Chapter 93: Opening the Iron Box (Part 2)

The sudden turn of events left Rod somewhat frantic. He had hoped the seal could be broken, but now there was not a trace of the scene he had imagined! This made him feel as though all his efforts had been in vain.
“Damn you!” Glaring at the iron box, Rod cursed inwardly. The damn seal was incredibly strong.
“Why rush? It’s not over yet!” Just as Rod wanted to throw the box away in frustration, Lilith’s icy voice suddenly came from beside him.
Hearing this, he was momentarily stunned, then seemed to realize something and calmed down. He looked at Lilith across from him and said, “How did you get here?”
“You caused such a fuss and still expect me not to know? I guess even the others in this forest have noticed what’s going on. I didn’t expect you to possess such a precious item. Did you get it from that guy, Sognar?” Lilith asked in a mocking tone, her familiar presence keeping her heart restless.
How long had he been searching? He could no longer remember—probably twenty years! Now that it suddenly appeared before him after so much futile searching, his heart was in turmoil.
“No, don’t lay your eyes on him. This thing can’t go to you. It was left to me by my father!” Watching Lilith warily, he also sensed something wrong with her. His gaze turned cold as he said firmly, “I don’t care about anything else, but I must not lose this box. It contains many things I need to know, and it might even lead me to my old man. So I absolutely cannot lose it.”
“Your father’s thing?” Rod’s words made Lilith pause slightly. She looked at him with a complex expression and asked doubtfully.
There was no time to respond. At that moment, Rod felt another change in the iron box in his hands. The elements around it had completely returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the illusory seal on the box now appeared tangible! Black and red lights flickered, gradually expanding into a solid energy shield that rotated slowly, shining brightly. Seeing this, not only Rod but even Lilith, who had seen countless things, was stunned.

The next moment, a majestic aura emanated from within the energy shield. The powerful presence it released gave Rod an overwhelming feeling. Just a trace of such aura could cause such an effect—undoubtedly, it was the aura of a god-tier powerhouse, and certainly no less than that of the Black Dragon Sognar he had encountered before. In other words, only a god-tier powerhouse at an advanced stage could possess such an aura, just like the one Lilith gave off.

Rod stared intently at the iron box in his hands. The intense heat coming from it made him feel unable to control himself. Suddenly, as a blinding light burst forth, the iron box rose abruptly, floating in mid-air away from his grasp, looking utterly bizarre! The entire cave became eerily silent at that moment. The aura had already spread out, covering everything around it in an instant. It was unimaginable how terrifyingly powerful the person who had created this iron box seal must have been. If even a mere seal had such power, what about the person themselves? Was he a god-tier powerhouse at an advanced stage, or had he transcended that level to reach an even higher one?

……

“Damn woman, what’s going on over there?” At that moment, Black Dragon Sognar, who was practicing in a distant cave and still grieving the loss of his precious treasure, suddenly sensed the powerful aura coming from the Silver Moon Lake. He turned his head in that direction, his eyes filled with shock, his expression changing constantly as he muttered to himself in disbelief.

Not only him—there were at least six other pairs of eyes in the forest looking toward the Silver Moon Lake at that moment. “What is that woman up to again? This aura isn’t hers! It’s stronger than hers. Could it be…”

Everyone who sensed this aura couldn’t help but mutter to themselves; it made them tremble.

“It seems the times are about to change. This balance might be broken soon!” Moments later, an aged voice murmured from somewhere. For a thousand years, the balance had held—its disruption was something no one wanted to see, signaling the impending arrival of a great war.

……

Inside the cave, Rod and Lilith naturally had no time to pay attention to the reactions and changes outside. Watching the spinning iron box, the two of them widened their eyes, anxiously awaiting the final change. Their expressions differed—Rod was filled with shock and anticipation, while Lilith was overjoyed and excited!

“Boom…” Like a thunderbolt in clear skies, a massive roar suddenly erupted, followed by a powerful shockwave that spread in all directions, stirring up a fierce wind that flung the weakened Rod flying!
“Cough, cough, cough…” An aged coughing sound came through—so faint, as if it had never existed at all!
Upon looking again, the energy shield around the iron box had disappeared, and the small box quietly opened silently. That aged voice appeared in Rod’s ears once more: “Cough, cough, cough… Has it opened? Familiar energy!” It seemed like muttering to itself, filled with countless doubts.
“You… are you Knight Rod? Solomon? Is that you?” After a moment, as if remembering something, the voice carried a hint of shock and excitement. A male figure appeared in midair, staring at Rod and Lilith before fixing his gaze on Rod and asking doubtfully.
“You… how do you know who I am!” Rod was also extremely surprised as the other person called out his name right away. He quickly asked. The man was eight feet tall, extremely muscular, with two small horns on his head, and his body was covered in patches— weren’t those the distinctive marks of demons? Could this be his father? But clearly, this guy was quite old, leaving Rod filled with endless questions!
“It’s really you! I didn’t expect time to pass so quickly—eighteen years, right? You’ve reached this level already. I’m sure Peter would be very excited to see this!” Sensing Rod’s expression and thoughts, the man seemed certain of Rod’s identity and said faintly with a smile.
“Who are you! Who is my father? What’s going on?” Calming down, Rod slowly struggled to stand, feeling the pressure fade, and instantly felt relieved. Then he looked at the phantom and asked in a deep voice.

“I? I’m a friend of your father! Your father’s name is Peter? Knightrod—a noble surname. This box contains all his messages. Since you’ve reached this point, I’m relieved. His judgment was correct; a son of a tiger is no ordinary dog. Let you take on the tasks your father failed to complete. I hope you won’t disappoint him. Your father is waiting for you to rescue him, and we demons are waiting too! I’ll be waiting for you in the Netherworld! I hope you’ll arrive soon!” With a slight smile, the middle-aged man showed a look of relief as he spoke to Rod, then turned his gaze to Lilith beside him.

“You’re still here? Twenty years ago, he gave you a chance to leave, yet you stayed! That’s fine. Now I can carry out his instructions! Those old guys should be getting active too! I hope you won’t disappoint him!” After saying this, under Lilith’s complicated expression, the figure gradually faded away, turning into specks of light that disappeared slowly.

“Now that you’re in the Void Space, make the most of it. This place is perfect for you right now! I hope you can achieve something great, just like he did back then!” As he disappeared, he turned to look at Rod, his faint image showing a kind smile as he spoke slowly.

“You… he’s still alive, right?” Seeing the figure about to vanish, Lilith became frantic, as if stung in the tail, and rushed forward, anxiously asking about those specks of light.

“You’ll know everything later! See you in the Netherworld!” To Lilith’s words, the man didn’t respond grandly but merely smiled slightly before speaking slowly. His voice grew fainter until it vanished into the vast sky. Along with the disappearing light, the small iron box slowly descended and landed gently on the ground like a leaf! The entire area plunged back into darkness, leaving Rod in a state of shock!

A cool breeze blew, bringing a sense of relief. He quickly stepped forward and picked up the cold iron box. Inside, it was empty except for a neatly folded note.

Hesitant, Rod found everything that had just happened too surreal to process right away. Taking a deep breath, he carefully picked up the note. Looking at the paper that had been untouched for nearly twenty years, a complex expression appeared on his face.

He slowly unfolded it—it was a family letter.

When you open this iron box, your strength will have met my requirements, Natrod? Solomon, as a noble descendant of the demons and part of my troll clan, you have met the standards. There are some things you need to know.
Three thousand years ago, our demon clan was defeated and forced to enter the Source of Darkness, where we endured a thousand years of suffering! During this time, we faced countless hardships, and many of our people lost their lives. Eventually, we managed to survive in the Source of Darkness. After a thousand years, our strength has somewhat recovered. Yet, due to conflicts between factions, we ended up fighting each other and splitting apart! For the future of my troll clan and the hope of my demon clan, I, Peter Solomon, traveled through the void space to this continent ten years ago to fulfill my ancestors’ wishes, only to return disappointed. Your mother, under pursuit by enemies, was on the verge of death; she gave birth to you before passing away! She left Bia to take care of you, and I left alone! One day, if you can inherit the bloodline of my troll clan and meet the requirements, you will be able to unlock this seal! It seems that the bloodline of my troll clan still remains!
If your bloodline awakens, you must return to the Netherworld to complete the tasks assigned. Your old friends will lend you their full support. Avoid the Dark Group at all costs and do not engage in direct confrontation! When you have gathered enough strength and fulfilled your ancestors’ wishes, I will be satisfied! All causes and effects will be clear in the Netherworld!
If fate allows, we will meet someday—there’s no need to force it!
Looking at these words on paper, this small piece felt incredibly heavy in his hands. Rod had a sense as if he were in a dream.