Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Atlas walked through the same eastern route of Solara City he had taken before. The moment he had appeared outside the Rosaria Villa, he didn’t spare it another glance and simply continued forward, his next destination already decided...the Explorer Guild.

As he walked through the streets, his thoughts naturally drifted back to the conversation he had just finished with Patriarch Dravenson and Seraphiel. ’Without that contract I would have remained ignorant about the Ruins of Eclipse and the conditions behind obtaining a Whirlstone...so it wasn’t a one-sided trade after all, that also explains why she approached me that day.’ He thought quietly before shaking his head.

’No...thinking about that now won’t change anything.’

His gaze lifted toward the sky where several Spirit Jets continued flying across Solara as though yesterday’s incident had never happened. Atlas, however, didn’t believe that for even a moment. He had personally seen the Guildmaster remain cautious after witnessing that Monster, so there was no reason to believe these Nobles who owned those Spirit Jets would lower their guard either.

If anything, they were probably paying even more attention to everything happening around them while trying to make sure that Monster never caugh them at the least.

Lowering his head again, Atlas continued walking while another thought crossed his mind. ’That meeting took longer than I expected.’ Judging from nothing more than the position of the sun overhead, he could tell that several hours had already passed.

Considering everything that had been discussed, from the misunderstanding regarding those Monsters to the Ruins of Eclipse, it wasn’t surprising. None of those matters could have been explained within a few minutes.

Several more minutes passed before Atlas finally left the eastern district behind. As he headed toward the Guild, his perception quietly spread through the surroundings, immediately picking up several familiar presences hidden across different streets and rooftops.

Some stood near shops pretending to browse through goods, while others blended among pedestrians or leaned casually against nearby buildings, yet every one of them was monitoring his movements through Spirit Perception rather than their eyes.

Atlas chuckled inwardly. ’Heh...I knew you bastards would be waiting.’ His hand immediately reached into his spirit bag and took out the Relic they had all been hoping to steal. ’Shadow Shift would be easier...but I haven’t properly tested this function yet.’

Without hesitating, he poured Spirit Energy into the Golden compass-side fixed on its surface while locking onto the location he had already chosen beforehand...The moment the Relic activated, it’s compass dial rotated like a whirlwind before suddenly it brightened and Atlas’s presence disappeared completely from every perception surrounding him.

Almost instantly, the Explorers monitoring him rushed toward the exact spot where they had sensed him only a heartbeat earlier. They appeared one after another from different directions, only to find each other standing there instead. Confused glances spread between them as they searched the surroundings in disbelief before one of them finally lost his patience and shouted.

”Bastard! He vanished just like yesterday! Fuck...at this rate we’re never getting that Relic!” One of them roared in frustration, making the ordinary Explorers nearby turn toward them with startled expressions. Several frowned as they wondered what kind of Relic could make even these powerful Angelic Explorers chase someone around the city without caring about their own reputation.

There was nothing they could do except head toward the Guild. That was the only place Atlas was likely to appear next. Without wasting another second, each of them used their own methods to travel there. Some relied purely on overwhelming physical speed, some activated their Unique Abilities, while others used high-level movement Techniques they had mastered over years of fighting. Figures blurred across rooftops one after another as they rushed toward the Guild from different directions.

Meanwhile, the cause of all that commotion had already appeared inside the Guild. Atlas tightened his grip around the Relic for a brief moment before letting out a slow breath. ’Hah...so it works.’ His eyes briefly fell upon the compass engraved on its surface.

’First time using its location shift...and the Spirit consumption is normal. Unlike the time rewind, this one doesn’t consume an abnormally low amount of Spirit Energy?’ He silently stored that information away in his mind. The more he understood this Relic, the better he could plan around it in the future.

Without delaying any longer, he put the Relic back into his storage. Several Humans and Angelic Explorers nearby were already staring at him, but not because he had suddenly appeared inside the Guild. Spatial movement through Relics or Unique Abilities wasn’t unheard of among powerful Explorers. What truly caught their attention was the Relic itself. Seeing someone openly use what appeared to be a spatial Relic naturally made countless thoughts appear in their minds.

Atlas paid no attention to their gazes. In fact, this was one of the reasons he had chosen to use the Relic instead of simply Shadow Shifting here. ’Now I know how much Spirit that compass side consumes.’ That was enough for him. There was no point hiding every single card when understanding its limits was far more important.

As he looked around the Guild, his gaze stopped on the reception counters where several receptionists were still staring toward him with slightly flushed faces. Atlas quickly realized the reason. It wasn’t because of the Relic or his sudden appearance. Those things happened often enough inside the Guild. This was the first time he had entered without his hood or mask, leaving his face completely exposed.

Not thinking much about it, Atlas walked straight toward the same receptionist who had assisted him yesterday. Stopping before the counter, he asked in his usual calm tone, ”Could I get another permit for a Cataclysm-rank Ruin?”

His voice immediately snapped the receptionist out of her daze. She blinked twice before hurriedly nodding. ”Y-Yes, Sir Atlas. I’ll have the Guildmaster sign the permit. Please wait just a moment.”

Atlas simply nodded. She materialized the same permit sheet as yesterday, quickly filled in the required details and hurried toward the Guildmaster’s office. As soon as she left, Atlas sensed several familiar presences approaching from behind. Turning around, he found Himalton, Alberion, and the rest of Team Asfalon already standing there as though they had been waiting for him all this time. Among them, however, it was obvious who wanted to speak first.

Letting out a quiet breath, Atlas stepped toward them. It was finally time to give Himalton the answer he had promised yesterday.