Soon, the Phantom Spark finished materializing something. It was a crystal, meaning that it was a Phantom Ability.

[Dark Veil]

|_Rank: C

|_Type: Stealth — Stealth Rank: C.

|_Description: Conjures a Dark Veil around you that allows you to pass through normal physical objects. This can be boosted further by curse energy Enchant to allow you to pass through magical objects and obstacles as well.

|_Cost: 200 spirit energy + ??? Curse energy.

|_Duration cost: 1 to 5 spirit energy per second.

"Well, not bad," Aeron shrugged and learned the ability. "It seems like it can be useful, but not now."

[Yep.]

…

After recovering his energy, Aeron carefully walked towards the wide passage leading to somewhere. He couldn't see anything because this particular corridor didn't have glowing moss.

Aeron opened his Field, but only at the front of him instead of circular. Sort of like a square field 5 meters wide and 30 meters long as he pushed it through the corridor to observe inside.

[Oh? It's the fountain.]

Lapis raised her eyebrows as she observed using Aeron's Field.

'Yeah. I guess that's Fountain of Life.'

Aeron was already fully prepared. He had his Flame Bow in his hand and Gale Strider's wind tubes filled with enough energy and Enchanted attached to his body while his curse and spirit energies were fully recovered as well.

"Let's go," Aeron walked inside the corridor and emerged into another big cavern, with strange white glowing stalactites above that illuminated the cavern.

The fountain at the center looked the size of 2 meters in radius, made of carved white stones. The water was clean and sparkling as if a magical elixir of life, alluring Aeron to take a sip.

'Fountain of life my ass,' Aeron was speechless because his instincts warned him of the danger.

[Destroy it.]

"This fountain is tingling my creepy senses," Aeron grinned. "Since it happened twice, I trust my creepy senses enough to declare that something is going to happen once I destroy that."

Aeron conjured his Flame Bow and pulled the string as a Flame Arrow materialized and condensed sleekly.

Afterward, he Enchanted the arrow with 1000 curse energy.

'This should do the job.'

*Ziip!*

The arrow tore through the air and struck the Fountain. *Boom!*

A fiery explosion occurred, all compacted within the 1-meter radius and obliterated the fountain.

Aeron took a deep breath and sped up recovery slightly while he narrowed his eyes and expanded his Field enough to cover the fountain.

[Let's see….]

Lapis also curiously observed to see if anything would happen.

A few seconds passed, but nothing happened.

"My creepy senses are wrong?"

Aeron pouted.

But the next second, a loud cry rang out from the destroyed fountain as it shook the air and spread vibrations.

The stalactite above shook as some of them fell on the ground.

A black and thick mist oozed out of the destroyed fountain and gathered up, causing Aeron to have goosebumps due to its sickly aura.

Soon, the mist sparkled with blood-red crystals and ultimately it changed its shape and turned into a two-meter-tall humanoid wearing a black robe, blood-red eyes, two wooden horns, and a brown beard.

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The man's skin was cracked and the cracks glowed with black light.

He held a long wooden staff in his hand and the lingering black mist around him soon dispersed as he descended on the ground, his eyes blood red eyes focused on Aeron.

[Rakka the Vital Simfon]

_Rank: C+ — Cursed.

Without hesitation, Aeron released 2nd Flame Arrow with the bow's end being 1 inch apart.

1000 cursed energy on Enchant.

*Swoosh!*

The arrow was impossible for Rakka to dodge. It tore through the air and square landed on him, creating an explosion that burned his face and half body.

However, Aeron's expression paled, his eyes turned bloodshot and a loud, painful scream left his mouth.

"Arghhhh!!"

[What happened?!]

Lapis was alarmed.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck! I am burning!'

Aeron was not burning, he was feeling all the pain of the burn that he dealt to Rakka!

Meanwhile, Rakka raised his staff which glowed with dark green light, healing his own injuries.

However, the injuries he healed on him appeared over Aeron!

'What the fuck?' Aeron was shocked, and his pain shot through. He clenched and grunted hard as he got his shit together despite the pain and quickly used Vitalis Aegis.

His injuries started healing inside Vitalis Aegis as the burn marks slowly vanished from his face and body.

Meanwhile, Rakka's expression changed as his lips parted into a smile…a smile that widened until it reached his eyes.

"Please let me help you."

Rakka's staff glowed and Aeron dashed to the side without hesitation upon seeing that.

*Beem!*

The staff's glowing green beam stuck the ground where Aeron previously stood, causing a blast that created half a meter radius of the hole.

[It looks like you have to go all out on this one.]

Lapis chuckled.

Aeron nodded. 'Without missing it. Or else, I'll die just from his strange ability.'

"Please let me heal you."

"Shut up," Aeron snorted.

Rakka's voice was as kind as it could be, but his wide creepy smile that enhanced cracks on his skin and showed his white teeth with black marks was revolting…just like his power.

'This bastard can transfer pain to me, and when he heals himself, I receive the injuries he recovered,' Aeron internally grunted and dodged another attack with Gale Strider.

[Next is your third arrow. Kill it one shot.]

'Yep. That's the only way, or I'll get fucked,' Aeron grinned. Since his fear also gathered, he could feel the fear energy around him, creating a faint black cloak.

After all, the thing that happened just now with pain and injury transfer was a scary experience!

It was scary but thrilling! Going against his own fear was fun!

"Time to die, old boi," Aeron narrowed his eyes as he easily dodged another attack with Gale Strider. 'This movement-ability is too good.'

His injuries healed, and he deactivated Vitalis Aegis before using Flamehunt Rambe again.

Aeron pulled the string strong enough that the bow bent with only 1 cm of distance remaining between the bow's ends.

The Flame Arrow burned with intensity as it glowed from yellow. But as Aeron Enchanted the Arrow more and more….Rakka released another attack, causing Aeron's brows to furrow as he had to interrupt his attack process and dodge.

"I can help you," Rakka kindly said and raised his staff high as it glowed.

"Shit," Aeron cursed and quickly pulled the arrow again, reaching requirement, and infused more curse energy into the Arrow to Enchant it.

He added 5000 curse energy as the Flame Arrow turned blue, hotter than ever.

But he added 5000 curse energy more, causing the Flame Arrow to turn dark violet. It was so hot the air was visibly distorting and crackling around Aeron.

'So hot.'

He could feel the intense heat of his own Flame Arrow that made him sweat bullets.

He finished charging the Arrow to its limit after one and a half seconds while Rakka's staff released a ball of a dark green sphere that exploded high in the air, causing hundreds of tiny dark green beads to form and rain down.

At the same time, Aeron also released his Flame Arrow. The moment he released it, it left a trail of violet flame while tearing through the air with a jarring popping sound and struck Rakka.

*Boom!*

A thunderous and explosive sound rang, but all the explosion of that 10,000 curse energy Enchanted arrow was contained within 1 meter!

It obliterated that entire 1-meter radius area, destroying the whole upper half of Rakka in an instant!

Meanwhile, Aeron swiftly used Vitalis Aegis right after releasing his arrow. Rakka died, but its attack rained down.

Aeron also ran back while some dark green beads stuck into his barrier, but it managed to defend against the few that hit it before Aeron entered back into the corridor.

[100 Phantom Points acquired.]

[Congratulations. You have completed the quest—Dark Ruin: Cursed Grotto of Generous Druid]

[You have been rewarded with:

—> Mystic Pill crafting recipe: Starlife Pill

—> Vigor Flame Refinement Art.

—> The staff of Vervacity.

]

'Hehehe,' Aeron grinned as he saw the rewards and couldn't wait to check them out!

[Let's leave first. We've completed this Dark Ruin.]

Right before the destroyed fountain appeared a portal after Rakka died.

A Haunt core also glowed nearby, and there was also one more thing behind it, not fully visible.

"What's that?" Aeron curiously walked towards it.

[It seems that Phantom Spark purified it and extracted material from it as well. It's a 50% chance, so not strange.]

'True, but I didn't get Haunt Material from Black Specter.'

"Eh?? For real?" Aeron was speechless as he finally got a clear look at it.

It was a black heart, and it was throbbing faintly!

[Haha, this was a fruitful trip overall, especially thanks to the quest.]

Lapis grinned. [Those rewards should be good.]

'They do sound good from the names.'

After collecting Haunt core and the black heart into his inventory, Aeron entered the exit portal.

He officially finished his first Dark Ruin experience!