I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy
Chapter 440

Chapter 440

Ian smacked his lips and glanced around. He still didn’t sense anything. Just the mist, thick and ominous, pooling low over the ground, the warped silhouettes of trees in the distance, and the faint stench in the air.

A moment later, Lucia looked back at him, her gaze calm and subdued. Ian gave her a slight nod, signaling that he felt it too, then reached for the halberd strapped to the side of his saddle.

Just then, Diana let out a short sound with her hands cupped in front of her mask. It sounded like the cry of an owl—maybe a horned owl. It only came once, but it was enough to make Ian pause, and enough to draw the attention of Hyked and the Black Lions.

Then Diana quickly lowered her hands and raised a finger, placing it to the front of her mask. Turning to the group, she gave a few small nods toward the path ahead.

Keep quiet and move forward?

Ian let out a faint chuckle. It likely meant that there were signs of beasts nearby, but their presence hadn’t been noticed yet. Diana was probably hoping they could slip through undetected the whole way. Of course, Ian didn’t expect they’d be that lucky.

Apparently, neither did Hyked. As the Black Lions' attention naturally gathered, Hyked raised his left fist beside his helmet and tapped the halberd at his saddle with his right hand. The Black Lions immediately followed suit, reaching for the halberd secured beside their saddles.

Click... slide...

As if reading their riders’ thoughts, the warhorses fell silent. The sound of the fasteners being undone and shafts being drawn echoed low through the air. Ian, too, unsheathed his weapon and adjusted his grip on the handle with both hands.

If I don’t want it caught in the branches, I’ll have to thrust, not swing.

As he quietly mused to himself, Lucia leaned her back lightly against his chest and whispered, “I’ll take the rear.”

Ian glanced down at her and moved his lips without making a sound. “You might have to hold the line back there.”

“That’s fine. I’ll do it,” she murmured, fluttering her fingers with a playful gesture.

Ian let out a quiet snort. “Just don’t overdo it. Take Yog with you.”

He extended his right hand toward her.

Yog’s relaxed murmur followed right after.

—Feels like I always end up sticking closer to Lucy than you during fights.

A prickling sensation ran along his fingers. Then, with a wisp of smoke, Yog slipped out from between Ian’s gloves like a specter and sank into the seams of Lucia’s armor.

—As I thought, you’re upset. Lucy.

Lucia didn’t answer. She just turned away and nimbly crawled past Ian like a squirrel. Her agile build made the maneuver possible, despite her height—and it helped that Moro’s broad frame was closer to a bull’s than a horse’s. Seated behind the saddle, she gripped Ian's waist.

“Tighter. Like you’re hugging Moro.” Ian gently tugged her wrist and whispered.

Lucia nodded, then wrapped her arms around his waist in a full embrace. Only then did Ian give a satisfied nod and readjust his grip on the halberd in his right hand.

Their silent advance resumed. Ian didn’t bother staying overly alert. He had no intention of burning energy too early—or taking the lead when the fight started. If possible, he didn’t even plan to step in first when they faced Inaskurgl.

This was a perfect chance to see what Hyked and the Black Lions were really capable of. After all, there was a chance they’d be enemies one day.

Rustle... whisper...

It wasn’t long before a faint sound crept into Ian’s ears—like wind brushing through a field of reeds. His gaze turned toward the source. Beyond the thick mist where the trees cast dark shadows, something gently rippled.

And that wasn’t the only one. Similar sounds were spreading from all around. So quiet it could be missed unless one was paying close attention.

One by one, the Black Lions tightened their grips on their halberds. Gwellrod, leading at the front, did the same.

Ssshhh... rustle...

The sounds crept closer. Then Hyked, who had been sitting in silence, placed a foot in the stirrup and rose. As if it were a signal, the Black Lions all stood at once, planting their feet in their stirrups and tightening their hold on the reins with one hand.

Ian, still seated, wrapped the reins once around his forearm, readying himself to wield the halberd with both hands.

Thud, thud—

Hyked’s warhorse surged forward. The Black Lions followed immediately behind. At a light flick of Ian’s left arm, Moro took off after them at an easy pace.

As they ran, the Black Lions kept a steady distance from Hyked—enough to swing their halberds without hitting each other. Ian naturally took his place at the far end of the right flank.

Thud-thud, thud-thud—

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

They weren’t moving very fast. It didn’t feel like they were trying to break through an enemy line—more like they wanted to announce their presence to every nearby beast.

So they’ve given up on sneaking around and plan to just kill everything in their path?

It was a simple, but undeniably effective tactic—if they could actually kill them all. Charging through at full speed without clearing the way could have left them surrounded when they finally reached Inaskurgl.

Then again, the fact they’d made it this far unnoticed meant the stealth approach had already paid off. Besides, the monsters guarding the tower hadn’t followed them here.

Woosh—

As if the enemy had finally caught on, reeds shaking grew louder, closing in from every direction. The enemy had clearly realized they were here. Just then, shadowy darkness surged and spread from Hyked’s body at the front of the group.

Swoosh—

The black aura billowed out, flowing straight into the Black Lions behind him. Unlike Wolves, they accepted the darkness Hyked released almost entirely. Their bodies, which had been gradually losing their dull coloring, were once again stained in pitch black.

The bluish glow spreading from the gaps in their armor shone clearer in an instant. The same went for their warhorses. Their eyes blazed deeper, and a dark blue shimmer flared from their flowing manes and the seams of their armor like embers. A trail of dark-blue afterimages rippled behind Hyked and the Black Lions.

Swoooosh—

Moro was undergoing a similar change. The only difference was that his eyes and mane shimmered with a hint of violet. That was the chaos power Ian had infused into him.

So it really works.

Feeling that power coursing through Moro’s body, Ian gave a subtle nod. It had cost a bit of upkeep, but with this much, Moro alone could probably handle a few beasts without trouble.

Fwhoosh—

Up ahead, two shadow beasts burst from both sides of the path. They moved fast, lunging like ambushers, their bodies covered in ragged gray fur, jaws lined with jagged, uneven fangs.

Crack!

What met them were jet-black spearheads slicing through the air. They were the halberds hurled by Pauline and Gwellrod, running on either side of Hyked.

One beast was pierced clean through the neck, the other through the chest. Both went limp immediately, their momentum snapping under the force of the impact.

Each beast was the size of a bison, but neither their charge nor their deaths slowed the Black Lions’ momentum. Without missing a beat, the two riders who had thrusted their halberds swung their arms out forcefully toward the flanks.

Crunch, splatter.

The beasts, still clinging to the halberd, were flung away as torn flesh scattered with black ichor and entrails. One of the corpses flew over the mist and past Ian’s side, slamming into a tree trunk before vanishing from view.

Rustle‌—

Ripples of movement flowed through the mist, drifting toward the fallen body. Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back.

So the weaker ones or the dead get devoured by their kind.

It made sense. This forest was steeped in wild, primal madness. Just because these creatures served Inaskurgl didn’t mean they’d abandoned their instincts entirely.

Ian snapped his head forward again just as another wave of beasts burst through the mist—one of them charging straight at him.

The moment its gaping maw came into view, filled with rows of misshapen fangs, Ian’s senses kicked into overdrive. His Concentration sharpened, his Intuition flared, and everything became clear—as though a veil had been lifted from his eyes. He saw every detail of the monster rushing toward him.

A mutated wolf?

Even as he thought, his body moved on its own. He drove a surge of chaos power into his halberd and thrust it forward with all his might.

Crack!

With a hazy violet trail, the spearhead rammed straight into the beast’s gaping maw. It pierced deep into the roof of its mouth—so deep that the blade beneath the spearhead split open the lower jaw as it lodged in.

The beast’s ashen eyes lost their light, its body going limp.

Ian frowned, feeling the weight slam against his grip. If he’d been any weaker, the impact might’ve knocked him from the saddle. But with his current strength and balance, he stayed firm without flinching. Gritting his teeth, Ian swung his arm to the side.

Crack, splatter!

The corpse hit the ground with a heavy slam and bounced once before skidding away. Behind him, tendrils of mist parted and turned in its direction.

Crack, crunch—

The same thing was happening up ahead. The Black Lions didn’t stop—each time a beast charged, they met it with a precise thrust or swing of their halberds, continuing their advance without hesitation. Blue-black trails shimmered faintly in the wake of their strikes.

Yet not a single weapon snagged on trees or collided awkwardly. It wasn’t just proof of their skill as mounted fighters—it was a testament to their superhuman senses.

Crack!

Hyked was no different. Standing with one foot in the stirrup, he had a beast skewered through the neck, dangling from his halberd. He swung the shaft again, smashing the limp corpse into another beast that leaped in from the side. The dead weight slammed into the living beast like a mace.

Crackle—

The two entangled beasts tumbled to the ground. Pauline’s warhorse collided with them a beat later—but didn’t fall, didn’t even stagger. Instead, the moment the beasts came too close, the horse slammed its forehead into them with the sharp horn jutting from its snout like a blade.

Crunch—

The beasts, their hides torn, vanished into the mist. The warhorse, now drenched in their black bodily fluids, snorted heavily like it was exhilarated.

Crack!

Pauline didn’t spare them a glance. Still astride the beast, she brought her halberd down in a brutal arc. The shadowy blur of its path split open the skull of a beast creeping up alongside her mount.

Snap, crunch!

Within moments, more than a dozen beasts had been pierced or torn apart, their bodies vanishing back into the mist. Ian had just knocked down his fourth when something made him glance back over his shoulder.

—Looks like they caught up.

Yog’s lazy whisper tickled his mind like an idle breeze. The mist behind them shifted in a peculiar, unnatural way.

Fwhoom!

Two more beasts surged upward in quick succession. One was still at a distance, but the other was close—close enough to reach Moro.

Just as Ian adjusted his grip on his halberd, orange flames burst out without warning, engulfing the beast’s outstretched paw and its oversized head in one blazing sweep. The clawed limb recoiled instinctively, and the flaming creature dropped back into the mist in a violent spasm.

Even after it vanished beneath the fog, the flames didn’t go out. They flared up hotter, consuming the mist itself as they burned.

Thump—

The second beast fell soon after. It twisted midair, an arrow buried deep in one of its eyes.

—Any closer and I’ll be the one on fire next.

Yog grumbled as Ian looked down. Lucia looked up at him from below, her right hand extended behind her. The orange glow of the flames shimmered softly in her eyes.

“I told you I’d cover the rear.”

“...Yeah. You’re doing a good job,” Ian mumbled awkwardly, and turned his gaze to the side.

Thwick!

Diana had already loosed her next arrow. This time, the beast hadn’t even fully leaped before the shot landed. As if she could see straight through the mist, she nocked another arrow from the quiver strapped to her thigh.

She’s better at this than she lets on.

Thinking that, Ian turned his eyes forward again. He adjusted his grip on the halberd in his hand and hurled it forcefully at the beast charging toward him.

Crunch! Crack, thump.

Even in the very heart of Inaskurgl’s domain, the shadow beasts were no match for Hyked and the Black Lions. They charged in like moths to a flame, only to be ripped apart and vanish into the mist, trailing blood and fluid.

The wave of attacks tapered off not long after Ian noticed that the trees around them were growing sparse. Just as he’d suspected, there weren’t many beasts left in the forest. And their group hadn’t gotten lost or circled back to the forest’s edge, either. They were still moving forward, on course.

Beyond the rippling mist, jagged outlines emerged—artificial in shape and silhouette. It was exactly like the ruins of the city Ian had seen in his vision, the very place where Inaskurgl had been lying in wait.

Hyked raised his halberd high, slowing his pace just moments later.

We really found it in one go...

Even as he silently marveled, he understood the reason for the slowdown. They were taking a moment to regroup before entering Inaskurgl’s den.

Rustle... rustle...

It was likely also to deal with the last of the beasts closing in from all directions—but that didn’t seem like it would take much effort.

The warhorses were snorting heavily, but Ian himself wasn’t particularly winded. He’d managed to conserve his strength quite well.

I’ve conserved my strength well, he thought, flicking the sticky fluids off his halberd.

—Something feels off, Friend.

Yog’s voice slipped coldly into his mind—no longer the lazy drawl he used with Lucia, but a low, grounded murmur.

Ian furrowed his brow and glanced toward the others, who were gradually closing the distance between them. They still held their weapons lowered, eyes fixed on the mist undulating around them.

Whoosh—

A faint sound cut past his ear. At the same time, his Intuition screamed a warning, sending a chill down his spine.

He looked up instinctively—and his eyes widened.

“Scatter!” He shouted as he instinctively summoned the Platinum Barrier.

Only Diana reacted in time, leaping to the side in a sudden burst of motion. A massive shadow suddenly snapped into view, right in the center of the Black Lions.

Shhh—

There was a sound like compressed wind being ripped apart as something enormous, wreathed in ashen trails, came crashing down.

Boom!

A deafening blast erupted. The shockwave exploded outward in a swirl of gray, scattering riders and horses like rag dolls in every direction.