"Well, we already have the base, the active agent, and the stabilizer, so all we're missing is the catalyst—and if we're lucky, a preservative agent too. That would allow us to store the potions for long periods of time, and in a resource-scarce situation like this, that'll be vital."
Erik replied calmly as he fastened his belt again. This made the girls quite excited, as it meant they already had almost half of what they needed to create the potions. At that moment, Zoe spoke in a serious tone—though the way she gripped the handle of her katana showed she was equally nervous and excited.
"Then let's move. The sooner we secure the resources, the better. Where should we go next, Erik?"
"Let's head into the city. It's unlikely we'll find the scrap we need for the cauldron or the rest of the ingredients out here." Erik responded calmly, prompting Elara and Zoe to look toward the imposing underground city. That's when the starry-haired boy picked up one of the mushrooms in his hand and motioned for Tiberius and Kaiser to come closer.
"Kaiser, Tiberius, stay alert for this scent. If you pick it up anywhere, let me know."
The pair quickly ran to Erik's side, wagging their tails happily. At that moment, the starry-haired boy gave the order in a serious tone, which caught the attention of the two girls. They watched as Erik extended his open hand toward the two wolves, each nearly a meter tall, who began sniffing the mushroom before barking happily in confirmation.
Once he received the wolves' confirmation, Erik created a new prismatic barrier to keep both the mushrooms and the roots safe. He also linked its relative position to his belt. Then he grabbed his machetes—an unspoken signal for everyone to get ready. They quickly took their positions.
"Let's go."
At Erik's command, the group moved forward with steady steps, with Zoe and the wolves leading the way as they ventured into the colossal city. They paid close attention to their surroundings, alert for any enemies, and soon arrived at the first building—a small house seemingly carved directly into the rock. At that moment, Zoe turned to look at Erik, who quickly understood and spoke in a calm tone.
"It's clear. I don't sense anyone."
Having confirmed what he felt through his ethereal projection, Zoe quickly pushed open the stone door, revealing a dark, time-worn interior. In one corner, they could just make out what looked like a stone bed and a sort of shelf made of the same material. Carefully, she stepped closer to the shelf, but it was completely empty. She quickly returned to report.
"It's completely empty."
"Let's move on." Erik calmly ordered once again, setting the team back in motion. But just as they were about to reach the next building, Erik, Ebonique, and Hiyori all turned their heads to the left at the exact same time.
"Stop." Erik ordered quickly, causing everyone to halt in their tracks. At that moment, the starry-haired boy asked his trusted spirit, slightly confused.
"Was that a spirit, Ebonique?"
"Yes, a newborn one." Ebonique responded promptly, just as Elara asked with a hint of curiosity.
"What's going on, Erik?"
"I somehow heard a spirit's cry, and according to Ebonique, it's a newborn spirit."
"A newborn spirit…?"
Hearing Erik's words, Zoe couldn't help but ask, slightly confused. Meanwhile, her contracted spirit, Hiyori, couldn't hide her surprise as she looked at Erik. Even though she had also heard it, she was a spirit— a regular human shouldn't be that sensitive. But at the same time, the fact that such a prominent figure had chosen him as a contractor couldn't be meaningless. So perhaps this was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to that boy's abilities.
"Zoe… do you think…?"
Upon hearing Erik, Elara turned to look at Zoe and asked in a low voice. The image of a certain young man with black hair tipped in green had inevitably come to mind at the mention of a newborn spirit. Zoe nodded in response, then turned to Erik and asked seriously.
"Erik, can we go check it out? We know someone who's contracted with a newborn spirit that has an incredibly useful ability—it can 'smell' mana and trace it back to its source. It might be him."
"That's impressive, but keep in mind that given the complicated situation we're in, we need to be very cautious. So first, we'll observe from a distance and decide what to do based on what we see." Erik replied quickly and seriously, to which Zoe and Elara both nodded in agreement.
"I completely agree. Our safety comes first." Elara said firmly, and Zoe added in a similar tone.
"I feel the same. If the situation turns out to be too complicated, it's better to retreat. It would be a shame, but difficult situations require strong wills."
"I'm glad you can see it so clearly. And in that case..." Erik said, visibly satisfied, before turning to look at the black-furred wolf. At that moment, he gave a serious command.
"Tiberius."
At his master's words, the wolf quickly began to merge with the shadows, his darkness spreading outward until it soon covered them all. Erik then explained in a serious tone.
"With this, we'll remain mostly unnoticed—but Tiberius can't maintain it for long, so let's move quickly. I'll lead the way."
At Erik's words, the group advanced at full speed under the cloak of darkness, moving through the stone city along its darkest paths, stretching their perception to the limit, and staying fully alert—until, after a few minutes, Erik gave a firm command.
"Stop."
"It looks like the newborn spirit is on the verge of losing consciousness."
Ebonique announced at that very moment as she gazed into the distance. Erik nodded in response, his expression serious. After all, he could already sense, several kilometers away, a humanoid figure at the Ascended level fleeing at full speed alongside a smaller figure—from something much larger and more powerful.
"It's a single person, and they're fleeing from something at the Revealed level, heading this way. If we wait a bit, we'll see them." Erik explained calmly, prompting Elara to ask in a serious tone.
"Should we prepare a joint spell, Erik?"
"Let's wait a little. First, I want to see exactly what it is that's chasing them. I've never sensed a presence like this—it's a bit strange." Erik quickly replied in a thoughtful tone. The image forming in his mind of the figure was a bit odd—like a ball with legs or something along those lines.
"To me, it actually feels a bit familiar... but I can't quite remember from where."
Ebonique said in a thoughtful tone, trying to search through a specific memory within her vast and deep ocean of recollections—so vast, in fact, that she couldn't pinpoint exactly where or when she had come into contact with something similar.
"Well, we'll see it soon. Maybe once you lay eyes on it, you'll remember."
Erik replied calmly, to which Ebonique nodded before shrinking in size and landing on Erik's shoulder. This inevitably caused a small shiver in the fox spirit. At that moment, Zoe spoke in a low voice, gripping the hilt of her katana tightly.
"If things go south, I'll try to hold the enemy back—then you all finish it off."
At Zoe's words, Erik and Elara calmly nodded, and after just a few minutes, they began to feel light tremors in the ground, along with what sounded like urgent, low-pitched squeals. At the same time, the air around them started to swirl. That was when, emerging from the darkness, came a handsome young man with olive-toned skin and long black hair tied in a ponytail, the tips dyed a pale green—whom Zoe and Elara instantly recognized as Frank Svensson.
"Erik, it's him."
Zoe reported quickly and seriously, her eyes fixed on the direction Frank was fleeing from. Erik gave a calm nod as he studied the small, footed cloud floating above the visibly frightened young man's head. The creature seemed on the verge of falling asleep, letting out urgent but increasingly faint squeals.
"So that's what a newborn spirit looks like... I imagined something different…"
"Well, that little one is far too young, so its final form will probably end up looking very different. But in reality, spirits come in all shapes, colors, and sizes—there are even newborn spirits the size of planets, though they're extremely rare."
Ebonique explained quickly in a calm tone, prompting Erik to nod. But instead of responding, he quickly turned to look behind the young man, where from the darkness emerged a massive leg—at least two meters long—seemingly made of some kind of yellowish metal. It struck the ground forcefully, causing a tremor, and then revealed its full form: an enormous sphere with limbs, covered in engraved runes.
"So it's a magical artifact..." Seeing the runes softly glowing, Erik commented in realization, at which point Elara spoke up seriously.
"It looks a bit like an ancient golem, and those were usually built to be highly resistant to magic. So our best option will be to rely on a knight to take it down."
"I don't think I can face it alone—especially not in this situation, with my armor getting in the way and my sword only at half effectiveness." Zoe quickly replied, then bit her lip in frustration, realizing this was exactly the kind of complicated situation that might force them to retreat. At that moment, Erik spoke in a serious tone.
"That 'Golem' is essentially a magical artifact. The fact that it's functioning carries too many implications, so it needs to be studied. Wait here—I have a way to deal with it."
"That's too risky." Elara quickly said as she reached out and grabbed Erik's wrist. But he simply smiled and replied calmly, handing her his belt once again.
"Don't worry. I really do have a way to deal specifically with something like this—just like I did with the hive earlier."
"Are you telling the truth…?" Zoe asked with concern, afraid that Erik might be acting recklessly. This prompted Ebonique to speak in a proud and cheerful tone.
"Girl, you're a long way from understanding my Erik's abilities. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
Hearing the spirit boast like that, Elara and Zoe exchanged slightly surprised glances—but even so, it helped ease their worries. After all, the one speaking was at the very least a mature spirit, so her words carried some weight.
"We understand—but be careful, Erik." Elara said solemnly as she let go of his wrist. In response, the starry-haired boy gave a reassuring smile as he stepped forward, machetes in hand.
"Don't worry, this won't take long. Ebonique."
"Hehe."
At Erik's call, Ebonique laughed joyfully before transforming into a dark electric bolt and striking him directly. Instead of harming him, the impact caused ghostly dark scales to begin appearing on the sides of his face, along with two elegant, crown-like ghostly horns on his head. A long, equally ghostly dark tail formed on his back, and arcs of dark electricity began to flicker around him.
Though the tail, scales, and horns were made of a dark, translucent hue, a closer look revealed they were subtly adorned with stars and galaxies, as if they were an extension of Erik's starry hair—something that made Hiyori stare in disbelief, nearly overcome with the urge to flee the place with all her strength. At that moment, a cold voice filled with murderous intent echoed in her mind.
[You're already sealed, so don't try anything stupid. You saw nothing—in fact, you weren't even here. Understood?]
[Completely understood, Ebonique Nox-sama. What's here is merely an unconscious incarnation, so it's to be expected that it will disappear without sending any memories to the main body.] Hiyori replied quickly; her voice hurried and full of fear. At that moment, the voice of that esteemed figure echoed once more in her mind.
[I like smart girls like you. I'll remember you.]
[Thank you very much for considering me, Ebonique Nox-sama.] Hiyori responded swiftly and seriously, though her fur inevitably bristled. She quickly hid it, terrified of raising any suspicion.
***
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