Skybound Throne-Chapter 230: Realm of Stillness II

Isaac frowned.

"What talent...?"

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"You mean my potion-making ability? Is it possible to take something I’ve learned?"

The guardian nodded with a smile.

"Yeah... easy to give up, right? Not something big at all."

Isaac’s frown deepened.

If the guardian wanted his potion-making ability—something he had worked to learn—it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? After all, he could always learn potion-making again. Everyone else seemed to think the same.

But before anyone could voice their thoughts, Skyler smiled and interrupted.

He tilted his head, speaking bluntly.

"No."

The guardian’s smile stiffened. Still, he didn’t give up and pointed toward Austin.

"How about his healing ability?"

Once again, Skyler said coldly.

"No."

The pig shifted his attention to Yuris.

"His ability to blend into shadows? Or his memory and love for his older brother?"

Yet the answer remained the same.

"No."

Deadpanned, the guardian looked at Zack, his voice finally darkening with frustration.

"Then this last option: you all give up his ability to breathe. To continue breathing—that’s what he cherishes more than life."

Yet again, Skyler said firmly.

"No."

This time, the guardian was furious. If everything was met with a flat ’no,’ then what did he want to offer?! Did these six kids think they could enter the Realm of Stillness for free? Even Max, that insane guy, had to pay a price! Who did they all think they were to refuse him so boldly?!

He jabbed a finger at Skyler.

"You—you! Then tell me, what do you want to offer me? If you can’t give up even these small things, then just leave here! Get lost!"

Isaac and the others also stared at Skyler. Except for the last demand related to Zack, everything the guardian asked for seemed quite reasonable to them. So, they couldn’t understand why Skyler had rejected it all.

Feeling their eyes, Skyler finally spoke, his words sending shivers down their spines.

"He wanted Isaac’s ability tied to creation. That meant stripping him of the power to create. It might sound simple. After all, he made it seem like he would just be taking away his potion-making skills. But later, Isaac’s mind would lose even the skill to create memories before shutting down."

Isaac shuddered. There was no way he wanted to become a mindless fool!

Skyler pointed at Austin.

"He wants your healing ability. Not just a skill. That means he would dig out all your elemental crystals. After all, as long as you have Evol within your body, you can always heal others—even with elements other than Light—since they all carry healing power."

Austin stared at him in disbelief.

Didn’t Skyler’s words mean he would be stripped of all his power if he had agreed?

Skyler scoffed when he saw the pig sweating profusely and looked at Yuris.

"Isn’t your element darkness and space? If you lose the ability to blend into shadows, can you even use them? As for your love for your brother... are you sure you want to give it up? You would never be able to love him again—you’d lose the very ability to love."

Yuris bristled, shouting at the guardian.

"This is bullshit! I may dislike my brother, but that doesn’t mean I want to forget him. You ugly pig—you’re trying to cheat us!"

He dragged Zack forward.

"And what was that last option you gave us just now?! To give up his ability to breathe. Doesn’t that clearly mean you want his life? How dare you think we would ever do that!"

The guardian let out an awkward chuckle, his mind racing for a way out of this mess. What the hell? He was sure his words had been vague—how had they all managed to grasp his ill intentions? He wiped his hands over his belly, forcing himself to calm down.

Anyway, he was the boss here!

If these youths couldn’t offer him anything, he would throw them all out of his abode.

It wasn’t like they were stronger than him—the only reason he had been cautious was that he had seen Skyler’s dangerous soul.

Gathering his confidence, he declared,

"Now, now, don’t pin it all on me. I was just giving you advice. Whether you follow it is up to you. Hurry up—I don’t have all day."

Yuris gritted his teeth and glanced at the others. What were they supposed to do?

It’s not like they could just give in to what this ugly pig had shamelessly demanded.

So, he made a decision.

"Let’s just leave. We can find another Realm. It’s not like this is the only one."

Everyone except Skyler rose at his words, ready to leave the way they had come. At that moment, they all finally noticed Skyler staring at the pig with a solemn intensity, as if he were making a difficult decision.

Yuris shook Skyler’s shoulder.

"Don’t tell me you’re actually wasting time thinking about the words he had spouted. Get up before I’m forced to drag you away!"

But Skyler simply slapped his hand away, sending a wave of foreboding through him, Austin, Charles, Zack, and Isaac, who were also watching. Skyler locked eyes with the guardian, and their hearts sank as he said.

"Okay, I’ve decided what to offer you."

Charles, who had been overlooked by the pig—perhaps because he owned nothing the guardian wanted—clenched his fists tightly, his gaze locked on Skyler’s back.

"Skyler! Get up now!"

A vein throbbed on his forehead as his words went ignored. All eyes followed Skyler as he hovered his clenched right hand above the left side of the scale.

The pig grinned from ear to ear.

"Haha! The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were different—and you didn’t disappoint me. What are you offering?"

Skyler closed his eyes as if in pain, then gritted his teeth as he glared at the pig.

"You better cherish it! Damn it!"

The guardian’s smile widened, his eager eyes locked on Skyler’s clenched fist. He could feel the tremor running through his closed fist and laughed quietly to himself.

’I don’t know what he is holding—I can’t sense it. But it’s definitely something he cherishes more than his own life! Haha!’