Chapter 159: The Hunt Beyond the Ruins

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: The Hunt Beyond the Ruins

The journey back to Bloodfall City took longer than Ronan expected.

His injuries weren’t life-threatening, but the strange energy clinging to them interfered with his recovery. Even after he stopped using his abilities, the wounds remained stubbornly slow to heal.

He found it irritating.

Ronan had survived countless battles by relying on his body’s ability to recover from damage. Having that advantage weakened by an energy he couldn’t identify was a serious inconvenience.

He glanced at the dark mark on his palm.

It hadn’t changed since he left the ruins.

Whatever he had absorbed seemed to have settled inside his body, but he couldn’t determine whether it was beneficial or harmful.

For now, he decided to leave it alone.

There was no point wasting time worrying about something he couldn’t control.

"How much farther?" he asked.

Kharven, who was walking ahead of him, turned around.

"We should reach the outer checkpoints before nightfall. If the roads remain clear, we’ll arrive at Bloodfall City shortly afterward."

"Good."

Ronan continued walking.

During the journey, he had already begun thinking about his next steps.

The ruins had provided him with two valuable traits. Formation Sense could help him identify weaknesses in ancient formations, while Burst Acceleration could improve his ability to engage and disengage from powerful opponents.

However, acquiring a trait didn’t automatically mean he could use it effectively.

He needed to understand their limits.

When they reached a relatively open section of the road, Ronan stopped.

"Kharven, keep watch."

The vampire looked around before nodding.

Ronan moved away from the road and entered a clearing surrounded by dead trees.

He first examined Burst Acceleration.

The trait responded when he concentrated on it, producing a faint sensation throughout his legs and lower back. He could feel the potential for sudden acceleration, but activating it carelessly while injured would be unwise.

He chose a small rock several meters away as his target.

After positioning himself, he activated the trait.

His body surged forward.

The acceleration was immediate.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t accounted for the momentum.

His foot struck a patch of loose ash, and he stumbled, nearly falling face-first into the ground.

Ronan steadied himself.

"...That was embarrassing."

Kharven looked away, pretending not to have witnessed anything.

Ronan ignored him.

He tried again, this time using a shorter burst.

His body accelerated rapidly, but he reduced the force before reaching the target. The movement was much more controlled.

He repeated the exercise several times.

By the sixth attempt, he could accelerate, stop, and change direction without losing his balance.

The improvement wasn’t spectacular, but it was useful.

Burst Acceleration didn’t replace Wind Step. Instead, it gave him another way to move, allowing him to conserve his other abilities and react more effectively in close combat.

He then tested Gravity Affinity.

Rather than manipulating the surrounding environment, he focused on how gravitational forces affected his own body.

He could alter his movement enough to make abrupt changes in direction, but maintaining the effect required concentration.

Combining it with Burst Acceleration produced promising results.

He could launch himself forward, alter his trajectory, and strike from an unexpected angle.

It wasn’t a technique he had mastered, but it gave him another option against enemies who relied on superior speed or predictable attacks.

After several more attempts, Ronan stopped.

His wounds had begun aching again.

Continuing would accomplish little.

He returned to the road, where Kharven was waiting.

"Did you learn anything useful?" the vampire asked.

"Enough."

Ronan resumed walking.

By the time they reached Bloodfall City’s outer checkpoint, the sun had disappeared behind the distant mountains.

The guards immediately recognized Kharven and allowed them through. However, their expressions changed when they noticed Ronan’s condition.

One of them stepped forward.

"Captain Kharven, what happened to your expedition?"

"We encountered a powerful creature in the Ashen Reach. Two members of the escort were killed."

The guard’s expression tightened.

"Another one?"

Kharven frowned.

"What do you mean, another one?"

"Three patrols have gone missing near the western routes over the past few days. A supply caravan was also found abandoned yesterday. The survivors haven’t returned."

Ronan stopped walking.

"Where was the caravan heading?"

The guard turned toward him.

"The western settlements."

Ronan’s interest sharpened.

The western territories had already been experiencing supply disruptions before he entered the Ashen Reach. Now, more patrols and caravans were disappearing.

The timing was suspicious.

"Did anyone investigate the abandoned caravan?" he asked.

"Lord Varkos dispatched a team this morning. They haven’t returned yet."

Ronan exchanged a glance with Kharven.

The problems were spreading.

He had no proof that the disappearances were connected to the energy beneath the Ashen Reach, but he wasn’t willing to dismiss the possibility.

"Let’s go," he said.

They proceeded directly to Varkos’s castle.

The guards at the entrance allowed them through after confirming their identities. A servant soon appeared and informed Ronan that the Vampire Lord was waiting in his audience chamber.

Ronan followed the servant inside.

Varkos sat on his throne, looking through a collection of reports. Several vampires stood nearby, discussing the missing patrols.

When Ronan entered, their conversation stopped.

Varkos raised his head.

"You’ve returned."

"Unfortunately, your escort was less fortunate."

Kharven bowed.

"My lord, two members of the expedition were killed. We encountered a powerful guardian beneath the ruins, and another creature emerged from a sealed chamber."

Varkos’s expression grew serious.

"Sealed chamber?"

Ronan approached the throne.

"The Ashen Reach contains an underground complex. It has formations, ancient structures, and creatures that appear to be connected to the strange energy we’ve been investigating."

One of the vampires stepped forward.

"You’re claiming an entire ruin has remained undiscovered beneath the Ashen Reach?"

"I’m claiming that I found one."

The vampire looked dissatisfied but remained silent.

Varkos leaned forward.

"Tell me everything."

Ronan described the tablet, the underground chamber, and the guardian that had protected its central platform. He also explained how the energy flowed through the structures and how the formation had restrained him.

He deliberately left out the details of his system and the unknown mark on his palm.

Those were advantages he intended to keep private.

When he finished, Varkos remained silent for several seconds.

"Did you discover anything that could explain the disappearances?"

"Not directly. However, the energy beneath the ruins was being consumed by something. The sealed creature was absorbing the power sustaining its restraints."

Varkos’s eyes narrowed.

"Could it have escaped without your interference?"

"Eventually, yes. The restraints were already failing."

The Vampire Lord looked toward one of the vampires standing nearby.

"Bring me the reports from the western patrols."

The vampire immediately left.

Varkos turned back to Ronan.

"You’ve confirmed that the Ashen Reach contains something far more dangerous than we anticipated. Yet you returned alive, despite fighting two powerful creatures."

"I had reasons to survive."

A faint smile appeared on Varkos’s face.

"I imagine you did."

Ronan didn’t respond.

Varkos had always been interested in his unusual bloodline, and the expedition had probably strengthened that interest.

He needed to be careful not to reveal too much about his capabilities.

The servant returned with a stack of reports, which Varkos examined one by one.

After several minutes, his expression darkened.

"Three patrols disappeared near the western settlements. Two supply caravans have gone missing, and the latest report describes an abandoned village where every inhabitant vanished without a trace."

Ronan’s gaze sharpened.

"Another settlement?"

"Yes."

"Any bodies?"

"None."

That was different from Dusk Hollow, where bloodless corpses had been discovered.

Ronan considered the information.

"If the same force is responsible, it may be changing its methods."

"Or we may be dealing with several different threats," Varkos replied. "I won’t assume they’re connected without evidence."

For once, Ronan agreed with him.

The strange energy was a promising lead, but it didn’t prove that every disappearance had the same cause.

He wasn’t going to build his conclusions on speculation.

Varkos placed the reports on the table.

"I want you to investigate the latest disappearance."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"You’re asking me to leave the city again?"

"I’m asking you to examine a location where ordinary scouts have failed to find answers."

"And what do I receive in return?"

Varkos smiled faintly.

"You’ve already been granted freedom of movement within my territory. I’ve also provided access to information that would ordinarily be restricted to my trusted subordinates."

"Neither of those things gives me a reason to risk my life for you."

The vampires around the chamber looked displeased.

Varkos, however, seemed amused.

"What would you consider sufficient compensation?"

Ronan thought for a moment.

He needed resources, information, and a way to improve his chances of surviving future encounters in the Ashen Reach.

"I want access to your collection of ancient records. Not summaries prepared by your scholars. The original documents, including anything related to the broken-circle crest."

Varkos’s expression changed slightly.

"Anything else?"

"Materials suitable for strengthening my body and recovering from the injuries sustained during the expedition. Your specialists should be able to identify what would be useful for someone of my constitution."

The Vampire Lord considered the request.

"Agreed. You may consult the archives under supervision, and my alchemists will prepare suitable materials."

Ronan nodded.

"Then I’ll investigate the settlement."

"One more thing."

Ronan looked at him.

"If you discover evidence that the threat is connected to the Ashen Reach, I want to know immediately."

"You’ll receive a report if the information is worth sharing."

Varkos laughed softly.

"You really don’t like being anyone’s subordinate."

"I don’t like unnecessary obligations."

"An understandable philosophy."

The audience ended shortly afterward.

A servant escorted Ronan to a private chamber, where a physician examined his injuries and prepared several bottles of dark-red medicine.

Ronan drank one immediately.

Warmth spread through his body, and the pain in his ribs began to diminish.

The medicine wasn’t powerful enough to restore him completely, but it helped counter the interference caused by the strange energy.

He drank the second bottle more slowly.

After the physician departed, Ronan sat on the edge of the bed and examined his palm.

The dark mark remained.

He concentrated on it, attempting to determine whether the energy had changed.

Nothing happened.

With a quiet sigh, he lowered his hand.

He had more important matters to attend to.

The following morning, Ronan entered Bloodfall City’s archives.

The chamber was larger than he expected, with shelves extending across several floors. Thousands of records had been collected over generations, many of them describing wars, territorial disputes, and the rise and fall of vampire clans.

A senior archivist led him to a restricted section.

"These documents contain information about the Ashen Reach," the vampire explained. "Most are incomplete, and some were recovered from expeditions that never returned."

Ronan scanned the shelves.

He wasn’t interested in reading every record. He needed information that could lead him to something valuable.

Using Formation Sense, he examined several objects stored in sealed cases. Most were ordinary artifacts, but a small metal plate near the back of the room carried a faint trace of the same energy he had encountered in the ruins.

He approached it.

The plate was cracked, and its inscription had almost completely worn away.

However, the broken-circle crest remained visible.

Ronan picked it up carefully.

The mark on his palm grew warm.

He immediately returned the plate to its case.

This wasn’t a coincidence.

The artifact had been recovered from the Ashen Reach more than four hundred years earlier, according to the label.

That meant the symbol had been associated with the region long before Varkos obtained his token.

Ronan continued examining the surrounding records until he found a thin document describing an expedition that had vanished three centuries earlier.

The final entry was brief.

The team discovered a structure beneath the eastern ridge. The entrance was marked by a broken circle. Further exploration was suspended after the disappearance of two scouts.

The next page had been torn out.

Ronan stared at the missing section.

Someone had removed the most important part of the report.

He closed the document.

The eastern ridge was several hours from the ruins he had explored. If another structure existed there, it might explain why the mysterious energy appeared across multiple locations.

He had acquired two useful traits, but he still needed to strengthen himself before confronting whatever lay beneath the region.

The alchemists had promised to prepare additional materials. The archives contained more records he hadn’t examined, and the new settlement offered another lead.

For now, he would recover, gather resources, and prepare his next expedition.

Ronan left the archive with the report tucked beneath his arm.

As he stepped into the corridor, a vampire hurried toward him.

"Ronan! Lord Varkos requests your presence."

Ronan stopped.

"What happened?"

"The scouting party sent to investigate the abandoned caravan has returned."

"And?"

The vampire swallowed.

"They found one survivor."

Ronan’s expression sharpened.

"Where is he?"

"In the infirmary. He’s barely conscious, but he keeps repeating the same words."

"What words?"

The vampire hesitated.

Then he answered.

"He says the people who took the others were searching for someone. Someone who had entered the ruins beneath the Ashen Reach."

Ronan went still.

The vampire continued.

"He also claims they knew that person had survived."

For several seconds, Ronan said nothing.

He hadn’t told anyone about the mark on his palm. He hadn’t revealed the details of the crystal he had absorbed, either.

Yet someone—or something—appeared to know that an intruder had entered the ruins.

Ronan slowly looked down at his hand.

The dark mark remained hidden beneath his sleeve.

His expression hardened.

He had intended to return to the Ashen Reach after recovering and preparing properly.

Now, he had another reason to go back.

Someone else was hunting for answers.

And if they knew he had entered the ruins, they might already be looking for him.