I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 439

Ian’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Here we go again.

He turned to glance at Lucia, seated in front of the saddle. Just moments ago, she’d been staring up at the top of the tower. Now, her gaze drifted outward, toward the world beyond, where darkness was settling in thick and heavy.

It didn’t seem like she’d heard Yog’s whisper. If she had, she’d probably be staring at him with wide, startled eyes by now.

—It’ll make excellent nourishment for the chaos you carry.

Yog whispered, unbothered.

—Perhaps even more so than devouring a dozen failed ones.

Ian’s gaze shifted back toward the altar. In the heart of the rising darkness, the faint blue glow of Hyked’s silhouette flickered and swayed. The eyes of the priests standing on either side glowed like ghostly flames through the shadows.

—And that one... it’s already worthy, but it hasn’t cast off its shackles. A wise choice, maybe. But for now, still mortal. Just like you, my friend.

Enthusiastic today, aren’t you? Doesn’t suit you.

Ian exhaled quietly through his nose. He already knew the chaos within him had started to form a will of its own. After leveling up a few times, it had quieted down, following his commands without resistance—but the more he absorbed, the more likely it was to act out again. And if it ever grew too strong to control, it wouldn’t hesitate to devour him instead.

That’s probably what happened to the archdemons.

If it came to that, he’d have no choice but to decide—eat, or be eaten. That was likely what Yog desired as well. If it could feed on the chaos born from that moment of conflict, it might finally create the existence it longed for.

Of course, Ian had no intention of granting that wish—or letting things spiral that far in the first place. Becoming a creature of chaos was among the worst possible outcomes he could imagine.

—That’s why killing him won’t be as hard as you think. You’ve got the perfect situation lined up, too. If I were you, I’d probably...

As Yog’s insidious whisper dragged on, Ian raised his right hand and lightly covered his mouth.

“If I were you, I’d know when to shut up. Silence doesn’t mean I agree,” he murmured.

The whisper died off, deflating like air from a punctured balloon.

Ian’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “So quit wasting your breath and do your job. Unless you’re really that eager to spend more quality time with your old friends.”

After a beat of silence, Yog replied.

—Fair enough. But just know this, Friend. One day, that one might come for you instead. It doesn’t seem like it now, but circumstances have a way of changing.

Ian’s smirk deepened. “Exactly. Things change. Like how you might find yourself back with your friends again.”

—No, wait. that’s not what I meant—

“And for the record, I’m not your friend.”

Yog didn’t say another word.

Ian exhaled softly and lowered his hand. Of course, he wasn’t planning to shove Yog into his pocket dimension just yet. They were on the brink of a battle, after all. He planned to give it time to reunite with its friends in subspace after they dealt with Inaskurgl safely.

So he might devour me instead, huh.

Turning that whisper over in his mind, Ian watched Hyked’s ritual with a dull gaze. Even if such a situation were to unfold, he was confident he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. After all, he had never truly considered Hyked an ally.

Sure, he appreciated Hyked’s more human side—but that didn’t mean he trusted him. He always thought of Hyked as someone who could become an enemy at any moment. That man even had one of those tangled personal histories Ian had absolutely no interest in getting involved with. If they ended up crossing blades, Ian intended to give it everything he had.

Not that the time had come yet.

It wasn’t just because he needed help to bring down the demonic realm, or because he wasn’t ready to absorb Hyked’s chaos yet. Hyked also seemed like someone essential—someone meant to be there when this damned world met its end.

Whether he ended up as an enemy or an ally, Hyked clearly had a crucial role to play in the next chapter. Even in the game, the player probably got tangled up with him one way or another when facing the archdemons. That much was obvious from the way new quests had popped up.

Whether or not Hyked believed that the archdemons were the heart of this sprawling demonic realm, purging them would no doubt lead to a solid clue on how to bring the whole thing down.

If the player took too long, the Platinum Dragon would’ve broken down the Wall.

And now that Ian was the Agent of the Saint, that moment was bound to come even sooner.

Which was all the more reason he had no intention of letting Hyked in on any of it. The idea of the Wall falling while it was still swarming with half-mad archdemons didn’t sound like a great turning point. Honestly, at this point, he wasn’t even sure there was a route that led to a good ending.

Ssshhhhhh—

Just then, the darkness that had been rising like a pillar receded. The torches, once crushed into dying embers, flickered back to life.

But the darkness hadn’t vanished completely. It still lingered, seeping around the altar like smoke. The priests, arms raised and motionless, were cloaked in pitch-black shadows that shimmered faintly with a bluish hue.

The same held for Hyked, who stood with his back to Ian and the Black Lions. His armor had been completely dyed black, and between the seams, an ominous blue chaos surged and writhed.

Silence settled over the chamber as Hyked turned to the side. As he moved, the altar came into view—upon it rested the Mark of the Void, releasing darkness. While Ian stared at the deep blue mark, Hyked mounted his warhorse waiting beside the platform.

Clack—clack—

The warhorse, also cloaked in even darker shadows, began walking forward as if on cue. It left a trail of dark-blue gloom in its wake—and so did Hyked riding atop it, as if casting a spell over the floor.

Thoom—

A dull thud echoed through the hall. From the balcony above, the Wolves slammed the shafts of their spears to the floor in unison. Their bodies, too, were wrapped in shadow.

With his back to them, Hyked approached—looking more like the Demon King than the Dark Prince. He didn’t look the least bit drained from the ritual. If anything, his presence had only grown more potent.

Unlike Lucia, who swallowed dryly, Ian’s gaze remained calm.

He’s definitely better at absorbing it than I am. Must be because he’s corrupted.

Watching Hyked pass by, Ian quietly noted that the coming fight with Inaskurgl might be easier than expected.

Clack—clack—

After passing even the Black Lions, Hyked finally came to a halt at the very front, in the center that had been left empty. The Black Lions, clad in armor dyed pitch black like his, stood in silence, their eyes glowing a quiet, bluish hue as they looked at him.

That was when Ian’s gaze shifted past Hyked, toward the arched doorway in the distance. Although the darkness around the altar had thinned, gloom, dense like gathering storm clouds, still smothered the world beyond. It looked like a dark-blue sandstorm was about to roll in.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ian’s mouth as Hyked glanced back.

So that’s why he performed the ritual right before leaving.

Now he understood what Hyked had been aiming for—and what all those cryptic remarks had meant before they set out.

Grrr... freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Moro, tense as a drawn bowstring, let out a low growl. Placing a hand on its nape, Ian poured chaos into the beast and turned to look behind him again.

The altar seethed with spreading darkness again. And across from it, the priests stood with arms still raised, their figures coming back into focus. Their hoods and cloaks, blackened as they were, swayed and rippled despite the absence of wind. Even the faded robes underneath flickered the same.

Ssshhhh...

Just then, the priests lowered their raised hands.

As if in response, the mass of darkness condensed, pulling inward toward the altar like it was being sucked in. At almost the same instant, Hyked’s warhorse let out a deep roar. Its glowing blue eyes scattered light as it raised one of its front legs high.

Shuuuuuh—

The darkness compressed at the altar exploded outward in rippling rings. As the wave of darkness rushed over them, the Black Lions naturally turned to Hyked.

Even atop the tilted saddle, he kept his posture perfectly steady as he finally commanded. “Follow me.”

The surging darkness swept past Ian’s back like a rising tide. Hyked’s horse lunged forward immediately after, and the Black Lions galloped after him as if they’d been waiting for the signal. The wave of darkness rushed over them and carried them forward.

“Let’s go,” Ian muttered, snapping the reins.

With a low growl, Moro leaped forward, taking off after the Black Lions.

The darkness that had swept Hyked streamed straight into the heavy gloom beyond the tower. Moments later, the darkness, like rolling storm clouds, whipped away in a violent swirl.

Clatter-clatter-clatter—

Hyked spurred his horse harder, as if trying to outrun the tidal wave of darkness itself. The Black Lions followed suit, lashing their reins and picking up speed.

Ian leaned forward and called out, “Lower your body and hang on tight. Looks like we’re heading straight into the storm.”

“Got it.” Lucia pulled her helmet down tighter and ducked into Moro’s flowing mane.

Eyes locked on Gwellrod’s silhouette just ahead, Ian cracked the reins again. Moro snorted and huffed, hot breath billowing from its nostrils, then surged forward. In the next instant, Ian’s vision was swallowed by thick, blue-black haze.

***

Clack, clack, clatter—

Within the howling whirlwind, only the pounding of hooves echoed—a chaotic, tangled rhythm of sound. Ian fed Moro bursts of chaos at steady intervals, pushing the beast just shy of a full sprint. His eyes never left the fading trails of bluish afterimages left by the Black Lions up ahead.

Damn, my eyes sting like hell.

Even as he grimaced, Ian barely blinked. One second of distraction could get them lost in this mess. Even Magic Detection was useless here—it only worsened the sting and blurred everything further.

Still, one thing was certain: Hyked could see through this darkness just fine. The group had never once slowed down since they’d departed, and at times, they shifted course in wide, gentle arcs. That pattern continued even after Ian started sensing something—thick, long shadows occasionally brushing past them.

Ssshhhh...

Then, all at once, the darkness lifted. The suffocating chill gave way to the cool, brisk wind whipping across Ian’s face and arms. Visibility returned, dim but clear enough to make out the Black Lions ahead. After so long in pitch-black fog, it felt like stepping into daylight.

As riders at the front slowed, Ian gently pulled on the reins in sync and spoke in a hushed voice. “You alright, Lucy?”

“Yeah. I’m okay. Just a bit dizzy, that’s all.” Lucia, clinging to Moro’s neck, sat up slightly to answer. It didn’t sound like she was just putting on a brave face.

Ian nodded and turned his gaze forward with the harsh breaths of the warhorses drawing closer. The Black Lions gathered around Hyked, who had slowed to a brisk trot.

Ian naturally fell in behind Gwellrod. Then Hyked turned slightly, casting a glance back at Ian. When their eyes met, Ian gave a subtle nod. Hyked returned it, then turned his gaze forward again.

Attentive, as always.

Murmuring inwardly, Ian finally took in his surroundings.

The once-thick veil of darkness was breaking apart, dissipating like smoke. Beyond it, the twisted trees of the demonic realm came into view—thick, elongated trunks reaching high into the sky. Their branches stretched so far overhead that one couldn’t even touch them standing on the saddle.

Ash-colored mist, pushed aside by the dark tide, began creeping back toward their feet.

We really made it in one go.

They were deep in the heart of the Shadow Forest, just as Hyked had planned—fast, clean, and not a single shadow beast encountered along the way. Likely, the darkness scattered the creatures swarming the tower, preventing them from noticing the group.

Clip clop.

The thick, ashen fog swallowed the sound of hooves. Mist rolled in waves, rising all the way to the horses’ thighs.

Though the forest stretched endlessly ahead, the trees weren’t as densely packed as they seemed—each one stood with just enough space between for five horses to ride side by side without difficulty.

The spacing had likely formed naturally, shaped by the limited sunlight that filtered through. Even now, after the forest had become a demonic realm, that part remained unchanged.

Swoosh—

In no time, the ground had completely vanished from view. It no longer felt like they were traveling through a forest, but wading through some gray, stagnant swamp. Ian raised a hand to his mouth, feeling the chaos woven into the mist.

“Feel anything?”

—The scent of beasts is thick here. But I doubt my senses will help much in this place.

Yog’s lazy voice echoed in his mind.

—Whatever’s out there won’t be easy to detect until it’s practically on top of us.

At least you're honest when you’re useless.

Ian let out a quiet snort and gave a small nod.

Lucia, glancing back at the darkness behind them, didn’t seem concerned. Up ahead, Hyked pressed forward without hesitation.

Resting a hand on Moro’s nape, Ian pushed another handful of chaos power into Moro and turned his head.

From the rear, Diana sat behind Seren, watching him from a diagonal angle. Ian gave a slight nod, chin tilted in reassurance. Diana shook her head, expression unreadable beneath her mask. But now that he looked closer, her eyes seemed sunken, hollow.

Guess the effects are already wearing off.

The corner of Ian’s mouth curled faintly. Then again, no one knew better than Diana herself that what’s done was done.

Not long after, Diana, who had moments ago seemed resigned and half-slumped, suddenly raised her head. Ian and Lucia turned toward her at once.

But Diana didn’t so much as glance their way. Her eyes, narrowed behind the mask, swept their surroundings with sharp focus. Between the loose strands of her platinum hair, the tips of her pointed ears gave a subtle twitch.

Ian’s gaze darkened.

Of course. There’s no way this forest is truly empty.