Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

”I don’t know how you came to know about Eternal Rank Ruins Mr. Atlas...but no, Divine grade Relics do not exist only inside Eternal rank Ruins.” Seraphiel spoke as she looked at Atlas’s confused expression, a faint smile appearing on her face for the first time in a while.

’Just as I thought...he really doesn’t know anything about this.’ She had purposely mentioned Divine grade Relics first because among everything she could have said, that would be the one thing capable of making Atlas stop thinking about severing the contract and actually listen.

She continued after a brief pause, ”Though Divine grade Relics are unimaginably rare and even beyond what almost every Noble Household can obtain, there are actually two known ways to acquire one, The first is exactly what you mentioned—an Eternal Rank Ruin.”

”The second however is...a place hidden from the eyes of almost the entire world, known as the Ruins of Eclipse.” The moment those words reached him Atlas narrowed his eyes as another unfamiliar name settled inside his mind. ’Ruins of Eclipse?...Is it another Hidden Rank Ruin that Explorers are made purposefully unaware about?’

Seeing the confusion remain on his face, Seraphiel shook her head before he could ask anything. ”The name itself is misleading, Mr. Atlas. Most people who hear it for the first time think it is simply another Hidden Ranked Ruin but...it is nothing like the Ruins you know.The way it functions is completely different.”

She paused for a brief moment before continuing, letting him absorb each revelation bit by bit ”Take an ordinary Ruin for example. Every chamber follows a fixed order. The first chamber contains the weakest monsters of that Ruin, then every chamber after that gradually becomes more difficult until you finally reach the Boss.”

”But the Ruins of Eclipse has no chambers at all.” She spoke calmly as every sentence made Atlas listen more seriously.

”The moment you enter, it is nothing more than one enormous battlefield. Monsters continue appearing one after another without any order. Some may be weak, some may be stronger than the previous one and some may even be weaker again. There is no fixed sequence, no Boss Chamber and no clear end waiting ahead, that alone makes it completely different from every known Ruin across Eliomor.”

Silence followed her explanation as Atlas replayed every word inside his mind. ’A Ruin without chambers?...Then there is no way to predict what appears next.’ His thoughts immediately went toward the worst possibility.

’What if an SSS-rank Monster suddenly appears?’ He had personally witnessed ”three” different SSS-rank existences within just a day, making him understand better than anyone how overwhelming such beings truly were. Even with everything he possessed now, facing one head-on was nothing more than seeking death.

Just as he was about to voice that concern, Seraphiel seemed to realize what he was thinking and spoke before he could ask. ”There is one restriction though. From every surviving record left behind, the highest ranked Monster ever encountered inside the Ruins of Eclipse was only S-rank. Since ordinary Explorers cannot enter that place at all, every piece of information we possess comes only from those few individuals who returned alive.”

Atlas raised an eyebrow as something immediately contradicted itself inside his mind. ”Didn’t you just say the people your Household sent there never returned?”

”I did.” Seraphiel answered without hesitation. ”But the records about S-rank Monsters were left behind by Explorers who entered that place decades...some even centuries ago. Their reports are incomplete, which is why even we do not know everything about the Ruins of Eclipse. As for the people contacted by our Rosaria Household and several other Noble Households during the last decade...none of them returned alive.”

Atlas silently accepted that explanation before another question naturally formed inside his mind. If even Noble Households continued sending people despite knowing the dangers, then the reward inside that place had to be extraordinary.

Seeing that he had understood everything so far, Seraphiel finally spoke the reason she had wanted to tell him from the very beginning. ”After hearing everything about you and after seeing what you have accomplished until now, I reached only one conclusion, Mr. Atlas.”

She looked directly into his eyes before continuing without hesitation. ”I believe you have a real chance of clearing the Ruins of Eclipse and returning alive...and if you do, you can obtain one of the two Divine grade Relics hidden inside that place.”

The room became silent once again.

The last sentence made Atlas widen his eyes for the first time in a long while. A Divine grade Relic...inside a place whose strongest recorded Monster was only S-rank?

Even after hearing it directly from Seraphiel, he found it difficult to believe. Such Relics were supposed to exist only inside Eternal Rank Ruins according to everything he had known until now, yet she was now telling him there were two of them hidden inside the Ruins of Eclipse. No matter how he thought about it, the reward and the danger did not seem balanced at all.

Seraphiel quietly observed the change in his expression before speaking again. ”Now Mr. Atlas...would you still like to sever the contract?” Her voice became softer than before. ”Personally, I don’t think we should...but the decision is still yours.”

Atlas lowered his head without replying immediately. Silence filled the room as one thought after another passed through his mind. ’A Divine grade Relic...’ That alone was enough to shake his previous decision.

’If I obtain something of that level now instead of waiting until I can enter an Eternal Rank Ruin, my overall strength could increase drastically. It might even shorten the time needed to deal with those Revenants.’ His expression remained unchanged as he continued thinking. ’This is no longer just about a contract with a Noble, this is a trade where both sides gain something.’

Another moment passed before he reached a conclusion. ’As long as I receive what I want, I have no reason to reject it, Hatred alone won’t make me stronger.’

Atlas finally lifted his head and looked directly at Seraphiel. ”It’s a good offer, Lady Seraphiel. I have no intention of refusing something beneficial to me.” He paused briefly before continuing.

”However, before I agree to maintain this contract, I want every condition made completely clear. I want to know exactly what your Rosaria Household gains from this arrangement, what I am expected to do, whether the Royal Family is involved in any part of it and every restriction tied to this Ruins of Eclipse. If everything is reasonable...the contract will remain as it is.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Seraphiel felt the weight pressing against her chest disappear. She nodded without hiding the faint smile that appeared on her face. ”Alright Mr. Atlas. I was planning to explain everything regardless.”

She looked much calmer than before as she continued. ”I’ll prepare every document and detail regarding the agreement, then we can decide together when you should enter the Ruins of Eclipse. I won’t leave anything unclear.” After saying that she turned toward Dravenson. ”As for now...I think Father has something he wishes to ask you. Isn’t that right, Father?”

Dravenson looked toward his daughter before letting out a quiet sigh. ”Seems you’ve become good at reading me.”

A faint smile appeared for only a moment before disappearing again as his expression became serious. He turned toward Atlas and spoke. ”I do have one request, Since your Unique Ability carries the same energy as those Monsters, and you’ve even fought one yourself...is there anything you can tell us about them? Not their strength...their weakness.”

Atlas remained silent for a brief moment before answering.

”No...They have no weakness.”

The room immediately became quiet.

Dravenson and Seraphiel both widened their eyes for a brief moment before Atlas slowly stood up from the couch. He looked toward both of them and continued in the same detached tone.

”They do have one vulnerability though.” He paused before continuing. ”The mixture of Spirit and that unknown energy inside their bodies is too unstable, they can’t control it perfectly, unlike ordinary Spirit Energy. That instability can be exploited if you understand how it behaves. Beyond that...I have nothing else to tell you.”

After saying that Atlas turned toward the exit. ”It’s already getting late. I still have another Cataclysm Rank Ruin to clear today.”

He stopped for only a brief moment before adding, ”I’ll return tomorrow for the paperwork, and after that...I want to see this Ruins of Eclipse with my own eyes.”

The next instant his figure blurred and disappeared from the room.

Seraphiel stared at the empty space where he had been sitting only a moment ago, while Dravenson narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn’t sensed Spirit reinforcement, usage of teleportation relic or any movement technique.

Atlas had simply disappeared through nothing but overwhelming physical speed.