Chapter 24: Torrent

Humans were weak.

If one looked at them, one would see there were many missing parts.

The gandharva and elves were beautiful and had long lives. The sura and draconians were powerful, while the ogres had superhuman strength. As for the lycanthropes and orcs—they were unmatched in toughness.

On the other hand, humans didn’t have any of that.

They didn’t have long lives like many species in the Demon World. Their innate bodies were fragile, and no matter how strong they were, it was impossible for them to cope with an ogre. Humans didn’t even have the strength to face an orc, let alone a lycanthrope.

However, half of the world was dominated by humans. Humans were also the species with the largest number of individuals in the world.

They were smarter than orcs and ogres, stronger than elves and boasted a mighty breeding capacity which surpassed the gandarva and the sura.

That wasn’t all.

There were many variants which could appear, and sometimes special existences could be born in the Human World.

An existence that went beyond human limitations… He was the one who shone among the numerous human beings. The pinnacle of humanity—he was a person who was closer to a god than anyone else.

A human sword and shield…

People called him a hero.

&

Five days had passed since In-gong recaptured the fourth base.

They started the reconstruction at the fourth base, which had been partially destroyed by the barbarians. The tasks were to rebuild the collapsed walls and install a new gate.

The materials and supplies which came from Takar were piled up in the base. Evian’s real winter was coming soon, so they had to hurry. If they missed the timing, they might have to stop the reconstruction of the gate.

However, they couldn’t concentrate comfortably on the construction work. Vandal led troops out daily to patrol the limit line. It was hard to imagine the barbarians, who had lost more than 10,000 troops and a barbarian king, would cross the line again, but there was still a chance. The army was a group which existed for this reason.

Kaparang and Alita were working hard, and In-gong had nothing to do because Vandal was in charge of the patrols. However, In-gong didn’t stay idle. He sparred with Caitlin every day and also worked hard to study magic with Felicia. Now was the time for him to become a true magic warrior.

“Don’t talk about this, especially to Prince Silvan.”

“What about Silvan hyung?”

“Do you have to ask?”

In-gong nodded at Carack’s sincere advice and stored the words ‘magic warrior’ in his mind.

Two more days passed. Amita completed Delia’s armour, and the gate was re-installed at the fourth base. As a result of the patrols, Vandal was able to find the barbarians who were in hiding, so he was satisfied.

Nayatra had some achievements as well.

“The results of the interrogation have emerged.”

Nayatra had questioned the barbarian warriors for a week. The barbarian king had already been defeated, but there were still many things he needed to know.

In particular, In-gong considered the transformation of the barbarian king to be noteworthy. How had he united the barbarians without the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet? Additionally, since when had he been able to use the power of War?

General soldiers wouldn’t know this. It was impossible for them to figure out the whole picture. However, there was one person he could learn all of this from:

Paratus, the brother of the barbarian king.

During the battle at Takar, In-gong couldn’t afford capture Paratus. Paratus was strong, and In-gong was exhausted from his battle with the barbarian king.

However, In-gong wasn’t the only one present at Takar. The barbarian king had died, and Vandal’s troops hadn’t missed Paratus as they rushed from behind.

After being captured, Paratus had attempted to escape, commit suicide and then keep his mouth shut in front of Nayatra. In-gong didn’t know what Nayatra had done, but she succeeded in opening Paratus’ mouth.

‘What is her method of interrogation?’

He couldn’t imagine that Nayatra would use cruel torture methods. Was it the enchantment magic of a succubus?

“Your Highness?”

Nayatra asked from in front of In-gong. He flinched with surprise and waved his hands.

“No, it is nothing. Paratus is in the prison?”

“Yes, do you want to meet him?”

In-gong nodded at Nayatra’ question. It seemed Nayatra didn’t want to take In-gong into the prison.

“Are there any problems in the prison?”

The quick Carack asked sharply. Nayatra’s eyes narrowed but because she was in front of In-gong, she corrected her expression and spoke in a calm voice.

“There are no problems in the prison. The state of the captives isn’t bad. Just…”

“Just?”

“That… I am a little embarrassed.”

Nayatra replied with a slightly red face. In-gong could only say one thing in response to her reaction,

“Please.”

“I understand. I will come with you.”

In response, Nayatra took the lead, and In-gong and Carack entered the dungeon behind her.

Unlike the exterior walls, the dungeon was fine. It was an underground facility, so the barbarians hadn’t felt the need to destroy it.

‘Surprisingly clean.’

Although it was underground, it didn’t seem extremely dirty. There were barbarian prisoners hanging from the walls of the prison cells.

“The prisoners only have a meal once every two days. Starving them leads to less trouble.”

Carack spoke in a small voice from his position next to In-gong. Although it was quite inhumane, In-gong didn’t complain. In the first place, this was the Demon World. It was better than torturing them.

“This way.”

Paratus was stuck in solitary confinement. As a big iron door was opened, he saw Paratus sitting on a chair, tied up with chains.

“His spirit is gone.”

Carack said as he saw the blank expression Paratus was making. Nayatra muttered in a small voice,

“I enchanted him with magic. Now, he will answer any of Your Highness’ questions.”

It seemed like she was ashamed of the fact she had bewitched Paratus with enchantment magic. Enchantment magic was a characteristic of the succubus species, so what was so embarrassing about it?

Instead of asking her, In-gong approached Paratus to question him. The replies came straight away just as Nayatra said.

It wasn’t surprising that Paratus knew more than any of the other barbarians.

The barbarian king had been able to unite the barbarians because he had been strong. That was the best answer Paratus could come up with. However, the useful part was the information about War.

“A person came from the south and passed some things onto my brother. They were a very questionable stranger, but my brother admired them.”

They wore a large red cloak over red armour, and it was impossible to tell if they were a male or female. They appeared six months ago. It wasn’t a short period of time, so that person could have moved anywhere in the Demon World by now.

“The stranger left for the north. They didn’t go back to the south.”

This was all Paratus knew. There was no other useful information.

‘A person in red armour.’

It had to be the War Knight, or an Apostle of War like the barbarian king.

However, the most worrisome thing was that the red person had come from the south. Just like the barbarians beyond the Eastern Limit Line, the south was the Human World.

Had the War Knight come from the south? There was a very good chance of that. There was no law that the Four Knights of the Apocalypse had to come out of the Demon World. However, who were they? Would they be a powerhouse of the Human World, perhaps just like Gerard?

In-gong worried about it, but the answer didn’t come out. Then In-gong stopped thinking about that and left the cell.

“Good job.”

He didn’t forget to praise Nayatra, who smiled with red cheeks.

“Thank you.”

She replied gracefully. It was a beautiful smile, and In-gong sensed a gap between the Nayatra of Knight Saga and the Nayatra before him now. The Nayatra of Knight Saga would never smile like she was doing now and was called an ice cold knight. Was it due to the slavery? Or did her attitude harden because of Zephyr?

‘Well, it doesn’t matter since I’m in a good condition right now.’

There was still a lot to be addressed, but it seemed like his relationship with Nayatra was quite good.

‘Although it was forced… I am grateful for her support.’

In-gong sighed with relief as he looked at Nayatra. Then Nayatra, who was sneaking a glance at In-gong, quickly bowed her head.

“Well, I feel quite bad.”

Carack’s complaint was ignored as they left the dungeon, and someone came running up to them. It was Delia.

“Your Highness.”

She had rushed and was out of breath. In-gong ignored Carack, who was smiling at Delia, and asked her,

“What’s going on?”

“6th Princess says there is an urgent message.”

“Felicia noona?”

“She might need to leave Evian for a while. The princess is waiting for Prince in your office.”

In-gong needed to listen to the details of this story, so he sent Nayatra back and moved hastily with Carack and Delia.

&

“Silvan contacted me. I think he needs my help.”

Felicia sat on the desk in the office In-gong was using. After she finished speaking, In-gong approached the desk and asked,

“Is there a problem on Silvan hyung’s side?”

“Well, a little? It isn’t a big deal. He was tracking down a few ruins, and it seems like he has found a site. He needs my help as a ruins expert.”

In-gong thought about Silvan’s region. If he found something, it was likely In-gong already knew about it.

‘There wasn’t anything dangerous.’

He couldn’t think of anything dangerous in that area.

Felicia saw In-gong’s worried look and said,

“You don’t have to worry. It is just an excuse to look around because I want to see it.”

In-gong thought about Silvan and Felicia’s words and was convinced. Felicia jumped off the desk and said,

“It is unlikely the barbarians will come back again, and Evian’s defense has now stabilized somewhat. Can I go help Silvan for a while?”

In-gong was in charge at Evian. Despite also being a royal child, Felicia needed In-gong’s permission to leave Evian.

In-gong nodded without any worries.

“I understand. Instead, be careful. Please contact me if something happens. I’ll run over straight away.”

“Yes, faster than the wind?”

Felicia winked, and In-gong nodded with a somewhat red face. He was embarrassed about the slogan he had come up with. Felicia laughed at In-gong’s expression.

“Okay, I’ll just tell you something else.”

Felicia reached out to In-gong’s neck and pulled out the Tears of a Dark Elf hanging there.

“Shutra, do you know why I gave you the Tears of a Dark Elf?”

It was a gift Felicia had given to In-gong as a reward for his actions during the Red Lightning tribe mission. Felicia rotated her hand to show In-gong a ring.

“The Tears of a Dark Elf is actually a set of a ring and a necklace. If one of the owners is in a serious crisis, the other one will become aware of it.”

It was the first time he had heard this story. In Knight Saga, he had only been able to get his hands on the necklace after knocking down Felicia.

However, Felicia just waved her hands at his doubts and said,

“So far, I have been right next to Shutra. Of course, it wouldn’t have worked.”

It made a lot of sense. The only time he had been in a crisis without Felicia being there was when he fought Mustafa. After that, Felicia was always with him.

“I gave you the Tears of a Dark Elf to pay off my debt. If Shutra’s in danger, I will show up and rescue you.”

That was the true reason why Felicia had given him the Tears of a Dark Elf.

“Maybe this time, there will be a chance to repay the debt.”

“Hey, isn’t it more likely that Noona will be in a crisis?”

“Let’s see?”

Felicia laughed as she covered her face with a fan and knocked against In-gong’s shoulders.

“Please look after Caitlin.”

“Tell Silvan hyung to look after Noona as well.”

Felicia made a dissatisfied face at In-gong’s words.

“Anyway, I’ve received permission from the leader of the Evian mission. Then I will leave now.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, there is no reason to delay. And you don’t have to see me off. I’ve decided to go to Takar with Caitlin. She is already at the gate.”

As she said this, Felicia was already prepared to leave. In-gong was dumbfounded and asked with narrow eyes,

“Excuse me, did you even need my permission?”

Felicia just laughed instead of answering. She hugged In-gong and said,

“I am going, Shutra.”

“Go well, Felicia.”

Felicia pinched In-gong’s cheeks and left the room. As always, she moved with light and elegant steps.

In-gong looked at her back and said quietly,

“Will nothing really happened?”

He didn’t have a foreboding or ominous feeling, so nothing should happen.

Carack blinked at In-gong’s words and asked him,

“Prince, is this really okay? Should Princess really leave Prince? Is there really no ominous hint?”

“Why are you doing this? Don’t jinx things.”

Both of them were joking around. In-gong moved to the window of the office and gazed outside. He saw Felicia leaving the building.

‘Take care of your body.’

In-gong gave a short prayer as he gazed at the back of Felicia, who was leaving the fourth base.

The vacancy left by Felicia was rather large. Since the beginning, Felicia had been the atmosphere maker in In-gong’s groups, and now, she had left.

When Felicia left, Delia naturally went with her, while Caitlin and Seira had accompanied Felicia to Takar. Four people had suddenly gone away.

The first day after the four people left, the fourth base was pretty dull. However, the loneliness doubled on the second day. On the third day, In-gong felt Felicia’s importance.

‘I relied on her more than I thought.’

It was a spiritual, rather than material, dependence. He had never imagined their relationship would become this deep when he first encountered her at the Red Lightning tribe.

Looking back now, he was fortunate to meet Felicia.

In-gong had won up to now, but when he looked closely, there were several crises which had almost killed him several times. He had been on the verge of death from one strike in the battle against the barbarian king.

Since he had been brought into this world, he had been struggling repeatedly. In the meantime, he had been able to maintain his sanity thanks to having many good people around him. Thanks to them, he had been encouraged to fight and set his own goals.

If there had been no one around, the result would be quite different even with the power of Protagonist Correction and Conquest. Maybe he would have already lost his life.

“Why are you so despondent?”

Carack asked as he approached In-gong. In-gong watched Carack with moist eyes and said,

“No, I was just thinking that Carack is valuable. Don’t leave my side. We will always be together, right?”

He stood on tiptoe to touch Carack’s shoulder, only for Carack to move back in surprise.

“Why, are you drunk?”

“Hey, this is between us.”

In-gong looked up with moist eyes and winked. Then Carack suddenly puffed out and said with a determined face,

“Hu, if it is an order then it can’t be helped. And well, towards Prince, I too…”

Carack winked slightly. In-gong was startled and jumped back. He covered his upper body, which was naked due to training, with both his hands.

“S-stay away. You! This is somewhat questionable.”

Carack seemed unaware of Delia, Seira, Daphne and Karma, so maybe he had some dangerous tastes.

Carack chuckled at In-gong’s disgust.

“A joke, a joke. And don’t worry. I will always be loyal until I am a corpse. I will be with you until the end.”

Carack declared and raised his fist. They weren’t empty words, so In-gong understood Carack’s mindset. Carack had already proved his sincerity when they faced the Apostle of Death at Thunderdoom Fortress. Despite the fact that death had been in front of him, Carack said he had enjoyed it instead of expressing any grudges or fear. It was clearly something not just anyone could do.

“Rather, what are you doing alone?”

Carack interrupted while In-gong was in a sea of appreciation. In-gong shrugged and replied,

“Well, I was training. It isn’t my usual training.”

It was truly like In-gong said. He had spent most of the day grinding his experience. In-gong normally practiced reading and writing dwarf and dragon characters before going to sleep.

‘But it is interesting.’

The performance of this training was immediately visible. Moreover, there was a need for repetitive training. The skill itself was very easy to learn, but the skill level was always at one. Repetition was necessary to make it usable.

In-gong had been practicing mixing aura and magic power together. Carack made a tired expression.

“Ah, this person is truly determined, truly. Prince is destined to become stronger, but Prince is already very strong. It is the first time in my life that I’ve seen someone train like Prince.”

It wasn’t a joke. Even if someone else had gotten all the artifacts, they wouldn’t be as strong as In-gong was today.

While Carack was thinking this, In-gong looked at his arms. Something had flashed in his mind.

“Prince?”

Rather than answering Carack’s call, In-gong sharpened his aura like a blade, and his arm became bloody. Carack’s eyes widened as he saw In-gong lick the blood flowing along his arm.

“Ah, delicious. It is really delicious.”

Carack stepped back as In-gong laughed. It was a big exaggerated, but the green skin had turned pale.

“Prince, my eyes have been opened. Somehow, you laugh every time you face death.”

“Stop talking nonsense and try it once.”

In-gong took a wine glass from his inventory and poured in some blood for Carack. Carack grimaced, but he soon drank the blood and his eyes widened from surprise.

“What on earth is going on?”

It was really tasty. It didn’t have the salty taste of blood, but was somewhat sweet. Moreover, the fragrance was incredibly good.

In-gong healed his wound with recovery magic.

“There is a story about the gandharva being a fragrant species. Yesterday, I accidentally ate some of my sweat while practicing magic yesterday… No, it wasn’t a sweaty taste and instead gave off a sweet taste. So, I melted the magic power in my blood. The result is what you tasted.”

Carack blinked with a stunned face at In-gong’s words. He didn’t understand.

In-gong continued to speak,

“My other bodily fluids, which contain magic power, are sweet… The easiest liquid to dissolve is magic power since that is the essence of life.”

“Uh, then everything from Prince’s body is delicious?”

Not just blood, but saliva and sweat as well?

In-gong nodded at Carack’s question.

“Yes, but I have to melt down the magic power. It isn’t inherently like this, but I think it is pretty good. It might be because my magic power has become stronger due to the dragon heart.”

The blood of the gandharva wasn’t sweet. The gandharva, who could produce blood like In-gong, were rare in the Demon World.

“Now, you will never have to go hungry.”

In-gong nodded again at Carack’s words.

“Yes, so please look after me well. Take care of me until I am old.”

“I believe only in Prince.”

Carack smiled and handed the glass back to In-gong. He hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth carefully,

“Prince, that… someday. Are you going to visit the gandharva?”

In-gong’s mother’s side was the gandharva.

According to Carack’s investigation, the gandarva were being punished as a whole. All the gandharva, adults and children, with the exception of In-gong, were confined in a gandharva holy land within the Demon World.

Carack had failed to figure out the sin the gandharvas were guilty of, however, the species had been imprisoned for more than a decade. So, it wasn’t a small sin. However, it was likely to not be a sin which couldn’t be forgiven. Otherwise, the official children of the demon king would be eight people, not nine.

In-gong didn’t have sentimental feelings toward the gandharva. It was also true for In-gong’s mother. He had no relationship with them like what he had with Felicia and Caitlin. However, still, he did feel something. Was it due to In-gong becoming Shutra, or due to a resonance with his mother’s side?

In-gong gave a long sigh and replied,

“Perhaps. It would be best if I could obtain amnesty for them.”

Chris and 4th Queen Elaine had talked about the possibility of the gandharva being pardoned. If the two people said so, then it was highly likely it could happen.

“It won’t be easy.”

“Well, it isn’t impossible. I just have to build up my merits steadily.”

In-gong smiled widely, and Carack clenched his fists.

“Have strength.”

“Yes.”

After sharing a smile, In-gong felt awkward and moved his gaze away. He looked out the window where it was snowing.

“The year is almost over.”

Carack said with a warm expression. The Demon World was wide, so snow didn’t signify the end of the year. However, it was clear that the year was almost ending. Now, there was only a month until Year 513 would begin.

Year 513, this was when Knight Saga began.

In-gong looked toward the south.

What was Locke doing now? Was he studying to become a priest at the temple?

Locke had started his activities in the summer of Year 514. That was still more than a year away.

In-gong turned his attention back to the window. The snow was piling up.

&

As soon as she stepped out of the transportation formation tower, Felicia saw Silvan.

Silvan narrowed the distance to Felicia while spreading his arms and cried out,

“Felicia! Come into Oppa’s arms. Won’t you give me your sweet scent?”

Silvan spoke with moist eyes. The prince of the dark elves had a very handsome face, and his voice was sweet.

However, for Felicia, his voice was just creepy. Felicia quickly pushed Silvan away with her arms.

“Ah, come on!”

She felt like she was going to die of embarrassment every time she saw him. Didn’t he care about the eyes around them?

Felicia gasped with a blushing face while Sepira, Silvan’s aide, spoke with a gentle smile.

“It is okay, Your Highness. The only ones around right now are crew members of the Black Flame Dragon. Everyone is familiar with him.”

“Is it really okay? And don’t get used to this!”

Felicia shouted, but everyone just laughed. Of course, some of them were staring at her with pitiful expressions.

Felicia took a deep breath and covered her face with a fan. She fanned herself a few times before asking Silvan,

“Well, what did you find?”

Instead of answering the question, Silvan’s shoulders sagged, and he made a sad expression. Before the puppy eyes, Felicia sighed eventually.

“Ah, really. I understand. Come over here.”

She gestured for Silvan to approach. Felicia hugged Silvan lightly, and he gave her a bright smile.

“Are you healthy?”

“I’m in good health. There were few risky incidents.”

Despite the situation with the barbarians, Felicia was rarely on the front lines. This was because in almost all the battles, she had fainted due to the use of the recovery magic.

“How has Silvan been?”

As Felicia asked with interest, Silvan laughed and pulled out the sword Amita made him.

“Huhu, there were a few powerful creatures, but none of them were my match. The sword which contains Amita’s skill and Felicia’s love…”

“Silence.”

Felicia closed Silvan’s mouth with silencing magic and turned to Sepira.

“Sepira?”

“There were many small battles but no major dangers. Princess seems to have gained a big merit this time. You stopped the barbarians?”

“Well, I didn’t do it alone. Shutra has the biggest merit.”

Felicias said with embarrassment while covering her face with a fan. Sepira looked very satisfied with Felicia’s reaction, which was very different from Silvan’s.

“Your Highness, we managed to find the site of a ruin. It is a ruin that I have seen for the first time. The strong scent of magic power could be felt at the entrance.”

“The scent of magic power?”

“Moreover, the characters found at the entrance are quite impressive. Maybe those characters… they might be the same as the ones found in Kaltein’s lair under Sun Lake.”

Sepira had accompanied In-gong’s party at that time, so it was a credible story.

“Indeed, you were right to call me, especially if there are unknown characters.”

Felicia’s eyes started to burn with passion as she heard the words. Then Silvan, who released the silencing magic, once again spread his arms wide open.

“Now, Felicia. Won’t you run off to a world of adventure with Oppa?”

“I’ll walk without running.”

Felicia answered bluntly, and Silvan laughed. He looked at the crew members in the vicinity and shouted,

“Now, let’s depart! Lift up the anchor and spread the sails!”

Silvan and the crew members ran toward the Black Flame Dragon. Felicia laughed as she saw their backs, and she moved forward slowly.

The ruin Silvan discovered was located deep inside a dense forest. Karamis, the area Silvan defended, was located to the south-east of the Demon World and was in contact with the Great Desert, one of the buffer zones to the Human World.

As the name suggested, the Great Desert was an incredibly large desert area. Despite its proximity to the desert, Karamis was a land rich in green vegetation due to the abnormal climate caused by the unique magic lines in the Demon World.

The Black Flame Dragon flew slowly for an hour or two before landing in an open area in the middle of the forest. The arrangement of the trees looked unnatural, like it was an artificially created landing point.

“Beyond that is the entrance to the ruins. It was so well hidden that I wouldn’t have found it if it wasn’t for a coincidence.”

Sepira said as she spread out the stairs for descending from the Black Flame Dragon. Silvan had already jumped down.

“How did you find it?”

Felicia asked while gazing at Silvan’s back.

Sepira laughed awkwardly.

“Someone was hit by a creature and fell to the entrance of the ruins. It was a deep well-like entrance.”

It was a fun story, but Felicia thought otherwise. She frowned and asked,

“That person, are they okay?”

“Yes, relatively. Their shoulders and neck are stiff though.”

Sepira laughed awkwardly again, and Felicia understood why Sepira’s ears were red throughout the story.

‘No, she didn’t want to talk about this in the first place.’

When she thought about it, the story shouldn’t be amusing, and any desire to laugh soon disappeared.

At that moment, the staircase was opened completely. Felicia was already jumping down and hurried to catch up with Silvan. Once she arrived at the entrance, she understood why Sepira emphasized it had been an accident.

The entrance to the ruin was hidden very well. No, if she had come across it, she would have thought it was just a deep pit.

A circular passage with a diameter of approximately 1.5 meters was drilled vertically akin to a well. The earth was bumpy, like it had been formed naturally, and clumps of bushes were surrounding the entrance.

Felicia knelt on the edge and looked inside the hole while sniffing it. There was a faint but clear scent. A place where magic power was concentrated gave off a good smell.

“It is true. There is the scent of magic power.”

That wasn’t all. There was a soft glow inside the deep hole, and the light was leaking from the inside.

As Felicia looked carefully, Silvan quickly held out a hand.

“Now, Felicia. Please embrace Oppa. I will jump in.”

Silvan laughed while Felicia, who pulled back reflexively, cast a magic spell.

“Levitation.”

Felicia dropped down slowly into the hole, while Silvan’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. After falling almost 12 meters, a large passage was visible. It was a very old passage, but it gave off an artificial feel.

After the two of them went down, Sepira, Delia and the five crew members went down as well. Felicia preferred exploring ruins with a small, elite group since large numbers was just cumbersome.

There were two lights in the passage. One was a dim light which seemed to leak from deep inside, while the other was a pale light coming from little stones embedded in the ceiling.

It was very pretty, but it was hard to proceed with the exploration with this lighting. Felicia pulled out a stick with a brilliant light at the end of it which she had prepared in advance. They were in a large crypt which reminded her of the ones she had seen during the Red Lightning tribe subjugation.

Silvan’s group had already explored the first floor, so they hurried on. After arriving at a place which was like a central hall, the unknown characters Sepira had mentioned were revealed for the first time.

“Indeed, they really are like the characters I saw. Maybe… the legend might be true?”

Felicia said as she looked at the letters carved on the high ceilings, floor and walls. The confused Sepira asked,

“Your Highness, the legend?”

As always, curious questions pleased Felicia, and she responded by spreading her knowledge.

“After going to Kaltein’s lair last time, I did some research. However, I didn’t have time to study a lot since the departure time was so tight.”

It wasn’t just Shutra who had investigated after returning to the Demon King’s Palace.

Felicia looked at the characters and said again,

“In fact, this wasn’t something I found out through research. It is a story I picked up while investigating ruins.”

There was a question mark above Sepira’s head. Felicia laughed and asked Sepira a new question,

“Sepira, how much do you know about the history of the Demon King’s Palace?”

“I know it was created 500 years ago.”

This year was obviously Year 512.

Felicia stretched and said,

“Yes, only 500 years. Before that, the Era of Struggle was only approximately 3,000 years.”

The Era of Struggle referred to the time before the demon king, when all species had been at war with each other. The Demon World of that time was no different than what was beyond the limit line. Every day, a cruel war occurred.

“Then what type of civilization was there in the old days?”

Before the Era of Struggle—

The distant past before the Thunderdoom Fortress was built…

“We don’t know. No matter how far back the records of the dark elves go, it is only up to 6,000~7,000 years. It isn’t an exaggeration to say we don’t know much about the civilizations and how the species lived before that time.”

7,000 years was indeed a long time for the dark elves. Sepira counted in her head for a while before her long ears extended.

“Your Highness, if it was 7,000 years ago… wouldn’t it have been hard to have a proper civilization?”

The dark elves had also been different 7,000 years ago, and they had been primitive in many ways.

Felicia nodded.

“The majority of people think like that. They think it was a time without a proper country, where the species just fought in tribal units. But I don’t think so. If there hadn’t been a flourishing civilization in those days, we shouldn’t be able to find their traces after they have long since perished.”

It was much older than 7,000 years ago. Maybe it was a past that went back even more years.

“We call this legend the indigenous species. Although there is little evidence, I think it makes sense.”

Felicia said with a smile. Sepira looked at the characters engraved on the floor.

“Your Highness, do these characters belong to the indigenous species?”

“Let’s see, should we find out from now on?”

Felicia responded with a laugh.

&

From the north, he headed to the south.

His steps were slow but steady.

Day and night passed, until he reached a place where the greenery was thick—a land called Karamis in the Demon World.

&

Felicia finished her survey of the first floor and headed to the second underground floor. The second floor was significantly different from the first floor. As the crypt continued, spaces appeared which could be thought of as rooms, but they had no special structure.

The smell of magic power leaking from deep within the dungeon became stronger, and the ceiling light was brighter than the first floor’s.

Like the first floor, the second floor had a simple structure, so the exploration time was quick.

Felicia headed toward the third floor.

&

He stepped into Karamis, and his footsteps became a little bit faster.

&

The structure of the third floor was simpler than the second floor’s. It was just a large room with high ceilings and stairs leading to the fourth floor.

The ceiling light became brighter and the scent of magic power stronger.

Felicia was deep in thought as she copied all the characters on the wall.

It had been quite a while since they entered the ruin. Even if they hurried, it would be completely dark by the time they left the ruin.

So, it would be good to return to a safe place on the second floor and take a break.

However, there was still a little bit more time. Every time they went down the stairs, the structure became simpler.

They could continue going downward.

Silvan said he would follow Felicia’s will as always. After a short moment of agonizing, Felicia descended the stairs leading to the fourth underground floor.

&

It was late at night.

Silvan’s crew members, who were guarding the entrance of the ruin, set up fires and strengthened the perimeter.

Strong magic power had a strong attraction for creatures. They didn’t know if the magic power leaking from the entrance of the ruins would tempt any creatures.

Since Silvan and Sepira were away, the first officer, Tirion, was in charge of security. He watched the darkness with a cigarette in his mouth. Then the sound of rustling disturbed his ears.

Tirion turned his eyes toward the sound.

&

The third and fourth floors were completely different. It was clearly a more complex space than the first floor. The ruin was enormous.

Why did this site exist? And why was there nothing in such a huge space? Despite the rich magic power, even the smallest creature couldn’t be seen.

Thanks to the light from the ceiling, the inside of the ruin was like daylight, and Felicia was determined to go deeper.

&

The clouds hid the moon, and in the darkness, he moved forward. There were clear signs of his passing.

All those who guarded the entrance to the ruin had disappeared.

The process by which the crew members died had been different, but the result was the same. Tirion’s body was deprived of life and his body crushed.

Everything in his path turned to dust. He took a step forward. Recalling the memories from 1,000 years ago, He took a deep breath, and the fragrance of magic power hit his nose.

“Drain.”

The man said.

He ordered it as the Famine Knight.

&

The ceiling light weakened momentarily.

Felicia looked up at the ceiling reflexively.

Silvan turned around. His uncovered left eye narrowed as he stared in a certain direction.

The air had changed. It was something which couldn’t be expressed.

Felicia sensed it as well. It was a gut instinct.

Someone was approaching from afar.

“Shutra.”

Felicia looked at the Tears of a Dark Elf on her finger as darkness swallowed up the ruin.

&

In-gong opened his eyes. He raised his upper body, gasping for air like he’d had a nightmare. He looked reflexively at the Tears of a Dark Elf hanging on his neck and stood up suddenly.

The purple Tears of a Dark Elf had lost its light. There was no glimmer left at all.

Why?

In-gong didn’t think any further and called out to White Eagle.

&

Coincidence and inevitability—

They were a tangled mess.

The Death Knight looked toward the south.

The War Knight felt the tide of conflict.

Too far away…

There wasn’t much time.

The Famine Knight raised his foot at the entrance of the ruin.

He took a step inside.