I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 426

"That's a relief..." Seren murmured with a soft sigh—this time, one of genuine ease. Even Valten and Yog seemed to share in the quiet exhale.

—I was worried I'd miss out on the fun, Friend.

What a nonsense.

Ian scoffed inwardly, brushing the thought aside just as Seren added, “I’ll be counting on you, Agent of the Saint.”

"Let's get back to the point. First, I need to ask—when are we leaving? I’m sure you'd prefer to head out immediately, but—” His eyes drifted briefly to Lucia.

They’d marched hard to get here, counting on a chance to rest once they arrived. Ian could keep going, but the same couldn’t be said for Lucia—or Diana.

As if sensing his concern, Seren’s blue eyes dimmed slightly.

“Agent of the Saint,” Valten interjected, voice calm and respectful. “Would it be acceptable if I escorted the two of them ahead?”

His tone made it clear—he saw Ian not as a subordinate, but as an independent ally.

Meeting Ian’s gaze, Valten continued, “Sir Seren and the special forces will need time to prepare. While you finalize matters and inspect the armory, they could use some rest—even a short one.”

“A sound decision,” Ian agreed with a nod, then turned to Lucia. “I’ll sort through the gear and lay out anything useful. Get some rest. You can pick what you need later.”

Of course, his criteria for selection were going to be based on the information window.

Lucia gave a small nod. “Understood. But Sir Ian—you should rest too. Even just a little.”

“I will. Don’t worry. Besides, it feels wrong not to change into fresh clothes first.”

“I’ll have a private room prepared for three,” Valten said, already turning to leave. “And I’ll send some spare clothing.”

Lucia gave Ian a final glance, then followed. Diana, her expression somewhere between regret and resignation, trudged along behind them. Ian watched their figures vanish through the doorway.

“Priestess Lucifer is... quite the formidable one,” Seren said suddenly, her voice breaking the silence. “I see now why she received the divine revelation at such a young age.”

“If she grows a little more, she will be worthy of becoming Lu Entre’s avatar. Though I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.” Ian shrugged.

He then turned to face her. “So, how much time do we have?”

“I can’t say for sure,” Seren replied, her voice lowering along with the light in her gaze. “But in the event of an unexpected situation, standard procedure is to hold position and wait for reinforcements. His Highness set that rule himself. Even if he made a new plan, he wouldn’t disregard that.”

"So there's a standard protocol in place."

“Exactly. He won’t move the forward base until they’re out of supplies—especially food. By now, they likely have–-” She hesitated, doing a quick mental tally. “Enough for about four meals. Six, if they’ve been carefully rationing.”

Even at two meals a day, that meant at most three days.

Ian let out a short hum before asking, "And what’s the likelihood of another problem showing up before then From what I saw earlier, that supposedly infallible sense of yours didn't seem all that useful."

“His Highness is with two Lions and nine of the best Wolves. There shouldn’t be any immediate danger. More importantly, His Highness is there.” Her voice was steady, her conviction absolute.

A smirk tugged at Ian's lips. "I see. So His Highness is extraordinarily strong as well."

“Of course. You’ll understand when you meet him, Agent of the Saint.” As was often the case when survivors spoke of the Crown Prince, Seren answered with great care.

Ian, who could easily guess the reason behind their caution, simply gave a small nod, pretending not to notice.

"To be honest, it's not His Highness's safety that concerns me." Seren continued, "I'm worried about him leaving the base and entering the Shadow Forest. It seems the domain barrier has extended near the outpost."

"Domain barrier? Ah, I see." Ian let out a small chuckle. "Another demonic realm within the demonic realm."

The image of demons who had created such barriers flickered through his mind. The Vampire Empress had done the same—claiming an entire region, but establishing a true boundary only around her mansion, where she and her kin wielded absolute power.

“If that weren’t the case, there’d be no reason His Highness couldn’t return,” Seren said. Her fingers, once lightly pressed together at her chest, slowly parted as if to illustrate the expansion of the invisible threshold. “The barrier must’ve grown beyond the edge of the Shadow Forest.”

Her blue gaze looked at Ian once more. “Even so, I doubt Inaskurgl would try to leave the forest. Which means His Highness is likely trapped inside until the barrier is brought down.”

“So your concern is that he’ll try to bring it down himself before we get there,” Ian murmured, finally grasping the heart of her unease. It didn’t surprise him. Ever since he’d heard the name Inaskurgl, he’d suspected he’d be fighting the thing, eventually.

The quest hadn’t shown up yet, but he was confident that it would—most likely after meeting Hyked.

“Yes. No matter how powerful His Highness may be, trying to bring down an archdemon with such a small force is too dangerous.”

"No offense, but compared to when you first joined, the situation seems far worse."

“That’s because—” Seren hesitated, casting him a sideways glance before continuing with a touch of embarrassment, “After things escalated, His Highness chose to seek aid from you, Agent of the Saint, and the Apostle of Lu Entre. He believed gathering the Lions from the other outposts would take too long. He didn’t want to risk missing the window.”

“So he planned everything before I even agreed. Sounds like he’s rather impulsive.”

"At times, he does make decisions that seem reckless. Though, truthfully, I doubt anyone even considered the possibility of you refusing."

Of course not.

Ian chuckled. "Either way, it looks like we need to hurry. How long will it take from here?"

“If we move south, there’s a rift that leads to a region slightly detached from the forest. Following its edge, we can cut our travel time by more than half—at least in terms of the distance outside the rift.”

"Are we moving on foot? I recall hearing that leading horses through that terrain wouldn't be easy." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"We'll ride to shorten our time as much as possible. Covering their eyes will help ease some of their anxiety. Of course, if it comes down to it, we may have to abandon them."

In other words, they were prepared to sacrifice the mounts for speed.

"I suppose I'd better make sure mine survives."

Just when I was starting to grow attached to it, thought Ian.

"Anything else I should know?" asked Ian.

"Other than the possibility of engaging in combat before meeting His Highness, nothing in particular."

“We’re heading into an archdemon’s domain. Did you really think I wouldn’t be prepared?” Ian chuckled, tilting his head slightly to the side. “In that case, let’s head to the armory.”

By now, Lucia and Diana had probably settled into their room.

Seren gave a nod before moving forward. "I'll lead the way, Agent of the Saint."

As she passed him, Ian followed at a steady pace. There was no need to rush recklessly—he figured he could afford to linger in the armory for at least two hours.

***

Ian opened his eyes. For a moment, they blinked sluggishly, unfocused. Then his vision cleared, locking onto a ceiling of rough-hewn stone, shaped by impatient chisels and time. Flickering lamplight danced along the uneven walls. He stared at it for a moment before letting out a faint laugh.

"Now that's rare...."

He had dreamed of his old world, something that hadn't happened in a long time. The details of the dream were already slipping away, but he could vaguely recall that it had been nothing out of the ordinary.

Which makes it all the more precious.

A soft smile tugged at his lips. Looking back, there was nothing more valuable than the kind of normal he used to take for granted.

—It must’ve been a good one. It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile in your sleep, my friend.

At the murmured words, the lingering smile vanished from Ian's lips as if it had never been there.

“You must’ve been imagining things,” Ian said dryly, brushing the comment aside as he pushed himself upright.

The damp, stagnant air of the underground room greeted him. The only furniture was a crude shelf carved from stone along one wall. A small oil lamp hung from the wall, casting an eerie glow over the space.

Compared to this, the place in Drag Velga was a paradise.

All the rooms in this fortress were like this. Even Hyked, the commander himself, had nothing better. Perhaps the reason Lions and Wolves endured living in a burrow fit for ants without complaint was because Hyked set the example himself.

"When did Lucy and Diana leave?" Ian asked.

They had still been asleep when he returned, but now their blankets were neatly folded, their presence gone without a trace.

—Not long after you drifted off. Come on now, let’s get moving, my friend. I do enjoy this damp little pit, but I’m far more interested in seeing what sort of mess that failure’s become.

Yog’s voice was quick to answer, and Ian’s frown deepened.

—Don't let your guard down. Incomplete things are always the most dangerous.

"Like you?" At Ian's sarcastic remark, Yog let out a low chuckle.

—Yeah, like me. But if you devour that one, you’ll be one step closer to becoming whole. A great success born from failure, so to speak. Not that the failure was ever yours, of course...

“I’ve been meaning to say this,” Ian cut in, rising from his seat and brushing the dust off his coat.

As Yog’s whispers faded to a hush, Ian continued, voice flat, “Stop spouting that nonsense. I have no interest in becoming some so-called great being.”

—So you’d rather cling to your chains?

Yog burst into laughter.

—You really are amusing. You're already walking the path to breaking free, whether you want to or not. But mark my words, my friend—sooner or later, a moment will come when you'll have to choose.

Its tone, once light and almost teasing, dropped into a whisper—low and cold.

—And if you refuse, you'll pay the price for it.

Ian’s eyes narrowed, the smallest twitch betraying his reaction. “A price?”

—I couldn’t tell you what it’ll be.

As if its voice had never darkened, Yog's whisper returned to its usual casual tone.

—But I doubt it'll be anything good for you. However, choosing the path destined for you will make you truly great. And I, in turn, will finally be whole.

So that was the real reason. In the end, it was all for your sake.

Scoffing quietly, Ian slipped his right hand into the pocket dimension.

“I’ve given you more than enough chances.”

—Come on, Friend. I have said nothing that would...

Whatever Yog had meant to say next vanished in an instant, its presence cut off like a thread sliced cleanly through.

Finally, some peace.

Ian exhaled through his nose and rolled his shoulders with a satisfied shrug. His gaze shifted toward the stone shelf beside the bed, where his gear had been neatly arranged. He hadn’t slept long—just a short nap—but he’d still taken the time to strip off the heavier equipment and switch to a clean inner layer.

"Hmm." Resting beside his armor was an hourglass. Likely Diana’s doing.

About two hours? I slept longer than I expected.

He gave a small shrug and reached for his leather armor, its surface reinforced with a fine layer of chain mail.

Clank. Clatter.

Metal and leather clicked softly as he began strapping it on. With practiced ease, he secured everything loosely first—tightening could come after. Experience had taught him there was no faster way.

As expected, the armory hadn’t had much that suited him. A leather belt for throwing daggers and a mid-grade essence bead—nothing that would change the tide of battle. But, of course, those weren’t the only things he’d walked away with.

Creak.

The dark wooden door swung open just as he finished fastening his belt.

"You're already awake?" Lucia blinked as she stepped inside. "I came to wake you up."

Ian looked over, smiling faintly as he adjusted one of the steel gauntlets on his wrist. “Nice cloak.”

Lucia was wearing a blue hooded cloak he hadn't seen before—the same one that had belonged to the former mage of the mirror mask.

“Right? It’s a little too long, so I had to tuck the ends around my shoulders.” She grinned as she closed the door behind her and walked over.

As planned, she and Diana seemed to have visited the armory while he slept.

“The helmet suits you, too,” Ian added, fastening the last of his armguards.

"It's one of the things you picked out, you know."

Lucia was wearing a snug-fitting steel helmet that left her face completely exposed. Among the helmets Ian had chosen, there had been some with visors, but it seemed she had opted for one that allowed her to wear a mask separately.

"Not to mention, I got plenty of protective talismans too." Spreading her cloak wide, Lucia tapped different parts of her armor as she spoke. She had likely fixed the charms to the lining.

I wonder how many of those actually work.

Instead of voicing his question, he just shrugged. Even if only one turned out to be functional, it was still better than none.

As Iann fastened the last straps of his White Phosphor armor with practiced precision, Lucia's lips curled into a subtle smile.

"You drew a line, didn't you?"

"What line?"

“The contract,” she replied. “You were planning to rescue His Highness anyway, weren’t you, Sir Ian? And you’ve already received plenty from Drag Velga and Sir Valten as compensation.”

Smart kid.

Ian smiled as he responded. "Half of it, maybe. The other half was genuine. You know how mercenaries are—"

“They don’t move without a contract that guarantees proper compensation,” Lucia finished smoothly.

His smile deepened. “Exactly.”

As he secured the final piece of his gear, Lucia stepped a little closer. “I didn’t bring it up because I had a problem with it. Quite the opposite, actually. Thanks to you, Sir Ian, I got my hands on some excellent equipment. I was just wondering why you made the distinction so clear.”

Ian rolled his shoulder once to test the fit before responding. "You already have a guess, don't you?"

"So it is that." Lucia let out a quiet sigh, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You think the one empowering the Lions... is His Highness, don’t you?”