Chapter 452: Source of Infernal Energy

Now that he understood what he was dealing with—now that he knew the aura was corrupted Infernal Energy intertwined with the evil will of the Abyss Devouring Sword—he had the means to trace it, to hunt it down if he wished.

He had the Abyss Devouring Sword, and the resonance of his Infernal Demon Tattoo, would allow him to sense any fluctuations, however faint. He could follow the trail, uncover the source hidden within the massive Tower of Truth.

But even as he realized this, the question still hung heavy in the air, heavier than all the mysteries he had faced so far: Should he?

It wasn’t a matter of whether he could. It was whether he should. Whoever had hidden this thing—this presence, this corruption—had done so with the clear, deliberate intention of never being discovered. It wasn’t simply buried; it was concealed so carefully that even the tower spirit, Xolo, who should have been omnipresent within these walls, had no knowledge of it. That alone spoke volumes.

It meant that whatever was hidden wasn’t just dangerous—it was something meant to be locked away, forgotten by time itself. Searching for it now would be like peeling open a wound that had long since scabbed over. It would be an invitation to disaster, a risk of uncovering something that perhaps even those ancient enough to build the Tower had feared.

Max’s jaw tightened slightly as he weighed the decision. ‘Should I go digging into something so carefully buried,’ he thought grimly, ‘something connected so deeply to the Abyss Devouring Sword—the very thing that once almost consumed me?’

He had survived the sword’s corruption once, barely. If he stirred the wrong force now, would he be strong enough to survive again? Was it worth it when he had so much more to achieve, so many paths still ahead of him?

“Xolo, tell me something…” Max suddenly asked, his voice low and serious as he stared into the faint blue shimmer of the Chamber of Concepts’ entrance. “If I take you somewhere inside the tower—a place that is currently not under your supervision, nor mine—would our authority still work there? Would you still be able to command your power?”

His words were deliberate, each one weighed carefully, because he needed to know exactly where he stood before making any reckless move. There was a long pause, and then Xolo’s voice rang back, solemn and steady, carrying the full weight of its ancient existence.

“I can command anything within the Tower and control everything inside its bounds, and so can you,” Xolo said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “But if you are speaking about an area that is ‘not under my territory,’ then you must mean a place that has been deliberately isolated—sealed away by someone long ago. A place small enough to hide but cut off completely from my sight and yours. A sliver of the Tower carved out and hidden for a purpose.”

As it finished speaking, Xolo hesitated before asking, almost cautiously, “Max… don’t tell me you’ve figured out what that dark energy is? And even more… how to track it?”

Max smirked slightly despite the tension building in his chest. “As a matter of fact, I did,” he said calmly, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. “Have you heard of Infernal Energy?” he asked, already anticipating the spirit’s reaction.

There was a brief silence on the other end, and Max could almost imagine the ancient consciousness of Xolo digging through its countless memories.

Finally, Xolo spoke, slower this time, as if recalling something buried deep. “Infernal Energy…” it echoed thoughtfully. “Yes, I believe I have heard of it. Long ago, Master told me that Infernal Energy is a lesser form of an ancient energy… an energy that originated from a race long forgotten by the world.”

There was a note of unease in Xolo’s voice now, rare for the normally detached spirit. “When I asked Master about that race, he refused to speak of them. He only said that their existence was one of ruin and chaos… and that some things were better left buried.”

Xolo continued after a pause, the solemnity in its voice deepening. “As for Demonic Energy—the energy demons use today—I believe it is an even lesser form compared to Infernal Energy. I wouldn’t say Demonic Energy was derived directly from Infernal Energy or from that ancient race, but… the stench of blood and slaughter that clings to it is undeniable. Their origins might be separate, but their presence… it reeks of the same endless thirst for destruction.”

“Infernal Energy is a lesser form of an ancient energy… and it originated from a race?” Max frowned deeply, feeling a shiver crawl up his spine as he processed this new revelation.

He had always known Infernal Energy was something sinister, something that carried a weight far beyond normal demonic corruption, but he had never imagined it was tied to a race so ancient, so lost to time, that even scraps of their power could drive a person into madness and ruin.

If just the diluted remnants of their energy—the Infernal Energy—were enough to twist souls and shatter minds, then how terrifying would the pure, original energy of that race have been? Max couldn’t even begin to imagine it. It would be a force capable of erasing worlds, of corrupting existence itself at its very roots.

He fell into a brief silence, his thoughts heavy and grim, before a sudden idea flashed through his mind, sharp and uncertain.

He pondered for a moment, piecing together what little he knew, and then asked carefully, “Was it the Nulls?” His mind flashed back to his own Infernal Demon Transformation—it was eerily similar to Null’s transformation from what he had seen in Evan.

But Xolo’s voice came back firm and certain, cutting off that line of thought before it could grow. “No, it isn’t the Nulls,” the tower spirit said, the weight of certainty pressing into each word. “Master was very clear. He said that the race from which Infernal Energy originates is long forgotten from this world—extinct beyond recovery. There shouldn’t be any living individuals of that race left in this reality. They are… gone.”

“I see… so it’s not the Nulls,” Max nodded slowly, letting out a quiet breath as he processed the information. Whatever that ancient race was, it wasn’t something he could afford to get distracted by right now. He needed to deal with the immediate threat first.

Decision made, he looked upward and spoke, “Xolo, can you make it so others can’t see me? I want to check out the shining blue entrance of the Chamber of Concepts without drawing attention.”

“Sure. Done,” the tower spirit replied without hesitation, its calm voice echoing in Max’s mind.

“Good,” Max said under his breath, feeling a faint ripple in the air as the tower’s will cloaked him in a layer of concealment. He moved forward, his steps light and silent, until he stood once again before the great shimmering entrance of the Chamber of Concepts.

The swirling blue light pulsed softly, just like before, calling to all who sought to comprehend a concept, but this time Max had no intention of entering. Instead, he stood still right at the boundary, feeling the strange, corrupted energy he had sensed earlier pressing faintly against his skin like a sickly mist.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay