1,284 kilometers deep into Plains of Death, near the very center of the Adept band, a large pyramid-like structure made of obsidian and bone was floating in mid-air.
This necropolis exuded rivers of greenish liquid from all around its body which fell down into an ethereal green lake.
At the peak of this building was a tomb shaped like a pantheon cathedral. The room was mostly empty. Aside from the wealth of whitish bones from various species used to create the room, there was merely a small pedestal in the very center of the room.
Levitating above it, was the glowing body of an undead sitting in the lotus position. The creature's green robe was open, casually flapping by his side, though one would be amiss to discover that there was no natural wind here.
A trick of the eye perhaps?
One would question this choice of fashion until taking a closer look, before realizing the necessity. It wasn't truly the undead himself who released the only source of ambient lighting.
No, it was an egg-shaped stone the size of a tennis ball affixed to his sternum that gave off the sinister black light. From another point of view, it really looked like an egg, just gray in color
Apart from the glow, the stone was truly unremarkable except for the fact that its surface was smooth and gray in color, as if someone had spent hours polishing it.
And yet, despite its unremarkable outer appearance, this stone was one of the most valuable items in the entire Plains of Death.
For this reason, the undead Adept with the highest strength had been tasked to see to its eternal protection.
It was none other than Stonekeeper Marasmus, who had embedded the First Ressurection Stone inside of himself to fulfill his duty!
Today was like any other for Marasmus or should have been, minus the incessant reports he had been receiving the past few days of strange activities. Today was no different as Marasmus was pulled of out his mediation by his aide, Goiter.
Goiter entered the tomb slowly and bowed to his master. "Lord Stonekeeper, I apologize for waking you. There have been many battles in the Derelict Field with various human Adepts. While our casualties are high, theirs are also mounting."
Marasmus came to life, his hollow eye sockets 'opening' to reveal two huge red lights that shone so brightly as if someone has put a flashlight in his 'eyes'.
"And?" The levitating undead asked.
Goiter bowed lower. "This is normally not a matter I would disturb your Lordship with, but we've claimed some of their dead into our fold. Apparently, the reason why so many powerful Adepts have come here is because a human Master covets your life."
This intrigued Marasmus. "Hoh? So this so-called Master has chosen to throw countless others my way instead of dealing with me personally? Either he's foolish… or unprecedentedly wise."
Goiter cocked his head in confusion. What kind of oxymoronic statement was that? How could someone be foolish or wise using the same criterion?
Marasmus, maybe due to his fondness of this aide, or his boredom for always being in mediation, decided to continue speaking.
"He would be foolish in the sense that he has brought chaos to this land as well as many unpredictable factors. Dealing with me would be arduous but not impossible in a solo battle for a true Master."
"And yet he has introduced so many foreign elements, which has made the waters murky. None of the Adepts who have come forth can defeat me, and all will die without causing me relevant harm. As such, this act alone would be slowly increasing my forces and making things harder for himself."
"Who doesn't know how treacherous humans are. If he faces me alone, he is bound to get injured in a fight. Depending on the damage I could inflict upon him, in the worst-case scenario even an Amateur might be able to kill him in the aftermath, much less those Adepts."
"However, I suspect that this is all a ruse." Marasmus chuckled.
"My Lord, how so?" Goiter inquired.
Marasmus pointed a finger at his chest. "I'm the Stonekeeper, an undead who has been guarding this stone for millennia. There should be no one alive to remember my name, much less where I reside. As such, the fellow's goal is obviously…"
"… the First Resurrection Stone! Damn those vile humans! How dare they lust over it?!" Goiter finished the statement to the amusement of his master.
Marasmus made a calming gesture to his loyal aide. "Settle down, dear Goiter. It would take too long to count the many attempts various powers have made in the previous millennia to retrieve this stone. When I was first appointed by the Grand Lord, occurrences like this one happened on a weekly basis for a few centuries."
Marasmus rubbed his bony chin as if reminiscing fondly. "It was truly lively back then. Eventually, after each and every attempt had failed and the offenders got killed and enslaved under our banner, those behind them seemed to wisen up."
"Only hopeful fools would try to achieve what others had failed to do. It used to happen every other year before it stretched to decades, then centuries, and now millennia."
"I assume they have likely lost most records in this time. Perhaps they simply don't believe what should be old legends to them."
"Until one experiences something fresh, there will always be doubt towards what is portrayed history books or from the tales passed down, because they believe that only their personal validation makes a fact the truth."
Goiter seemed enlightened. "Then, that Master-stage expert would fail in his quest?"
Marasmus shook his head. "You see, I suspect something different. As I said before, the person who did this is either very foolish or very wise. I would like to believe they are more wise than stupid."
Goiter, who had just become an undead Arhat, was brought back down to his bony confines as the wisdom of Buddha left him, only leaving behind a lot of doubt.
"Master…"
Marasmus chuckled at his aide's meaning. "Don't worry, dear Goiter, the millennia of mediation haven't turned me silly. In fact, it does a lot to keep the mind fresh and chipper, raising my insight and deductive abilities on the side. That is why I can tell you this…"
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