Episode 216: Memories (1)
The moment Damian absorbed Everis’s memories, the world around him shifted.
The coliseum faded away, replaced by a dark, cavernous space.
It was a vast chamber carved from stone, with a high ceiling.
Everis was bound here.
Her limbs were shackled to a cross shaped like an X.
Surgical scars marred her body, and needles connected to tubes pierced her skin.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Everis groaned softly. Damian examined her frail form.
“She’s dying.”
His knowledge of dark magic confirmed it.
The modifications done to Everis had failed, and she was dying as a result.
“But where is this place?”
In his past life, Dorgo had hidden himself in various secret locations across the continent, moving frequently to avoid detection.
Damian scanned the surroundings, hoping to recognize one of these hideouts, but this place was unfamiliar.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the entrance. A small man approached with hurried steps.
“Is Lord Dorgo still in his chamber?”
-Yes, he is.
The servant walking beside the man replied. His skin was ashen, resembling a corpse, and dark magic seeped from his body with every step.
This servant was not alive. He was an undead, created by Dorgo himself.
In his past life, Dorgo only used undead servants he had personally crafted, ensuring their loyalty.
“It’s been months since he cut off contact without any new research projects. I worry something might have happened to Lord Dorgo.”
-I feel the same way.
Their conversation halted as they stopped in front of Everis.
The servant injected a substance into Everis’s body.
“Why waste such a precious resource on a failure?”
-The master has not yet decided the fate of this specimen. Until then, it must be kept alive.
After the injection, Everis’s complexion improved, her life force momentarily restored.
But the pain remained.
“Ugh… ugh… please… kill me…”
Everis pleaded weakly.
The two men ignored her. To them, she was just a failed experiment, destined for disposal upon Dorgo’s return.
They felt no need to pay her any mind.
Then, footsteps echoed from the corridor. The two men turned, their eyes widening.
“Lord Dorgo!”
-Master!
A robed skeleton approached, its jaw clattering as it spoke.
“Oh, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Forgive us for troubling you, my lord! We deserve to die!”
-This unworthy servant left your side, master! Please, end my life!
The two men dropped to their knees, their faces a mix of awe and reverence.
Unlike them, Damian felt a surge of hatred at the sight of Dorgo.
“Damn it… I can only watch.”
The Dorgo before him was merely a memory, and getting angry was pointless.
Too much emotion could disrupt the dark magic. He had to remain calm.
“Are you well, my lord?”
-We were worried when you didn’t emerge.
“Sorry about that. I had a terrible headache.”
Dorgo rubbed his temples, the sound of bone scraping bone echoing.
“It was so painful… my head felt like it would burst. I stayed in my room to sort out my thoughts.”
“Was it really that severe?”
-Do you suspect any issues?
“Haha, no need to worry. I’m fine now.”
Dorgo laughed heartily.
“My absence must have caused some confusion.”
“Fortunately, no major issues arose. However…”
“However?”
“A knight with dangerous tendencies has appeared recently.”
“Oh?”
Dorgo’s skeletal face shifted, showing interest.
“Dangerous tendencies, you say?”
“It’s a long story.”
The man began explaining about Damian Haxen. The more he heard, the more intrigued Dorgo became.
“What was the knight’s name again?”
“Damian Haxen.”
“Damian Haxen… From what you’ve said, he seems quite extraordinary. He might even fulfill my ambitions…”
Suddenly, Dorgo’s expression changed, his tone serious.
”…Damian Haxen?”
“Do you know him?”
“No, it’s a new name to me. But it feels oddly familiar.”
Dorgo pondered for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look.
“Why are you all here?”
“We came to manage the specimen.”
“The specimen?”
-Yes, master. This specimen.
The servant gestured to Everis. Dorgo approached her.
“Ah, now I remember. She was part of an experiment to restore the Eye of the Night. It failed, though.”
Dorgo muttered as he examined Everis.
“I even got a master class from Sla for this experiment. Such a waste.”
Even for Dorgo, a master class was not easily obtained.
-We kept her alive as you hadn’t ordered her disposal yet.
“Why waste resources? Just discard her. She’s a failure, and there’s no way to… wait.”
A peculiar expression crossed Dorgo’s face.
“I thought she was a complete failure, but… I think I can save her! No, not just save—perfect her!”
Dorgo’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He raised his arms in triumph.
“Incredible! Ideas are flooding my mind!”
Dorgo grabbed Everis’s hair, and she looked at him weakly.
“Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll perfect you! With my touch, you’ll gain immense power! Power to ignore most things!”
Dorgo’s laughter grew louder.
As his laughter reached its peak, Damian was expelled from the memory, returning to reality.
Damian was back in the present.
He looked down at Everis, still in his grasp.
“No significant information, as expected.”
Her memories before becoming a specimen were erased, and those after were sparse.
“This risk wasn’t worth it.”
Using dark magic in a public place like the Helian Arena was akin to suicide.
Damian had manipulated the dark magic within Everis to shatter her soul, deceiving onlookers.
Though undetected, it was still a dangerous move.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Everis mumbled incoherently. With her soul destroyed, she was little more than a shell.
Damian released her head and stepped back.
Suddenly, Everis’s body swelled and exploded. Flames and smoke filled the arena.
“Ahhh!”
“Ahhh!”
The audience screamed in panic. Fortunately, a protective barrier shielded them from harm.
“Dorgo, you madman.”
Watching the explosion from afar, Damian clicked his tongue.
Dorgo had implanted bombs in all his specimens to prevent any leaks about him.
Damian could have disarmed the bomb if he wished.
But he didn’t. If the Empire examined Everis’s body, they might discover his use of dark magic.
The flames and smoke cleared. All eyes turned to Damian.
“He’s alive.”
“Not even singed by the explosion?”
The crowd marveled at Damian’s unscathed appearance, given the explosion’s magnitude.
Then, the murmurs ceased abruptly.
The Emperor had risen from his seat.
“He’s alive.”
The Emperor was astonished as he watched Damian stand unharmed.
Not only had he subdued a formidable master class like Everis, but he had also survived such a massive explosion.
“His name is Damian Haxen, correct?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Damian Haxen…”
The Emperor frowned. The name was unfamiliar, yet it felt oddly familiar. He couldn’t explain why.
“Should we evacuate the spectators?”
“Hold on.”
The Emperor stopped the guard.
The safety of his people was important, but there was something he needed to do first.
“He’s earned a reward for his deeds.”
With the sudden intrusion of Everlis, the empire lost two of its invaluable master-class warriors. Fortunately, thanks to the intervention of Damian Haxen, the damage was minimized.
Those who contribute deserve their due recognition.
With this thought, the emperor rose to his feet. Despite the chaos, all eyes turned to him.
“Damian Haxen. I witnessed your remarkable efforts. You dealt with the fiend of Pandemonium admirably.”
At the emperor’s words, Damian Haxen immediately knelt on one knee. The emperor was inwardly pleased by this display of respect.
“I wish to commend you immediately, but the circumstances are not ideal. I will soon invite you to the palace. Please, do not refuse my invitation.”
The emperor added briefly, “There, I will ensure you receive a fitting reward.”