Doing his best to keep a poker face, Michael pretended that he didn't hear the man's voice change, playing dumb to gather more intel.
"I see. Your hunter I met was badly hurt. She did speak of coin, though."
[So she lives! Good! Worry not, friend. I'll see she's helped and paid in full.](Rakhaan)
"Why do you collect these relics, by the way?"
[Hmm? Well... shouldn't they be collected? Would you leave a host of curse-bearing relics to feast across your homeland?](Rakhann)
"Ugh..."
[I thought not. You're the curious kind, I see. Go on. Ask all the questions you have.](Rakhaan)
Seeing the nonchalant yet somewhat kind mannerism of the Curio Collector, Michael nodded but kept his guard up in case he got ambushed.
Rakhaan was already messing with his Ring of Communication, and judging by his tone of voice and choice of words, he was talking to the mercenary woman he had previously met.
With the man finishing his conversation, the Necromancer stepped on the gas with the last question he was hoping to get more information on.
"Then, I won't hold back. Can you tell me about these Overseers?"
[Them, huh? The old slaver kings of Guulrahn. Ruled the Steppes with an iron fist for generations. Long gone, now. But their relics spread suffering in their stead.](Rakhaan)
"Wait. So the Overseers I heard of, who were still ruling Guulrahn until it recently fell..."
[Only the progenies of the old slavers. More limited in power and undoubtedly less competent.](Rakhaan)
Looking at the odd relic, which kept releasing tendrils of purple energy, the Necromancer raised an eyebrow and pointed at it.
"What about this one? Which Overseer's relic is it?"
[Overseer Salak. Sick bastard liked to pour lava down his victim's throats.](Rakhaan)
Stumped after hearing the answer, Michael couldn't help but consider the logistics needed to transport molten lava to Guulrahn.
Or would they go to Mt. Civo every time they wanted to torture someone?
That seemed oddly inefficient.
"I see... Then, let's get on to business. Where is this other relic?"
[Qara-Yisu, I'd hoped. But the hunter I sent there hasn't returned. Whether dead or just late, I suspect the boy needs help. Perhaps you could provide it.](Rakhaan)
After exchanging more words and finding out more details about this new relic, a Quest finally appeared.
[ Side Quest issued - Hunting the Relic Hunter
Objective: Find the missing Relic Hunter
Description: Rakhaan has told you of another relic and the relic hunter he sent to obtain it. Find him, and you'll find the relic. ]
The main issue was the nature of the relic in question. According to the Curio Collector, it was five times more dangerous than the one he just recovered.
There was also a high chance of the Relic Hunter being possessed by it, so Rakhaan asked him to keep that in mind and prioritize his safety.
Checking his experience bar, he noticed it had already reached 1,330,668/1,964,430 - almost 75% of his current level - a plan quickly formed in his head.
'First, wrap up the Quests since they are more urgent. Then, clean the four remaining Dungeons. That should be sufficient to level up. Then, sleep! Lots of it!'
Pondering for a moment, he postponed the Quest he had just received and instead headed to collect the remains and bracelets of the two people the Triune had kidnapped and probably sacrificed.
He wasn't very far away from the Quest Area, either.
'Probably around 20 minutes or so on horseback. Let's rush straight to Mt. Civo and collect their remains. Hmm... the general direction is north.'
Rushing his mount, Michael reached the base of the mountain/volcano, only to see his road further ahead being blocked by a strange blue barrier.
He could clearly see some fanatic Triune members performing some sort of ritual, with a four-meter-tall demon in the middle.
Remembering that he had seen this sort of World Event before, where a portion of the land gets 'cut' from the Sanctuary and the forces of Burning Hell can better interfere was created: an Ascension ritual.
Unfortunately for the demons, he was no longer a weak, under-Level 10 Wanderer but a Necromancer who had already crossed Level 50.
Ordering his minions forward, he demolished the corrupt priests holding the ritual and the demon they were trying to empower.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Ooooh, another Radiant Chest. Hmm... 2 Rare Items, 5 Angelbreaths... 7 Bundled Herbs, Ironk Chunks, and Rawhides each, and, of course, 5 Gem Fragments each. *Sigh* A good haul, but still... would've preferred, huh!?"
Just as he was in the middle of pondering his loot, a magic bolt was hurled at his head, forcing the Necromancer to use Evade instinctively.
The bolt passed through his body as he dematerialized into a swarm of bats and reappeared in his physical form less than three meters away.
While an odd but strangely unpleasant feeling coursed through his mind, Michael used Evade for the second time in a row as the Mother's Disciples that ambushed him closed in.
This time, however, the cloud of immaterial bats flew at the nearest target - a burly man with a red KKK mask on his face - passing through him.
The odd feeling intensified as he saw the man's Life Points decrease significantly, and a strange red symbol appeared above his head.
'Judging by its ominous appearance, it should be the Vampiric Curse mentioned in the boots' Aspect description. Interesting.'
Not wanting to waste more time, Michael cast Decrepify on the closest targets, followed by Corpse Tendrils and Blood Mist.
Much to his surprise, the changes to Blood Mist were also quite evident, as both its damage - caused by Desecrated Ground - and the movement speed was much superior compared to before having the new Legendary ring.
Tremendously satisfied, he got his head back in the game and began ascending the slope of Mt. Civo once more.
The presence of demons and Mother's Chosen and Disciples was heavy, but with the help of his minions, they became easy pickings to further boost his experience points.
"Ugh! This smell..."
A disgusting stench made his body involuntarily gag as he approached some weird wooden constructs.
They looked like regular pillars with four spikes in each direction every fifty centimeters as one looked up their length.
Unfortunately, not all of these pillars were empty.
[ Charred Remains ]
Seeing what the system identified and realizing the stench was actually burnt - or charred, in this case - human flesh, Michael's stomach churned violently.
Barely getting ahold of himself, he approached the remains since they were related to his Quest but couldn't find any bracelets to show its connection to his targets.
Stumped and somewhat disgusted, he continued cleansing the volcano of the fanatics and the demons they conspired with, examining five other charred bodies on his way up.
Finally, something surfaces on his sixth corpse.
[ Naraa's Bracelet ]
The remains were of a smaller size, indicating a much younger age compared to the charred corpses he had inspected up to this point.
Shaking his head, he touched the bracelet with the eagle carvings, surprised to see it unburnt.
Once he did, the remains turned into ash, dissipating in the wind, just like the other five.
Mentally hoping this child had more luck in their future life, he opened his Quest inventory and inspected the item he had acquired.
[ Naaraa's Bracelet
Quest item: Weight of Sin
--------------
A hand-carved bracelet tarnished by ash. Eagle wings span the underside of the bangle. 'Naraa' is carved beneath the wings. ]
Controlling his emotions, the Necromancer restarted his ascension, and upon his inspection of the 18th body, he found the second bracelet.
[ Dawa's Bracelet
Quest item: Weight of Sin
--------------
A hand-carved bracelet tarnished by ash. Eagle wings span the underside of the bangle. 'Dawa' is carved beneath the wings. ]
Making a quick call and explaining the nature of his Quest to Beatrice, he convinced the woman to send a competent team of higher-level Wanderers to survey the area and, hopefully, clear it of the remains of the Triune cult.
[ Side Quest update - Weight of Sin
Objective: Return Dawa and Naraa's Bracelets to Nekhii
Description: You retrieved the carved bracelets. You should return to Nekhii so she can give them proper rest. ]
A bit worried about the woman's reaction after he handed them over, Michael pondered upon the choice of words he should use if Nekhii asked for details about where the remains were and what happened to them.
Opening his MAP while altering his return path to the shortest route, the Necromancer saw a new Dungeon pop up somewhat close to him. Unfortunately, a direct route didn't exist, so he had to take a detour through Fate's Retreat if he wanted to get there.
[ Dungeon: Path of the Blind (Level 50+)
Description: The bloodstained initiation grounds for Triune aspirants. ]
Figuring out it should be an excellent way to vent by messing more Triune cultists up, he set it as his next target after the Quests while moving past the Fate's Retreat camp.
He noticed Rakhaan was gone and wondered where the strange Curio Collector had disappeared.
Making up conspiracy theories on his way to the wrecked village remains, Michael found himself clearing a large patch of demons lying in wait on the demolished ruins.
Five minutes later, he returned to the small lake Nekhii had previously stood in front of, and a strong sense of dread washed over him.
The pond, with its red earth shores hinting at its corroding nature, had a new addition five to six meters away from a wooden pontoon. It was a badly disfigured body currently being eroded by the acid-like water.
Looking at his feet, he found a parchment under two rocks, with a pencil and ink on the side.
[ Nekhii's Confession - A letter with Nekhii's parting words ]
Raising his head to look at the body whose bones were already melting, Michael was temporarily stunned, unable to move.
His brain couldn't make the connections fast enough to comprehend the situation.
Did she kill herself due to grief? It wouldn't be unprecedented after the entire settlement was murdered and sacrificed by the Triune.
But the problem was the word 'confession' hinted at by the Sanctuary.
Taking a deep breath and scrunching his nose at the salty and sulphuric smell, the Necromancer bent down to read the letter and discover the truth.
[ The Triune promised a future beyond suffering. We knew only hunger after Mother and Father passed. I joined the Triune to guarantee our future. Our happiness. Yet, I returned to only ash and despair.
I go to them now, offering my body to the pools as our ancestors once did. I hope to feel even a fraction of the suffering I caused before I am gone.
May your bracelets return here, too, so that I may hold you again in the plains beyond. ]
The Quest updated, but Michael ignored it and its details. It was clear enough what he had to do.
Instead, he sat on the shore of the lake and watched the slowly decomposing body with mixed feelings.
Sighing, he gently threw both bracelets, allowing them to float next to Nekhii's body.
It wasn't hard picturing what happened.
"A young woman who lost both parents, struggling to raise her two younger siblings. They barely managed to eat enough not to starve daily, while they suffered terribly due to the lack of a proper breadwinner in their midst. Without another choice, Nekhii was lured by the Triune with promises of a better future but massacred the entire village without caring that one of their members came up from there. Then, after I trashed their nest and foiled their plans at Mt. Civo, she probably returned to the village, hoping to restart her life... *Sigh*"
It was a disgusting feeling. Watching the body and the bracelets slowly disappear into the murky water, Michael had a hard time controlling his emotions.
Be it on Earth or in the Sanctuary, there are always those who use religion and the emotional vulnerability or naivety of the young to trick them.
[ Side Quest complete - Weight of Sin
Reward 1: 34,848 experience points
Reward 2: 2,750 gold coins
Reward 3: Random Cache. ]
He didn't leave just yet. Instead, he patiently waited another forty minutes or so until the pond dissolved the last remains of Nekhii and the two bracelets.
Once that happened, he slowly stood up, summoned his horse, and left the remains of the tormented village.
His next Quest location was near Qara-Yisu, and it took Michael about an hour to reach it.
Once he got closer, the number of demons was annoyingly large but relatively easy to get rid of.
A middle-aged man who looked nothing like a Wanderer was examining some petrified remains with a stern and distraught expression on his face.
Probably hearing the sound of hooves approaching, the man turned his head and cautiously checked Michael up.
"Are you Rakhaan's hunter?"
[Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm Abaan. Did he send you? Thank the spirits! He paid me half up front. Didn't tell me there'd be bodies, though.](Abaan)
Turning his head to look at the statues showing terrified expressions, the Necromancer rubbed the bridge of his nose, hoping not to have a Medusa-type encounter.