Chapter 182: The Keeper’s Invitation

Chapter 182: Chapter 182: The Keeper’s Invitation

The messenger led Ronan through several corridors before arriving at a secluded section of the Eastern Sanctuary.

Unlike the other chambers, this area was heavily guarded.

Ancient inscriptions covered the walls, and several metallic pillars stood at regular intervals. Each pillar contained a faint energy signature, forming an interconnected defensive formation.

Ronan examined them as he walked.

The formation was considerably more sophisticated than the ordinary defensive arrangements within the sanctuary.

It wasn’t designed merely to prevent intruders from entering.

It could also suppress anyone who attempted to use energy inside.

Interesting.

"Does the Keeper live here?" Ronan asked.

"No. This is one of the places where he conducts private meetings."

The messenger stopped before a massive stone door.

Two guardians stood on either side.

They were both Eight-Star King Realm cultivators.

Ronan glanced at them.

The Keeper certainly didn’t seem to lack powerful subordinates.

One of the guardians examined him before turning towards the messenger.

"The Keeper is waiting."

The stone door slowly opened.

The messenger stepped aside.

"Please enter."

Ronan walked inside.

---

The chamber was relatively simple.

There was a large stone table in the middle, several shelves containing ancient tablets, and a circular formation engraved into the floor.

A man sat behind the table.

He appeared to be in his late forties, with dark hair and a calm expression. His clothing was considerably more refined than that of the ordinary guardians, and a silver emblem rested on his chest.

His energy signature was difficult to determine.

Ronan couldn’t immediately establish his realm, but he knew the man was powerful.

The man raised his head.

"So, you’re the marked individual."

Ronan looked at him.

"And you’re Vaelor?"

The man smiled.

"Indeed."

He gestured towards the chair opposite him.

"Please, sit."

Ronan didn’t immediately move.

Instead, he examined the room.

There were no obvious restraints, but the formation beneath his feet was active.

He could feel a faint pressure surrounding his body.

The Keeper noticed his attention.

"Don’t worry. The formation is merely a precaution."

"Against whom?"

"Anyone who might enter this chamber without permission."

Ronan smiled faintly.

"Then I suppose I should be grateful you invited me."

He finally sat down.

Vaelor studied him.

"You’re different from what I expected."

"People say that frequently."

"I’ve heard several accounts of your activities. Your appearance at the Eastern Sanctuary, your encounter with the Western Anchor, and your involvement in the collection grounds."

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

"You seem well informed."

"I am the Keeper. Knowing what happens to the structures under my protection is part of my responsibility."

"Then perhaps you can explain why they’re deteriorating."

Vaelor’s expression changed slightly.

"That’s precisely why I invited you."

He placed a small stone tablet on the table.

Its surface contained several inscriptions.

"The ancient network is failing. Five sanctuaries were originally established to maintain the anchors, but their energy circulation has been disrupted over time."

Ronan listened.

"Some have been destroyed, others abandoned, and the remaining ones are struggling to maintain their functions."

"I’m aware."

"Then you understand the danger."

Ronan leaned back.

"I understand that someone is extracting energy from them."

Vaelor nodded.

"The Hollow."

"Are they responsible for the entire deterioration?"

"No."

That answer caught Ronan’s attention.

Vaelor continued.

"The network was already weakening long before the Hollow appeared. Their activities have accelerated the deterioration, but they didn’t create the original problem."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"So what did?"

Vaelor remained silent for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"The Central Anchor."

---

Ronan’s expression didn’t change, but his attention sharpened.

Vaelor continued.

"The Central Anchor was the heart of the entire network. Every original anchor and collection ground was connected to it. Its purpose was to regulate the energy circulation and maintain the stability of the system."

"Then why was it abandoned?"

"Because something happened there."

"The First Bearer?"

Vaelor nodded.

"His disappearance marked the beginning of the network’s decline."

Ronan waited.

Vaelor looked towards the shelves behind him.

"According to the oldest records, the First Bearer appeared near one of the original anchors. The structures reacted to his presence, just as they react to you."

He paused.

"He was taken to the Central Anchor."

"And never returned."

"Correct."

Ronan tapped his finger against the table.

"That’s the same information Arden gave me. I didn’t come here to hear it repeated."

Vaelor smiled faintly.

"Impatient."

"I’m not particularly fond of wasting time."

"Then let’s discuss what happened afterwards."

Vaelor picked up another tablet.

"After the First Bearer disappeared, the Central Anchor became unstable. The network began producing abnormal energy fluctuations, and several structures stopped responding."

Ronan remembered the creature beneath the Western Anchor.

It had warned him about something returning.

"What came back?"

Vaelor’s hand stopped.

For the first time, his calm expression showed a trace of hesitation.

"You’ve encountered something?"

"I’ve heard enough to know that something returned from the Central Anchor."

Vaelor stared at him.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters considerably."

Ronan smiled.

"Then perhaps you should answer my question."

Vaelor placed the tablet down.

"Something emerged from the Central Anchor after the First Bearer disappeared. We don’t know what it was, but its arrival caused the original anchors to become unstable."

"What happened to it?"

"It disappeared."

"Convenient."

Vaelor ignored the remark.

"The remaining guardians attempted to seal the Central Anchor, but the process was incomplete. They managed to restrict access to the surrounding structures, preventing anyone from reaching it without the proper authorization."

Ronan thought about the access fragment.

"So the fragments were created to open the path?"

Vaelor’s gaze sharpened.

"You possess one?"

Ronan didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he observed the Keeper’s reaction.

That brief change in expression was enough.

Vaelor knew about the fragments.

And he knew they were important.

Ronan retrieved the Central Anchor Access Fragment and placed it on the table.

The Keeper stared at it.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he slowly reached towards it.

Ronan moved his hand.

Vaelor stopped.

"Don’t."

The Keeper looked at him.

"You don’t trust me?"

"Should I?"

Vaelor chuckled.

"Fair enough."

He withdrew his hand.

"May I examine it?"

Ronan considered the request.

Then he pushed the fragment slightly forward without releasing it.

Vaelor studied the inscriptions.

"This is an access fragment from the original network."

"Can it be repaired?"

"Possibly."

"What does it require?"

"Three resonance points."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"You know about them."

"Of course."

Vaelor leaned back.

"The access fragments were designed to establish connections with three specific structures. Once the required resonance is obtained, the fragment can reconnect to the Central Anchor."

Ronan glanced at him.

"Where are they?"

"The first is a collection ground. The second is an original anchor. The third is something else entirely."

"What?"

Vaelor’s expression became serious.

"A structure that predates the five sanctuaries."

Ronan stared at him.

Now that was interesting.

"Where is it?"

Vaelor shook his head.

"I don’t know its exact location."

Ronan smiled.

"Another convenient answer."

"I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not withholding information. The location was deliberately removed from the surviving records."

"By whom?"

Vaelor didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said something unexpected.

"By my predecessor."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"Your predecessor?"

"The Keeper who served during the final days of the original network."

Vaelor folded his hands.

"His name was Edran. He was the last individual to enter the Central Anchor before the path was sealed."

Silence filled the chamber.

Ronan slowly leaned forward.

"Did he return?"

"Yes."

"Then he should know what happened."

Vaelor’s expression darkened.

"He died shortly after returning."

"How?"

"He refused to speak about what he had witnessed. He spent his remaining years destroying records and restricting access to the Central Anchor."

Ronan examined him.

"Why?"

"We never discovered the reason."

That was a lie.

Or at least, Vaelor wasn’t telling him everything.

Ronan could sense the hesitation behind his words.

He decided not to press the matter yet.

There was another question.

"Why did you invite me here?"

Vaelor looked directly into his eyes.

"Because you are the first marked individual to appear in generations."

"And?"

"And the Central Anchor has begun responding to your presence."

Ronan’s expression remained neutral.

Vaelor continued.

"If you successfully restore the access fragment, you may be able to enter the Central Anchor."

"You want me to open it."

"I want you to discover what happened."

Ronan laughed softly.

"You want me to risk my life investigating something that destroyed the previous bearer?"

Vaelor didn’t deny it.

"I can offer resources, ancient records, and access to the remaining sanctuaries. In exchange, I want you to investigate the Central Anchor."

Ronan considered the proposal.

It wasn’t a bad offer.

The Ashen Covenant possessed resources he could use, and access to its records could reveal more about the mark.

But there was something he didn’t like.

Vaelor was too willing to let him enter the Central Anchor.

An organization that had spent generations restricting access to something wouldn’t suddenly become generous without a reason.

"What are you hiding?" Ronan asked.

Vaelor’s smile disappeared.

"Excuse me?"

"You’ve told me about the First Bearer, the disappearance, and the unstable network. Yet you still haven’t explained why your predecessor destroyed the records."

The Keeper remained silent.

Ronan continued.

"And you haven’t explained why the prisoner beneath the Western Anchor warned me not to trust you."

The atmosphere changed.

The formation beneath the floor hummed.

Vaelor’s eyes narrowed.

"You spoke with the prisoner?"

"Yes."

"What did it tell you?"

Ronan smiled.

"Enough."

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Vaelor slowly stood.

"I see."

His expression had become considerably colder.

"You’ve already encountered one of the ancient prisoners."

Ronan watched him.

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

Vaelor walked towards one of the shelves.

"But it means we have less time than I expected."

He retrieved a small metallic object and placed it on the table.

It resembled a broken regulator, although its inscriptions were considerably older.

"Take this."

Ronan examined it.

"What is it?"

"A resonance key. It was recovered from the sanctuary where the original records were destroyed."

"Why give it to me?"

"Because it may help you locate the third resonance point."

Ronan didn’t immediately accept it.

He examined the object with Formation Sense.

Its inscriptions were complicated, but he detected a familiar energy pattern.

It was connected to the same network as the access fragment.

He picked it up.

The mark on his palm glowed.

The metallic object responded.

[External Object Detected.]

[Resonance Compatibility: Confirmed.]

[New Information Acquired.]

[Resonance Point: Unknown.]

[Location Data: Incomplete.]

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The system couldn’t identify the location either.

However, the resonance key had responded to his mark.

He stored it.

"There’s something else," Vaelor said.

Ronan looked at him.

"The Hollow aren’t the only ones searching for the Central Anchor."

"I’ve noticed."

"No. You haven’t understood the situation."

Vaelor’s voice became serious.

"The individual leading the Hollow isn’t the only one who knows what lies beyond the Central Anchor. There are others, and some of them are considerably older than the Ashen Covenant itself."

Ronan remained silent.

Vaelor continued.

"They have been waiting for the marked bearer to appear."

The Keeper looked at Ronan’s palm.

"And now that you’ve appeared, they will come for you."

Ronan smiled.

"Then they can come."

Vaelor stared at him.

"You’re confident."

"I’m alive. That’s enough."

For a moment, the Keeper said nothing.

Then he returned to his seat.

"There’s one final thing you should know."

Ronan waited.

"The First Bearer wasn’t the only marked individual."

His expression changed slightly.

Vaelor continued.

"Before him, there were others. Their existence was recorded in fragments, but none of them survived long enough to reach the Central Anchor."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

"We don’t know."

"Then how can you be certain?"

Vaelor looked towards the ancient tablets.

"Because every time a marked individual appeared, the same thing happened."

He paused.

"The anchors awakened, the energy network began responding, and something came looking for them."

Silence filled the chamber.

Ronan slowly looked at his palm.

He had assumed the mark was connected to the First Bearer.

Now he was beginning to understand that the history of the mark extended much further back.

Perhaps the First Bearer hadn’t been the beginning.

Perhaps he had simply been the first one whose journey left enough records to be remembered.

Vaelor’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Ronan, if you intend to pursue the Central Anchor, you must understand one thing."

"What?"

"The mark isn’t simply a key."

The Keeper looked directly into his eyes.

"It’s a signal."

And somewhere beneath the Eastern Sanctuary, an ancient structure suddenly began responding.