Single Wish: Rise Of The Omniscient Paragon-Chapter 821 - 818: Briefing

"Whispergrove isn’t a normal location. It’s a sealed pocket, buried deep in the outskirts of the sacred woods."

"It’s a part of the trial realm that had been explored and studied in the past when the trial realm first appeared, but... until a few weeks ago, things began to change."

Kieran ’s eyes swept across them slowly.

"We don’t know why the Whispergrove suddenly began to change and why it became more dangerous, but what we do know is that something in that land is stirring the dead."

The map pulsed again. Some of the glowing markers reappeared, but they were flickering like they were about to vanish.

"Some of these markers are hunters that entered the sacred woods to investigate Whispergrove. We believe that most, if not all of them, are dead since they’ve been in the corrupted Whispergrove for far too long."

"These markers are the tracking devices they had on them, and although the tracking devices are still active, the hunters might not be the same as they once were."

"Hunters have entered. Some never came out. Those who did... didn’t come out same. Or whole."

He let that linger for a few seconds, then continued.

"This place... it changes when night falls. Some say the fog talks. Some say it sings. Some say it calls your name."

He looked at Corey now.

"Whatever is buried in Whispergrove, whatever is calling the dead, it doesn’t like intruders. Keep that in mind."

He raised a hand and turned the projection again, zooming into a sunken courtyard surrounded by ruined mausoleums.

"This is the center. We suspect the contamination source is buried here, but we won’t rush in blind. We’re starting from the northern grave passage and moving in a wide circle. Standard sweep. If it gets dark before we reach the center, we call back and reassess."

"We don’t go off alone. We don’t respond to voices, and we don’t touch anything that shouldn’t be touched."

His voice sharpened slightly.

"If someone in the group starts acting strange... report it immediately. No second chances."

Kieran ’s gaze shifted to Corey.

"The kit given to you from the supply room are what the association have deemed necessary to use for this mission," he said. "But just so we’re clear, don’t misuse any of it."

He raised a hand, and a holographic image of some of the items Corey had taken appeared mid-air.

"You took three Necrotic Resistance Charms."

"Keep one around your neck at all times. The other two are spares in case it burns out. They’ll slow soul corrosion and reduce your exposure to the necrotic fog."

"If you’re not attacked by spirits or ghosts, each charm should last 48 hours."

Kieran pointed at the next holographic image.

"The Spirit-Flare Beacon. Don’t activate it unless you’re boxed in."

"It lasts for five seconds, and it’s enough to stun the walking dead and cleanse illusions. However, after five seconds, everything in range goes berserk."

He didn’t pause.

"The Blackroot Pills are for mana restoration. Take one at a time. Two in a row might mess with your mana core. Three or more, and your heart starts forgetting what it’s meant to do."

Kieran glanced at the faintly glowing dagger strapped under Corey’s cloak.

"The Holy Dagger isn’t mainly for killing. Although it can be used to kill the walking dead or any other spiritual entity since it has divine energy, its cutting and piercing power is not all that."

"It’s mainly used for cutting spiritual tethers. If something tries to bind to your soul or attach to your shadow, stab your own shadow. It’ll cut the anchor."

Corey gave a small nod.

"The Purification Grenade. It has a radius of ten meters, and it also causes more damage to the walking dead and spirits or ghosts."

"It can dispel illusions and even cursed, and spiritform entities will be forced to manifest."

"When it comes to illusions, I can handle them. But in a situation where you’re all alone, remember that you only have one."

Lastly, Kieran’s eyes landed on the holographic image of a black rope.

"The Shadowbinding Rope. It’s just like a normal rope, but there are some monsters that have the powers to hide in one’s shadow. The shadowbinding rope can be used to remove those monsters."

"Just let the rope fall into your shadow, and it’ll automatically attract and capture any shadow monster... As long as it’s not too powerful."

Kieran’s voice fell silent, and the projection dimmed.

"The system trial opens in ten minutes."

---

The portal room was deeper underground, and the members of the Thirteen Dawn, along with Corey walked in silence until they reached their destination.

Twelve rings of golden light hovered in a circular pattern around a wide black platform.

Runes spiraled slowly in the air, circling the team as they stepped in.

Corey’s cloak fluttered slightly as the mana in the air became denser and colder.

’Feels like the mana of death.’ Corey thought.

The air around them pulsed, and system

—

Corey’s cloak fluttered slightly as the mana in the air changed—thicker, colder, charged with something heavier than arcane force.

The air around them pulsed and twist before reality pulled sideways. For a split second, the ground vanished beneath his feet.

Then he landed.

----

They were no longer in the headquarters.

They stood at the foot of a crumbling stone bridge stretching across a dark, bottomless chasm.

The sky above was not a sky. It was an expanse of swirling grey and shadow, and it was dotted with red stars.

At the other end of the bridge stood a gate. It was massive, seamless, and made of smooth black stone.

It had no cracks, no hinges. Yet the amount of death energy Corey could sense from it was immense.

Corey frowned.

Two statues flanked the gate. One was weeping, and the other was headless. Both held long spears that had their tips buried into the ground.

The path leading to the gate was lined with broken bones and shattered lanterns. A sign hung above it, suspended by rusted chains.

{Welcome to Whispergrove}

{Do not answer when called}

Corey shifted his gaze from the sign to the gate, and his frown deepened.

He subtly glanced at the members of the Thirteenth Dawn, and when he saw their solemn but calm expressions, his frown could not help but deepen.

’They can’t hear it.’

He looked back at the gate, and then he focused on the gate.

Cchhhrrrkk... haaah

Huff... haahh

Lauda...

At first, what Corey was hearing was the sound of something old breathing behind the stone gate, but the moment his Ears of Omniscience picked up on a word- Lauda, he increased the output of his Eyes of Omniscience.

And then he heard something different.

Lauda Mortem... Cultus Mortem... Lauda Mortem

Hahh...Cchhhhrrkk

Cultus Mortem... Lauda Mortem... Cultus Mortem

A flash of confusion appeared in Corey’s eyes.

’Lauda Mortem? Cultus Mortem?’

’What does that mean?’

Just as Corey had these thoughts, Zeke whistled low, his voice cutting through the silence.

"Well, this place always looks welcoming."

Myra clicked her tongue, her eyes scanning the bones. "Don’t touch anything unless you want to find out what killed the last group. This place keeps on getting worse by the day."

Aelric, the child Necromancer raised his staff.

"The quantity of death energy in this place has drastically increased once again. It’ll become difficult even for ordinary Tier 4s to come here if we’re not able to find the root of the problem."

"To be honest, I’d love to stay here and absorb the death energy since it’s immensely beneficial for me."

Rhys adjusted his greatshield. "We’re wasting time."

Kieran stepped forward, his bolts still making no sound against the stone. He placed a hand on the gate, and the surface rippled.

A deep groan echoed through the space as the gate slowly split open down the center, revealing a path made of cracked white tiles, covered in creeping moss and lined with gravestones.

Fog curled low across the ground like it was alive.

The scent of blood and rot drifted forward.

Kieran didn’t speak again. He just walked through.

One by one, the Thirteenth Dawn followed behind him, weapons in hand.

Corey was the last to step in.

But before he crossed the gate, his eyes suddenly brightened in realization, and he muttered softly.

"Praise Death? Worship Death?"

The moment he said these words, he crossed the threshold, and the gate behind him sealed with a dull thud.

And everything went quiet.

Too quiet.

But not for long.

The gate suddenly trembled, along with the statues and the bridge.

Black death-like runes emerged on the gate, releasing a deathly black glow, and the statues suddenly pulled out their spears and crossed it across the gate.

Then everywhere went quiet once again, but if Corey were here, he would realize that the tone of the voices he was hearing had changed.

Now, there was joy and reverence in the voices.

As for the members of the Thirteenth Dawn, they were experiencing something completely different.

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