Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 45: Chapter 45 — The Statue

Chapter 45 — The Statue

Victor stood at the entrance of the next chamber, his attention immediately drawn toward the figure standing in its center. At first glance, it was obvious that the statue was ancient. The cellar around it had suffered beneath the passage of time; cracks spread across the walls, pieces of stone littered the floor, and whatever objects had once filled the underground chambers had either decayed or been destroyed completely. Yet somehow, the statue had survived far better than everything surrounding it.

Victor slowly approached.

The closer he came, the more astonishing the craftsmanship became. Even after countless years, the statue had retained much of its original beauty. There were small marks and imperfections caused by time, but the intricate details remained remarkably clear. Every fold in the man’s robes had been carefully carved, while elaborate patterns flowed across the stone clothing in designs so detailed that Victor couldn’t help slowing down to examine them.

There was something strangely alive about it.

Not literally, of course. Victor could tell that it was nothing more than stone. Yet the statue possessed an unmistakable presence, as though the person it depicted had left something behind that time itself had been unable to erase.

Victor eventually stopped only a few steps away and studied the statue more carefully. That was when his eyes were drawn toward its hand.

His expression changed.

Carved into the statue’s palm was a familiar symbol.

An alchemical flask.

The flask was upside down, with its narrow opening pointed toward the ground. Beneath it was what appeared to be a single drop of liquid, frozen in the moment before it fell.

He had seen it before.

The map.

And now the statue.

There was no way it was a coincidence.

His gaze slowly traveled upward as he began examining the rest of the statue. The man was dressed in robes that Victor immediately recognized as belonging to an alchemist, although they were unlike anything he had seen inside the Tower. The robes were elaborate without appearing excessive, covered in embroidered patterns and flowing designs that somehow made the entire figure seem more imposing.

Victor studied those patterns for a moment.

He didn’t understand what they meant, but something about them felt deliberate. They didn’t look like meaningless decorations added simply to make the robes beautiful. The lines connected in strange ways, flowing across the sleeves and chest with an order Victor couldn’t comprehend.

Eventually, his attention reached the statue’s face.

The man appeared to be somewhere in his forties. He was handsome, with sharp features and a calm expression that carried an almost majestic quality. More than anything, however, it was the way he stood that caught Victor’s attention. There was something unusual about his posture. He wasn’t sitting on a throne or wearing a crown, yet the statue somehow gave Victor the impression of someone standing above an entire generation.

Like a king among men.

Victor continued staring.

He didn’t know how much time passed. The longer he looked at the statue, the quieter his thoughts became. At some point, a strange sensation began forming inside his mind.

It was something far more difficult to explain.

Victor frowned slightly as he tried to grasp what he was feeling. He had no idea. The sensation seemed to exist just beyond the reach of his thoughts, close enough for him to feel but impossible for him to properly describe.

Without realizing it, Victor’s breathing gradually slowed.

Then, almost instinctively, he sat down.

Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and began cultivating. Normally, Victor approached cultivation with a clear purpose. He observed the World Energy entering his body, watched as the Black Flame refined it, and guided the purified energy toward his Core.

This time was different.

Minutes passed in complete silence. The ancient cellar remained unchanged around him, while the statue continued standing silently at the center of the chamber. Victor lost track of time.

Eventually, his eyes opened.

Victor remained still for a moment before slowly looking toward the statue. Confusion filled his expression as he tried to understand what had just happened.

Something was different.

Victor could feel it.

Victor hesitated before raising his hand. A small black flame appeared above his palm, flickering quietly in the darkness. He stared at it for a moment before extending his soul power toward it.

Victor continued controlling it as the seconds passed, watching the Black Flame respond to his will. At first, he didn’t think much of it.

Then thirty seconds had passed.

His eyes widened slightly as he realized he had already passed his previous limit.

Victor pushed himself further.

Until he reached thirty-eight seconds.

Then darkness reclaimed his palm.

Victor stared down at his hand for several seconds before slowly looking back toward the statue. He didn’t completely understand what had happened, but he knew one thing.

His control had improved.

Something had changed during the strange period of cultivation.

His control over the Black Flame had somehow improved all at once.

Victor scrutinized the statue, his curiosity growing stronger than ever. Who was this man? What was this place? What had he just experienced while staring at the statue?

Eventually, Victor released a slow breath and began walking around the statue. As he moved behind it, something caught his attention.

A box.

It rested on the ground directly behind the ancient figure.

Victor stopped.

Unlike almost everything else inside the cellar, the box appeared almost untouched by time. The surrounding room had been damaged and destroyed by age, yet the box looked as though it had been placed there only yesterday.

Victor slowly approached.

As he got closer, he noticed the intricate designs covering its surface.

He crouched beside the box and looked at its lid.

Victor placed his hand against the lid and slowly opened it.

Inside rested a single scroll.

Victor leaned closer.

The scroll looked ancient, but like the box that protected it, it had somehow survived the passage of time. Before reaching for it, however, Victor noticed something stamped across the seal.

The same symbol.

The upside-down alchemical flask.

Victor stared at it for a moment.

Whatever this symbol was, it had been deliberately placed everywhere.

Slowly, Victor reached into the box and wrapped his fingers around the scroll. He didn’t know what it contained.

All he knew was that something deep inside him was telling him that this was important.

Victor slowly lifted the scroll from the box.

Then he looked toward the statue one final time.

The ancient alchemist continued standing silently in the center of the forgotten cellar.

Victor lowered his eyes toward the sealed scroll in his hands.