Chapter 173: The First Marked One

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The First Marked One

The journey back to the Eastern Sanctuary took considerably less time than Ronan expected.

With his newly acquired Energy Tracking trait, he could easily distinguish the energy trails scattered throughout the Black Veil Mountains. He also avoided several dangerous areas after detecting powerful creatures moving beneath the ground.

There was no reason to waste his strength fighting unnecessary opponents.

He had already collected enough information from the Western Anchor.

More importantly, he had discovered something that could change his understanding of the mysterious mark on his palm.

The first marked individual.

And apparently, the Keeper knew what had happened to that person.

Ronan glanced at his hand.

The mark was completely dormant.

He had tried examining it several times during the journey, but it hadn’t reacted.

Whatever connection existed between the mark and the ancient structures, he still couldn’t control it.

"Interesting."

He continued walking.

By the time the Eastern Sanctuary appeared in the distance, his attention had shifted towards the six black crystals stored in his possession.

The Hollow regulators.

They were considerably more valuable than ordinary energy crystals.

If he could understand their internal structures, he might discover how the Hollow transported and stabilized the mysterious energy.

That alone made the journey worthwhile.

---

Arden was waiting near the sanctuary’s entrance.

He seemed surprised when Ronan appeared alone.

"You’re back."

"Disappointed?"

"Not particularly. I was beginning to wonder whether the Western Anchor had swallowed you."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"It almost did."

Arden examined his condition.

"You’ve encountered something."

"Several things."

Ronan walked past him.

"Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

Arden nodded.

"Follow me."

They entered the main building and eventually arrived at a private chamber.

Several documents and damaged artifacts were scattered across a large table.

Ronan immediately noticed that some of them were unfamiliar.

"Still investigating the anchors?"

"We’ve been examining the records recovered from the Eastern Sanctuary. There are several sections we couldn’t access previously."

"Have you discovered anything useful?"

"Some information about the original construction of the sanctuaries. Unfortunately, most of the records are incomplete."

Ronan sat down.

"Then perhaps I have something that might interest you."

He retrieved one of the black regulators.

The moment it appeared, Arden’s expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

"From the Western Anchor."

Arden approached the table.

He carefully examined the crystal.

"This is an ancient regulator."

"That’s what I was told."

"These were used to stabilize energy flowing between the anchors. But I thought they had all been lost."

Ronan placed the remaining five beside it.

Arden stared at them.

"You found six?"

"Yes."

"That’s considerably more than I expected."

He picked up one of the crystals and examined its inscriptions.

However, his expression gradually became complicated.

"These have been modified."

"By the Hollow."

Arden looked up.

"You encountered them?"

"Five warriors attacked me inside the Western Anchor. Their leader was a Seven-Star King Realm warrior."

Arden’s expression tightened.

"And?"

"Four of them are dead. Their leader escaped."

Ronan leaned back.

"Their objective was to protect an energy extraction formation. They were using these regulators to stabilize the energy stolen from the anchor."

Arden examined the crystal again.

His expression became increasingly serious.

"So they aren’t merely destroying the sanctuaries."

"They’re harvesting something."

Ronan nodded.

"Exactly."

He briefly explained the modified formations and how the Hollow had redirected the energy from the central crystal.

He also described how he had managed to clear two of the contaminated channels.

Arden listened carefully.

When Ronan finished, the older vampire remained silent for several seconds.

"That explains the sudden deterioration of several anchors."

"How many have been affected?"

"At least three that we know of."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"Then the Hollow have been operating for quite some time."

"Possibly."

Arden placed the regulator on the table.

"But there’s something I don’t understand. Why would they need so much energy?"

Ronan shrugged.

"Perhaps they’re preparing something."

"Something that requires the energy of multiple anchors..."

Arden’s expression darkened.

Neither of them had an answer.

---

Ronan retrieved another item from his storage space.

This time, it was the black fragment collected from the Western Anchor.

Arden immediately recognized the inscriptions.

"That looks similar to the fragments found beneath the Eastern Sanctuary."

"It is."

Ronan placed it beside the regulators.

"The fragment reacted to the mark on my palm. It also revealed part of the ancient network."

Arden’s attention shifted towards him.

"You activated it?"

"Yes."

"What did you see?"

"A collection of interconnected structures. At least five locations remained visible before the projection disappeared."

Arden frowned.

"Five?"

"One represented this sanctuary. Another was located near the Black Veil Mountains. The others were scattered across distant territories."

Arden immediately retrieved several documents.

He searched through them before finding an old illustration.

It depicted a large circular structure surrounded by several smaller formations.

"Could this be what you saw?"

Ronan examined the illustration.

The arrangement was similar, although the projection he had witnessed was considerably more detailed.

"Possibly."

Arden stared at the document.

"This is an old representation of the anchor network. It was discovered in the archives several decades ago."

"Do you know what the network was designed to do?"

"No."

Arden shook his head.

"The records only describe it as a system of interconnected anchors responsible for maintaining the stability of something beneath the region."

Ronan remembered the creature behind the sealed door.

It had mentioned those who built the prison.

And it had warned him about the Keeper.

There was another question he needed answered.

"Have you ever heard of someone carrying the same mark as mine?"

Arden froze.

For several seconds, he simply stared at Ronan.

Then he slowly placed the document on the table.

"Why are you asking?"

"Something inside the Western Anchor mentioned a previous marked individual."

Arden’s expression changed.

"What exactly did it say?"

"That I should ask what happened to the first marked one."

The chamber became silent.

Arden eventually moved towards a nearby cabinet.

He unlocked it and retrieved a small wooden box.

Inside were several damaged documents.

He carefully removed one.

"This information isn’t included in the ordinary Covenant records."

Ronan examined the page.

Most of the writing had faded, but several lines remained readable.

Arden pointed towards them.

"According to this record, the first marked individual appeared during the earliest period of the Covenant’s existence."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"Who was he?"

"We don’t know his name. The document only refers to him as the First Bearer."

"Was he a member of the Covenant?"

Arden shook his head.

"No. He was apparently discovered near one of the original anchors. The ancient structures responded to his presence in the same way they respond to yours."

Ronan leaned forward.

"What happened to him?"

Arden hesitated.

"The records say he disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes. He entered one of the ancient structures and never returned."

Ronan considered the information.

"Which structure?"

Arden searched through the remaining pages.

Then he stopped.

"The Central Anchor."

Ronan’s expression changed slightly.

"Where is it?"

Arden looked at him.

"That’s the problem. Its location was deliberately removed from the surviving records."

Ronan leaned back.

So the first marked individual had entered an ancient structure and vanished.

And the Keeper knew something about it.

That was enough to make the matter considerably more interesting.

"Who was the Keeper at that time?"

Arden looked uncomfortable.

"The same family has held that position for generations, but the current Keeper is not the same individual."

"What’s his name?"

"Vaelor."

Ronan committed the name to memory.

"Have you met him?"

"Only once."

"Do you trust him?"

Arden remained silent.

That hesitation was more interesting than any answer.

---

"Why?" Ronan asked.

Arden looked towards the damaged document.

"Because the Keeper has always controlled access to the oldest Covenant records. Even senior guardians aren’t permitted to examine certain sections."

"Such as?"

"Records concerning the original anchors, the First Bearer, and the Central Anchor."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"Convenient."

"You’re suggesting he knows something?"

"I’m suggesting that someone who controls access to information about the First Bearer probably knows more than he’s willing to reveal."

Arden didn’t disagree.

However, he seemed reluctant to speak further.

"The Keeper has served the Covenant for a long time. His authority isn’t something that can be questioned lightly."

Ronan shrugged.

"Then don’t question him."

Arden looked at him.

"You’re going to?"

"Eventually."

Ronan stood up.

He had learned enough for now.

The Keeper was connected to the First Bearer, and the Central Anchor was likely the next major destination.

But he wasn’t going to chase that information immediately.

There were more practical matters to address.

"Can your specialists examine these regulators?"

"Yes. Although we might need several days to understand their modifications."

"Do that."

Arden looked at the crystals.

"And what do you expect in return?"

Ronan smiled.

"Resources."

Arden sighed.

"Of course."

"I want the blood crystals your specialists have been collecting, along with any rare materials suitable for improving my physical strength."

"That’s a considerable request."

"Then consider the value of six ancient regulators and the information I’ve brought back."

Arden studied him.

After several moments, he nodded.

"I’ll arrange it."

"Good."

Ronan turned towards the exit.

But Arden stopped him.

"One more thing."

Ronan glanced back.

"The Hollow’s commander was reported near the Black Veil Mountains several hours ago."

"I know."

Arden’s expression changed.

"You saw him?"

"From a distance."

"Was he alone?"

"No. He was accompanied by several warriors and another individual whose strength I couldn’t properly determine."

Arden’s face became serious.

"Another commander?"

"Possibly."

Ronan paused.

"Whatever the case, they’re gathering around the Western Anchor. I wouldn’t be surprised if they already know I’ve interfered with their operation."

Arden looked towards the documents.

"Then we should strengthen the sanctuary’s defenses."

"Do that."

Ronan continued walking.

He had no intention of remaining here to defend the Covenant if the Hollow launched another attack.

He had already done more than enough.

---

Later that evening, Ronan entered his resting chamber.

A collection of rare blood crystals had been delivered.

He examined them carefully.

Most contained concentrated blood essence from powerful creatures, while several were extracted from ancient beasts.

He could use them to recover his remaining injuries and replenish his energy.

But he wasn’t interested in wasting everything immediately.

He selected the crystals with the highest concentration of blood essence.

Then he began absorbing them.

The energy entered his body.

His muscles gradually relaxed as the remaining injuries healed.

Several minutes later, the process was complete.

Ronan examined his condition.

His recovery had finally reached its peak.

He was once again in his best condition.

Seventh-Star King Realm.

No breakthrough.

However, the resources had restored his strength, and his understanding of the new traits continued improving.

He then retrieved one of the six regulators.

This time, he focused on the internal inscriptions.

Energy Tracking allowed him to distinguish the different energy signatures, while Formation Sense revealed how the channels were arranged.

The two traits worked surprisingly well together.

He could now identify the direction of energy flow while understanding the structure responsible for controlling it.

Ronan examined the regulator for several minutes.

Then he noticed something.

A small inscription was hidden beneath the modified energy channels.

It was part of the original design.

He carefully removed the outer layer of gray energy using a tiny amount of Energy Devouring.

Pain spread through his fingertips.

He stopped before absorbing too much.

The inscription became visible.

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

It contained a directional symbol.

The same symbol he had seen in the projection from the Western Anchor.

He examined the remaining regulators.

Each contained a similar inscription.

But their directions were different.

He arranged all six crystals on the table.

Then he activated Formation Sense.

The inscriptions began glowing.

For a brief moment, the six regulators formed a connected pattern.

A faint projection appeared above the table.

It wasn’t as detailed as the previous map, but it revealed several locations.

One of them was clearly positioned beyond the known territories of the Ashen Reach.

Another was located beneath a region marked with the same symbol as the Central Anchor.

Ronan stared at the projection.

The six regulators weren’t simply equipment used by the Hollow.

They were components of a much larger network.

And the inscriptions could reveal where the stolen energy was being transported.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Found you."

Before he could examine the projection further, it disappeared.

The regulators returned to their previous state.

Ronan leaned back.

He now had a direction.

The Hollow were collecting energy from multiple anchors and transporting it towards an unknown location.

The Keeper knew about the First Bearer.

The Central Anchor had disappeared from the Covenant’s records.

And the creature imprisoned beneath the Western Anchor seemed to know more about the entire arrangement.

There were too many unanswered questions.

But Ronan wasn’t in a hurry.

He had something more important to accomplish first.

He needed to become stronger.

The Hollow commander was an Eight-Star King Realm opponent, and the presence accompanying him was considerably more dangerous.

If he wanted to hunt them, he needed more than clever tricks.

He needed overwhelming strength.

Ronan closed his eyes.

The next hunt would be different.

He wasn’t going to waste time fighting creatures that offered nothing useful.

He needed powerful prey.

And somewhere beyond the Ashen Reach, there were creatures strong enough to provide exactly what he wanted.

For now, the Hollow could continue gathering their energy.

Ronan would come looking for them when he was ready.

The hunt wasn’t over.

It was only being delayed.