Chapter 226: Reliquary

Once more, Regaleon found himself in that strange space located within the Heart.

Honestly, at this stage, calling that metaphysical Heart a "heart" just seemed a little bit inappropriate. After all, based on everything he had seen it do, it wasn’t exactly that in the traditional sense. A normal heart was supposed to pump blood throughout the body, yet this thing had somehow created an entire mysterious space within him, one that seemed to exist beyond the limits of ordinary perception.

For that reason, Regaleon had resolved himself to call it a Reliquary and that fit somewhat... Or at least, judging by the mysterious nature of the place, it kind of went with that whole vibe and strange sense of sacredness.

The "Reliquary" was still the same way Regaleon had left it.

The gold, silver, and crimson colours continued to swirl and intermingle, the colours flowing together like streams of molten metal drifting through one another without ever truly mixing.

There was something strangely mesmerizing about the sight. The colours did not simply remain stationary; they moved continuously, giving the entire space an almost living quality despite the complete absence of anything that could traditionally be considered alive.

It still stretched infinitely, or at least based on how Regaleon was able to perceive comfortably, with the orbs sprawling across the place like balls of floating light, and his four Soul Essences standing at the center of the space.

The Soul Essences remained exactly where he remembered them, silent and imposing within the vastness of the Reliquary.

However, Regaleon wasn’t here to admire or regard the aesthetics of the place. No...

The reason he activated the Reliquary was for something much more important than something as inconsequential as that.

Actually, the whole purpose for him being here was because he wanted to figure out what those orbs were and, even if he couldn’t, at least he would be able to get a good understanding of their purpose.

There were simply too many questions surrounding them.

The first time he had been thrown into this place accidentally, he had gotten an odd sense of familiarity when he stood next to one of the orbs. It hadn’t been the ordinary familiarity one felt when seeing something previously encountered. It was something deeper, something that seemed to originate from within his very consciousness.

As a matter of fact, one could say that the feeling was so profound that Regaleon felt like he was looking at his past memories through the surface of a mirror.

It was almost as though the orb was connected to something he had already experienced, despite him having no recollection of ever seeing such a thing before.

Honestly, it was something that was weird but, at the same time, somewhat acceptable and familiar to him and that was perhaps the strangest part.

Despite the fact that everything about this place defied what Regaleon considered normal, he had never felt truly uncomfortable within it. Even when his consciousness was forcibly dragged here, the Reliquary had never given him the same sense of danger that accompanied the unknown.

And so, for that reason, he was here to really dig deeper into how the orbs related to him and, overall, how the whole Heart had been within him all this time without his knowledge.

Therefore, after getting over that particular haze of drowsiness that clouded his consciousness when he arrived, he swam toward the nearest orb without hesitation.

The moment he was within close range of it, Regaleon ensured to have a very good look at it.

Through the swirling colours of gold, silver, and crimson, the orb seemed to be amorphous and fluid-like simultaneously.

Its spherical shape remained perfectly intact despite the constant movement taking place within it. The surface appeared smooth and almost flawless, with no visible crack, seam, or irregularity.

Gold flowed into silver, silver disappeared beneath crimson, and crimson threads emerged once more as though the colours were following some invisible current. At certain angles, the orb appeared almost transparent, while at others, its surface became so reflective that Regaleon could almost see his tiny soul-like form staring back at him.

There was no discernible source for its radiance, yet it illuminated itself with a soft and otherworldly glow.

Hesitantly, he raised a hand and brought it closer to the mirror-like surface of the orb.

Truthfully, Regaleon had to admit that what he was about to do was something that made him nervous.

He wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea or not, but he didn’t dwell on that feeling for long.

After all, since the whole place as a whole was giving him a comfortable vibe, then Regaleon figured that whatever was here was something that probably wouldn’t harm him.

Right?

That reasoning wasn’t exactly reassuring.

Nevertheless, it was enough for him to continue.

He slowly shifted his soul-like body toward the orb and finally connected his tiny hand toward it. The moment contact was made, the surface of the orb reacted.

As though a stone had been thrown into a pond, a slight ripple swept through the surface of the orb, and this made the object behave like a disturbed pool of water.

The ripple spread outward from the point of contact, causing the gold, silver, and crimson colours to shift with it. Yet despite the disturbance, the orb never lost its spherical shape.

Honestly, the sight was pretty mesmerizing.

From afar, the orbs looked like glowing bulbs, but the moment one drew near, they looked like some kind of mirror-like surface. However, the most weird thing was when one touched them and they behaved like liquid.

It was almost as if the orb existed in three strange states at once, and that was something that was both mind-boggling and fascinating at once.

Regaleon studied the point where his hand had entered the surface. There was no resistance or any sense of rejection; the orb simply accepted his touch as though his presence within it was something entirely natural.

The moment he didn’t get any negative feedback from the contact, Regaleon proceeded to place his whole arm deep into the orb.

In his soul state, Regaleon existed so small that the orb was almost three times his size, such that he was even able to walk into it all at once.

However, he wasn’t about to be impulsive.

Although he wasn’t getting any negative feedback now, he was still trying to be cautious.

He didn’t know what these orbs were, nor did he understand what would happen if he completely entered one. The fact that it had reacted to his touch was already strange enough, and Regaleon wasn’t willing to dismiss the possibility that something else might happen once he crossed completely into it.

So he proceeded slowly. The moment he figured it was safe, he then gradually started putting his whole body inside.

Slowly, he started walking inside, and within moments, the only thing that remained outside was his head.

Regaleon paused.

He looked at the strange surface surrounding his body, his expression becoming solemn.

There was no indication that anything was wrong. He took in a deep breath, though there was no air in the Reliquary. However, that familiar motion helped relieve some of the nervousness he was feeling.

Then, steeling himself, he narrowed his eyes and walked into it.

The moment he disappeared into the orb, the entire surface of the orb underwent some kind of reactive reaction.

The whole liquid-like surface suddenly began hardening.

It happened almost instantaneously.

The fluidity that had characterized the orb moments before vanished as its surface rapidly transformed. What had previously behaved like liquid now hardened into a shell-like material, sealing the orb completely.

Within moments, the whole orb was suddenly encased in a hard shell-like material that sealed Regaleon inside it.

It was somehow similar to the reaction an egg underwent when a seed entered it. The transformation was so abrupt that there was no opportunity for Regaleon to react.

Anyways, the moment that occurred, the entire orb hardened, and there was no doubt that it might be particularly hard for Regaleon to come out from the orb anymore.

The strange Reliquary remained silent around him.

The gold, silver, and crimson colours continued their endless movement beyond the hardened shell, while Regaleon’s tiny figure had completely disappeared within the orb.

Whether that was a good thing or not, it was something that was yet to be seen...