445: Chamber of Concepts 445: Chamber of Concepts Max watched as Adam and Fagus walked away, their figures slowly blending into the distance until they vanished into the crowd.

He stood still for a moment, quietly reflecting on their words, then turned his gaze to Alice.

“Have you been to the Chamber of Concepts?” he asked, his tone light but curious.

Alice nodded with a smile, her eyes shining slightly.

“Yeah, I’ve been there,” she replied.

“But it’s very different from what you’re probably imagining.” Her answer sparked a flicker of interest in Max’s mind.

“Oh?” he tilted his head, intrigued.

“Let’s go to the Chamber of Concepts then.” Alice and Princess Lenavira exchanged a glance, both nodding in agreement before they began to walk.

The moment they moved, the crowd around them instinctively parted, stepping aside in silent acknowledgment of the presence they carried.

Max followed behind them as the three moved through the hall, the atmosphere calm but expectant.

A few moments later, they arrived in front of the entrance to the Chamber of Concepts—and Max’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

‘This…’ he thought, stepping forward.

It wasn’t a door.

At least not in any traditional sense.

What stood before him was a brilliant expanse of shining blue light, swirling and shifting like a liquid veil, spreading over a ten-meter-wide area that marked the threshold of the chamber.

It radiated a strange, serene energy that made the air hum softly around it.

Max’s eyes scanned the scene—he could see several geniuses stepping into the glowing light one after another, their bodies vanishing the moment they touched it, as though they had been absorbed into another world.

At the same time, others emerged from the light, appearing out of thin air with dazed or focused expressions, as if returning from a deep dream.

The space seemed alive, like it existed in a different plane altogether.

Max felt the pull immediately—a whisper in his soul, inviting him to step through and uncover the truths hidden within.

But he could also feel a very dark aura from the shimmering blue light.

“By the way, Max,” Princess Lenavira said suddenly, interrupting the moment as if remembering something important.

Her voice was calm, but there was a note of seriousness in it.

“Now that you’re heading in to comprehend Concepts, you’ll probably spend months inside.

So, I’ll be taking my leave.” As she spoke, she reached into her robe and tossed something toward him—a small, elegant green badge shaped like a leaf.

Max caught it with ease, his eyes briefly examining its delicate curves and the faint glow pulsing from its veins.

“Keep this with you,” Lenavira continued.

“It’s not for communication, exactly.

But in case of an emergency, or if we need to call you urgently from within the tower, it’ll release a specific aura.

That’ll be your signal that something’s wrong and we might need your help.” Max nodded, not thinking too much of it.

He slipped the leaf-shaped badge into his storage space and moved on.

But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Alice’s expression twist ever so slightly.

She was glaring at the leaf badge like it had personally offended her.

The silent daggers in her gaze were sharp enough to slice through steel.

Max noticed—but wisely chose to ignore it.

No point starting an argument over something so trivial.

“Alright, I’ll take my leave now,” Princess Lenavira said, her attention shifting to Alice.

Her tone softened, almost playful.

“Alice, when you come out of the Chamber of Concepts next time, I’ll take you to my Elf Kingdom.

You’ll love it there.” Alice’s eyes lit up at the mention, her earlier annoyance vanishing instantly.

“I’d love that!” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

“I’ve heard the Elf Kingdom is not just ancient, but breathtakingly beautiful.

I’ve always wanted to see it with my own eyes.” Lenavira smiled gently.

“Good,” she said simply, then turned without another word and walked away, leaving Max and Alice standing alone at the glowing entrance of the Chamber of Concepts, the veil of blue light shimmering softly before them.

“Let’s enter the Chamber of Concepts,” Max said to Alice, his voice calm and steady as his eyes remained fixed on the swirling blue light before them.

It was time.

But Alice frowned, her lips curling into a pout as she folded her arms.

“Give me something,” she said firmly, “so that I’ll know when you’re leaving the chamber.” Her voice was soft, but there was a stubborn edge to it.

Max couldn’t help but smile wryly at her insistence.

“Don’t worry,” he said with a light chuckle, “I’ll call you out after I leave the chamber.” “No, you can’t,” Alice replied, turning sharply toward the glowing veil of light.

“You can’t contact anyone while they’re inside the chamber.

Communication gets completely cut off in there.

And I don’t have a treasure like the one Big Sis Lena gave you,” she added, her tone slightly sulky.

Max let out a quiet breath, then offered her a reassuring grin.

“Alright then,” he said, humoring her, “how about this?

You enter the chamber first.

I’ll wait here and try to contact you.

That way, we’ll know for sure whether I can reach you or not.” Alice narrowed her eyes at him, clearly trying to see if he was being serious or just playing around.

But after a moment, she gave a slight nod.

“Fine,” she said, and without another word, stepped forward into the ten-meter-wide field of shimmering blue light.

The instant she touched it, her figure was enveloped and vanished—like she had been erased from reality in a flash of color.

Max watched her disappear, then took a deep breath.

He stood still for a second longer, as if letting the silence settle around him.

Finally, he closed his eyes and walked forward.

The moment he stepped into the light, his body vanished as well, leaving behind only the quiet hum of energy where two figures once stood on the tenth floor.

— Alice stood silently in a world bathed in flames, the air thick with heat yet strangely still.

Crimson fire danced across the walls and floor, casting flickering shadows that swayed like spirits in the dark.

At the center of the flaming room floated a massive stone, the size of a grown man, suspended in midair.

Glowing red veins pulsed through its body like molten blood, radiating waves of power that filled the entire space with a steady, throbbing rhythm.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the stone, waiting… hoping.

But no signal came.

No flicker.

No sound.

No trace of Max.

“I knew he was lying,” she muttered under her breath, arms crossed, voice full of pouty irritation.

“Looks like I’ll have to teach him a lesson later.” “Teach who a lesson?” a voice suddenly spoke from behind her.

Alice nearly jumped out of her skin.

Heart pounding, she spun around—and there he was.

Max, standing casually behind her as if he’d been there the whole time.

She gawked at him, stunned.

“What?!

How?

How are you here?” Max leaned in slightly, a mischievous smile curling on his lips as he whispered in her ear, “Want to hear a secret?

I control this tower now.

I can go wherever I want inside it.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShinGotLost Your gift is the motivation for my creation.

Give me more motivation!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay