The building appeared to be an antique shop, one that might have been mistaken for a museum of old relics. Stacked in three charmingly small floors, the shop had as its sole occupants a female owner and a man who had come to see her.
New items arrived only once a year, during the beginning of the year, leaving very few visitors to the shop. Occasionally, passersby would peek their heads in out of curiosity, but upon seeing the thick dust in the entrance, they would turn away, and the state of the shop's upkeep was dire.
The only part of the place that was clean was the attire of its owner. Yet, while her clothes were spotless, they were nothing particularly special—just a simple black dress that covered her from head to toe.
Her name was Lin. That was how people usually addressed the shopkeeper. However, the man who came to visit her chose to call her something different.
"Master."
"Call me whatever you like. We're off-duty here."
"Alright, Lin.
"Black Raven. You always call me by my name, yet I have yet to call you by yours."
"Black Raven, that is my name."
"How can that be a name? It's a nickname. Why not come up with a proper alias while we're at it?"
"I'd listen if you 'ordered' me, but I'd decline if it were just a 'suggestion.'"
"Haha, you're always the same. Fine, I've called you Black Raven for years now, so I've become used to it."
In truth, their official relationship was that of the leader of the Umbra Sect and the leader of its Black Division. But since they were both thirty and of the same age, they spoke casually during these private moments—strictly in private, though.
The Black Raven finally broke the heavy silence with a sinking voice. "Kluze is dead."
"I know. I heard the news. It was that bastard Jared again, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Not only did he steal the artifacts, but he also beheaded him and displayed his corpse in the marketplace."
"I told you to report whenever Jared was on the move... What a foolish mistake he made."
Lin pursed her lips and swept her long, red hair back. The death of the deputy sect leader was a major incident for the Umbra Sect, yet neither her nor Black Raven's expressions changed in the slightest.
"And the loyalty oath?"
"I have it recorded. The Kluze faction has surrendered unconditionally. They never liked Kluze from the start anyway. They just had to follow him out of necessity."
"It's an ironic effect, losing a backbone and consolidating forces."
"That's how life is. The sect is ultimately made up of people, isn't it? Anyway, about the deputy position..."
"I'll decline. I prefer to operate from the shadows as I am now. It would be better to leave the deputy leader position to Vise, who is fourth in rank."
"But Sister Vise is such a nag! If she becomes the deputy, it will be like having a chattering parrot by my side all the time!"
"Still, she maintains a perfect facade in public. That's what makes her the best choice."
"Are you really so disinterested in the deputy position?"
"I despise titles. Leading the Black Division is already pushing me beyond my limits."
"Very well. Let's proceed with that. What are your plans regarding Jared?"
"First of all, I won't do anything foolish like Kluze did. I'll halt all external activities and investigate everything about Jared, from his childhood to now, leaving nothing behind."
Black Raven's eyes, heavily lined with dark makeup, glinted coldly. His pale face, nearly void of color, contrasted sharply with his deep black hair and defined eye lines; it was a fitting appearance for someone called the Black Raven.
"It seems the Radius Sect has officially declared Sanare as a sacred site. Many eyes will be drawn there. For the time being, we should refrain from any provocations."
"Of course."
"Kluze was never needed from the start. But Black Raven, I don't want to lose you. So, don't take unnecessary risks."
"What does my life even matter?"
"Sometimes, I can't help but wonder. Does God truly exist? We've lost far too many just because of the name 'Dark Sect.'"
"God? I'm not sure about that. I can't speak for the deity others believe in; the only one I acknowledge is right in front of me."
"Oh my! Is this a pick-up line?"
Lin blushed at Black Raven's blunt words.
"It's an old thought. I’m not one for idle words just to please others."
Swallowing hard, Black Raven quickly emptied the teacup in front of him.
"Don't look for me until your investigation on Jared is completely thorough. I will likely be busy."
"Busy pretending, it seems. I have my own dungeon raid tomorrow."
"You mean the dungeon of the Spider Queen Morjina?"
"Yes, I'll be meeting the Red Queen there as we decided to raid together."
"Be careful. That woman and her subordinates have far more secrets than they let on."
"What can I say? It's not the first time I've worked with them. Don’t worry."
"You are the leader of the Umbra Sect. That means you are a pillar. You shouldn't be so reckless with your life."
"Your nagging truly…! Just go! Get on with your own affairs!"
"Alright, I’m leaving."
With that, the conversation came to an end. Black Raven quickly vacated the premises, leaving Lin alone in the shop.
"Jared, Jared, Jared..."
She kept repeating his name, scribbling it continuously on a piece of paper. Had the operations in the Cinders Kingdom been successful, it could have marked a new chapter for the sect. But Jared had destroyed everything, even taking the life of her deputy.
"I will definitely kill him."
She bit her lip hard enough that red blood began to trickle down from her torn skin. It seemed Jared's name would linger in her mind for a long time, tormenting her for a while to come.
[Carson’s loyalty as a guard of the Agresio has significantly risen! Loyalty increased by 50! His loyalty has now reached 200, entering the 'First Awakening' phase!]
"How many 'First Awakening' notifications are going to pop up?"
Returning to the lord's mansion, I was entirely focused on reading the piled messages. Usually, messages only displayed for major vassals, so I hadn't really concerned myself with the guard's loyalty until now. But after killing Kluze, one of the dark sect's leaders, and showing off the lord's might through his execution, I thought perhaps there might be a shift in sentiments among the guards and local troops. So, I very briefly expanded the range of the message visibility.
In that moment, an explosion of messages bombarded me!
It was a flurry of notifications as grand as a rain of bomb letters. As a result, after transporting all the necessary materials to the Sanare region with Ella, on my way back, I had to spend all my time just checking messages. Although exhausting, I felt immense pride.
Moreover, Ella's loyalty had also risen slightly due to the events, which made me even happier. Yet, due to the slow rise in loyalty, I didn't quite see her as my vassal yet—it felt more like having a guest commander. There was a kind of psychological distance between us. That said, I also didn’t think she'd easily leave me. I could read between the lines that by taking charge of training and commanding the Agresio guards, she intended to put down roots in our territory.
"Phew, that’s done."
Finally, the long saga of reading the notifications from the guards ended. More than twenty percent of them had entered the First Awakening phase this time around. Once they completed their Awakening, they would likely grow far beyond their current states, even if they weren't aware of it. There’s no news more pleasing than the strengthening of my direct guards. I was filled with great expectations.
"By the way, Kluze had quite a fine artifact. Too bad it found the wrong master."
I was finally able to take a look at the Dagger of Annihilation. I should have checked it sooner! After wrapping up the transport and reading messages, it wasn’t until the early morning of September 1st that I saw it for the first time.
[Dagger of Annihilation]
[Classification: 5-star]
[Option 1: Increases Strength by 100]
[Option 2: Increases Agility by 75]
[Option 3: Increases Health by 25]
[Option 4: Guarantees all attacks made with the dagger will be 100% critical hits.]
[Option 5: Critical hit damage ranges from a minimum of 2.5 times to a maximum of 15 times.]
"It's an assassination-specialized artifact. If I give it to Chloe, it could very well cost me my life."
Thinking of Chloe, who wasn’t around, I instinctively rubbed my neck. While it was a suitable artifact for Chloe, it would also prove useful for my own use. Most importantly, since there were no overlapping artifacts to take up more space, wearing it would significantly boost my stats. The more artifacts, the better.
I swiftly strapped the Dagger of Annihilation to my waist. Upon doing so, my stats rose accordingly, enhancing my abilities.
"On this day, September 1st, 1415 in the Nas Continent. It's been exactly 20 months since I started this life?"
With a swift motion, I ripped off the August section of the calendar. three-quarters of the year had already passed just like that. I took a close look at my stats screen, which I hadn’t thoroughly checked in some time. The bonus stats gained from reaching level 100 were spent entirely on magic power.
[Jared – Lv. 100]
[Strength: 310]
[Health: 225]
[Magic Power: 6,733]
[Wisdom: 410]
[Agility: 165]
[Charm: 305]
[Physical Defense: 330]
[Magical Defense: 996]
[Divine Power: 150]
[Remaining Stats: 0]
"At this point, I’m virtually immune to Class 3 magic. Low-level mages from the combat magic division wouldn’t even stand a chance against me."
I looked at my magical defense stat, just shy of reaching 1,000, with satisfaction. Thanks to diligently practicing the Bug Training Method, my magic defense had been steadily rising.
"My thirst for magic power is growing."
Though my magic power was already quite high, my yearning for it was stronger than ever. This was all due to Transcendence Magic. A Class 1 magic missile could consume 10,000 magic power if applying a Decuple Transcendence. So even at my current level, nearing 7,000, it felt nowhere near enough.
For the time being, my focus and ambitions regarding all artifacts would be aimed at "magic power." Only then could I become as strong as my enemies and the other protagonists who were also growing.
"The one who has overcome the first crisis."
Now, only title confirmation remained.
When a significant turning point occurs for a player, it was known that the system autonomously judged and awarded them titles. The rewards and descriptions varied greatly, which made me feel a bit tense. I couldn't help but worry that I might get a bizarre title-related quest like "Engage in open war against the Dark Sect."
This was not mere delusion! In 'Paradiso,' it wasn't uncommon for players to find their growth obstructed or their development paths shifted because they had become entangled with such titles.
[You have acquired the title ‘The One Who Has Overcome the First Crisis’!]
[As a reward for acquiring the title, you have received part of the map to ‘Tristiss Island’!]
"Huh, what? Tristiss Island?"
The sudden appearance of the map made me tilt my head in confusion. Tristiss Island, located to the west of the Nas Continent, was home to the largest dungeon on the continent known as ‘Nas Labyrinth.’ The intricate structure of the labyrinth remained largely unknown, befitting its name.
And yet, what was granted to me now was a map revealing a part of this labyrinth's layout!
End of Chapter 96.