The space inside the "crystal fragment" was eerily silent. Only the Rhombus Crystal atop the console emitted a steady, faint golden shimmer, like the afterglow of an ancient heart.
The howling of the external Energy Turbulence was filtered by the thin force field until it became nothing more than a low moan, making the loneliness and mystery of this place all the more pronounced.
Ming Xin lay sprawled across the icy crystal floor, every breath pulling at the shattering pain within him.
The Law Master's lingering laws of Terminus were still eroding him, like maggots clinging to bone, slowly and stubbornly wearing away his Life Force.
Shadow Fiend curled up inside his sleeve, the fluctuations of his Shadow Body so faint that he seemed liable to vanish completely at any moment.
They had not escaped their desperate situation, but at least they were temporarily free from direct pursuit.
Ming Xin's gaze locked firmly onto the transparent crystal container beneath the console, and the sleeping body within it.
The resonance with the Key of the Gate within him was weak, yet exceptionally clear, like a traveler lost in a dark forest catching sight of a distant campfire.
Though that light might also signify unknown danger.
"I have to... find out..." Ming Xin struggled to prop up his upper body with trembling arms, inching toward the console bit by bit.
Every inch he moved felt like carrying a mountain forward. Cold sweat mixed with dark purple blood slid down from his temples.
At last, he leaned against the console's slanted base. Looking up, the Rhombus Crystal gleaming with faint golden light was right before him.
Dust covered the crystal's surface, yet within its core, incredibly fine streams of energy seemed to be circulating according to some complex pattern.
It did not resemble