Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 456: Serenity

Soon enough, Finch came across a cavern and decided to rest for a while. Not because he was tired, walking for a few hours barely registered as exertion for him, but because wandering endlessly without a clear destination eventually became dull. With that in mind, he stepped toward the cavern, intending nothing more than a brief pause. However, the moment he crossed the threshold into the cave, something struck him.

Not a physical object.

An emotion.

Serenity.

Finch’s eyes narrowed instantly. The cavern before him was pitch black, swallowed entirely by darkness so complete it seemed to devour light itself. Still, Finch wasn’t unprepared for situations like this. This was far from his first experience dealing with unknown terrain or hidden dangers. Calmly, he raised his hand and summoned an orb into his palm. Without hesitation, he crushed it. The orb shattered soundlessly, dissolving into countless motes of light that drifted outward, floating gently through the darkness and illuminating the path ahead.

’Where did the presence go?’ Finch wondered as his gaze swept through the cavern. After a brief pause, he began walking forward.

There were two types of Emovirae, positive and negative. Both were born from human emotions. Positive Emovirae originated from emotions such as joy, peace, hope, and serenity, while negative Emovirae were born from hatred, despair, fear, and malice.

They were Emovirae all the same, meaning they belonged to the same species, but there was a clear and unmistakable way to differentiate between them. Negative Emovirae naturally emitted Malice simply by existing, their presence alone capable of suffocating weaker beings. Positive Emovirae, on the other hand, exuded Serenity merely by being present, a calm and tranquil emotion that could be felt without effort.

And earlier, Finch had felt that Serenity.

From that alone, he knew that a positive Emovira existed within this cavern. Yet now, he could no longer sense it. The Serenity had vanished the moment he became aware of it, as though it had never been there at all, fleeting and elusive.

If Finch had sensed Malice instead, he would have turned and fled immediately. He had no way of knowing what rank a negative Emovira might possess, and confronting one blindly would have been nothing short of suicide. While the same uncertainty applied to positive Emovirae, it was widely known throughout Crymora that positive Emovirae did not attack unless provoked. Finch was gambling on that fact.

’It has to be a high-ranking Emovira,’ he thought as he continued walking, a subtle tension creeping into his steps. ’At least Rank Five.’

Even though it was a positive Emovira, a Rank Five entity was still far beyond what he could safely deal with.

His reasoning was simple. Emovirae of a certain caliber possessed the ability to suppress the emotional presence they naturally exuded. Since Finch had only sensed the Serenity for a brief instant before it disappeared entirely, he knew the Emovira was deliberately hiding itself.

After several minutes of walking, Finch emerged into an entirely new open space. The darkness faded away, replaced by a faint yet steady illumination that filled the cavernous chamber. He no longer needed the motes of light, but he chose not to disperse them. After all, he couldn’t identify the source of the light illuminating the area, and caution was never wasted.

Finch took a step forward, but before his foot could touch the ground, a voice echoed directly within his mind.

’Human. Leave my territory and do not return.’

Finch froze instantly.

A chill raced down his spine as fear clawed its way through his body. He wanted to turn back. He knew that taking another step forward could mean directly confronting the Emovira, and that such a confrontation could end his life in an instant. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t fully explain, something deep within him urged him to keep moving.

For a long moment, Finch stood completely still. The voice did not echo again. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself forward. This was the first time he had encountered something like this during his wanderings. Turning back now felt wrong. And if he were attacked... then he could only hope his Good Luck ability would save him.

"I come in peace," Finch said aloud, raising one hand above his head. His movements were slow and deliberate as his eyes scanned the open space, searching for the source of the presence.

’This is your last warning, human,’ the voice echoed again in his mind.

Still, Finch didn’t stop.

His soul-bound black chain hovered beside him, tense and ready to react at the slightest hint of danger. Soon, Finch’s gaze landed on a massive door embedded into the side of the chamber. It wasn’t illuminated by the same mysterious light that filled the space. Without hesitation, Finch approached it. With considerable effort, he pushed the heavy black door open just enough to slip his body through. The door was absurdly heavy, far heavier than it appeared.

Beyond it, he saw the Emovira.

It sat upon a chair positioned atop an elevated platform. Blood stained its form, a massive wound tearing through its chest and abdomen. The Emovira held itself upright despite the injury, its posture proud and unyielding. White claws rested calmly at its fingers. A single horn rose from its head, while patches of scales covered parts of its body. Red hair cascaded down like a crown, framing its imposing figure.

"Human," the Emovira spoke at last, "I warned you not to approach."

Before Finch could even blink, the Emovira was suddenly standing beside him. Finch hadn’t seen it move. He hadn’t sensed it either.

He swallowed hard.

In the next instant, an overwhelming presence slammed into his shoulders. Finch collapsed to his knees as though struck by an invisible force. His chest tightened violently, his heart feeling as if it were being crushed. His stomach twisted, his lungs refusing to draw air under the immense pressure. It felt as though a mountain had been placed upon his back. Sweat poured down his face as his body trembled uncontrollably.

"State your purpose here, human," the Emovira demanded, fully prepared to end his life where he knelt.

It waited. No answer came.

The Emovira quickly understood that Finch couldn’t speak under the crushing strain.

"Are you here to kill me too?" it asked, its red eyes fixed upon him. The pressure eased slightly, just enough for Finch to breathe and speak.

Hearing those words, Finch’s eyes widened. Kill it? That was impossible. Even with his Good Luck ability, killing a Rank Five Emovira was far beyond him.

"I’m not," Finch replied, his body still shaking violently.

As he spoke, he released his suppressed Life Rank. A Kindlestar Life Rank presence radiated outward from his body.

The Emovira remained silent for a moment. Then it accepted his words. There was no reason to believe that such a weak human could pose a threat to it.

"I see," it murmured.

Before Finch could react, the Emovira was back on its seat, as though it had never moved at all.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’ve been busy these past few days, hence my unsteady update. I should be fine by Friday, and from Friday, I will be updating 4 Chapters until I make up all missed Chapters. Thanks for your patience with me, and also thanks for reading.

Also, I need your golden tickets. Thanks for the support.