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Chapter 171

“...!” Ian\'s eyes snapped open.

The horrid noise in his head vanished as if washed away. His vision was filled with a night sky filled with roiling dark clouds.

A gentle light and warmth, the crackling sound of a fire continued softly. Something rough pressed against his back. He was still on the debris of the collapsed Labyrinth Mansion.

Okay... I\'m not dead.

Confirming that he could move his fingers and toes, he frowned and sat up. The blanket and snow leopard hide cloak that had covered him up to his neck slid off.

A throbbing headache and dizziness struck him. Every joint screamed in pain, followed by unidentifiable, all-around pain. It felt like the day after being thoroughly beaten by several people. Which, in reality, he had been.

“You’re awake already...? Be careful, let me help you.” Philip hurried over.

With his uninjured arm, he awkwardly helped Ian sit up and added, “You should sleep a bit more. Your condition was really terrible. In fact, it still looks pretty bad.”

“So, is that why you put this ring on me?”

Ian raised his left hand. His battered left hand had somehow returned to its original form. Although scars remained in various places and it hurt even with a slight bend, it was functional again.

Regardless, Philip’s holy relic ring was now on his middle finger. It was Saint Damiel’s Ring.

Philip scratched his head. “It’s a holy relic. It should help you recover faster.”

I\'m a little impressed.

Ian chuckled softly and pulled off the ring, handing it back to Philip.

“This is enough. Now you put it on. I recover quickly even without it, but you don\'t.”

“No matter what... Oh, now that I look, your left arm really has improved. Just a few hours ago, it was hard to look at—”

“How long did I sleep?” Interrupting, Ian handed the ring to Philip.

Philip awkwardly put it on with one hand and answered. “You’ve been asleep for about half a day. I’ve only been awake for a few hours myself. Our lord was the first to take the watch.”

I slept long. Felt like I just closed my eyes and opened them again.

Ian looked around the campsite. The campfire was made from the wooden remnants of the mansion.

Mev lay motionless, not even covered by a blanket. The sealed box had only one blanket, which was used to cover Ian. Charlotte lay curled up next to her, breathing softly. Thesaya’s green eyes reflected the firelight.

“...How long have you been awake?”

“Just a moment ago.”

“Gah!” Philip jumped, inhaling sharply at Thesaya\'s response. He quickly closed his mouth, clutching his chest.

“You, you almost gave me a heart attack....”

“Your reaction is surprisingly fresh. A knight who fought vampires gets startled by this?”

“Thank you for saying that, but I haven’t been knighted yet.” Philip couldn’t hide his smile.

Thesaya giggled and stood up, wearing Ian’s clothes both top and bottom.

So, telling her to put on clothes wasn’t a dream.

Thinking this, Ian alternated his gaze between Philip and Thesaya.

Understanding his look, Philip spoke quickly."Ah, we already introduced ourselves and exchanged greetings in the labyrinth. We are not strangers, after all, right?"

"When I opened my eyes, he was already here. There were loud noises in the distance. They said it was the sound of Ian fighting. So, we quickly greeted each other, and I ran over right away. But because of his arm, we had to take a roundabout way, which made us late." Thesaya continued.

Ian accepted a leather canteen from Philip and replied, “You managed to get out of there quite well.”

Philip shrugged. “It was an amazing experience. Suddenly, it felt like the labyrinth was rippling, and the next moment, the half-collapsed mansion was right in front of us. Soon, that too collapsed. We realized the labyrinth wasn’t that big once it reverted to its original state. We saw the demonic realm returning to its true form right before our eyes.”

So, they didn’t get out by themselves.

Ian nodded roughly while drinking the water and added, “Did you guys stay here because of me?”

“Yes. Your condition was very bad. As you know, these lairs become the safest places once their master is gone....”

This place might be a bit different.

Even as he thought this, Ian set the canteen down and nodded.

“Well, it turned out to be a good decision. There might be some gains.”

“Gains...? Wait, my lord. You’re moving too soon....”

As Ian struggled to stand, Philip flailed in alarm.

“You rest, Freckles.” Thesaya, who had caught Ian, muttered.

“I think I understand what Ian is getting at.”

“...?”

Leaving a blinking Philip behind, Ian and Thesaya walked on.

Matching his steps, she whispered, “You felt the same thing I did, right?”

“Probably,” Ian answered flatly, recalling the memory just before he woke up, the whisper of the void.

There was undoubtedly an unholy object buried somewhere here. Despite his impaired senses, he felt a cold magic emanating from somewhere. Thesaya seemed to be the only one in the group who felt it.

“It seems your senses have improved.” Walking with a limp, Ian spoke.

Thesaya’s green eyes sparkled with a smile. “It’s more than that. It feels like I’ve gained entirely new senses. The kitty said I’ve become an elven elder. Is that correct?”

“Yes. That’s exactly it.” Ian nodded.

The reward for the elven elder quest flashed through his mind: a bit of experience points and one skill point. Essentially, the only difference from consuming the seed directly was the experience points. No, there was one more crucial difference—Thesaya.

“You’re probably the youngest elder. Maybe even the last one.”

“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds impressive. Everything feels new. I can sense magic now. I no longer feel the urge to drink blood. I didn’t even know what it felt like not to have that thirst. It’s better than I thought.”

Thesaya turned to Ian with a smile, adding, “Thank you, Ian. I’ll repay this debt continually.”

Her smile was still playful but much gentler than before. Perhaps this wasn’t due to her rebirth as an elder elf, but rather her inherent grace, which had been overshadowed by her transformation into a demon.

“Do you still have no memory of your past?”

“No. The seed didn’t restore my memories. But it doesn’t matter. I won’t be shunned by the elves anymore, right? I’m even an elder now.”

“When you meet other elves, don’t reveal that you have no memories. Elves are known for betraying even their kin.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But it doesn’t matter. Even if they try something, you’ll notice and warn me, right?”

Always so reckless.

Ian glanced around. The edge of the debris pile was getting closer.

“This is... near the office,” Ian muttered, eyeing the remnants of a circular staircase visible between the slopes.

Thesaya blinked. “The office?”

“Empress’s room.”

“Oh... Hmm... wait a minute....” Thesaya\'s eyes, scanning the ruins, glimmered faintly.

It was magic. Veins subtlety appeared around her eyes, probably from the Tree of Life’s roots entrenched in her nervous system and veins.

“I sense magic from inside. Ian, do you feel it?”

“A little. It’s not clear. My condition has dulled my senses.”

“Then, should I find it for you?” Thesaya eagerly asked.

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Hmm....”

“Why are you looking at me like that? You don’t trust me?”

“You’re right.”

“Trust me. I’ll show you.” Thesaya firmly stated, seating Ian on a flat piece of debris.

“You rest and just watch, Ian.”

Thesaya spun around lightly. Her long hair swayed. It seemed she couldn’t control her hair freely anymore. Well, that was a vampire’s specialty.

“Urgh....”

Thunk—

Thesaya gritted her teeth and began pushing a stone aside. It didn’t look easy. She barely managed to move it with great effort.

Is she alright?

Becoming an elder elf didn\'t seem to have increased her strength. Even if she was fairly strong, clearing those remnants with bare hands wouldn\'t be an easy task.

Still, she looked as confident as ever, so Ian decided to just watch. In his current condition, he wouldn\'t be much help anyway. Moving was still difficult for him.

It was worth the effort... But...

Ian opened his status window. The battle had greatly increased his experience points. He hadn’t leveled up, but he was close. It rivaled the experience of killing Tahumrit. He might break his record for the fastest level-up again.

Plus, he had several attribute points and three additional skill points. Excluding the point used for Primeval Resistance, he had two extra points. He had also gained various elemental resistances, not visible in the status window. These were valuable rewards he wouldn’t have obtained if he had only faced Thesaya.

Closing his eyes, Ian checked the shards of chaos within him, and his eyes twitched.

This is...?

The shard had grown slightly larger. What surprised Ian more was the oddly familiar sensation emanating from it. It was a feeling similar to what he had felt from true blood.

Could it be that I’ve absorbed some of true blood’s power...?

Is that even possible?

Then again, thinking about it, he had absorbed the magic of corrupted beings and demons before, but this was the first time he had absorbed the source of a demon.

If that’s the case, maybe...

Ian concentrated quietly. A faint red glow surrounded the shard and a slight pulsing spread. As expected, the shard was absorbing his blood. Slowly, little by little, directed by his will. He could also feel the chaos power inside it increasing slightly.

So, it’s converting my blood into chaos power. Should I consider this a good thing?

A faint smile crossed Ian’s lips. The conversion efficiency didn’t seem great, but it could be useful in urgent moments.

His physical recovery was faster than his magical recovery, not to mention chaos power. It would probably take about two weeks to refill the shard completely. However, if he occasionally fed it his blood, it could be done much faster.

Since it’s feeding on my blood, I won’t be affected by the side effects of true blood.

Having reached this conclusion, Ian stopped feeding the shard his blood. Thankfully, the shard didn’t crave more and settled quietly.

He wondered briefly what might have happened if he had accepted the true blood quest. He would certainly have become a vampire, gaining additional stats and skills. He could have utilized those powers even better than the vampires.

But he had no regrets. There would have been numerous restrictions, and he wouldn’t have been able to use any skills related to divine power.

Then again, if it were Karhara, he might have found it amusing and bestowed divine power anyway.

In that case, he would have experienced excruciating pain every time the Blessing of Battle was activated and eventually died from it. In that sense, the current outcome, with the shard absorbing part of true blood’s power, was much better.

It was neither intended nor desired, though.

“Found it...!”

While Ian was lost in thought, Thesaya’s excited voice rang out from the debris. She had somehow crawled into the wreckage and was now barely visible.

That was unexpectedly fast.

Ian, surprised, realized the reason. The Empress’s office had been on the third floor. So it was relatively high in the collapsed debris.

“See! I told you I could do it.”

Crawling out of the wreckage, Thesaya held a square wooden box above her head and ran over. The magic that Ian felt became more distinct.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t corrupted magic. Thesaya, now in front of him, placed the box on Ian’s thigh.

“Should I open it for you?”

“No. This is enough. Good job.”

“Thanks. It was a bit tough, though. Harder than I expected.”

“Now step back. Don’t look at this.”

“...?” Thesaya tilted her head but quickly retreated. Ian, seeing her gaze up at the night sky, finally looked down at the box with a half-broken lock.

Several intricate magical circuits were engraved on its surface. He couldn’t tell what the spells were, but the absence of mana stones suggested that the item inside was the power source.

He could somewhat guess what was inside. Even though he didn’t feel the power of the void, there weren’t many items that a high-ranking demon would keep so carefully.

“As expected....”

Ian’s eyes narrowed as he removed the lock and slightly opened the lid. The power of the void emanated from the crack. It was pure magic, almost close to chaos power.

It turned out that the box itself was a treasure. It was a device that converted void power into regular magic. It wasn’t an ordinary item.

All distractions vanished the moment he checked the contents. On a plush red cushion lay a bizarre object made of bones. It resembled a child\'s skull but with two additional eye sockets on the sides. Below it, bones from some unidentifiable creature were attached.

“What is that...?” Thesaya, still looking up at the sky with alert eyes, asked. She must have felt the ominous presence.

Ian closed the box with a snap and answered. “A dark relic. A legacy of the abyss. An idol of the void... It’s a treasure of the corrupted.”

Fatigue seeped into his voice. Just a glance had made his vision blur and brought a metallic taste to his mouth.

He needed to wait until his body recovered more to engrave it. He wasn’t ready to handle the Empress’s imprint contained in the dark relic.

Ian shoved the box into his pocket dimension and struggled to his feet. Thesaya hurried over to support him, whispering, “Should I search more, Ian? There might be something else.”

“Tomorrow. If we do more now, everyone will wake up.”

I’m too tired right now, too.

Swallowing the rest of his words, Ian moved toward the campfire.

As he approached, Thesaya murmured, “I’ll search for it with kitty tomorrow. She can’t resist physical labor.”

Ian merely nodded.

“What did you find?” Philip, by the campfire, asked with shining eyes.

Thesaya answered instead. “A dark relic.”

“What? Did you get your hands on another dangerous thing? What is it this time?”

I don’t know exactly yet.

I don\'t know exactly yet, man. Ian waved his hand dismissively and crawled back under the blanket.

He thought it would be best to leave early in the morning, but he was too sleepy to stay awake.

As soon as Ian closed his eyes, he lost consciousness. He drifted into a deep, dark sleep, undisturbed by anything. It was a quiet and peaceful abyss, devoid even of dreams.

***

Ian woke up to the pleasant smell tickling his nose. The dark clouds in the sky were still present, but they had shifted to a lighter gray. It was clear that it was no longer early morning.

Hearing the distant sound of stones falling, Ian cautiously sat up. His headache had almost completely vanished. Although he felt weak, his body was able to move reasonably well.

“You\'re awake, Ian. I heard you were up for a bit at dawn. How are you feeling?”

Mev approached and handed him a canteen. Ian took it and brought it to his lips. The water inside was refreshingly cool. It seemed that while he was sleeping, Mev had found a water source nearby. After drinking a few sips, Ian finally spoke.

“Was everything alright?”

“Thankfully, yes. Except for those two.”

Mev sat down next to Ian and gestured with her chin toward Ian\'s back, her eyes gleaming with the excitement of witnessing something rare. It truly was a sight to behold. A beastfolk and an elder fairy were competing with each other, scavenging through the debris.