I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 424

"Yes. Understood." With his response, Valten gestured toward the Wolf leader in the distance. A Wolf with a scar over one eye slightly nodded. Then, after casting a glance at Ian's group, Valten turned away.

As Ian stepped into the passageway, Diana murmured from behind, "I've got a bad feeling about this. Damn it. Did I spit too late?"

"You never know. They might be back soon," Lucia whispered in response.

—I have a feeling something interesting is about to happen. This is becoming more and more to my liking.

Yog chuckled, as if mocking them.

You're the only one enjoying this.

Ian smacked his lips. He could already picture what kind of situation was waiting ahead. And gut feelings like this were never wrong.

Step. Step.

As they walked, Wolves continuously brushed past them along the narrow passageway. At the very least, it was clear that this fortress housed troops numbering in the hundreds.

This place is like an ant nest.

The underground corridors split in multiple directions like a maze. It was the perfect structure for newcomers to get lost in—designed with enemy invasions in mind. Yet Valten strode forward as if he knew the fortress inside out.

"Ugh, I'm already feeling sick," Diana grumbled under her breath.

This was undoubtedly the worst kind of environment for a fairy—not that it was any better for humans. Amid it all, Ian noticed the corridor sloped gently upward, leading further up the mountain.

"Right there." Valten shifted his upper body slightly to the side as he spoke. Thanks to him, Ian was able to see the figure approaching from the far end of the corridor.

Like Valten, the person was clad in full plate armor, its luster dulled with age. However, they were noticeably smaller and had a more agile build—they were a female knight. And not just any knight, a Black Knight.

A hushed whisper reached Ian from behind. "Sir Ian, should I introduce—"

"Later, Lucy."

"Understood," Lucia responded immediately.

Valten came to a stop, and the female knight did the same. Her blue eyes gleamed through the narrow visor of her slightly pointed, fox-like helmet.

Valten gave her a small nod before stepping aside. "Allow me to introduce her, Agent of the Saint. This is the noble and valiant Black Lion who serves His Highness Hyked—Sir Seren Vikus."

Seren placed a hand over her breastplate and gracefully lowered herself to one knee.

"Ian Hope. Since you already seem to know who I am, let's skip the formal introductions," said Ian as he bowed his head in response.

"Understood. My apologies for greeting you under such chaotic circumstances, Agent of the Saint." Seren's words were courteous, yet her voice carried a chill that sent a brief shiver down Ian's spine.

Without a change in expression, Ian added, "I suppose I should at least hear why things are so chaotic here. After calling me all this way, where exactly did His Highness disappear to?"

His tone carried a hint of irritation—deliberately so. The key to getting them to talk was applying the correct amount of pressure. And sure enough, Seren hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice.

"Yes. My apologies, but would you mind moving to a different location? This isn't the most suitable place for such discussions."

"Fine by me." Ian glanced around the flickering torch-lit corridor and added, "Preferably somewhere a little less suffocating."

"I believe I have just the place in mind. Please, follow me," Seren replied.

Ian gave a small nod, and Seren immediately turned on her heel. She navigated the branching paths without the slightest hesitation, leading them into the interior of a tower where a narrow staircase wound along the wall. She was guiding them to an outpost perched atop the ridgeline.

"Please put on your mask, Agent of the Saint," said Seren.

They had been climbing for a while and were now close to a sealed stone door above.

Ian responded without hesitation. "I'll be fine as I am."

Seren cast a puzzled glance at Valten, only to find him remaining silent. Then, as if just realizing something, she looked down at Ian in mild surprise.

When Ian simply shrugged, she turned back around and resumed going up the stairs.

Rumble.

The stone door sank into the wall beneath them. Seren stepped out first, with Valten following close behind. Ian was the last to exit.

—Oh....

As he stepped into the uncovered outpost, Yog's exclamation echoed in his mind.

His vision opened up, revealing the vast sky stretching close above. It was like staring into a churning sea, its waves an unnatural mix of tangled, foreboding colors. The magic, impure and chaotic, was intensely apparent. Even the bead of chaos essence resonated faintly.

"So this is why you told me to wear a mask." Muttering as he walked, Ian's gaze suddenly froze at a point in the distant sky.

"By the gods."

Lucia and Diana, who had just stepped out behind him, widened their eyes in shock as they looked up.

Lucia's gaze, which had been sweeping across the sky, came to an abrupt stop. "What is that?"

High above, toward the left, a pitch-black hole loomed, no larger than a few fingers' width from their perspective. It was the eye of a vortex, exuding an ominous purple light.

"It's not the only one," Ian added as he looked toward the opposite direction.

Lucia turned her head to follow his gaze. Far in the distance, another hole had ruptured the sky, spewing erratic waves of ashen energy into the sky.

Ian swept his eyes across the sky, searching for more—other vortex eyes spilling different shades of chaos.

"This isn't something you usually see." Valten's deep voice broke the silence. His golden eyes gleamed as they scanned the sky. "These phenomena become more visible when there is a war between the demons. His Highness suspects archdemons are near those vortexes."

Lucia's eyes widened, and even Diana looked startled—this was news to both of them.

—How typical. A clumsy imitation, just like the failures they are.

Yog sneered.

Ian didn't bother asking what exactly they were imitating. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on the swirling vortex in the distance, pulsing with eerie light. At first, it had looked like a gaping hole leading into the abyss. Now, it resembled a black star, radiating an ominous glow.

"Even so, I've never seen them this clear before." Valten's voice carried a trace of unease. "Perhaps that's why this war is unfolding differently than usual."

Does it even matter which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Ian shifted his gaze to Seren, who stood facing him. "Let's get to the point."

"Understood." Seren, who had been looking at him with a strange expression, bowed her head slightly. "First, I bring you a message from His Highness. If the Agent of the Saint arrives before him, he offers his deepest apologies and asks for your understanding."

"Well, as long as he has a valid reason." Ian shrugged.

Seren studied him briefly before speaking again, her tone more cautious. "Are you aware of how this war is unfolding?"

It was a question meant to gauge how much she needed to explain.

Ian glanced at Valten before answering, "I know that it's already begun and that it's different from usual. I've seen as much firsthand."

"We found traces left behind by Inaskurgl's and Dharmaraja's forces in northern Du Chagon. We had planned to report directly to His Highness," Valten added.

Seren nodded. "So they've already advanced that far."

"Was His Highness already aware of this?" Ian asked.

"Yes. The moment the anomalies began appearing across the land, His Highness sensed it. He predicted that this war would unfold faster and more drastically than before." Seren answered.

She then turned her gaze to the horizon. "Not only the anomalies, but the very wavelengths of chaos have been unusual. His Highness even speculates that some external influence may have been involved."

Could I be the reason for that?

The thought flickered through Ian's mind, but he didn't let it show. Even he wasn't certain whether the disturbances resulted from the ripples he had created or the bead of chaos essence he carried. Perhaps it was both.

Unaware of his inner thoughts, Seren added, her voice chillingly composed, "So His Highness began implementing countermeasures as quickly as possible. Would you like a detailed explanation?"

"Let's skip that. What happened next?"

"Not long after, Inaskurgl's forces spilled out."

At Ian's slight nod, Seren continued, "There were even some demons we had never encountered before. Consumed by their primal instincts, they launched an indiscriminate assault on the northern regions of Akihatara."

"They broke through from there and just kept pushing forward?" Valten muttered in disbelief.

Seren's blue eyes shifted toward him. "His Highness believes this is our chance. An opportunity that may never come again if we let it slip by."

"To kill an archdemon?" Ian tossed out the words casually.

Lucia and Valten's eyes widened in unison.

Seren, after briefly studying Ian's face, nodded. "Yes. His Highness is determined to eliminate at least one."

A smirk crept onto Ian's lips.

As expected. Hyked has both sharp insight and bold decisiveness. He didn't let reality break him.

"So, which one has he set his sights on?" Ian asked.

"Inaskurgl." At Seren's response, Valten and Lucia exhaled sharply in unison.

"Good gods." Even Diana, who had been listening silently with her arms crossed, let out a gasp of disbelief.

—He never disappoints.

The only ones chucking were Yog and Ian.

Ian's smirk deepened as he murmured, "Bold indeed. Striking the side with the advantage."

Yet, there was something in Seren's gaze—something unsteady. That same hint of unease had flickered in her eyes several times throughout their conversation.

"Don't tell me—has he already departed?" Valten, who had clearly failed to notice, struggled to compose his shock as he spoke.

Seren turned toward him as he added, "Is that why so few troops remain in the fortress?"

"No. The reduction in numbers is due to the defensive measures I mentioned earlier. We deployed the gathered forces across other front-line outposts, keeping only the essential personnel. That includes accounting for your arrival, sir."

"Then—"

"His Highness was certain that Inaskurgl's stronghold would be nearly empty." As Valten's golden eyes narrowed, Seren's voice grew colder. "So, he left to secure a forward base near the Shadow Forest. It's dangerous, yes—but a necessary step for each faction to fulfill its role perfectly."

A ruler who truly leads by example.

Ian let out a chuckle through his nose before speaking. "So, I'm guessing their stronghold is in the Shadow Forest?"

"To the best of our knowledge, yes," Valten answered, extending a hand forward.

Ian followed his gesture, turning his gaze in the direction. Far in the distance, an ominous vortex churned, emitting gray waves of distortion. Ian's gaze dropped lower. Unlike the sky, where chaotic colors twisted and clashed, the land below remained eerily dark as if cloaked in perpetual shadow. Still, there was no doubt—that region was the Shadow Forest.

"Even so, sending the Wolves beyond that point seems far too risky." Lowering his hand, Valten spoke in a subdued voice. "With so much madness in the air, no amount of protective gear would let the majority last long. His Highness would never have taken such a reckless gamble."

"He didn't know." Seren's voice quieted as she met Valten's gaze. "The madness only kept growing stronger after His Highness left. It wasn't this extreme before. And besides, the Wolves were never meant to enter the forest itself—only to hold the path leading to it near the forward base. Only His Highness and a handful of his most elite forces were meant to enter the forest."

"So he'll change the plan once he returns." At Ian's remark, Seren hesitated before turning to look at him. Ian gave a slight nod and asked, "So, when do you expect him back?"

"Well..." Seren hesitated before finally speaking. "The time he promised to return has already passed."

Valten stiffened, his glowing yellow eyes widening in shock. Ian, on the other hand, let out a faint, bitter smirk.

I figured as much.

Seren's somber voice continued, "If everything had gone according to plan, His Highness should have been back by now—no matter how much of a delay he encountered. Something must have happened to prevent his return, or... he's changed the plan entirely."

"No—but I haven't sensed anything." Valten stammered, his voice wavering.

Ian turned to look at him, recalling how confidently he had claimed that if anything happened to Hyked, he would know.

Seren placed a hand over her breastplate and asked, "When was the last time you truly focused and meditated on it?"

Valten's eyes widened before he placed a hand over his breastplate and closed his eyes. Ian and Lucia exchanged glances, quietly observing. The action was familiar—eerily similar to how apostles meditated on their stigmata.

"This is..." A low, rumbling sigh escaped from Valean's lips. His golden eyes flared once more as he turned to Seren, his gaze filled with disbelief.

Seren, however, only gave a nod, as if she had already expected his reaction. "You've only been sensing the remnants His Highness left behind."

"I must go to him. Right now," said Valten.

"No," replied Seren.

"...What?" Valten faltered.

"I'll go. Now that you're here, you can take command of the fortress."

"But, Sir Seren—"

"You've come a long way, and you don't even know the route to the outpost, do you? You're not the one I should be asking." Then her piercing blue eyes locked onto Ian's. "The one I must ask... is the Agent of the Saint."

Ian neither looked surprised nor gave an immediate response. He simply stared at her with an unreadable expression, thinking to himself, I knew this was coming.

"I've already heard of your remarkable achievements at Drag Velga." Seren lowered her head slightly as she continued, "And now, I've seen with my own eyes how you remain unfazed by this suffocating chaos. Therefore, despite my rudeness, I require your help."

Clank.

She dropped to one knee. "I ask you, with all due respect—please accompany me to find His Highness. We do not know his situation, but if you come with me, I am certain you will be an invaluable asset."

Lucia and Diana's gazes immediately shifted to Ian. Valten, though visibly conflicted, did not object. After all, he had witnessed Ian annihilate the cannibalistic bandits.

For a moment, the outpost fell silent. Only the distant sound of the wind, carrying a hollow echo, filled the stillness.

Ian stared down at Seren, his expression unmoving. Then, without the slightest shift in his face, he asked, "And what exactly do I get out of this?"