Chapter 29: Sealed Artifact - The Scarlet Ring

Frelia, seated at the head of the table, rested her hands on the surface and spoke with unhurried composure: "Any volunteers?"

Silence hung in the air for a long moment after her words.

On the left side of the long table, a man with a solemn expression spoke up: "Your Highness, based on current intelligence, the investigation could involve no fewer than ten nobles. The interests at stake are unimaginable."

"I believe that—"

Before he could finish, Frelia raised a hand to silence him.

"I want what I believe, not what you believe."

Her voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority. Under her cold, indifferent gaze, the man lowered his head and held his tongue.

"Since I have come here, I will not allow those things to continue existing," Frelia said faintly. "I know your little schemes."

"You joined the Candle Bearers merely to secure credentials for your own advancement, terrified that offending the nobility would create hurdles for your future promotion."

"Heh... the Candle Bearers of the past have truly rotted to the core."

She offered a cold laugh, then turned her gaze toward Mo Wen, who had been watching the scene unfold. "Since none of them are willing, you go."

Mo Wen was stunned.

*Wait, no, sister, I don't even know what's going on yet. Why am I the one going? You’re clearly picking on me!*

*None of them want to go, so what makes you think I would? Am I not a noble anymore, so I don't have to worry about offending the noble factions? When you put it that way, it actually makes sense... as if!*

"Mohad, you brief him on the mission."

Without even asking if Mo Wen agreed, Frelia commanded the solemn man who had spoken earlier.

"Very well, Your Highness." The man turned to Mo Wen and stated professionally:

"According to reports from the Candle Bearers' intelligence agency, the 'pollution level' at Falling Star Port has exceeded critical thresholds. A terrifying pollutant is suspected to have emerged."

"All leads point to the nobles of Falling Star Port."

"The goal of this investigation is to locate the source of the pollutant and successfully contain and seal it."

Pollution level, pollutant, nobles, containment and sealing...

Any one of these keywords alone would be trouble; together, they were an immense, overwhelming disaster. It was no wonder the other Candle Bearers dared not accept the mission.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Mo Wen felt even more bitter. He looked toward Frelia at the head of the table, only to be met with a frigid glance. Unable to refuse, Mo Wen looked over at Evans, who was sneering at him, and suddenly spoke up:

"Your Highness, may I make a small request?"

"My strength alone might not be enough; I would like to invite Mr. Evans to investigate with me."

Frelia said indifferently: "Granted."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Evans's face froze instantly. He raised a trembling finger to point at Mo Wen, who was now wearing a smile of his own.

Smiles never disappear; they only transfer.

***

Mo Wen, previously feeling miserable, felt much better now.

"The mission duration is only three days. If it exceeds this time, the 'pollution level' may rise to an uncontrollable degree."

"At that point, Mo Wen Leyland, your assessment mission will be declared a failure, and you, Evans Bemot, will also fail your annual evaluation."

Frelia’s emotionless voice echoed in the room. At the same time, a private telepathic message reached Mo Wen: "If the mission fails, you will lose your eligibility for the Dream Entry experiment."

"I told you I would give you a chance to join the Candle Bearers, but if you cannot grasp it yourself, you have no one to blame but me."

Mo Wen, who hadn't cared much before, suddenly felt a jolt of anxiety. He didn't care about his status as a Candle Bearer, but being unable to enter the dream world would truly cost him his life.

"Your Highness, could I have a longsword?" Mo Wen hurried to ask. "Without a weapon, it’s quite inconvenient to investigate."

"Granted," Frelia replied, her tone unchanged. "Go find Julia yourself; she will provide it."

"Anything else to add? No? Then the meeting is adjourned."

***

Stepping out of the captain's quarters, Mo Wen moved with haste. The situation was urgent, and he needed a sword immediately. Without a blade in his hand, he couldn't even unleash a third of his strength.

Arriving before the Dream Entry Laboratory, the door opened automatically before he could even knock. A long, thin object was tossed out.

Mo Wen caught it instinctively, and Julia’s cold voice drifted from within: "Here is your item. Furthermore, unless it is at night, you are not permitted to enter."

*Bang!*

The wind from the closing door brushed against Mo Wen's face.

*Err...*

Mo Wen shook his head helplessly. *Since I have the item, I won't hold your rudeness against you.*

He looked down, eager to see what he had been given.

It was a long, thin wooden box. Upon opening it, it wasn't the longsword he had expected, but a pale red ring.

Common rings usually have smooth edges, but this pale red ring had a series of jagged, tooth-like protrusions along its sides. They were extremely sharp, making one wonder if they would pierce directly into the skin and flesh upon wearing it. Beside the ring was a slip of paper—likely the instruction manual.

Mo Wen was speechless. *It’s not a sword; why keep it in a long wooden box? A small jewelry box would have sufficed! Is this some kind of sick humor?*

He couldn't even bring himself to complain. Skipping the manual, he cast a detection spell on the ring.

—

【Name: Sealed Object - Scarlet Ring】

【Description: Once belonging to a depraved Vampire Duke, it was destroyed by a deity after the Duke feasted on a city of over 100,000 people. His body was obliterated and his spirit extinguished, but his residual source blood became a pollutant over the long passage of time. It bewitched the populace in the northern part of the Augustus Empire, turning them into blood thralls in an attempt to restore the glory of the vampires, before being contained by the Candle Bearers.】

【Ability: Offer at least 1% of your own blood, and the satisfied Scarlet Ring will manifest into the "Sword of True Blood." Attacks carry a flesh-tearing effect, lasting for one hour. The more blood offered, the higher the performance of the "Sword of True Blood," unlocking more powerful effects.】

【Hidden Trait: If you offer over 20% of your blood at once, you gain the "True Blood Burst" buff, increasing speed by 100% for one minute. However, the consciousness of the Vampire Duke slowly awakening within the Scarlet Ring will devour a portion of your soul afterward.】

【Pollution Level: 0.9 (Current); ??? upon full awakening.】

—

*"This?!"*

Mo Wen’s heart skipped a beat after reading the information.

*A Vampire Duke's consciousness? Such a dangerous thing, and they just tossed it to me?*

Mo Wen hurriedly picked up the paper note to check. It only described the usage methods, similar to the "Ability" section. While it did mention that offering about 20% of one's blood could grant a terrifying speed boost for escaping, it made no mention of the "Vampire Duke's consciousness."

It merely noted that the user often suffers from various side effects after such a feat due to massive blood loss, such as mental exhaustion or frequent dazed states.

*Was it intentional? Or is the Vampire Duke hidden so deep that even Frelia and the others cannot perceive it?*

After a moment of hesitation, Mo Wen decided to keep it to himself for now. The item was indeed powerful, and as long as he wasn't greedy, he wouldn't invite the "Vampire Duke's consciousness" to consume him. Twenty percent of his blood was right at the critical threshold; any more, and he would certainly die.

To him, neither Julia nor Frelia were fully trustworthy. If he ever ended up in a truly dire situation, this hidden trait of the [Scarlet Ring] might be his final desperate measure to survive. After all, losing only a portion of his soul was still better than death.

Mo Wen carefully placed the Scarlet Ring on the index finger of his right hand. The object seemed to have a life of its own, automatically adjusting its size to fit his finger perfectly.

"Mo Wen Leyland."

At that moment, a voice suppressed with anger came from not far behind him.

Mo Wen turned around.

He saw Evans walking toward him, gripping a knight's longsword, teeth gritted. "The Princess ordered us to execute the mission together, but as the team leader, I feel it is necessary to 'test' my teammate's proficiency to avoid any accidents later."

Though he called it a "test," the way he looked like he wanted to swallow Mo Wen alive suggested that the upcoming process might be a bit heavy-handed.

"The Candle Bearers don't forbid internal fighting?" Mo Wen asked curiously.

"This is a sparring session between teammates, how could it be internal fighting? Proper sparring helps improve the strength of the Candle Bearers. As long as no one dies, no one cares." Evans walked over with a sinister smile.

"I see." Mo Wen immediately relaxed, glancing at the [Scarlet Ring] he had just acquired. "Then I won't be polite."

Scarlet light extended and solidified into a blade. The translucent, ruby-like edge reflected the shock in Evans's eyes.

The next instant, Mo Wen vanished from where he stood.