Chapter 319: Chapter 319: The Only Clue for Now

After a good night's rest at home, Irving headed directly to the headquarters of the Angel Guild early the next morning. After all, he had promised to cooperate with the members of the Angel Guild in searching for the whereabouts of the chaotic artifact.Although Irving felt that they currently had no leads, it was possible that the information held by the Angel Guild could contain some noteworthy details.

When Irving arrived at the Angel Guild's headquarters, he suddenly noticed that the atmosphere had turned quite serious. Upon seeing Nick, he immediately asked, "What exactly is going on? Why is the atmosphere so somber? Has the Angel Guild been attacked by the Night Blades again?"

Irving didn't lower his voice while speaking. In his view, the matter at hand was not particularly secretive. After all, the serious mood at the Angel Guild's headquarters suggested that all members should have sensed that something troubling was happening.

Upon hearing Irving's question, Nick hurriedly replied, "I think it's best we don't discuss this here. I'll take you to where Aron and Anna are right away."

After saying this, Nick quickened his pace. Irving followed him as they moved deeper into the Angel Guild headquarters. Although Irving had been to the Angel Guild's headquarters several times before, he had not spent much time there, so he wasn't very familiar with the overall layout of the place.

With Nick leading the way, Irving began to get a clearer picture of the Angel Guild headquarters' intricate design.

"Your headquarters is incredibly complex. It's practically a massive maze. If you weren't guiding me, I'd probably get lost in here," Irving remarked.

Nick chuckled at this. By now, he seemed less tense than before, as they had reached a deeper section of the headquarters where there weren't many members around.

"You're joking! Even if you did get lost, you could easily find your way out with your strength. If it were anyone else, they'd be in real trouble. Besides, the longer you stay in the Angel Guild headquarters, the less likely you are to find a way out. There are some passive defense infrastructures here as well."

Irving certainly agreed with Nick's assessment. He had been hindered by the Angel Guild's passive defense infrastructures in the past. However, now that his strength had increased, those defenses posed no threat to him anymore.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they made their way through the Angel Guild headquarters. After about half an hour, Nick brought Irving to a massive security door. This enormous door was operated by two hydraulic machines, and its thickness exceeded three meters. It looked like something designed to withstand a nuclear war.

"Has the Angel Guild even prepared for a nuclear war?" Irving asked. "I feel like this door is not just extraordinarily thick. Are there perhaps some items from shelter games inside?"

Nick nodded. "Your guess is correct. There are several items from shelter games built into this door. Their presence ensures that it cannot be easily breached by outsiders. Even if an elder from the Night Blades were to come here, it would take them quite a while to break through this door. You would also need some time if you attempted to do so."

Nick spoke with great confidence, believing that the Angel Guild's foundation lay in these items and weapons. If the Angel Guild had fewer resources compared to other organizations, it wouldn't have such a strong deterrent effect. S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After hearing Nick's words, Irving simply smiled slightly. As he passed through the security door, he carefully assessed its defensive capabilities. While it would take some time to destroy the door, he realized that getting through it wouldn't be particularly difficult. To Irving, this security door was of little use.

Once through the door, Irving finally saw Aron and Anna. They were crouched on the ground, examining a worn-out box.

"What's so special about this old box? Why are you two studying it in such a secure place?" Irving called out from a distance.

Upon hearing Irving's voice, both Aron and Anna turned to look at him in unison. Aron smiled and said, "Although this box is quite old and worn, it's the only clue we have right now. Can't you feel the chaotic energy emanating from it?"

When Aron asked this question, Irving finally sensed the chaotic energy surrounding the box. He was slightly incredulous as he responded, "Are you saying this old box is a chaotic artifact? It looks a bit too ordinary for that."

As he spoke, Irving examined the worn-out box closely. Anna then chimed in to answer his question. "I don't think this old box is a chaotic artifact! However, it definitely must have housed a chaotic artifact at some point. Otherwise, the chaotic energy on it wouldn't make sense."

Aron continued, "We have thoroughly examined this worn-out box using the tools available to the Angel Guild. We can confirm that the chaotic energy it possesses is very ancient. We also know that this box is definitely related to the Shadow Celestial. However, we cannot open it, nor can we see what's inside."

What Aron and Anna said gave Irving a clearer understanding of the old box. With a smile, he addressed them, "You two should take a few steps back! I'm afraid what happens next might put you in danger!"

Aron and Anna were taken aback by Irving's words. Aron directly questioned him, "What exactly are you planning? What's going to happen next?"

"Just watch! Now, listen to me and step back quickly!"

Despite their confusion, Aron and Anna followed Irving's advice. They each stepped back several paces, and Nick also moved back a few steps. Once he confirmed that everyone was at a safe distance, Irving concentrated all his strength and struck the old box with a powerful blow.

Irving's strength was indeed formidable, and everyone in the Angel Guild headquarters felt a violent tremor. Although Aron, Anna, and Nick were a bit farther away, they still felt the effects of the impact.

"Are you really going to smash this box with brute force?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!" Aron shouted at Irving, barely managing to withstand the shockwave as he steadied himself.

Irving did not respond. At that moment, he was stunned by the old box. Despite channeling all his power, the box remained completely intact. He finally believed that this worn-out box was indeed connected to a chaotic artifact.

Furthermore, the power of the chaotic artifact that had once been housed within it must have been incredibly strong, enough to leave such potent chaotic energy lingering on the box.

"It can now be proven that this old box is indeed closely related to a chaotic artifact. Aside from my last question, I have no other inquiries," Irving stated.

Although Aron was quite dissatisfied with Irving's recent actions, he quickly asked, "What's your last question? If I answer it, will you take us to search for this chaotic artifact?"

Irving nodded. "My final question is, where exactly did you find this box? Perhaps we can uncover more clues near the discovery site."

After asking his question, Irving fixed his gaze on Aron and Anna. He could clearly see that both of them looked somewhat embarrassed. Aron didn't immediately respond, which puzzled Irving.

"Is it possible that this box wasn't found by you? Did it just float into your hands? Even if you didn't discover it directly, someone must have brought it to you. We can follow that lead to find out where the box originally came from, and that might bring us closer to the chaotic artifact."

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As soon as Irving finished speaking, Anna spoke up in a somewhat awkward tone. "The box actually floated into our hands. We found this worn-out box only earlier today, right at the entrance of the Angel Guild headquarters. We reviewed all the surveillance footage and questioned every member of the Angel Guild, but no one has any recollection of the box's sudden appearance."

Anna's response left Irving feeling quite disheartened. This essentially meant that their only lead had run dry. He fell silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy as Anna, Aron, and Nick also remained quiet.

After a moment, Irving broke the silence, thinking of another way to search for clues. "If you don't have any leads here, perhaps we can find something at the Smith family estate. The Smith family's ancestral home is also imbued with powerful chaotic energy. If we bring the old box there, we might uncover some useful clues."

Irving's suggestion sparked a glimmer of hope in Aron, Anna, and the others. However, before heading to the Smith family estate, Irving needed to obtain Vicky's permission. After all, the estate had been completely sealed off following a previous crisis. Without Vicky's consent, they would have no choice but to break in.

And since Vicky was their ally, forcibly entering an ally's ancestral home was a decision that would be almost impossible to justify.