Chapter 249: About the ancient Coin.
The disciple trembled slightly. "N-no, Second Lord. It was my big mistake. Please, grant me another chance."
The Warden’s aura pressed down like a mountain, the weight of it nearly crushing the kneeling demon into the ground.
"Look what you have allowed to happen," the Abyss Warden said slowly.
"The blood of our Lord — tainted. The humans dare step into our sacred hollow, break our seal, and live."
He turned away, his tail slicing the air with a low hiss.
"Find the human who entered here," the Warden ordered.
"Bring him to me — alive. I wish to see the face of the fool who touched our Lord’s blood."
The Shadow Disciple swallowed hard and bowed deeply. "Yes, Second Lord."
The Warden’s voice dropped lower.
"Do not make me come again for such useless failures. Next time, you will meet your demise."
"Yes, Second Lord," the Shadow Disciple said quickly, pressing his forehead to the ground.
With that, the Abyss Warden turned back toward the crystal wall. His body slowly dissolved into the dark mist, leaving behind a faint echo of his final words:
"I cannot answer to our Lord... if his blood is used by humans."
As the Abyss warden leaves, The Shadow Disciple slowly rises to his feet, his expression twisting into one of hatred and rage.
His gloved hand clenched tightly, small sparks of red lightning flickering between his fingers.
"Looks like I have to personally deal with those dogs," he muttered.
He turned toward the exit.
"Enjoy your victory, humans," he said softly. "Because soon... the real hunt will begin."
As he disappeared into the darkness, the crystals pulsed faintly again — glowing with the same red hue Kael had seen the night before.
Far away, at the academy, Kael stirred suddenly in his sleep, his hand clutching his chest as a sharp, searing pain ran through him.
Morning sunlight spilled through the academy’s tall glass windows, scattering across Kael’s desk.
His eyes shot open as if someone had poured cold water on him.
For a moment, he didn’t even remember where he was — the faint trace of that red crystal still lingered in his mind, pulsing like a wound.
Sweat dampened his shirt.
"Damn... that dream again," he muttered, rubbing his face.
He could still feel that strange heat on his palm — the same hand that had touched the cracked red crystal the day before.
He sat up abruptly, glancing toward the faint glow at the edge of his seat in the mana calss.
"I need to find out what you are," Kael said quietly.
"Selena might have found something by now."
He quickly washed his face, and slung his academy cloak over his shoulder.
Ground One
The training grounds were crowded that morning.
Ground One — the most popular of all — was filled with the second-year elites practicing their sword techniques and spells.
The clang of metal against metal echoed through the field.
As Kael stepped in, heads turned. Conversations quieted.
"Hey... look over there," one of the students muttered.
"Isn’t that the hero from the first years?"
"Hero? You mean the one who came back from the demon valley alive?" another whispered.
"I heard he even found something strange in the valley," a third added.
"Did he come here to challenge us?" one boy sneered.
Kael ignored them.
He scanned the crowd.
"Selena! Selena!" he called out.
A few students blinked in surprise. "Selena?"
Then a soft voice rose from the crowd, followed by a raised hand.
"Here I am! Coming!"
It was Cecelia Selena, the girl known for her calm demeanor and remarkable research ability.
Kael waved at her, relief washing over his face. "Finally. I have been looking for you since morning."
She chuckled lightly. "You could’ve just sent a message, you know."
"I’d rather talk in person," Kael said simply.
Without another word, Cecelia nodded, and the two of them left the training ground together.
The students behind them started whispering again.
"Did you see that? He’s really close with her."
"Of course. She’s the only one smart enough to deal with him."
"Or maybe she’s just unlucky," someone joked, and laughter rippled through the group.
Kael didn’t pay attention.
The Library
The library towered above most academy buildings, its old marble walls covered in ivy and sunlight filtering through tall stained-glass windows.
Inside, the scent of old books, ink, and dust filled the air.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched endlessly, each stacked with ancient tomes, scrolls, and relic studies.
Cecelia led Kael to a quiet corner on the third floor.
She set her books on the table and sighed.
"You know," she said, brushing her hair aside, "I wasted two full days looking through the archives because of these coins."
Cecelia placed the coins gently on the table. "And? Did you find anything?" Kael said.
"I did," Cecelia said, opening an old book wrapped in faded cloth.
"Yesterday, I finally found a reference in the Ancient Relics Compendium. These coins... they’re.... They’re ancient."
"Ancient coins?" Kael repeated.
"You mean from before the Great War era?"
Cecelia nodded. "Even older, I think. These were used during the Era of Sealed Gates. Each coin was said to bear a fragment of an old formation used to unlock skills."
"But these are old now... it was used during the war era... it is no use now", Selena said.
Kael leaned closer. "Skill? What kind of skill?"
She pointed to a page with a rough sketch of four circular symbols.
"These three together supposedly formed a gate key — a key that could open sealed places guarded by the Demons." Selena said.
"These old times are really something," Kael said.
"This can’t be a coincidence," he whispered. "That vision I saw — it must be related."
Cecelia looked up sharply. "Vision? What vision?"
Kael hesitated, lowering his voice. "When I went deeper into the valley, I saw... something. A massive door underground. It was covered with chains — and runes that glowed the same color as these coins."
Cecelia’s eyes widened slightly. "You mean... you actually saw the Door of the Abyss?"
"The Door of what?"