Published at 24th of September 2026 6:49 am

Chapter 2043: No Ordinary Weapon

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"Jacob was nearly killed again."

"Again!"

"I thought this nightmare would finally end."

"But he seemingly returned from the dead once more."

"He is different now. He is stronger. Much stronger."

"Something has happened to him. He possesses strange powers that I cannot understand."

"This is no longer the Jacob de Vile I once heard stories about."

"What has happened to him?"

Michael’s hands trembled.

"No way!" he blurted out in shock. "So this is the Vampire King’s backstory!"

He couldn’t believe that Jacob de Vile had such an origin.

Luca nodded with a solemn look in his eyes.

"Jacob was the fiercest General of King Louis d’Aubigny," he said.

Seeing Michael’s frown, he explained. "The city you guys call the Adventurers’ City. In the past, it used to be called Valcourrone. It was the capital of the Valouis Kingdom."

The frown on Michael’s face deepened.

"Wait... how do you even know all this?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Luca sighed. "When Adam killed the Antlered High Priest, he found a similar journal there. Except that journal was written by the High Priest before he turned into a monster—"

"WHAT!" Michael was flabbergasted. "When WHO killed the Antlered High Priest???"

Luca looked at him like he was an idiot. "When Adam killed... the..."

Halfway through his answer, he began showing an awkward expression. "Ah, shit."

According to the others, the Antlered High Priest was killed by Luca’s "big brother," Bucca. But now, Luca had casually claimed that Adam had killed that werewolf, when he should have died long ago.

"What do you mean???" Michael’s jaw was so wide that it could nearly touch the floor.

"Uhm..." Luca scratched his head, thinking of ways to spin this.

Adam had told him to keep the matter of his existence a secret. But Luca had accidentally spilled the beans.

"Ah, screw it." He finally came to a decision. The milk had been spilled already.

He looked Michael in the eye and said with a straight face:

"Adam is alive. Bucca... that’s him."

"Ehh????" Michael felt like lightning had struck him.

All this while, he had believed that Adam had died. In fact, he had even grieved his death. But to think that not only was he alive, but he had even been so close to him!

Michael recalled the short time that he had spent with "Bucca". He remembered the strange smile that he had given him. At the time, he thought Bucca had nefarious intentions for him. But the truth turned out to be something else entirely.

"Adam fooled me!" He blurted out. "No, wait! How did he fool the Council?! Did they not find anything wrong with his shapeshifting ability at all?!"

It was easy to connect the dots and deduce that Adam had used alteration magic. What he was truly surprised about was the fact that none of the council members even suspected Adam of using that magic.

"Beats me." Luca shrugged.

To him, Adam was full of mysteries. Even he had been surprised by how flawless Adam’s shapeshifting skills had been. So Michael’s shock was understandable.

"Anyway." He changed the subject. "Continue reading."

However, Michael was in no state to read. He wasn’t even in a state to think properly.

Countless emotions swirled in his heart like a tempest. From grief to shock to relief to happiness. He truly thought that he had lost Adam in this nightmarish plane. But to think that not only was his friend alive, but he had even advanced to the next rank filled Michael with a strange sense of pride and relief.

Watching him like that, Luca sighed helplessly. He grabbed the journal from Michael’s hand and began reading.

"The moon turned red tonight."

The very next journal entry caused his eyes to narrow.

So it was not always like this, he thought to himself.

He continued reading.

"The goddess has been angered."

"No. No, that is not right."

"There is something wrong with the moon."

"I saw it watching me."

"I know what I saw!"

"Someone is watching me. The moon is watching me."

"I can feel it!"

"It is looking down at me!"

"It knows!"

"It knows that I am watching it!"

The frown on Luca’s face deepened.

Unlike the previous entries, these ones were haphazard. As though the writer could barely control herself while writing.

As though... the writer had begun her descent into madness.

Luca continued reading as a foreboding feeling gripped his heart.

"DO NOT LOOK AT THE MOON!"

"Do not look at it!"

"It is watching... it is always watching..."

"The goddess is not angry..."

"Something else is there!"

"Behind the moon... INSIDE THE MOON!"

"I can hear it!"

"I can hear it when I close my eyes!"

"Someone is watching me..."

"Someone is waiting..."

"Beware... of the... moon."

"Beware..."

"BEWARE OF THE MOON!!!"

"Remember... the 108!"

"Do not forget..."

"The 108!"

"It is the key!"

"Do not... forget..."

Luca remained silent for several moments after finishing the journal.

His brows were furrowed, and a deep frown was etched on his face. He had a bad feeling.

Why had Shireen pointed toward the moon?

Why had she been so certain that something, or rather someone, was there?

Even the Antlered High Priest had never mentioned anything about the moon. Yet Shireen had been absolutely certain.

Why?

Why had she been?

Was it because she was the high priestess to the moon goddess?

Was it because of her connection to the moon?

In the first place... was the moon goddess even real?

The more Luca thought about it, the more questions he was left with.

And then there was that number again.

108.

Once again, the number had appeared.

Shireen had said it was the key.

But the key to what exactly?

Luca’s gaze slowly fell upon the far wall. He suddenly recalled what Adam had told him about how he had acquired the Morning Star.

His eyes narrowed. A faint gleam appeared within them, and he couldn’t help but murmur, "Indeed..."

There were 108 bricks loosely placed on the wall in a circle.

Luca stepped forward. He carefully examined them before pressing one brick after another. Just as he pressed the one hundred and eighth brick—

Click!

A low rumble echoed through the chamber. The wall slowly began to move, splitting apart to reveal a hidden passage behind it.

Michael’s attention was drawn by the sudden change. "What the hell?"

Luca’s expression turned solemn. After inspecting for any hidden traps, he stepped inside. Michael followed closely behind.

The passage eventually opened into another chamber. This one was far smaller. And there, resting upon a stone pedestal in the center of the room, was a gigantic greatsword.

Luca’s lips slowly curled into a grin.

The moment he entered the chamber, he felt it. The intense chill permeating the air. It was coming from the sword. The cold was so powerful that it had seeped through the walls, filling not only this underground chamber but seemingly the entire abandoned temple above.

Luca slowly approached the pedestal. His gaze remained fixed upon the greatsword.

There was no doubt. This was no ordinary weapon.

It was a Grade 2 Artifact!

He took another step forward and reached out with his hand. The moment his fingers touched the hilt and curled around it, he closed his eyes and listened.

When he opened his eyes again, they flashed with understanding.

His lips parted, and he murmured:

"The Winter Blade..."

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