Remnant spirit

Arriving in front of the cave, Adrian saw the one guarding it. A giant white snake with beautiful white and silver scales, its pure white eyes glimmered like diamonds in the sunlight. The snake's presence exuded an aura of mystique and power, captivating Adrian's attention instantly.

'I can't sense his mana.'

'Its eyes are almost the same size as me...'

'Akashak snake, I thought they had gone extinct, I've never met one on the first timeline.' Adrian

The Akashak snake was one of the most sought-after creatures, known for its rarity and affinity to chaos element.

He had heard tales of its immense power and magical abilities, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine encountering one in person.

'Symbol of the Imperial Family.'

'Rumors said that the first emperor of humanity had contracted an Akashak snake. And with the help of his companion, the Akashak snake. He united different kingdoms and created the empire.'

'No one can challenge his regime, because it is said that the Akashak snake once swallowed a whole kingdom because it dared to rebel against the emperor.'

Adrian held up the spider's token in front of the coiled Akashak snake. "She sent me to get, luminescent poison mushrooms."

"Lissandra sent you... I see." The Akashak snake responded.

'He can already talk...'

"You've been poisoned?"

"Yes, she said that she'll remove it after I bring her the mushrooms."

"Everyone, that she sent here never came back... This cave is not an ordinary cave."

"What's your name, human?" the Akashak snake asked, as it flicked its tongue.

"I'm Adrian." Adrian replied, trying to maintain his composure despite the snake's intimidating presence.

"I'm Aspro... My master gave me that name."

"But he's already dead... I can't even remember how long it was. A couple of hundred years ago, maybe."

"He taught me many things, before dying... One day he came back, but he was different. He's very weak and has aged a lot. I think that he has been poisoned."

"Before he entered that cave and met his end, he told me his dying wish. He wants me to guard this cave until someone successfully completes the trials inside and becomes his inheritor."

'Inheritance... Death is inevitable; even the angels can't avoid it. Only the gods above remain eternal. That's why high-level rankers set up inheritance. Either they wanted to pass down their knowledge or wanted something to be done that they couldn't do when they were alive, just like taking revenge.'

"Has the contract between you and your master been terminated?" I asked, curious about the nature of their arrangement. The guardian paused for a moment, a hint of sadness in their eyes, before responding.

"Yes, that's how I know that he's already gone."

"My master also asked me to serve the one who'll inherit the things he left."

"Years have already passed, but why has no one succeeded in getting the inheritance until this day?"

"My master sealed the cave. He used his remaining life force to seal it... concealing it from his enemies and preventing higher rankers from entering."

"He wants his inheritor to be at the starting ranks... Only F and E rankers can enter the cave. I don't know the reason why he wanted it that way, but I'm guessing that perhaps he believed that starting from the bottom would allow the inheritor to develop their character and skills that match his affinity.

'That explains why the heart-shaped spider spared me. I'm her hope for obtaining the mushrooms.'

"What is the name of your great master?" I asked, to learn more about the person and what I could expect inside the cave.

"My master's name is Damascus."

'Damascus...' Adrian thought to himself, trying to recall if he had ever heard that name before.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember any mentions of that name. It intrigued him even more, sparking his curiosity about the mysterious figure who owns an Akashak snake.

'A great individual like him should've already been mentioned or written about in history books. But I can't remember anything about him.' Adrian pondered.

'Perhaps Damascus prefers to remain in the shadows, unknown to the world.'

"Do I need to do something before entering the cave?"

"No, you can just enter the cave, the seal will not stop you because you're an E rank."

Adrian took a deep breath and approached the entrance to the cave. As he stepped inside, the darkness enveloped him, and he relied on his instincts to guide him deeper into the unknown.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the cavern, adding to the eerie atmosphere. As Adrian ventured farther into the cave, a faint glow caught his attention.

He followed it and found mushrooms with an eerie blue light emanating from their caps. It was the mushrooms that he was looking for.

Adrian approached the glowing mushrooms and collected them one by one, storing them in his ring. The soft glow from the mushrooms illuminated his path, allowing him to navigate through the darkness with more ease.

With each mushroom he collected, the fewer mushrooms he encountered as he went deeper into the cave.

After what felt like hours of walking, he arrived at the end of the cave.

The soft glow from the mushrooms around the cave provided him with light as he spotted a bronze door at the far end. The bronze door has simple patterns on it and seems to hold a mysterious aura.

'This is the inheritance that the Akashak snake is talking about. I must be careful. The trials must be hard, judging that no one had come back after entering the cave.'

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and slowly pushed open the double door.

The door creaked open, revealing a dark passage beyond. Raising his guard and attuning himself to the wind element, he stepped through the doorway and into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As he made his way down the passage, the air grew colder and the atmosphere became heavier. Finally, he reached the end of the passage and stood before a room. A faint glow emanated from an unknown source, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Intrigued yet cautious, he entered the room, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. The walls were adorned with ancient runes. The room was filled with an unsettling number of human bones.