Witch Taming System-Chapter 63: Nyx

Lancel decided to take Arondight over a dagger.

For the second item, he kept walking.

There was no shortage of choices. Artifacts lined every direction, each one offering something different.

A cape caught his eye for a moment. It seemed to conceal presence through magic, according to the instructions. It didn’t require mana, only enough moisture to activate.

It was practical, in its own way.

Nearby, there was a ring with an enchantment meant to enhance perception. Useful, but not enough to make him stop.

He moved on.

As he continued, a different thought crossed his mind.

Instead of choosing something for immediate use, he could simply take something valuable and sell it. Every artifact here would fetch a high price. The difference between them wouldn’t matter much in the end.

Even so, he didn’t reach out for anything yet.

He kept walking until something caught his attention.

"Hm?"

It was some kind of scaly artifact with its structure resembling that of a human spine.

It didn’t look like armor. It was open and incomplete, only spanning the width of a person’s back as if it were meant to be attached rather than worn.

Lancel stepped closer, his gaze narrowing as he inspected it.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?"

One of the segments had a runic carving etched into it. Unlike the others he had seen, this one was readable.

Lancel leaned in slightly, reading it out.

"Nyx...?"

———!

At that moment, the spine-like scale shifted. A faint glow spread across it, taking on a ghastly shadowed hue.

Lancel instinctively moved a step back.

It was then.

"Ukh...!"

Something tore into his back.

His body gave out as he stumbled forward, collapsing onto the ground. His hand shot back, grasping at nothing as the pain surged through him in an instant.

It was pain unlike anything he had felt before.

When his arm had been severed, it was something he could still understand. But this was different. If he had thought that was the peak of pain, then he had been wrong.

This... there was nothing he could compare it to.

The pain was overwhelming, to the point that tears began to spill from his eyes without him realizing it. It wasn’t a cry. His body simply reacted, unable to hold it back as the sensation pushed past anything he could endure.

Lancel tightly closed his eyes.

For what felt like an agonizing stretch of time, Lancel remained still, waiting for the pain to pass, even when it felt like it never would.

But once it did, only then did he slowly open his eyes.

"...."

What met him were two crimson eyes, staring straight at him.

For a moment, Lancel nearly gasped, his body tensing as the thought crossed his mind that whatever stood above him was about to kill him.

But a second passed.

Then another.

It didn’t move.

"What are you...?"

The thing before him was a ghastly creature, its form made up of shadows that seemed to leak into the air in the form of translucent vapors.

Its eyes burned crimson, fixed on him, while its structure resembled a distorted human spine.

From it, four limbs protruded outward, each one shaped into a single claw.

"...."

Lancel, still on the ground, slowly reached out.

The creature immediately moved closer, lowering itself as it pressed what seemed to be its against his hand, almost like it was trying to familiarize itself with his touch.

Despite its appearance, it didn’t act hostile. If anything, it behaved in a way that was unexpectedly tame, like a creature that had already accepted him.

"Nyx..."

That seemed to be its name.

But the moment the word left his mouth, the creature reacted. Its body glowed crimson for a brief instant before it vanished entirely. At the same time, Lancel felt something press into his back, ike something had latched onto him.

His hand immediately reached behind, slipping under his shirt as he tried to grasp it.

Then, he felt rough, uneven scales. It was there, attached to him, clinging along his spine. But just as quickly, the sensation began to fade, as if it were sinking deeper into his flesh.

"Nyx..."

He called again.

In the next moment, the creature reappeared.

"So you show up when I call your name..."

Lancel’s eyes narrowed as he pieced it together.

It responded to its name.

That alone told him enough.

It was a familiar-type artifact in the same category as Denim’s basilisk. A construct that could be summoned at will, bound through a name, existing alongside its user rather than apart from them.

The same kind of weapon that had made Denim the strongest witch hunter in the organization.

This was a great find.

Lancel returned to Countess Gretelle’s side not long after.

"Are you finished?" she asked, her gaze settling on the sword in his hand.

"Yeah."

"Just one?"

She looked at him for a moment longer, as if expecting more. It was clear she hadn’t noticed anything else.

"Ah... there was that artifact called Nyx. I seemed to have... resonated with it..."

"Nyx?"

Countess Gretelle tilted her head, as if she found his words foreign.

"There’s no such artifact in the treasury."

"Uh...?"

"This won’t do. Go pick something else. And it seems you’ve taken a liking to Arondight. Its scabbard should be somewhere around here. I’ll go get it."

"Eh, but—"

Before Lancel could stop her, Countess Gretelle was already moving.

Lancel sighed, scratching his head before heading back in. Without overthinking it, he picked up a ring artifact and returned.

By the time he got back, Gretelle had already returned as well.

"Here’s the scabbard."

She handed it over without much ceremony.

"Arondight... huh? That was a sword my predecessor bargained for with the Witch of the Lake, Vivienne. It’s said to have been wielded by some legendary knight. Though I’m not too familiar with that history myself."

"Is that so...?"

"Hm, yes. Around that time, I believe the Empire of Brinte was still in the midst of establishing itself."

Her gaze turned to the ring on his finger.

"And that ring?"

"It’s called a Wind Ward."

"Ah, Wind Ward. I used that quite often in the past, back when I couldn’t cast wind-based spells myself. It was useful then. Now, not so much. Are you certain you want that? I could introduce you to something better."

"Oh, no. This is enough for me, Countess Gretelle. Thank you."

Lancel had already tested it. It drew on his blood, then activated a wind-based effect that enhanced his agility and overall physical performance.

Compared to the rest, it was straightforward, something he could actually make use of without complication.

He didn’t need anything more.

"Well then," Gretelle said, turning slightly. "If that’s all, Fiore is waiting."

"Yes."