Chương 179: B3 - Chapter 15: Astral Wraith

Seth and Elena moved deeper into the silence of the crystalline tunnel. The jagged mosaic of rock and permafrost around them was covered with runes each pulsing with a slow, rhythmic light. The pale-blue radiance made the floor glitter like crushed diamonds under their boots. Every breath brought with it a sharp, biting sting in his lungs, and a faint mist ghosted out of his lips into the freezing air.

Elena pulled the fur jacket he had given her tighter around her shoulders, eyes tracking the glowing script on the walls.

"People really kill for Seeds in Asethka?"

"Yeah," Seth answered as he adjusted the straps on his gauntlets. The leather creaked in the cold. The concept of Seeds had been completely unknown to the noblewoman minutes ago—unlike Essences, which she was already well familiar with. It didn't surprise Seth, though. The King of Kastal had practically outlawed any knowledge of them, since they could threaten his rule. After all, anything that allowed people to close the gap in strength could one day be used to overthrow him.

"Do you think people hunt others for Seeds more than Legacies?" Elena pressed.

"Would that put me even more in danger?" Seth considered the question as they moved through a narrow bend in the passage.

"I doubt it. From what I learned in Asethka, a Legacy is the ultimate reward. It gives more attributes, has a deeper impact on your growth, and alters your Path in ways a Seed simply can't. A Seed is a powerful boost, but a Legacy enhances your potential tremendously. And that certainly generates more greed and brings more enemies." Elena nodded, boots crunching on a patch of thin ice.

"That makes sense." She paused, her gaze shifting from the runes to Seth.

"Do you have one? A Seed, I mean." Seth glanced at her. He had already shared so many things with her over the past hour, hiding this felt unnecessary.

"Yes," he answered.

"One." Elena's eyes widened for a brief instant.

"Did you get it during your expedition with Professor Reat… or during your squad battle?"

"During the expedition," Seth replied. He then frowned faintly. Did any of the Empire's soldiers have one? And if so, how would he have been able to harvest them from the bodies? His gaze drifted for a second, unease creeping in. Opening someone's chest to search for one… yeah, that definitely wasn't the answer—and not something he had any intention of testing.

"Big Brother Nightmare and I have one too!" Colossus's eager voice rippled out from Seth's teardrop necklace. Seth's jaw tightened. It was one thing for Elena to know about his own Seed—if someone with ability like those of the Oracle Guild ever pried into her mind, the risk would be the same—but this was different. By revealing that they also had one, Colossus had just turned himself and Nightmare into potential targets. Elena blinked, then a soft laugh escaped her lips.

"Oh, really? I should have guessed. That explains why the two of you are so absurdly strong for your Ranks."

"One of many reasons," Colossus replied, seeming like he wanted to puff up his chest inside the Pocket-realm.

"It helps me protect my family." Elena arched an eyebrow, a playful glint appearing in her emerald eyes.

"And am I part of that family, Colossus?" Seth's eyes widened. He began to form a thought through Link to tell the scorpion to stay quiet, but the beast responded faster than he could.

"It all depends on Seth," Colossus said, his aether-voice carrying a blunt honesty.

"But I think you have very good chances." A heat crept up Seth's neck. He looked away, suddenly fixated on a rune carved into the opposite wall. His hands drifted to his gear, fussing with the clasps of his pouch and the tightness of his belt as if they'd somehow come loose. Next to him, Elena's steps faltered. It was as if she hadn't realized the meaning of her own question until Colossus interpreted it through his beast-logic. A faint, uncharacteristic flush tinted her cheeks.

"Even if you haven't officially joined the pack yet," Colossus added, clearly oblivious to the sudden tension between the two humans, "I would still protect you."

"Thank you, Colossus." Elena's voice was low and shy as she looked down at the icy floor.

"I... I would also protect you." The scorpion's chuckle emanated from the teardrop.

"I do not need to be protected. I am the shield!" An awkward silence settled between them as both Seth and Elena tried to recover their composure from the unexpected exchange.' You are so hopeless when it comes to finding a mate, so Small Bite needed to step in and assist you,' Nightmare said through Link.' I don't need help,'Seth retorted mentally, his focus moving back to the treacherous, icy tunnel ahead.' I'm not trying.

You know that finding a "mate" is the last thing on our priority list with that war right now.'' If you say so,' the direwolf replied with a smug grin. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.' Did I say something wrong?' Colossus's voice chimed in through Link.' I am sorry if I did, Seth.'' No, everything is fine,' Seth reassured the scorpion.' You don't need to worry about that.

However, next time, avoid telling others about your or Nightmare's Seed. That information can be dangerous to share.'' Okay, sorry...'' So, nothing to him about saying Elena should join our fami—uh, pack?' Nightmare asked.' Oh, stop it,'Seth retorted, rolling his eyes.' Or else I'll ask Devus' sister to pet you again.'' Don't you dare.' The tunnel opened into a gargantuan cavern.

The ceiling was a distant, swirling haze of blue frost above, and massive stalactites of solid ice hung like frozen spears. Seth moved to the side of the entrance, pulling Elena into the shadows beside him as he scanned the massive space. In the center of the cavern, a huge, lumbering beast stood its ground. It was a massive quadruped with a body encased in thick, translucent glaciers that served as an organic armor.

Three, crystalline horns protruded from its broad, shielded head, each glowing with an internal, frigid light. Its tail ended in a club of spiked ice, which it swung with a force that sent tremors through the ground. Opposing it were three humanoid creatures. They lacked flesh and bone, consisting instead of swirling, luminous blue aether that crackled with an electric hum.

Their forms were reminiscent of the Spirit that oversaw the Warfare Rifts, though they were composed of concentrated energy rather than drifting smoke. The trio of creatures moved with a weightless and startling grace. One of them raised a hand, and a beam of pure blue light lanced out to strike a hole through the ice beast's side. Another unleashed a volley of explosive aetheric blasts that rattled the very cavern walls. The third creature's arm shifted, the limb elongating into a jagged, crystalline spike.

Blade pointed in front of it, the creature lunged and pierced the large beast's shoulder with the spike. Seth's eyes narrowed as he watched the fight. He recognized the horned ice-beast from the sketches in his father's old encyclopedia—a Glacial Shield-Horntail—but the aetheric entities going against it were entirely foreign to him. The battle was brutal. The Glacial Shield-Horntail caught one of its opponents with a sudden headbutt, and its horns tore through the creature.

Before the dying enemy's body dispersed into a cloud of light, Seth seized the occasion to cast Intermediate Identify on it. Astral Wraith Potential: Silver Tier Rank: 55 (High-Iron) Affinity: - Strength: 104 Arcane Power: 144 Toughness: 91 Well Capacity: 101 Agility: 136 Regeneration: 79 The moment the Iron creature's beaststone clattered onto the frost-covered ground, the two remaining entities surged in to finish it.

The one radiating the fiercer aura unleashed a final, overwhelming beam that tore clean through the beast's throat. The Glacial Shield-Horntail collapsed, its icy armor shattering on impact. The two aether creatures didn't even bother harvesting the beaststone. They drifted away instead, hovering in eerie silence as their featureless faces swept across the cavern in search of new threats. After a moment, they turned and began to patrol toward the far tunnels.

Seth waited until they were well out of sight before moving. He crept toward the fallen Horntail, cast Intermediate Identify, then quickly reached into its chest to extract the beaststone. Glacial Shield-Horntail Potential: Silver Tier Rank: 66 (Low-Silver) Affinity: Ice Strength: 210 Arcane Power: 144 Toughness: 251 Well Capacity: 161 Agility: 156 Regeneration: 139 Elena looked at the far end of the cavern, where the blue silhouettes of the Astral Wraiths had vanished.

"Seth, if those things fight in groups, moving deeper will be way too dangerous. Even if we found a Seed or an Essence in there, it will be surrounded by dozens of them. We don't have to take a risk like that just for me."

"We'll scout it out first," Seth answered.

"If things get out of hand, we'll use the Escape scrolls." He then reached into his Endless Pouch and pulled out Professor Reat's Vanishing Pocket Watch. He pressed the artifact into Elena's hand.

"Use this. It will keep you hidden while we track the source of the Ice aether." Elena gripped the watch, brow furrowing as she looked at him.

"And what about you? You can't just walk into plain sight." Seth's lips quirked into a faint smile.

"Actually... Temporary Share is a bit more complicated and powerful than I let on back then at the academy." He closed his eyes, focusing his intent on Share's connection that delved deep into Nightmare's Well. He then shifted the bond from Shadow Step to Illusionary Emptiness; that done, Seth's body blurred, turning translucent until he bled entirely into the blue-tinted shadows of the frozen cavern. Elena's jaw nearly dropped as she stared at the empty space where he had just been standing.

"You can... you can copy any of Nightmare's or Colossus' spells? Not just one?" Seth's form flickered back into sight, and he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling sheepish.

"Yeah. But there's a cooldown. I can't switch whenever I want." The corner of Elena's lips lifted, a mix of amusement and exasperation crossing her face.

"So many lies and secrets, Seth. I'm starting to think I don't even know half of what you're capable of."

"But hopefully you understand why I had to keep it all to myself." Seth's eyes met hers. Whether it was his origins or his Legacy, the reasons for his silence were clear.

"I do," she muttered, expression softening.

"And I'm glad you're telling me now. You don't have to carry all of that alone… I want to be there for you." She then offered him a smile—a brilliant, gorgeous thing that seemed to radiate enough warmth to melt away all nearby ice. Seth's breath hitched in his throat. The genuine expression on her face caught him completely off guard, making his chest suddenly heavy. Elena seemed to notice the shift as well; she looked away quickly, a flush once again rising to her cheeks despite the biting cold.

"Anyway, let's move," she said hurriedly as she turned toward the far tunnel before Seth could answer anything.

"We have a cave to explore."