Chapter 168: The Fragment’s Secret

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Fragment’s Secret

The journey back to the Eastern Sanctuary was relatively quiet.

Arden had become noticeably more cautious after hearing the mysterious voice in the northern mountains. He had ordered the surviving guardians to remain alert and had already sent a messenger ahead to inform the others about their discovery.

Ronan, however, was occupied with something else.

The black fragment he had collected from the underground chamber.

He could feel its presence inside his storage space, occasionally releasing faint pulses of energy.

The reaction wasn’t particularly strong, but it was consistent.

More importantly, the mark on his palm had reacted the moment he touched it.

That was enough to make him curious.

He needed to understand why these ancient structures responded to the mark and why the Hollow wanted to capture him alive.

"You’re unusually quiet."

Arden’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Ronan glanced at him.

"Am I supposed to talk?"

Arden shook his head.

"I was wondering whether you recognized the voice we heard."

"I didn’t."

"Yet you didn’t seem surprised."

"Would being surprised change anything?"

Arden didn’t answer immediately.

The vampire’s attitude was difficult to understand. He had just heard a mysterious being demand that he be brought alive, yet he appeared more interested in whatever he had collected from the underground chamber.

"You should understand something," Arden eventually said. "The Hollow doesn’t make demands without a reason. If their leader wants you alive, then whatever they need from you is probably important."

"I know."

"And you don’t seem concerned."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"I’m concerned. I just don’t see the point in worrying about something I can’t currently change."

Arden studied him for a moment.

Then he looked ahead.

"You’re a strange creature."

"I’ve heard that before."

---

They arrived at the Eastern Sanctuary several hours later.

The surviving guardians immediately gathered around Arden, eager to learn what they had discovered.

The news about the missing patrol and the underground structure spread quickly.

When they learned that the Hollow had been using captured individuals to extract energy, several guardians became furious.

Some wanted to launch an immediate attack against the northern region.

Arden rejected the suggestion.

"We don’t have the strength to launch an expedition right now. Our sanctuary is damaged, and we lost several experienced guardians during the attack."

"But Senior Guardian, if we allow them to continue—"

"We’ll prepare properly before doing anything."

His voice left little room for argument.

Ronan ignored their discussion and headed towards the refining chamber.

He had more important things to examine.

---

The refining equipment had been partially repaired.

Although the sanctuary still lacked sufficient energy to operate it continuously, the central platform was functional enough for small experiments.

Arden followed Ronan inside.

"You wanted to examine the fragment?"

"Yes."

Ronan retrieved the black fragment and placed it on the platform.

Arden immediately recognized it.

"That’s the crystal from the underground structure."

"Correct."

"Did you discover anything about it?"

"Not yet."

Ronan examined the object.

It was roughly the size of his palm, with several irregular edges. Its surface was covered in faint inscriptions that resembled the markings on the ancient structures.

However, unlike the crystals recovered from the Eastern Sanctuary, this one contained a concentrated form of the mysterious gray energy.

Ronan activated Formation Sense.

The inscriptions became clearer.

He could perceive several energy channels running through the fragment, but they didn’t form a complete structure.

Instead, they seemed to connect to something outside it.

"A receiver?" Arden muttered.

Ronan looked at him.

"What?"

Arden approached the platform.

"Some ancient artifacts were designed to receive energy signals from distant formations. If this fragment is one of them, it might be connected to another structure."

Ronan examined it again.

That would explain the pulses.

The fragment might not be an independent energy source. It could be a component of a larger network.

"Can you determine where it’s connected?" Ronan asked.

"Not without activating it."

"Then activate it."

Arden hesitated.

"We don’t know what will happen."

"That’s why we’re testing it here instead of carrying it around blindly."

Arden sighed.

He reached towards the control mechanism and activated a small portion of the refining platform.

The inscriptions began glowing.

The fragment trembled.

A thin strand of gray energy emerged from its surface and spread across the platform.

Ronan immediately activated Predator’s Perception.

He could sense the energy moving through the surrounding channels.

Then something unexpected happened.

The mark on his palm began glowing.

A faint vibration passed through his arm.

The fragment responded.

Its inscriptions rearranged themselves, forming a pattern that hadn’t been visible before.

Arden stepped back.

"What is that?"

Ronan didn’t answer.

His attention was fixed on the pattern.

Formation Sense allowed him to examine the newly revealed channels.

They weren’t random inscriptions.

They formed a directional structure.

Several energy lines converged towards a central point, while another extended beyond the fragment itself.

Then a faint image appeared above the platform.

It was incomplete, but recognizable.

A series of interconnected structures spread across a vast region.

Arden stared at it.

"That’s..."

Ronan studied the image.

The structures appeared to be arranged around several larger formations.

Some were positioned within mountains, others beneath plains and abandoned settlements.

A few had been marked with dark symbols.

There were at least twenty.

But the image didn’t remain stable for long.

Several sections flickered before disappearing.

Only five locations remained visible.

Arden approached the platform.

"These must be the ancient sanctuaries."

Ronan examined the remaining symbols.

One represented the Eastern Sanctuary.

Another was positioned near the Black Veil Mountains.

The remaining three were scattered across distant territories.

"How many of these structures are still operational?" Ronan asked.

Arden shook his head.

"I don’t know."

He stared at the projection.

"The Ashen Covenant has records of several ancient sanctuaries, but nothing this extensive."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The fragment had revealed something important.

The structures weren’t isolated ruins.

They were part of a network.

And the Hollow were interfering with that network.

But why?

Before he could investigate further, the projection changed.

A dark symbol appeared above the Black Veil Mountains.

The same red light they had witnessed earlier spread across the image.

Then the entire projection collapsed.

The fragment fell silent.

Arden immediately deactivated the platform.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

---

"That wasn’t a map of the sanctuaries."

Arden’s voice was low.

Ronan looked at him.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I’ve seen something similar in the Covenant’s oldest records."

Arden approached the platform.

"Those structures were described as anchors. Their purpose wasn’t simply to preserve energy or protect individual locations."

He paused.

"They were maintaining something."

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

"Maintaining what?"

"We don’t know."

Arden shook his head.

"The records were incomplete even before the Covenant began losing its sanctuaries. But there was one repeated warning."

"What warning?"

"Never allow the anchors to become completely inactive."

Ronan glanced at the fragment.

"And the Hollow are making them inactive."

"Yes."

Arden’s expression darkened.

"If they’re deliberately destroying the network, then the consequences could extend far beyond this region."

Ronan considered the information.

He wasn’t particularly interested in protecting the anchors, but their importance made them valuable sources of information.

If the Hollow were searching for the mark on his palm, and the ancient structures reacted to it, then he was directly connected to whatever was happening.

He needed to understand that connection before someone else decided to use it against him.

"Do you have the location of the other anchors?" he asked.

Arden shook his head.

"Not all of them. But I can retrieve the records."

"Good. I want copies."

Arden looked at him.

"You’re planning to investigate them?"

"I want to know what they contain."

"And what will you give the Covenant in exchange?"

Ronan smiled.

"Nothing."

Arden sighed.

He had expected that answer.

---

Later that evening, Ronan returned to his resting chamber.

His injuries had improved considerably, but he still needed time to recover.

He retrieved the black fragment and examined it again.

This time, he didn’t activate the refining platform.

Instead, he carefully released a small amount of energy from his body.

The fragment responded with a faint pulse.

His palm mark reacted.

Then a familiar sensation spread through his hand.

[System Analysis Initiated.]

[Unknown ancient energy structure detected.]

[Analysis incomplete.]

[A compatible energy signature has been identified.]

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The system was finally detecting something.

He waited.

[Connection established: Partial.]

[Data retrieval failed.]

[Insufficient information.]

The notifications disappeared.

Ronan stared at his palm.

A compatible energy signature.

That was interesting.

The system still couldn’t identify the gray energy, but it had recognized some form of compatibility between the mark and the fragment.

He wondered whether the mark was responsible for his ability to interact with the ancient structures.

Or whether the structures themselves were responding to something inside his bloodline.

There was no way to determine that yet.

He placed the fragment away.

Then he focused on his body.

His injuries were healing, and his energy was gradually returning.

He could also feel the subtle improvement in his control over Gravity Affinity.

During the previous battle, he had managed to interfere with the formation’s energy channels by applying gravitational pressure at specific points.

It wasn’t particularly powerful, but the technique had potential.

He decided to test it.

Ronan stood up and extended his hand.

A small stone lifted from the floor.

He increased the gravitational force around it.

The stone compressed.

Crack!

It shattered into several pieces.

Ronan repeated the process, this time reducing the gravitational force around the fragments before suddenly increasing it.

The pieces accelerated towards the ground.

He watched carefully.

The adjustment was becoming more precise.

Rather than simply increasing or decreasing gravity, he was beginning to understand how to manipulate its direction and distribution.

That could prove useful against faster opponents.

Especially those who relied on sudden bursts of movement.

He stopped the experiment.

There was still room for improvement, but the basic principle was clear.

His next objective would be to develop the combination of Gravity Affinity and Burst Acceleration.

If he could control his trajectory while suddenly accelerating, his short-distance movement would become considerably more unpredictable.

That was worth pursuing.

---

The following morning, Arden arrived with several documents.

"I retrieved the available records."

He placed them on the table.

Ronan examined the pages.

Most contained descriptions of ancient structures, their locations, and the responsibilities of the Ashen Covenant.

However, one document caught his attention.

It described a sanctuary located beneath the Black Veil Mountains.

The name was partially damaged, but the remaining words were readable.

The Western Anchor.

According to the records, it had once been one of the largest sanctuaries in the region.

Its underground chambers contained several ancient formations, and its central structure was believed to be connected to the other anchors.

But there was another detail.

The sanctuary had been abandoned after an incident involving an unknown creature.

No further information was available.

Ronan looked up.

"This is the place you mentioned."

Arden nodded.

"Yes. It was abandoned several decades ago."

"Why?"

"The records only mention that the guardians were forced to evacuate."

"Did they encounter the Hollow?"

"We don’t know. The Hollow weren’t mentioned in the surviving documents."

Ronan returned his attention to the pages.

The Black Veil Mountains were already on his list of destinations.

Now he had another reason to go there.

"What about the other anchors?"

Arden pointed towards a different page.

"Three locations are known. One lies beneath an ancient forest, another is somewhere in the western plains, and the last is believed to be buried beneath a ruined city."

"How many are still active?"

"Only the Eastern Sanctuary has confirmed activity."

Ronan nodded.

That was enough information for now.

He placed the documents aside.

"I’ll visit the Western Anchor after I’ve recovered."

Arden frowned.

"You shouldn’t underestimate that place. Whatever forced the Covenant to abandon it was powerful enough to drive away several experienced guardians."

"I’m aware."

"And if the Hollow are there, you might encounter their commander again."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"Then I’ll make sure I’m prepared."

Arden looked at him for a moment.

"You’re planning to go alone?"

"Probably."

"That would be foolish."

"Perhaps."

Ronan stood up.

"But I don’t intend to spend the rest of my time waiting for the Hollow to come looking for me."

He walked towards the exit.

The Eastern Sanctuary had provided him with valuable information, and the refining equipment offered another opportunity to investigate the mysterious energy.

But remaining here wouldn’t make him stronger.

He needed more powerful creatures, better resources, and a deeper understanding of the forces operating within the Ashen Reach.

The Western Anchor might provide all three.

As Ronan left the chamber, Arden watched him disappear down the corridor.

For a moment, he considered stopping him.

Then he remembered the battle against the Hollow commander.

The vampire had fought an opponent who was stronger than him, survived, and found a way to turn the sanctuary’s own energy against that enemy.

He wasn’t someone who could be easily persuaded.

Arden looked towards the northern mountains.

The red light from the previous night had not appeared again.

But the pressure remained.

Something was approaching.

And Ronan was walking directly towards the place where it had once begun.