Was sothing wrong?
a’s sudden action of checking her exploration log abruptly stopped without further continuation.
'If this was the first ti she slept soundly after offering her dreams as a price, she must be deeply moved.'
I gave a so ti to collect her thoughts, waiting patiently.
If a’s assumption was correct, we should be reaching the ruins today. We had to be prepared for battle, which ant being in peak condition.
And in terms of sheer combat power, a was definitely the stronger of the two of us.
Still, it was strange that the ruins were only a five-day journey from the Main Base. Even though this was based on the standards of explorers who used body reinforcent, it still felt oddly close.
But there were a few explanations for that.
First, the Main Base itself moved in response to shifts in the gate’s transfer point.
Second, the areas near the Main Base were often neglected, as no one expected anything significant to be close by.
And finally, the entire first layer of the Abyss was terraced. The terrain consisted of cliffs and steep slopes that created a step-like landscape, as if a massive earthquake had fractured the land into layers.
When I ntioned that we were "descending" during our earlier conversation with a, it wasn’t just a figure of speech.
Exploration in the first layer of the Abyss was both horizontal and vertical.
While traveling far distances was difficult, descending wasn’t nearly as ti-consuming—though it was certainly dangerous.
'I really should learn so flying magic.'
Oddly enough, there weren’t many places that taught flight magic. It was considered a general spell, but few people ever bothered to learn it.
It wasn’t very useful beyond the second layer, and it consud too much mana.
Still, I was determined to learn it. If you beco a mage, you should at least be able to fly.
As my thoughts drifted in that direction, a had already collected herself and was standing right in front of .
"How did you do it?"
a moved so close that it felt like she was about to shove . Her eyes, which were staring up at due to our height difference, swirled with a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.
Confusion, joy, shock, hope, doubt, and anxiety—her eyes were a whirlpool of emotions.
Her usual expressionless face had crumbled, and she looked at with such desperation that I decided to play dumb.
"What do you an?"
"You know…!"
"Are you talking about your price?"
"Yes! It wasn’t there! I didn’t have a nightmare… and not just that. The other prices too… Who are you? How did you do it? Even Hecate couldn’t manage sothing like this…"
"I don’t know."
I wasn’t trying to dodge the question.
Before a could say anything more, I quickly added.
"I just asked for help."
"Asked...?"
"Yes. You seed to be struggling with the nightmares, so I asked for so help. That’s all."
a’s reaction wasn’t one of relief or satisfaction from getting an answer. Nor was it anger or gratitude for what I’d done out of concern.
She was simply stunned.
Though her expression had returned to her usual blank look, the aning behind it was entirely different.
Before, her expressionless face ca from indifference to the world around her. Now, it was the result of not knowing what kind of expression she should make.
"You... asked? A demon?"
"Yes. They’re very good demons, so that’s all it took."
a’s face stiffened, and she fell silent again.
But it was ti for us to move.
After several days without sleep, a had just spent half a day resting.
She seed to have fully recovered, so it was ti to start moving. If we stayed here any longer, we’d have to travel through the night, which I wanted to avoid.
"a, how about we check things out now? The ruins are close, and it shouldn’t cost much in terms of price."
The reason Fiona had so naturally asked us to check on Theresea was obvious.
It was because we were demon warlocks.
Demon warlocks were shunned by the mage society, often excluded from many activities. But we had one last trump card.
"...Alright."
And that trump card was the ability to find people.
There are no spells that specifically find people or objects. There are so that track marked items, but that’s about it.
But demon magic is different.
In demon magic, finding people or things is one of the basic spells. Locating sothing or soone is a standard skill for demons.
It’s actually one of the most common abilities demons possess.
In fact, the demon warlock who tracked and found Ray used that exact ability.
When it cos to locating sothing, demon magic is second to none.
Of course, if the target is far away or magically concealed, the price escalates exponentially. But conversely, if the price is sufficient, anyone can be found.
That’s the ultimate survival skill of a demon warlock—essentially, we function like a detective agency!
"I’ve found her. She’s nearby."
"That’s incredible. You managed to pinpoint her without any clues."
"...I find you more incredible."
Her words had a double aning.
She was amazed by how I had eliminated the price. Yet, she was equally puzzled by the fact that I couldn’t even perform a basic tracking spell.
Both were worthy of surprise.
The first was sothing to be proud of, but the second was a bit embarrassing.
After all, both Seir and Leraje weren’t particularly strong when it ca to tracking abilities.
But forming a contract with a lesser demon just to use tracking spells?
That would be insane.
As a contracted warlock of high-ranking nobles, there was no way I’d associate with such lowly creatures. I wouldn’t dare upset my Duke or Great Marquis.
"Ahem, let’s go."
"...Not that way."
Oh.
a walked ahead, leading the way as Roman trailed behind her. However, her thoughts were far from the path they were on.
'It’s not a substitution...'
A substitution of price involves exchanging one cost for another, but it can’t eliminate the price entirely.
Moreover, substitutions are sothing the demon warlock does to avoid paying a price—not sothing another person can do for them.
What Roman had done wasn’t a substitution.
'It was a transfer of price.'
Transferring the price is a desperate asure used by demon warlocks when the cost becos too much for them to bear. By transferring the burden to another, they avoid destruction.
But even then, it only transfers the price—it doesn’t erase it completely.
And just like a substitution, transferring the price often requires paying an even greater cost.
In other words, Roman had taken her price and replaced it with a much more expensive one.
The ownership of her dreams had been transferred, leaving him with the tornt of nightmares. Her mories, which had once been stolen, were now left intact.
All of it.
But one thing remained unclear—how?
Roman was still a novice demon warlock who couldn’t even perform a basic tracking spell.
Sure, the demonic presence behind him was that of a high-ranking noble demon, but Roman’s understanding of demon magic was still at an entry level.
When she questioned him, Roman had answered by saying that he simply asked the demon for help.
So, did the demon do all that on his request?
'Is that even possible?'
A high-ranking noble demon, simply doing whatever a warlock asked, just because they were asked?
It was sothing a found unimaginable—an unprecedented act.
'Maybe... maybe that story is true after all.'
A story she had once heard, dismissed as nonsense, and buried deep in her mory was now starting to resurface.
'If it’s true...'
As a’s mind wandered, she realized sothing.
"Hey, Roman. I forgot to thank... Roman?"
When a turned around, she saw Roman sitting on the ground.
"a, I think we can go down this way."
In the dark.
A single, faint beam of light illuminated the space ahead.
Two ragged breaths filled the air, laced with fatigue and anxiety.
"I’m going to die... just like them... Tuberos... Osmanth... I’m going to die too..."
Theresea looked down at Priscilla, who was curled up in the corner, trembling, with a mixture of pity and exhaustion.
"Sigh..."
It was just a first-layer ruin.
A senior explorer like Priscilla, five regular explorers, Theresea, and one other temporary license holder—there were eight of them in total.
Even though it was technically labeled as a training exercise, their combined power could have handled the second layer or even part of the third.
Their arrogance and complacency had led to this.
They hadn’t stood a chance.
Theresea had barely managed to escape with Priscilla.
The fact that their group had been composed entirely of mages was the first problem.
If they had just included two martial artists in the vanguard, they wouldn’t have been wiped out so easily.
'...It’s not going to be easy.'
Priscilla, who was now little more than dead weight, was essentially a burden.
Theresea could barely manage on her own, but with Priscilla in this state, escape seed impossible.
'We just need to hold out until nightfall.'
But if they were discovered... could they survive?
Theresea shook her head.
It was impossible.
She might be able to escape alone, but there was no way she could save Priscilla too.
Reality, however, was cruel.
Theresea heard sothing approaching.
"Ha, so this is the Abyss, huh."
Theresea stood up.
She positioned herself between Priscilla and the approaching noise, her senses on high alert.
‘From above…?’
Were they planning to drop down from above and attack?
What a ticulous and unpleasant enemy.
Theresea gathered what little strength she had left. Her body, which wasn’t reinforced with mana, felt pathetically weak.
But she had no choice. She had to fight.
She couldn’t die here.
And then, as part of the ceiling crumbled away, the figure that erged made Theresea rub her eyes in disbelief.
Standing there was soone she hadn’t expected to see at all.
"Roman…?"
His black hair and foreign features were unmistakable.
Though Theresea wasn’t soone who paid much attention to others, Roman’s appearance had been burned into her mory after their ti together during the temporary license test. He had left a lasting impression, especially after solving the seemingly insurmountable challenges they faced.
Roman stood there as if he had known all along that she would be here, and he spoke nonchalantly.
"Looks like you’re in one piece."
"Why are you here...? Oh!"
Fiona must have sent him.
Roman had the ability to teleport.
Not only that, but it was his own unique ability that required no external power source.
In terms of rescue and escape, Roman was probably the best person for the job.
Fiona must have sensed Theresea’s danger and imdiately dispatched Roman for support.
It had to be Fiona.
Who else could have known about her plight and sent soone with Roman’s skills to help?
Theresea understood Roman’s arrival as a result of Fiona’s intervention and nodded.
"Fiona sent you."
The most logical explanation, of course, but Theresea felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude welling up inside her.
Their relationship had been forged simply by surviving the training together, and it was largely thanks to Roman’s sacrifices.
Yet, despite that, Roman had co to find her again, knowing full well that he might have to risk his life once more.
The words comradeship and friendship—things Theresea had never quite understood—now seed more real to her. After all, she was soone who didn’t feel a strong connection to even the people of her own faction.
Only one person, Fiona, had ever shared anything close to a bond with her.
Even when Roman had helped her out of the underground floor during the test, she had felt gratitude, but never considered it comradeship.
But this ti, things were different.
This wasn’t the training grounds anymore.
Roman didn’t have to co.
Yet here he was, moving to help her again. Maybe he really did see their bond as sothing special.
"Fiona did ask to help, but… No, never mind. I’ll co down."
Roman’s words snapped Theresea out of her reverie, and she suddenly shouted, her face filled with panic.
"No! Don’t co down here! Stay—"
But it was too late.
Thud.
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
Theresea stared blankly at Roman, who had landed on the ground, completely unhard.
Then, she muttered quietly.
"This place… it drains mana."
As soon as she revealed the secret of the ruins, Theresea beca aware of Roman’s companion.
"Roman, I told you not to rush ahead."
Unfortunately, that safety line had just fallen to the ground as well.
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