noveldrama
Chapter 156
Chapter 156
At the underground crypt, where Theo had fought fiercely against Troivan and the Holy Demon Church, Dengryong stood amidst the ruins, stacking stones into a small cairn.
“You pitiful fool. If you were so dissatisfied, couldn’t you have whispered a word of it to me?”
Underneath this cairn lay Od.
By Ragnar’s rules, traitors deserved to have their corpses desecrated, leaving no trace of their existence. Yet, Dengryong had made a special request to Theo, allowing Od to have a proper resting place.
Although Od’s sins were heavy, the merit of the crypt keepers, who had served faithfully across generations, was immeasurable. With that bloodline now extinguished, Dengryong believed she deserved this final honor.
“For someone who lived with so much bitterness, why did you smile at the very end? Even after all this time, I can’t understand you,” Dengryong murmured.
He had known Od for a long time.
He had been a close friend of her grandfather, the previous crypt keeper.
The sensation of burying the granddaughter with his own hands—of closing her eyes—was something he would never forget.
“Well, at least it seems you left without regrets. That’s good enough. Farewell, my friend.”
Dengryong straightened his back and clasped his hands behind him as he walked away.
By the time he stepped forward, his figure had vanished completely.
Only a single tulip swayed in the breeze beside the stone cairn.
After the Mage Empress’s possession ended, the Divine Fever tormenting Cassandra began to fade quickly.
However, even with the fever abating, Cassandra remained unconscious, bedridden for several days with severe exhaustion.
- “It’s because her Brain Gate was forcibly opened for far too long during the possession. Her body needs time to adjust.”
It was a side effect of the possession.
The fact that her young body had managed to endure the Mage Empress’s mental domain was a miracle in itself. Her Brain Gate, strained to its limit, had somehow avoided permanent damage.
The deputy commander was optimistic.
“She’ll recover soon enough. A mage as exceptional as her wouldn’t leave her own body defenseless. In fact, this experience might even serve as a catalyst to awaken her latent abilities. She could surpass even the greatest prodigies.”
Despite those words, Theo felt deeply troubled seeing the child suffer, soaked in cold sweat every night.
As he contemplated ways to ease her pain, a thought came to him.
“It’s there.”
[Greatly Diluted Elixir]
A small amount of the legendary panacea Elixir is contained within. Provides immediate recovery when consumed.
- Type: Medicine
- Effect: Instantly restores 30% health.
Thanks to the rewards he had earned from completing various quests, Theo had accumulated enough coins to purchase the item after selling a few of his possessions.
With the Elixir, Cassandra’s recovery accelerated dramatically.
“Hoho, is this another ability of the Selector? The Captain never displayed anything like this,” the deputy commander remarked, lingering at Theo’s side as usual.
But the deputy commander wasn’t the only one sticking close to Theo.
- “And then I swung my blade, and bam! Cut the beast’s arm clean off!”
- “Hah! Stop exaggerating. I was there too.”
- “Oh, right. Didn’t you spear the beast’s chest at that moment? No wonder you can’t remember the rest.”
- “Ahem! Now that you mention it, you might be right.”
- “Of course. If only we had more time back then, we would’ve crushed it entirely!”
The ghosts chattered excitedly, boasting about their feats as if they were merchants selling wares in a crowded market.
Listening to their tales, it was clear each of them had been an extraordinary master in their own right.
Their battle against the Nameless Lord seemed to have been exhilarating for them.
But for Theo, having 299 ghosts following him around for several days had become exhausting.
“Why don’t you all pass on?” Theo asked, his patience thinning.
- “What? Pass on?”
- “This brat! Now that he’s had his use of us, he wants us gone!”
- “That’s the Ragnar bloodline for you. Such respect for the elders!”
Theo clenched his jaw, biting back his frustration.
“You’re the ones who said you’d leave once the Sword Hall was restored…”
- “Hah! And now you want to discard us?”
- “Ragnar! Ragnar! Always the same, using people up!”
Theo sighed, deciding to ignore them entirely. Continuing to argue would only give him a headache.
“Why are they even lingering?” Theo muttered under his breath.
It was clear the ghosts had some purpose in staying, but what that purpose was, he couldn’t discern.
?Still being hounded by these unruly elders, I see.?
The calm voice of Lodbrok broke his thoughts. She approached in her human form, her once-faint figure now much more distinct.
The remnants of the Nameless Lord’s essence, which she had consumed, seemed to have had a far greater effect than expected.
“Ah…”
The ghosts instantly fell silent, their gazes avoiding Lodbrok.
If the ghosts feared anything, it was her.
?Elders truly do become like children in their old age, don’t they?? Lodbrok chuckled softly, winking at Theo.
“You seem stronger,” Theo remarked, noticing the changes in her form.
?The Nameless Lord’s essence was potent. A few more of those, and I might regain my freedom entirely.?
She traced the nearly-healed wound on her chest, smiling faintly.
The unspoken message was clear: Find more.
As Theo pondered her words, Dengryong approached, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Theo, may I have a moment?”
“Of course,” Theo replied.
“I have a proposition. Would you care to join me for a walk?”
The garden path was filled with the sweet fragrance of tulips, but Theo had no time to enjoy it. Dengryong’s unexpected words occupied his thoughts.
“What do you mean me?” Theo asked, confused.
His expression mirrored that of the ghosts who had followed discreetly behind.
- “What?”
- “So sudden?”
Dengryong’s tone was more serious than ever before.
“Yes, you. I’m asking you to take up the role of the next crypt keeper of the tulip burial grounds—the Keeper of the Crypt.”