Chapter 352: Filthy Heart

In the days that followed.

A steady stream of magic crystals arrived at the front lines from the rear, and Ansu and Altina lit up nearly half of the entire blood mist zone.

Looking down from high above, whenever a teleportation spell was activated, specks of faint blue light would appear like channel buoys in the dark, cutting the thick blood mist into safe zones that could be reached and explored.

This search method was incredibly efficient. By the afternoon of the third day, Danielle's urgent voice suddenly crackled through the communicator.

She and Sean had discovered a massive anomalous zone where the ground was densely packed with writhing tumors and twisted tentacles, and the filthy mana was so thick it was almost tangible.

During their exploration, the two could not hold out for long. Almost at the very last moment before their consciousness crumbled, they activated their teleportation formulas and flung themselves back to the rear camp.

“We found it!”

Upon receiving the news, Ansu immediately informed Altina beside him. “We've finally found the location of the Filthy Heart!”

“Really?!” Altina's eyes lit up. “Everyone's hard work paid off! That's wonderful!”

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes welling with uncontrollable excitement.

But Ansu quickly suppressed his emotions. The more critical the moment, the more calm he needed to be. He subconsciously glanced at his wrist.

That hideous blood mark had already surfaced, its patterns resembling a pupil staring back at him. At this moment, it pulsed with his heartbeat, sending waves of fine, sharp pain through his skin.

Just like in the simulation, this thing had appeared on the fourth day.

He had been setting up teleportation coordinates when he suddenly felt a faint discomfort, followed by a stinging pain on the inside of his wrist. Lifting his arm to check, it was exactly as expected...

The curse of the Filthy Heart.

Ansu and Celia had previously speculated that the Filthy Heart was actively resisting and maliciously cursing anyone who attempted to destroy it.

Altina leaned in with concern, looking down at his wrist. A hint of worry flashed in her emerald eyes.

“Are you feeling unwell again? This mark... seems even worse than yesterday.”

“I'm fine.” Ansu shook his head and lowered his arm.

Altina bit her lower lip. With almost no hesitation, she reached up to unfasten the crescent amulet from around her neck and held it out to Ansu.

“Why don't you... try wearing this first?”

Ansu's eyes widened in surprise. His first instinct was to decline.

But after a brief thought, he swallowed the words.

“Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll borrow it for a bit.” Ansu looked at her earnestly. “Thank you so much, Altina.”

Altina shook her head, a rare teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips. “You're the savior who's going to save our entire elven race in the future, so I have to look after you. You can't let anything happen to you, Ansu~”

Amused by her words, Ansu let his lips curl upward and nodded. “Don't worry, I value my life very much.”

He hung the amulet around his neck. The moment the warm crescent pendant touched his chest, the intricate runes on its surface flickered slightly.

Although he didn't know if it would actually work, it at least gave him an extra layer of reassurance—wearing it now meant he could test its effects throughout the next ten hours of simulation. If it turned out to be useless, he could just return it to her.

Then, Ansu instructed her with a serious expression:

“Now that you don't have the amulet, you can't stay on the front lines anymore. Withdraw immediately to Elder Barnes' secure rear.”

Altina didn't argue. “Alright, I'll withdraw right away.”

As she turned to activate the teleportation node, Ansu picked up his communicator and began regrouping the team.

After Altina withdrew to stay in the rear with Vera, Elder Matthew and the other two elders, along with Danielle and her husband, needed to rush to the scene. They would escort him into the depths of the anomalous zone as quickly as possible to lock onto the precise location of the Filthy Heart.

As for Celia...

Judging from the previous simulation, her resistance to the Crimson Plague was actually quite high. She was practically the last person in the team to be affected.

After a moment of thought, Ansu decided to bring her along. After all, they were going to face the very source of the southern calamity—the extremely dangerous “Filthy Heart.”

If they could figure out the situation in a short amount of time, that would be ideal. But if she turned into the "kill leader" again, he would just have to accept it...

With everything properly arranged, Ansu summoned the system panel.

Future

10 hours later (October 16th, 01:30), consumes 50 points

Remaining Points: 273

Start Simulation...

Darkness surged like a tide, instantly swallowing his vision.

When he opened his eyes again, the expected churning crimson mist did not appear.

There were no writhing tumors, no twisted tentacles, and not even a trace of the "Filthy Heart." What entered Ansu's vision...

...was a familiar living room?

Warm, golden sunlight spilled diagonally through the window panes, dust motes drifting lazily in the beams of light. The furnishings in the old house were simple and worn: a polished wooden table, an old sofa draped in a knitted cover, and a bookshelf packed with old books leaning against the wall... Everything carried a rich sense of everyday life.

Was this... his home in Benalu City?

Ansu walked over to the window and looked out.

The streets were bustling with heavy traffic. Chimneys of distant factories spewed black smoke, and in the even more distant harbor, countless white sails rested densely on the surface of the sea, swaying gently in the breeze.

It was indeed that steam capital, Benalu City.

But he had clearly been in the blood mist wasteland of the South when he started. How did he return home in the blink of an eye? Besides, hadn't this house been seized by the Church of Holy Light long ago?

Frowning, Ansu looked around in confusion, wanting to confirm if he, too, had fallen into an illusion.

He instinctively pulled out his magitech communicator.

He had to contact the others, confirm if they were safe, and find out what exactly was going on...

But midway through the thought, his mind suddenly stalled.

Ansu froze, suddenly discovering to his horror that there were many things he could no longer remember.

Contact... who was I just trying to contact?

What were their names again...?

His thoughts felt wrapped in a thick fog that he couldn't disperse no matter how hard he tried.

Wait, what was I just about to do?

Ansu raised a hand to press against his temple. The effort to think was giving him a splitting headache.

Contact?

Why on earth would I need to contact other people? What family or friends do I even have left to contact...?

Haven't I always been all alone?

Clack.

Something slipped from his fingertips and hit the wooden floor, making a sound.

Ansu looked down blankly at the faintly shimmering metal object on the ground, his eyes filled with confusion.

What... is this thing?

He bent down to pick it up and turned it over and over in his hands to examine it, his brow furrowing even tighter.

It seems to be... a magitech device that has become very popular in the city lately?

...