Picture Frame

"Your Excellency flatter me, sir."

Luther shook his head and said, "I'm just a Sequence 5 Shepherd. If you can't even get into this main tomb chamber, how could I possibly get in?"

Across from him, Soroa gave a meaningful smile.

"Of course you can, because you possess a unique aura."

He made no attempt to hide his true feelings.

"!"

Luther was startled. It was as if Soroa's eyes could see right through him, revealing his hidden special abilities.

Could it be that he discovered that illusory sea?

"Your Excellency, I don't quite understand what you mean."

He tried to remain calm.

"Of course you understand."

Soroa still smiled. "You possess that Root-Level aura within you, completely resisting the Corrosion of that item. I suspect that the reason you, as Secrets Suppliant Pathway, are unaffected by the evil god is because of this aura. It shielded you from the delusions of the True Creator, isn't that right?"

Soroa directly revealed one of Luther's biggest secrets, and although it was said in a speculative tone, his voice was very certain.

He knew it all along!

Luther felt a wavering in his heart.

That Phantom Tide was of an unusually high status, and the reason why this mysterious and powerful extraordinary being was so friendly was perhaps because of it.

"Your Excellency, what do you need me to do?"

Luther no longer denied it, but instead asked cautiously.

"I need you to go into the tomb and turn that painting over." Seeing that he was willing to cooperate, Soroa didn't stand on ceremony and pointed directly to the tomb. "In this way, time in the tomb will begin to flow again."

Following his finger, Luther looked toward the tomb chamber.

By this time, Best, who had been kicked inside, had completely aged and died. Luther struggled to look away from the other's aged body, only to notice that a Picture Frame was upside down on the high platform beneath the black coffin.

The Picture Frame was placed face down in the neatly arranged tomb chamber, looking quite out of place.

"You mean, I should turn it right side out?"

Luther asked.

Generally speaking, it's reasonable to not let the content of the drawing be revealed!

"That's right."

Soroa affirmed, "According to the Orthodox Churches, this Beyonder Item belongs to the stronger tier of Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. When it's face down, it actively absorbs the 'lifespan' of nearby life forms to maintain the constancy of time in the current environment. Someone added something extra, making the effect even more powerful."

The person who added the ingredient... was probably Amon.

Luther thought to himself.

At this moment, Sharron slowly spoke.

"Your Excellency, after he helped you, what reward could he possibly expect in return?"

That's how it is; who's going to risk their life for you if there's no pay!

Luther looked up at Soroa. Sharron's words were exactly what he was thinking, but she spoke them before he could even open his mouth.

"Good question, young lady."

Soroa chuckled. "Of course, there will be a reward. As a token of gratitude for risking your life for me, I will only take one item. You can take all the other Beyonder Characteristic and items left in the tomb."

Such a reward is undeniably generous. Just the Characteristic extracted from the extraordinary beings who died in this tomb, as seen by Luther and his group, constitute a substantial income, not to mention the Fourth Epoch relics that may also exist in the tomb.

Luther and Sharron exchanged a glance.

"If I go in, can I guarantee my safety? You're worried Your Excellency being discovered by that person, but I don't need to worry?"

Luther asked again.

"Don't worry. The reason that guy found me is because we belong to the same Sequence and have a deep connection."

Soroa then pointed out his thoughts, "You might suspect that I'm using you, using you as a sacrifice. Although I didn't mean that, you might want to think about it: if I really wanted to use you, I could have used much more ruthless methods. Why would I be here talking to you so politely?"

"."

Luther did not answer, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The other party is right; the difference in strength is undeniable, and Luther indeed cannot overcome it.

Luther is extremely ruthless and goes berserk when faced with a strong opponent. If Soroa were to use his power to force Luther to do something he doesn't want to do, he would definitely risk self-destruction to make the other party suffer. But now Soroa is not threatening him, and has even offered him a good reward.

He glanced to his side, and M's figure appeared.

"No evidence was found that he was lying."

She shrugged and said, "Of course, my observations of extraordinary individuals at this level aren't necessarily reliable."

At least there was no obvious malice.

Luther made up his mind.

"Understood, I can give it a try."

He nodded.

"Whoosh--"

The Phantom Tide echoed in his mind, and under Luther's control, it gradually flowed down from his mind and spread throughout his body.

Soroa told him that this would help him resist the effects of that Beyonder Item.

I'll trust you this once.

Standing before the tomb chamber, Luther gritted his teeth and finally took the first step.

"Buzz--"

An annoying roar suddenly filled his ears, and the candlelight in the tomb chamber magnified before his eyes. Concealment and invisible connection arose around him, seemingly wanting to enter his body and change his state.

But the Tide resisted this influence, leaving the force futilely lingering outside.

"Laugh"

Luther could almost hear his skin screaming in agony as it rapidly lost moisture, becoming dry and aged. The Tide only existed within his body, unable to protect the outermost layer. Fortunately, his own vitality was unaffected, and he should be able to recover using Flesh and Blood Magic once he got out.

"Thump, thump, thump"

Luther strode steadily, stepping over the corpses lying on the ground, and gradually approached the Picture Frame on the high platform. The Picture Frame was upside down, seemingly radiating a strong suction force, trying to pull him in as well.

Fortunately, Luther only stared at the Picture Frame for a moment, and then decisively flipped it over.

"Call--"

It was as if a wind had swept through the tomb, dispelling the invisible Imprisonment. The candles on the lampstands burned rapidly, their flames flickering and melting away, and even the lampstands themselves rusted and collapsed. The corpses on the ground decomposed quickly, some emitting a foul stench, while others simply turned into bones.

A thousand years later, time, which had been frozen in this tomb, finally began to flow again.

Not only the objects, but also the magnificent murals on the walls began to peel and weather. The glorious scenes depicting the golden age gradually came to an end, and in the holy light, that great figure also went far away, far away.

Luther noticed that the murals on all sides were almost completely destroyed, with only a small section at the bottom remaining.

In that section of the mural, two faceless, colorless Angel still stand. In Angel arms, two infants with different hair colors are still sleeping peacefully.

They will eventually awaken.