Jade and Kelvin stood side by side against one of the ancient walls of the citadel.
Neither spoke.
For several minutes, they simply watched.
In front of them, Annabelle and Audrey sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor.
Between them was a strange formation drawn entirely from powdered monster shards.
The powder had been arranged into countless lines.
Circles.
Symbols.
Interlocking patterns.
Some resembled ancient runes.
Others looked almost mathematical.
Every few seconds, one of the symbols flashed.
Then another.
A faint glow spread through the formation before disappearing again.
The entire drawing pulsed like a living heartbeat.
Annabelle carefully adjusted one of the symbols.
Audrey immediately corrected another.
Neither girl spoke.
Both were completely focused.
Kelvin stood beside Jade with one hand raised.
Several fingers were crossed.
Sweat rolled down the side of his face.
His breathing was heavier than usual.
Even his expression had become unusually serious.
Jade glanced at him.
Then at the two girls.
Then back at Kelvin.
"What exactly are you trying to do again?"
Kelvin slowly turned his head.
His eyes narrowed.
His voice came out hoarse.
"How many times do I have to explain it?"
Jade raised an eyebrow.
Kelvin took a breath.
"I'm trying to break the illusion surrounding this entire stairs."
His voice became louder.
Almost shouting.
"The girls are trying to break the illusion of the stairs !"
Jade's expression became more serious.
"You think this stairs is an illusion?"
Kelvin looked at him.
"Not think."
"I know."
Jade frowned.
"How sure are you?"
Kelvin stared toward the enormous runic formation.
Then he slowly answered.
"I met a special sorcerer before coming here."
"Someone capable of modifying a person's profile."
Jade's interest immediately increased.
"Modifying a profile?"
Kelvin nodded.
"They added something to mine."
"My lifespan."
Jade's eyebrows rose.
"Your lifespan?"
"Yes."
Kelvin looked down at his hands.
"After it was added, I could see exactly how much time I had left."
He paused.
"At least..."
"That's what I believed."
Jade listened carefully.
Kelvin continued.
"But after trying to walk the stairs ..."
"My lifespan hasn't decreased."
Jade's eyes narrowed.
"At all?"
"Not even slightly."
Kelvin shook his head.
"That's impossible."
"Unless..."
He looked at the stais.
"...this isn't reality."
Jade became silent.
That actually made sense.
If time wasn't progressing normally...
Then an ordinary lifespan wouldn't decrease.
Kelvin exhaled.
"That's how I realized this stairs is an illusion."
He looked toward the altar at the far end of the chamber.
"Though honestly..."
"It isn't that much of a problem."
Jade followed his gaze.
At the center of the enormous chamber stood a gigantic altar.
It was made from a strange crystalline stone.
The material constantly changed color.
Blue.
Red.
Green.
Purple.
Gold.
Different elemental energies flowed through it.
Even from this distance, Jade could feel the terrifying concentration of essence inside.
Kelvin smiled.
"That altar is made from Elemental Stone."
Jade stared.
"Elemental Stone?"
Kelvin nodded.
"Diamond-class Elemental Stone."
Jade's mouth slowly opened.
The amount of elemental essence contained within the altar was absurd.
Kelvin continued.
"Even a small piece of that stone contains enough elemental essence to transform an ordinary Initiate."
"Depending on their foundation..."
"It could push them all the way into the Awakened rank."
Jade stared at the altar.
Then his eyes widened even further.
"You're saying that entire altar..."
Kelvin nodded.
"Exactly."
Jade swallowed.
A single piece could potentially create an Awakened.
And the altar contained an enormous amount.
If someone could absorb the entire thing...
The consequences would be ridiculous.
"It could strengthen someone's foundation even after they reach Elite."
Kelvin's expression became excited.
"Imagine giving this to a hundred Initiates."
"How many Awakened would be created?"
Jade remained silent.
Kelvin's eyes became brighter.
"And now imagine giving the entire thing to a single Initiate."
Jade's expression changed.
"That person could potentially reach the peak of Elite..."
Kelvin nodded.
"...and possibly even enter the early Master stage."
The thought alone was terrifying.
Jade looked toward the altar again.
That wasn't treasure.
It was a cultivation inheritance disguised as treasure.
No wonder Kelvin had spent so much time inside the citadel.
Jade suddenly noticed something.
"But if it's so valuable..."
"Why haven't you taken it?"
Kelvin's smile disappeared.
"Because I'm too weak when I reach the eight stairs."
Jade blinked.
Kelvin sighed.
"I tried."
"I really did."
"But I couldn't even move it."
He pointed toward the enormous altar.
"It's far too heavy."
"My strength isn't enough to drag it."
Jade nodded slowly.
"So you're trying to break the illusion first."
"Exactly."
Kelvin pointed toward Annabelle and Audrey.
"If this stairs is an illusion..."
"Then there must be a way to manipulate the rules."
"Runic Sorcery is our best chance."
Jade looked toward the girls.
Annabelle carefully drew another symbol.
Audrey immediately poured powdered shards into the center.
The formation flashed.
BOOM.
A faint shockwave spread through the room.
Both girls were pushed backward slightly.
Kelvin immediately stepped forward.
"Careful!"
Annabelle steadied herself.
"I'm fine."
Audrey nodded.
"The formation is resisting."
Kelvin clenched his fist.
"Then increase the pressure."
Annabelle looked at him.
"We already increased it twice."
"Again."
"Kelvin..."
"Again!"
The runes began glowing brighter.
Jade watched silently.
Something about the formation made him uneasy.
Then his gaze moved toward the wall.
Ancient writing had been carved directly into the stone.
Jade slowly approached.
He recognized the language.
He could read it now.
His eyes moved across the inscription.
Then he frowned.
"The Eight Steps to Oblivion."
Kelvin glanced toward him.
Jade continued reading.
"Beware..."
"There is a ninth step."
Jade turned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kelvin suddenly laughed.
A loud, confident laugh.
"That?"
He waved dismissively.
"Fake."
Jade blinked.
"Fake?"
Kelvin nodded.
"I wrote it."
Jade stared at him.
"You?"
"Of course."
Kelvin smiled proudly.
"I needed something to scare anyone who tried to take the treasure."
He pointed toward the writing.
"Imagine walking into an ancient citadel, seeing a warning about a mysterious ninth step, and realizing the treasure might be connected to it."
Jade couldn't help smiling.
"That's one smart move."
Kelvin grinned.
"Thanks."
"I figured most people would hesitate."
Jade shook his head.
"You really planned everything."
"Not everything."
Kelvin glanced toward the altar.
"Some things were beyond my control."
Before Jade could ask what he meant, Annabelle spoke.
"The spell is extremely difficult to destroy."
Both men looked toward her.
She continued drawing.
"Even modifying it directly is dangerous."
"Every time we change one rune..."
"another section repairs itself."
Audrey nodded.
"So instead..."
"We created a space-teleportation array."
Jade looked at the formation.
"You're planning to teleport the altar?"
Annabelle shook her head.
"Not the altar."
"The surrounding space."
Jade's expression changed.
She continued.
"If we can create a stable spatial boundary..."
"We may be able to separate the altar from the illusion."
"Then we can move it."
Kelvin smiled.
"Exactly."
He looked at the two girls.
"Confirm everything works smoothly."
Annabelle immediately checked the formation.
Her fingers moved across several glowing runes.
One by one, the symbols stabilized.
She finally looked up.
"Yes, Lord."
"The array is functioning."
Kelvin nodded.
"Good."
Jade watched the exchange.
Something about the way Annabelle called Kelvin Lord bothered him.
It wasn't ordinary respect.
It sounded almost programmed.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
Then Kelvin's gaze suddenly fell upon Jade's hand.
He froze.
"Wait."
Jade looked at him.
Kelvin pointed.
"That ring."
Jade glanced down.
A small crystal ring rested on his finger.
He had almost forgotten about it.
"This?"
Kelvin stepped closer.
"Where did you get that?"
Jade shrugged.
"I think..."
He looked at the ring.
"Yeah."
"From a pack of wolves."
From his shoulder came a tiny telepathic voice.
Liar.
Jade ignored it.
Little Black continued.
Liar.
No.
I'm the one who got the ring.
L-I-A-R.
Liar.
Jade silently told the cat to shut up.
Kelvin walked closer.
His eyes widened.
"No way."
He stared at the ring.
Then at Jade.
"Why on earth did you put it on your finger?"
Jade frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Kelvin looked genuinely confused.
"You could have absorbed it."
Jade blinked.
"Absorbed it?"
"Yes."
"It would have become a new power."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't know."
Kelvin shook his head.
Then his expression softened.
"It allows the user to communicate telepathically with anyone."
Jade froze.
He immediately looked toward Little Black.
Then asked mentally:
Is that how you've been talking to me?
Little Black's voice came back immediately.
Now you know.
Jade stared.
The cat sounded almost smug.
I knew what it did.
I was just trying to modify my mind.
Jade frowned.
So that was part of the reason.
But...
Not the whole reason.
There was still something strange about Little Black's telepathy.
Something Kelvin hadn't explained.
Jade slowly removed the ring.
He looked at it for another second.
Then—
He swallowed it.
The moment the ring passed down his throat...
Warm energy exploded through his body.
Jade's eyes widened.
The warmth traveled downward.
Through his throat.
His chest.
His Soul Core.
Then deeper.
Into his very existence.
He staggered slightly.
"What..."
He had never sensed anything unusual from the ring before.
Why?
Why hadn't he felt this energy when he first wore it?
The familiar System voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
"New ability acquired."
Jade froze.
A translucent screen appeared.
---
Ability Acquired: Telepathic Communication
Description:
A mysterious pet acquired a crystal ring for his master and faced great danger.
Then the dark elementist, a Jadeborn, revealed the ring's purpose.
The master received a new power.
---
Jade stared.
His mouth slowly opened.
Little Black's ears immediately perked up.
Jade couldn't help grinning.
"The System actually described this in your favor."
Little Black looked proud.
As it should.
Jade shook his head.
But then another thought appeared.
His smile slowly faded.
"Wait."
He stared at the description again.
"The dark elementist..."
"...a Jadeborn?"
Kelvin had never introduced himself as a Jadeborn.
Jade had never heard the term before.
And yet...
The System had used it naturally.
Not as a nickname.
Not as an explanation.
As though it were a recognized identity.
Jade's thoughts became increasingly complicated.
What exactly was a Jadeborn?
Was it a race?
A lineage?
A title?
A species?
Or something connected to the strange mysteries surrounding the citadel?
Then another question appeared.
Why did the System call Kelvin a Jadeborn?
Jade looked toward Kelvin.
Kelvin looked back.
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then Kelvin slowly smiled.
"Interesting."
Jade's eyes narrowed.
"Very."
Little Black quietly climbed onto Jade's shoulder.
Its ears twitched.
The cat stared at Kelvin.
Jade could feel its curiosity through their connection.
The mystery had just become deeper.
First...
The strange citadel.
Then the illusion.
Then the Elemental Stone.
The fake warning.
The mysterious altar.
The teleportation array.
The crystal ring.
And now—
Jadeborn.
Jade slowly looked toward the ancient altar.
Something told him that the answer wasn't far away.
The citadel wasn't simply hiding treasure.
It was hiding history.
And whatever history had been buried here...
It was beginning to recognize Jade.