Chapter 482: Damien

"Can the damaged anchors be repaired?"

Stan shook his head. "Not immediately."

He could identify the damaged areas, and he could even determine some of the reasons behind their instability, but that did not mean he possessed the ability to repair them...

The formation was protecting an entire planet, and even the smallest mistake could potentially produce consequences that neither of them could predict.

Stan’s gaze eventually settled upon the seventh anchor node. Unlike the others, its light flickered violently, and the energy circulating through it was noticeably less stable. Every few moments, the flow of energy around the node would fluctuate before returning to its previous pattern, creating subtle distortions throughout the surrounding section of the formation.

"That one is the weakest," Stan said, pointing toward the seventh anchor.

Camilla immediately followed his gaze. She studied the unstable node for several seconds before asking, "What happens if it fails?"

Stan did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued examining the formation, tracing the energy pathways connected to the seventh anchor and observing how they interacted with the other six nodes. The longer he looked, the heavier his expression became. The consequences were not difficult to understand once the structure was viewed as a whole, but that did not make them any less serious.

"The entire formation becomes unstable."

Camilla’s expression changed immediately. She had already understood that the formation was important, but hearing Stan state the consequence so plainly made the situation considerably more serious. Her eyes returned to the enormous projection, and she watched as the seventh anchor continued flickering within the vast network of energy.

"And Earth?" she asked.

Stan slowly shifted his attention toward the blue planet suspended within the center of the formation. From this perspective, Earth appeared almost impossibly small compared to the enormous structure surrounding it. Yet despite its apparent insignificance, the entire formation seemed to revolve around protecting that distant world.

"Earth is protected by the formation."

Stan paused as his gaze remained fixed upon the planet. There was no need to explain further for Camilla to understand what that meant, but he eventually continued in a quieter voice.

"If the formation collapses completely..."

He stopped there.

The unfinished sentence hung in the air for several seconds, but Stan did not need to complete it. The implication was obvious. If the formation was the barrier protecting Earth, then its complete collapse would leave the planet exposed to whatever forces the ancient formation had been designed to keep away.

Camilla understood immediately.

She slowly turned her attention back toward Earth, and for the first time since entering the chamber, she no longer viewed the planet simply as a strange modern world inhabited by ordinary humans and filled with unfamiliar technology.

The blue planet now looked entirely different in her eyes. It was a world that had unknowingly existed beneath the protection of an ancient structure for countless years, completely unaware of how fragile that protection had become.

The realization caused Camilla’s expression to become unusually solemn. The world she had once regarded as little more than a strange place filled with humans and modern technology was, in reality, standing precariously above an abyss. Between Earth and whatever dangers existed beyond its boundaries stood an ancient formation that had already endured an unknown number of years and had now begun to deteriorate.

She remained silent for a while before slowly turning toward Stan.

"You really intend to save this place."

There was no accusation in her voice. Instead, there was genuine curiosity, perhaps even a faint trace of admiration. he was a master Cultivator but was still concerned about a world that had never asked him to protect it.

A faint smile appeared on Stan’s face.

"I live here."

His answer was simple, almost casual, but Camilla understood the meaning behind it. Whatever other reasons Stan might have had, this was ultimately the place he had chosen to live. As far as he was concerned, protecting Earth also meant protecting the home he had built for himself.

Camilla stared at him for several seconds before the solemnity in her expression gradually faded. A small smile appeared on her lips as she gave a slight nod.

"Fair enough."

The tension that had settled over the room gradually eased. The enormous formation continued hovering before them, its countless energy pathways moving in an endless cycle while the seven primary anchors maintained their positions around Earth. Although the situation remained serious, neither of them continued discussing the possible consequences of the formation’s eventual collapse.

Camilla reached down and picked up the cup of coffee she had brought earlier. She took another slow sip, allowing the warmth of the drink to settle her thoughts as she continued looking around the chamber.

As a Vampire, despite her love for blood making most other things tasteless, she was somehow able to taste and love this tea...

The ancient inscriptions covering the walls, the immense amount of Qi permeating the air, and the countless mysteries hidden within the inheritance were all things she had never encountered before.

...

Meanwhile, far from Stan and Camill a was Blackridge Correctional Facility a prison...

Located far from Inksea, the massive prison complex was surrounded by several layers of reinforced concrete walls, steel fencing, surveillance towers, and security checkpoints designed to ensure that no inmate could simply walk out. It housed criminals who had committed offenses serious enough to warrant years, and in some cases decades, behind bars. Once someone passed through its gates, the outside world became little more than a distant memory.

The facility operated under a strict and unforgiving system. Cameras monitored nearly every corridor, common area, and cell block, while armed guards patrolled the prison grounds around the clock. Heavy steel doors separated one section from another, opening only when authorized personnel permitted them to do so. Behind those doors lived hundreds of men who had long since learned that kindness was not something they could afford to give freely. In Blackridge, weakness attracted attention, and attention could quickly become a problem.

Among those inmates was a man who, less than three weeks ago, had lived a life that seemed completely disconnected from a place like this.

Damien.