Chapter 509: Power Beyond The World’s Level
"I don’t?" Thoren responded, shaking his head calmly.
That was the truth. Why would he bother himself with something he couldn’t solve?
He was pragmatic enough to know that, with his current strength, there were many things he could not understand even if he wanted to know.
More so, there were many secrets that might bring about his doom if he tried to venture beyond his capabilities.
Thus, he never thought about some unnecessary riddles, mysteries, or whatnot.
His goal and priorities were to grow stronger and find his sister.
Simple as that.
Chuckled!
Listening to Thoren’s candid response, the ancient scorpion couldn’t help but chuckle.
And that alone made the cavern tremble slightly as dust and small stones fell from the ceiling.
"Very well. It is good to know one’s limits," she said softly.
Talking with this human kid had been pleasant and refreshing. The human did not try to force anything nor tried to act smart.
It brought memories when she was still young, weak and clueless as he was. She was not even half as good as he was right now.
He listened and responded truthfully to each of her questions, even when her questions might not make sense to him.
His responses were always on point.
And this was the reason she found herself talking more than usual.
Or perhaps, it had been ages since she had a nice conversation without someone trembling before her or desperately trying to get on her good side.
"For your truthfulness, I’ll tell you this." Her voice became slightly serious.
Instantly, Thoren’s expression also turned serious.
He knew this was an opportunity to learn something that might have taken months or years to discover on his own.
"Even though the Abyss is powerful and terrifying, it is constrained by an invisible power..."
"That’s not how I should put it...." She closed her massive eyes and thought for a moment.
She was trying to simplify everything into something the human before her could understand.
"It is as if the Abyss is acting under some laws that it cannot break."
"Like a guide."
"The Abyss might devour our worlds, but there are many things it cannot do and instead needs the intervention of races from other worlds to accomplish."
"Just like your trial. This is the Abyss telling you it needs your help."
"Do you understand?" she asked, her two massive eyes locked on Thoren without blinking.
"Do you truly understand the implication of what I just said?"
This time, she asked slowly, emphasizing each word as her ancient voice carried through the cavern with unusual seriousness.
Unlike her previous casual tone, there was a subtle weight behind every syllable, as if she wanted to make absolutely certain that the human standing before her understood her word perfectly.
"I do..." Thoren nodded, his expression remaining calm and composed but inwardly, he was terribly shocked.
His fingers unconsciously tightened slightly as he tried to suppress the turmoil surging through his mind, while his heartbeat raced in his chest.
Of course, he understood, but not all of it.
There were still countless questions he could not answer, and the more he thought about her explanation, the more complicated the entire situation became in his mind.
Who would have thought their trial was a means for the Abyss to cover its weakness?
The realization sent a subtle chill down his spine, and for several seconds, his thoughts became unusually heavy.
If they were simply trying to conquer each floor, why did they need to find every piece of the missing puzzle on the second floor?
Why force them to investigate the mysteries of this world instead of simply allowing them to wage war against them
They could just have waged a war against all the inhabitants of this world.
Yet...
Just thinking about it, Thoren couldn’t help but take a deep breath while trying to calm the storm inside his mind.
His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes became noticeably sharper as several possibilities flashed through his thoughts.
Watching his reaction, the ancient scorpion nodded, revealing that this secret was not just a spur-of-the-moment decision.
But a deliberate consideration on her part.
Whether her action today would bear the fruit of her expectation or not, only the future could tell.
She had lived for far too long to make such a decision carelessly, and revealing even a fraction of what she knew could potentially alter the course of events.
"Since you understand, let’s not dwell on the issue again. I know you must have many questions in your heart."
"Don’t ask, since I won’t answer you. This is for your good and my good. Take it as that."
Thoren nodded in agreement, his expression returning to its usual calmness as he accepted her warning without pressing the matter further.
Although countless questions were still swirling inside his mind, he was already satisfied with this information.
Compared to what he knew before entering this cavern, even this small piece of knowledge was enough to completely change how he viewed his trial and the mysterious Abyss itself.
"Now, let’s return to why you are here. Your trial. What is it?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his erratic breathing, Thoren asked, his eyes becoming serious as he finally revealed the reason he had followed the ancient scorpion into this hidden cavern.
"I need to access your clan’s library to find clues about it."
When the ancient scorpion heard him, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Her massive body barely moved, yet the sound of her laughter caused the cavern to tremble slightly, sending several tiny stones rolling down the uneven walls and making the dust hanging in the air tremble.
"Human kid, I’m the ancient archive."
She revealed it casually, but the words struck Thoren like a thunderbolt. The implication behind her statement was so unexpected that his pupils immediately contracted, and his entire body stiffened for a brief moment.
"So, tell me what you want to know?"
"What!"
Once again, Thoren widened his eyes, and his jaw dropped slightly as genuine shock appeared across his usually composed face.
He had already lost count of how many times he had been shocked since appearing before this ancient scorpion.
His mind briefly went blank as he stared at the colossal creature before him, struggling to process the meaning behind her words.
After a moment, he recovered and stared directly at the scorpion, his expression gradually becoming serious again.
Although surprise still lingered deep within his eyes, he quickly pushed it aside and began thinking about the consequences of revealing information.
"How do I know if I reveal what I have, you won’t attack me?" he asked casually, although his eyes remained vigilant and his body unconsciously tensed slightly.
He had no intention of blindly trusting her simply because she had offered him information.
"You don’t."
She responded without hesitation.
The simple answer caused Thoren’s expression to twitch slightly, and for a moment, he stared at her in silence.
"But human kid, believe me, with my power, strength, and experience, I don’t believe you have anything that will make me greedy for it."
Her massive eyes remained fixed upon him as she spoke, carrying no greed or hidden excitement.
"More importantly, I don’t have a choice."
Those final words caused Thoren’s expression to change slightly once again.