Chapter 203 – The End of the Nightmare and a Secret

Chapter 203

 The End of the Nightmare and a Secret

Date : Day 3 of Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren and Ina began sorting through the scattered papers covering the table.

There were letters. Reports. Lists. Stacks of documents that had been arranged into neat piles before their owners had abandoned them. Some pages were covered in dense writing, while others contained diagrams that immediately caught Hyoren's attention.

Runic arrays.

Some were small enough to fit on a single sheet of paper. Others occupied almost the entire page, their circles and intricate patterns drawn with painstaking precision. Strange runes filled the spaces between them—many of which neither Hyoren nor Ina recognized.

Some diagrams looked complete. Others had been crossed out and redrawn repeatedly, with corrections written beside them. A few were unfinished, ending abruptly halfway through a sequence of runes.

Hyoren picked up several of them, examined them briefly, then placed them into a separate pile. Those were important. But they were not what they needed right now.

He continued sorting. One document after another. He skimmed letters, reports, supply records, and various notes. Anything that seemed unrelated to the ritual itself was pushed aside.

Then one particular document caught his attention. It appeared to be a logistics report.

But Hyoren's eyes narrowed as he read the first few lines.

“Ina… this…”

Ina immediately stopped sorting. She set down the paper in her hands and looked toward him.

“What is it, Hyoren?”

Hyoren turned the document slightly so she could see it. At first, it appeared mundane. Just another record. But the contents made Ina's expression slowly stiffen.

The document contained a list. Not names. Not identities. Not even descriptions of the people involved. They were simply categorized as specimens.

Hyoren's finger moved down the page.

Number of specimens shipped: 320

Living specimens after arrival: 289

Corpses for Living Dead: 31

His expression darkened. Below it was another list. And the way the people had been recorded made his stomach turn.

Male — 23 — Healthy

Female — 30 — Healthy

Female — 11 — Unhealthy — Disposed as corpse on the way

Male — 51 — Unhealthy — Disposed as corpse on the way

Male — 30 — Healthy

The list continued. One entry after another. Age. Gender. Condition.

Nothing else.

No name. No hometown. No family. No identity. Just numbers and physical conditions, recorded with the same detached practicality one might use when documenting livestock or supplies.

Ina leaned closer. Her amber eyes moved across the page. For several seconds, she said nothing. Then her cat ears flattened.

“They just…”

Her voice became quieter.

“…list the prisoners as specimens.”

Hyoren slowly nodded.

His fingers tightened around the edge of the paper. The page bent slightly beneath his grip.

Even children had been recorded the same way. There was no distinction. No concern. No hesitation. To the people who had written this report, these were not fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, or children. They were simply specimens.

Numbers that could be transported. Numbers that could be discarded. Numbers that could be sacrificed.

Hyoren stared at the list for several moments before finally speaking.

“The Voided Covenant truly didn't think those people were… human.”

Ina gritted her teeth.

“They truly make me sick…”

Her voice trembled faintly, though she quickly steadied herself.

Hyoren inhaled slowly through his nose.

Then he carefully placed the document into the pile he had designated as important evidence. There was no point letting his anger prevent them from uncovering the truth.

“I know.”

His gaze returned to the remaining documents.

“But let's find more evidence, Ina.”

Ina reluctantly nodded.

“Right.”

They returned to the table.

Paper rustled beneath their hands as they continued sorting through the Voided Covenant's records, searching for anything that could reveal where these people had come from, what had been done to them, and how far the organization behind this nightmare truly extended.

***

The paper rustled softly as Hyoren continued searching through the documents.

One report was placed aside. Then another. He skimmed through a letter before adding it to the growing pile of evidence. Ina was doing the same beside him, occasionally stopping when something caught her attention. For several moments, neither spoke.

Then Ina's voice broke the silence.

“Hyoren, you need to see this.”

Hyoren immediately looked over.

Ina was holding a thin book.

Unlike the rougher documents scattered across the table, this one was made from noticeably higher-quality paper. The pages were clean and carefully bound, suggesting that whoever owned it had intended to keep it for a long time.

Hyoren stepped closer.

“A journal?”

Ina nodded.

“That's what it looks like.”

She opened it.

Hyoren leaned over her shoulder, and the two of them began reading together. The first entry immediately caught their attention.

Day 5 Highsun 1023 Aethellgard Concord Year

Found the site. This was the rumored site where Dark Aethell concentrates very highly. It makes every living being wither. This was perfect for our next ritual. Sending a letter to Head.

Hyoren's eyes lingered on the date. He looked toward Ina.

“Highsun 1023… They already prepared the ritual almost one year ago, Ina?”

Ina crossed her arms.

“That might be right.”

She tapped the journal with one finger.

“And the date actually matched, Hyoren. You forgot?”

Hyoren's attention returned to her.

Ina continued.

“The Voided Covenant's Akela cell's last known activity was at Stonewell Village. They kidnapped the entire village using the Curse of Nightmare.”

She paused.

“That happened in Bloomtide 1023.”

Her amber eyes narrowed.

“That incident in Stonewell Village happened just one month before this entry.”

Hyoren's eyebrows furrowed.

“So…”

He looked back at the journal.

“Did the person who wrote this journal also operate in Stonewell Village?”

Ina carefully traced the paper.

“That might be so. We still have the evidence from Stonewell Village. We can compare the handwriting later and see if they match.”

Hyoren nodded.

“Good idea.”

He looked at the journal again. There was no reason to speculate further when they had the possibility of actually confirming it.

He continued reading.

Day 10 Highsun 1023 Aethellgard Concord Year

It was confirmed. The cause of all the rumors about this Still Forest is definitely the high concentration of Dark Aethell from this tower. It makes life wither. Normal people with low levels would suffocate and die slowly. Low-level monsters avoid this place.

Hyoren glanced toward the entrance. The eerie forest outside suddenly seemed even more significant.

So the strange lifelessness surrounding them wasn't simply the result of the Voided Covenant's ritual…

The forest itself had already been abnormal. And the tower was the center of it.

He continued.

Day 12 Highsun 1023 Aethellgard Concord Year

I already scrutinized the tower. There is no explanation about why Dark Aethell is produced in such high concentration around this tower. There is no secret basement. There is no tool.

Head says I don't need to find the source. He was right. Now I will prioritize preparing the ritual.

Hyoren paused.

“So even they didn't know why this place produces so much Dark Aethell.”

Ina nodded.

“Apparently not.”

Hyoren frowned slightly.

“That makes this place even stranger.”

But he didn't dwell on it. There were still more entries.

He turned the page.

Day 20 Highsun 1023 Aethellgard Concord Year

I need more than 300 specimens for the ritual. Luckily we got about 100 from Stonewell Village. We only need to ask other Lodges for more specimens. Our Lodge doesn't have much as we just started.

Hyoren's expression hardened.

“So it's really the same person, Ina.”

He pointed toward the entry.

“Stonewell Village was part of this operation.”

Ina slowly nodded.

“It seems so.”

Hyoren's finger moved to another word.

“What's a Lodge, Ina?”

Ina tapped her chin.

“To be honest, Hyoren, I don't know…”

Her amber eyes' gaze went back to the journal.

“But if I could guess, maybe that's what they call themselves.”

She thought for a moment. Her cat ears twitched.

“We use the term cell because it's broader. But perhaps each individual cell of the Voided Covenant calls itself a Lodge.”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

“I see.”

That explanation made sense. He looked around the tower.

“So they chose this place because it has a huge amount of Dark Aethell…”

His eyes returned to the journal.

“And they didn't even know why it was here.”

He shrugged lightly.

“But oh well. That's for another time.”

A faint smile appeared on Ina's face.

“Indeed.”

Hyoren turned another page.

The quiet rustle of paper filled the tower again.

***

The next several entries contained little more than progress reports.

Some were only a few lines long. Others simply recorded that preparations were proceeding as planned.

There were also gaps between entries. Sometimes several days passed without anything being written. Other times, there was a gap of several weeks.

Hyoren and Ina eventually came to the same conclusion. Whoever had written this journal was not permanently stationed in the tower. He would leave the Still Forest from time to time, likely procured many things to prepare their experiment.

There was little reason for him to worry about anyone discovering the tower.

The legend surrounding the Still Forest already served as an effective deterrent. No ordinary person would willingly enter a forest said to kill those who ventured too deeply.

The forest itself reinforced the myth.

Anyone who entered without sufficient strength would quickly turn back—or die.

The journal even contained an explanation for the old rumors. Those with sufficiently high levels were barely affected by the Dark Aethell. But low-level humans were different. Children were especially vulnerable. Their bodies could not process such a concentration of Dark Aethell. The energy would gradually accumulate within them, disrupting their bodies until their live slowly withered.

Hyoren's expression darkened as he read the explanation.

“So that explains the myth behind the Still Forest…”

Ina tapped her chin thoughtfully. Her cat tail swished slowly behind her.

“And that's why those heretics could remain here for so long without suffering the same fate.”

She glanced toward the tower's dark interior.

“They were definitely high-leveled enough to withstand it.”

Hyoren nodded.

“They needed to be.”

Especially considering what they had created. Neither of them needed to say the reason—the Flesh Golem.

They continued reading. And eventually, they reached entries that were far more recent.

Hyoren's eyes stopped on the date.

Day 3 Lunaeve 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year

Tomorrow, Head will come. He said the Dark Aethell Conversion Device is finished and is going to bring it here.

Hyoren and Ina exchanged a glance. Dark eyes met amber ones. Neither spoke. They simply continued. They knew the next entry was even more important. The Head was mentioned again.

Day 4 Lunaeve 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year

Head came to check our progress. It was smooth progress. He also said they already secured enough specimens.

Our Akela Lodge already has 100 specimens, and Head says Prime Head will get the rest from a few other Lodges. He even said The Crow is helping by providing about 100 from his territory.

Hyoren's eyebrow rose.

“Prime Head?”

His finger moved down the page.

“And The Crow?”

Ina leaned closer. She carefully traced the words with her finger.

“I think I know, Hyoren.”

She looked at Hyoren.

“Prime Head seems to be the leader of the entire Voided Covenant.”

She tapped the word Head.

“And this Head would be the leader of their Lodge. Their individual cell.”

Her finger moved toward Prime Head again.

“They call their direct superior Head, while the person above the entire organization is called Prime Head.”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

“That would explain why this person only ever refers to him as Head. It's his direct superior.”

Ina nodded. Her cat ears twitched slightly.

“Exactly.”

Her expression became thoughtful.

“But The Crow…”

She paused.

“I think that's a codename, Hyoren.”

Hyoren tilted his head.

“Codename? For another member?”

Ina shook her head slightly.

“Perhaps… And judging from the wording…”

She tapped the sentence about providing specimens from his territory.

“I have a hunch The Crow is the codename of a noble who supports them. See these sentences, Hyoren. ‘The Crow provided people from his territory.’”

Hyoren's eyes narrowed. He considered the implication.

“I see… Someone with a territory would most likely be a noble, right?”

He glanced back at the journal.

“If it was merely another Lodge's Head, wouldn't the writer simply call him another Head?”

Ina nodded.

“Exactly. That's right.”

She sighed.

“Although The Crow could still refer to almost anyone. We don't know which noble it is yet.”

Hyoren tapped his chin.

“At least it's a clue.”

Ina’s amber eyes went back to the journal.

“That's right. And we could cross reference. Codenames for nobles usually hinted their identity. Might be a noble with crow as their crest. Or a noble which is often associated with a crow.”

Hyoren nodded and they continued reading again. Page after page. Until eventually, they reached the final entry. The date was only two days old.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed. He read it aloud.

Day 1 Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year

Head went back to our base on Dragon Tail. It's been over one year since I went back to our base.

But after the ritual is done, we will go back and bring the result of our experiment.

Only two more days.

The entry ended there. Nothing followed it. For several seconds, neither Hyoren nor Ina moved. They both stared at the final line.

Hyoren slowly pointed toward the entry.

“Their base.”

His finger moved to the words.

“Someplace named Dragon Tail.”

He looked at Ina.

“Is that the name of a town? Village? Or what?”

Ina's fingers tightened around the journal. Her amber eyes suddenly sharpened.

“This changes everything.”

Hyoren looked at her.

Ina took a breath.

“I know this place.”

She opened the journal again and glanced at the final entry.

“On the edge of Akela Territory, northeast area, there is a valley at the foot of the Dragon’s Tooth Mountain Range.”

Hyoren listened carefully.

“The official name is Kerg Valley.”

She looked up.

“But some people call it Dragon Tail Valley because it sits at the very end of the Dragon’s Tooth Mountain Range.”

Hyoren's expression slowly changed.

“Their base… Could be there.”

Ina closed the journal.

“Those valleys are extremely remote. Very few people travel there.”

She looked toward the tower.

“A perfect location for the Voided Covenant's Akela Lodge base.”

Hyoren smiled.

For the first time since they had entered the Still Forest, the expression on his face carried something other than grim determination.

“Finally.”

He looked at the journal.

“We have a clue.”

Ina nodded.

“We need to tell Baron Akela and Guild Master Fiona as soon as we leave this place.”

Hyoren crossed his arms. 

“Agreed.”

Ina glanced toward the mountain of documents surrounding them.

“The Voided Covenant has always been meticulous about leaving as little evidence as possible.”

Her expression hardened.

“They used codenames. They avoided directly naming their superiors. They operated through different Lodges.”

She tapped the journal.

“But they didn't expect their plan to be disrupted like this.”

Her gaze briefly shifted toward the entrance.

“They resorted to sacrificing themselves to create that Flesh Golem. They never had the opportunity to clean everything up afterward like their usual modus operandi.”

Hyoren nodded.

“So they left behind the evidence they normally would've erased.”

Ina looked down at the journal again.

“Exactly, Hyoren. Though, most of these documents don't point anywhere useful.”

She gave a small shake of her head.

“Too many codenames. Too many vague references.”

Her fingers tightened around the book.

“But this… Dragon Tail…”

She smiled.

“This finally gives us a clear lead.”

Hyoren's smile widened.

“A lead to root the Voided Covenant completely out of Akela.”

Ina looked at him.

Then, for the first time since they had entered the forest and witnessed the horrors left behind by the cult, she smiled genuinely.

It wasn't a triumphant smile. It wasn't joy. It was simply relief. After all the blood. After all the sacrifices. After the Flesh Golem. After seeing what the Voided Covenant had done to hundreds of innocent people.

They finally had something good. 

A direction. A name. A place. And, perhaps, a chance to end the Voided Covenant operation in Akela Territory for good.

***

They found no more important documents.

Nothing else among the scattered papers offered another name, location, or clue that could lead them further. Whatever information the Voided Covenant had considered truly important, they had either kept elsewhere or taken with them.

For now, the journal and the other evidence they had gathered would have to be enough.

Ina gathered everything they had marked as important and carefully placed the documents into her storage bag one by one. She made sure none of the papers were folded unnecessarily before putting the last stack inside.

Once everything was secured, she patted the side of the storage bag.

“Okay. It’s not much, but the Dragon Tail lead is definitely significant.”

She looked toward Hyoren with a slight smile.

“Guild Master Fiona and Baron Akela would organize a strike team to attack Kerg Valley.”

Hyoren nodded.

“Good. Let’s hope their base truly is in that valley…”

It was not a certainty yet. But after everything they had witnessed today, even a single solid lead was valuable.

The two of them returned toward the middle of the tower.

Arianna was still standing beside the strange artificial heart, her attention completely absorbed by the device. The metallic petals surrounding it continued to hum faintly, while the enormous black heart pulsed steadily above them.

At the same time, footsteps came from the spiral staircase. Alvis and Arad emerged from the upper floor.

Hyoren turned toward them.

“So, did you guys find anything?”

Both guards shook their heads. Arad answered for the two of them.

“The second floor was only living quarters, Mister Hyoren. There was no identity card, document, or anything else useful. Only beds, spare clothes, food, and other necessities.”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

“I see. The Voided Covenant truly was meticulous…”

He glanced toward the piles of documents Ina had already stored away.

“But don’t worry. We got enough of a lead from the documents on that desk. We might have located their main base in Akela.”

Alvis's expression immediately brightened.

“Really? That’s good… very good…”

There was genuine relief in his voice. After everything they had seen today, the possibility of finally striking back at the people responsible seemed to give him a little strength.

Not long after, Arianna finally straightened. She dusted her purple robe before adjusting the wide brim of her hat.

Hyoren looked toward her.

“So, Arianna. Any good news?”

The crimson-haired mage smiled softly.

“Yes, Leader. I should be able to turn this off safely.”

She gestured toward the artificial heart.

The metallic petals continued humming quietly beneath it. The enormous heart on top continued its slow, unnatural pulse.

“This device is basically absorbing Dark Aethell from the atmosphere. Then it converts it into usable Aethell to power the five runic arrays outside… the ones creating the Domain of the Undead ritual.”

She stepped closer to the device.

“This device's core is the heart of a high-level monster with a Dark element. It converts the Aethell absorbed by those petals, then channels it toward the Runic Arrays.”

Her fingers lightly touched one of the dark metallic petals.

“This device itself isn't inherently evil. And I can turn it off safely.”

She looked back at Hyoren.

“No need to break this device. It could become evidence and studied.”

Hyoren's dark eyes remained fixed on the strange mechanism.

“I see. That’s good.”

He nodded. Then he looked toward Arianna.

“Okay, then. Let’s end this nightmare, Arianna.”

His voice was tired. But there was grim determination behind it.

“Turn it off.”

Arianna nodded.

“At once, Leader.”

She placed her hand against the device and began channeling her Aethell.

The faint glow surrounding the metallic petals gradually intensified. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. 

Then—the artificial heart pulsed once. The sound reverberated through the tower. The metallic petals hummed one last time.

Then the glow began to fade. The pulsing became slower. And then—it stopped. The light disappeared. The humming ceased. Silence descended over the tower.

For one second, nobody moved. Two seconds.

Everyone's head snapped upward. A strange cracking sound echoed from outside.

Jackey, who had been guarding the entrance, immediately looked toward the sky. His mouth slowly fell open. His face was almost comical.

He shouted towards the people inside the tower.

“Big Bro! The sky is broken!”

Alvis and Arad hurried outside after they heard him. Then they stopped. Both men simply stared upward.

Arianna, Ina, and Hyoren followed. They stepped out of the tower. And looked up just like the other.

The abyss-like sky that had loomed over them since the beginning of the nightmare was changing. Cracks spread across it. Thin at first. Then wider. Like cracks spreading across a gigantic pane of glass.

Then—unnatural blackness fractured above them. Another fracture raced across the sky. And finally, it shattered. The abyss broke apart. Fragments of darkness seemed to scatter and disappear into nothingness.

And beyond it—the true night sky of Kresneger returned. No unnatural blackness. No oppressive abyss. No false sky swallowing everything above them. Only a clear winter night.

The stars shone overhead. And the three moons of Kresneger—Azure, Crimson, and Ebony—hung across the skies, their different light spilling over the Still Forest.

For several moments, nobody spoke. They simply stood there. After everything they had endured since morning, the sight almost felt unreal.

The oppressive weight that had covered the forest was also gone. The air itself felt different. Lighter. Cleaner.

Hyoren slowly inhaled.

The cursed Dark Aethell that had permeated the atmosphere was no longer flowing through the forest. The pressure against his senses had disappeared.

He looked toward the sky again.

“The Ritual of the Undead has ended…”

His voice was quiet. He took another breath.

“The abyss-like sky is gone. The barrier which caged us disappeared… The oppressive atmosphere has eased…”

He closed his eyes briefly.

“And no more cursed Dark Aethell flows through the air.”

Everyone solemnly nodded.

Hyoren opened his eyes. The battle was over. The Flesh Golem was gone. The Voided Covenant members controlling it were dead.

The ritual device had been shut down. The Ritual of the Undead was stopped.

He looked across the Still Forest.

“The Nightmare is finally… Ended…”

***

After a while, they were certain. The ritual was truly over.

For the first time since arriving at Riverville Town, there was no immediate threat hanging over them.

Hyoren returned inside the tower.

His crimson-streaked vision remained hazy. The red tint had not disappeared.

I already used Berserker for almost two hours…

I guess I need to pay almost as big a price as last time…

The thought made his expression slightly bitter.

But he pushed it aside.

His dark eyes turned toward the now-inert device in the middle of the tower.The enormous black heart no longer pulsed. The metallic petals had stopped glowing.

His gaze shifted toward Arianna.

“Arianna… please store the device. Then, we will go back.”

The crimson-haired noblewoman nodded.

“At once, Leader.”

She approached the device. The entire mechanism disappeared into her small purple bag as though its enormous size meant nothing.

Hyoren smiled.

“Okay. Our work here is done…”

But before he could finish—his heart suddenly beat hard.

Hyoren stopped.

His entire body stiffened. His Instinct flared. His dark eyes immediately swept across the room.

“Arianna… did you feel it?”

Arianna had also stopped. Her expression became serious.

“Yes, Leader…”

She slowly turned her head, as though trying to pinpoint the strange sensation.

“After the corrupted Aethell was gone… something surged.”

Hyoren nodded.

It was the same sensation he and Arianna had felt when they first entered the Still Forest. Back then, the corrupted Dark Aethell had been so overwhelming that it had almost concealed everything underneath it. But beneath that corruption, there had been something else.

Something distinctly different. Something that did not feel twisted or filthy. Something sacred.

Hyoren's expression became solemn.

“The Sacred Dark Aethell surged.”

The words immediately confused the others. Alvis and Arad exchanged glances. Jackey tilted his head.

“Sacred Dark Aethell? What is that, Big Bro?”

Ina furrowed her brows.

“What do you mean, Hyoren? Is it… bad?”

Hyoren shook his head.

“No… It’s the opposite.”

He looked around the tower.

“This feeling is…”

He paused, searching for the right words.

“…like the atmosphere surrounding the Goddess of Darkness herself.”

Ina's expression changed slightly.

She knew what Hyoren meant.

There was something strange about the Dark Aethell. Darkness itself was not inherently evil. And this particular sensation felt nothing like the cursed energy that had filled the forest earlier. It was cold. Quiet. Almost overwhelming in its purity.

***

Hyoren’s eyes swept across the first floor. His gaze continued moving until it reached the center of the room. The place where the artificial heart had stood only moments ago.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed.

Something was there…

A faint glow. A small circle of light beneath where the device had been.

He stepped closer. His crimson-streaked vision sharpened around it. A small runic array. It was glowing faintly beneath the floor.

Hyoren stopped directly in front of it.

“Arianna.”

The mage looked toward him.

Hyoren pointed down.

“What is this Runic Array?”

Arianna immediately crossed the room. Her boots tapped softly against the stone floor as she approached Hyoren.

She looked down. She stared for several seconds. Then her eyebrows furrowed.

“What Runic Array, Leader?”

She looked at the floor again.

“There’s nothing here. It’s just a normal floor.”

Hyoren's eyes widened.

He looked down again. The faintly glowing circle was still there. Clearly visible to him.

“You couldn’t see it?”

Arianna slowly looked at him.

“No.”

For a moment, Hyoren simply stared at her. The fact shocked him.

The others gradually gathered around Hyoren.

Ina was the first to approach, followed by Arianna, Jackey, Arad, and Alvis. Their expressions were filled with curiosity as they stared at the faintly glowing runic array that only Hyoren seemed capable of seeing.

Hyoren looked down at it for several seconds.

He didn't know what it was. But his Instinct continued telling him that it was important. There was only one way to find out.

“I will try to pour my Aethell into it.”

Ina immediately looked worried.

“Please be careful, Hyoren.”

Hyoren glanced at her and nodded.

“I will.”

He crouched down.

The runic array was small—almost exactly the size of his palm. He slowly placed his hand over it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Hyoren began pouring Aethell into the array.

The response was immediate. The entire floor trembled.

Everyone's eyes widened.

“Whoa!”

Jackey instinctively raised one of his axes. Everyone quickly stepped away from Hyoren.

The stone beneath them began to shift. A deep grinding sound echoed throughout the tower. The floor directly in front of him began splitting apart. Stone slid away from stone, revealing a dark opening beneath the tower. The movement continued for several seconds before finally stopping.

Silence returned.

A narrow staircase descended into darkness.

Hyoren stared at it.

“What is this… a hidden door?”

Arianna stepped closer, her light blue eyes scanning the newly revealed entrance.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

“A hidden door… which only Leader could find.”

She looked back at Hyoren.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Ina tapped her chin.

“That is weird indeed.”

Her amber eyes moved toward the hidden staircase.

“The Voided Covenant investigated this tower for almost a year and found nothing.”

Arad tightened his grip around his steel spear.

“And according to our town records, many scholars had already scrutinized this tower and found nothing as well.”

Hyoren remained silent. He had a hunch. A very strong one.

This might be related to my blessing…

But he didn't have enough evidence to say it aloud.

Instead, he drew Dawn Breaker. The blade came free with a metallic sound.

“Let's investigate.”

Everyone nodded.

One by one, they descended the staircase. The passage wasn't particularly long. After several moments, their feet finally reached the bottom.

They emerged into a small circular chamber. It was almost completely empty. Almost.

Ina's eyes immediately narrowed.

“What is that?”

In the center of the room stood a stone pedestal. And sitting upon it were two objects. A pitch-black orb. And a single rolled scroll.

Everyone gathered around the pedestal.

Arianna stepped forward first. Her light-blue eyes glowed faintly as she activated Aethell Sense.  She carefully examined the orb.

The object was pitch black. Not merely dark. It looked almost like a tiny piece of the void itself. The surrounding light seemed to disappear whenever it touched the surface.

It was small—perhaps less than five centimeters in diameter—and slightly oval in shape. Almost like an eye.

Arianna's expression slowly changed.

“Leader…”

She leaned closer.

“There is a symbol carved into it.”

Hyoren stepped beside her.

“What symbol?”

Arianna pointed toward the center.

“The symbol of… Noctynara. The symbol of Goddess of Darkness.”

Hyoren's eyes narrowed. He looked closer.

She was right.

Carved into the center of the void-like orb was the unmistakable symbol of Noctynara. An open book. Above it, three moons circled a single opened eye.

Hyoren's expression became solemn.

“You're right.”

He stared at the symbol.

“This is clearly Goddess Noctynara's symbol.”

His gaze hardened.

“Her true symbol. Not the distorted symbol used by the heretics.”

Arianna nodded.

“And this seems to be…”

Hyoren finished the thought for her.

“…the source of the Sacred Dark Aethell we felt.”

Arianna nodded again. Her pointed hat swayed slightly with the movement.

“That’s right, Leader.”

Her expression became increasingly fascinated.

“This is intriguing. Truly intriguing.”

She moved her hand closer to the orb but stopped just before touching it.

“I don't know what this is. I don't have Appraisal, after all. But…”

Her eyes remained fixed upon the artifact.

“This might be an artifact related to the Goddess of Darkness.”

Ina suddenly nudged Hyoren's arm.

“Hyoren.”

She pointed toward the second object. Reminded him that it existed.

“The scroll…”

Her amber eyes narrowed.

“It seems to be a… letter.”

Hyoren nodded. He carefully picked up the scroll. 

The material was remarkably well preserved. The parchment was of high quality, and despite lasting over centuries, it showed little sign of deterioration.

He untied the string. Then slowly unrolled it.

It was indeed a letter.

Hyoren's eyes moved across the first line. His expression changed slightly.

To the one who receives Goddess Noctynara's Divine Protection.

Everyone's eyes widened. But, nobody interrupted.

Hyoren continued reading.

If you could open this chamber, you are definitely similar to me. I set the hidden Runic Array to be visible and responsive only to people who bear Her Divine Protection.

Let me introduce myself. I am also one who received it. I am the Dark Saint of my current era. But I never revealed this fact to anyone.

Ina's expression froze.

“A Dark Saint…?”

Arianna's eyes widened.

Hyoren ignored them and continued.

I was born to a minor noble family in Grifenwerks. When I met with Her and received Her Divine Protection, I was happy.

But it was short-lived.

In my current era, the Voided Covenant and other heretics held truly astonishing power. They operated openly. They were feared.

If I revealed myself to be the Dark Saint, then I risked becoming a target of them. They always wanted the Dark Saint to legitimize their cause.

Hyoren's grip on the scroll tightened slightly.

He continued reading.

So I decided to hide the fact that I was a Dark Saint.

But after years of hiding it, it seems someone still noticed. So I hid myself in this forest to avoid them.

But I know that they would find me sooner or later.

This is why I decided to end my life here rather than allow my body and power to be abused by them.

But as I carried an artifact bestowed by Goddess Noctynara herself, I couldn't really let it land in their hands.

That's why I built this tower, made the hidden chamber, and put this will and artifact here.

Hyoren's eyes moved toward the black orb.

Then back to the letter.

So, you who bear the same Divine Protection as me, I hope in your era, the Voided Covenant has already been eradicated so you could wear this artifact more openly.

May Noctynara's embrace always be with you.

Dark Saint.

Mikail Smirnov.

Hyoren stopped reading.

Silence filled the chamber. Nobody spoke. For several heartbeats, everyone simply stared at the letter. The revelation was enormous.

Hyoren continued staring at the final name, seemingly processing everything he had just read.

Arianna was the first to whisper.

“An artifact of the Goddess…”

Ina slowly reached over and gripped Hyoren's hand.

“A persecuted Dark Saint from a few centuries ago…”

Jackey was silent. His tabby cat ears flattened, his tail stopped spiralling. For once, even Jackey had no words.

The silence also dawned over Alvis and Arad.

They had entered the chamber expecting perhaps another secret of the Voided Covenant. Instead, they had discovered something far older. And far more significant.

A Dark Saint’s Legacy.