The path back to cave's mouth was strangely quiet.
All the traps that were active now sleep in eternal slumber. Blue neon lines across the cave were pulsating with a victorious silence.
Vivan's steps slowed. His chest was rising up and down due to carrying the Clevon heir on his back.
He looked back at Selvaria.
"So as I asked why are you wearing that sigil your highness? Were not you abducted by them?"
Selvaria glanced at him as her silver hair caught the dim neon light. A shadowed smirk tugged at her lips.
"If you want the truth… ask your friend."
Vivan frowned.
"Who? Samuel?"
"Yes" Her voice was calm and almost cold.
"He was my personal bodyguard. But don't expect too much- he knows better than me about the corruptions that are rotting this town."
The words stung more than Vivan wanted to admit. His eyes narrowed, but he pressed on.
"Fine. Then at least tell me… why the dark guild?"
Selvaria stopped as the faintest laugh escaped her lips. She tilted her head as if he was a puzzle piece that didn't fit.
"Before we get to that… let me ask you something. You are an Otherworlder, aren't you?"
His heart skipped. He clenched his fist.
"… How do you know?"
"Well" She said softly, stepping closer.
"Your growth in these fights was not normal. You learned Azerion's seal and then you made your own version of it right after. That's not something a man of our world can do."
"Azerion?" Vivan's voice was sharp, but inside his mind spun.
Selvaria's gaze sharpened with a flicker of respect or may be resentment.
"Azerion Percival Vandrago. The founder of the dark guild… and the master of the seals. The only man of our world who was strong enough to stand against Otherworlders like you."
Vivan's thought tripped over themselves.
"But Samuel told me Amionisa Rudolf founded the dark guild."
Selvaria nodded.
"That's true as Azerion didn't create the guild. He founded the concept that the guild was supposed to follow."
Her voice dropped lower, almost bitter.
"He was the first to understand that we were not born. We were created as entertainment for someone else's eyes. He wanted to visit the so-called creator in his world… and ask a simple question."
Her eyes gleamed with pain.
"Why must we suffer through twisted games of morality… just for your amusement?"
Vivan's breath caught. His grip faltered. His mind spun so hard he thought he would collapse.
"An NPC… understood that much? Not only that he tried to break out of game world to reach reality?"
Those words never came out his lips but a potential threat of AI circulated in his mind.
Then his voice came out hoarse.
"What happened to him?"
Selvaria coughed to clear her voice.
"The last known update was he reached the chamber of exit but then no trace of him remained in this world."
Vivan's throat felt dry. His mind still reeled at the thought of Azerion pushing against the walls of reality itself, but another name itched at the back of his mind.
He forced the words out.
"…Then what about Amionisa Rudolf? If Azerion only laid the foundation, why does everyone believe she founded the Dark Guild?"
Selvaria's steps slowed. For the first time, her smirk faltered. The dim blue glow carved shadows across her face, and when she spoke again her voice was quieter—almost reluctant.
"Because she was one of you."
Vivan blinked. "…An Otherworlder?"
Selvaria nodded, her gaze distant now.
"Amionisa was dragged into this world without her consent. She wasn't here to conquer, or to rise as a hero. She was placed here to observe, to watch over this twisted cage called world and keep its balance."
Vivan's eyes sank in deep thought.
"So she was a moderator. But why would she rebel? What have you faced Amionisa Rudolf?"
But Selvaria ignored his silence as she was blazing with fury inside.
Her tone turned sharp, like a blade pressing against old wounds.
"But who asked her if she wanted to play that role? No one. She wanted only one thing—to go home."
The cavern air felt colder, though Vivan knew it was just the sweat on his neck chilling under the draft. He swallowed.
"So she joined Azerion."
"Yes." Selvaria's lips curled faintly, though there was no joy in it.
"He was the first who dared to rebel against the script written for us. And Amionisa… she saw in him a path to freedom. To tear open the walls of this world, even if it meant burning everything inside."
Vivan's pulse hammered. The thought clawed at his chest, louder than his footsteps.
"A trapped Otherworlder… forced to guard balance… breaking ranks just to go home?"
His knuckles tightened around his right hand as it clenched a fist. Was that desperation any different from his own?
[System Chime]
- +100 empathy for a negative character.
Selvaria's eyes flickered toward him, sharp and unyielding.
"That's why people call her the founder of the Dark Guild. Not because she created it… but because she gave it purpose. To shatter this cage from within."
The words froze him. As a single thought lingered.
"Negative character? Was that how the system saw her? Or it is just the world's view on her?"
But before he could ask more, Selvaria's head turned. A faint shimmer of moonlight spilled through the cavern mouth ahead.
Her tone shifted back to that guarded coldness.
"Your friends are here. If you want more answers… find me at the peak of Greypeak, when the full moon rises."
And just like that- her figure flickered. The neon light fractured around her form.
*BLIP*
She was gone.
As Selvaria's form dissolved into thin air, the silver moonlight spilled across the forest.
Its glow revealed a line of silhouettes moving through the forest, their armor glinting faintly between the trees as they advanced toward the cave.
Vivan exhaled, lowering the unconscious Clevon heir and resting him gently against the mountain's ascent wall. His shoulders sagged with fatigue- just for a moment.
That was when the sound hit.
*Shrooom*
Vivan snapped his head toward the cave. His eyes widened as the stone mouth began to collapse inward.
The glowing runes across its surface flickered once, and then bled out.
In a matter of heartbeats, the entire cave face shrank, twisting upon itself- until nothing remained but cold, untouched rock.
"…A random-spawning cave?" Vivan muttered. "That's dangerous."
A familiar voice cut through the night.
"GhostWalker… is that you?"
From the treeline, the marching figures broke into view- steel and banners catching the moonlight. Royal Guards of Novarim. And at their head, Samuel.
Vivan's lips curved into a tired smirk.
"You're late."
Samuel gave a short, humourless laugh as he gestured back to the men behind him.
"Well, forgive me. It takes time to pull reinforcements together at this hour."
His gaze dropped- and froze.
The heir.
"What…?" Samuel's eyes widened, disbelief cracking his usual composure. "You actually found him?"
The silence that followed was broken only by the clink of armor as the Guards stopped in unison.
The ruins- once cursed as Hell itself by Amionisa Rudolf- had been conquered. And from its heart, Vivan had walked out carrying the lost Clevon heir.
Samuel's gaze shifted from the heir to the mountainside. His brow furrowed.
"…Where is the cave?"
Vivan spread his hands, lips quirking.
"Well… it's gone."
Their eyes locked for a moment, both doubtful and unsettled. Then Samuel broke it, turning to bark orders as he began preparing the men for their return to the castle of Novarim.
In the lull, one of the younger soldiers drifted closer to Vivan. His voice was low, almost swallowed by the night air.
"Sir… was there really any cave?"
Vivan arched a brow. "Yeah. Why?"
The soldier stifled a yawn before leaning in further.
"Well… there's a rumour. That Sir Samuel lost his sanity… after failing to protect the First Princess."
Before Vivan could respond, another guard slapped the young man's arm, shooting him a sharp glare that screamed shut your mouth.
Vivan's jaw tightened. He said nothing, but inside, the words seethed:
"Lazy, ignorant fools. You question your commander just because you had to leave your warm beds for duty?"
He bit it back, but the truth lingered like a bitter taste- the Royal Guard's morale was already cracking.
As they moved toward the castle gates, Vivan fell into step beside Samuel. His gaze was razor sharp.
"Samuel… you were her personal bodyguard?" he asked quietly.
Samuel froze, a flicker of shock crossing his face.
"How… do you know that?"
Vivan didn't reveal his encounter with Selvaria. Instead, he offered a simple answer.
"One of your guards mentioned that you failed to protect the First Princess, so I guessed."
Samuel raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his silence heavy with unspoken memories.
Vivan pressed on, his voice calm but insistent.
"So… what happened? Care to share?"
The forest was bathed in the moonlight as the trauma of the past lingered through the voice of the failed knight.
Samuel's jaw tightened. He swallowed, his chest rising and falling as if each breath weighed tons.
"I was stationed outside the newlywed couple's room… never wavered from my post. Not for a single moment. And yet… it happened."
Vivan's eyes narrowed.
"They killed the groom and abducted the First Princess… leaving her mana imprint on the murder weapon, along with a note?"
Samuel's head lowered. His voice was barely audible.
"Yes."
Vivan's frown deepened.
"And nothing seemed out of the ordinary?"
"No…" Samuel hesitated, then exhaled sharply.
"Well… I saw a vulture flying through the open window. It circled once, twice… and then vanished within three minutes."
Vivan's gaze sharpened. "And?"
Samuel swallowed again, his voice trembling.
"There was… a strong, sweet scent. Even from outside the door, I could smell it."
Vivan's brow furrowed. "Sweet scent?"
A spark of realization ignited in his eyes. "Were there any marks on the groom? Near the nostrils?"
Samuel stiffened, fear creeping into his posture.
"How… how do you know about that?"
Vivan's voice cut through the air, firm and commanding.
"Tell me."
Two guards closest to them turned their head back to see what's going on.
Samuel's throat tightened. "There were… pale blue marks."
Vivan's lips curved into a knowing grin, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place.
"Chloroform… suffocation marks."
He fell silent, letting the pieces fall into place in his mind.
The castle gate loomed ahead, its towering arches catching the moonlight.
And as it opened, it seemed to peek down on the victorious returners, bathing them in a praising gleam that glinted off armors and banners alike.
The party carried the Clevon heir carefully.
Minister Hollowart awaited them, bowing deeply as they passed through the gate into the royal court.
His sharp gaze followed the rescued unconscious heir of Clevon house like a serpent in resentment.
King Arathen Novarim rose from his throne, worry etched into every line of his face.
"You have returned… GhostWalker." Relief washed over him as he exhaled heavily.
Vivan allowed himself a faint smirk.
"I am not alone."
Two guards gently carried the Clevon heir on a stretcher.
The Second Princess, Elara, rushed forward, her eyes wide with relief, and threw herself into Vivan's arms.
She pressed a quick, grateful hug to his chest, lingering just long enough to leave warmth on his cheek.
King Arathen's eyes gleamed, a mixture of pride and astonishment.
"You have rescued the Clevon heir! Not only did you save the third prince from the woods, but you also protected Elara from the assassin- and now this!"
Minister Hollowart inclined his head in a formal bow, yet his glare lingered longer than courtesy allowed.
Every word of thanks was measured, precise- but beneath the surface, a sharp resentment burned at Vivan's success.
"Novarim is greatly indebted to you, Adventurer."
[System chime]
-Morality Implications detected
-Quest: The Rescue of uncanny – completed
-Reward distributed: +10 stats for all general stats, 50k gold coins
-25k player EXP gained
The king's expression softened.
"You've been through so much. Rest now."
Elara led Vivan to his chamber, leaving a lingering warmth from her farewell kiss on his cheek.
Vivan sank onto the soft bed, exhaustion seeping into every muscle. Yet, even as his eyes grew heavy, one thought refused to fade:
Chloroform… vulture… Dark Guild marks… someone from reality… an Otherworlder… responsible for the demise of Prince Kendrick.
And amid all the chaos, unknown to anyone, a new sword began to take form within Vivan's chest- a will-bearer of Azerion, destined to break the world itself.
…To be continued