Chapter 600: The New Guest

The door to the Erebus Guild office slammed shut with a heavy thud.

Ember stood in the middle of the empty room, his amber eyes sweeping over every corner. The tables and chairs were still there, and rolls of parchment still lay scattered across the desks, but there was no sign of anyone.

No Adrian.

No one at all.

Ember let out a heavy sigh. He pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, resting his elbows on the desk as his large hands cradled his head. The wounds on his body had been healed after the dungeon, but the exhaustion still lingered, weighing deep in his bones.

He closed his eyes, trying to piece together everything that had happened.

Carnival of Desire. Happy Water. The manufacturing plant. The main storage facility.

And then... Adrian.

He opened his eyes.

The pieces were still scattered. He had no idea what had happened at the end of the dungeon, where Adrian had gone, or whether he was all right.

Why am I even worried about him? No matter what, he's doing better than I am. For all I know, he's probably off somewhere having the time of his life.

Ember could only consider himself lucky that, aside from his obsession with food, Adrian wasn't the kind of person who was addicted to vices.

Ember gave a bitter laugh, mocking himself. He shook his head, trying to drive those thoughts away, but they kept coming back.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Knock... knock... knock.

Three knocks, steady and polite.

Ember raised his head, his brows drawing together. He stood up and strode toward the door, wrapped his hand around the handle, and opened it.

Nick stood outside the door, looking every bit like a well-groomed young master, completely different from his blood-soaked appearance in the dungeon.

Ember looked at Nick, then suddenly laughed.

"I thought it was him."

Nick was startled. "Who?"

"Adrian." Ember shook his head as he walked back to his chair. "He'd never knock. He'd just walk right in, talking and laughing as if this were his own home."

Nick stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, looking at Ember with unconcealed concern.

"He'll be fine."

Ember raised his eyes to Nick.

"I know." Ember's voice lowered, devoid of his usual sarcasm. "I just don't like not knowing where he is."

Nick said nothing, but he understood.

Ember sat down, interlacing his fingers on the desk. He looked at Nick, his usual composure having returned to his eyes.

"What brings you here?"

Nick was about to answer, but just then—

Knock... knock... knock.

Three knocks, just as steady and polite as before.

The two of them turned toward the door at the same time. Nick glanced at Ember, his eyes filled with confusion. Ember looked back at him, his brows furrowing.

"Are you expecting someone else?" Nick asked.

"No." Ember rose to his feet, his hand settling on the handle of the iron staff propped beside the chair. "I'm not expecting anyone."

A thought inevitably crossed both their minds at the same time.

Perhaps their Guild had already become famous enough that people were coming to sign up, eager to join the ranks of Erebus's believers...

Nick walked toward the door and wrapped his hand around the handle. He opened it.

A man stood outside.

He had long, silvery-white hair that fell to his shoulders, shimmering beneath the hallway lights like freshly fallen snow. His eyes were silver as well, gleaming like shards of metal reflecting moonlight. Yet despite that cold, metallic color, the outer corners of his eyes drooped slightly, while his pupils were unusually large, giving them a bright, almost sparkling quality. It was especially striking when he smiled—the unmistakable innocence in his expression made him seem almost excessively gentle.

His features were delicate yet slightly angular, framed by a soft and courteous smile. He wore a well-fitted light-gray outfit that was understated without being plain. Everything about him radiated an air of calm and gentleness.

And yet, there was something in his eyes that made Nick feel he could not completely let his guard down.

"Hello." The man spoke in a warm, gentle voice, like a spring breeze. "May I come in?"

Nick stood still for a moment, regarding the man cautiously. He glanced at Ember behind him, then turned back and stepped aside.

"Please, come in."

The man entered the office, his eyes quickly sweeping over the room before settling on Ember. He smiled and gave a polite bow.

"I apologize for arriving so suddenly. My name is Luka."

Ember frowned. He didn't remember ever seeing this man before. Was he a new believer Adrian or Silvanus had recruited from somewhere?

"What brings you here?"

Luka raised a hand and placed it over his chest. His eyes lit up with a reverence so intense it bordered on fanaticism—an attitude Ember and Nick immediately recognized as that of someone with absolute faith in the supreme being they worshiped.

"I'm a new believer." Luka's voice was filled with happiness and pride. "I came here under the guidance of Miss Jumana. She opened my eyes to the faith of Erebus, and I came to realize that it was the only true path."

Nick and Ember exchanged a glance.

"Miss Jumana?" Nick asked. "We've never heard that name before."

Luka smiled, his expression filled with admiration. "Of course. There are still so many names we've never heard of. Miss Jumana is a Priest of Erebus. She was the one who guided me to this faith and showed me the light within the darkness. She said that Erebus is the only god who truly understands the nature of humanity, who understands their pain and desires."

His gaze grew distant, as though he were looking at something beautiful that no one else could see.

"I want to help everyone," Luka said, his voice growing passionate. "I want to spread the faith of Erebus across the world, so that everyone can receive salvation."

He bent down and pulled a small black card from his coat pocket. It bore the symbol of Erebus—a circle of darkness with rays of light reaching outward. He placed it on the desk in front of Ember.

"I drew it myself." He smiled cheerfully.

Ember: "..."

Nick: "..."

Is he an artist or something?

"I know you're probably wondering about me," Luka said, his voice becoming slightly more cheerful. "But I believe we'll work very well together."

Nick said softly, "I'm sure we will."

Ember remained silent.

Luka couldn't help blinking at Ember.

Nick quickly explained, "He's always been this quiet."

Ember offered no objection.

Luka smiled and nodded. "I've heard about that before. But Miss Jumana said everyone would be friendly toward me, so being treated coldly on my very first day feels rather strange. Could it be that Miss Jumana was only trying to comfort me? She really is such a kind person..."

Nick: "..."

Even the corner of Ember's eye twitched.

What kind of person is this?

Ember couldn't help remembering the panicked look on Nick's face when he had been desperately searching for information about Silvanus.

And now we've got another weird fanatic.

"Well then, Luka. I'm Nick, and this is Ember. We're members of the Erebus Guild." Nick took the lead, cutting off Luka's endless rambling.

Luka beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope we'll have plenty of opportunities to work together."

He turned and looked around the office once more, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"And I also hope I'll get to meet our other two Priests soon—Silvanus and Adrian. Miss Jumana has told me so much about them."

Nick and Ember exchanged another glance.

They both realized something.

Besides Silvanus and Adrian, there was another Priest of Erebus.

And her name was Jumana.

What was more, it seemed that Jumana and Luka shared a rather close relationship. At least, that was what they could gather from Luka's words and demeanor.