Chapter 226: Eternal Spire[R-18] (51)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 226: Eternal Spire[R-18] (51)
Mila’s body suddenly floated into the air. A red aura began to flow beneath her skin, and her hair swayed as if caught in a gust of wind.
“Ugh…”
A moan escaped her lips. Her voice trembled with a mixture of pain and pleasure.
[Unique Ability: Berserker has been enhanced.]
[It has evolved into Unique Ability: Blood Frenzy.]
Mila’s body slowly descended back to the ground. When she opened her eyes, they revealed sharp, red pupils.
“How is it?”
Mila lifted a hand, staring at it before clenching it into a tight fist. A faint red aura momentarily swirled around her arm.
“Whoa… this is insane.”
Her voice was a mix of excitement and joy.
“How does it feel different?”
Mila spoke in awe.
“Before, the ability would only activate when I took damage… but now, I think I can control it at will.”
“Any other abilities?”
[Blood Frenzy]
- Damage Absorption: Accumulate 30% of damage taken during combat as ‘Rage Energy.’
- Blood Explosion: Detonate the accumulated Rage Energy to convert up to 200% of the damage taken into additional attack power.
- Frenzy State: When health drops below 30%, all stats automatically increase by 60% for 10 minutes.
- Blood Regeneration: Recover health each time an enemy is defeated.
- Maintain Sanity: Able to maintain complete sanity even in a Frenzy State.
“Master! Should I suck you off now?”
I gently stroked her head and laughed.
“Not right now. Tia and Lauren are probably waiting.”
“Hmph, no fun.”
Mila pouted, but she couldn’t hide her excitement over her new ability and broke into a wide grin. She opened and closed her hand, as if testing how her strength had changed.
“Wow, it feels a little different! I think I might even be able to beat you now, Master!”
“Stop talking nonsense. Let’s go find Lauren.”
We headed west across the wasteland. It wasn’t easy finding a path through the parched earth and cracked rocks, but in the distance, the silhouette of the castle Lauren had secured grew clearer.
“There it is.”
The castle walls appeared over the horizon. Subordinate guilds had already set up camps around the castle and settled in.
“Lord Seo-yun!”
Lauren spotted us from atop the castle wall and hurried down to greet us at the gate.
“As you commanded, the castle has been seized.”
“What’s the condition of the castle?”
“It’s much better than expected. Some parts of the wall have collapsed, but not enough to be a problem for defense. The internal structures are also relatively intact. And we’ve found a water source nearby, so drinking water won’t be an issue.”
I nodded and looked around the castle. It was a better base than I had anticipated.
“Furthermore, we’ve discovered a few dungeon entrances around the castle. We’ll have to explore them, but they seem quite promising.”
“Good work.”
Lauren glanced at Mila, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Mila’s aura… it seems different.”
Mila puffed out her chest proudly.
“You can feel it too, Commander? The Master gave me a Unique Ability Enhancement Crystal!”
Lauren’s eyes widened.
“A Unique Ability Enhancement Crystal? Such a rare item… on someone like Mila…”
“Commander! ‘Someone like me’?! Isn’t that a bit harsh?!”
I cut them off with a slight wave of my hand.
“We can talk later. For now, I want to look around inside the castle.”
Lauren immediately straightened her posture.
“Yes, I will guide you.”
Mila ran off, saying she was going to test her new ability.
Once we passed through the castle gates, the interior was in much better condition than I’d expected.
“It’s in better shape than I thought.”
Though parts of the wall had crumbled, the main buildings remained almost entirely undamaged. Guild members were already organizing each section, making efficient use of the space.
In the central plaza, supplies and food were neatly arranged, and a few healers were treating the injured. The defense team stood guard on the walls, surveying the surroundings, while scout teams moved in and out of the castle, providing regular reports.
I examined the castle’s layout and asked Lauren, “Where are the dungeon entrances?”
“We’ve confirmed two locations so far. One is near the northern ruins, and the other is at the foot of the eastern rocky mountain. We haven’t explored the inside of either.”
“Good. Finish organizing the interior first, then clear the areas around the dungeons. And have them guard the entrances.”
“Understood.”
I walked around the castle, inspecting the key locations.
“It looks like repairs won’t be too difficult.”
“No, sir. We just need to bring up the technicians and workers from the lower floors.”
“Let them rest for a day, then bring them all up.”
“Understood.”
Lauren led me to our final destination. As we entered the castle’s main hall, a massive throne came into view.
I placed my hand on the throne and gave it a slight push.
Creeak…
With a faint grinding sound, the throne shifted slightly. And there, I found a box identical to the one I’d discovered in the temple.
“Lauren, you use this.”
I handed the small box to her.
“This is…?”
“Open it.”
Lauren carefully opened the box. A faint yellow light seeped out from within. Inside was a small crystal.
“It’s a Unique Ability Enhancement Crystal. The same kind Mila got.”
Lauren’s eyes widened in astonishment. She was speechless, looking back and forth between my face and the crystal.
“Something so precious…”
“You’ve always been the most loyal one by my side. This is a well-deserved reward.”
Lauren’s unique ability was the Oath of the Battlefield. She was a unique support-type fighter who wielded an axe on the front lines while granting protective buffs to her allies. It was an ability that increased the defense of allies within a certain range, but its biggest drawback was its high energy consumption.
Lauren hesitated for a moment before taking the crystal in her hand.
“Thank you. I will be sure to repay you.”
Taking a deep breath, Lauren gripped the crystal and crushed it in one go.
Fwaaaaah!
A blinding light enveloped her body as a powerful wave of energy spread out. Her body momentarily floated into the air as threads of light swirled around her like a vortex.
“Ugh… ah…!”
A moan escaped Lauren’s lips. Her face was contorted in pain, but she held onto her consciousness until the very end.
As the light gradually faded, Lauren’s form was slowly revealed.
She was distinctly different from before.
Her eyes had lost their original blue hue, replaced by a deep golden light at their center. Delicate golden patterns spread out around her pupils, glowing like sacred sigils.
That wasn’t all. A faint golden sheen now covered her skin.
[Unique Ability: Oath of the Battlefield has been enhanced.]
[It is evolving into Unique Ability: Sacred Oath.]
Lauren slowly raised her hand. A thread of golden light bloomed from her fingertips, leaving a faint trail in the air.
“Sacred Oath…” she whispered, as if exploring the changed energy within her.
I approached her.
“How is it?”
Lauren cautiously lifted her eyes to look at me. A golden shimmer lingered wherever her gaze fell.
“It’s unbelievable… I can now cast buffs without any restrictions. No, not just that…”
She turned her palm upward. A small golden orb formed and floated in the air.
At that moment, a deep golden light enveloped the blade of her axe, making it glow mysteriously like a holy weapon.
“I can also buff my weapon. And most importantly…”
She looked at me once more, her eyes glowing with even greater intensity.
“An oath to protect you has been formed.”
With those words, Lauren dropped to one knee.
“Lord Seo-yun, with this new power, I will serve you even more faithfully. I will gladly offer my life if necessary.”
Just then, a new system window appeared before me.
[Lauren Adeline Wald wishes to form a Sacred Oath.]
[Do you accept the oath?]
I looked at the system window and smirked.
[Sacred Oath]
“The oath can never be broken. The one who swears it grows stronger with their conviction.”
- When Lauren engages in combat within a certain range, her attack and defense power will increase.
- If the target of the oath is in danger, she can instantly pinpoint their location and teleport to them within a certain distance.
- If the target of the oath gives a direct command, all of her stats will increase for a period of time, and her physical abilities will be enhanced to their absolute limit.
- During combat, there is a chance for a ‘Sacred Shield’ to activate, greatly reducing incoming damage and instantly restoring a certain amount of health.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
‘This is a considerable ability.’
I looked at Lauren.
Kneeling on one knee, her expression was unwavering. It held nothing but absolute loyalty to me.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Yes. I have always been yours.”
I chuckled at her words and looked back at the system window.
[Do you accept the Sacred Oath?]
Without hesitation, I reached out my hand.
Wooooong!
In that instant, light exploded from Lauren’s body. A golden aura enveloped her, swirling violently. The intense light bathed the entire room in a golden hue, and I could see a sacred energy pulsing beneath her skin.
I slowly reached out and gently lifted her chin. The swirling golden light still lingered in her eyes. When our gazes met, that light grew even more intense.
“Alright. From now on, you are my exclusive guardian.”
As I said that, I felt an invisible cord connect my body to Lauren’s. This was more than a simple master-servant relationship; it was something akin to a contract of souls. Her evolved ability, the Sacred Oath, bound us together even more strongly.
A faint smile appeared on Lauren’s lips. It was a rare, soft expression on the face of a woman who was always so cool and stern. Her eyes held not only loyalty but also a deep affection.
“It is my honor, Lord Seo-yun.”
I slowly raised my hand and placed it on her forehead.
“Still, don’t go risking your life in every fight. You’re my cocksleeve, after all.”
At those words, Lauren’s eyes widened slightly. A blush crept up her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, but finally mustered the courage to ask.
“But… why… am I still a virgin?”
A subtle tremor was in her voice. The question wasn’t just simple curiosity; it was a doubt and a longing she had held in her heart for a long time.
“It just sort of happened that way, I guess?”
“Was… was I lacking? Or…”
Her voice trailed off. It was the first time I had ever seen the confident and imposing woman look so insecure.
I smiled slightly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her body trembled faintly at my touch.
“It’s not because you were lacking. It was just a matter of timing.”
My words made Lauren’s face turn an even deeper shade of red. The golden light in her eyes pulsed more intensely.
“Th-Then now…?”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear enough. Swallowing the words that had risen to her throat, she took a breath so quiet it was almost inaudible.
I stroked her hair gently, a sorry look on my face.
“First, I have to go see Tia.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she quickly returned to her usual expression.