Chapter 686: Keep Surprising

Clyde stood in the middle of the abandoned settlement, surveying the area he had chosen for the ritual.

The ground was firm, the surrounding structures provided enough cover, the magical energy stable. Everything seemed ready.

But before he began there was one thing he needed to tell Mina. He almost forgot about that.

He turned toward her. Mina was watching him prepare the site, when she noticed his gaze, she tilted her head with a questioning expression.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There’s something you need to know before I begin." Clyde paused, considering how much he should explain. "You remember the temple where we found the crimson gemstone, right?"

Mina nodded. "The one where we fought the stone guardians?"

"That’s the one. It turned out that the gemstone contained the remnant soul of an ancient forgotten goddess. Her name is Seff, and she’s currently residing inside my soul."

For a moment, Mina just stared at him. "An ancient goddess?" she repeated, as though she wasn’t certain she had heard him correctly.

Clyde nodded. "She was defeated a long time ago. Her body was destroyed, and only a fragment of her soul remained. I absorbed her from the gemstone and it allowed her to survive, and she eventually chose to reside within me."

Mina’s eyes widened as the information sank in. She looked at Clyde, then briefly glanced around as though expecting the goddess to suddenly appear beside them.

"Wait. You mean there’s actually a goddess living inside your soul?" she asked. "And you’ve been keeping this a secret all this time?"

"More or less." Clyde shrugged.

Mina opened her mouth, then closed it again. She seemed to struggle with what to say next.

She already knew that Clyde had strange abilities, but discovering that an ancient goddess lived within him was something else entirely. A goddess, an actual Higher Beings.

After a moment, she let out a slow breath and rubbed her forehead.

"I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised anymore," she muttered. "Somehow, you always manage to reveal something even more shocking than the last thing."

Clyde gave a faint smile. "There’s a reason I’m telling you this now. Seff is the one guiding me through the ritual. She remembers parts of an ancient technique that can establish a connection to a hidden dimension. Without her knowledge, I wouldn’t even know where to begin."

Mina’s expression grew serious. She glanced at the materials Clyde had prepared, then returned her attention to him.

"Does the Council or Samuel know about her?"

"No. Nobody else knows. You’re the first person I’ve told, and I’d prefer to keep it that way."

He watched her carefully. Although he trusted Mina more than most people in Sivagadh Fortress, revealing Seff’s existence still carried risks.

If the Council discovered that an ancient goddess resided within his soul, they would undoubtedly demand explanations.

Mina understood the weight of his words. She had no intention of exposing something he had clearly wanted to conceal.

"I won’t tell anyone," she promised. "You can trust me with this secret."

Clyde studied her expression for a moment before nodding. "Thank you."

"Just don’t expect me to stop asking questions forever," Mina added. "Once this is over, I want to know more about her."

Clyde nodded. "I guess that’s fair."

With that settled, Clyde turned his attention back to the ritual site he had decided.

He checked the surrounding area one last time, making sure the materials were ready and the ground suitable.

When he was satisfied, he looked toward Mina and gave her a brief nod.

"I’m going to begin now. Seff will guide me through the process, but once the ritual starts, I’ll need to concentrate. Keep watch and don’t let anything approach the ritual ground."

Mina straightened and placed one hand near the hilt of her dagger. "I’ll keep watch. Don’t worry."

Clyde returned her nod before walking several meters away. He stopped at the center of the chosen site and removed the materials from his storage bag, laying them carefully on the ground.

Each component had been gathered for a specific purpose, and even the smallest mistake in their arrangement could affect the ritual.

He crouched beside the materials and examined them one by one. Seff, how do we begin?

Her voice answered from within his soul:

First, separate the materials according to their purpose. The five types of flesh must be prepared individually. Slice each one into suitable pieces, then place them at five separate points around the ritual ground. Each point must be at least three meters from the others.

Clyde examined the five bundles he had brought. The flesh came from different creatures, each carrying its own distinct nature and magical properties. According to Seff, they were essential to establishing the connection between his world and the hidden dimension.

Why flesh anyway? he asked mentally as he began arranging the materials.

Because this ritual requires more than magic energy. It needs a physical foundation capable of anchoring the connection. These materials once belonged to living beings, and the remnants of their existence will help stabilize the ritual’s structure.

Clyde listened carefully, committing every instruction to memory.

Behind him, Mina watched as he arranged the strange materials across the ground.

She expected the ritual to involve magic circles, unusual symbols, or perhaps some elaborate incantation. Instead, Clyde began with several pieces of monster flesh, carefully separating them as though he were preparing ingredients to cook something.

She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. Jack really does know how to surprise me.

She had long since accepted that the man she knew had a lot of secrets he rarely shared. But every revelation seemed to make him more mysterious than before.

Now, apparently, he carried the remnant soul of an ancient goddess within himself and was preparing to perform a forgotten ritual capable of reaching an unknown dimension.

Mina let out a quiet sigh and forced herself to put those thoughts aside. Clyde had entrusted her with an important responsibility.

She moved away from the ritual ground and began surveying the surrounding settlement.

Her gaze swept across the broken walls, streets, and distant tree line, searching for any movement that might signal an approaching monster.

The Ruin remained silent for now.

Mina tightened her grip on her dagger and continued her watch while Clyde prepared the first stage of the ancient ritual.

—