Chương 40: Three Shares for Me

Not long after Aurican and the others entered the dungeon, the white portal suddenly lit up again. Everyone in the camp immediately raised their heads. Nearly all of them assumed that the people from the Radiant Dawn Church had already returned. But when the white light faded, those who appeared before them were Rayne and his party, who had entered the dungeon early that morning and were only now returning. Greer quickly strode over from the side. He grabbed Rayne by the arm and lowered his voice.

"Greyhound, did that shameless old bastard do anything to you?" Rayne froze slightly. He first glanced at Greer, then noticed the unfamiliar clergy and guards around them. His brows quickly furrowed.

"Old bastard?" Greer's expression darkened even further.

"Adjudicator Bishop Aurican Vald. He's from the Radiant Dawn Church. He just went inside with several Dawn Knights." Rayne's expression finally changed.

"We didn't encounter them." He paused, then continued, "We didn't return through the starting chamber." Greer raised an eyebrow, then immediately realized the significance of those words.

"Not through the starting chamber?" He lowered his voice even further.

"There's a new return point inside?" Rayne nodded. He glanced around, then leaned slightly closer to Greer and spoke in a low voice.

"We reached a ruined church. There was a new portal there." Greer's gaze sharpened slightly. Rayne continued, keeping his voice low.

"When we left through it, we were sent directly back to the portal outside the entrance."

"Incredible…" Greer's pupils contracted slightly. He only murmured the word before immediately seeming to realize something. He reached out and gripped Rayne's arm again.

"Wait." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"We'll discuss this inside the cabin." Rayne looked at him, then quickly nodded. Barton and the others naturally had no objections either. Greer turned toward Darian and Elena and gave them a slight nod.

"Lord Velmont. Priestess Vesta. If you're willing, please come with us as well." He paused, his gaze passing over the portal that still floated quietly behind them.

"There are some matters we may need to confirm immediately." Darian smiled faintly.

"Of course." Elena also gave a gentle nod.

"I understand." At the very least, these two were much easier to communicate with than Aurican. Just as everyone was preparing to head toward the temporary cabin, Darian's gaze suddenly passed over Rayne and landed on Asar. At that moment, the perfectly measured calm on his face finally faded slightly. For a brief moment, an emotion too complicated to read crossed his face when he saw Asar standing there alive and in one piece. Asar saw him as well.

He had been following at the rear of the party, but his steps paused slightly when that gaze fell upon him.

"Brother…" His voice was low, nearly inaudible to anyone except Rayne and the others beside him. Darian did not respond immediately. He simply looked at Asar, his gaze deeper than ever before. Only after a moment did he collect himself again, as though forcing that brief disturbance back beneath his courteous, gentle exterior.

"It has been some time." Darian's voice remained steady. His gaze lingered briefly on the bloodstains and dust covering Asar's clothes.

"It seems you have not been doing too poorly." Asar looked at him, then suddenly smiled faintly. It was not much of a smile, but the tension in his shoulders slowly eased. He walked forward several steps. After recognizing his face, the knights beside Darian bowed slightly in greeting. Asar stopped in front of Darian.

"It's all thanks to the travel money you gave me back then, Brother." Darian's expression stiffened for an instant. He quickly returned to his usual calm, as though that brief disturbance had never appeared. Unfortunately, the faint redness at the tips of his ears was far less cooperative.

"I…" Darian paused, his voice still struggling to remain steady.

"That money came from Father. It had nothing to do with me." After saying that, he immediately turned and walked toward the temporary cabin. But no matter how one looked at it, his retreating figure seemed noticeably less composed than before. Asar remained where he was, watching his back with an expression caught somewhere between laughter and exasperation. He really had not changed at all. Tyren, who was being supported by Serin nearby, could not help letting out a quiet laugh when he saw the exchange.

"You and your brother seem pretty close." Asar froze slightly, then gave a faint, wry smile.

"Perhaps." He offered no further explanation. But as he watched Darian's slightly hurried figure, his gaze unconsciously softened. At least in some respects, his brother truly had not changed at all. A moment later, Asar withdrew his gaze and followed Rayne and the others toward the temporary cabin. Once the cabin door closed, the hushed discussions outside were cut off. Greer did not sit down. He stood beside the table with both hands resting on his cane, his gaze fixed directly on Rayne.

Darian and Elena took seats on opposite sides of the table.

"Tell us everything." Rayne nodded and wasted no time. He quickly gave them a brief account of everything they had encountered after passing through the Bronze Gate. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Cassandre letting them pass at the Bronze Gate. The ruined church filled with refugees and patients. And the abandoned town that had turned sinister after the seventh toll of the bell.

As his account continued, the atmosphere inside the cabin gradually grew heavier. When Rayne mentioned the refugees and patients inside the church, Elena finally interrupted.

"Patients?"

"Yes. Many of them are in poor condition." Rayne glanced at Serin.

"Serin briefly examined them. Some will require long-term care." Elena's expression grew visibly more serious.

"Are they apparitions? Or some form of mimic monster?" Serin shook her head.

"I don't believe so." She spoke slowly, but every word was clear.

"They feel pain. Their skin feels the same as a human's, and their symptoms resemble those of actual patients. Based on my observations, I do not believe they could be ordinary illusions." Elena fell silent for a moment, her fingertips lightly pressing against the Pure White Star emblem on her chest.

"If that is true, then they cannot simply be treated as another part of the dungeon." Her voice was not loud, yet the cabin briefly fell silent.

"At the very least, until we have properly confirmed what they are, the Pure White Star will not regard them as something that must be destroyed." Darian had previously seemed somewhat distracted, but upon hearing this, his wandering gaze finally settled on Elena. The fingers that had been tapping against the tabletop also stopped.

"It seems Blackstone Dungeon has just become even more important. Those fools from the Radiant Dawn should have been driven out of Laris long ago." Darian managed to preserve his noble composure at first, but by the end of the sentence, he was almost speaking through gritted teeth. After a long moment, he let out a breath and looked toward Rayne.

"Was there anything else?"

"There was." Rayne hesitated briefly.

"Aside from the refugees, we also encountered a traveling merchant named Owen Ashford inside the church. The church itself currently appears to be overseen by a bishop named Lorian." Greer frowned. He had never heard either of those names before.

"A traveling merchant?" he asked immediately.

"Was he selling anything? What did he accept as payment? Are you certain it wasn't some kind of trick?" Rayne shook his head. He turned to Serin and asked for a roll of Healing Bandage, then handed it to Greer.

"For now, we only know that he sells these. One roll costs seventy-five Frey silver coins." Greer accepted the roll of bandage, his frown deepening.

"He actually accepts silver coins?"

"Not ordinary silver coins," Tyren added from the side.

"The old ones we previously found inside treasure chests." He thought for a moment, then continued, "He also said that if we didn't have any silver coins, magic crystals would work too." Greer, Darian, and Elena exchanged glances. Finally, Greer lowered his eyes toward the Healing Bandage in his hand. One roll for seventy-five Frey silver coins. Serin had previously recorded the effects of the Healing Bandage in her Guild report.

Originally, they had all assumed it was merely a rare healing item occasionally dropped by Blackstone Dungeon. But now, Rayne was telling him that someone deep inside the dungeon was selling them. Seventy-five Frey silver coins. The price did not sound cheap, but it was nowhere near unreasonable either. More importantly, the traveling merchant even accepted magic crystals as payment. Greer lightly ran his fingers along the edge of the bandage, his gaze gradually darkening. A drop was still just a drop.

No matter how valuable it was, there was no guarantee they would obtain another one next time. Trading was different. As long as that traveling merchant truly existed, and as long as the ruined church remained as it was, adventurers would have the opportunity to bring healing supplies out from there again and again. And what traveling merchant carried only one kind of merchandise? As for the refugees… To be honest, Greer had almost laughed when he first heard about them. Refugees inside a dungeon?

If someone had told him they were all mimic monsters, he would have found that far easier to believe. Then again, that traveling merchant was suspicious too. He accepted magic crystals? Could he actually be collecting magic crystals? But could a dungeon truly be intelligent enough to do something like that? Whether this development would ultimately prove beneficial or disastrous, Greer had no idea.

All he could do was silently hope that Blackstone Dungeon would not suddenly become a trap that devoured lives one day. While Greer was lost in thought, Elena spoke first.

"Serin." She looked toward Serin, her tone even more serious than before.

"You said there was a bishop inside the church?" Serin nodded. Elena continued,"Do you know which god he worships?" The question made Serin freeze. She thought back carefully for a moment, but could not find any clear answer in her memories. In the end, she could only shake her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm not certain." Elena did not blame her. Her brows merely furrowed slightly. A place resembling a church had appeared inside a dungeon filled with mysteries, and there was even someone there who was addressed as a bishop. That alone was already unusual enough. During her years as a pilgrim priestess, she had visited many small churches in remote villages and towns. She had also heard of countless strange and absurd local faiths. But a church inside a dungeon? That was a first.

Just then, Darian, seated on the other side, suddenly cleared his throat.

"Everyone." He folded his arms across his chest. His tone remained gentle, but it pulled everyone's attention back toward him.

"I believe there is still one more urgent matter we need to address." Everyone turned toward him. Darian glanced in the direction of the portal outside the window.

"Do not forget that Aurican has already entered." The corners of his lips rose slightly, but there was little warmth in his smile.

"If that Adjudicator Bishop truly intends to act according to his own standards, this dungeon may soon be in serious trouble." Greer stared at Darian without speaking. If they truly intended to stop Aurican now, the only person present who still had the standing to intervene was probably the heir of House Velmont sitting before him. Darian seemed to see through his thoughts, and the smile on his face immediately faded.

"Do not look at me like that, Guildmaster Holloway." He kept his arms folded. His tone remained gentle, but his eyes were filled with disgust.

"You expect the legitimate heir of House Velmont to personally argue with that money-grubbing charlatan in front of everyone?" He paused, looking as though the mere thought of it was unbearable.

"I would rather go to the front lines of the Demonic Tide and cut down a few more monsters." After saying that, for some reason, Darian lifted his chin slightly in Asar's direction. Asar froze. Then, as though he had understood something, his expression became rather complicated. Tyren looked between Darian and Asar before muttering very quietly,"… Do all noble brothers talk like this?" Asar glanced at him, then struck him lightly in the side with his elbow. Tyren immediately shut his mouth.

Serin looked at the two of them and silently shifted Tyren a little closer to her side. The cabin was silent for a while. Darian looked around at everyone staring at him. His brow twitched. Finally, as though he could no longer endure it, he slammed one hand onto the table.

"Fine. I understand. I'll go make him stop." After saying that, he immediately raised a hand and added with a cold expression,"But do not misunderstand. This is to protect Whiteoak County's interests, not because any of you asked me to." He swept his gaze across everyone.

"Is that clear?" Rayne nodded silently. Tyren obediently nodded along with him. Even Greer merely rubbed his chin and refrained from calling him out at a time like this. Asar stood off to the side, already struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from rising. Darian's gaze immediately snapped toward him. Asar lowered his head, yet his shoulders still shook faintly. Darian's expression instantly darkened even further.

"… We're leaving." ◆ ◆ ◆ Inside Blackstone Dungeon. Aurican walked at the center of the formation. The golden dawn patterns along the edges of his white robes were particularly striking within the desolate canyon. Four Dawn Knights surrounded him, their swords already drawn. Their boots struck the stone ground in a steady, cold rhythm. The prisoners and monsters that appeared along the way barely slowed them at all. Aurican did not even raise a hand.

He merely walked with his arms folded and his eyes partly closed, as though even sparing the monsters a glance would be beneath him. Only after the final Desiccated Jailer had been cut down by one of the Dawn Knights did he slowly open his eyes and look around.

"Manipulating corpses. Profaning death." His voice echoed through the canyon.

"The great God of Dawn shall pass judgment upon this filthy dungeon." One of the Dawn Knights raised his visor, revealing a smiling, stubbled face.

"That's enough, Aurican." He looked toward the bishop in gold-trimmed white robes, not a trace of reverence in his voice.

"None of the faithful are here. You don't have to keep performing for us. How many years have we known each other?" The solemn expression on Aurican's face stiffened slightly. A moment later, he turned to Greber expressionlessly.

"Greber." He spoke one word at a time.

"Please address me as Bishop." Greber laughed, clearly paying no attention to the warning whatsoever.

"Of course, Bishop." He rested his longsword over his shoulder again, his voice lazy.

"Still, you really are getting better and better at those pretty speeches. No wonder you've risen through the ranks so quickly." Aurican looked at him coldly.

"If you wish to rise as well, you should learn to speak less nonsense."

"Come now." Greber lowered his visor again without a care. His voice emerged muffled from behind the metal, but the smile remained.

"I'm close to being promoted to Grand Knight myself. Once this matter is settled, how about we organize a pilgrimage together?" Aurican did not answer immediately. He looked toward the depths of the canyon, the coldness in his eyes gradually settling into a flat calm.

"Three shares for me. Two for you." He spoke indifferently.

"The rest goes to the Church as usual." A low laugh came from beneath Greber's visor.

"You really do understand the rules." After saying that, he walked back to the front of the formation. The other Dawn Knights showed no reaction. They were already trusted subordinates of the two men. There was no need to hide such things from them. As long as this operation succeeded, they would naturally receive their own share as well. Aurican raised his head and looked deeper into the dungeon.

As long as the final result appeared impressive enough, the people outside would only see the Radiant Dawn's glorious achievement in purifying an evil dungeon. As for what this dungeon truly contained, and who would ultimately carry those things away… That was another matter entirely. The group continued onward. The prisoners and Desiccated Jailers blocking their path were quickly cut down by the Dawn Knights.

Broken bones and rotting limbs scattered across the stone ground without earning so much as a glance from Aurican. Eventually, the canyon ahead began to narrow. A broken stone archway slowly came into view. Aurican finally stopped. His gaze fell upon the archway, and a slight flicker passed through his eyes.

"It seems this is the entrance to the deeper area." Greber also raised his head and examined the circular plaza beyond the archway through his visor.

"Not bad." His fingers lightly tapped the hilt of his sword, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"Want me to go in first and have a look?" Aurican did not answer immediately. The instant they approached the stone archway, a heavy metallic scraping sound came from the shadows beyond it. The sound was not loud, yet it rang with unnatural clarity through the empty circular plaza. Greber stopped moving. All four Dawn Knights raised their swords almost simultaneously. The next moment, deep within the plaza, a towering figure slowly lifted his head. Dark armor gleamed coldly beneath the dim light.

Dark-gold patterns gradually lit up along the edges of the plates, while a heavy deep-red cloak hung from his back, nearly blending into the shadows of the plaza. The tip of the silver-white greatsword rested against the stone ground. At the slightest movement, the blade dragged across the stone with a low, piercing scrape. Aurican looked at the knight standing guard in the center of the plaza, and his gaze finally darkened. Cassandre slowly raised the greatsword in his hand.

A deep voice rang out from beyond the broken stone archway.

"Blasphemer." Dark-red flames ignited within the depths of his helmet, illuminating the dark-gold patterns across his armor.

"Halt."