"Heh heh heh heh heh~"
The Black Phoenix's cry seemed to mock Ian's cowardice, as it remained standing in the same spot.
"When I master Apparition, I'll definitely be braver than you." Ian turned back indignantly to retort, only to find that the pedestal holding the seed box had vanished without a trace.
In its place was a long passageway... Blue candles began to light up along the walls of the corridor. After hesitating for a moment, Ian raised his magic wand and walked inside.
He kept walking forward.
The interior grew increasingly dim.
Fortunately, Ian's Lighting Spell provided him with visibility.
After walking for several minutes, Ian finally reached the end of the passage, arriving at a room resembling a bedroom, richly adorned with luxurious decorations.
In the center of the room stood a massive four-post bed, its posts intricately carved with vine patterns entwined with golden threads, and at the top, dazzling gemstones were set, shimmering with an enticing luster.
The walls were adorned with exquisite tapestries, their edges embroidered with gold threads, complementing the room's golden decor, exuding an endless sense of opulence and grandeur.
"The King's room?"
Ian touched these items lightly and discovered they too were rotten inside. He couldn't help feeling a sense of regret, and his gaze was eventually drawn to the spot where the Black Phoenix lingered.
It was a king's throne.
Above the throne hung a giant crystal chandelier, with each crystal meticulously sculpted, and the throne itself was crafted from pure gold, inlaid with countless gemstones and pearls.
"None of this is meaningful anymore, all just fragile things that break at a touch, worthless. If you really like treasure hunting, one day, let's go to the Human World, and I'll take you to find a mountain full of dragons!" Ian walked up and gently kicked the throne. Just as expected, this seemingly lavish piece began to decay instantly.
In the blink of an eye.
It turned into a pile of dust on the ground.
However.
What lay behind it was revealed before Ian—a hidden Secret Chamber, an empty room with only a black robe slumped in the corner.
Countless shackles and chains intertwined within the black robe.
"A captive slave?"
Curiously, Ian squeezed into the Secret Chamber and was about to grab the exposed white skeleton outside the black robe. Suddenly, the black robe that had existed for who knows how many years, moved.
"There's no wind here, right..."
Ian was slightly taken aback.
Before he could continue reaching out,
In the next moment,
The seemingly lifeless black robe began to tremble gently beneath the skeletal remains, and Ian was so startled that he stumbled back several steps, frantically pulling out a magic wand and an Equal to All Potion.
The drooping black robe slowly lifted its head.
Within the pitch-black hood,
A white skeletal face looked directly at Ian—its bones gleamed like jade, not ordinary white and fragile, but with a strange semi-translucent quality, seemingly untouched by decay despite being baptized by time and Death.
The entire skeleton had an aura like calm water, yet terrifying as if a tidal wave could surge at any moment! Ian had never felt such a clear sense of authority from any wizard.
"The Dead? Old Remnants?"
Ian couldn't quite determine what the skeleton was. In the Misty Illusion Realm, the other dead he'd encountered mostly had human forms and appearances in a spiritual state.
This one, looking like it had crawled out from a grave, was genuinely unheard of in the Misty Illusion Realm, possibly linked to the fact that this lonely tower and its kingdom had all fallen into this place.
"Can it communicate?"
Ian's gaze fixed on the Black-robed Skeleton; its mysterious and unique bones stirred something within him, causing an inexplicable surge of nervousness.
Of course,
The thought of whether these bones could be used as medicine outweighed his rising tension and unease. Ian swallowed hard as he looked at the Black-robed Skeleton.
"Did someone lose this skeleton? If no one claims it, I'll take it!" Ian knowingly asked, calling out theatrically into the empty surroundings.
"Heh heh heh heh heh~"
The Black Phoenix began mocking his futile attempt to conceal the truth again.
"Whew~"
At that moment,
The previously empty eye sockets of the pitch-black skeleton, flared as if ignited with flames, lighting up with red Soul Fire. It first locked eyes with Ian.
In that instant,
Ian suddenly felt a strange daze as if the other's gaze bore a crushing weight, making his breath grow slightly rapid.
Fortunately, the Black-robed Skeleton didn't keep staring at Ian.
"Heh heh heh heh heh~"
The peculiar cry of the Black Phoenix caught the Black-robed Skeleton's attention.
It slowly swivels its inflexible head and fixated its gaze on Ian's Black Phoenix. Its abruptly diligent and cautious movements were strikingly evident.
"Heh?"
The Black Phoenix cluelessly tilted its head.
Ian astonishingly realized he could feel the Black-robed Skeleton's emotions.
From initial unease to gradually calming down.
"It has no soul... just an empty shell."
A raspy voice emerged once again from the skeleton's throat, devoid of vocal cords. It seemed to suddenly relax a bit, readjusting its posture.
Perhaps due to the earlier state of alertness,
Red patterns began to extend from its eyes.