Chapter 595 - 594- Be careful

"Are you really going to resort to that tactic right now?"

Adrian’s voice carried none of its usual warmth.

"You are so desperate to secure your freedom that you’re willing to corner us during our most difficult hour."

The atmosphere within the garden shifted instantly.

A torrential surge of mana erupted from Adrian.

The air grew heavy.

Oppressive.

Every breath felt thicker than the last.

Although the killing intent was directed solely at Nytharos, it was impossible for everyone else to remain unaffected.

Even Forgelet, who had been lost in the haze of that murderous pressure, jolted back to reality the moment he sensed the dreadful force pouring from Adrian.

The sky darkened.

Grass flattened beneath his feet.

Cracks raced across the earth in every direction.

Adrian’s fingers tightened around his weapon.

A trident.

An armament forged from the highest quality of all five threads.

Combined with the astronomical amount of mana radiating from his body, the weapon seemed less like an artifact and more like a natural disaster waiting to be unleashed.

The pressure alone caused Ariana and Annabelle to tremble.

Neither of them had ever experienced such a dense aura before.

And what unsettled them most was its source.

This was Adrian.

The same man who was almost always calm, patient, and gentle in their presence.

Yet at this moment, he felt like an enraged god standing at the edge of judgment.

Across from him, Nytharos remained utterly unmoved.

He neither stepped back nor changed his expression.

Standing calmly amidst the storm of mana, he looked directly at Adrian and spoke in an even tone.

"You may kill me if you wish."

Not a trace of fear entered his voice.

"But my answer will remain the same."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"If you wish to prevent the catastrophe, then you must visit the Deep Sea Prison."

"And why is that?"

Adrian’s gaze remained locked onto Nytharos, his aura showing no signs of weakening.

"What information can that fragment of yours provide that this one cannot? Aren’t all your fragments connected through the same mental network? You said so yourself."

Despite the anger simmering beneath his words, his reasoning remained clear.

Seeing Forgelet in this state tore at his heart.

He wanted nothing more than to undo what had happened. To bring back the people she had lost. To erase the pain carved into her soul.

But that was one thing even he couldn’t accomplish.

The dead would not return.

The past would not change.

What he could do, however, was protect what remained.

He could save her home.

No matter the cost.

And to achieve that, he needed the cooperation of the being standing before him.

Nytharos met his gaze without flinching.

"It’s not that I don’t wish to provide an answer," he said calmly. "It’s simply beyond my capability."

His voice remained steady despite the overwhelming pressure surrounding him.

"To extinguish the Eternal Flames, you require something that can only be obtained after defeating the Sentinel guarding the prison."

Adrian’s brows drew together.

The answer was not what he had expected.

"You mean to say..."

His grip tightened around the trident.

"...that your other fragment doesn’t possess the solution to this crisis either?"

Nytharos slowly nodded.

"Yes."

His voice remained calm, devoid of any attempt to defend himself.

"Those flames were created by burning the soul of a divinity. They used my fragment to create a catastrophe that I myself cannot extinguish."

A brief pause followed.

"However, the essence of the guardian responsible for protecting the prison can easily suppress any unending phenomenon, including the Eternal Flames."

His explanation caught everyone off guard.

This time, it was Ariana who spoke first.

"Then why did you tell us that freeing your other fragment was the only way to stop the flames?"

Nytharos let out a self-deprecating smile.

"I took my chance."

His answer was shamelessly honest.

"I wish to become whole again. My strongest fragment remains imprisoned, and I desired its liberation."

The admission caused Annabelle to click her tongue in disgust.

"As expected."

She folded her arms.

"You’re as despicable as ever."

Nytharos didn’t argue.

He merely inclined his head slightly before adding,

"But this time, I am telling the truth."

Ariana’s eyes narrowed.

"Why should we believe you?"

Her voice sharpened.

"Maybe this is just another one of your schemes. You already saw what happened when you tried convincing us to free your fragment directly."

She took a step forward.

"So who’s to say this isn’t simply a more indirect approach? A roundabout method to achieve the same goal?"

The garden fell silent.

Even Adrian remained quiet, waiting for Nytharos’s answer.

After all, the creature standing before them had already admitted to manipulating the situation once.

Trust was not something he could reclaim with a few words.

Nytharos, however, responded with an explanation that immediately undermined her suspicion.

"Defeating the guardian alone would not be enough to free me."

His gaze swept across the group.

"There are three more stages one must overcome before reaching the deepest vault where my strongest fragment remains imprisoned."

Those words caused Adrian’s aura to gradually recede.

The crushing pressure that had dominated the garden began to dissipate.

He had already suspected as much, but hearing it directly from Nytharos confirmed the prison’s structure.

Crossing his arms, Adrian fell into thought before asking,

"So the guardian possesses the answers we’re looking for?"

Nytharos nodded.

"Yes."

A brief silence followed before his expression grew more serious.

"But I must warn you, Adrian."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"You will not encounter the Sentinel unless you search for the prison alone."

The statement immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Nytharos continued,

"Fortunately, your affinity with the water element gives you a significant advantage. It allows you to fight effectively beneath the sea, where most others would be severely restricted."

His tone darkened.

"Even so, do not underestimate it."

For the first time, genuine caution entered his voice.

"That creature is known as the Demon of the Deep Sea for a reason."

The garden grew quiet once more.

Coming from a being like Nytharos, such a warning carried far more weight than any threat.

Whatever guarded that prison, it was not something that could be approached carelessly.

Adrian remained silent.

If a deity had truly been imprisoned there, then the guardian protecting that prison could only be a monstrous existence.

The thought alone was enough to make him cautious.

After a brief pause, Nytharos turned his attention toward Forgelet.

His expression softened slightly.

"If Adrian somehow succeeds in saving you, my advice is simple."

Forgelet slowly raised her head.

"Run."

The single word struck harder than anyone expected.

"Hide yourself somewhere far away."

Nytharos’s voice remained calm, but there was an undeniable gravity behind it.

"If you try to reconnect with your people again, if you attempt to help them or remain near them..."

His gaze lowered.

"...they will target you and everything around you once more."

The garden fell silent.

Evilyn bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze.

The pain in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"This assh—"

Annabelle growled, already taking a step forward.

She looked ready to plant her foot directly into Nytharos’s face.

However, Ariana caught her wrist and gently shook her head.

Annabelle clicked her tongue in frustration but ultimately stayed where she was.

As much as they hated hearing it, Nytharos wasn’t wrong.

The truth was simply cruel.

Evilyn had become the center of the chaos not because she had done anything wrong, but because the deities against her were petty, jealous, and vindictive beyond reason.

As long as they remained offended with her existence, anyone standing beside her would inevitably be dragged into the storm.

Finally, Nytharos’s gaze settled on Adrian before he said, "I wish you a safe venture ahead. Whatever happens, never forget you belong here, with these people. Don’t give in to your rage, Adrian."

Adrian frowned at those words but somehow couldn’t bring himself to dismiss the advice.

In the end, he just nodded and watched Nytharos vanish.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.