I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 635

Shwaaaa—

Ian straightened from his crouch. On either side of his head, a golden haze now shimmered, forming the shape of horns. The blood vessels in his neck and jaw pulsed with a faint golden light.

—Well, now... that’s quite the look.

Yog whispered with a chuckle. Ian gave no reply. His eyes, now shining just like the Platinum Dragon's, remained fixed on the jungle surging with purple light.

The moment he spotted the colossal purple mass rising in the distance, Ian finally bent his knees. The gold in his veins flared, and an instant later, he kicked off the fragment with all his strength.

Whoosh—

The fragment was flung downward as Ian rocketed upward, leaving a golden trail in his wake. Even as he split the air, Yog whispered lazily.

—I like it. Doesn’t make me feel sick like divinity does. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

He hadn’t seen himself yet, but imagining his current state wasn’t difficult. The dragon’s magic coursing through him was unmistakable.

Another flashy gift, huh?

The Platinum Dragon’s words echoed in his mind—how everyone would come to recognize him as its agent. Anyone who saw him now would have no choice but to believe it.

Boom, boom, boom!

Of course, the change wasn't just cosmetic. The wing-like shape spreading from his back didn't grant true flight, but it allowed him to glide. Moreover, power surged through him. It was a solid, cool strength, different from the euphoria or fighting spirit granted by Blessing of Battle.

Just as I thought.

Ian glanced at his status window. Every measurable stat had risen to some degree. While it couldn't compare to Blessing of Battle in pure Strength and agility, the sum of the stat increases seemed higher, especially if he included the unlisted benefits.

Then, suddenly, the world flipped upside down. His ascent turned sharply into a diagonal fall. Yet Ian remained calm. He’d already seen with his own eyes that he was beyond the rift’s reach.

Zing—

The Platinum Barrier bloomed over his left hand. Simultaneously, the blazing golden wings on his back spread wide. They couldn’t make him fly, but they were enough to slow his fall.

Not exactly easy to control, though.

His brow furrowed at the unfamiliar sensation as he looked down at the gray wasteland rushing up at an angle. Skeletal, dry trees stretched sparsely into the distance.

Swoosh—

Gray swirled into the golden rings of his eyes, and soon a speck of violet flared at the center. Ian raised his right hand diagonally.

Whoosh!

A burst of wind exploded from his palm. His fall slowed further, his upper body tilting back as his legs swung beneath him. With his wings of magic fully unfurled, Ian angled into the descent and struck the ashen ground.

Boom, boom, boom—

Ian landed with bent knees, carving deep furrows in the ground as he slid to a stop. He kept the Platinum Barrier raised to shield his face. The golden trail that followed him like an afterimage scattered, mixing with the thick, swirling dust.

Thud!

He finally stopped as he collided with a withered tree trunk. Spiderweb cracks spread from the point of impact on his Platinum Barrier.

Ian dropped to one knee, exhaling the breath he’d been holding. The shimmer of his wings rippled behind him like heat haze as Yog let out another low laugh.

—You made it out alive before ending up like that.

Even with his body numb and aching, Ian rose again and turned to look back. Above, a long fracture split the ominous sky, and below it, countless fragments were rising.

Rumble...

At the very top, the fragment that held the White Mage’s mansion crumbled into dust and was drawn upward. The surrounding shards followed, dissolving one after another into the same void.

This probably wasn’t the intended way to clear this quest.

A belated thought struck Ian. This had been a trial meant for an apprentice White Mage. He’d simply acted on instinct, taking the most direct and efficient route out—but the intended path had probably involved weaving together spells of different colors, a true test of magical skill and control.

Just thinking for a moment, he could already picture several spell combinations that would have helped him escape. Of course, even if he could turn back time, Ian would have chosen the same method. Unlike a game, there were no retries here.

—Unless you’re willing to risk your life, closing that thing is impossible. So, how about we start thinking about leaving?

Yog’s whisper broke through his thoughts. Blinking once, Ian dispelled the Platinum Barrier and stepped away from the tree.

Screech—

Beyond the ashen wasteland, the darkness tinged with violet deepened. The wind-like echoes still resonated faintly in the air.

As Ian scanned the shifting darkness, Yog whispered.

—It won’t be easy. I doubt they’ll let us walk away this time.

The golden rings in Ian’s eyes narrowed, fixing on a single point in the distance.

"There’s something I need to do first," Ian said, staring at the jagged silhouette of violet that rose beyond the shadows, glowing as though alive.

—You don’t mean to kill that thing, do you?

Yog said, bursting into laughter.

"I can’t leave with regrets," said Ian, his consciousness observing the Mantra circuit on his back. His magic was slowly draining, moment by moment.

It would be greedy to hope for a long duration, on top of everything else.

Regardless, he couldn’t deactivate it yet. The activation cost alone was significant, and he would need this power to reach the Tree of Life.

—It sounds fun, but it won’t be easy, my friend. You’ll be taking on the entire jungle by yourself.

Ian let out a low sigh but nodded. "I know."

That ancient tree was said to rival an archdemon in strength—and now, freed from its restraints, it might be even stronger.

"But the longer I wait, the harder it’ll be to kill. And right now, it’s at least close."

Of course, there was another, more practical reason. He needed to level up. This swamp was on the very outskirts of the frontier. With a war about to begin, he might never have the chance to come back.

"So let’s end this while it’s in a frenzy." Ian reached for the Black Sword at his hip.

—And what exactly do you plan to do?

Ian’s eyes, holding a cool golden light, stared into the distance. "Something I meant to do on the way in—but didn’t get the chance to finish."

Not sure it’ll work, though.

With that, Ian kicked off the ground. He didn’t spare a single glance at the fragments disappearing into the rift behind him.

A golden trajectory shot through the darkness at immense speed. Not long after the rift had swallowed the last of the fragments, large and small lights began to flash and spread within the darkness.

***

"-----!"

A mutated swamp troll let out a guttural shriek, baring a jaw full of jagged, glasslike fangs. It had spotted a black silhouette charging straight toward it. True to its nature as the apex predator of the swamp, the troll didn’t retreat—it turned to meet the challenger head-on.

Crackle!

Its bravado was futile. The ensuing charge struck the creature mercilessly, sending it flying. A sharp, blade-like horn burst through the troll's back.

Roar—

The roar that followed came not from the troll but from the beast that impaled it—a demonic warhorse, massive as a bison, with hide as dark as pitch. It not only lifted the impaled swamp troll with its horn, but it also tossed its head, flinging the corpse away.

Thud, thud—

The swamp troll, its torso gouged and torn, tumbled through the air, spraying severed entrails and bodily fluids.

Grrr...

The demonic warhorse that roared, covered in fluids, was of course Moro, which had revealed its true form upon entering the swamp. Even as it licked away the bits of entrails clinging to its jaws and chewed noisily, it never once slowed its charge.

Mev, seated firmly on its saddle, didn’t spare the beast so much as a glance. It wasn’t simply because she had grown used to Moro’s grotesque appearance.

Swoosh—

Far ahead, something was glowing through the darkness. She had only realized it about an hour ago, though she had no idea when it began. If anything, it seemed to grow clearer with each passing minute. To Mev, it looked like the light was spreading from within the cursed jungle.

It was an unbelievable sight. The jungle was now crawling with man-eating trees and swamp fairies tainted by madness, yet it had once been the fairies’ homeland. Still, that wasn’t why she couldn’t look away.

"Truly... all alone..."

She was certain that the one responsible for that spectacle was the man she was looking for. That Moro had been running toward that light from the start was proof enough. It also meant she was late. Mev bit her lip, an unconscious effort to suppress her worry.

Clip, clop—

Moro continued to charge forward, carrying her deeper. The surrounding trees took on grotesque shapes, and a thick fog rolled in. Still, Mev’s gaze remained fixed on the strange light flickering ahead.

A moment later, her gaze snapped forward. She’d heard a faint explosion over the sound of the hoofbeats.

Boom!

It wasn’t her imagination. Minutes later, another blast echoed through the swamp, sharp enough to make her eyes widen. Gripping the reins tight, Mev lowered her visor and leaned forward.

"Moro, could you go a little faster?"

Ian’s warhorse didn't take her commands. All she could do was ask. Fortunately, the terrifying demonic beast understood human speech.

Grrr...

And this time, it decided to comply. With a furious bellow, Moro lifted its head and charged harder, snapping branches in its path as though they were twigs.

Crash, boom!

Within seconds, more explosions erupted ahead, so bright that they flashed visibly through the trees.

Crunch, crack—

The sound of shattering branches and thundering hoofbeats filled the air, mingled with a bizarre, eardrum-scraping screech that echoed through the trees.

"-----!"

"---!"

However, Mev paid them no mind. She unconsciously rose from the saddle, eyes locked ahead, straining to see through the settling smoke. She had a premonition, one that felt like certainty, that the person she had longed to see again was just beyond.

Fwoosh—

The next instant, a wall of fire erupted from the darkness. It blazed so brightly that it filled Mev’s entire field of vision. She grimaced, reflexively squeezing her eyes shut before forcing them open to a squint.

Her eyes, visible through the visor, flew wide. She had finally spotted him. He was running, his back to the blazing wall of fire.

Tap, tap, tap—

He sprinted, a hexagonal golden shield in his left hand. His face, streaked with ash, was exactly as she had seen it countless times in her dreams. His body was caked in dirt and ash, his clothes little more than tattered scraps—but none of that mattered.

Mev rose in the stirrups and shouted with all her strength, "Ian—"

Ian’s glowing red eyes turned toward her. Their gazes met for just an instant.

"Moro! Stop! Turn around now!" Ian shouted, his voice ringing out.

Moro, which had been charging, immediately dug all four hooves into the ground to brake. Mev lurched, losing her balance and grabbing onto its neck.

Thud—

Moro skidded to a halt, planting its hind legs. Pushing off its neck to regain her posture, Mev twisted her upper body to look back.

Swoosh—

Flaming arrows streaked past, flying just ahead of Ian as he charged. Without so much as glancing at them, he shouted, "Just run! We have to get out of here!"

Mev understood why an instant later. Through the fiery wall behind him, black shapes were pouring out—swarms of swamp fairies and beasts, all shrieking as they flooded into the open.