My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 486: Founder
Previously on My attributes are increasing infinitely...
A profound rumble suddenly shook the grand hall within the castle, echoing through its framework like a massive quake ravaging the entire realm. The tremor lacked the intensity to fracture the floor beneath their feet, but it bore an eerie, oppressive force that vibrated straight through the atmosphere.
Pillars hewn from milky crystalline rock emitted soft hums, while the ceiling—mimicking a starry night trapped in glass—rippled with faint warps. This unrest felt anything but natural; it seemed purposeful, as if some primordial force had roused from endless repose.
Bewilderment instantly swept over the assembled crowd. Many braced themselves on reflex, while others scanned about in panic. Some suspected a covert foe's strike, others dreaded the castle's own failure. Yet none could comprehend the true nature of the event.
Earthquakes had never plagued Elysium.
The very idea struck as preposterous. Elysium defied standard physical rules, and this castle especially stood as a spatial treasure unbound by typical dimensional constraints.
Untethered from any world or linked to shifting plates and earthly powers, the prospect of a quake in such a domain upended all their knowledge.
Still, the deep, menacing rumble droned on.
As the novices lingered in confusion, the elder's face twisted in stark realization. Pallor seized his features, eyes bulging wide while his breaths turned ragged and short. No speculation was needed; he recognized the source beyond doubt.
Elders beyond level one hundred mirrored the shift in unison. Bewilderment morphed to astonishment, then to a grave composure that set them clearly apart from the others.
The old man dropped to his knees without a second's pause.
His action came swift and unwavering.
The elders knelt right after, synchronized flawlessly, heads bowed low in obeisance to an authority beyond challenge.
"Greetings, Founder," the old man intoned, his voice laden with deferential weight that hushed the entire chamber.
The air turned to ice.
The rest of the assembly stiffened in their spots. Mostly fresh inductees, they knew the Founder's legends by heart but had never laid eyes on him. To many, he lingered as a legendary architect of the clan, vanished into retreat. Some figured him in deep seclusion, while doubters whispered of his long death.
Whispers even claimed the elders concealed truths on the eighth floor—that tales of the Founder's survival were inventions to preserve power and stave off strife. Unverified, those doubts haunted the skeptics' thoughts.
Abruptly, a silhouette coalesced in midair.
He materialized bit by bit, as if the void itself unveiled him. Initially ghostly and sheer, like a specter from another realm, his shape firmed up swiftly. Youthful, no older than Ethan perhaps, with chiseled beauty rivaling the fresh record-shatterer, though his demeanor stayed serene and aloof.
The greatest stun came from the total lack of aura.
No crushing pressure emanated. No celestial glow shone. No overwhelming might choked the space as with supreme powerhouses. He merely hovered, gravity irrelevant, robes drifting softly without breeze, gaze utterly impassive.
The kneeling elders drew no glance from him.
The hall itself went unheeded.
His stare locked straight onto Ethan.
Silence gripped like a vice.
"Come with me," he uttered evenly.
Ethan posed no queries. Refusal felt inconceivable, and crucially, he detected no enmity. A single nod signaled his compliance.
The youth flicked his fingers.
In a blink, both erased from sight, as if never there at all.
Their vanishing proved total. No energy traces lingered. No space warped behind. Reality seemed to have scrubbed them clean.
Precisely then, an uncanny shift befell them.
Disorientation hit the hall's occupants hard. Minds clouded over, a faint void creeping into recollections. The Founder's likeness dissolved from thought like evaporating fog. Even Ethan's outline hazed out, then vanished utterly.
The elders underwent the identical erasure.
For an instant, the entire group remained frozen in stunned quiet, baffled by the spectacle they had just beheld.
"Why are we here?" a person wondered instinctively.
That doubt emerged in several minds all at once.
The old man creased his brow. A bizarre void lingered in his recollection. Though he couldn't pinpoint the lost fragment, he perceived that a crucial detail had vanished. His gut screamed that this event was anything but mundane.
Sudden realization struck him.
"Do not ask any questions. Just leave," the old man commanded abruptly.
His tone held an intense gravity.
He might lack the Founder's power, yet he grasped one truth perfectly. Within this castle, solely one individual could obliterate memories with such thoroughness. The elders swiftly arrived at identical insight. Faces grew stern, and they held their tongues.
Their gazes shifted to the other members present.
"Nothing happened here. Leave," they ordered.
The elders disappeared in succession, ignoring any reply.
...
Within a serene room on the eighth floor, suspended in an isolated space dimension, the Founder faced Ethan, who had fully recovered his senses post-teleport.
"You were dispatched here by an entity from Elysium, right? Do you carry a mission?" the Founder inquired.
"That is correct. I need to reach at least level one hundred thirty. A family member of mine faces peril," Ethan responded.
"I will not pry deeper," the Founder stated evenly. "Do you wish to join our clan?"
"If you can assist and safeguard me, I will join," Ethan declared.
"Agreed. I have erased your presence from their recollections. Still, certain supreme entities could have sensed irregularities. They won't meddle inside this castle, but should you stand out too much beyond it, discovery is inevitable."
"Thanks for the warning. Any guidance for me?" Ethan queried.
"I will grant you a treasure. It conceals your level, undetectable by anyone beyond level one hundred thirty. Hunt monsters matching your own strength too. That yields greater points. Slaying inferior foes merely squanders effort. Additionally, take this tool to track particular monsters."
"Thank you. Could you reveal my personality's form, sir?" Ethan requested.
The Founder nodded, producing a compact disk akin to the grand one downstairs.
Ethan grasped the disk.
A fierce burst of energy exploded forth.
The disk started morphing. They observed intently as its exterior grew pliable, reforming bit by bit.
Soon, a tiny figurine took shape.
It mirrored Ethan precisely.
The Founder’s eyes bulged in shock.
"How can this be? A True Treasure fails to assess your personality?"
He promptly passed several objects to Ethan.
"Depart now and start your adventure. Claim these treasures. This stone returns you straight to the eighth floor."
Ethan took hold of them.
"Sir, one final question?"
"Speak it."
"Leveling up fortifies the body, but how do we wield supernatural powers?"
"At every ten levels, a divine power manifests as your talent. Upon hitting level one hundred, you gain the capacity to grasp and wield aspects of Elysium’s laws."
Ethan expressed gratitude and departed.
Shortly after, he materialized back on the ground floor, met by Dominic's composed welcome.
"Congratulations, Ethan. Gold level potential truly shines. Shame you can't enter the first floor, yet the ground level serves well enough."
