Published at 11th of September 2026 7:07 am

Chapter 2005: Unsettling Question

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The amethyst amulet that Valerian had been wearing for the better part of a century had been gifted to him by a Mind Dragon named Endi Somnia.

At the time, Adam had been knocked out cold from the severe beating he had taken at the hands of another one of Valerian’s clansmen, so he didn’t know much about this.

But after he woke up, Valerian wouldn’t stop talking about it.

He said that the amulet was forged by the artificers of the Somnia Clan.

He said it would protect him from all kinds of harm.

He said it also functioned as a storage artifact.

But why was it that Adam had completely overlooked the existence of this amethyst amulet despite Valerian always being around him?

The more Adam thought about it, the more perplexed he felt. A chill crept through his spine as he glanced at Valerian, who looked back at him with equally perplexed eyes.

He gulped subconsciously before asking, "Val... have you ever taken off that amulet?"

Valerian blinked. He quickly shook his head. "No. Never."

Adam looked deeply at his little brother, then asked in a solemn voice, "Other than serving as a storage artifact, does that amulet of yours have any other functions?"

He suddenly felt a foreboding claw grip his heart, and he wanted to know if Valerian, too, had overlooked the functions of the amulet just like he had.

Valerian closed his eyes, humming in thought. "Hmm, that’s right! It is also a defensive artifact. It should protect me from all kinds of physical and psychic harm."

The little fellow said excitedly, as though showing off his toy.

Adam didn’t share the same enthusiasm as his little brother, however. Despite drowning in fright inside, he willed the Faceless Mask to offer a gentle smile on his face.

"Good for you," he said casually. "Go ahead. Store all the gold bars and the chests. Leave this coffin and those parchments on the far wall."

"Myu!!" Valerian jumped in excitement and began storing away all the gold.

Adam stood behind him, a doting smile on his face. But inside, a chaotic storm was brewing.

Even he doesn’t find anything wrong! he screamed inwardly.

He just now claimed that the amulet is supposed to protect him from physical harm. And yet, he is unable to see the inconsistencies in his claim?

It’s like... he has completely overlooked that function of the artifact despite just now talking about it.

How can this be?!

Adam refused to believe that an artifact forged by the Artificers of the Somnia Clan simply ceased to work. Nor did he believe that being in this secret plane caused the amulet to malfunction.

Is someone tampering with Valerian’s artifact?

The thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Otherwise, why didn’t it work when that vampire nearly beat Valerian to within an inch of his life?

His eyes gradually narrowed to slits, a sharp and terrifying gleam flickering within them.

And why didn’t Valerian find anything wrong with it?

The amulet had failed when it should have protected him. That much was clear. It was oddly coincidental that it would stop protecting him, but continue to smoothly function as a storage artifact.

Why didn’t he think there was anything strange about that? Adam couldn’t help but wonder in alarm.

His expression turned grim as he saw Valerian store away all the gold bars, then proceed to the opposite wall to store the chests full of gems and jewelry.

Why would Valerian pretend that everything was fine? I can see right through him. He isn’t lying. He truly believes what he just said. Besides, he would never lie to me.

But more importantly...

An even more unsettling question surfaced in his mind.

Why had I forgotten about the amulet until now?

He stared at Valerian’s pendant, his thoughts racing wildly.

Is someone manipulating both Valerian’s and my mind through the amulet?

When Endi gave Valerian the amulet and left, I did find it slightly suspicious.

I believed there had to be some kind of hidden arrangement within it. Something that would allow the Somnia Clan to keep an eye on Valerian through the amulet.

That had been his initial suspicion. But almost a hundred years had passed since then. Nothing happened.

Over time, Adam had gradually lowered his guard. Eventually, he had stopped thinking of the amulet as a potential threat altogether.

And now...

I had completely forgotten about its existence.

The feeling of cold dread intensified in his heart. His back was seriously drenched in cold sweat as he thought about the ramifications of this discovery.

Our minds are definitely being manipulated!

His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong.

But why?!

Why would someone manipulate both his and Valerian’s minds through the amulet? And more importantly, why would the amulet’s defensive mechanism suddenly stop working?

Valerian had nearly died at the hands of the vampire. Adam’s expression darkened.

Didn’t that defeat the entire purpose of the amulet?

I can’t imagine anyone from the Somnia Clan wanting to harm Valerian.

So it can only be one of the clan’s enemies!

Someone was manipulating both his and his little brother’s minds. The realization slowly sank in, and with it came a cold, suffocating sense of horror.

Perhaps... they’re trying to kill Valerian!

Adam’s breath caught in his throat. For a moment, his mind went completely blank. Then images began flashing through his thoughts. Valerian being beaten by the vampire, his small body being thrown around, and the amulet completely useless when it should have protected him.

He nearly died!

Adam’s fingers curled into fists as his expression turned fierce.

Val nearly died and I didn’t even think there was anything wrong.

The thought made him feel sick to his stomach.

Someone had tampered with his memories, perhaps. Manipulated his thoughts. Made him overlook something that should have immediately raised alarm bells.

And Valerian’s mind had been manipulated too. The thought horrified him even more. His little brother had been walking around with that amulet for almost a hundred years.

For almost a century, Adam had believed that the Somnia Clan had given Valerian a powerful artifact to protect him.

But what if that very artifact had been used against him?

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