Chapter 68: A Deal Forged in Shadow (1)

Evening fell, and the skies above Ashvarn darkened as they always did.

But that night, the city trembled beneath news that struck like a bolt of lightning—news of what had been uncovered beneath the earth.

The Third Hunting Squad had reported the discovery, and it was said that Ethan Heart himself was the one who had found it.

Yet the way he had discovered the Legacy Dungeon raised many troubling questions.

Inside Ashvarn’s central headquarters, an emergency meeting had been convened. All the hunters were present, along with the commanding figures of the Heart clan.

Among them sat Kevin Heart, one of the most prominent elders. He read the report in his hands over and over again, a deep frown etched across his face.

“No matter how many times I read this nonsense, my eyes refuse to believe it.”

He let out a long sigh, steadying himself.

“The existence of a Legacy Dungeon beneath Ashvarn is a true catastrophe. If it exists there, then the curse is no longer merely at our borders—it lies beneath our very feet.”

Vanessa, the Forest Witch, spoke next, having naturally attended the meeting.

“For all these years, we have been sleeping atop a landmine that could detonate at any moment.”

Her words stirred the hunters, who began murmuring among themselves.

The matter was grave. If the curse were to spread within Ashvarn, it would trigger a disaster of unimaginable scale … especially if the elders themselves were affected.

Figures such as Kevin Heart and Vanessa were veteran fighters who had spent long years battling within cursed territories. Their bodies had already absorbed large quantities of the curse. They stood dangerously close to losing their humanity and transforming into ferocious monsters of immense power.

If such a thing were to occur, it would be no different from dozens of King-rank bosses suddenly appearing within Ashvarn.

Fortunately, the Legacy Dungeon had been discovered before matters deteriorated.

If the dungeon had somehow risen to the surface and the flames of Lord Vassal—which had long protected them—had been extinguished, the resulting catastrophe would have been devastating.

All of that disaster had been avoided…

Thanks to Ethan Heart.

The young man now stood before them.

Yet instead of gratitude, Kevin Heart’s expression darkened further with every line he read in the report submitted by Moon, captain of the Third Squad.

“Ethan Heart, step forward. I have questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

Kevin called him forward, and Ethan responded immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

Kevin studied the young man.

With a single glance, he could tell Ethan had grown far stronger than before. In fact, his power had increased dramatically in a remarkably short time.

“You are the one who discovered the dungeon, correct?”

Kevin asked.

Ethan nodded.

“That’s correct.”

The moment Ethan confirmed it, Kevin narrowed his eyes.

“You expect me to believe that a month ago you began digging randomly on your own… choosing a random location on the outskirts of Ashvarn by pure coincidence.”

“And that by sheer coincidence, your digging led you not only to a Legacy Dungeon, but directly to the boss chamber.”

Kevin’s voice grew sharper.

“And that the boss was conveniently imprisoned and unable to move… allowing you to kill it and raise your level until you nearly reached the Advanced rank.”

Kevin Heart slammed his hand against the table.

His eyes blazed with a dangerous light as he stared at Ethan.

“You expect me to believe nonsense that even a child wouldn’t fall for?!”

The entire story sounded absurd.

And Ethan knew it.

Yet he smiled calmly, maintaining his composure under Kevin’s oppressive scrutiny.

“Of course not, sir. Coincidences like that don’t exist in the world we live in.”

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again with confidence.

“I knew from the beginning what I would find down there. That’s precisely why I chose to dig instead of raising my level through hunting.”

Ethan’s straightforward answer confused Kevin and stirred louder murmurs among the assembled hunters.

Even Ethan’s squad members were present, and the same confusion filled their faces. None of them understood how he could have known a Legacy Dungeon existed beneath the ground.

“How did you know such a thing? And why did you keep it secret instead of reporting it immediately?”

Kevin’s tone grew harsher.

This was a matter that had threatened the entire clan.

Ethan drew a slow breath before answering.

“Sir, I had a decisive duel against an opponent three ranks above me. I had no choice but to seize the opportunity.”

His voice remained clear and steady.

“I knew about the dungeon from the start, and I also knew its boss was bound. That was the only reason I was able to defeat it despite my low level. It was my only chance, and I used it.”

“It was a Saint-rank boss, which allowed me to jump from level five to level twenty-eight.”

Ethan spoke calmly.

There was no visible sign of deception.

Even though the final part was a lie.

Looking quietly at the people around him, Ethan knew he could not reveal Mathius’ true rank.

Mathius was a King, not a Saint.

’ What I just said is obviously a lie… but I can’t tell them the truth. If I do, one of my abilities will be exposed.’

[Class Change at Will]

That ability allowed Ethan to change his class whenever he wished. In other words, he could fight in any style he desired without restriction.

But the price he had paid for it was steep.

He needed twice the souls required by an ordinary player to level up.

’ Mathius gave me sixty thousand souls. That amount should be enough for a level-one player to surpass level thirty… perhaps even reach forty.’

’ Yet I barely managed to reach level twenty-eight.’

That was why Ethan deliberately lowered Mathius’ rank—to avoid suspicion.

Kevin watched him silently for a moment, suspicion still lingering in his eyes.

“I understand your motives. And I recognize that killing the boss eliminated the dungeon’s threat.”

He paused briefly.

“So I cannot reprimand you. You did what a hunter is meant to do.”

A hunter had only one duty.

To hunt monsters.

And Ethan had fulfilled that duty perfectly.

“But…” Kevin’s tone shifted.

“You still haven’t answered the most important question. How did you learn about the dungeon beneath us? And about the imprisoned boss?”

No matter how much he thought about it, Kevin could not find an answer.

Nor could anyone else present in the hall.

After all, Ethan was merely a novice knight. The only power he possessed was his ability to turn souls into weapons, along with his Blood Eclipse Curse.

None of those abilities could possibly grant him information like that.

’The only explanation is that he either knows the future… which is impossible… or someone…’

Kevin leaned toward the second possibility.

At that exact moment, Ethan smiled faintly, clearly aware of what the elder was thinking.

When he answered, his voice carried confidence.

“It’s obvious that I couldn’t obtain such information on my own. That part is completely true.”

“I received it from someone else… and that person is present here with us in this very hall.”

His words shocked everyone.

Including Kevin, whose frown deepened.

“Who?” he demanded, wanting to know the identity of this supposed source.

The hunters glanced at one another, as if searching for a spy among them.

Ethan had clearly stated that the one who gave him the information was present here.

And then—

That person revealed himself.

Drawing the stunned gaze of everyone in the hall.

“It was me.”

The voice came from somewhere no one expected.

Not from the hunters below.

But from the elders seated above.

More specifically—

From the highest-ranked among them.

Asterion Heart.

Leaning casually against one arm at the head of the chamber, Asterion smiled at the stunned faces around him.

“I’m the one who told him about the dungeon… and about the imprisoned boss.”

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