The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1594

Hao Xuan's throat felt like there were two wool balls rolling around in there which made it fairly difficult to focus on what Vlitgar was trying to say.

"I-I'm sorry brother give me a moment, I need some water, I will be right back!"

He was planning to use that excuse to just walk out of the Night Market altogether and check what was going on with him but, as soon as the words left his mouth a whole wooden barrel showed up beside him.

"?!?"

Both of them were caught off-guard by its sudden appearance, although for different reasons.

Vlitgar laughed from the bottom of his heart, "Hahaha! You must be thirstier than a Dramel at the end of the Great Voyage for the Chamber to fulfill your needs when you're not even the one who paid for it! Hahaha, how marvelous!!"

Hao Xuan had a lot of questions but they could wait. He stood up and plunged his head into the barrel without a second thought.

The water began to bubble and then boil, turning into steam that obscured his form as he drank nearly half of the barrel in one while the rest turned red from the chunks of blood and flesh that were peeled off his innards.

*GASP*

Hao Xuan threw his head back and breathed in, creating a gust of wind that ruffled Vlitgar's cape from the negative air pressure.

His eyes widened, 'Haha, what a monstrous young man! His physique is a gift from the Father himself!'

Vlitgar snapped his fingers and the barrel disappeared along with the steam.

Hao Xuan took a few deep breaths to regulate his breathing before brushing the soaked hair and beard with his hands.

Vlitgar started clapping.

"You are a paragon of magnificence, brother Jin! Were you to ever groom yourself, every maiden in the desert would fall at your feet!"

Hao Xuan didn't know whether to take it as a strange compliment or a dig at his appearance so he just laughed it off.

"Surely you jest brother, hahaha. Who would find a simple man like me desirable? I barely know how to handle a blade."

But Vlitgar smiled knowingly, "So you say, but did you not walk out of here with a divine beauty in your arms merely a moment ago? Must have been quite a farewell that it left you so... 'parched', hahaha!"

"Oh, that. Ha...haha," Hao Xuan chuckled awkwardly, "I'm afraid that's over. We were just...too different."

"Oh...truly?" Vlitgar quickly roped in his jovialness, "Consider it a learning experience brother, it certainly won't be the last. Some relationships...they burn bright but are shortlived. Best not to think about it too much."

"You're right, thank you for the advice brother," Hao Xuan gestured towards the silhouette in the mirror to change the topic, "What is this?"

"Right, this is an Ethyma," Vlitgar explained while moving his finger over its outline.

"It is an ancient tool that a privileged few within the Sanctum are able to employ. Only those with the mark of the Silent Father, the King In Yellow, or the Throne of the Deep are entitled to commune with the Ethyma."

Hao Xuan walked up to the mirror to inspect in a little more detail.

It stood out against the otherwise aged surface of the mirror but apart from that there were no distinguishing features. It was an empty white silhouette in the rough shape of a bipedal being.

"THIS is an 'ancient' tool? What does it do exactly?"

Vlitgar placed his on the silhouette and began muttering something under his breath. His hand sunk into the mirror and joined with the mirror. Then two slits opened on the silhouette's head revealing a darkened room on the other end.

"What you are seeing is the inside of the Ethyma. The outer shell is sealed within an effigy or a golem a long distance away. Once you learn to control the Ethyma, you can merge with its inside and control it as if it were your own body."

Maybe it was due to the recent changes in his body but Hao Xuan was having a tough time wrapping his mind around it.

"So.... it is equivalent to a puppet?"

"Puppet?! Not at all, nothing so simple! How could you even say such a thing brother??" Viltgar aggressively retorted.

One would think someone had disrespected his ancestors going by that overreaction.

"My mistake brother, I must have misunderstood something," Hao Xuan swiftly apologized and threw his hands up.

Once he saw Vlitgar had calmed down he asked again, this time with a little more finesse.

"So essentially, you control this thing in the mirror that it is connected to a golem somewhere out there. Then that golem mimics your movement?"

Vlitgar thought about it for a moment before hesitantly agreeing, "There is a LOT more to it but...yes. That is how it works. But it is still not a puppet!" he stressed again.

"Yes of course it is not a puppet, I see that now."

"I knew you would, brother Jin!" he joyously gave the details, "An Ethyma has its own mind that you must learn to co-exist with! It has its own energy but it can also mimic yours, meaning it can create a nearly perfect copy of the mark bearer."

"You, the person controlling it is its only limitation! So long as the prayers come through, it can connect to any shell that is blessed by the Nine."