Chapter 612: Finding the Missing People

The man immediately turned toward Vincent.

"Human, whatever you are carrying inside your body, you must suppress it! Your energy is resonating with the prison's core!"

Vincent's expression changed as he tried to control his energy, but before he could determine what was happening, a loud cracking sound came from the far end of the cavern.

Unlike the earlier crystal pillar, this one was much larger, standing nearly twice as tall as the others.

The golden runes engraved across its surface began glowing one after another, revealing an enormous silhouette inside.

The silver-haired man's face turned deathly pale.

"...No. Not that one."

Faviona immediately summoned a portion of her Celestial Armor as she stared at the towering pillar.

"Who is sealed inside?"

The silver-haired man didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the enormous silhouette, and for the first time since awakening, genuine fear appeared on his face.

"That's the one we were never supposed to let out."

The crystal pillar shook violently.

Then, from somewhere within it, a deep voice echoed throughout the cavern.

"At last..."

A second crack spread across the crystal.

"...The scent of the Celestial race."

Vincent immediately tightened his grip on his weapon as the voice continued.

"After all these years, you've finally returned."

The voice echoed throughout the cavern, causing the remaining crystal pillars to vibrate. Vincent tightened his grip on his weapon as he watched the enormous silhouette inside the towering pillar. Even though the creature hadn't fully awakened, the pressure radiating from it was enough to make the surrounding air feel heavy.

The silver-haired man immediately stepped forward, his golden eyes fixed on the cracks spreading across the crystal.

"This is just his aura… We don't have much time. If that thing breaks free, none of you will be able to stop it."

Duri's expression darkened. He glanced at his Platinum Snake Automaton before turning toward the silver-haired man.

"Then tell us how to stop it! You said you were the guardian of this prison, so you should know how these seals work!"

"I do," the man replied, his voice growing colder. "But the prison has already begun reacting to the energy inside that human. I can't restore the seals while the disturbance continues."

Everyone's attention shifted toward Vincent.

Vincent frowned. He had been trying to suppress his energy ever since the man warned him, but the fluctuations spreading throughout the cavern didn't seem to be coming entirely from his body. His Synthetic Celestial Core remained stable, and he couldn't sense any unusual surge in his Celestial Energy.

"Are you certain that I'm the cause?" Vincent asked. "I haven't released any energy since we entered this cavern."

The silver-haired man turned toward him.

"I didn't say you deliberately caused this. Your existence alone may be enough to trigger the prison's response. Plus this Celestial… Urgh… Whatever that core inside you is, it resonates with the mechanism maintaining this place."

Vincent wasn't satisfied with that explanation, but he understood that arguing would accomplish nothing while the situation continued to deteriorate.

Before he could ask another question, Agatha raised her hand.

"Wait. If the prison is reacting to him, why did only one pillar break at first? And why did the disturbance become stronger only after that man awakened?"

Her question caused the silver-haired man to pause.

He looked at Agatha for a moment, his golden eyes briefly reflecting the silver patterns within them.

"You have a sharper mind than I expected, Celestial. What rank are you?"

Agatha's expression remained composed.

"Three… I'd prefer a proper explanation over vague warnings."

The silver-haired man seemed genuinely surprised. His gaze lingered on her before he gave a faint, humorless laugh.

"Number three? How amusing… Ahem… My awakening and the prison's reaction may be connected, but I don't know why the core has begun responding now. I was supposed to remain asleep until the prison required my intervention."

Dianne glanced at the towering crystal pillar.

"And what happens if the seal breaks?"

The silver-haired man didn't answer immediately.

That silence was enough to make several people uneasy.

Finally, he spoke.

"If the being inside that pillar awakens completely, the first thing it will do is search for the Celestials."

As he said this, a thin crack spread across the golden runes, causing several of them to weaken…

The silver-haired man's face changed.

"Everyone, get away from that pillar!"

He thrust his right hand forward, and a golden barrier suddenly appeared between the group and the towering crystal. At the same time, the scattered fragments from the earlier shattered pillar rose into the air and gathered around him, forming several sharp, transparent blades.

The ten Crystal Tier Manipulators immediately reacted to Duri's command. Their Automatons emerged from their Storage Balls, filling the cavern with the sounds of mechanical components locking into place. Some took defensive positions around Vincent and the others, while the rest prepared to intercept anything that might emerge from the crystal.

Duri's Platinum Snake Automaton coiled around itself, its crystalline eyes glowing as it continued scanning the surroundings.

"Everyone, maintain your formation!" Duri ordered. "Don't approach the pillars unless I give the command!"

Vincent watched the preparations with a serious expression. He wasn't familiar with the silver-haired man's abilities, and the fact that the man could manipulate the crystal fragments without producing recognizable mana fluctuations made him even more cautious.

Faviona moved closer to Vincent while keeping her attention on the towering pillar.

"Vincent, something is wrong. I can sense an unusual fluctuation coming from the other side of the cavern."

"You can sense it too?" Vincent asked.

Faviona nodded.

"It isn't ordinary mana. The energy feels old, but it's also strangely unstable. I can't tell what it is."

Agatha glanced toward the far end of the cavern.

"We shouldn't waste time standing here. We came looking for Turhan and Ayla, remember? If they're somewhere inside this dungeon, the disturbance might put them in even greater danger."

Her reminder immediately brought Vincent's attention back to their original mission.

He had nearly been drawn into the mystery of the crystal pillars, but Sir Turhan and Ayla were still missing.

If they were trapped somewhere nearby, every minute mattered.

Vincent turned toward Duri.

"Can your Automaton trace the spatial disturbances deeper into the dungeon? We need to find out where the passages lead."