Chamber of natures' echo

_Xavier's Room_

A small table was placed beside his bed, atop the table was a special delicacy containing ingredients that strangely fills the body up with energy. As Xavier devoured the food without care, he could feel his accumulated stress melt away with each bite, leaving him exhilarated.

As he ate, Carla stood beside the bed, observing him with keen eyes.

'He looks more active than he was a few hours ago, this is great,' she smiled.

'But I wonder what is the case with the new captives. Could he possess another dark monarch physique like this one? If that is the case, our journey towards the truth would be two times faster.'

Her mind wandered far away as she gazed at him.

On the other hand, while Xavier devoured his meal, he tried hacking the character of Carla sneakily.

[ERROR!]

Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. However, this failure made him realize that at his current level, his character hack could only function on the bodies of apprentice witches and not senior witches like Carla.

'That is manageable,' he concluded.

"Carla, how do I start cultivating mana?" After eating, Xavier pushed the table aside and said to Carla.

While he had already learned about how to cultivate mana from his system and the diary of the Nefarious Monarch, asking Carla would make it seem as though he had no clue in the first place, thereby reducing suspicion on him. It was a good plan.

"You dare call me by my name?" Carla squinted, clearly irritated by his disrespect and lack of honorifics.

'I am literally the most valuable person in this facility beside your mistress,' Xavier scoffed inwardly but kept a smile outwardly.

While hacking and controlling her character was impossible, emotionally manipulating her into doing what he wanted was easily possible.

"What should I address you as then? I thought we were friends," Xavier replied casually.

Carla squinted her eyes and observed Xavier for a second before sighing, "Whatever."

"Very well, let's talk about cultivation," Carla began, her tone shifting to a more instructive manner. "Cultivation of mana is not something you can achieve overnight. It's a process that requires patience, discipline, and a deep connection with the natural energies around you."

She went deeper into the topic, touching on areas Xavier had already read about.

Xavier nodded, appearing genuinely interested. "So, where do I start?"

Xavier's curious act intrigued Carla. She wondered why he had suddenly become interested in magic.

'Could this curiosity for magic be inspired by the dark monarch bloodline he possesses? Come to think of it, due to his inactive state, we haven't been able to test for his affinity.'

Carla suddenly grabbed Xavier's hands and hurried towards the door. "Come with me."

"For what?" Xavier protested, recalling the last time she dragged him into the garden of hell. Those gory scenes were still etched in his mind, and he wondered where she was taking him this time.

"You will find out soon," she replied half-mindedly.

With a quick chant, the door flung open, and she led him out.

Walking out of the room, he was greeted with the darkness of the night and the dull crescent glow of the moon that descended upon the lands, repelling the darkness. The sounds of birds singing, crickets chirping, and other nocturnal insects crying reverberated across the area, filling it with a cacophony of noises.

'I almost forgot I am in the middle of a frickin' forest,' Xavier grumbled.

He barely had a moment to breathe in the fresh air before Carla began dragging him again.

From a nearby building, two witches sitting outside their houses, enjoying the fresh air of the calm night, pointed at Xavier and Carla.

"Look, the young dark monarch is truly awake."

"He looks active as well. I wonder where Carla is taking him. Could it be the Chamber of Nature's Echo?"

"Probably."

Xavier was a bit far from them, but somehow, he heard their conversation clearly, though it sounded more like whispers. He wondered what the chamber of natures' echo was, praying it should be nothing like the garden of hell.

As Carla dragged him away, Xavier took a wide look around, noting every observable landmark. He saw some witches sitting outside their various huts doing nothing. While some enjoyed the fresh air, others brought out men from the garden of hell and tortured them to soothe their dark lust.

As Xavier walked beside Carla, he saw a witch dragging a terrified man by his hair, her eyes gleaming with sadistic delight as he pleaded for mercy. Further along, another witch whispered incantations, causing a chained man to writhe in agony. The air was filled with screams of pain, moans of pleasure, and sinister laughter, a stark contrast to the peaceful surroundings.

'These bitches,' Xavier gritted his teeth. Despite not being the one undergoing the torture, he felt a little empathy for the men.

'Could this have been my situation if I hadn't awakened the Nefarious Monarch bloodline?'

...

In another building in the facility, a group of witches gathered around a young man chained to a cold, crude, metallic bed.

The eyes of the young man lying on the bed were glowing red with intense killing intent, his body violently fought against the chains binding him as he struggled to escape.

"This... what is this?" one of the witches stuttered in confusion.

Other witches surrounding the young man chanted spells to cool down his bloodlust. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful as the body of the young man repelled the spells easily.

At that moment, the door flicked open, and Liana flew in, heading straight for the young man. She stretched her hands out, whispering a calming spell.

The body of the young man relaxed as he fell into a deep sleep.

As Liana stood beside the young man, a memory fragment suddenly triggered in her mind, recalling the meeting with the dark crows.

Her eyes widened as a new revelation evaded her mental space.