We discussed further into strategic tactics and eventually, I had to leave them. Leading the army was Varius' job. I had no intention of dishing out orders in the middle of the battlefield, so it was best those two discussed alone.
Now that I knew my role in the war, nothing else concerned .
It was already 2 a.m. when I returned to my room, knowing fully well we had only a week before the campaign to retake the second ring began. Everyone had been working overti, and the empire was as busy as ever. I was worn out ntally and physically, but I also knew no amount of rest would give the peace I truly needed.
[Door activated]
Stepping out of the spatial tear, I pressed my hand over my head as I walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. There was sothing about the constant screams, whispers, and cries that made my head ache at all tis. I could focus and block out the voices for a while—but only for a short ti.
"Fuck my life," I muttered while rubbing my head.
'I'll break you eventually… it's only a matter of ti,' a voice whispered in my ear, and I frowned.
The voice was familiar. It was the voice of the Abyss, speaking directly to . I quickly rembered him saying he would give no favors, and this was clearly what he ant.
"Just an hour in and I'm already suffering. How long can I live with this?" I couldn't help but wonder.
A thought crossed my mind, and a small smile played on my lips. I just rembered this system wasn't the Gatekeeper System that hoarded information and made pay for them.
"Is there a redy for the voices?" I asked, fingers crossed—and a second later, a familiar notification sound rang in my head, causing my lips to spread with joy.
[The system is only aware of two thods: One is to purify your soul and reduce your corruption level. The other is to find one of many artifacts scattered across the universe that can be used to block out those voices.]
My brows furrowed slightly at its words as I wondered how possible it was to reduce my soul corruption—especially since I still had the Devil Grimoire in my possession.
Even if I could, it would only an I'd suffer backlash when attempting to use dark talents. I wasn't ready to stay unconscious for another six months.
This thod was not feasible. I wasn't looking to escape the darkness—I was looking for a way to endure it until I was ready to control it.
'Nothing can save you from !' the Abyss's distinct voice returned, forcing to shake it off.
"Can I find any of those artifacts in this world?" I asked, since only the second option seed viable.
[I do not possess such information. Only a system backed by a deity can possess such in-depth knowledge of the universe.]
"Damn it," I sighed heavily, annoyance flashing in my eyes.
I guess my freedom also ant I lost a lot of privileges—but even now, I didn't regret a thing. Nothing was worth more than my freedom from the heavens.
"What now…" I mumbled, shifting my gaze to Reina's sleeping figure.
I needed her Song of Harmony more than ever, but after having her play for every day for a month straight, she was worn out. She needed at least a week—or even a month—of rest.
The thought of enduring this voice for over a month without breaks was truly scary. At least the chest pain could be suppressed by steaming hot water.
"I wonder if that would work for this problem too."
Ding!
[Intruder Alert!]
[Enemy Gatekeeper has spawned near the castle!]
My brows tightened, and I sprang to my feet.
Snap!
A door spiraled into life, and I jumped in, appearing high above the Althea Empire.
"There she is."
After a few seconds of scanning, I spotted Seo-Yun standing on a rooftop not too far from the tower.
Swoosh!
Without hesitation, I swooped down and shot toward the rooftop like a missile. However, just before I could crash into it, my wings sprouted and spread out magnificently, breaking my descent.
Thud!
Landing gracefully, I turned—only to realize Seo-Yun was gazing at with dreamy eyes.
"So cool…" she muttered, and almost instantly, the will to fight vanished.
I had forgotten how crazy this girl was.
"Let guess—you didn't co here to fight?" I said while observing her face.
Seo-Yun looked paler than usual, and she had less makeup on. Her lips were dry, and she had dark circles beneath her eyes—signs of sleeplessness.
She shook her head at my words and tiptoed toward , only stopping a few ters away.
"I ca to see how you're doing," she said, as her smile slowly faded. "And it seems you are no longer one of us. But you're not a Dark Keeper either…"
Seo-Yun muttered the last part with curiosity in her eyes. I couldn't help but wonder how these people were able to sense my corruption level.
"It's none of your business," I shrugged off her concern. "So why are you here?" I asked again, and she took another step forward.
"Because I miss you," she blinked seductively, but I rolled my eyes.
"Why are you really here?" I repeated, not accepting that la excuse. A mischievous smile blood on her face.
"You still won't accept my offer?" she asked, and I quickly shook my head.
"As you can see, I've built a new empire—one that will serve my purpose. Why would I leave it and join you?"
"Love?" Seo-Yun didn't waste a mont before blurting that out, and I let out a sigh.
Clearly, this girl was wasting my ti. However, a few steps in, she called out to .
"Lucius. Your raid on the second ring will fail. We will leave and move to the third ring—so best mind that you'll be dealing with the orcs, elves, and dwarves," Seo-Yun said, and my fists tightened.
Calmly, I turned around to et her gaze.
"Numbers won't change a thing. The campaign to retake the second ring will continue. Nothing can stop what is to co!" I declared boldly.
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