"...ugh..."
Cecilia's consciousness slowly returned.
Her head felt heavy.
Her body was cold.
And something around her stomach hurt terribly.
Her eyes opened little by little.
At first, all she could see was a faint white light blurring her vision.
"...where... am I...?"
Her voice was weak.
Barely a whisper.
The moment she tried to move—
she realized something.
Her hands—
were bound.
Her legs as well.
Thin black restraints tightly wrapped around her body as she lay atop a massive white altar that felt as cold as ice.
"—?!"
Cecilia's breath caught.
She tried to struggle harder, but her body immediately weakened again.
There was no strength left.
None at all.
Her clothes were torn in many places, exposing small wounds and rough bruises across her skin. And directly above her stomach—
there was a symbol.
A dark crimson pentagram.
Pulsing faintly.
SUUUM...
With every pulse, Cecilia's body felt lighter—
not from comfort.
But because something was being taken from her.
Mana.
The energy inside her body was being drained away little by little.
"...hah... hhh..."
Her breathing became uneven.
Her still-weakened eyes slowly scanned the surroundings.
And that was when—
she realized.
She was no longer inside the old hut where she had last awakened.
Now—
she was inside a gigantic white chamber.
Vast.
Far too vast.
The floor was covered in pristine white checkered tiles resembling ancient marble stretching endlessly into the distance. Massive pillars stood in rows, supporting a dome-shaped ceiling overhead.
But what froze Cecilia in place—
were the walls.
Carvings.
The entire chamber was covered in enormous engravings.
And they—
were not random decorations.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...those..."
Her fingers trembled faintly.
An engraving of a long-haired woman wielding a sword.
Six figures standing behind her.
Monster armies.
War.
The Demon King.
And a sky engulfed in flames.
"...those carvings... they're the same ones I showed Lilya when I read her that story..."
Cecilia's voice grew smaller.
Disbelieving.
Because she recognized the tale.
The legend of the First Sword Saint.
The heroic woman said to have founded Eldwyn Village thousands of years ago alongside her six companions after defeating the Demon King.
But here—
the story did not feel like a fairy tale.
The carvings were too detailed.
Too alive.
As though someone had truly immortalized real events upon these walls.
Then—
her eyes caught something at the far end of the chamber.
And her breath stopped.
A gigantic crystal.
Nearly three times the height of an adult human.
Red.
Or at least—
it once had been.
Because now—
thick black corruption had spread across most of its surface like living stains slowly crawling outward.
SUUM...
SUUM...
The crystal pulsed faintly.
Like a heartbeat.
"...the... crystal seed...?"
Cecilia's eyes widened in shock.
The legends of the village immediately resurfaced in her mind.
"...I'm... inside the legendary sacred chamber...?"
Her body stiffened.
"...how—"
"Heh... heh..."
A raspy laugh suddenly echoed through the room.
Cecilia froze.
Near the crystal—
someone stood with their back facing her.
A small figure.
Hunched over.
Quietly staring at a large statue before the crystal.
A statue of the First Sword Saint—
alongside her six comrades.
"...you... are... awake..."
"...human... carrying... Veldrin blood..."
The voice sounded strange.
Broken.
Like someone learning how to speak for the very first time.
Slowly—
the figure turned around.
And Cecilia's eyes widened.
"...?!"
It was not human.
Its skin was pale purple, wrinkled like old cloth left too long beneath the sun.
Its ears were long and pointed—
but not like an elf's.
Rougher.
Like severed tree roots.
Crooked fangs protruded from its mouth like bent iron bars.
Its body was small like a goblin's—
yet different.
Completely different from ordinary goblins.
It wore a tattered black robe covered in strange symbols, while in its hand rested a crooked wooden staff topped with a glowing purple crystal.
A faint black aura continuously seeped from its body—
like smoke rising from a fire long extinguished, yet still retaining heat.
"...a Goblin... Shaman...?"
Cecilia's voice was nearly inaudible.
But what truly made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up—
was one thing.
That creature...
had just spoken in human language.
"...it... talked...?"
Cecilia's heartbeat quickened.
"...how is that possible...?"
The Goblin Shaman did not answer immediately.
It simply stared at Cecilia in silence.
Its small yellowish eyes slowly moved from Cecilia's face... down toward the pentagram on her stomach.
Then—
its staff moved slightly.
The purple crystal at its tip dimly glowed.
And in the next instant—
the pentagram reacted.
SUUUUMMM—!!
"AAAAAAAHHHH—!!!"
Cecilia's scream echoed throughout the white chamber.
Her body arched violently atop the altar.
Black lightning erupted from the symbol on her stomach, crawling across her body like living serpents rampaging beneath her skin.
CRAAAKK—
CRAAKKK—
Cecilia's eyes rolled white.
Her fingers stiffened so violently they nearly snapped.
"AAAAHHHHH—!!"
Her voice cracked.
Hoarse.
But to the Goblin Shaman—
those screams sounded like music.
The old creature slowly closed its eyes.
Smiling faintly.
Enjoying it.
As though Cecilia's suffering was the most beautiful melody it had ever heard.
The black lightning continued surging through Cecilia's body for several more seconds before finally fading.
And her body—
collapsed limply back onto the altar.
"Hhh... hhh..."
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Hot.
Endless.
Several hours earlier—
right after Cecilia had been left hanging weakly inside the hut alone because all the goblins suddenly rushed outside—
the silence had begun to change.
KREKK...
The old wooden door slowly creaked open.
Rough footsteps approached.
And when Cecilia lifted her pale face—
she saw them.
The same two goblins had returned.
One restrained her while the other repeatedly slapped her face.
Cecilia's body trembled.
Their intentions were clearly different this time.
Their yellow eyes slowly scanned her body from head to toe.
Cecilia's lifeless eyes suddenly widened—
not from hope.
But because she felt rough hands grabbing at her chest.
Cecilia struggled desperately, but her hands and legs were still tied tightly to the wooden pillars.
"No... don't..."
One of the goblins tore apart Cecilia's clothes, their yellow eyes fixed greedily on her body.
Both creatures laughed, drool dripping from their mouths.
Just as one goblin's hand reached toward her again—
both goblins' heads suddenly separated cleanly from their bodies.
As if something invisible had sliced through them instantly.
The headless bodies collapsed like broken dolls.
Silence.
Cecilia's eyes widened.
Her breathing stopped.
"...who...?"
Her voice was tiny.
Her body still trembling violently.
Then—
slow footsteps echoed.
Cecilia saw the robed figure with the purple crystal staff approaching her.
She recognized it.
Even though her vision had been blurry back then—
even though the hut had been too dark to clearly see its face—
she knew.
This robed figure was the last thing she had seen...
before everything went black.
Cecilia's body immediately tensed.
Her breathing quickened.
"...y-you..."
Her voice trembled.
The figure did not respond.
It simply continued walking toward her slowly.
TOK...
TOK...
TOK...
The tip of its staff tapped against the hut's wooden floor in a slow rhythm that made Cecilia's skin crawl.
Closer.
Closer.
Until finally—
it stood directly before Cecilia, who remained weakly bound between the wooden pillars.
Its face remained hidden beneath the shadow of the black hood.
Only the faint purple glow from the crystal atop its staff was visible.
Then—
its hand moved.
"—?!"
Her clothes were violently ripped apart, exposing her stomach.
"W-What are you going to do?!!"
The figure did not answer.
Slowly—
it raised one finger.
A long black claw glinted at its tip.
Then—
the claw touched Cecilia's stomach.
"—AH...!"
A sharp pain pierced her instantly.
Not a simple scratch.
It felt as though her flesh was being carved alive.
The figure began moving.
Slowly.
Drawing lines.
Circles.
Symbols.
Thin trails of blood appeared wherever the black claw passed.
"It hurts... it hurts...! Stop!"
Cecilia struggled violently.
Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
But the hooded figure continued.
Without emotion.
Without mercy.
Its claw carved increasingly complex patterns into Cecilia's skin.
Stars.
Circles.
Unknown symbols.
And when it finally finished—
a dark crimson pentagram had been perfectly engraved upon Cecilia's stomach.
Pulsing faintly.
Alive.
The hooded figure stepped back.
Silently observing its creation for several moments.
Then it raised its staff—
and slammed it against the wooden floor.
DUUKK—!!
Instantly—
the pentagram blazed crimson.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!"
Cecilia's scream exploded through the hut.
Her body arched violently.
Black lightning burst from the symbol, wrapping around her body like living chains gone berserk.
Her eyes rolled completely white.
Her body convulsed violently between the wooden pillars.
The mana inside her felt as though it was being forcibly ripped out.
The pain—
could not be described.
As though every nerve in her body was being burned alive from within.
"AAAAAHHHH—!!!"
At the same time—
the hut floor began to tremble.
The hooded figure slowly stepped farther back.
SUUUUMMM—
Black light spread across the floor.
Forming enormous lines.
Circles.
Symbols.
And directly before them—
a gigantic pentagram slowly emerged.
Wide.
Dark.
Pulsing like a living creature.
The air inside the hut became heavy.
Cold.
Suffocating.
Cecilia continued screaming in agony as black lightning relentlessly struck her body. The pentagram on her stomach slowly dimmed.
And when Cecilia regained consciousness once more—
she was already inside the sacred chamber.
And the figure before her—
was none other than the Goblin Shaman.
The Goblin Shaman laughed softly.
Its laughter was raspy.
Dry.
Like old branches scraping together in the dead of night.
Cecilia, still lying weakly upon the altar, could only stare at the creature with trembling breaths. Her body still felt numb from the pentagram's torment.
Then—
the Goblin Shaman reached into its tattered robe.
Slowly.
As though retrieving something precious.
And when its hand emerged again—
it held an old object.
A fragment of metal.
Rusty.
Cracked.
It resembled part of an ancient broken sword blade weathered by time.
But the moment Cecilia saw it—
her eyes widened slightly.
Because despite its ruined state—
she could still feel something from it.
An aura.
Faint.
Yet sharp.
"...that... is..."
The Goblin Shaman slowly raised the sword fragment toward the glow of the massive red crystal behind it.
"This... fragment..."
Its voice broke unevenly.
"...is... useless..."
Then—
CRAKK—
it casually tossed the fragment onto the white floor.
The broken blade bounced several times before stopping near Cecilia's altar.
"...?!"
Cecilia stared in disbelief.
That creature—
had just discarded an ancient relic like trash.
The Goblin Shaman spoke again.
"Fragment... of... Sword Saint... sword..."
Its yellow eyes slowly turned toward Cecilia.
"...useless..."
The purple crystal atop its staff pulsed faintly.
"...what... matters..."
Its grin widened.
Crooked fangs exposed.
"...Veldrin... blood..."
Cecilia's body stiffened instantly.
"...what...?"
The Goblin Shaman slowly walked toward the gigantic corrupted crystal.
TOK...
TOK...
TOK...
Its staff tapped against the white floor with a slow rhythm.
"...entering... sacred... chamber..."
Its thin hand touched the crystal's surface.
"...difficult..."
The black aura around it moved like living fog.
"...but... Sword Saint... relic..."
Its finger pointed toward the sword fragment on the floor.
"...could... open... path..."
Cecilia's eyes widened.
"...don't tell me..."
The Goblin Shaman laughed again.
"...I... used... it..."
Its voice sounded proud.
"...and... sacrifice..."
It raised several crooked fingers.
"...my... own... race..."
Cecilia froze.
"...your own race...?"
The Goblin Shaman nodded slowly.
"Goblins... weak..."
Its tone was flat.
As though speaking about ordinary objects.
"...they... die..."
"...become... key..."
Cecilia's eyes trembled slightly.
This creature—
had sacrificed other goblins just to enter this sacred chamber.
And from the way it spoke—
it was not one or two.
But many.
Far too many.
The Goblin Shaman stared at the massive crystal in silence.
The red surface now stained black reflected strange light upon its pale purple face.
Its thin hand slowly caressed the crystal.
Then—
it spoke once more.
"...two... weeks..."
Its voice remained raspy.
Broken.
"...I... entered... this... chamber..."
Its fingers traced the spreading black corruption inside the crystal.
"...corrupted... crystal..."
Its tone sounded almost proud of its own accomplishment.
"...but... chamber... rejected... me..."
Its eyes narrowed slightly.
"...forced... me... out..."
Cecilia froze.
"Forced... you... out...?"
The Goblin Shaman chuckled softly.
"...but... that... was... enough..."
The black aura surrounding its body began moving more violently.
Thin dark mist seeped from the giant crystal like the breath of a living being.
"...seed... of... darkness... spread..."
Its hand pressed harder against the crystal.
And the black corruption inside immediately pulsed.
DUUM...
DUUM...
"...monsters... stronger... than... me..."
Its grin widened.
Its crooked fangs fully visible now.
"...obey..."
Meanwhile, back at the goblin camp, Lilya and the axe-wielding Hobgoblin were still fighting—
but the battle had completely changed.
Now—
Lilya dominated the fight.
And the time had finally come for her to end everything—
and continue searching for Cecilia.