When Aureus mentioned his heart, Raydon wasn't sure if he was talking about his own greedy heart or the body enchantment Ashen Heart. All he desired at the moment was something of equal or greater value than Fehim's reward.
''May this one quell the turmoil within thy spirit, oh mortal. ''
Aureus extended his golden bone hand once more, and a heart engulfed in blood-red flames and still beating materialized in his palm before gliding slowly in the direction of Raydon.
When Raydon saw this, he was hesitant to take the flaming heart that was offered to him. He didn't feel any warmth from the flames, but he did get the impression that his entire body would be consumed by fire and reduced to ash if he touched it.
''Hearken, mortal, and be wary, for the inferno that resides within thy being is a greater threat than any blaze without. Receive it willingly, and allow it to engulf thee, for only then shall thou be absolved of thy transgressions. '' Aureus encouraged him to take the item.
'What sin has he been referring to all this time? ' Even though Raydon was perplexed by Aureus's words, he decided to take the item anyway. After all, he could probably erase his entire existence from this dimension without so much as lifting a finger if he wanted to harm him.
He extended his hand and took the heart, which was still beating and engulfed in flames. When he first touched the heart, he expected his hand to burn, but he did not experience any warmth or even coldness.
'These flames appear to be entirely harmless. However… ' He muttered. As he stared at the flames, he felt something stirring inside him that he couldn't put his finger on.
Then he checked the system message to see what this thing was.
[Ember Heart]
-Grade: Blue
-Quality: N/A
-Skill: Body Enchantment
A divine fire ignites in the person's soul, purifying them from head to toe and empowering them to achieve heights beyond their own race, as well as granting them +2000 MP and +2000 HP of the pure fire type.
''Damn! This is so good, right? '' He exclaimed in delight and surprise.
Even gaining merely 2000 HP was worth 200 stamina points. It wasn't as great as directly gaining 200 stamina stats, due to the fact that it only increased the HP regeneration rate rather than providing a high defense like the stamina stat, but it was still a huge improvement.
Furthermore, this was a blue-grade body enchantment. It had many hidden features, maybe some of which were superior to the ones the system displayed.
'But why must the body enchantment be of the heart variety? ' Raydon's expression suddenly darkened as he considered this. His heart had been replaced by the Ashen Heart body enchantment he had used before, and he had no idea how to use this one.
'However, compared to Ashen Heart, this one is so much better. If I have to remove my heart from my chest to do it, I will. ' Raydon said this as he placed Emberheart in his dimensional storage. He had given up on the Ashen Heart that was currently beating in his chest.
Aureus continued speaking after observing Raydon's acceptance of the item and subsequent determination to use it.
"Hark, this bony husk, once a vessel for my great power, now serves no further purpose. As thou art the final witness to my existence, I bid thee continue thy own journey whilst I embrace my demise. Farewell, mortals."
After he had reclined on his tomb, the golden lid was once again closed and sealed. Soon the tremors resumed, and with a resounding thump, the golden tomb, complete with golden bars surrounding it, slid back into the earth from whence it had come, disappearing into the eerie silence that followed.
''Does this mean it's over at last? Oh man, he was just babbling on and on. '' With a silly expression of satisfaction and a grin on his face, Fehim looked around and remarked.
But just as they thought it was all over, with another loud noise, the zombie soldiers around them, who had been kneeling the whole time, stood up at once.
''What the…They're not going to attack us now, are they? I was just kidding, okay? '' Fearful of the sudden movements of the zombie soldiers, Fehim pulled his ax from his dimensional storage and took a defensive position.
But, contrary to Fehim's fears, something unexpected happened, surprising even Raydon.
"Hail to thee, mighty one!"
"Hail to thee, mighty one!"
"Hail to thee, mighty one!"
All of the zombie soldiers gave a final salute to their commanders.
Their voices were so dry and coarse that the ground itself groaned in response to the zombie army's screams. The loss and respect they felt for their fallen general came through in their distorted voices, which Raydon and Fehim could sense.
"In the ancient tongue of our forefathers, we bid thee farewell. Rest well, our great general."
With a final cry, the undead soldiers slammed their right fists against their chests three times, and then they slowly dissipated into thin wisps of black smoke and vanished into the night sky.
Fehim, who was watching with shock and awe, said. " They just spoke? They were able to communicate? Shit. I didn't think they could speak. ''
'You are also able to speak, moron. ' Without uttering a word, Raydon glared at the zombie Fehim and muttered.
"So, what's next? Seems like everything ended. '' After giving some thought to the vast nothingness around him, Fehim rubbed his chin and said.
"I think we'll soon be out of this dimension," Raydon said. The inheritance should have been completed now that Aureus and his soldiers were gone.
But after 10 minutes, they realized they couldn't get out of here before the time ran out.
''There doesn't appear to be any way out of here. The system indicates that there are more than 40 hours until the timer expires. What will we do during this period? '' Fehim inquired as he lay on the ground.
After giving it some thought, Raydon grinned and muttered. 'So I guess I can go back and keep farming. '