Chapter 204 – The Price that Needs to be Paid

Chapter 204

 The Price that Needs to be Paid

Date : Day 3 of Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Everyone remained astonished by the letter of Mikail Smirnov—the Dark Saint of an old era.

The eccentric noble from Riverville Town's legend—the very person whose abandoned tower had become the source of so many stories about the Still Forest—had actually been one of Noctynara's chosen.

Alvis and Arad seemed particularly shaken.

They had grown up hearing the legend. The eccentric noble who had disappeared into the forest centuries ago. The noble who had supposedly brought misfortune upon the land. And now they were standing inside his hidden chamber, holding the final message he had deliberately left behind.

Ina remained silent for several moments. Her amber eyes stayed fixed on the parchment as she tried to comprehend the implications of what they had discovered.

Jackey, meanwhile, looked between everyone. He clearly didn't understand most of the historical significance. But even he seemed to realize that this was something important. For once, he kept his mouth shut.

Hyoren finally lowered the parchment.

He looked toward Arianna.

“So… the eccentric noble was actually the Dark Saint. One of Noctynara's blessed people.”

The crimson-haired mage nodded. Her hair swayed with the motion.

“That seems to be the case, Leader.”

Her gaze shifted toward the pedestal. The strange, void-like orb remained there. Even now, it continued to emanate that sacred and pure Dark Aethell. 

“And he left this legacy behind…”

Her eyes lingered on the artifact.

“An artifact bestowed by Noctynara, the Goddess of Darkness herself.”

Ina finally found her voice. Her cat ears twitched once.

“The era when the Voided Covenant flourished…”

She turned toward the two guards. Her now shoulder-length hair swayed with the motion.

“The legend of the town said that the eccentric noble came here a few centuries ago, right? Was it around five hundred years ago?”

Arad furrowed his eyebrows. Trying to remember the details about the legend of Still Forest which was told in Riverville Town for centuries.

“I don't remember exactly, Lady Ina…”

He scratched his chin.

“But I think so. It was definitely several centuries ago.”

Alvis suddenly stepped forward and nodded.

“Father. It was indeed around five hundred years ago.”

He looked toward the others. His eyes gazed over the curious looks of others.

“Grandma Michell always recited the legend to us so we children would never go into the Still Forest. She always warned all children to not enter or we will die like everyone… I still remember her saying the legend happened around 500 AY.”

Hyoren tilted his head. He was still confused about the significance of the year.

“Why five hundred years ago, Ina?”

Ina's cat ears twitched. She smiled softly.

“Because that's the era when the Voided Covenant flourished, Hyoren.”

Her expression became increasingly solemn.

“Many nobles supported them. Some secretly, but many were open in their support. They were drawn by the immortality the heretics promised. It was practically an open secret that many nobles seek a longer life...”

Her amber eyes returned to the parchment.

“And that was also the era when those heretics became infamous and created such a terrible name for worshippers of Noctynara.”

She clenched her fist slightly. Her knuckles turned white.

“Those heretics committed countless atrocities in the name of their beliefs. Ritual sacrifices. Human experimentation. Things like what we saw today,  but it happened almost everyday...”

Her voice became quieter.

“And because of them, people eventually started believing that every worshipper of Noctynara was evil.”

Hyoren's expression darkened. The weight of Ina’s explanation settled deep.

“Before that… Noctynara worship was still widespread?”

Arianna stepped forward.

“Yes, Leader. Once, despite not having as many worshippers as Luminara, Goddess of Darkness still had many worshippers. Almost every big city would have a church dedicated to Her. Many practitioners of Dark Magic also existed openly.”

She shook her head, her crimson hair swayed with the motion.

“But everything changed during the Heretics Era.”

She adjusted the brim of her wide hat.

“The era happened from around 500 to 700 AY. I learned about it during my history courses at the academy.”

Her light-blue eyes moved between the others.

“Heresy was rampant during that period. It wasn't only the Voided Covenant. There were many evil cults that twisted Noctynara's teachings for their own purposes. Human experimentation to test if immortality truly could be achieved by Dark Magic. Many rituals of sacrifice for Necromancy. A curse got tested on living humans. It was truly a dark era.”

She paused.

“The Heretics Era eventually ended thanks to the combined efforts of Luminara's Church. Backed by Luminara's Saint and Champion, they rooted out almost all of those evil cults and the heretics.”

Arianna's gaze returned to the void-like orb. The symbol of Noctynara—open book and three moons orbiting an eye—stared back at her.

“Though the Voided Covenant was the most elusive. They escaped complete destruction and went into hiding. Many of their cells were destroyed. Their facilities were raided. But… their leader and some noble supporters escaped judgement. And now… they still continued their activities even until now.”

Ina nodded slowly. Her cat tail swished once behind her back.

“Luminara's Church also tried to clear Noctynara's name afterward.”

She looked toward Hyoren. Her amber irises met his dark ones.

“They knew the truth. They knew those cults didn't represent the Goddess.”

Her expression became somber.

“But the atrocities committed by those evil cults had already become too deeply rooted in people's hearts.”

She glanced at the abandoned chamber around them.

“Many people had lost loved ones to rituals like this one. Others had suffered because of human experimentation.”

Her voice tightened.

“So people began branding anyone who practiced Dark Magic or worshipped Noctynara as evil.”

Arianna gave a faint, bitter smile.

“Afterward…”

She adjusted her wide brimmed hat slightly.

“Most Noctynara churches were abandoned.”

She looked toward the others.

“Only one region still openly worships Noctynara to any significant degree now.”

Hyoren already knew what she meant. He already read about it before.

“I know it, Arianna. The ruler of the City of Darkness, Duke Qwentinus's territory, right?”

Arianna nodded.

“Yes, Leader. The head church of Noctynara remains there.”

Silence settled over the chamber.

Hyoren looked down at his hand. The hand that had once received Noctynara's Divine Protection alongside Luminara's one.

He remembered meeting her in the white void. The Goddess of Darkness. Cold. Logical. Distant. But beneath all of that, she was actually kind and compassionate. Nothing like the monster that history had taught people to fear.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist. His knuckles turned white.

“I will never forgive the Voided Covenant…”

His voice was quiet.

“I vow to root out every cell of them. I will find their Heads and Prime Head. I will uncover their backers… And eventually I will completely eradicate them from the Kresneger…”

But there was no hesitation in it. The chamber fell completely silent. Everyone could feel the seriousness of Hyoren's declaration.

The weight of what they had uncovered seemed to settle over everyone. They had come here to stop a ritual. But they had uncovered something far older.

And for Hyoren, the revelation was painfully personal. The goddess he had met was not the evil deity those heretics had made the world believe she was. And yet, because of them, her name had been stained for centuries.

***

Hyoren rolled the parchment back into a neat bundle and tied the string around it.

He couldn't afford to linger any longer. The crimson haze still stained the edges of his vision. Even though his mind remained clear, he knew Berserker would demand its price to be paid soon.

About two hours…

I need to get back before the price becomes any worse…

His gaze shifted toward Arianna.

“It should be safe to take the artifact, right?”

Arianna adjusted the folds of her purple robe before looking toward the pedestal.

“Yes, Leader.”

Her gaze lingered briefly on the black orb. Her light blue eyes were still shining, the effect of Aethell Sense.

“Or rather… I don't think there is anyone more suitable to take it than you. This chamber was only revealed because you possess Goddess Noctynara's Divine Protection in the first place.”

Hyoren nodded.

“We still need to be appraised to see the actual effect and name of the artifact, but you were right. Time to store it for now.”

He stepped toward the pedestal. The others instinctively watched him.

The small chamber was silent except for the faint sound of their breathing. The pitch-black orb sat motionless atop the pedestal, seemingly swallowing the faint light around it.

Hyoren slowly reached out. His fingers wrapped around the cold surface. The moment he touched it—a wave of Aethell suddenly surged through the chamber.

Everyone's clothes fluttered from the sudden pulse. Jackey's cat ears shot upright. Ina's hand instinctively moved toward her short sword. Arad tightened his grip on his spear, while Alvis stared at the orb with wide eyes.

But the surge lasted only an instant. Then—the orb became completely inert. The constant flow of Dark Aethell that had emanated from it for centuries simply stopped.

Jackey's tabby cat tail stood straight up.

“W-What was that?”

Ina immediately stepped closer and grabbed Hyoren's arm.

“What happened?”

Arianna, however, wasn't alarmed. Instead, a small smile appeared on her face as she observed the void-like orb on top of Hyoren’s palm.

“There is no need to be alarmed, everyone.”

Her light-blue eyes remained fixed on it.

“I believe the artifact simply recognized Leader.”

She tilted her head slightly. The tip of her pointed hat shifted.

“It appears to have stabilized now.”

Hyoren looked down at the orb in his hand.

It was cold. But the cold wasn't unpleasant. If anything, it was strangely calming. The moment he held it, he could feel his Aethell recovering faster than normal. The sensation was subtle but unmistakable, almost as if the artifact itself was helping return what he had spent for the battle.

Hyoren closed his fingers around it.

“Yeah…”

He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the strange sensation.

“This isn't dangerous. This isn't evil.”

He opened his eyes again.

“It was just releasing Dark Aethell constantly into the surroundings.”

His gaze moved toward the stairs leading to the upper floor.

“And over hundreds of years, that Aethell accumulated throughout the forest.”

Arianna nodded.

“That seems to be the case, Leader.”

She approached slightly, studying the now-inert orb.

“The Dark Aethell itself isn't inherently evil. But when it exists in such an extreme concentration, living beings without sufficient strength to process it will gradually be affected.”

She gestured toward the staircase.

“That explains the Still Forest.”

Her voice became more thoughtful.

“The plants withered because they couldn't withstand the concentration. The trees continued growing, but their leaves died. Small monsters avoided the area, they were unable to survive here.”

She paused.

“But now that the artifact has been removed…”

Arianna looked toward Hyoren. Her light blue eyes met with his dark ones.

“The source is gone. There won't be a high concentration of Dark Aethell anymore in this forest.”

Arad's eyes widened.

“Is that really the case, Lady Arianna?”

Alvis leaned forward.

“So… the Still Forest will become safe to enter?”

Arianna nodded.

“Yes.”

She gestured toward the staircase again.

“Over time, the Dark Aethell lingering in the forest should dissipate naturally. New plants will eventually grow. The trees should regain their leaves. Small monsters may even begin returning to the area.”

Arad looked genuinely surprised.

“So this entire forest…”

He glanced toward the staircase.

“Could become normal again?”

Arianna smiled softly.

“It should.”

She gestured with her hand.

“It will take time, of course. But yes. The forest should eventually recover.”

Jackey suddenly nodded enthusiastically.

“Miss Purple is right!”

He looked around the chamber.

“There isn't that weird tingling feeling anymore!”

Ina closed her eyes and concentrated.

For the first time since entering the Still Forest, there was no oppressive weight pressing against her senses. No high concentration of Dark Aethell. No unnatural heaviness in the air. When she opened her amber eyes again, she slowly exhaled.

“You're right.”

She looked toward Hyoren.

“The air feels completely different.”

The others nodded in agreement. They also felt the same.

Hyoren smiled.

“So…”

He looked down at the void-like orb in his hand.

“Not only did we uncover the reason behind the Still Forest…”

His fingers tightened around the artifact.

“We're also going to return the forest to normal.”

There was genuine satisfaction in his voice, replacing the grim determination.

“That's really good.”

He opened his storage bag. The small pouch on his belt swallowed it effortlessly. The void-like orb disappeared. The rolled parchment followed.

Hyoren tapped the pouch once with satisfaction. For a moment, he simply looked at everyone. They had come here to stop the ritual. They had fought the flesh golem. They had uncovered the Voided Covenant's atrocities. They had found evidence of their organization.

And now, they had uncovered a hidden piece of history that had remained buried for centuries.

Hyoren took a slow breath.

“Everyone.”

Their attention turned toward him.

“We came here to stop the ritual.”

His eyes briefly moved toward the staircase.

“But in the end, we uncovered a piece of history as well.”

He touched the storage pouch at his waist.

“We already have the evidence. We don't need to keep speculating anymore.”

His expression became firm.

“Let's end this now and head back to Riverville Town.”

Hyoren turned toward the stairs.

He started walking. One by one, the others followed. The hidden chamber slowly fell silent again behind them.

***

They exited the tower and stood beneath the three moons of Kresneger.

The night felt almost unreal.

Only a short while ago, this same forest had been drowned beneath an abyss-like sky. Dark Aethell had clung to the air so densely that even breathing had felt unpleasant.

Now—the sky was clear. The stars had returned.

The three moons of Kresneger—Azure, Crimson, and Ebony—greeted them. The pale light of Azure, the crimson glow of Crimson, and the darker radiance of Ebony illuminated the ruined forest beneath them. Their mixed glows washed over the clearing. Creating an ethereal sight despite the eeriness of the Still Forest.

Hyoren stood still for a moment.

He drew a deep breath through his nose. Cool night air entered his lungs. There was no oppressive weight behind it. No cursed Aethell crawling across his skin. No heavy Dark Aethell weighing on him. No sensation of something unnatural watching them from the darkness. Just clean air.

He slowly exhaled.

“Let's go back, everyone. To the town.”

He turned toward Riverville Town and began walking.

Arad and Alvis tightened their grips around their steel spears and followed. Their backs are straight and their steps are steady.

Arianna and Jackey exchanged a glance.

They were exhausted. Their clothes were dirty. Their bodies carried the marks of battle. Even their steps lacked the energy they normally possessed. But they had won. And now they would go back and rest.

Arianna gave Jackey a small nod. Jackey nodded back.

They took a step. Jackey with a powerful step. Arianna with graceful and elegant steps.

Then—Ina's voice cut through the clearing.

“Everyone, stop!”

Everyone immediately halted.

Jackey looked over his shoulder. Arianna's eyebrows lifted.

Arad and Alvis stopped beside each other, still gripping their steel spears tight. Confusion could be seen on their faces.

Hyoren himself turned halfway around.

“What is it, Ina?”

Only then did he notice her hand. She was gripping his enlarged arm tightly.

The muscles on his arm were still swollen unnaturally beneath his skin. Veins bulged prominently along his forearm and disappeared beneath the crimson streaks running across his body.

Steam continued rising faintly from his skin. Even now. Even after the Flesh Golem had fallen. Berserker was still active. Because when he deactivated it, he would stop moving.

Hyoren looked down at her hand, then back at her.

“We don't have anything left to do here.”

He gestured vaguely toward the clearing. Towards the multiple empty wagons. Towards the now inert five Runic Arrays. Towards the pool of blood from the sacrifice to create Flesh Golem.

“Let's leave the cleanup to the authorities.”

Nobody objected.

They all knew the nightmare was over. The evidence was here. The ritual had ended. The evidence and cleaning up of the leftover rituals would need to be dealt with by the authorities.

There was no reason for them to remain in the Still Forest any longer.

But Ina didn't release him.

Instead, her fingers tightened around his arm. Her amber eyes met his dark ones.

“Yes, Hyoren.”

Her voice was calm.

“I understand. The clean up will be left to authorities.”

Then her expression hardened.

“But there is something you need to do first.”

Hyoren blinked.

“What?”

Ina stared at him.

“Stop and deactivate your Berserker.”

Hyoren's expression immediately changed.

Ina released his arm and placed both hands against her hips. Her cat ears angled backward. Her tail perked upwards. The fur standing upright.

“You have already kept your Unique Skill active for far too long.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“What was it?”

Her voice became sharper.

“Two hours?”

Hyoren remained silent.

Ina took one step closer.

“The longer you keep it active, the higher the price you're going to pay.”

Hyoren glanced toward the road.

“I know, Ina.”

Ina touched his arms again.

“Then deactivate it, Hyoren.”

Hyoren shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Ina's eyes narrowed further.

Hyoren sighed. He tried to reason with the Cat-clan Beastkin.

“Ina, if I deactivate it now, I'll definitely pass out from the backlash.”

He flexed his fingers.

“I won't be able to walk.”

Ina raised her finger.

“Then don't walk. Simple.”

Hyoren stared at her.

Ina raised her chin.

“I'll carry you, Hyoren.”

Hyoren's eyebrows rose.

“You?”

Ina nodded. Her brown hair swayed with motion.

“Yes. Me. I will carry you to town.”

She poked his chest.

“Don't underestimate my strength, Hyoren.”

Her expression was almost offended.

“Decades of field work mean carrying one injured man isn't going to be difficult for me.”

Jackey immediately raised his hand.

“Big Sis is right!”

He stepped forward.

“I can help carry Big Bro too!”

The two guards followed.

Arad placed a hand against his steel spear.

“We didn't contribute much during the battle.”

He looked directly at Hyoren.

“So we would gladly help carry our savior, Mister Hyoren.”

Alvis nodded firmly.

Hyoren looked at all of them.

Then he looked down at his own body. The crimson streaks. The bulging muscles. The steam.

He knew exactly what Ina was worried about. Every additional minute was another minute added to the bill he would eventually have to pay.

He finally exhaled.

“Fine. Please take care of me afterward, everyone.”

Ina's expression softened slightly. Before anyone else could say anything else—she stepped forward and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his waist.

Hyoren stiffened.

“Ina? What's wrong?”

She looked upward. Her amber eyes were serious.

“I heard from Elise.”

Her voice was quieter now.

“She told me what happens when you pay the price for Berserker.”

Hyoren said nothing.

Ina continued.

“She told me it makes you pass out from the pain.”

Her arms tightened.

“I know I probably can't do anything to reduce it.”

She pressed her cheek lightly against him.

“I can't heal it. I can't take it away.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“But at least…”

She squeezed him.

“I can stay with you. Supporting you through the hard time.”

Hyoren's expression softened.

He slowly raised his hand. His palm rested against her head. His fingers brushed across one of her cat ears. The ear twitched beneath his touch.

“Thank you, Ina.”

His voice was quiet.

“This definitely helps.”

Ina closed her eyes.

“Un.”

Hyoren looked toward everyone.

“Please don't be shocked by what you're going to see.”

His smile was faint.

“And thank you, everyone.”

He closed his eyes. And he deactivated Berserker.

***

The change was immediate. Hyoren’s swollen muscles rapidly contracted. The unnatural tension disappeared from his body. The crimson streaks faded from his skin. The steam rising from his body thinned. Then vanished.

For one heartbeat—nothing happened. The forest was silent. A cool breeze moved through the clearing.

Then Hyoren's body suddenly convulsed. His back arched violently.

“ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!”

His scream exploded through the forest. The scream felt like he was in pure agony.

Everyone’s eyes widened. They were shocked by the scream.

Hyoren's body jerked again. His muscles spasmed so violently that Ina nearly lost her grip. She immediately wrapped both arms around him and planted her feet firmly against the ground.

“Hyoren!”

His head snapped backward.

His eyes were open, but they weren't focused on anything. His pupils trembled. His jaw clenched so hard that his teeth audibly ground against each other.

The pain arrived everywhere on his body. He felt everything all at once.

His bones felt as though something had taken hold of every single one and crushed it simultaneously. His ribs. His arms. His legs. His spine. Every single bone.

Then came his muscles. Every muscle that Berserker had forced beyond its natural limit suddenly screamed as the accumulated strain returned. It wasn't one injury. It was thousands of tiny injuries erupting together.

His shoulders jerked. His fingers curled inward. His legs kicked uselessly against the ground.

Another scream ripped from his throat.

“AGHHHHHH!”

Ina held him tighter.

“Hyoren! I'm here! I’m here!”

His body thrashed.

The sensation was terrifyingly similar to the Flesh Golem's punch.

Except that punch had lasted an instant. This didn't. The pain kept returning. Again. Again. And again. Every time Hyoren thought the sensation might lessen, another wave crashed through his body.

His breathing became broken.

“Haa—haa—AGHH!”

He couldn't control it. His body was moving without permission.

Ina had to use nearly all her strength simply to keep him from throwing himself onto the ground.

“Easy! Easy there!”

She tightened her embrace.

“Hyoren! I'm here!”

She could feel his muscles violently twitching beneath her arms.

She had heard Elise explain the backlash. She had understood it intellectually. But hearing the story about it was one thing. Seeing and experiencing it was another.

This wasn't ordinary pain. This was the price of a Unique Skill.

Ina's eyes trembled. Tears started accumulating in the corner of her eyes. But she refused to let Hyoren go.

“I'm here…”

She repeatedly patted his back.

“I'm here, Hyoren.”

Behind them, Arad and Alvis stood frozen.

Their hands were wrapped tightly around their steel spears. Neither spoke. They had fought monsters. They had watched people die.

They had seen Hyoren take wounds that would have killed ordinary adventurers. But this—this was different. They were watching someone they respected being torn apart by his own power.

Alvis swallowed hard.

“Mister Hyoren…”

Arianna covered her mouth with both of her hands. Her light-blue eyes were wide.

“Leader…”

She had known.

She had studied Unique Skills. She knew that extraordinary powers often came with extraordinary costs. But knowing the concept was completely different from watching Hyoren's body convulse in front of her.

“I heard that some Unique Skills possess severe drawbacks…”

Her voice became quieter.

“But…”

She stared at him.

“How can he remain sane after enduring this much pain?”

Jackey's cat ears flattened completely. His tabby cat tail hung motionless.

“Big Bro…”

He took half a step forward. His right arm extended toward Hyoren. His voice was unusually small. Lacked the usual energy.

“He'll be okay, right?”

He looked toward Ina.

“Couldn't we do something?”

His eyes moved toward his pouch on his belt.

“Healing Potion? Healing Magic?”

Ina shook her head.

“Elise already told me.”

She kept one arm firmly around Hyoren while using the other to support his head.

“No healing magic or potion can make him avoid paying the price.”

She looked at everyone.

“This is a Unique Skill.”

Her expression was grim.

“A Divine Power given by Goddess Luminara and Goddess Noctynara Themselves.”

She looked down at Hyoren.

“The effect is tremendous. The explosive power is real.”

Another tremor ran through his body.

Ina's grip tightened.

“But the price is real too.”

Her voice cracked slightly.

“That is why Elise and I have been trying to stop him from using this skill again. Making sure we prepared for anything. So he could avoid using Berserker.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. Then opened them.

“But…”

She looked at Hyoren.

“I know him...”

Her voice became softer.

“If we encounter something absurd enough to threaten our family… Just like the Flesh Golem…”

A faint, sad smile appeared.

“He'll use it again… And again.”

No one answered.

They didn't need to. They finally understood.

Hyoren hadn't activated Berserker because he didn't know what would happen. He had activated it knowing exactly what waited for him afterward. And he was willing to pay any price, as long as his loved one was not harmed.

The scream continued.

Five minutes. Six. Seven. His voice gradually became hoarse. The violent thrashing slowly weakened. But the pain clearly hadn't disappeared. His breathing came in ragged bursts.

“Haah…”

His fingers twitched.

“Haah…”

His head rolled against Ina's shoulder.

Then—after roughly ten minutes—his entire body suddenly relaxed. The tension vanished. His arms fell limp. His head lolled. He had passed out.

Ina immediately adjusted her hold.

“There…”

She gently supported his head.

“There, there…”

She stroked his long dark hair.

“I've got you.”

She looked around at everyone.

“He'll probably be unconscious for two days.”

Her voice was steadier now.

“If I remember correctly, he told me before…”

She thought for a moment.

“Every one hour of Berserker means roughly one day of backlash.”

She smiled weakly.

“So don't worry.”

She looked down at Hyoren.

“He'll wake up.”

A pause.

“Surely.”

Her words sounded reassuring. But tears were already flowing down her cheeks.

Ina quickly wiped one away with the back of her hand. She didn't want the others to see. But there was no hiding it. She was frightened. She was saddened. And after hearing Hyoren scream for ten whole minutes while being completely unable to do anything for him, she was emotionally exhausted.

Jackey approached carefully.

“Big Sis… Should I help carry him?”

Ina looked at him. She shook her head.

“No need, Jackey.”

She carefully repositioned Hyoren.

“I already said I'll carry him.”

She slid one of his arms over her shoulder. She supported his back with one arm and his legs with the other. With a controlled breath—she lifted him.

Despite her petite frame, Hyoren's entire body rose from the ground.

Everyone stared. The sight was almost comical, a petite 155 cm girl carrying a muscular and tall 185 cm man. But nobody commented on it. They knew it was not the time for that.

Ina adjusted his weight against her shoulder until his head rested securely.

“I have sixteen Strength, remember?”

Arad blinked. Alvis stared. Arianna's eyebrows lifted slightly. Sometimes status truly didn't reflect itself into the body. That was the Law of the Aethell.

Jackey, however, suddenly remembered something.

“Right...”

He scratched his cheek.

“I still remember Big Sis’s slap on my ass when I defied you before… It was truly painful…”

Ina slowly turned her head. Her amber eyes became sharp.

“Shut up, Jackey.”

Jackey immediately straightened.

“Yes, Big Sis!”

A small laugh escaped Alvis. Arad covered his mouth. Even Arianna's lips curved upward.

The atmosphere didn't become cheerful. Not completely. But, at least the unbearable heaviness eased.

Ina adjusted Hyoren's position one final time.

“Okay.”

She looked toward Riverville Town.

“No need to wait anymore.”

She began walking.

“Let's go back, everyone. We're all exhausted. We all deserve rest.”

The others nodded and followed Ina. Their footsteps slowly carried them away from the tower.

Behind them remained the hidden chamber containing five hundred years of history. Behind them remained the ritual site, where the evidence of the Voided Covenant's atrocities still waited for the authorities. Behind them remained the Still Forest.

But it was no longer the same forest they had entered. The ritual was over. The accumulated Dark Aethell was gone. The artifact that had caused the forest's unnatural condition had been removed.

Perhaps, in time, leaves would return to the barren trees. Grass would cover the dead earth. Small creatures would once again inhabit the forest.

And perhaps the name Still Forest would eventually become nothing more than an old name for an ordinary woodland.

They had come here to end a nightmare. They had succeeded. Now they were going home.

To wait for their party leader, commander, and lover to finish paying the price of his Unique Skill.