I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 330

The shard eagerly began absorbing the chaos.

Woosh.

This time, no illusions appeared. Ian closed his eyes and naturally reflected on the vision within him.

The thudding of the fragment of chaos, like a heartbeat, became distinct. It had grown to the point where the term fragment hardly seemed fitting anymore. Ian instinctively knew it had reached the limit of what he could control, nearing its full potential.

This meant that the day he would have to absorb the mark of the void, resting in his pocket dimension, had been postponed even further. If he took in the chaos within it, there was no telling how it might slip beyond his control. Facing the impending corruption of the Black Wall, he couldn't afford such a risky move.

Hiss...

The pulsing of the shard subsided. Hearing faint hoofbeats, Ian opened his eyes again. He pulled his hand from the mess of intestines and turned his gaze. Though the shard had absorbed the chaos, an irregular ripple still lingered. But it wasn’t coming from the remaining ogre carcass.

Wiping the blood on his gloves against the ogre’s hide, Ian focused on the center of the ravine ahead. A subtle, violet glow rippled softly in the darkness. It was where the snow ogre had first been struck by lightning. Dusting off his hands, Ian approached the web-like violet cracks that had spread across the ground.

This has taken root in its way.

The residual energy was weaker than what the ogre had emitted, but the consequences of leaving it unchecked were unclear. It could gradually taint the surrounding land, turning it into a cursed site, or attract other monsters. Both were likely outcomes. If the lightning had hit the ground or trees directly instead of the ogre, it would have quickly formed a core of a demonic realm.

Absorbing the remaining chaotic energy here wasn't an option. Not only did he intend to stop fueling the shard’s growth, but he could also hear the approaching hoofbeats.

Clop-clop, clop-clop, clop-clop—

It didn’t sound like Miguel or Lucia were approaching.

There were at least half a dozen riders. Ian’s brow furrowed slightly as he turned around. Nila, sensing the noise, stood up and trotted to his side as if waiting.

"Whoa—what’s this? I wasn’t mistaken. We’re late."

The hoofbeats came to a halt near the ravine, and voices followed.

"Is it an ogre? The stench is foul."

"It looks like it was cut clean through. I can’t believe this is possible..."

"Agreed. The cut is too smooth. This must be the work of a skilled warrior."

"That smell isn’t coming from these things. It’s from over there."

They seemed to have spotted the young ogre corpses and were inspecting them. Soon, a line of riders appeared on the slope, each one broad and formidable.

Barbarian warriors, as I expected.

A slight smile tugged at Ian’s lips. The warriors each held long spears in one hand. From the side of their saddles, longbows jutted out—likely their favored weapons.

Despite the colossal ogre corpses scattered on the slope, none of them spoke up immediately. It was likely because they had spotted Ian and Nila.

A tense silence rippled through the group.

"Hmm..."

Ian’s calm gaze stopped on one rider in the center. There was something familiar about him.

Coming back to the North means running into familiar faces everywhere, Ian mused as a slight smile curved his lips.

"It looks like you’re the one who took down all these monsters," boomed a voice from among the riders. It belonged to the Northern warrior Ian had been eyeing.

"I can see you’re an impressive warrior, stranger! On behalf of the Northern warriors, I thank you for slaying these dreadful creatures."

Ian remained silent, simply running his hand along Nila’s side as the horse snorted softly. From where the warriors stood, they likely couldn’t make out his face. The darkness of the night combined with the glow from the violet cracks behind him cast deep shadows over his front. Perhaps the source of their unease was also due to that dim, violet light.

The deep voice continued, "But know this: you are standing on land that is forbidden to outsiders. If you reveal your identity, we will welcome you as a guest. If not, I must ask you to leave."

A low chuckle escaped Ian. Without pausing to stroke Nila, he replied, "You’ve become much more courteous since last time. At this rate, I could call you civilized warriors."

"What do you mean by that... ...?!" The Northern warrior’s words faltered, and a few of the riders shifted, their shoulders stiffening.

I wasn’t aiming for such a dramatic scene, Ian thought. He extended his left hand forward, breaking his casual posture.

Shhhh—

The divine light from Saint Damien’s Ring blossomed, casting a soft, glowing Barrier of Light in front of Ian. It was enough to make his features visible.

The Northern warrior’s eyes widened to their limits as he took in Ian’s appearance. His mouth fell open, revealing several missing teeth—a reminder of his past defeat at Ian’s hands.

"G-Great Warrior...?!" He finally stuttered.

Ian, still smiling, nodded once. "Yes. It’s me, Volber."

That was his name—Volber, a Northern warrior who had once challenged Ian in a formal duel, only to be soundly defeated. They had also fought side by side during the siege of Bellium Fortress. Among the seven warriors, three had been his former comrades.

"By the gods, it’s you, the superhuman of the North...!" Volber shouted, throwing down his spear and leaping off his horse. The other two, who recognized Ian, followed suit.

"Have you returned to the North? To lead us again?" Volber shouted as he stepped onto the slope.

"For now," Ian replied, extending his palm toward him.

"Don’t come down. This area is tainted by the Black Wall’s madness. I’ll purify it and head back up.."

"Yes, Great Warrior...!" Volber immediately responded, turning to the warriors, who were still sitting dumbfounded in their saddles.

"What are you waiting for? Dismount at once! This is the Great Warrior!"

The startled warriors scrambled off their horses, planting their spears firmly into the ground.

"We... we greet the Great Warrior...!"

"The hero of the North...!"

They clasped their hands behind their backs and bowed their heads, shouting with reverence.

Thinking about it, they seem to enjoy the theatrics, Ian mused with a faint nod before looking at Volber.

"How did you get here so quickly? There’s still quite a distance from the village to this place."

"We split into patrol units and take turns scouting the region each night," Volber answered promptly. "We do it to wipe out those damned undead and any monsters. By chance, we happened to be close by."

Volber’s eyes finally took in the remains of the ogre strewn across the slope. "We saw an unusual lightning strike when the Black Wall convulsed and rushed to investigate."

"You were a little late. You must have wanted to fight; too bad," Ian said with a smirk.

A smile spread across Volber’s face. "Who could be faster than the Great Warrior? Seeing you handle those chaos-tainted ogres alone reassures me you’re still as formidable as ever. Truly, who else could cleave such beasts in one stroke but you?"

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He let out a hearty laugh and added, "You’ve saved us again, right after your return. If we had tried to take them down ourselves, it would’ve been a tough battle."

"Your flattery has improved since I last saw you," Ian said with a light chuckle. "Now, step back for a moment. I need to purify this area. Meanwhile, welcome my companions."

He could already hear approaching hooves. This time, it had to be Lucia and Miguel.

"Yes, Great Warrior." Volber gestured to the warriors, signaling them to move aside.

"Whoa...! By the gods, it’s people!" Miguel’s voice rang out as the sound of hooves slowed. "I almost shot, thinking you were undead!"

Volber turned and replied, "Do not be alarmed. The Great Warrior is down here."

"Is that so? Then I guess you know my, I mean, the Dragon Slayer?" Miguel’s voice came back, mixed with surprise.

"Yes, I do. ... Father Miguel?"

"What...? Oh, it’s you? Well, isn’t this a reunion? Good to see you, haha."

So, they know each other too, Ian thought, letting out a short.

Right, Miguel had mentioned visiting the barbarian settlements.

As a Northlander himself, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to become acquainted with the warriors. Soon, Miguel and Lucia came into view between the barbarian warriors on their horses.

"Brother, are you... Ah, you’re fine," Miguel said, blinking at the sight of Ian standing behind the Barrier of Light.

Lucia, equally surprised, spoke up. "I didn’t know you had the blessing of the Radiant Goddess as well."

"Oh, this?" Ian let out a low chuckle and lowered his left hand, dispersing the Barrier of Light before him.

"It’s a miracle contained in a holy relic. A gift left behind by Philip."

"Ah... I see." While Lucia nodded in understanding, Miguel’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of the dismembered ogre.

"What in the world is that? How is it so huge? Don’t tell me... a giant came back to life?"

"A giant? No, real giants are far bigger than this," Ian said with a smirk, prompting the warriors, including Volber, to laugh.

Ian added, "This is an ogre. A mutated one."

"An ogre...? You mean, like the snow ogre?" Miguel asked as he dismounted, his expression tightening.

Ian nodded, glancing at Lucia, who was also dismounting. "Yes. There should be two more up there. Didn’t you see them?"

"Not at all, thanks to these folks... But why are you still standing there?"

"The ground’s been tainted with madness."

"What...?" Miguel’s steps came to an abrupt halt, and he finally noticed the faint purplish glow behind Ian.

He frowned, "You could have mentioned that before we came down...."

Ian glanced at Nila and nodded toward the top of the slope. "Take this one and head back up. Lucia, you too."

"Are you going to purify the madness with the relic?" Lucia asked, as Nila obediently began climbing the slope. She paused beside Miguel, who had reluctantly stopped.

"That’s the plan.".

"Then the relic’s power alone might not be enough. We need to completely root it out," Lucia added, casting a glance at Miguel. "Go on ahead. I’ll stay and help Sir Ian."

"Uh...? Oh, fine. I’ll leave you to it." Miguel scratched his beard awkwardly, clearly reluctant to leave.

Snort—

Nila passed by him, looking back as if to urge him on. Miguel clicked his tongue before finally turning away.

"What’s your plan?" Ian asked, watching Lucia descend the slope toward him. Her orange eyes glowed softly.

"Did you forget who I am?" she said, spreading her hands forward. Her fur-lined cloak fluttered, and flames erupted from the scattered ogre remains.

Whoosh—

The entire area lit up. The warriors watching from above widened their eyes, glancing at each other in astonishment.

"Purifying madness is what people like me are meant to do," Lucia said as she walked through the flames nonchalantly, her expression calm, as if stating a simple fact.

So, she’s going to burn it with sacred fire, Ian thought with a faint smile as he stepped aside.

She wasn’t wrong—after all; she was the Apostle of the Blazing Goddess. Lucia stopped beside him, examining the cracks in the ground as if assessing their depth.

"Looks like it was a good thing we came right away. It’s already taken root pretty deep. If we had waited, it would’ve been even harder to purify. And, of course..."

She glanced at the ogre corpses, adding, "Those creatures would have become even more terrifying."

Ian nodded in agreement. Just a few more days and this ravine would have been a den of monsters. They wouldn’t have been able to leave, but it wouldn’t have stayed that way forever.

But now, that future was gone. Ian watched the holy fire consume the ogre’s corpse. As before, it burned cleanly, leaving neither smoke nor ash.

Turning back to Lucia, Ian asked, "Is the divine power from your stigma sufficient? You’ve been using miracles all day."

"I won’t know until I try. But don’t worry—I have a way," she said calmly, kneeling and removing the leather glove from her right hand. Tucking it away, she drew a dagger from behind her back with her left hand. Ian’s lips curled into a subtle smile as he recognized it.

"You still carry that around?"

It was the imperial dagger he had gifted her long ago.