I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 383

Lucia waited in the forest outside the camp, concealed in the shadows of a tree trunk at the edge of the uphill ridge where Ian had followed Diana. Though she was well-hidden and kept her presence masked, Ian found her without much difficulty.

—I thought you'd gotten lost, my friend.

Yog’s languid whisper echoed in Ian’s mind. By focusing his consciousness, he could sense Lucia’s presence—thanks to the blood terminal inscribed by Yog. While it was uncertain when unexpected side effects might arise, for now, it was proving to be a highly useful piece of dark magic.

"Sorry for being late, Lucy."

"You're not very late. We only just arrived, actually. But more importantly—" Lucia, with her usual calm demeanor, added, "What happened? Are they really human?"

"See for yourself," Ian replied, stepping slightly to the side and gesturing with his head.

Lucia's gaze shifted behind him. Beyond the forest's shadows, a slender silhouette grew distinct as it approached soundlessly.

—Oh, it's a fairy.

It wasn't just the fact that there was a survivor, but also the fairy's overall presence that seemed to captivate her.

The fairy had short platinum hair revealing a sharp jawline, pale skin, and a sleek gray-black leather armor that hugged her figure in stark contrast. For Lucia, who had rarely encountered fairies, the sight was striking. Even with the tales she'd heard, it was no wonder their charm helplessly ensnared many.

Diana, too, kept her gaze fixed on Lucia. The difference was that while Lucia's eyes widened, Diana's narrowed.

Ian, glancing at Diana's expression, spoke up. "She's a guide who'll lead us to the survivors' base."

"A base!" Lucia's eyes grew even wider.

Meanwhile, Diana’s expression darkened, clearly displeased at the prospect of yet another hassle. "Diana Erenos. Warden of the Deep Forest and—"

"Lucifer Ash Riurel. Apostle of Lu Entre and—"

After the formal introductions, which Ian always found theatrical, Diana immediately turned her gaze back to him. "I didn't expect her to be this young."

"Well, now you know."

"No, ha." Diana let out a short sigh and, with a look that seemed to say this was no time for wordplay, added, "Other than being young, are there any other peculiarities you failed to mention?"

"If you're curious, ask her yourself. Don't treat her like a child. I told you, she's my companion." Diana frowned but turned her gaze back to Lucia.

Meeting Lucia's emerald eyes, she paused for a moment before speaking in a subdued voice. "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

Why is she acting so uncomfortable?

Even as the thought crossed his mind, he met Lucia’s gaze. Her eyes silently asked if she could reveal it.

Ian simply shrugged, leaving it up to her

Diana had already made her choice. She had no choice but to stand by her word. This was nothing more than a formality—or perhaps Diana's final shred of pride.

Lucia nodded and extended her palm. A small flame, a flicker of fire, ignited at its center.

Almost simultaneously, Diana's brow furrowed. "Magic? Didn't you say you were an Apostle of Lu Entre?"

Lucia answered calmly. "I am. But I was also born with blessing."

"So it's the power of the bloodline. I wondered how someone so young could receive divine revelation. Damn it." Diana sighed heavily, pressing her temples with her thumb and forefinger.

Ian found it amusing—fairies didn’t seem to have coping mechanisms too different from humans.

Finally, Diana spoke again. "Do you know what happens to all mages in the end?"

"Yes, I do." Lucia clenched her fist, extinguishing the flame, and continued, "That's why I won't use magic unless it's absolutely necessary."

"No, that's not what I meant. This isn't such a simple issue."

"Simple enough," Ian interjected. "Divine power may not reach her, but Lucia's body remains blessed by the gods."

Diana looked at him, seeming to ask why he was interfering after telling her to ask directly.

Ian, unfazed, continued. "That blessing rejects and expels any malevolent impurities. Painful, yes, but manageable. So long as she doesn't overuse magic, it won't be an issue."

—Quite the natural liar, my friend. Surely you know it might not be that simple.

Yog's low laughter whispered in Ian's ear, its tone laced with amusement. Despite its wearisome voice, it seemed to enjoy the situation. Ian responded with a faint snort, flicking his hand dismissively.

Relaxed on Lucia's shoulder, Yog vanished in a puff of black smoke, reappearing in Ian's hand. The black snake reformed in his hand and slithered up his fingers, coiling into the shape of a ring.

Diana, who had just begun regaining her composure, scowled again. "And what is that?"

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"My familiar."

"A familiar? As if the strange magical artifact and cursed sword weren't enough, now you have a familiar like some mage?"

"It just turned out that way."

Diana's expression now bordered on outright disbelief. She seemed to reexamine her earlier conclusion that Ian wasn't corrupt.

Ian shrugged. "This one was formed from the grudge of ancient swamp fairies. You could think of it as an artifact born from your ancestors' resentment."

"And what the hell is the point of— No, damn it." With a groan, Diana closed her eyes tightly, her exasperation clear.

Lucia watched her with a faint look of pity. Perhaps she was the one who understood Diana's feelings best at that moment. Turning to glance at Ian briefly, Lucia added, "Sorry, but this isn't over yet, Diana."

"Still?"

"Yes. The most important—"

"No. Stop. That's enough." Diana's eyes widened as she cut her off, even waving her hands to stop her.

Diana covered her face with her palms when Lucia fell silent and murmured, "I don't even want to know anymore. Maybe ignorance is bliss. Damn it. I should have just followed those cursed undead bastards to the end. Look at this mess!"

Lucia turned to Ian and shrugged as if to say, Well, if that's the case, so be it.

Ian chuckled while Diana, having run her hands down her face, looked at him with an expression of exhaustion. "I know you're not servants of the corrupted ones or demons. But your secrets, it would be best if they remained that way, at least while you're under my watch."

"I'll do my best, though I can't promise anything," Ian replied.

Diana no longer seemed inclined to argue. She merely muttered, "I'm sure you will," and moved her lips as though cursing under her breath.

Ian, watching her for a moment, added, "So, is everything settled now?"

"Yes. It's all done."

At that moment, a quest window appeared before him. The task was simple: follow the guide to the stronghold city and reach it safely. The reward was a modest amount of experience points.

It wasn't hard to guess why the quest only appeared now.

She's finally come to terms with the situation.

A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Ian's lips. It confirmed his suspicion that, until now, Diana had been ready to flee if things went south.

In any case, this aligned with how events played out in the game. Although Diana wasn't the guide, the system seemed lenient enough to accommodate the current circumstances.

Closing the quest window, Ian spoke. "Then let's get moving. We can talk about the rest on the way."

"No." Diana's response caught him off guard.

He frowned slightly and turned to her as she sighed and explained, "There's still something that needs to be done. Since we're back, it feels right to finish it before we leave."

"Something that needs to be done?" When Ian asked, Diana turned to him with a look of disbelief.

"What did you think I was doing there?"

"I don't know, pillaging an empty house?"

"Right. You weren't paying attention at all," she muttered, narrowing her eyes as though she'd expected this response.

Ian merely shrugged, offering no excuses.

"I was curious," Lucia interjected suddenly.

Diana blinked, momentarily startled, as Lucia continued, "What were you doing here alone? And how did you get here before us? We didn't exactly move slowly, after all."

"You're just as peculiar as Ian Hope, Lucifer. You had little to say about the stronghold, but this piques your curiosity?"

"I figured you wouldn't answer if I asked about the stronghold. This, though, you might."

Diana blinked again, a slightly awkward smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Is she just uncomfortable talking to teenagers?

Ian wondered briefly before asking, "So, you weren't just looting a warehouse?"

"I wouldn't say the thought didn't cross my mind. Monsters carry all sorts of scrap metal they've picked up. But that was just a secondary goal," Diana admitted reluctantly, turning her gaze away. She looked toward the outline of the fortress shrouded in the dim twilight below.

After a moment's pause, she continued, "This place used to be relatively safe. It wasn't far from the border, and it wasn't strategically important. It was unclaimed land. But recently, there's been an expansion of the territory. Disturbances started appearing at the borders as well."

"Expansion. I see," Lucia murmured.

It was a natural perspective shift. While it was erosion from the outside, within the boundary, it meant more space was opening up.

"That's why the more skilled scouts expanded their patrols farther and wider than usual. Naturally, I did too. And that's when I found them. Just a short while ago, they weren't even here," Diana explained.

Lucia's brow furrowed slightly at her words. "That massive fortress was built in just ten days?"

"Ten days?" Diana repeated, and Lucia quickly added, "I counted a day for every time we slept. Today is the eleventh day since we crossed the wall."

"You've been keeping track of that? What a pointless exercise," Diana remarked with a low chuckle.

It wasn't pure mockery; there was something else behind her smile. However, it lasted only a moment. She turned her gaze away, continuing as though nothing had happened.

"In any case, my initial plan was to observe and report. Then, on my way back, I encountered the wanderers."

"The wanderers?" Lucia asked, and this time, Ian answered.

"The victory parade we saw earlier. So, you followed them back here."

"Exactly. I had no choice. It had been so long since they'd last returned. Honestly, I thought they'd all been wiped out, but instead, their forces had grown."

Diana clicked her tongue briefly, her gaze shifting to Ian. "And as you know, they razed the place, reaped the souls, and took everything. I considered continuing to pursue them, but decided against it."

She gestured toward the fortress with a nod of her head. "Instead, I decided to check something. Were they servants of the corrupted ones? Or just a bunch of cockroaches that stumbled in by chance? But, as you can see, I didn't finish. I ran into a lunatic wielding a cursed sword."

Ian couldn't suppress a chuckle, remembering how Diana had bolted at the sight of him. He imagined the chill that must have run down her spine.

"Is there a domain of the demon in this area?" Lucia asked in a subdued voice.

Diana shrugged. "As far as I know, there isn't one nearby. But it wouldn't be surprising if one cropped up. Even now, new demon kinds are being created somewhere, while others perish."

"My goodness," Lucia murmured.

"Either way, we'll only know for sure by checking," Ian said, nodding slightly at Diana.

"If that's the case, I'll gladly help. Let's wrap this up quickly."

"Before that, there's something you should know," Diana began, but Lucia cut her off.

Ian turned his attention to her. "What is it?"

"There are monsters down below," Lucia replied.

"So that's why you were waiting outside," Ian muttered.

Lucia nodded. "A few were coming up. They were drawn to the monster corpses outside, but they didn't come all the way in. So I slipped out quietly."

"Wolves, I assume. They're the quickest to catch a scent in the mountains," Diana muttered coldly as she turned to Ian.

"Give me back my sword and mask. I need them for fighting and searching. If there's any lingering curse, I can't block it without the mask."

"No."

"What?" Diana blinked, her reaction a beat too slow.

By then, Ian had already retrieved the sword from his pocket dimension and was gesturing to Lucia.

"I told you, you won't need to fight. If you're afraid of curses, stay back from the search, too."

Where does she think she's sneaking off to again?

Ian glanced briefly at Diana, who stood there with her mouth slightly open, then began walking toward the fortress with Lucia. He added over his shoulder, "Go grab that backpack you said you hid. We'll handle everything else."