836 No Witness!
Jacob vanished from his spot and appeared right in front of Otis, throwing a raging lightning punch on Otis's face, startling Otis!
Otis's heart trembled when he sensed the ghastly danger from Jacob's punch, and he was even more shocked that Jacob attacked him without giving him a chance to speak or react.
Alas, despite his reaction speed, he was still too slow in front of Jacob, especially since he was caught off guard. By the time he reacted, he was only able to condense faint light energy in front of the purple lightning before it instantly shattered.
"Boom!"
Otis was sent flying like a rag doll while reeling blood; the impact of Jacob's punch made his nose cave in and almost crushed his skull, if not for him pouring some soul force in a timely manner into the legendary staff in his hand, he would've been dead! Nonetheless, with just this punch, Otis knew Jacob was way above his league!
At this moment, the tower's voice rang.
"Congratulations, Trialist!
"You have passed the Star Warrior difficulty level Tower Trial of the Tower of Libra!
"The Rewards of Star Warrior difficulty Trial will be granted!
"Reward: The Legendary Vestige of Libra has been given!"
Jacob, who was about to follow up after his attack, suddenly stopped. His eyes flickered with a grimace when he heard 'Star Warrior.' He looked at Otis with utter contempt and a hint of realization.
He finally understands why Otis seemed relativity fine despite clearing all the trials of the Tower of Libra, but what confused him is why he would select the Star Warrior difficulty trial if he was from the middle galaxies.
Furthermore, with this brief exchange, he knew Otis was far weaker than the Vampire Gracey!
On the other hand, Otis was even more shocked when he heard the announcement because this was the last thing he was expecting, as the way he looked at Jacob thoroughly changed. A faint golden light was emitting from his staff, and his face was quickly recovering.
At this moment, the Cosmic Vestige of Libra appeared. It was palm-sized and seemed like a monolith, smooth and symmetrical, exuding a profound sense of balance and neutrality.
Its surface was obsidian-black and seemed to absorb all traces of light with a faint sheen that hints at hidden depths. Faint lines run along its edges, forming intricate, geometric patterns that shift subtly, almost as if rearranging themselves to maintain equilibrium.
A circular void-like indentation appears in its center, giving the impression of an abyss leading to an infinite space beyond. It pulses faintly with a silvery glow as if drawing in and dispersing energy, creating a mesmerizing play of light and darkness.
The aura surrounding the vestige feels paradoxically weightless and heavy as if it holds an unseen force that could tip the balance of everything around it.
When Jacob saw it, he instantly grabbed it. When he held it, the monolith felt cool to the touch, and a sensation of harmony flowed through him, accompanied by a whisper of mystical law and order.
Jacob didn't have time to study it as he quickly stowed it away, and at this moment, Otis, who had healed himself, finally spoke in a grave tone, "Sir, I don't know who you are and how I offended you, but please hear me out. I'm an Archbishop of the Cardinal Spirit Temple of Libra, and I need that Legendary Vestige not for myself but for an exalted 'God'!
"In fact, not only is our temple looking for the legendary vestiges, but the entire Cardinal Spirit Temple of the middle galaxies is tasked with gathering all the legendary vestiges for this exalted God. The temple even contracts with the other powers to give us all the legendary vestiges because of the exalted God, and it's all the Exalted One's arrangement. "So, I implore you to hand it over, and in return, you can ask for anything. These are not my words but the words of our supreme Pontiff. Taking it would be directly offending that God, and I'm sure whoever is behind you wouldn't want to offend an exalted God!" Otis's voice was grave and filled with determination. He knew he wasn't a match for this unknown enemy, so he had no choice but to bring out his trump card.
When Jacob heard it, he was stopped in his tracks because he knew Otis was telling the truth, which startled him even more, especially the part about 'God' wanting the twelve legendary vestiges.
However, according to his understanding, the middle galaxies shouldn't have any God-level figures. Now, from Otis's words, he didn't find any lies, which means he was telling the truth, especially in this deal with the other powers he speaks of, or at least he believed it was the truth.
'What the hell is going on in the Middle Galaxies? Where did this 'God' come from, and why did he want all the legendary vestiges? If his words are really true, then does this mean every heir of a legendary king would've given their legendary vestige to this God? This also explains why he didn't choose the Star King difficulty since having a God to please is even more important and beneficial for them than an ascension permit!'
A God still held massive deterrence to Jacob, especially if this God was in the middle galaxies, where he would enter after collecting all the Vestiges. He had no idea what kind of abilities a God would have, but he was sure that he didn't want a God as his enemy or to offend him.
But despite that, was he willing to give up on the Cosmic Vestiges that he needed for phase two? The answer was a big no!
Just when Jacob was considering his options, and Otis thought that he had successfully stymied Jacob, the tower's voice rang again,
"Congratulations, Seeker of Zodiac!
"The Wisp of Zodiac has acknowledged you!
"The hidden condition has been met!
"You already have the Legendary Master Key; please take it out!"
The moment this announcement was made, Otis was bewildered. This was the first time he had heard something like this, especially the 'Legendary Master Key, 'which sounded quite imposing.
Furthermore, this made Jacob even more mysterious since he was capable of being acknowledged by this Wisp of Zodiac, and Otis also suspected that Jacob had more than one Legendary Vestige.
However, for Jacob, this announcement in front of Otis spells trouble, especially after he knows that a God is scheming behind the scenes. He absolutely can't let Otis go with this information now.
Jacob's eyes flashed with cold determination as he saw the fear in Otis's eyes. The next moment, he shot forward again, his body a blur of speed. Otis barely had time to raise his staff, his soul force flaring in a desperate attempt to defend himself.
"Too slow," Jacob muttered, his voice like the crackle of distant thunder.
With ruthless precision, Jacob unleashed a flurry of lightning-imbued punches, each one striking Otis's hastily conjured shields. The air exploded with shockwaves as Otis's defenses shattered one by one, unable to withstand the raw power behind Jacob's attacks.
"Argh!" Otis coughed up blood as the final punch broke through his guard, smashing into his chest with the force of a battering ram. He was sent skidding back, his body scraping against the stone floor, but Jacob didn't give him a moment to recover.
Appearing above Otis like a specter, Jacob raised his hand, purple lightning coiling around his fingers. "It's over!"
Otis's eyes widened in terror as he desperately channeled his soul force into his staff, attempting to form a barrier. "W-wait! I can—"
But Jacob's expression remained cold, unmoved by his plea. "Begone!"
He slammed his lightning-coated palm onto Otis's chest. The barrier flickered before shattering completely, and the lightning surged into Otis's body. The purple arcs crackled as they tore through his veins and muscles, incinerating his organs from within.
"Ahhhhh!"
Otis screamed as his body convulsed, his limbs twitching uncontrollably. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as the lightning continued to ravage him. His eyes rolled back, and blood streamed from his mouth.
Jacob watched impassively, his eyes devoid of mercy. With a final surge of power, he tightened his grip, and the lightning erupted, reducing Otis's body to ashes and charred remains.
As Otis's form crumbled, leaving only his legendary staff and a few scattered ashes behind, Jacob stood up, brushing off his hands. "There are no loose ends."
He glanced down at the staff Otis had wielded, noting the faint aura of light still lingering around it. Picking it up, Jacob's eyes gleamed. "As long as I leave no witness behind, no one will know the truth."
Stowing the staff away, the silence that followed was heavy, but Jacob felt no remorse. Ultimately, it was about survival—and he had no intention of leaving a witness for whatever forces lurked behind Otis's words about a 'God.'
He turned away from the ashes and finally took out the Legendary Master Key!