Soft warmth and delicate fragrance enveloped Howard, yet his heart remained still, devoid of emotional turbulence.
He understood that his involvement with this girl was purely utilitarian, tinged with a hint of guilt.
“Do not worry. When they come again, I shall strike unexpectedly, catching them off guard. I am certain I can rescue you from this place.”
Howard offered comfort, and Aurelia nodded incessantly. 𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝘮
At that moment, however, a scoffing laugh followed by a series of coughs echoed from nearby.
“Who’s there?”
Aware of the presence of someone still breathing in the adjacent room, Howard was not surprised.
He had not probed earlier; if someone was feigning death, it was of no concern to him.
Now that the person had made a sound, it indicated a willingness to communicate.
As expected, a feeble voice soon emanated from the other side: “Thinking of leaving this place?”
“You might be overly optimistic!”
“Perhaps, you are even unaware of your current predicament.”
Hearing this, Aurelia’s face fell.
Howard, armed with numerous treasures, was not particularly worried.
He chuckled, “My dear sir, what you cannot achieve does not mean it’s impossible for others!”
“Hmph.” The voice grew colder: “Numerous awakened at level 80 have perished in this dungeon. Do you truly believe that, without a guardian, this dungeon poses no threat?”
“Perhaps you haven’t yet activated your magical power or the spiritual power within you, or tried using your treasures. This dungeon conceals sixty-four Sealing Stones, capable of nullifying all powers of the Celestial Ore. Unless one has encountered the Power of Law, anyone who enters this dungeon will become a tiger deprived of its claws!”
Upon hearing these words, Howard was still processing the information when Aurelia exclaimed in shock, “This… This dungeon can seal the power of the Celestial Ore? And the power within us too?”
As she spoke, a faint blush tinted Aurelia’s cheeks.
She attempted to activate the spiritual power within her.
Despite being a wealthy heiress with limited strength, it didn’t mean she was completely powerless.
The next moment, her face turned ashen, just as the person in the next room had described.
To her astonishment, she found herself utterly unable to summon any of her powers!
Howard, meanwhile, was filled with wonder, unclear about what this Celestial Ore was.
As for the so-called sealing of magical and physical powers, Howard’s mind flickered with curiosity.
Sensing that his own strength remained unaffected, he soon understood that the sealing force was useless against him.
After all, Howard hailed from the Azure Sphere!
Although the energy fluctuations exhibited during the ultimate battles between beings from the two planes were similar, there were still differences – it was a case of reaching the same destination by different paths.
Different paths meant different rules; thus, the seals effective in the Obscured Celestial Realm had no impact on Howard.
Moreover, the treasures, equipment, and weapon materials from the two planes were different.
The treasures within Howard could still be utilized.
With this realization, Howard’s confidence surged.
In the dungeon, those attacking from the shadows would certainly not be prepared for Howard and his party.
If he launched a surprise attack, the chances of victory were significantly high.
Even if he chose not to engage in battle within the dungeon, Howard could still lead Aurelia away from this place.
Howard had yet to decide whether his sole objective was to rescue Aurelia or to investigate and possibly annihilate the enemy behind this, thereby securing a notable achievement for himself.
Such a feat could potentially elevate Stano’s regard for him.
“Little ones… Have you figured it out yet? Stop daydreaming!”
“If escaping this dungeon were so simple, how could I have been trapped here for years?”
The person in the adjacent room, hearing no response from Howard, scoffed again, “I advise you to conserve your strength. It might buy you some more time to live.”
At this, Howard’s eyes lit up with interest.
The man had been trapped for many years, which likely meant he had substantial knowledge about the dungeon and the forces behind it.
Howard’s mind raced, and he quickly inquired, “Elder, do you know who controls this dungeon?”
“Oh? You were captured without even knowing who they are?”
The voice expressed surprise, “Strange indeed. The people they usually capture are top figures in their respective fields. How did two youngsters like you end up here?”
At these words, Howard’s brows quirked subtly. Top figures in various fields?
The ambitions of the power behind this were not small.
Ordinary people are ensnared by wealth, but they were capturing talents, and not for slaughter.
What were their intentions, if not to absorb these talents for their own use?
What kind of force would resort to such means to recruit talents?
It must be insurgents!
After all, official powers would simply recruit newcomers directly!
In that instant, everything became clear to Howard.
There must be a force intent on overthrowing the rule of the Obscured Celestial Realm Empire, aiming to strike at Stormwind City.
Thus, they kidnapped Aurelia, likely planning to use her as leverage to coerce Stano into joining them, or to unsettle his mind, making it easier to assassinate him.
“So, every plane has its share of rebels!”
“Could I possibly join them? But then, what about Aurelia?”
He glanced at Aurelia, suddenly realizing he couldn’t bear to see such a young girl sacrificed needlessly.
Moreover, there was a high probability that Aurelia was captured because of him.
“Why the silence?”
The voice from the side continued, “You two youngsters, I wonder what makes you so special that such a power would go to the lengths of capturing you.”
“My father is the lord of Stormwind City, the scion of the Bamilrutna family… Stano!”
Aurelia’s voice rang out proudly, her series of titles overwhelming Howard, while the person on the other side expressed astonishment,
“You are the daughter of Lord Stano? No wonder… Stormwind City is essentially the core of the empire’s border fortress. If they could sway your father, they could use it as a base to declare independence, even organize a formidable force to launch a counterattack against the empire!”
Hearing the man speak so candidly, Howard couldn’t help but be stirred.
It seemed that the situation in this plane was far from rosy.
Yet, amidst such internal strife, why would the empire’s rulers opt to engage in a war outside their realm, attacking Azure Sphere alongside other planes?
Didn’t they fear that, after the interplanar war, they might return home to find their empire overthrown?
Howard didn’t believe that the empire’s rulers could be so foolish.
There had to be a conspiracy.
Definitely a conspiracy! 𝑖𝘦.𝑐ℴ𝘮
Unfortunately, Howard was unaware of the specifics.
At this moment, he completely discarded the idea of joining the rebels.
Perhaps, eliminating the rebels could be more beneficial for him.
If he could take down the rebels, he might directly step into the imperial echelons from Stormwind City.
The precondition, however, was that Howard needed an identity.
Merely being a subordinate of Stano wouldn’t suffice; he had to marry Aurelia.
Only then would he gain the trust of the people of this plane.
The empire wasn’t foolish either; they wouldn’t trust someone without a solid foundation.
Once he married Aurelia, Stano would undoubtedly vouch for his identity.
Otherwise, Howard’s unclear status could jeopardize their entire family.
This also explained why Stano had “sent Howard away” so early in the morning.
“I can align with you, offer you benefits, but don’t think about tying yourself to our family!”
“Heh, I’m quite curious to see what Stano would do in this situation. Would he simply abandon his only daughter, or join the rebels?”
The voice from the neighboring cell sounded again.
Howard retorted abruptly, “Why can’t it be that we collaborate with Lord Stano, working both from within and without, to completely thwart the rebels’ efforts?”
“Just the two of you?” The voice sneered. “Under the effect of the Sealing Stone, what can you possibly do? You’ll likely struggle even to survive!”
“What if my physique is unique, capable of ignoring the Sealing Stone?”
As Howard spoke, he discreetly released a trace of his power.
Of course, he dared not reveal too much, just a mix of the Power of Soul and magic, careful not to let the imprisoned individual discern that he was not of this world.
“You… how is that possible?!”
“Why do you still possess magic power under the Sealing Stone? No, there’s also the Power of Soul!”
“Such a dense Power of Soul, could it be, are you an Enchanter?”
In an instant, the voice was filled with both shock and joy.
Shock, because he couldn’t fathom how Howard managed all this, and joy, because they shared a common enemy.
If Howard possessed such strength, perhaps he could also rescue him!
“I am not an Enchanter, just someone with a rather unique physique.”
Howard dissipated all his power.
He had no choice; he was wary of surveillance within the dungeon!
However, in that moment, absorbed in thoughts of the enemy, Howard failed to notice the change in Aurelia’s gaze as she looked at him.
Visit .