Blackstone Ruins

The North, Sea Dragon Point Peninsula, Mysterious Entrance

This was a strange complex built from a special black stone, consisting of pillars, stairways, raised platforms, and houses. Their shapes were extremely distinctive, unlike any known architectural style in the Seven Kingdoms. They looked crude and twisted, uncomfortable even to look at.

To Eddard's perception, however, this place was a terrifying scene like hell itself. Within the twisted black buildings, something black seemed to flow like liquid, like those terrifying creatures sealed away in myths and legends.

Just then, a familiar rhythm suddenly arose within the area. It was the sound of some kind of drum, low and somewhat chaotic in its rhythm-or rather, a kind of rhythmic noise.

The drumming was full of all sorts of emotions. Yes, emotions! Eddard's description was indeed correct. The drumming truly was filled with all sorts of emotions: anger, hatred, malice, greed, and lust.

All these emotions came from a huge black altar at the center of the complex. Atop a small stepped structure resembling an Aztec pyramid stood an enormous stone bed, and on that stone platform lay a statue made of Black Dragonglass.

Yet after examining it, Eddard discovered to his surprise that the thing atop it was not a statue but some kind of living creature. The Black Dragonglass seemed to be merely a seal attached to its surface. Now, however, the seal's power was growing weaker and weaker, because Bel of the Bloodheart Clan was pouring blood that gave off a black gleam over the Dragonglass statue.

Eddard could clearly sense the Dragonglass slowly dissolving, as though it might shatter at any moment.

"Oooo..."

Near the stone platform, where Bel stood, lay seven or eight Bloodheart Clan warriors. Their corpses looked terribly shriveled, like mummies that had been dried out.

After searching the area for a while, Eddard finally found the miners belonging to his house. Very few Bloodheart Clan warriors remained, however.

By rights, Eddard's side had more than a hundred men, yet these miners, whose movements were not restrained, made no move at all. Even though only a dozen or so of their captors remained, the miners still did nothing.

Only after approaching did Eddard realize that the miners seemed to be controlled by some strange power. Moreover, a black substance like ink seemed to linger around their bodies.

These black substances looked like worms, slowly writhing around House Flint's miners. A strange rhythm surrounded them, sounding like some kind of whisper. In Eddard's perception, they also emanated all sorts of negative emotions.

"Ah..."

Just then, a strange roar suddenly rang out atop the altar. Sensing a surge of powerful energy, Eddard instinctively shifted his perception toward it.

Bel had just set down the strange vessel in his hands. It resembled a crystal fruit dish, and from a distance, it looked like a mass of burning black flames. Of course, if one disregarded the black blood it contained, the damned thing did possess a trace of artistry and beauty.

Through the power of the Golden Eye, Eddard also learned what had happened. These people frequently sacrificed the blood of their own people to their "True God," and the miners had escaped that fate solely because their blood was not yet suitable.

From the memories of a minor clan leader, Eddard learned one thing, namely,

In Bel's eyes, the blood of House Flint's miners was unevolved blood that did not meet the deity's requirements at all. The miners had been brought here solely because Bel intended to offer them to the deity as a Blood Offering. Just as Eddard was about to test what this fellow named Bel was capable of, the clan chief, who no longer looked human at all, suddenly stopped what he was doing and roared toward Eddard's position.

Bel's roar seemed to possess some kind of magic. That peculiar rhythm echoed ceaselessly through the space, as though communicating with some strange existence. Along with the sound came a terrifying eruption of energy, and afterward, the surroundings around Eddard began to change slightly.

"Oooo..."

Piercing, miserable cries sounded from all around without warning. Then masses of black mist began drifting toward Eddard. Before he could react, the twisted, eerie mist had surrounded him on every side.

"Ah..."

For a time, all sorts of bizarre scenes began reverberating around Eddard's perception: slaughter, destruction, annihilation, and depravity. Within these images, such vile acts were magnified without limit, like some utterly terrifying horror film.

An ordinary person would probably have been frightened out of their wits by these horrifying scenes long ago, but Eddard felt no fear of them at all.

When the Golden Eye's ability activated, it was far faster than these scenes. Moreover, during his previous life on Blue Star, Eddard had spent a period particularly obsessed with horror films and gory movies. Although these terrifying scenes affected his perception,

Under the combined effects of the Golden Eye's power and his memories of his previous life, these mental attacks had no effect on Eddard whatsoever. He even found certain parts of these terrifying scenes somewhat childish.

"Y-you... just what kind of being are you? Why aren't you... afraid?"

Just then, a somewhat frightened and incredulous mental message suddenly appeared around Eddard. Following the direction it had come from, Eddard saw a pair of slightly fearful eyes hidden in the black mist. Its words and emotions were linked together, making them very easy for Eddard to perceive.

At first, Eddard thought this was some kind of soul attack from the enemy. Yet after his perception came into contact with these mistlike things, he understood that the other party was merely bluffing-or rather, that the influence of those terrifying emotions was already its strongest attack.

After locating it, Eddard sent his perception rushing straight toward that spot. His perception then became countless threads, dragging the owner of those eyes out. Once he had captured it, Eddard finally saw what it looked like.

It was a humanoid creature made of black matter. Its body was tattered, like a huge lotus leaf battered by hail. From time to time, resentful souls wailed and rushed out of its threadbare body, but before those spirits could get far, the monster's body absorbed them again.

"N-no... don't kill me. I... I only wanted that body. Oh! Great deity! Please forgive me! I... I meant no offense. I simply don't want to go on like this..."

Amid its repeated pleas for mercy, the voice of the Twisted Soul before Eddard also became a woman's voice. It was exceptionally pleasant and melodious, making Eddard feel as though he were basking in a spring breeze.

Yet in Eddard's perception, it remained just as twisted and terrifying. At that moment, however, Eddard discovered to his surprise that the situation within the ruins had undergone an earth-shattering change.

More than ten minutes earlier...

Ralf "Eel" watched the terrifying, bizarre scene atop the altar, fear gnawing at his heart as though a venomous snake had bitten him. His heart pounded violently, his whole body felt awful, and his limbs were stiff. This was a reaction to extreme fear, and it left Ralf "Eel" utterly at a loss as to what to do.

Ever since he had watched that strange, terrifying dance the previous night, then been dragged out by those Clan Warriors and made to drink a cup of strange Bloodwine, Ralf "Eel" had felt as though some eerie change had occurred in his body.

After the ritual ended, whenever he fell asleep, he became someone who could fly freely. That sudden sensation of weightlessness startled Ralf "Eel" awake again and again. When the minor leaders around him saw his condition, however, they smiled in satisfaction.

By that morning, the minor leaders were no longer even keeping watch over Ralf "Eel." Some female Clan Warriors had even begun flirting with him, whether openly or subtly. At first, Ralf "Eel" thought the Bloodwine had been poisoned, but after interacting with some people, he realized things were far less simple than he had imagined.

The people here seemed to have fully accepted Ralf "Eel" as one of their own, as though they were not afraid he might defect at all. Moreover, Ralf "Eel" heard that a passage had appeared in the mine.

Only after entering that passage did Ralf "Eel" realize how complicated things were. These savages were utterly insane. At first, Ralf "Eel" had thought Bel had sent those missing people out to fight and launch raids. But only after witnessing the sickening sight of Bel killing people and taking their blood did he understand how terrifying Bel was.

That so-called glass vessel was actually an embodiment of some evil magic. When Bel began the sacrifice, that terrifying thing absorbed the offerings' blood and flesh. Ralf "Eel" could swear by the Old Gods that this was the most terrifying and bizarre sight he had ever seen in his life. For a while, he had even thought they had entered the Seven Hells of the Seven's myths and legends.

Moreover, Ralf "Eel" discovered that the men he had spoken to, who had been willing to resist the Bloodheart Clan alongside him, had actually become dull and vacant after lunch. No matter how Ralf "Eel" signaled them with his eyes or called to them, they did not respond.

And so Ralf "Eel" could only let Bel and the others bring him to the altar, filled with unease. Watching Bel slaughter his own clansmen left Ralf "Eel" even more terrified. He feared that Bel might get carried away with the killing and sacrifice him as well.

Only after Bel let out that scream did Ralf "Eel" see hope again, because afterward, he saw everyone regain their senses. The captive miners had now completely lost that dull, vacant air they had possessed at the start.

Since everyone had merely had their hands bound, Ralf "Eel" passed over the dagger he had hidden beforehand after receiving a signal from one of his men.

Then, while the Bloodheart Clan warriors stood bewildered and at a loss, Ralf "Eel" led some of the men in an attack from behind. The Clan Warriors in these ruins were not particularly difficult to deal with, because Bel had chosen the strong, able-bodied young men for his sacrifices.

Ralf "Eel" acted like a signal. After he attacked, the miners under him also summoned their courage and used stones and daggers to kill the Clan Warriors who had tormented them.

"Boss Ralf! What do we do now? Th-that... thing up there... will it come alive and slaughter us?"

Thin Pigeon, a member of the guard, spoke somewhat weakly. His earlier injuries had not healed, but he still forced himself to stay upright without letting anyone support him. When Ralf "Eel" called for them to strike, he had also been among the first to respond.

After hearing Thin Pigeon's words, Ralf "Eel" fell into thought. Looking at the Clan Warriors around them, still leaking black blood and pus, he decided to leave. After all, he had never encountered anything like that terrifying thing atop the altar.

Moreover, at that moment, there seemed to be a voice in Ralf "Eel's" mind telling him that it was better to be cautious. So he spoke at once:

"Get moving! Our troops should be here already. Take these black savages' weapons, or we'll..."

Just as Ralf "Eel" was about to say more, he saw a horrifying sight. The minor clan leader he had stabbed to death with his own hands had actually climbed up from the ground.

Black blood flowed from the man's chest, thick as a buttery soup. His lifeless eyes showed no expression, and his deathly pale skin indicated that he had been dead for some time.

"Oh! Old Gods above!"

"W-wights..."

"I don't want to die..."

Sensing the agitation of those around him, Ralf "Eel" hurriedly stepped forward. He roared, shouting at them:

"Shut your mouths, all of you! Straw, Chickpea, Sweet Corn... you lot, watch the exit. Take your daggers and hold it. Everyone else, form three lines and leave one at a time. If anyone dares run about, stab him to death."

Then Ralf "Eel" glanced again at the Wights rising from the ground. After a pause, he addressed the miners holding the clan's weapons:

"Come with me. They're only a few corpses that can move, aren't they? We killed them once, so naturally we can kill them a second time. This time, we'll cut them apart. Let's see if they can still move."