Chapter 26 : Haima's Pendant

After finishing all my tasks, I returned to the barracks.

“You're back?”

“Yeah.”

After a brief greeting with Conlan, I sat in my spot and waited endlessly.

‘Hmm.’

Before I knew it, darkness fell, and I waited until it was time to sleep.

Contrary to my worries, no other bidder appeared until the auction time ended.

Soon, I was able to win the auction for the rusted and broken pendant, which was my original goal.

[The auction has ended.]

[You have won the auction for the ‘Rusted and broken pendant’.]

[The bid item, ‘Rusted and broken pendant’, will be transferred.]

A broken and rusted pendant was placed in my hand along with a blue halo of light.

It had the same appearance as the pendant in my memory, but it was so rusted and broken that it was difficult to recall that appearance.

I examined it gently.

────────────

[Rusted and broken pendant]

Classification : Accessory

Grade : Low-grade

A pendant that has lost its original power due to being rusted and broken.

Despite being rusted and broken, it exudes a strange, mysterious atmosphere.

────────────

“Hmm…….”

I already knew, but as expected, the pendant's condition was not good at all.

To the point where I wondered if it would even be possible to restore it to its original state.

‘I'll have to try first.’

Whether it was possible to restore the pendant or not was something I would only know by trying.

I made a small cut on the tip of my finger and dripped blood onto the pendant.

If I was right, this should allow the pendant to regain at least a little of its lost power.

Drip, drip…….

One drop, one drop.

As if soaking dry sand, the rusted and broken pendant began to glow with a strange light as soon as it absorbed the blood.

Ssssss……!

With that, the rust that had caked the pendant began to fall off.

Chip, chip─

[The blood of the Postponer of Ruin partially purifies the demonic energy dwelling in the ‘Rusted and broken pendant’!]

[The demonic energy dwelling in the ‘Rusted and broken pendant’ is too powerful, so only a part of the demonic energy is purified.]

[The ‘Rusted and broken pendant’ partially regains its original form!]

[The name of the ‘Rusted and broken pendant’ changes to ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’.]

I immediately checked the information on Haima's Pendant.

────────────

[Haima's Broken Pendant]

Classification : Accessory

Grade : High-grade

Haima's Pendant.

It has lost its original power due to being corroded by demonic energy.

It has now partially regained its former appearance with the blood of the Postponer of Ruin.

────────────

‘Demonic energy……. I see, so that’s what happened.’

The reason why Haima's Pendant was so rusted and corroded was obvious.

It wasn't simply because it was broken and old.

If that were the case, some of Haima's Pendant's original form should have remained.

‘It consumed the blood of the Destruction Dragon.’

Originally, Haima's Pendant is an accessory that grows stronger by absorbing blood.

It doesn't matter whether it's human blood or the blood of a demonic beast.

If a pendant with such an ability now holds demonic energy, what could be the reason?

There was no need to think deeply about it.

My battle with the Destruction Dragon was fierce, and it was entirely possible that some of the Destruction Dragon's blood had flowed into Haima's Pendant, which was lying on the ground.

The blood of the Destruction Dragon must have contained an immense amount of demonic energy, and it was somewhat natural that Haima's Pendant, which was one of my most prized pieces of equipment, would end up in this state.

But now, that couldn't be seen as an entirely bad thing.

The demonic energy in the Destruction Dragon's blood surpassed the level that Haima's Pendant could handle and corroded the pendant itself, but conversely, it could be seen that a part of the Destruction Dragon's power now resided in Haima's Pendant.

Above all, I now had the power of the Postponer of Ruin, which could eliminate the demonic energy dwelling in the Destruction Dragon's blood.

‘This is probably the limit for now…… but as my level rises and I get stronger, the blood of the Postponer of Ruin will probably get stronger along with it.’

If that happens, not only will I be able to restore Haima's Pendant to its original state, but I will also be able to use some of the Destruction Dragon's power that resides in it.

Because the very essence of Haima's Pendant was an accessory that grew stronger by absorbing all kinds of blood.

‘Then…….’

Although the process was not smooth, I had succeeded in obtaining Haima's Pendant one way or another.

Of course, its performance would be so poor that it couldn't even be compared to before, but that was something time would solve.

‘There's no reason to hesitate.’

I equipped Haima's Broken Pendant.

With that, the fine needles on the inside of Haima's Broken Pendant pierced and dug into my chest.

[You have equipped ‘Haima's Broken Pendant’.]

[Due to ‘Haima's Curse’, the wearer's blood goes berserk.]

[The effect of ‘Haima's Curse’ enhances physical ability by 20%.]

[The effect of ‘Haima's Curse’ reduces resistance to the ‘Bleeding’ status abnormality.]

Haima's Curse is a buff and debuff that is fundamentally applied when wearing Haima's Pendant, and it increases the wearer's blood flow speed.

Due to this, overall physical abilities are significantly enhanced, but if a status abnormality like bleeding occurs, not only does the bleeding speed up, but the blood also doesn't stop easily.

It was a kind of double-edged sword.

‘Should I consider it fortunate that its effect is still weak for now.’

Originally, Haima's Curse had the effect of increasing physical abilities by several times, but the effect applied to me now was a mere 20%.

It meant that it was not even exerting one-tenth of its original performance due to the demonic energy that had seeped into Haima's Pendant.

‘Then it won't be able to exert its other powers either.’

Besides that, Haima's Pendant had several other abilities related to blood, but if the most basic ability, the increase in blood flow speed, was like this, there was no need to look at the other abilities.

Rather, for me now, this level is just right.

An uncontrollably great power would only end up swallowing me whole.

This was especially true if that power belonged to a colossal existence that couldn't be fathomed, like the Destruction Dragon.

Although I had succeeded in hunting the Destruction Dragon, it was closer to a miracle created by countless coincidences overlapping.

‘Still, I've taken one step forward.’

A desperate step to survive in this godforsaken world.

***

The days of training continued once again.

“One person for the footrace.”

Edric's footrace, which had now become an indispensable part of training, was one of the main daily routines of the 4th Special Task Force.

Naturally, until now, the last place was my domain.

I thought things had gotten a little better when I was able to overtake Albino after obtaining the Orb of Water, but because Albino was now in the care of the medical unit, the last place became mine again.

It was unfair from my perspective, but that was only until today.

[‘Haima's Curse’ is in effect.]

[Due to ‘Haima's Curse’, the wearer's blood goes berserk.]

[The effect of ‘Haima's Curse’ enhances physical ability by 20%.]

[The effect of ‘Haima's Curse’ reduces resistance to the ‘Bleeding’ status abnormality.]

As the blood in my body went berserk, my overall physical abilities, as well as the speed of all my metabolism, increased.

It felt as if my blood was boiling.

It probably wasn't just a feeling. Since the ability that Haima's Pendant possessed was in fact such an ability.

“Haha! You've gotten a bit better today, haven't you?”

Conlan laughed heartily and, as always, went ahead of me.

To be precise, he tried to.

“Hmm?”

The gap between Conlan and me, which used to widen in an instant, did not grow.

No, rather, the distance began to shrink little by little, and before I knew it, Conlan and I started running side by side.

“Not bad…… at all!”

Conlan grinned fiercely and pushed off the ground even more strongly.

He didn't seem to have lost his composure yet, but that was as far as it went.

Strain, strain……!

As the blood flow speed gradually increased, the blood vessels expanded, and veins bulged all over my body.

The more that happened, the faster my pace became, and Conlan too had no choice but to abandon his composure and go all out.

“Where do you think you're……!”

Conlan gritted his teeth and tried to shake me off somehow, but the more he did, the closer the distance between us became.

Now, Conlan no longer said anything.

Because he didn't have the luxury to do so.

Of course, it was difficult to say that I had any leeway either, but I didn't think I would lose.

‘The increase in blood flow speed brought by Haima's Pendant doesn't just end with an increase in physical abilities.’

The training ground we were running on had various obstacles for training, and naturally, a considerable reaction speed was required to avoid them properly without reducing speed.

That's when one of the hidden effects of Haima's Pendant is very useful.

It was the effect of increasing the wearer's reaction speed.

“How can he do that like that……!”

Conlan was astonished when I avoided the obstacles without reducing my speed at all in the section where obstacles began to appear in earnest.

It was a feat made possible by the combination of the Postponer of Ruin's composure and the reaction speed brought by Haima's Pendant.

It was from that point on.

That the distance between me and Conlan, who were running side by side, began to gradually widen.

In terms of pure physical ability alone, I probably still couldn't catch up to Conlan, but the various effects brought by Haima's Pendant had momentarily allowed me to overtake even him.

“Going ahead.”

I passed Conlan and ran on.

“Grr!”

Conlan, as if frustrated, shouted and moved his legs desperately, but the distance between us had already widened to an unbridgeable gap.

***

Edric's gaze was on the members of the 4th Special Task Force running across the training ground.

Among them, if there was one person who stood out, it was, as expected, Vell Blackwood.

‘Certainly, he has changed from before.’

Vell Blackwood, who couldn't even keep up with Albino, let alone Conlan, until a while ago, had now overtaken Conlan.

No matter how much he had dedicated himself to training during that time, it was an incredible growth rate that was hard to understand, considering that the other members had done the same.

Edric was soon able to understand the reason for that incomprehensible growth rate.

‘It's that necklace.’

Edric's gaze turned to the necklace around Vell Blackwood's neck.

A necklace he had never seen before.

But it was easy to see that it was no ordinary necklace.

It was highly likely that Vell Blackwood's sudden improvement in physical ability was thanks to that necklace.

As it was a necklace that stood out and emitted a powerful curse to that extent.

‘Hmm…….’

How on earth did Vell Blackwood obtain such an item in a place like Winter Castle…….

In fact, Vell Blackwood's actions and his incomprehensible magic were clearly beyond common sense, even considering that he was a mage with many mysterious aspects.

‘Vell Blackwood.’

Edric's deep gaze fell upon Vell Blackwood.

He thought that the time had come to put into action what he had only been thinking about until now.

‘I'll need to look into it properly.’

Who Vell Blackwood is.

And, for what purpose he came to Winter Castle.