The next "day" started rather plainly.

Myrin left the estate early to gather information from the next round of scouts while also preparing to sell most of the things they had gathered. There was also talks about going back to the Hall of Death in order to obtain more valuables—a task that Rodrick assigned to them in exchange for a cut of the profits they make.

Though, that wasn't something he needed to worry about at the moment—they were going to have to gather more hands before they began their trip back, which meant that Soren had another three to five days to himself...

To put it loosely, he was currently much more worried about whether he would even live to see Rodrick's mission succeed. Because what he was planning to do now was not only reckless… It was downright stupid.

Sitting before him on the wooden desk were three pages made of human skin. Inscribed on them were a unique set of rune symbols he had never seen before… It was unlike most of the Scripted Runic he was used to.

"I really don't wanna do this…" He mumbled to himself. Regardless of his personal feelings—the world will carry on abusing him whether he wanted to get stronger or not… So he might as well embrace the madness.

With one final glance, he gave the mental command for his Soul Weapon's skill to activate:

[The Faerie Court].

The pages flickered in gold as they morphed before his very eyes into a strange vortex—one that hid a dark abyss within… He swiftly reached for the rune pages as his body disintegrated into golden butterflies once more.

The Rift… It was welcoming him once again.

Reaching the Faerie Court was a bit more simple then the last time he had to do it. With the protection of Violet Mirage, Fairy Barrier, and Fairy Bind, most of the threats he needed to fear back then became easy to avoid.

Still, those colossal shadows beyond end's reach held more influence than he initially thought. He found slight cracks and many other abrasions across his spell's barrier…

"You're back…" Said the radiant flame inside the marble canopy. Soren stared at it for a moment—his lips curling up into a smile.

"Miss me?"

It answered back, "An illogical question. I was always with you."

In a way, The Records wasn't exactly wrong… Every mental command he uses for his abilities was technically redirected to the Figment of his Imagination. It was the one processing and awakening his skills whenever he needed to use them…

Soren sighed, "Then I guess you already know why I am here then right?"

The flame flickered unevenly as he slowly entered the canopy and sat down in his usual seat. The round table had remained the same—as ancient and mysterious looking as ever.

"You wish to understand those rune pages, but you don't want to risk damaging your Avatar."

"Correct," Soren replied with a smile. "Let's get started then—I don't have much time. Myrin might come back very soon."

"Relics! Come get your relics!"

A blonde haired young man wearing a bandana yelled out into the darkened streets as countless onlookers glanced over at the sign above his head. To the left of him sat an elven man donning a white robe. He held tightly to the flute in his hands as the tunes he played resonated among the crowd.

"Fresh relics from a hidden dungeon chamber! Newly found and ready to be used!" The young man yelled out once again—more and more people gathered toward their stall. It took a bit of time, but eventually, curiosity won over many in the crowd:

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"How expensive are these?"

"This ring looks great! What effects does it have?"

"Do you have any financing options?"

"The patterns on this sword! They're reminiscent of another era? I need to research this one!"

Myrin watched the spectacle unfold with keen eyes as he played his tunes from the side. The young man manning the stall continued to haggle with the buyers one by one… By the end of it, even his bandana began to fall off.

It was surprising to say the least. Just yesterday, the streets inside this ruined city were relatively empty.

News traveled fast… He thought.

It was pretty obvious to him that many of these people did not come directly from Camp Sebastian… Likely, they were the newest batch of explorers who knew of the previously elevated danger and only now decided to enter the dungeon. With how close the Safe Zone was to the surface, travel between the two was relatively fast.

Not to mention—the Soul Skinners had already killed off most of the monsters roaming the upper floors before they themselves inevitably vanished… Right now, the Avalon Ruins had become the safest it could be in millenia. A true opportunity for those eyeing treasure, indeed…

The haggling continued. Gold coins were spent, items were distributed, thank you's were said… After an hour or two, nothing in the stall remained aside from a large pouch filled to the brim with Lorins.

"Bless the Gold-Giver!.." The young man in the bandana leaned against the table tiredly. He glanced over at Myrin who was busily cleaning his flute and smiled.

"Brother Myrin, I can't believe how much we made in just one day! You two are amazing!"

Myrin smiled, "There will be more once we go back to the Hall of Death. We left behind far too much for us to even carry. I'll make sure to give you a cut of the profits once it's all over."

The young man shook his head—his smile widening, "I am glad to be of service to you and that other fellow… What's his name again—Siren?"

"Soren," Myrin corrected with a chuckle.

"Yeah him! Without either of you, I wouldn't even be alive today… I don't need any rewards—I am simply doing this to repay the favor! The Gold-Giver teaches us to always pay back our debts!"

Myrin shook his head. "None of us would have lived if we didn't fight as hard as we did… We all did our part."

The young man named Julien remained adamant, "Even so, I have to thank the both of you…" He fixed his bandana then sighed.

"Back then, when my friend James died before my very eyes… I wanted to give up. It felt hopeless, really. The darkness surrounded us from all sides, like a storm trying to eat us alive…

"Your friend—if he hadn't shown up when he did, I truly would not be here. Even now, I still cannot forget that scene! His guidance to all of us throughout that nightmare felt like a miracle."

Myrin stood up and stretched. His eyes gazed toward the roof of the underground chamber.

"I'll be sure to tell him what you said. But trust me—his ego is worse than mine. Feeding it too much is definitely not a good idea."

Julien chuckled, "You say that as if that isn't the norm for you magi."

"Fair point…" Myrin brushed his hair behind his ear, but his eyes remained fixed above.

"By the way…" He said slowly, as if trying to find the words. "Do you know what thing up there is?"

"Hm?" Julien traced his gaze—eyes locked in on the object somewhere on the roof of this underground chamber… A radiant crimson shine that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

"Oh that? That's the Blood Amulet! It's been here for longer than anyone's been alive."

"Blood Amulet?" Myrin's brows furrowed.

The young man nodded. He continued to dismantle the wooden stall while explaining:

"Yes—the Blood Amulet. It's a mystic item that has been around for centuries. No one knows its true origins or how it even ended up there, but there is a theory that its influence is why this Safe Zone even exists… The monsters of the dungeon fear its presence and do not dare to approach."

Myrin rubbed his chin, "Interesting… How come no one has tried to steal it?"

Hearing this, Julien laughed. "Oh believe me—many have tried! At one point, even the Orthodox Churches were drawn to its presence. They believed it to be a heretical item that traces its origins to the Old Gods… However, no one has succeeded in obtaining it. I am unsure why."

The Elven Songster looked at it closely… It was circular in shape with a strange crimson colored crystalline form embedded in gold. Strange black lines could be seen inside the crystal shifting slowly and menacingly…

Unaware of his thoughts Julien continued. "Though, I am somewhat glad that no one has managed to obtain it. Even if we are unsure of its benefits or whether it's an evil item, the Safe Zone we take for granted might not exist without its presence!"

Myrin glanced at him briefly then smiled warmly.

"Indeed… Let us hope it remains that way for centuries to come."

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