CH 14 :ᕙ[The Land of Elbrus]ᕗ
The air shifted.
No more oppressive fog. No more lingering screams of forgotten spirits echoing through the mist. The cursed blue tides behind me lapped weakly against the hull of my ship, as if mourning my departure.
A sudden ping from the system snapped me from my trance.
> [You Have Reached: Outer Edge]
[Blue Ocean Exit Path: Cleared]
I slumped forward, gripping the ship's wheel. My arms trembled. My Void Sword leaned uselessly against the mast. Nyx lay curled beside me, his usually glowing form dim and pale.
The sight burned into my chest.
"…We made it," I whispered, half to myself, half to the dying ocean.
> [Warning ⚠: Mana Beast Mana Depletion Detected]
My heart lurched. "Nyx?!"
His crimson eyes fluttered open, sluggish and unfocused. He let out a strained purr, more wheeze than sound.
"I-I'm fine…" he muttered in his own language, translating directly through our shared link. "But ever since we entered the Blue Ocean… my essence… it's been flickering. It's like something's draining me. I thought it was your mana affecting me."
"No," I said, kneeling beside him. "This isn't from me. Something's wrong."
> [Mana Deception Increasing: Host Companion in Critical State]
[Suggested Action: Mana Recovery Treatment – Accept?]
{Yes / No}
I didn't hesitate. "Yes."
> [Initiating: Treatment Protocol...]
[Item Required: White Sand of Elbrus – 0/1]
"…What?" I frowned. "That's a material from Elbrus… that's in the Dark Ocean."
Suddenly, the memories clicked.
Elbrus. A legendary, secluded island nestled within the Dark Ocean—a land feared even among demons. My father had once mentioned it in passing, claiming distant relatives of our bloodline were exiled there long ago. Their blood was tainted, cursed with unstable mana that shifted like tides under a full moon.
> [White Sand of Elbrus: Absorbs ambient chaos mana, purifies spiritual essence. Required to stabilize Companion's Core.]
"Perfect," I muttered. "So now I need to dive into the pit of despair to fix this."
Nyx stirred, his weak voice in my mind: "If we don't go soon… I don't know how long I can hold out. My connection to the system… it's fraying."
I looked out toward the horizon. A thin, dark mist curled beyond the edge of the ocean, forming a barrier that stretched beyond what any map could chart.
The Dark Ocean.
This wasn't over. It was only beginning.
I stood tall again, anchoring my stance against the shifting winds. "Hang on, Nyx. Elbrus or not—we're going in. And no cursed bloodline or corrupted sea will stop me."
> [System Notification: Outer Edge Clearance Confirmed]
[Next Region Unlocking: Dark Ocean - Peril Rating: ???]
[Mana Levels: Caution Advised]
I grabbed the ship's wheel once more, cracked my knuckles, and channeled my remaining mana to steady the sails.
This was the calm before the true storm.
The Dark Ocean awaited.
The map fluttered in my gloved hand, reacting to my mana as glowing routes illuminated paths across the ocean—like veins of ancient light pulsing through dark waters.
> [Current Path Loaded: DARK OCEAN REGION]
[Route Sequence: Entrance → Land of Elbrus → Dark Tree → Bulgaria Forest → Void Whirlpool → Black Hates → Synerlows Village → Outer Edge]
So that's it, huh?
The Dark Ocean was no simple abyss to cross. It was a twisted realm with landmarks stitched together like scars across a bleeding world. And the Land of Elbrus was my first stop.
All because Nyx was still deteriorating.
I could hear his weak breathing, curled in the ship's inner chamber, struggling to maintain his form. If I didn't act soon, I could lose him—and that wasn't something I was willing to entertain.
No. I've come too far. I won't lose anyone else.
I tightened my grip on the wheel and set sail once more. The winds howled louder now, as if warning me to turn back. The waters darkened steadily, going from crystalline blue to murky violet, then nearly black. There was no transition. One moment I was in the Outer Edge, the next…
> [You Are Entering: The Dark Ocean]
[Warning: Hostile Environment Detected]
[No Return Point Available – Proceed with Absolute Caution]
My breath hitched for a moment.
There was a presence in the air. Not fog like the Blue Ocean, but a weight—like invisible chains trying to pull me down into the depths.
The Void Sword strapped to my back hummed with recognition.
"Yeah… I feel it too."
I looked at the glowing red rune at the center of the map. Elbrus.
It was directly ahead.
A jagged island, shaped like a claw rising from the water, barely visible in the distance under a sky soaked in shadow. If the Blue Ocean was treacherous, then this… was cursed.
"Let's get this over with," I murmured, pushing the ship forward with an infusion of mana through the rudder crystal.
Suddenly—
> [Incoming Alert: Spatial Rift Detected!]
[Mana Surge: Unstable - Type: Abyssal Pulse]
A shimmering crack tore open in front of the ship like a jagged scar across reality.
I yanked the wheel hard, grinding my teeth as the vessel swerved sideways, nearly tipping.
The sea boiled beneath us for a moment—and then stilled.
Too close. That was too close.
I checked the map again.
Elbrus was closer now—though the cursed fog was building, twirling in tendrils of violet smoke around the ship like it was alive.
> [Next Location Approaching: Land of Elbrus]
[Environmental Note: Mana-Corrupted Terrain | Resistance Suggested]
I leaned against the rail and took a deep breath.
I had survived the chaos of the White Crost Island, the horrors of Blue Ocean's twisted illusions, and the betrayal of long-dead histories. But this… this journey was different.
This was about Nyx.
About finding the White Sand of Elbrus.
About diving headfirst into a land of my cursed bloodline, seeking salvation in a place where everything screamed corruption.
"Just hold on a little longer, Nyx…" I whispered. "We're almost there."
The moment I stepped onto the jagged, slate-colored cliffs marking the entrance of Elbrus, a strange, chill sensation swept through my body. It wasn't just the wind—it was the land itself. Cold, ancient... watching me.
The land of Elbrus was nothing like the vivid White Crost. This was a realm forged in shadow and rooted in mana decay. Cracked obsidian plains stretched toward a horizon painted in dying orange hues, and every gust of wind carried the scent of iron and ash. The atmosphere was heavy—almost suffocating—but familiar. This was where my distant kin once roamed.
[ Location Verified: Land of Elbrus – Bloodline Territory Match: 41% ] [ Legacy Link Detected – Optional Quest Available: "Echoes of Elbrus" ] [ Would you like to accept the Quest? Y/N ]
I chose Yes, of course. The system hummed.
[ Quest Accepted: Echoes of Elbrus ] [ Objective: Locate the Bloodline Tomb of Seraphis Plath ] [ Warning: Hostile Entities Known as Ashwoken Lurking in Region ]
"Nyx," I whispered. My voice cracked from the dry air. "You holding up?"
"I'm always with you, Sylvia," she said, her voice more telepathic than audible. She floated beside me in her soulbeast form, serpentine and haloed by that eerie void light.
The sand here wasn't sand—it was powdered bone, or something close. Every step kicked up pale dust that clung to my boots. The sky thundered low as if groaning from something ancient buried deep beneath us.
Then, the ground trembled. Light footsteps? No. Too heavy. I spun just as shadows peeled from the rocks and took form. Four creatures, their limbs elongated and jointed wrong, with chests carved open like ritual altars.
[ Enemy Identified: Ashwoken Sentinels ]
[ Tier: 7 | Type: Mana-Leech | Hostility: 97% ]
They attacked in sync—gliding more than running, claws gleaming with rot.
"Void Step!" I vanished mid-air, flickering behind the first one. My sword hummed with black lightning.
SLASH!
The blade cut through its spine, and the creature let out a soundless shriek before crumbling into dust.
Two more lunged. I deflected one with a spin, letting the momentum carry my body into a downward strike that split its torso. But the third got me.
A claw dug into my side—deep.
[ HP: -18% ]
[ Bleeding Status Applied – Duration: 60 seconds ]
[ Adrenal Surge Triggered – +15% Agility Temporarily ]
Blood soaked into my robes, but I gritted my teeth and summoned my void threads, weaving them around the bleeding wound to slow the damage.
"Nyx—clear it!"
"Kzuuu!!" With a burst of void mist, Nyx dived down, spiraling like a cyclone through the final Ashwoken and crushing it in an explosion of dark matter.
The battle was over... for now.
I collapsed to one knee, panting. My vision blurred for a moment.
[ HP: 41% ]
[ Suggestion: Use Elixir or Rest to Prevent Further Damage ]
"No time to rest. We need to find the tomb before nightfall," I muttered. But I did take one of the lesser elixirs and bit down. Warmth rushed through me.
We moved on.
Just as we neared a scorched valley, the system pinged again.
[ Bloodline Tomb Signature Detected – 800 meters Northeast ]
[ Alert: Area is guarded by Ashwoken Elder ]
A boss, huh?
I tightened my grip on the Void Sword, ignoring the ache in my muscles.
"Let's see what secrets this cursed land has to offer."
We followed the system's guidance through the cracked ridges of Elbrus. The landscape grew more hostile the closer we got—less like earth and more like a wound left to fester. Even the air felt heavier, soaked in thick, unseen magic.
[ Distance to Target: 400 meters ]
[ Ashwoken Elder Presence Confirmed ]
[ Threat Level: Tier 8 | Hostility: 99% ]
[ Boss Zone Approaching—Prepare Accordingly ]
My hand tightened around the Void Sword. The blade pulsed gently in my grip, reacting to the corrupted mana nearby. The whispers of the wind faded as an unnatural silence draped over us.
"I can feel something ahead," I muttered, more to myself than Nyx. "This place… it's soaked in sorrow."
"Kzzuu... I can sense the bloodline connection. We're close," Nyx replied, her voice echoing low and strained. Even her aura flickered—it was getting worse.
I made a mental note. We couldn't delay her treatment much longer.
We reached a cavern mouth carved into the side of a cliff—jagged like it had been torn open by claws the size of buildings. Symbols glowed faintly across the archway, barely legible through the layers of grime and ash.
[ You Have Arrived at: Bloodline Tomb of Seraphis Plath ]
[ Initiating Memory Fragment: Seraphis ]
For a second, my vision blurred—and an echo from the past played before my eyes.
A demoness with long silver hair stood above a battlefield, her aura radiating dominion. This was Seraphis Plath—my bloodline ancestor. She wielded not a sword, but her will alone—commanding waves of mana-beasts with whispers.
Then the vision shattered.
And in its place… the Elder arrived.
A towering, grotesque humanoid draped in burnt crimson robes, its face hidden behind a fractured skull mask. Its body emitted dense black smoke, like every breath corrupted the world itself.
[ Ashwoken Elder – Keeper of the Tomb ]
[ Tier 8 – Bound by Ancient Vow ]
[ Objective: Defeat to Access Bloodline Tomb ]
"You who wear her name," the creature spoke in a voice that sounded like crumbling stone. "Prove you carry her will."
I didn't wait.
I surged forward, activating [Void Drift], phasing through its first massive strike. Its clawed hand smashed into the rocks behind me as I reappeared mid-air.
"Nyx!"
With a guttural hiss, she lunged forward, manifesting a barrage of void spears that struck the Elder's back.
But it barely flinched.
"Damn…!"
I landed on a boulder, drew back the Void Sword, and activated [Void Carve]—the blade extended like a whip of black lightning. I lashed forward.
CRACK!
A direct hit. The Elder staggered—but then let out a screech that cracked the air. Shadows erupted from its form like tendrils, launching at us from all sides.
[ HP: -23% ]
[ Nyx HP: Critical Range | Mana Drop at 15% ]
"Nyx, fall back!"
She tried, but her body trembled. Her glow dimmed.
No—she couldn't sustain this fight much longer.
I activated [Void Barrier], shielding her with a dome of darkness. It bought her seconds.
I had no choice.
I drew the system's power fully, channeling it through my veins. My pupils flared with system light as the Void Sword pulsed like a living heart.
"Let's end this—!"
I dashed in, dodging shadow tendrils, and drove the blade directly through the Elder's chest. At the same time, Nyx poured what was left of her strength into one last [Void Implosion] beneath its feet.
BOOM—!!
The explosion swallowed the tomb's entrance in darkness.
When the dust cleared, the Elder crumbled, its mask shattering into bone-dust.
[ Boss Defeated – Ashwoken Elder ]
[ You may now enter the Tomb of Seraphis Plath ]
[ Bloodline Trait Acquired: "Command Pulse (Dormant)" ]
[ Nyx Mana Levels: Critical – Treatment Required Immediately ]
I didn't celebrate.
Nyx was barely floating.
Her glow was flickering like a dying ember.
"Hang on. I got you," I whispered, lifting her into my arms. "We'll treat you soon. Just a little longer…"
I laid Nyx down gently on a smooth patch of obsidian floor inside the tomb. Her form flickered—unstable, like a candle near extinction. Her eyes barely opened, crimson light dim and struggling.
"Just hold on," I whispered, brushing back the strands of her smoke-like mane. "We made it through the Elder. I won't let you fade now."
The tomb glowed faintly, shifting and reconfiguring itself the deeper we went. Ancient runes pulsed like heartbeats along the walls. Somewhere within this sacred chamber was the material we needed—
[ Quest Update: Initiate Mana Beast Healing Sequence ]
[ Condition: White Sand of Elbrus – Quantity x1 Required ]
[ Objective: Locate Essence Chamber and harvest sand ]
"White sand," I murmured, rising. "Where would you be hidden in this damn maze…"
As if on cue, a faint, glowing path appeared beneath my boots—system navigation in action. I followed it without hesitation, Void Sword in hand.
The air thickened. The temperature dropped.
[ Caution: Temporal Layer Detected ]
[ Chrono-speed irregularity in effect ]
[ Proceed with high caution – Time distortion active in this zone ]
"Of course it wouldn't be easy."
I moved forward, and the hallway blurred around me—flickering between ancient memories and fragmented timelines. I saw shadows of demons from the past pass through me like echoes.
Whispers.
Crying.
Then… silence.
And at the end of the corridor, a massive stone doorway loomed. The moment I stepped near it—
[ Door Requires Ancestral Recognition – Plath Bloodline Signature Detected ]
[ Access Granted ]
It opened with a thunderous groan, revealing a radiant chamber. Crystal sands sparkled under a beam of pure, white mana-light pouring from the ceiling. It looked like moonlight distilled into dust.
In the center lay a circular pedestal surrounded by shallow water, glowing faintly with bluish mana. And on that pedestal…
[ White Sand of Elbrus – 1 Unit Available ]
[ Status: Unclaimed | Pure | Untainted ]
This was it.
I stepped onto the water. It didn't ripple. Didn't move. Almost as if it recognized me.
I walked to the pedestal, reached out—and the moment I touched the sand, a pulse shot through me.
A voice echoed in my mind.
"To wield what heals, you must bear what breaks."
Then—
Pain.
Sharp, sudden.
I collapsed, clutching my chest as my veins burned. The white sand reacted with my mana. It was trying to fuse—no, it was testing me. Seeing if I was worthy of taking its essence to another.
[ Trial of Bond Initiated: Prove your link to the mana beast ]
[ Synchronization Required: 85% minimum ]
[ Current Bond Level with Nyx: 89% – Qualified ]
[ Proceeding with Extraction ]
The pain faded.
The sand gathered into a swirling orb, levitating into my hands. It was warm… soothing now.
I turned and sprinted back toward Nyx.
---
She hadn't moved.
[ Mana Level: 4% | Critical Fade Imminent ]
"Don't die on me."
I knelt beside her and placed the orb above her chest. It floated… then sank slowly into her body.
Nyx gasped.
A flash of white light exploded from her core, wrapping her body in glowing sigils and void-like smoke. Her form pulsed with life again. Stronger. Clearer.
[ Treatment Successful ]
[ Mana Stabilization in Progress – Estimated Recovery: 87% in 6 hours ]
[ Nyx State: Stable ]
[ Void Beast Trait Awakened: Phase Drift Lv. 1 ]
Her crimson eyes opened slowly.
"...Kzuu... You really brought it," she said weakly, a crooked smirk on her lips.
I chuckled and collapsed beside her, exhaustion finally catching up.
"You owe me... so much food when we reach the next village."
Nyx slept beside the flickering campfire I had hastily put together with what little dry material I could find in the tomb. Her breathing was steady now, that unsettling limpness from earlier completely gone. Watching her sleep brought a strange comfort—a reminder that I wasn't alone, even in the depths of a forgotten crypt.
[ System Notification ]
[ Mana Beast: Nyx | Status: Stable ]
[ Trait Recovery Progress: 48% ]
[ Void Aura Pulse: Suppressed until full restoration ]
"Good," I whispered.
I stood up, brushing dust off my cloak. My eyes drifted toward the chamber's far end—there was still more to this tomb. More than white sand and spectral echoes. Something had been pulling at me ever since we entered. A soft hum in the air. Familiar… unsettling.
The stone archway ahead was engraved with something in Old Demon Script. I stepped closer and read aloud, voice trembling as I recognized the sigils:
"To walk the path of the Plath, you must face the truth beneath the roots."
Roots?
Suddenly, the tomb shifted. The walls groaned. The floor rumbled. A section behind the arch descended like an elevator.
[ Secret Chamber Unlocked – Plath Lineage Access Confirmed ]
[ Memory Bloom Triggered – Destination: The Root of the Dark Tree ]
A projection blinked open before me—a glowing, 3D map hovering mid-air. Not just any map… the Dark Ocean region. Our entire next journey laid bare.
The first location marked in crimson: The Land of Elbrus—where we currently stood.
The next path glowed faintly.
> Dark Tree
[ Risk Level: ??? | Status: Inactive ]
[ Special Note: Sealed Location | Plath Bloodline Connection Confirmed ]
"...What the hell is this?"
A whisper drifted into my mind, a memory buried deep.
"The tree remembers… Sylvia."
My heart skipped.
"What do you know about me?"
But the system responded instead:
[ The Dark Tree was once a guardian of the Void Forest, corrupted during the Great Collapse. Its roots intertwine with your family's ancient magic. Access may awaken dormant memories. ]
[ Quest Triggered: The Rootbound Legacy ]
[ Objective: Reach the Dark Tree – Prepare for cognitive instability and ancestral hallucinations ]
"Great," I muttered, "Just what I needed. More family trauma."
Still, I couldn't help but feel drawn to it. The Tree… it wasn't just another stop. It was a key. A truth. Maybe even a turning point in my connection to the System—or to myself.
I looked over at Nyx again, who twitched in her sleep, clearly dreaming of something intense.
We'd rest here tonight, but tomorrow… the journey through the Dark Ocean would truly begin.
And the Dark Tree was waiting.