Chapter 134: Agith Door
Although the earlier Corpse Explosion attacks had injured Raven, he quickly healed thanks to the Rapid Regeneration spell.
"I never thought battling a Necromancer would be this tough," Raven muttered.
"We were lucky, My Lord. I heard some Necromancers in the Viser Kingdom can control thousands of undead. We wouldn't have lasted a minute against such a foe," Marcellus said solemnly.
"True. It was worth spending money on an Aether Weapon," Raven muttered as he saw a young man walking along the broken cobblestone road, holding a long rifle.
Following him were ten cavalry soldiers in silver armor.
"It seems the battle at the outskirts has concluded as well," Marcellus said, waving at them.
"That was expected." Raven stood and let out a deep breath, walking toward the headless corpse.
"Before the main convoy arrives, dispose of this corpse and the other skeletons. I don't want the reporter knowing what happened here."
"Yes, My Lord," Marcellus agreed. In truth, the current Holmes House possessed a strength far surpassing that of a typical Baron Household. If the news of them defeating two Expert-Rank Walkers spread, it would cause great shock and suspicion.
Quincy and the cavalrymen arrived, their boots crunching against the shattered cobblestones. They halted a few steps from Raven and bowed their heads in unison.
"My Lord," Quincy began calmly, "the battle at the town's outskirts has concluded. No enemies remain."
"Good." Raven's gaze swept over the ruined street. "Clean up the battlefield. Burn the corpses. We don't need curious eyes wandering in."
"Yes, My Lord," Quincy replied and turned to relay the orders.
Raven gestured silently, and Marcellus followed without a word.
"Let's go finish the remaining rats, too," he said.
The two-story mansion loomed ahead like a ghost mansion. Though its walls were polished and intact, its surroundings stripped it of all grace—burnt homes leaned like corpses nearby, and the roads leading to the estate were cracked and lifeless. The compound wall was half-damaged, broken stones scattered like bones.
Inside the gate, the few remaining plants in the garden were withered, leaves curled like brittle paper from long neglect. Dried tree trunks stood like petrified sentinels, stripped of life from years without water.
Raven walked silently across the compound, his steps slow but steady as he passed the dying greenery. Marcellus followed closely behind.
They reached the porch—an arched stone entrance flanked by cracked pillars—and entered the mansion. The door creaked open, releasing a chill.
As soon as Raven and Marcellus entered the main hall, they were greeted by five people.
Two were middle-aged men, one was a scholar-looking young woman in a white robe, the fourth was an old woman with pure white eyes, and the fifth was a young man in his twenties.
They were sitting in the middle of the hall, engaged in discussion.
But all froze at the unexpected intrusion.
"Who are you?" the young man asked warily, standing up.
Raven adjusted his monocle and observed their statuses.
"Oh? A Radiant Rune Wizard? Reginald... Adept Rune Wizard." His gaze shifted to the blonde-haired scholar woman.
'Evelyne… Can read and translate the Ivory Common tongue and dialects, Ancient Hikcer Language, Paalil Language, Agith Language, etc. Historical Cartography, Artifact Appraisal.' Surprisingly, she was only an Acolyte Wizard!
He also noticed the two middle-aged men were linguistic scholars, and the old lady was a Rank-2 Dark Wizard.
But what caught his attention was a mouse sitting on the old lady's shoulder.
'Mouse? No... why do I sense killing intent from it?' He quickly checked its status.
...
[Name: Nok'Varin (Molly)
Race: Dread Mimic
Rank: Demon Minion (Rank-2)
Title: Pet of Trelkazar
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Attributes:
Strength: 85
Agility: 89
Vitality: 87
Spirit Power: 182
Abilities:
Shapeshift, Consume Identity, Nightmare Maw, Dark Imitation, Whisper of Madness.
Additional Skills: None.]
...
'A demon minion, huh?' He hadn't expected a demon to be hiding here.
Raven soon noticed all of them were eyeing him warily.
"I'm Thomas Holmes, the owner of this land," Raven said with a smile.
"I know Jared Duskbane employed you to discover the secrets of my house. Unfortunately, your employer died just a while ago."
Murmurs erupted as soon as he spoke. Even the rat flinched and stared at him with red eyes.
Meanwhile, Evelyne and the others stood from their seats, looking anxious. Even the Rune Wizard showed a trace of fear, glancing around for an opening.
"We even killed an Expert Necromancer, so don't try anything smart," Raven warned as he noticed them exchanging glances.
"W-What do you want from us?" the scholar woman asked cautiously.
"It's illegal to occupy a noble's land. Not only did you trespass on Holmes' Territory, but you also tried to kill its only heir. If word got out, you'd face lifetime imprisonment," Raven said coldly, walking toward them.
He stopped nearby, sat on a wooden chair, and added, "I'm not here to start an unnecessary fight. As long as you hand over the documents related to your research, you're free to leave this town. I won't report you to the police."
A silence fell over the hall.
The young wizard hesitated, then spoke.
"W-We've been working on unsealing the Agith Door for over a decade, sir. If you give us some time, we can—"
"I don't care about your research or any nonsense you were doing here before. From this day forward, I'm the ruler of this land," Raven said sternly.
"Sir Marcellus, shall we arrest them and hand them over to the officials?"
"Yes, My Lord. We should also file a complaint in Court against Crest Merchandise for illegally occupying your land under the guise of an archaeological team."
"We'll hand over all the documents related to the Door of Agith Age. But you must keep your promise," the scholar woman said after some thought.
"I'll keep my promise," Raven nodded, turning to the young scholar. "Evelyne, right? Guide me to the Door of Agith Age."
His words stunned everyone.
"H-How do you know my name?" Evelyne asked cautiously.
"I don't like being questioned. Lead," Raven ordered.
Evelyne hesitated, her fingers curling around the parchment she had been studying. Her brows furrowed as if trying to decipher Raven's intent, but the sharp glint in his eyes silenced her. She gave a reluctant nod.
The others—Reginald, the two scholars, and the old lady—remained still, exchanging uncertain glances. Marcellus gestured at them.
"Stay put. We'll deal with you after the inspection."
Surprisingly, Raven noticed the mouse on the old lady's shoulder had vanished!
'Interesting.' He quietly glanced around and gestured for Evelyne to move.
"This way, sir," she murmured, turning toward a narrow hallway in the mansion's eastern wing.
As Raven and Marcellus followed Evelyne, the air grew colder. The hallway was dimly lit, with only a few brass sconces burning weakly with enchanted blue flames. Dust clung to the walls, and a musty smell lingered in the air, starkly contrasting the cleaner main hall.
"We found the sealed entrance ten years ago after a deep search," Evelyne explained softly as they passed empty rooms and cracked portraits. "It was hidden behind a false wall in the cellar. Sir Jared wanted us to bypass the rune circles, but... they're unlike anything we've seen."
"You're talking about Agith-era Rune circles?" Raven asked sharply.
"Yes," she nodded. "They're ancient—older than Paalil inscriptions. It's as if they only respond to bloodlines and... incantations."
'Bloodlines, huh? That must be why they kidnapped Thomas and regularly extracted his blood.' The lingering puzzle finally clicked in Raven's mind.
They descended a spiral staircase at the end of the corridor. The cellar was vast—an underground chamber with brick walls lined with research tables, rune-etched stone tablets, jars of reagents, and discarded scrolls. But at the far end stood the true marvel.
A massive black stone door, around ten feet tall and shaped in a perfect arch, loomed before them. Pale red runes glowed faintly along its frame. Some runes shimmered golden, while the rest remained pale red. At the center was a circular indentation—perhaps a keyhole—shaped like an eight-pointed star.
But what startled Raven was the scent of blood on the door. He stepped forward, touched the red runes, and tried to wipe them off.
Slowly, the red faded, revealing golden runes beneath.
'It was blood?' A strange chill crept into his heart.
He slowly looked toward the top of the door.
Above it, an inscription was carved in an unknown language.
'Lark language, huh?'
Raven stared for a long moment, eyes narrowing.
"Thou divine's children may have stolen the Mother's World, but only the blood of Mother's child can open the seal. Find the descendant of Coileán, my bloodkin—they will show you the way," he read aloud, to Evelyne's surprise.
"You... can read Agith script?" Her eyebrows shot up.
"I told you not to question me," Raven said, stepping closer to the door.
Marcellus, who had remained silent, finally spoke.
"My Lord, this... could be a legacy vault."
Raven pondered, his hand resting on his chin.
"Marcellus, take her back."
"Yes, My Lord." Marcellus nodded.
Raven added, "Once she and her team hand over all the documents related to the door, escort them out of our territory."
Marcellus nodded and gestured for Evelyne to move.
Evelyne stared at Raven in shock and wonder before reluctantly walking away.
They had been trying to decipher the inscription on the door for over a decade, barely understanding it had something to do with blood.
"He just took one look and already deciphered its meaning!"
What confused Evelyne the most was that this language wasn't the origin of any known language in the Eclipse World. If it weren't for a few loanwords embedded in the Agith Language, they wouldn't have been able to decipher a single word.
As Marcellus escorted Evelyne out of the underground chamber, Raven's eyes remained fixed on the door.
"Even though we managed to decipher the words, we're back to square one again," Raven clicked his tongue in irritation.
[Maybe once you reach Rank-4 or Rank-5 as a Warlock, you'll be able to glimpse into its past and uncover the truth,] Zera suggested.
Raven chuckled dryly.
'I can barely peer thirty days into the past right now. To see something from thousands of years ago, I'd need to reach Legendary Rank… or even higher.'
He shook his head and turned his attention back to the chamber.
"But that's not what concerns me right now."
Raven glanced around. The underground chamber was barren, save for the tables and research materials Evelyne and her team used.
'But why do I feel nauseous when I step inside this place? I can vaguely sense something rotting…'
His expression froze.
He sharpened his senses and scanned the room. The sickly stench grew stronger near the eastern wall. At first, it was subtle—buried beneath layers of age and dust—but now it pulsed in the air, foul and metallic. The smell of iron, bile, and decay.
Raven moved closer and brushed his fingers along the bricks. A faint, cold draft seeped through the cracks.
He closed his eyes. The draft echoed faintly hollow beyond the wall.
Without a word, he pressed his palm to the center of the wall. The bricks trembled, then slid apart with a slow, grinding groan, revealing a narrow passage descending into darkness.
He took out an aether lamp from his inventory and stepped inside.
The smell hit him like a physical force. He staggered. His stomach lurched. He gagged but forced himself to move forward, descending the stone steps one by one. With each step, the air thickened—foul, damp, and wrong.
The stairs led to a large, dome-shaped underground dungeon. What he saw stopped him cold.
Dozens of corpses—no, remnants of people—hung from rusted iron hooks embedded in the ceiling. Some were flayed, their skin stripped like parchment and hung beside them like twisted trophies. Others had been dissected with surgical precision, their organs either missing or stored in filthy glass jars lining the walls.
The stone was caked in layers of dried blood. The floor was sticky, slick in places. Bones, shattered instruments, and rusted chains littered the ground like broken toys.
'Was this the work of a Necromancer?'
A lone operating table stood at the center, stained black with dried blood. Beside it, a wheeled cart overflowed with instruments—most of them rusted, some still sharp—knives, saws, clamps, and long, vicious needles.
Raven stumbled back, bile rising in his throat.
"Psychopath…"
He leaned against the cold stone wall and vomited. His breaths came in ragged gasps.
He didn't stay any longer. He turned and walked out, his boots sticking slightly to the blood-stained floor.
When Raven returned to the main hall, it was already 10 A.M.
The Sepoy Mercenaries and young knights had gathered, chatting amongst themselves.
Evelyne and the others had packed their belongings and were preparing to leave. Only the old woman seemed to be missing.
"Where is your companion?" Raven asked, his eyes remaining cold.
Evelyne hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Her pet went missing a while ago. She's been searching the house for it, Mr. Holmes. Once she returns, we'll be ready to leave."
Raven gave a small nod, then leaned toward Marcellus and whispered something in his ear.
Turning back, he asked, "What about the things I requested?"
"These are the documents and research notes regarding the Agith Door," Evelyne replied, pointing to a wooden table where a dozen books and files were neatly arranged.
"They include information about the Holmes Family, this mansion, and their relation to the Agith Era."
Raven stepped up to the table, picked up a book, and flipped through it.
'Hmm. The information seems legitimate.'
He examined the remaining documents before speaking coldly.
"You may leave. And tell the Crest Merchandise group to keep their hands off the Holmes Family. I won't be merciful if they try anything foolish."
"W-We'll inform them, Mr. Holmes," they all said, nodding in unison.
Just then, the dark wizard returned from the second floor, disappointment clear on her face.
"I couldn't find Molly anywhere," she said, her voice low.
"You mean the mouse? Is it your pet?" Raven asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes, Mr. Holmes. We've raised her for over eight years. She's more than just a pet—she's like family. She often disappears for a day or two and returns, but… we didn't expect her to vanish right as we prepared to leave."
"Don't worry, Madam Bailey," Evelyne said gently, touching her shoulder. "Molly will return on her own. Let's get out of here for now."
Evelyne noticed that all the young knights and Sepoy mercenaries had moved toward the mansion's entrance, standing firm, blocking the exit.
Her expression stiffened.
"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Holmes?"
…