From Alessio Leone's Perspective
The rest of the journey to Durnholde was surprisingly calm.
After the massacre, it was as if even the Gloomshade Forest itself had decided to grant them a moment of peace.
The wind blew softly, the damp ground swallowed the sound of their steps, and the moon hid partially behind the clouds, casting gentle shadows between the trees.
The heavy air that had once lingered between him and Sith — or Freya, as he now knew — seemed to have dissipated.
There was no awkwardness anymore, no lingering tension.
All that remained was a comfortable silence, filled only by the rhythm of their breathing and the quiet murmur of the woods.
Alessio couldn't help but think:
Maybe the blood of the Fighting Dogs served more than just to clear the path…
He almost laughed at the thought.
In the end, that group of idiots had turned out to be surprisingly useful.
They had provided experience, resources, and even items that would change the course of his plans — a gift disguised as a threat.
But when the city began to emerge in the distance, the faint lights of Durnholde flickering ahead — small artificial flames cutting through the darkness — Alessio knew the journey was coming to an end.
Less than an hour remained before the Black Tower's servers closed, marking the end of the third, and most profitable, day he had ever lived inside the game.
He was already thinking about logging out when he heard her voice.
"Hey, wait."
Sith stopped just behind him, her tone calm but firm enough to make him turn around.
She rummaged through her leather satchel, carefully pulling out two objects wrapped in a blackened, soot-stained cloth.
When the fabric fell away, Alessio recognized the shapes immediately.
The Lich's sealed items.
The ones that had been resting on the stone altar beside the profane coffin — the grimoire and the necklace.
She extended both toward him, the moonlight reflecting off their worn surfaces.
"Take a look at these…" she said, eyes fixed on his. "Do you know how to fix them?"
Alessio took the grimoire first.
The black leather cover was partly burned, and the embossed emblem in the center — a sun wreathed in flames — bore deep cracks, as if corroded from within.
When he opened it, a few pages still glowed faintly red, pulsing like dying embers.
The system's notification appeared instantly:
[Epic Item — Damaged]
Grimoire of Eternal Ashes
Attributes: +20% Intelligence | +15% Agility
Description:
A grimoire once belonging to one of Thalgrande's fire archmages, forged with living runes and draconic parchment.
Even after centuries of neglect, the mana sealed within its pages still burns faintly against the fingers of whoever holds it.
Currently damaged — its runes have been corrupted by the Lich's seal, diminishing part of its power.
Active Ability:
Scorching Burst — Creates an instant fire eruption in a small radius, dealing damage equal to 250% of the user's Intelligence. (Cooldown: 90 seconds.)
Sealed Abilities:
— "Pillars of Solar Ruin" (inactive)
— "Archmage's Burning Heart" (inactive)
Note: The item is partially destroyed. Restoration is possible.
Alessio turned a few more pages, feeling the heat intensify.
The smell of ash and old magic made him smile faintly.
Powerful — even weakened.
Then he picked up the necklace.
Unlike the grimoire, this one radiated a cold energy — almost its opposite.
The pendant was a small crystal teardrop encircled by a silver frame, cracked on one side.
Inside the crystal, a pale blue light moved slowly, like something alive trapped within.
When he touched it, a wave of cold climbed up his arm, and another notification appeared.
[Epic Item — Damaged]
Necklace of the Serene Tide
Attributes: +20% Intelligence | +20% Vitality
Description:
An ancient artifact crafted by the priestesses of northern Thalgrande to channel the mana currents of the sea.
Its glow was once said to calm storms and purify the spirit of its bearer.
After centuries of exposure to the Lich of the Green Moon's corruption, its energy has become unstable.
Active Ability:
Blessing of the Depths — Restores 15% of the user's Vitality and generates a healing field that regenerates nearby allies for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 120 seconds.)
Sealed Abilities:
— "Primordial Deluge" (inactive)
— "Etheric Tide" (inactive)
Note: The item's energy is unstable. Restoration possible.
Alessio observed the two relics for several seconds, the pale moonlight reflecting off their opposing surfaces — the grimoire's fiery red and the necklace's deep blue.
The contrast between them was almost poetic: fire and water, life and calm, destruction and healing.
Two forces that should have negated each other — and yet, here they were, side by side, created to coexist, perhaps even to complete one another.
He traced his fingers over the necklace's cracked crystal, feeling the cool irregular surface, then over the grimoire's scorched leather, still warm to the touch — as if a burning heart pulsed beneath it.
Even damaged, both items pulsed with energy — intense, alive, almost organic.
It was astonishing.
The dormant power inside those artifacts was the kind of strength that became legend over time.
And deep down, Alessio knew — even without reading every line of the system's description — that he was holding top-tier epic items.
The kind of equipment that didn't just improve a player's performance, but defined their legacy inside the Tower.
They were so extraordinary that he couldn't even blame Freya for snatching them off the altar without hesitation.
In her place, he would've done the same.
He looked up.
Freya was watching him with her usual calm, predatory gaze.
Her green eyes — softened by the silver glow of the moon — carried a silent confidence, as if she already knew the answer before he spoke.
The lion cubs slept soundly in the makeshift pouch at her side, their tiny golden bodies rising and falling in rhythm.
The moonlight made the necklace shimmer in her hands, the blue reflection dancing across her face and eyes, giving her an almost ethereal beauty.
It was a sight that looked like it belonged to another age — a warrior of old, guarding sacred relics beneath a sleeping moon.
"Fixing them won't be easy," Alessio said finally, closing the grimoire and handing both back carefully.
His voice was calm, but tinged with a respect that went beyond their value. "But if I had to bet… I'd say they're worth the trouble."
Sith nodded slowly, a small smile curving her lips — almost amused, like someone hearing an obvious truth.
"I thought you'd say that."
Her gaze lingered on him for a few seconds, and for that brief moment, Alessio felt that the words weren't just about the artifacts — but about them.
He chuckled softly, the sound muffled by the helmet.
And as he watched the necklace and grimoire vanish once more into Freya's satchel, silent thoughts began to take shape in his mind.
As for repairing them, he already had some ideas.
Maybe the old blacksmith of Durnholde — the one who forged weapons for the city guards — could restore part of the grimoire's structure, though it would cost a small fortune.
Or maybe there was another path… a hidden event, a place that could awaken corrupted relics.
He remembered rumors — fragments of information from his past life.
But for now, there was no rush.
The artifacts had found their rightful owners, and both of them — the twin prodigies — were still young.
Alessio had no doubt about that.
Time, for once, was on their side.
He adjusted his helmet and looked toward the horizon.
The lights of Durnholde shimmered ahead — promises of rest and new beginnings.