to keep her cool. The attention to detail was impressive, with the women's faces etched with expressions of love and care. Diegen wondered if this mural represented their culture's reverence for motherhood or a significant moment from their past.

Finally, his eyes fell on the drawing of the cub sitting on a cliff with a flower in her ear. The image sparked a deep sense of familiarity within him, and he felt a surge of emotions that he couldn't quite put into words. It was as if he had seen this exact scene before, but he couldn't remember where or when.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he suddenly remembered the vivid dream he had before. The two scenes were eerily similar, and he couldn't help but wonder how this image found its way into his subconscious. Was it a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play?

Diegen shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It was impossible for him to understand why his dreams and reality seemed to overlap in such a strange way. But the unease he felt continued to linger, as if there was something he was missing, something important that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

At the center of the chamber was a pedestal with intricate carvings, and Diegen's unease grew as he studied it. The carvings of the flower on the pedestal were exactly the same as the one in the cub's ear in his dream. The lifelike depiction was eerie, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

Inside the pedestal was a dark, grainy substance that he couldn't identify. As he leaned in to examine it, the musty smell made him feel nauseous. The shimmer emanating from it intensified, causing an uncomfortable tingling in his fingertips. He dared not touch it, and diverted his attention away to search the rest of the chamber.

Diegen's nose wrinkled at the pungent stench emanating from the three stone jugs he found. The jugs were crudely carved and covered in grime, and the liquid inside looked thick and viscous. He couldn't quite place the smell, but it reminded him of rotting vegetation and stagnant water.

Next to the jugs was a fancy stone knife, intricately carved with symbols he couldn't decipher. The blade gleamed in the dim light of the chamber, and he couldn't help but wonder why someone would leave such a valuable tool behind.

Finally, he spotted a dusty pouch tucked away in a corner. As he reached for it, a cloud of dust puffed up, making him cough and sneeze.

As he examined each of the items, notifications popped up in his vision.

—-

Blessed Elixir of Castitas (Legendary)

Artifact - Consumable

This elixir, blessed by the divine, will greatly increase a single stat of your choosing.

—-

Blessed Knife of Castitas (Rare)

Artifact - One-handed weapon

A knife used to cut the stem of the flower known as Anima. Only a knife blessed by the divine may sever the connection of Anima with the world without cursing the wielder with infinite misfortune.

—-

Rift Pouch (Epic)

Artifact - Utility

Allows the user to store items in a dimensional rift that is eight cubic meters in volume.

—-

Despite the unsettling feeling lingering in the back of his mind, Diegen's excitement grew with each notification that popped up before his eyes. His heart quickened as he read the descriptions of the artifacts he had found, unable to believe his luck. Five valuable treasures in one go, it was more than he could have hoped for.

The three stone jugs filled with a foul-smelling liquid made him wrinkle his nose, but the promise of increased stats made the stench bearable. The fancy stone knife was a thing of beauty, with intricate carvings that caught the flickering light of his torch, and while he already had a weapon, he figured that he might need another at some point. The dusty pouch, though worn and aged, turned out to be an Epic artifact that could store things in a dimensional rift, whatever that was.

He couldn't resist the urge to do a little dance of joy in the chamber, but the unease crept back in as he cleared his throat and pondered which stat he should increase. The decision weighed heavy on him, knowing that he also had two unused ability points from levelling up. He couldn't afford to make a mistake.

None of his stats had been able to go beyond the Discovery stage for a good while now, even if he had been exerting himself physically every single day. He had even taken down probably a hundred skeletons or more. He was incredibly curious what would happen if he went beyond to the Awakened stage, and if he could use an elixir to do so.

As he reached for the first jug, deciding between strength and agility, red threads shot out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around his hand.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Diegen almost cried out in surprise. He was sure this was the effect of his path-related ability, ‘Threads of Fate’, but this was the first time he'd seen red ones. "Hey, what's the deal here?" Diegen said, looking at the threads. "I just want to upgrade my stats."

The threads remained silent, but their grip tightened when Diegen tried to reach for the jug again.

"Look, I'm not going to do anything crazy, okay? I just want to be a little bit stronger."

The threads remained steadfast, not loosening their grip even as Diegen tried to pull away.

"..."

He wondered what sort of ability would try and stop him like this, but he sighed, guessing that he would be even more foolish to try and fight against his own ability. They were his own, after all, and so far they had only been helpful. If they were trying to keep him from drinking the contents of those jugs, they must have some reason for it.

Diegen let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, have it your way. But if I die because of this, it's on you."

He turned his attention to the pouch, hoping that at least he could store the jugs for later use. When he opened the pouch, a holographic image of a room appeared before him, and he looked at it in disbelief.

"What the heck is this?" he muttered, trying to figure out how to navigate the strange display. "How do I even get it in there?"

Diegen peered at the holographic image, trying to make sense of it. The room looked real enough, with four walls and a ceiling, but it was definitely not physical. He could see every detail of the room, from the cracks in the walls to the texture of the floor.

He noticed a small menu in the corner of the display, and as he touched it, a list of options appeared. He read through them carefully.

"Okay, let's see," he muttered to himself. "Select 'Add Item'...then, 'Place Item.' Got it."

He reached for the first jug, and this time no threads appeared to stop him from doing so. But before he could touch it, a message popped up on the menu. "Warning: Do not store living beings in the Dimensional Rift. Use at your own risk."

Diegen rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously. Who would be dumb enough to store a live animal or something in here?"

He selected the options and watched as the holographic room expanded, revealing shelves and cabinets where he could store the jugs. He carefully placed the first one on a shelf and closed the menu. The holographic image vanished, and the pouch felt lighter in his hand.

"Wow," he said, still trying to process what he had just witnessed. "That's amazing. I wonder if I can store anything in there."

He opened the pouch again and reached for the fancy stone knife. As he touched it, the holographic image of the room appeared again. This time, he was more confident, and he quickly added the knife to the collection.

He placed the other two jugs in his Rift Pouch beside the first, and also threw in the stone key, the map tablet, and the black bone he’d found earlier. The half-rotten, cooked fish that he had packed for today’s meal also went into the pouch. Then, he closed the pouch and tucked it into his pocket.

“Nice,” he commented, feeling pretty pleased with himself despite not having used the elixirs. He briefly considered using his ability points, but if there was a reason that his ‘Threads of Fate’ ability was telling him not to use the elixir, maybe there was a reason he shouldn’t use those points either.

With that, Diegen was more than ready to leave this creepy chamber. The sooner he left, the better. He took one last glance at the unsettling mural that depicted a scene from his dream before beginning his ascent. He couldn't help remembering that at the end of that dream, the little cub on the cliff had died, and a chill ran down his spine.

As he walked up the spiral staircase that wound around the outside of the tower, his unease grew. The staircase groaned and rattled with every step he took, and he could feel the rough stone beneath his feet. The ascent was long and arduous, and as he continued climbing, he passed by narrow windows that were beaming reflected light from within the tower, casting strange shadows on the walls of the cavern below. His shadow grew larger and larger, stretching out before him like a dark abyss.

When he got close enough to the top of the tower that he could see the unfinished portion above him, he realized just how high up he was. The stone houses below looked like toys and the skeletons like ants. He suddenly wished that the architects had installed guardrails, because slipping from this height would one-thousand percent spell instant death. There was a current of wind up here, and he could feel it buffeting him about, almost knocking him off balance.

He took a little break, sitting under one of the narrow windows that was beaming light, trying to steady his nerves. He pulled out the map tablet from his pouch and oriented it to what he was seeing.

It took a little fiddling and adjusting, but he got the right angle eventually. And when he did, he traced the two paths leading out of the cavern. From where he was sitting, he could make out the outline of one of the tunnels, but the other one was pitch black. He wondered if he was casting a shadow on it, and moved his head out of the way. Nope, still pitch black. It actually seemed like it was getting larger while wiggling. He shuddered, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Something pricked at the edge of his skin, and a familiar feeling of being watched from behind settled in, like when he was around the skeletons. However, unlike those times, the feeling didn’t just cause him a consistent undercurrent of worry, but instead continued to grow until it was something much more primal and frightening. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, and he could feel his muscles tensing up in anticipation of danger.

A notification popped into his vision.

—

The Watcher is in your presence.

Your innocence is being judged.

—

Diegen's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the notification. “The Watcher? Who the heck is that?” Diegen panted as he shook violently, not understanding what was going on. And what did it mean that his innocence was being judged? His thoughts raced as he tried to comprehend the situation. But before he could process it, he felt a tsunami of anxiety crash over him, making him feel like he was drowning.

He gasped for air as he tried to push the feeling away, but it was like every part of him was being scrutinized under a microscope at once. His body, mind, and soul were being turned inside out for the world to see. He could feel eyes on him, watching and judging him.

Diegen tried to get to his feet, but his knees buckled under him, and he fell to the ground. In his panic, he accidentally dropped the tablet, and it went hurtling over the edge of the staircase, shattering into a thousand pieces as it hit the ground below.

A giant cluster of threads at the far end of the cavern spread along the walls until the entire space was covered in long, black, criss-crossing, and wiggling threads.

Diegen's eyes widened in horror as a sinister eye opened at the far end of the tunnel, bloodshot and with a pupil of pure black.

Diegen's mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do. He activated the three charges in his stealth ring, and time seemed to slow down.

The first second that passed, Diegen got a new notification, and the crippling anxiety lifted just enough that he could scramble to his feet.

—

You are no longer being watched.

—

The second second, he fled down the stairs.

Third second that passed, he ducked behind the wall to face away from the horrifying eye.

Then, his stealth skill faded, and time seemed to flow again at a normal speed.

Diegen took deep breaths, trying to steady himself as the adrenaline slowly receded. He couldn't believe what he had just experienced. It had felt like a crushing weight on his chest, like he was being suffocated by an invisible force.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The tower wall was cold against his skin, and the wind was picking up again, sending shivers down his spine. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, even though the terrifying being referred to as the Watcher was gone.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on what he had learned. First things first, it was clear that whatever the eye was at the top of the tower in those tablet drawings, it wasn't symbolic so much as it was a real, terrifying thing that lived here in the caverns. Moreover, it was decidedly not a Deity, or at least one that he was familiar with. It didn't even feel like a monster. He had no idea what it was, but it was immensely dangerous, that was for sure.

“Also, golden thread good, red thread bad, and black thread get the hell out of there immediately. Am I getting this right?” he asked. There was no response, but Diegen felt like he had a better understanding of his abilities now.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned his head against the tower wall.

What was he doing up here anyway? There was nothing at the top of the tower but an incomplete end. He guessed that it had been productive, if he counted learning that he should not go anywhere near that one path leading out of the cavern.

If possible, this Watcher and he would never, ever, in a million years ever, cross paths again.

He nodded to himself solemnly as he thought this, and thanked Avaritia that he had found the stone ring when he did. Without it, he would’ve been dead many, many times already.

Diegen pushed himself off the wall, his legs trembling with exhaustion. As he took a step forward, he stumbled, barely catching himself on the edge of the staircase. Looking down, he saw that the tablet was gone, shattered on the ground far below.

"Well, that's just great," he muttered to himself, frustration and disappointment evident in his voice. Fortunately, he had studied the tablet long enough to memorize its contents.

There were only three paths that led out of the cavern. One was the bloody eyeball tunnel, which was a definite no-go, and another was the tunnel he had entered from. The third was a circular chamber that appeared to lead nowhere, making it a safe assumption that the exit he sought wasn't in that direction. He had already acquired three artifacts from this journey, more than he could have hoped for. He decided there was no need to contemplate heading back to the lake any further.

He nodded once again, but his body still trembled from the recent near-death experience.

It was then that a piece of golden thread flicked him, causing a tickle on his cheek.

“Really? You again?” he said, his voice shaky.

The golden thread kept flicking him, and it was starting to get a bit annoying. Diegen tried to swat it away, but it kept coming back.

“What do you want?”

It continued to flick without a response, and Diegen felt his anxiety rising again. However, as he looked closer, he realized that the other end of the thread was pointing somewhere. He shuffled behind the thread to see where, and found that it was pointing at the circular chamber that he had just decided not to investigate.

“There? You want me to go there?” he asked, his voice unsure.

The golden thread flicked him harder now, on the forehead, and winked out of existence.

Diegen felt a vein pulse on his forehead, but he breathed deeply to calm himself. It was his ability, after all, and it had proven itself to be quite useful so far. But he couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in him after his encounter with the Watcher.

The question was whether he should listen to the thread this time. He was running low on food, out of stealth charges for the day, and his body still felt weak from the ordeal he had just gone through.

However, the golden thread was tempting. What if he found another legendary artifact? Diegen couldn't resist the lure of adventure, despite his fears.

“.... Ugh. Fine. Let's see where this takes me," he said with a sigh, steeling himself for whatever lay ahead.

Once Diegen regained his composure, he peeked around the corner to see if the Watcher was still there, and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see anything. Cautiously, he made his way back down to the base of the tower. The experience had left him shaken to the core, and he was careful not to even glance at the tunnel of the Watcher again in case he triggered another event. As he descended, he pulled out the cooked fish from his pouch and chewed on it, trying to calm his nerves.

Once he reached the bottom, he found himself drawn back to the mysterious drawings on the wall. The giant eye had been solved, but the images of the pregnant Sa'nasi woman and the cub with the flower in its ear still perplexed him. They were like pieces of a puzzle that he couldn't quite fit together, and he hoped that exploring the circular area would provide some much-needed answers.

With a deep sigh, he settled down on the cool stone floor and gazed up at the drawings, his mind drifting off into a deep and exhausted sleep.

✾✾✾

All villagers bore the eye of the All-Seeing One. They were stripped bare before the god of their village, who judged their innocence day by day. Those judged to be impure were sentenced to the worst possible punishment: a life of eternal suffering, made to roam the land like an animal, attacking friends and loved ones indiscriminately.

But even the most righteous Sa'nasi were not infallible, for they were only mortal. So when an Anima bloomed, they offered it with the youngest cub in the village to the All-Seeing One, begging for forgiveness. In return, the All-Seeing One gave them a reward of the highest quality, so that they may serve Him better.

Those who received this reward were reborn, and in their dreams, they beheld the true form of the All-Seeing One. They gained powers that allowed them to do things that were once thought impossible. The village's fear of the All-Seeing One turned into absolute devotion, and they set out on a quest for purity by building a monument to worship Him and to showcase what they could accomplish with His grace.

It would take hundreds, maybe thousands of years to complete, but they hoped that it would one day reach the light so that their children could discover a world beyond their own.

As the soft scraping sound echoed through the chamber, Diegen's dream abruptly ended, and he jolted awake. An eerie sensation crept up his spine, sending chills down his arms. The room was alive with an inexplicable energy, shimmering and pulsating around him. He reached for his dagger, ready to defend himself against any possible threat.

His eyes frantically scanned the chamber, searching for the source of the shimmering presence. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Finally, his gaze settled on the one object that stood out against the monotonous stone walls.

It wasn't a grotesque monster or a menacing skeleton.

Instead, a single white flower sat atop a pedestal, in full bloom.