Chapter 72: Who is Caelan?

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Who is Caelan?

Arin had spent most of the morning in a healer’s building. He was beginning to resent the whole experience. Although his body still ached from the fight against Neva, he was no longer stiff and sore enough to be moaning from every sharp movement.

That was good enough for Arin, so he had wandered out into the open air.

The elven village was quiet.

People wandered between the houses, guards paced up and down the street, and a group of elves were carrying baskets with food and supplies. No one spoke openly about the events in the dungeon, but the weight of the day’s happenings hung heavily over the village. The people of the elven village had seen the aftermath of the battle. They knew that something terrible had transpired in the dungeon. Arin turned his gaze to the training ground.

Ayan stood at the center with his arms crossed, listening to the conversation between Saira and Adnan. Mira stood a little away from the group, talking to one of the elven healers. Eldran stood next to the largest building in the village. As soon as he spotted Arin, the Elf Chief raised a hand in greeting.

"You’re finally out." Arin wandered over. "Finally?" Eldran’s lips curled into a smile.

"You’ve been out cold for a while." "I was awake yesterday," Arin protested. "That doesn’t count." Arin groaned. "What do you want?" Eldran’s smile vanished.

"Everyone is waiting inside." Arin’s gaze fell on the building. "Everyone?" Eldran gave a short nod. Arin fell in step behind the Elf Chief as they headed inside. Already Ayan was seated at the table. Saira stood beside him with her arms folded, while Adnan pored over a stack of ancient documents.

Mira sat quietly in the corner. On the other side of the table, Zarl and Garul stood, both still wearing magical collars. Zarl looked annoyed, but Garul looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else. Arin took the vacant seat.

"So," he said, looking around the room. "Who is Caelan?" A long silence greeted his question. Eldran placed a pile of old books on the table. "That is the problem." Arin frowned. "You don’t know?" "I know enough to say that Caelan is no ordinary Elven Hero." Eldran opened the first book. The pages were old, some of the ink barely recognizable. Several words had faded beyond recognition. "Our records tell of him." Arin leaned forward. "How old?" "Some are several centuries old,"

Eldran replied. He flipped to another page.

"Others are older." Arin’s eyes swept over the pages. There were several references to Caelan. The name appeared again on the next page. And again on the following one.

Arin’s frown deepened. "Same person?" "We don’t know," Eldran said. He tapped the first page. "This entry describes a young elf named Caelan during a period of war between several elven territories." He turned the page. "This one refers to a Caelan during another war several centuries later.".Arin studied the pages.

"And they looked the same?"

"That is what is odd about it."

Eldran turned another page. "Descriptions are vague, but they are similar." Arin’s eyes darkened. "Similar how?" "Young. Black hair. Powerful mana. Calm demeanor." Arin’s expression changed. "That’s him." Ayan leaned forward. "You are certain?" "I saw him yesterday." Arin turned back to the pages. "If these records are correct, then Caelan has been around for a very long time." Eldran nodded slowly. "Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

"We cannot say with certainty that they refer to the same individual."

Arin slouched back in his chair. "And what else could it be?" "Relatives. Titles. Someone with the same name." Eldran closed the book halfway. "Our records do not give us an answer." Arin rubbed his eyes. "Great."

Saira stepped closer. "Does that mean Caelan is immortal?" Eldran shook his head.

"We have no proof of that." Arin nodded. It was one thing for Caelan to be mysterious, but it wasn’t a good sign if he was immortal.

"What about the masked elf?" Eldran turned to face him. "The one standing beside Caelan?" "Yeah." "I’ve seen no reference to him." Ayan’s eyes narrowed. "Then his existence may be even more recent." "Or his existence was deliberately excluded from the records," Eldran replied. Arin frowned.

"That doesn’t make me feel any better."

"It wasn’t meant to," Eldran replied. Arin’s gaze fell back on the books. There was something else that bothered him. "Why was he collecting Dungeon Masters?" A heavy silence filled the room.

Eldran slowly closed the book. "That is yet another thing we cannot answer."Your records don’t mention it?"They mention Dungeon Masters." Eldran another page from the stack. "Several of them." Arin’s eyes widened. "Several?" "Different periods. Different locations. Different circumstances." Eldran placed the paper on the table. The records did not describe Dungeon Masters as an organization. They had appeared throughout history.

Neva had lived thousands of years ago, and the others had existed during various points in history, going back far before the modern era. Elias was the latest of the Dungeon Masters. "Do the records say what happened to them?" "Some disappeared," Eldran said, flipping through the pages.

"Some were killed during wars. Others simply vanished."

He turned another page. "A few were wiped out during major conflicts between humans, elves and demons." Arin’s gaze narrowed. "Like Neva’s time?" "Possibly. Ask Zarl." Zarl scowled. "Why are you looking at me?" "Because you worked with Caelan."

Zarl clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I already told you. I worked with him. That doesn’t mean I knew everything he did."

Arin leaned forward. "What did you know?"

Zarl hesitated, then let out a long sigh.

"Celan was interested in Dungeon Master remnants."

Arin’s eyes narrowed. "Define remnants." "Authority fragments, old techniques, relics of any kind related to Dungeon Masters, or anything that could further understanding of their power." Saira’s expression darkened.

"And the Chimera experiments?" Zarl looked at her. "That was my expertise." "Did Caelan order them?" "Yes," Zarl said quickly. "I handled the experiments. Caelan was interested in the results." Mira’s fingers curled into a fist. Arin noticed it and frowned. "What kind of results?" Zarl hesitated, then turned away from Mira. "Compatibility. Transformation. Preservation." Mira’s eyes narrowed.

"People." Zarl did not reply. Arin narrowed his gaze at Zarl. "People were your experiments." "I didn’t say otherwise," Ayan said, his tone growing icier. "What did Caelan want from them?" Zarl shook his head. "I don’t know." Arin didn’t back down.

"You expect me to believe you?" "I don’t care what you believe," Zarl replied, leaning back in his chair. "Caelan never told me his ultimate goal." Garul finally spoke up. "He treated them like specimens." Everyone turned to face him. Garul looked down. "The Dungeon Masters, I mean. He observed them, tested their reactions and studied the changes in their Authority. He was fascinated by the remnants of their power after their minds began to break down."

Arin leaned back. It all seemed strange in a different way. Caelan hadn’t simply captured ten Dungeon Masters for the sake of doing it. He had studied them, observing and preserving them. Then he had placed Arin in the dungeon with all ten of them.

Arin turned his gaze to Eldran. "Why?" Eldran shook his head. "I don’t know." Arin’s eyes narrowed on Zarl. "Why me?" Zarl chuckled. "That, I definitely don’t know."

Arin’s expression darkened. "But Caelan knew exactly what I was."He knew you were a Dungeon Master."How?"

Zarl shrugged. "He seemed to know things about Dungeon Masters that even I didn’t."

Ayan spoke up. "Then he’s been studying them for a long time." "That doesn’t seem surprising," Arin muttered. He turned his gaze downward, and his right hand suddenly grew warm. Arin froze as a faint black glow appeared beneath his skin.

A System window appeared before his eyes.

[Dungeon Master Authority detected.]

Arin’s eyes widened. "Not again." The others turned to look at him. "What happened?" Adnan asked. Arin ignored him, closing his eyes. Dungeon Sense had activated, filling the elven village with images of walls, buildings and people. It wasn’t Caelan’s power that was affecting Arin. It came from somewhere else. Arin turned his head slowly to the right, towards the eastern part of the village. There, something old and familiar pulsed with a faint energy. Arin stood up.

"It’s here." Eldran stared at him. "What is?"

"Something related to the Dungeon Master Authority." The room fell silent. Eldran’s expression changed. He immediately stood up. "Where?" Arin pointed to the eastern part of the village. "The eastern archives." Eldran’s eyes went wide. Ayan caught the change in his expression. "You know something." Eldran hesitated, then gave a short nod. "There is something hidden beneath the old archive." Arin crossed his arms. "Something?" Eldran turned to the door. "A sealed part." "Sealed?" "It has been locked away for centuries." Adnan frowned.

"Why?"

Eldran shook his head. "The records indicate it was forbidden to open." Arin stared at him. "Why?" "I don’t know," Eldran admitted. Saira stepped closer. "Then why keep it?" Eldran looked at the old books.

"Because every generation of Elf Chiefs has been ordered to protect it." Arin narrowed his eyes. "Who gave the order?" Eldran’s lips pressed into a thin line. "The oldest records do not say." Arin allowed himself a small smile. Of course they didn’t. It seemed that everything related to Dungeon Masters led to another locked door.

"Let’s go," Arin said, turning towards the door. Eldran looked at him. "Arin," he began, "that section has been sealed for centuries."

"I heard you."."You don’t know what is in there." Arin turned back to face him. "That’s why I want to see it." Ayan stood up. "I’m coming with you." Saira immediately moved to stand beside him. "Me too." Adnan sighed.

"Looks like we’re all going." Mira stood up as well. Arin turned to face Zarl and Garul.

"You two stay here." Zarl crossed his arms.

"I wasn’t planning on following you anyway." "Good," Arin said, turning back to Eldran. "Take me there." Eldran studied him for several long seconds, then reached down and picked up the key attached to his belt.

"Very well," he said, leading the way to the door. As soon as they stepped outside, the black mark on Arin’s hand pulsed again.

The strange sensation beneath the elven village grew stronger. What was hidden beneath the old archive was connected to the Dungeon Master Authority. In fact, Arin had the distinct impression that it had been waiting for him to arrive long before he was born. Arin looked towards the eastern part of the village.

"Let’s see what you elves have been hiding for centuries."