[ Bonus Chapter 2/3 ]
Meanwhile, above, Max and his group suddenly convulsed before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
"Fuck! They’re all dead!"
"William, you idiot! Why didn’t you check for seals on them?" a young woman’s voice rang out, furious.
William, a man in his twenties with the arrogant demeanor of a noble, shrugged carelessly. "Whatever. Those traitors deserved to die anyway. Good riddance."
The woman cursed under her breath with venom:
"Stupid bastard! Now how are we supposed to find the Spirit Stone Mine?"
William’s eyes sharpened at her tone but he didn’t dare challenge her directly.
He gave another dismissive shrug and muttered: "Come on, Ophelia. Let’s just search the area. I’m sure we’ll find it—and the rat who dared steal it right from under our nose."
The earth trembled beneath their feet, sending a wave of tension through the group.
"What’s happening?" one of the young women whispered in panic.
"Could it be another terrifying creature?"
"Then we shouldn’t head that way, my ladies!" cautioned a muscular guard, gripping the reins of his Winged Lion tightly.
But among them stood Ophelia, who possessed the Sharp Ear ability—granted by her Celestial Fox companion, which hovered high above, radiating a soft celestial glow.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing as she listened intently.
"Someone’s fighting in that direction," she said, pointing toward the distant echoes of Igaris’s battle. "Let’s go. Maybe the Spirit Stone Mine is there."
Her eyes gleamed with dangerous curiosity.
Ophelia was a stunning young woman with golden-blonde hair, a sharp nose, fair skin, and an untamed temperament. Though she had big breasts and ass, none of the guards dared cast a glance inappropriately. Not even a stray thought crossed their minds, because Ophelia could read expressions like open books, and she was known to punish even the idea of disrespect.
Igaris and his army had just finished taking down the dozen Wyverns.
At that moment, Evernight’s brow twitched. She turned sharply toward him.
"My liege, we have a problem. The cursed seals were broken. Someone might catch wind of this battle. We should leave quickly, just in case."
Igaris gave a short nod and moved toward the cavern entrance.
Inside, the space opened into a vast chamber, spacious enough to rival a football stadium. A foul stench lingered in the air, a mix of massive droppings and rotting remains. Broken human bones were scattered across the ground like grim reminders of past intrusions.
But something else caught their eyes.
The rough, uneven walls glimmered with the crystalline stones that sparkled like diamonds under a starry sky.
"Are those... Spirit Stones?" Igaris asked, his voice echoing through the cavern, filled with a mix of awe and uncertainty.
"Yes," Evernight confirmed, stepping closer.
"Alright then, let’s get to work, my Golem Army!" Igaris commanded.
At his words, the Earth Golems, including Granitus, began working to retrieve the Spirit Stones from the cavern walls.
While Evernight kept her gaze fixed on a particular patch of ground, Igaris turned his attention to one of the stones.
It had shimmered brightly when embedded in the wall, but the moment he touched it, its luster faded. Now it sat dull and plain in his hand, glowing with a pale cyan hue.
Evernight had told him that Spirit Stones could be consumed directly for greater effect on the Spiritual Core where Contracted Beasts resided.
But Igaris wasn’t a Summoner. She didn’t know that. Trying to absorb it through normal means could backfire, or simply fail.
So instead, with the stone resting in his palm, Igaris activated Infinite Acquisition.
This time, however, instead of a successful Acquisition notification, the Spirit Stone simply dissolved from his hand.
But inwardly, he could feel his Acquisition Space expanded, just by a little.
His power had increased as well, though only slightly.
Still, it became clear: Spirit Stones could be used by him, albeit in a different manner than for Summoners.
Realizing this, Igaris felt exhilarated. His eyes gleamed with ambition as he glanced around.
The Golems were steadily retrieving Spirit Stones and piling them at the center of the cavern.
Slowly, the pile grew into a small mountain with thousands of Spirit Stones stacked together.
With this many, the growth of his Subjects’ strength would be accelerated tremendously. And as for himself, his own power might increase by at least one full Rank.
That was his estimation, though it wasn’t certain yet.
"Huh? What’s she doing?"
Just then, Igaris’s eyes caught sight of Evernight silently sobbing in a corner.
He paused, her grief and sorrow strangely infectious.
Stepping forward, he placed a hand on her shoulder with concern.
"What happened? Why are you crying?"
"No, it’s nothing," she replied quickly, wiping her tears away.
But Igaris noticed her red eyes, and for some reason, his heart clenched.
He glanced around, searching for the reason. And then he saw it: a particular section of the caved-in ground.
"Fine. If you won’t tell me, then I’ll find out myself," Igaris said with quiet resolve.
He turned and gave a command.
"Mountain King, dig beneath that spot."
Evernight remained silent, her heart too heavy to protest.
Or perhaps there was something else in her eyes: a silent yearning.
Maybe for confirmation.
Maybe... to deny the truth.
"Hmm... What’s this?"
As he dug deeper using Earth Manipulation, a strange object covered in decay and rot was unearthed.
Despite its withered state, the energy radiating from it was immense, unleashing dense, oppressive waves through the underground chamber.
The object floated above the rocky plate, hovering silently before Igaris and Evernight.
Evernight’s pupils dilated, as though she had just confirmed a terrible truth.
"Father..." she whispered, slumping to the ground. Her voice cracked with anguish as she gazed at the object, looking utterly broken.
"Eyes?!" Igaris echoed in disbelief.
It was indeed a pair of human eyes. But decayed, ancient, undeniably extraordinary. They pulsed with an aura that felt nearly otherworldly.
But even more startling than its presence was the word Evernight had spoken.
The name still echoed in Igaris’s ears.
What was the connection between her and that pair of eyes?