I can return to the age of mysterious
Chapter 1317 - 1317 658 The Sword of Despair and Fear (4500)

Chapter 1317: 658 “The Sword of Despair and Fear” (4500) Chapter 1317: 658 “The Sword of Despair and Fear” (4500) “The location of the fifth Auspicious Sound Rune has shifted.”

Holy Lion Ximu, one of the Four Great Kings of the Magical Golem Sect, was on a mission in the Yana United States. He led a team, following Casio’s will, to locate the last remaining one of the Five Keystone Runes from the Oyon Civilization.

The rune’s shape resembled two overlapping eyes, with double pupils.

On Heart of Lake Island, Casio, sitting cross-legged, had a tall figure whose outline slightly glowed at four points: the back of his right hand, the back of his left hand, his left shoulder, and the center of his chest. Life, death, nature, and spirit were all under his control; only the last piece of the puzzle was missing.

Once the five runes were gathered, Casio would have both the means and confidence to deal with Xiadu—a theoretical last resort safety measure. Otherwise, if he could kill or destroy the essence of Xiadu but couldn’t stop Xiadu’s return to the concept of Disasters, it would be laughably ironic. It would be akin to willingly allowing the Boss to initiate the second phase, plunging into an even more arduous battle.

“Auspicious Sound Rune, Oyon Scarlo…”

Casio, shrouded in golden sunlight, muttered to himself.

“I really wonder where this mysterious Oyon Civilization has gone. Millennia have passed. Oyon Scarlo probably has descended upon many worlds assailed by Disasters, just like leaving behind the Five Keystone Runes, sowing the seeds of resistance. Perhaps there will be a chance to meet them in the future, but for now, let’s focus on the present…”

The previous day, February 19th, night.

South Reef Continent, Yana United States, Pennsylvania.

In Huangmu City, northern suburbs, there was an American Forest.

American Pine, also called South Reef Yellow Cedar—which inspired the name of Huangmu City—is a species of towering tree that can grow up to a hundred meters tall and is found along coasts in the east and west.

Therefore, this forest was exceptionally vast and dense. Tall canopies layered on top of one another blocked the moonlight, casting large shadows, making the ground not so well-lit. The expansive yet relatively enclosed forest space gave off a visual impression of a secluded and historic woods, terribly oppressive.

At night, walking through this woodland. Rustling sounds emanated from the undergrowth, noises of unknown creatures crawling. The breeze stirred, causing leaves and branches to slap against each other, rustling as if they were accumulating waves.

Looking up, towering, stout yellow cedars rose from the ground, stretching all the way into the sky.

They looked like giants, silently standing upon the earth.

“Quick, hurry, keep up!”

Next to a thick yellow cedar, a well-built man waved and called back with a deep voice. Immediately, sounds of trudging came from the bushes, occasionally breaking twigs and roots.

“Joey, you’re moving too fast; I can’t keep up…”

A beautiful woman dressed as an office worker, gasping for breath, emerged from the bushes and grabbed the man’s extended hand.

“Sorry, Yulia, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. You’re just a human; this is too dangerous for you…”

Joey, somewhat regretful, embraced Yulia—the two were a couple.

“Joey, you must tell me what you know.”

“Couples shouldn’t have secrets, should they?” Even at night, Yulia’s eyes were sparkling as she stared at her boyfriend.

“Alright, alright. But you mustn’t disclose this to anyone else…”

Joey raised his hands and eventually chose to disclose the truth.

His identity was not simple; on the surface, he was just an assistant bank manager, but in reality, he was an exorcist. Moreover, he was the son of the President of the Exorcist Association in the Southeast of Yana United States. They had always been dealing with the bad guys lurking within human society. These were monsters that fed on human souls. Some people called them Evil Spirits, but the Exorcist Association preferred to call them Nightmares. Nightmares feed on human fear.

They implant a mark of fear, then slowly torment until death.

Souls born from such extreme fear were the tastiest.

From birth, Joey had been trained by his father to harness the bloodline power within his body, control Source Energy, and practice exorcist techniques. After becoming an adult, he joined actual combat, continually resolving tasks assigned by the Exorcist Association. His civilian identity was merely his disguise. Every time a task required Joey to reach a city, the Exorcist Association would arrange an identity for him. Investigating mysterious cases until they were resolved.

In the past two to three years, for reasons unknown, both the number and quality of Nightmares in Pennsylvania had significantly increased, resulting in many tragedies. Hence, Joey and many of his comrades were stationed here to ascertain the reasons behind the unusually active Nightmare groups. It was during this period of settled living that Joey met Yulia, and they quickly fell in love.

As time passed, Joey gradually uncovered the reason why Nightmares were congregating towards Pennsylvania. It was precisely tonight that he came to this location—the depths of the American Forest on the northern suburbs of Huangmu City.

The Nightmares seemed to be searching for an Ancient Ruin. Deep within that ruin, they sought something legendary.

“The Sword of Despair and Fear”

Nightmares, beings that toy with fear and are masters of wielding despair, if they managed to acquire the Sword of Despair and Fear, that would be catastrophic. Probably no one along the entire East Coast of Yana United States would be able to contend with them!