Episode 159: A New Foundation (1)
The day after the duel, Damian found himself in a private meeting with the Mercenary King.
For several minutes after they sat down, the Mercenary King remained silent, simply glaring at Damian with a furrowed brow.
”…You.”
Finally, the Mercenary King spoke up, albeit hesitantly.
“Earlier… well, you know… it was really… I mean… impressive… or something…”
He struggled to finish his sentence, stumbling over his words.
“Impressive? No! What was so impressive about it? It was nothing! Absolutely nothing!”
The Mercenary King shouted, his voice echoing through the room. Damian looked at him, puzzled.
“Alright, alright. Just give me the reward you promised.”
At Damian’s request, the Mercenary King grumbled.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to cheat you. I keep my promises.”
With that, he opened a spatial pocket and retrieved a small glass vial.
As soon as the vial emerged, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Frost formed on the table as he set the vial down.
“Three drops of Mita Holy Water. That should be more than enough.”
Damian’s eyes widened at the mention of Mita Holy Water.
This rare elixir, formed only once every hundred years in the depths of polar caves, was renowned for its potent properties.
‘More than enough, indeed. It’s almost too much.’
Mita Holy Water was so intensely cold that consuming it recklessly could freeze one’s internal organs, leading to death.
‘He must be trying to mess with me.’
Someone of the Mercenary King’s stature likely had safer alternatives of similar value. Yet, he chose to give Damian this dangerous elixir, seemingly to test him.
“I’ll make good use of it.”
Damian stored the Mita Holy Water in his own spatial pocket.
Though it was too risky to use immediately, he was confident he could find a way to harness it with careful thought.
“I’ll let you choose a mana cultivation technique yourself. Just wait a moment.”
The Mercenary King pulled out a large brass key and turned it in the air.
A small door materialized out of thin air, leaving Damian astonished.
“Is that… an artifact?”
Typically, spatial pockets were only for storing items, not for entering.
Modern mages had yet to develop the technology to create such spaces.
However, certain artifacts allowed for entry into these mystical spaces, though they were exceedingly rare and nearly impossible to acquire.
“You’ve got a keen eye. Now, let’s go inside.”
Damian followed the Mercenary King into the spatial pocket.
Inside, towering bookshelves stretched up to the ceiling, filled with books of every kind—novels, encyclopedias, histories, and more.
“This place is incredible.”
Damian was genuinely impressed. He had thought his father’s library at Spring Castle was vast, but it paled in comparison to this.
“Reading is a hobby of mine. When I have no work, I find joy in sitting here with a good book.”
It was an unexpected pastime for someone with the Mercenary King’s reputation.
“From here on, it’s all mana cultivation techniques. I’ll let you read the titles and the first pages. Choose one to take with you.”
Damian began examining the techniques, each one unique—some on paper, others on leather or parchment, and even some etched into stone tablets.
‘Amazing. Truly amazing.’
Even a brief glance was enough to gauge their value.
Each technique was crafted with deep purpose and profound principles, the result of extensive experience and research.
‘As expected of the Mercenary King’s collection. I’d take them all if I could.’
Suddenly, something unusual caught Damian’s eye.
It wasn’t a book or parchment. It was a crystal, about the size of a fist.
Inside the crystal, three rings were stacked in layers.
“This is…”
Damian peered into the crystal, unable to discern its secrets even with his keen eyes.
“That caught your interest, did it?”
The Mercenary King had approached quietly.
“What is this?”
“It was created by the Empire’s greatest swordsman, either three or four generations ago. He claimed that unlocking the secret within would grant knowledge surpassing his own.”
The Empire was the largest power on the continent, its strength rooted in its knights. Thousands of knights emerged from the Empire each year.
The title of the Empire’s greatest swordsman was considered equivalent to the world’s greatest.
“You possess an extraordinary item.”
“It’s not as grand as it sounds. No one has unlocked its secret for centuries. I picked it up cheaply on the black market.”
If even Damian couldn’t decipher it, others likely had no chance.
Most dismissed it as a prank by the Empire’s greatest swordsman, leaving it to languish until now.
“You seem interested in that crystal… but I’d recommend choosing something else.”
The Mercenary King was right; choosing another technique was the sensible option.
Even if the secret was unlocked, it might not be useful to Damian.
Yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the crystal, or more precisely, the rings within it.
“I’ll take this.”
“What? Are you serious?”
The Mercenary King was taken aback. Damian nodded.
“Yes, it draws me in.”
The Mercenary King pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Well, it’s not like you’d listen to me anyway. Do as you please.”
Damian expressed his gratitude and took the crystal.
“Well, I’ll be on my way then.”
After leaving the library, Damian prepared to return to his quarters.
“Hold on. There’s something else we need to discuss.”
The Mercenary King stopped him, prompting Damian to look at him curiously.
“About the Mita Holy Water I gave you… do you have a way to absorb it?”
“Not yet.”
The Mercenary King hesitated, glancing around before speaking.
“Is that so? Well, it just so happens I know a way to neutralize its properties… if you do me a favor, I’ll share it with you.”
Damian sighed, looking weary.
“Are we really doing this again?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not planning another strange wager to take back the Mita Holy Water and the technique, are you?”
“What? Who do you take me for? I have no such intentions!”
The Mercenary King blustered, his face reddening.
“Then what are you up to?”
“Up to? Nothing… just trying to help you out as a senior.”
Despite his words, the Mercenary King couldn’t meet Damian’s eyes.
Damian scrutinized him, clearly suspicious.
“Alright, I’ll hear you out first.”
“Good! That’s the spirit!”
The Mercenary King brightened, continuing.
“As you know, consuming an elixir with a concentrated energy can be fatal if not handled properly.”
Damian’s gaze turned icy. It was clear the Mercenary King had given him the Mita Holy Water on purpose.
“But if you consume an elixir with opposing energy, they neutralize each other, reducing the risk significantly. You might even gain more magical power.”
Damian nodded in agreement.
“Recently, the Kingdom of Grape sent a request. They promised to reward us with Fire Moss if we complete it.”
The mention of Fire Moss piqued Damian’s interest.
Fire Moss, a rare plant from volcanic regions, was known for its intense heat. It was so potent that even touching it could cause burns.
Though slightly less prestigious than Mita Holy Water, it was still a legendary elixir.
“But we’ve received other requests, and we’re short-handed. If you help with the Kingdom of Grape’s request, I’ll give you the Fire Moss.”
For Damian, it was an opportunity with no downside.
In fact, it was a rare chance, given how difficult it was to acquire something as valuable as Fire Moss.
“Alright. But first, tell me what the request involves.”
“There’s a plague in the Kingdom of Grape, and they want us to eliminate the undead that have arisen in the affected area.”
Undead didn’t always result from dark magic. They could also form naturally in places filled with death and decay.
“If they’re offering Fire Moss, it must be a formidable foe.”
“They say it injured two high-class warriors and escaped. Reports suggest it held the upper hand throughout the fight.”
An undead that could overpower two high-class warriors?
‘Wait, an undead from the Kingdom of Grape… could it be?’
Damian recalled a memory. He knew of an undead that fit those conditions.
Fenrir.
One of the beasts of destruction that had wreaked havoc on humanity during the War of Annihilation.
A massive creature that dwarfed city walls, with skin that repelled even the strongest magic and aura.
Many fortresses had crumbled under Fenrir’s relentless assault.
“Originally, it was an undead creature that had arisen naturally, but the warlocks of Pandemonium captured it and presented it to Dorgo.”
Recognizing Fenrir’s potential, Dorgo personally modified it. Soon, Fenrir was reborn as a monster among monsters.
“Alright. I’ll take on the task.”
For the sake of the future, Fenrir was a threat that had to be eliminated.
Damian decided to accept the Mercenary King’s request.
“You’ve made a wise choice,” the Mercenary King said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.