Chapter 35: Sage-level Relic |
“Power? You’re too weak. The power I possess is not suitable for you.”
This once again highlighted the woman’s strength, a fact that Shad firmly believed.
The woman paused before continuing, as if she was lost in thought. Meanwhile, the room’s temperature returned to the same level as the corridor, indicating her mood had stabilized:
“But I happen to have a decent [relic] on hand. Its value is far less than that Old God’s statue... No, not the [Box of Darkness]; that’s just a Poet-grade (5th-grade) toy. I’ll give you a Document-grade (4th-grade) relic and tell you the secret of [Blood of Mercury], helping you avoid danger, in exchange for the address and the incantation. How does that sound?”
“No problem. Thank you for your generosity, madam.”
Flattering words cost nothing, so Shad gladly utilized the “Northern Kingdom Common Tongue gift pack” in his mind, translating Drarian into the foreign-sounding phrases of this world to compliment her.
However, this time, Shad didn’t volunteer the content of the incantation. The woman behind the door naturally understood his intentions:
“A Sage-grade [relic] recently appeared in Tobesk City.”
The first sentence was rather surprising. Shad had initially thought the woman would discuss a Secret-Keeper-grade relic, the [False Philosopher’s Stone], which he had seen a bounty for at the clinic.
The voice in his mind chuckled again.
“This isn’t exactly a secret; at least the Church and the Academy are aware of it, as are other factions with spies in the area. That Sage-grade relic is the [God’s Gift Box], an artifact once used by an Old God who wielded the power of creation.”
The woman’s tone was teasing as she continued from behind the door:
“At present, the [Blood of Mercury] holds the Sage-grade relic. They’ve been labeled an illegal organization.
For certain reasons, the [Blood of Mercury] is temporarily unable to move the relic, so the [God’s Gift Box] remains in Tobesk City. Its power is formidable. Every Ring Warlock who touches the box for the first time automatically learns a synthesis formula. By placing specific relics into the box in a specific sequence, one can create a stronger relic perfectly suited to themselves. Detective, do you understand?”
“I think I get the gist.”
Shad carefully memorized the information. This was his first encounter with details about a Sage-grade relic.
“It’s somewhat like alchemical synthesis, but with Sage-grade relics, the side effects are... [Blood of Mercury’s] ‘Silver-Eyed’ Diak believes he can use the box to learn how to synthesize the Angel-grade (1st-grade) relic, [Blood of Mercury]...”
The woman laughed, though her laughter wasn’t as melodious as the one echoing in Shad’s mind at the moment.
“The Silver-Eyed one intends to use this immovable Sage-grade relic to synthesize the true [Blood of Mercury]. This ambition is also the reason behind the formation of the [Blood of Mercury] organization—to pursue a relic that might not even exist.
That’s why they’ve brought a mess of things to this city, including that statue. It’s rumored they have several other impressive [relics], but I only have eyes for the statue right now.”
“What’s your opinion on that Sage-grade relic, the [God’s Gift Box]?”
Shad hesitated. He strongly suspected that if the woman was telling the truth, the Academy wouldn’t disclose the full story to the local correspondence Ring Warlocks.
If they revealed everything, the bounty he saw at the clinic seemed somewhat misleading. The real goal might be to track the [Blood of Mercury] organization, with the [False Philosopher’s Stone] being a secondary target.
The Academy likely didn’t intend to share this information with correspondence Ring Warlocks for the time being.
“I have no interest in that object. I know what the box truly is, so I won’t touch it. It first appeared in the autumn of Year 1068 of the Fifth Epoch. It’s ancient and powerful... If I were you, I’d avoid the [Blood of Mercury] for the next few months in this foggy steam city. They’re on the verge of madness.”
“Understood, madam. Thank you for the information. Here is the incantation...”
Shad took a few seconds to perfectly memorize her words before reciting the six-syllable incantation. He added that it was thanks to the effects of his core rune that he was able to know it.
The woman didn’t seem to care about his explanation, just as she didn’t question how he had made the [Box of Darkness] lose control so easily.
“Very good, detective. I appreciate someone like you. This was quite a pleasant commission. Now, take this [relic].”
The sound of a drawer being opened came from behind the door, followed by footsteps. When the door finally opened, it wasn’t the high-class woman who emerged but a young maid.
She appeared to be in her twenties, dressed in a classic black-and-white maid uniform. Her black hair was secured in a white hairnet, and since she wasn’t working in the kitchen, she lacked the apron Shad had imagined.
This wasn’t the woman Shad had been speaking with. He had glimpsed her silhouette earlier, outlined in gold against the darkness, and it was vastly different from this black-haired maid.
The maid opened a secret door in the bookcase and immediately returned it to its ajar position, preventing Shad from seeing the “noble lady” inside. Then, cautiously, she carried a small, square box covered in red velvet toward Shad.
With a click, she opened it, revealing a ring embedded in the lining.
A faint scent of blood lingered, but neither the naked eye nor [Blood Echo] revealed any visible stains on the ring.
The ring appeared to be made of pure silver, with an amber gemstone encasing an unknown insect. The insect looked like a common midge but was entirely blood-red, as if it might spring to life at any moment.
[You’ve encountered a ‘Whisper’.]
“The Document-grade relic, [Vampire Ring]. When worn in an injured state, direct contact with any humanoid’s skin allows you to absorb their blood to heal yourself.
It cannot cure diseases or curses but can provide relief. However, if the injury is too severe, it may drain the target’s blood completely in an instant... But don’t use the ring as a weapon. Even if you’re willing to hurt yourself, don’t. This is a Document-grade relic, and frequent use for self-healing may cause symptoms akin to bloodthirst.”
The woman behind the door explained without concealing any details about the relic:
“Do not wear it if you’re uninjured, at least not for long periods. I cannot guarantee what might happen otherwise. Of course, even ignoring the relic’s side effects, it’s best not to wear it casually. I took it from the [Blood of Mercury], and they don’t know who took it. So... you should exercise caution.”
For a moment, Shad wasn’t sure whether to comment on her conflict with the [Blood of Mercury] or ponder the relationship between their collection of blood-related supernatural items and their synthesis formulas.