The Core of Decay’s description mentioned that it could absorb corruption. Additionally, the more decay it devoured, the more destructive it would be when it eventually detonated. If I intended to use it in the future, enhancing its potency now made perfect sense. Although I wasn’t entirely certain whether it would absorb the contaminated soil, testing it couldn’t hurt. I gave my mimic a light tap. “Mung-chi, Core of Decay.” Emerging quickly from my belt pouch, the massive, violet-hued essence seemed to pulsate faintly on contact with the air. Kyuntriachae flinched, his expression twisting into one of alarm. “Wh-what in the world is that?” “It’s an artifact that absorbs corruption from its surroundings.” “You expect me to believe that is possible?” I shrugged, staying focused on the Core of Decay. “I have no idea. It’s my first time using it.” Carrying it around wasn’t practical, given its sheer size. For now, I would observe its effects. If it worked as intended, I would place it somewhere deeper inside the fortress for maximum absorption. At first, nothing happened. Kyuntriachae clicked his tongue, staring at the orb with blatant skepticism. “Tsk, looks like you got swindled.” Not that much time had passed. I shot him a side glance, annoyed. “Could you be patient for once?” He sensed my irritation and gave an awkward cough, avoiding my gaze. I trusted the tower’s description, and it had been fairly clear about the Core of Decay’s abilities. Even if it failed to affect this soil specifically, calling it a scam without knowing anything about it felt ridiculous. Roughly five seconds later, the Core of Decay finally responded. A faint pulse of magical energy rippled outward. The violet sphere emitted a soft glow as an inky, purplish vapor rose from the rotting earth, before drawing the gas into its core. Kyuntriachae’s skepticism vanished in an instant. “Oh-ohh! It actually works!” His abrupt shift in attitude was almost comical, given his earlier dismissiveness, so I chose to ignore him. “Wow! Su-Yeok, that’s amazing!” Pleased with Doppy’s reaction, I reached out to rub his head while keeping my eyes on the soil. I wonder what will happen to this land once the decay is absorbed? The answer soon became apparent. “Hoh! The ground is changing color!” Transforming at a visible rate, the soil began to grow a lighter shade of brown. Judging based on the Core of Decay’s apparent lack of change, the soil wasn’t overly corrupted. As I silently observed the transformation, Kyuntriachae broke the silence, this time oddly hesitant. “Hmm. I feel strangely at ease. Does that thing also have some kind of healing effect?” “Doubt it. It should only be purifying the land, so maybe it just doesn’t smell as bad anymore?” “Yes, that could be it.” Rubbing his nose, Kyuntriachae took a deep breath, then nodded in agreement. “I think you are right.” I returned my attention to the soil, watching the cleansed area steadily expand. The experiment had proven to be successful, so I tapped my mimic again. It swiftly swallowed the Core of Decay back into its murky depths. With that settled, it was time to enter the fortress. Kyuntriachae licked his lips as he watched the sphere vanish. “By any chance, would you consider selling that to me?” “I thought you said you were short on funds.” “Ah-heh, funds? Once my building payment clears, I’ll have more than enough!” “Then at least tell me where you got it.” Kyuntriachae shot me a disgruntled look, clearly displeased. “Tell me.” “Are you really going to be stubborn about this?” I stubbornly met his gaze with equal intensity. What is he going to do about it? A tense silence stretched between us like a battle of sheer will. His stubborn streak appeared to be extremely strong. Rather than indulge him further, I turned toward the fortress and started walking. Even without looking, I could feel Kyuntriachae’s gaze drilling into the back of my head. I exhaled and turned slightly. “What are you doing? Not coming? You said you needed a witness. Should I just leave, then?” Although he was obviously reluctant, he followed nonetheless. Even as he walked, his sulky expression remained. Is this a trait of demonkind? He is just like a stubborn old man. Seo Ho-Su was on the older side as well, but he approached situations with wisdom, while this guy was just ridiculously persistent. A few steps later, we arrived at the entrance. The fortress gates loomed ahead, tightly shut. Can I just push them? Before I could ask, Kyuntriachae began chanting. “――――――.” A heavy latch slid open from the other side. So, demons did have their tricks. I tightened my grip on my axe, ready to swing at a moment’s notice. Without sparing Kyuntriachae a glance, I pressed my other palm against the door. “Well then, I’m going in.” The grating screech of aged metal sent a shiver down my spine. Ugh, I really hate this kind of thing. Grumbling internally, I peered through the widening gap. A courtyard stretched beyond the door, entirely coated in an eerie black dust. The trees and grass were either shriveled beyond recognition or entirely rotted away. At the very center of that decayed garden— A monstrous figure, towering nearly five meters tall, fixed its burning crimson eyes on us. It had the face of a hound, jet-black skin, and bulging blue veins stretched over its massive frame. Thick chains dangled from both of its hands, appearing like spiked, metal whips. It radiated an overwhelming sense of menace and was undoubtedly powerful. [Gatekeeper Kelligate] I ignored the notifications flickering at the edge of my vision and charged forward. “Prepare for battle!” The creature remained motionless. This would be my first true fight since removing my full suit of armor. Oddly enough, I felt unburdened. I let out a slow exhale, steadying my breath. I wasn’t planning on using Flash Strike either. Despite the moderate temperature in the courtyard, the beast exhaled a dense, white mist. Once I reached ten meters away from it, it finally reacted. Lowering its stance, it swung its right arm. The spiked chain whip lashed out, carving a path through the blackened earth. Even without Flash Strike, my heightened focus seemed to slow everything around me. I could see every motion—the whip cutting through brittle, shriveled grass, and the scattered black particles drifting in the air. As much as I had braced myself, this wasn’t going to be a difficult fight. This was my first time facing a whip-wielding opponent, yet I doubted their attacks would be particularly diverse. Especially considering that I was up against a five-meter-tall beast swinging massive chains. Once I dodged an attack, there would be a brief opening before the next strike. Leaping lightly, I cleared the incoming chain. Just as I surged forward, the creature lashed out with its other arm, sending the second whip slicing through the air. I instinctively moved to evade when a chill ran down my spine. An attack was coming from behind. With no time to think, I threw myself into a roll. The whip had already passed me. However, the attack had somehow reversed its trajectory, as if completely disregarding the laws of physics. So, it had full control over the chains. Factoring in my enemy’s ability to manipulate its weapons, I used my roll to push off the ground and propel myself forward. The chains slithered like serpents and curved inward to encircle me. If I kept running in a straight line, I would be caught. When only three meters separated us, I kicked off a jagged, dark-crimson rock embedded in the ground, launching myself into the air. The chains whipped upward, spinning into a vortex, but I had already gained too much speed. The beast bared its grotesque fangs, its gaping maw open wide as if to swallow me whole. I tightened my grip on my axe. In a single fluid motion, I powerfully swung my axe down and buried my weapon deep into its skull. Bone shattered sickeningly, and fragments of teeth and blood splattered through the air. Simultaneously, the chains snaked toward my ankles. I kicked off the writhing metal, pushing myself even higher. Just then, as if making one last, desperate struggle, the chains surged up with a blistering speed. I twisted mid-air but couldn’t avoid them entirely. My calf flared with a searing pain as the metal grazed it. Suddenly, the chain halted. The creature’s massive frame collapsed backward, and I landed gracefully atop its lifeless body. For some reason, my axe wouldn’t budge. I yanked it forcefully. A grotesque, wet, tearing sound echoed. With how deeply the axe had penetrated the creature’s head, a fragment of its fractured skull still clung to my weapon. Dark, viscous blood trickled down the blade’s edge. “Su-Yeok! That was amazing! Is your leg alright?” I nodded. “I’m fine.” Just like I had planned before entering the floor, I didn’t use any healing spells—this would be necessary to raise my resistances. Of course, if the injury had been severe, that would be another matter. This wound was simply a dull heat radiating from my ankle, though. For someone like me, this was nothing more than a minor scratch, one that would heal with just a little time. Even if the weapon had been coated in poison, that would just be another opportunity to strengthen my resistances. I turned to Kyuntriachae, noting that his expression appeared unreadable. “This monster… do you know what it is?” I asked. “You’re certain you weren’t keeping it as a pet?” “Of course not! I haven’t returned in a hundred years! Besides, under continental law, rearing these creatures is strictly forbidden!” I narrowed my gaze. “You didn’t seem particularly shocked, though. I, for one, was caught off guard. I expected to deal with bandits or at most, rogue mercenaries.” “I had my suspicions. The North has been infested by necromancers for many years now, and given the ongoing necromancer purge occurring there, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them have migrated to nearby areas, like here.” “Then why not mention that beforehand?” “It wasn’t a certainty. Moreover, even if I had told you, would it have changed anything?” Well... no, not really. Still, it would have been useful information. I dismissed the thought since arguing would be pointless. Whatever Kyuntriachae was hiding, the truth would surface soon enough. I wasn’t about to cut him down just because he seemed suspicious. Instead, I flicked the blood off my axe. “By the way, aren’t you supposed to be fighting too? I thought you’d lend a hand.” “I figured you could handle it,” Kyuntriachae answered rapidly. Is he still sulking over the Core of Decay? “Actually, I have a question.” “Ask away. But remember, I am under no obligation to answer.” Ah, so it is about the essence. Petty old man. I shot him a look before continuing, “If a necromancer has really occupied the fortress, why not deal with them yourself? You’re a demon, aren’t you?” “Hah. That’s a common misconception. Necromancers aren’t subordinates of demons.” “Still, at three hundred and eighty-two years old, shouldn’t you be able to easily handle one?” “What does age have to do with anything? You’re the mercenary I hired, and I’m the one paying you. Why should I do any of the work? Of course, if you struggle, I’ll step in.” Kyuntriachae gazed up at the fortress. “And besides, the necromancer isn’t here.” “I can’t sense the presence of one. They probably stepped out for a while.” That rekindled my suspicions. Well, fighting was fine with me since battles meant growth. As I moved forward, something caught my eye. Beyond the fallen beast and amidst the decayed remains, a skeletal corpse lay on the ground. A golden pendant gleamed dully around its bony neck. Kyuntriachae followed my gaze. His voice cracked, filling with raw anguish as he sprinted forward. “Oh, heavens! Lynn!” “You knew this person?” “She was my personal maid.” That didn’t make sense. “When exactly did you send your servants?” “Then why has her corpse deteriorated so much—” Before I could press further, Kyuntriachae’s angry voice cut through my thoughts. “Because of the necromancer.” For a corpse that had supposedly lain here for only two weeks, the bones were already crumbling. It struck me as odd. However, given how much dark mana filled the air and soil, it wasn’t entirely implausible. Kyuntriachae’s rage was sincere, however, so I didn’t feel inclined to doubt him. Either way, this wasn’t the moment to press him with questions. He let out a deep, weary sigh before turning toward me. His tear-stained eyes stood out to me, and the remnants of shock and grief lingered in his unfocused gaze. For a while, he seemed lost in thought, as if grappling with emotions too heavy to process all at once. Only when nearly half a minute had passed and he showed no sign of snapping out of it did I finally break the stillness. “Hello?” “Ah, hmm. My apologies. I seem to have been momentarily absorbed in thought.” “There’s no need to apologize.” “By the way, did I ever explain the details of the request properly?”