In an orderly manner, the members of the security forces reached the collapsed entrance of the sand castle. As they looked upon the massive, crack-riddled structure, its ancient walls shrouded in gentle wind currents carrying fine grains of sand, a heavy feeling settled over their hearts, as if an ominous danger lurked deep within. Morrison stood at the forefront of the group. After taking a long, assessing look at the entrance, he raised his hand, and a net of crackling lightning element spread outward, covering every member of the security forces in a protective layer. "Let’s go," He ordered in a deep voice and was the first to step past the collapsed entrance. The instant Morrison crossed the threshold, he felt an invisible weight descend upon him, pressing down both physically and spiritually, as though he had stepped into the domain of something far beyond human comprehension. The rest of the security forces felt the same oppressive force, and for a brief moment, their high morale faltered. "Focus!" Morrison’s cold voice cut through their unease, snapping them back to awareness. "This is nothing but a simple spiritual attack designed to affect your mentality. Keep your minds steady, or you will sink into a whirlwind of negative emotions." His stern command rang in their ears, and the soldiers quickly regained their composure, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads. Although Hiroshi had warned them about the strange effects near the entrance of the sand castle, they had still fallen under its influence, almost losing their grip on reality. Seeing everyone recover, Morrison released a quiet sigh of relief and turned his sharp gaze forward. ’What in the world is this strange feeling?’ He wondered silently. ’There is no illusion or spiritual formation here to manipulate the mind. It’s as if the very atmosphere of this castle is saturated with some strange power, a force that wants to drag people into an ocean of hopelessness and crush their will to fight.’ Drawing in a deep breath, Morrison steadied himself and knowing they could not afford to waste time, he began to march deeper into the castle, the rest of the security forces following closely behind. Once their figures disappeared inside. Several of the collapsed stones near the entrance shifted slightly, revealing a narrow, hollow space within. From the darkness of the hollow, three figures emerged, their eyes narrowing as they watched the security forces disappearing into the depths of the castle. "Just as we expected," Elyara murmured with a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips. "They really decided to take down the Transcendent Organization the moment they learned about them." "Let’s head in as well," Luo Bingqing said softly and after confirming that the security forces had moved a safe distance ahead, the three of them stepped past the entrance. Like the others before them, Luo Bingqing and Elyara immediately felt a heavy pressure bearing down on their minds, a force that sought to tamper with their thoughts and will. However, their mental fortitude was far stronger than that of the security forces and apart from a slight frown creasing their brows, neither of them reacted. Azrael, on the other hand, felt nothing at all. His willpower was far beyond that of ordinary people, and his orange-grade Trait, Cold Blooded, offered him natural protection against spiritual attacks. Because of this, not only did he fail to sense anything abnormal, but something else happened, something he had been waiting for. Rattle! Rattle! — — — — The sound of chains rattling inside his mind suddenly echoed again and unlike before, it was far louder, carrying a strange excitement, as though reacting to the ominous atmosphere within the sand castle. ’As I thought... the presence that has been causing this sound is inside this castle.’ Azrael’s eyes narrowed as a cold light flashed through them. ’Now that I know the source is here, there is no way I will let anyone else take it before me.’ His gaze flicked briefly to the two tasks displayed on his status window, and he drew in a slow, deep breath. 1. Find the traces of the Enders. (Reward: 30,000 task points, a random low-level wind-type Essentia Art) 2. Make the Seed of the End within you acknowledge you as its master. (Reward: ???) Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥 Azrael paid little attention to the first task as even if he failed to complete it, the consequences would not trouble him much. But the second task was another matter entirely. Knowing that something completely unknown resided within his body, he was determined to bring it under his control as soon as possible, before it could cause future problems. The rattling chains within his mind only strengthened his conviction that this sound was connected to the mysterious Seed of the End and the thought made him all the more resolute to seize the thing calling out to him from within the castle. "Let’s move," He said to Elyara and Luo Bingqing and all three of them stepped deeper into the ruins. As they moved, they soon passed through a sandy expanse that must once have been the castle’s garden. At some distant time, the place might have been a vibrant oasis filled with flowers and life. But now, it was nothing but a desolate desert of shifting sands, littered with broken rubble and the collapsed remains of once-beautiful sculptures. After several minutes of silent travel, Azrael and the others finally emerged from the forsaken garden and approached the great gate that led into the heart of the giant castle. Like the outer entrance, this gate too lay in ruins, its once-proud archway marred by countless cracks that crawled like scars across the walls of the still-standing castle. BOOOOOOM! Rumble! Crack! — — — From deep within the castle came the unmistakable sounds of battle. Violent energy waves surged outward through the fractured entrance, brushing against their bodies with raw force. "It seems they’ve already started fighting..." Luo Bingqing muttered under his breath. Elyara and Azrael both gave slight nods in agreement, and without hesitation, the three of them stepped through the ruined gate and entered the heart of the castle.