Chapter 93 The Devil Mask (1)

Ethan's POVCuriosity and apprehension battled within me, but ultimately my curiosity won out and I moved closer to peer into the strange washbin rock filled with the weird liquid.

Suddenly, the liquid glowed brightly and an intense, blinding radiance overwhelmed my senses. Before I could react, a powerful whooshing sensation engulfed me and I was sucked into the glowing basin.

When I regained my senses, I was overwhelmed by a shocking realization. I could feel my eyes again.

The sensation was both alien and comforting after my time as an amorphous cloud. Tentatively, I tried to feel my body, as my hands moved instinctively and brushed against my face and torso.

Relief surged through me as I was no longer a jelly-like wisp but had finally returned to some semblance of physical form.

I was eager to confirm my return so I tried to open my eyes. Yet, to my frustration, they felt glued shut refusing to budge. I panicked for a second but I quickly calmed myself.

With a steady mind, I reviewed the events leading up to this moment. The last thing I remembered was being sucked into that washbasin-like rock.

The glowing purple liquid had pulled me in just as I had peered into its depths.

But now, I could feel the faint hum of my heartbeat and the sensation of my fingers brushing against my skin. I was certain of one thing and it was that I had returned to the real world.

Relief swept over me like a tidal wave. I had no idea how to escape the Duskwither's clutches on my own, and the constant reminder of my impending doom had been a gnawing fear.

The description from Eterna Nexus echoed in my mind but now it felt like a distant threat and I had managed to wake up from that nightmare.

For the first time since entering that dreadful realm, I allowed myself to relax. Despite the obstacles and mysteries that still lay ahead, I had survived.

And for now, that was enough.

I could feel my eyelids growing lighter, as if they would soon open. Yet something seemed to obstruct them. I was confused and helpless but I suddenly had a thought in my heart and I instinctively knew that it was a force I had to confront.

A faint summoning stirred within my soul. It was not a sound but a whisper that resonated directly with the core of my being. My instincts responded, and I focused my soul sense toward it.

The whisper grew clearer and clearer as it beckoned me to follow. Guided by this pull, I delved deep into my mind and concentrated my soul sense.

Unlike before, this time I was able to reshape my soul sense into the same translucent jellyfish-like form that I had adopted in the Duskwither's inside space.

With silver feelers moving back and forth, I traversed the boundless expanse of my soul space.

The vast realm within my soul was dark and flightless and it resembled the void of outer space.

But unlike the cosmos, there were no stars or planets here and only the colorful and brilliant hexagonal form of the Eterna Nexus glowed in the center like a sun. Yet its light was self-contained and it failed to illuminate the surrounding emptiness of my soul space.

As I approached the Eterna Nexus, the immense crystalline structure seemed to hum with latent energy. Before I could convey my swirling thoughts to it, something else caught my attention.

It was a glowing white object orbiting the Nexus. From this distance, I wasn't able to make out its structure or shape.

I halted as my jelly-like body tensed with surprise. An unfamiliar and foreign object existed within my soul space and I didn't even have an inkling of it.

My curiosity propelled me closer but I maintained my cautiousness as I neared the object. I instinctively formed a barrier of soul energy around myself to protect myself against any sudden attacks or unexpected happenings.

It felt natural to do so in this ethereal form and I didn't need any preguided teachings as my instincts guided every motion of mine.

I inspected it closely and the object revealed itself to be a strange oval structure that was marred by dents, holes, and jagged edges spread in a random pattern. But the only thought in my mind on seeing it was that it looked oddly familiar.

A sudden recognition struck me like lightning.

Wait, isn't this that washbasin?

Shock and horror coursed through me as I realized the object had somehow followed me here. Previously, I had assumed it was a mere portal and was something I had stumbled upon by pure luck. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

But now, it had followed me here and roamed ominously within my soul space.

Despite my unease, a flicker of excitement stirred within me as whatever this object was, it had to be extraordinary.

After all, it had provided my escape from the Duskwither which was a graveyard of astral constructs and shattered souls according to the Eterna Nexus. I moved cautiously toward it and maintained my protective barrier side by side.

As I approached, the washbasin emitted a sudden purple glow as if a bulb had sprung to life within it. Its dreamy light pulsed and drew my attention towards it despite my initial wariness.

Not able to stop myself, I carefully peered into the purple liquid within but kept a cautious my distance as I feared it might activate again and transport me back to the Duskwither's realm.

A sudden uncertainty gripped me. Was this object sentient, or merely an artifact bound to mysterious conditions?

A deeper fear gnawed at me about its origin. How had it come to exist within my soul space which was a realm wholly separate from the material plane?

Suddenly, I recoiled back as if struck by something unbelievable and my thoughts spiraled into a state of disorder and panic. A wave of horror surged through me that made my jelly-like form quiver.