Viers felt cheated.

Defeating powerful enemies and using the gains from them was the basis of growth. There were no experience points for level-ups in Viers’ case but the potential loot and benefits from the undead were great. Level 4 prey was a big game for the current Viers. If he was alone, then fighting it was too risky but there were heroic Legionaries willing to shoulder the heavy lifting with him.

Viers would help them vanquish the monster and gain benefits with a fraction of the effort, Ciel would be saved, the Church would wipe out an abomination from this world, everybody wins.

Only, the undead was nowhere to be found.

Even though its intelligence has degraded and been reduced to a mere monster, the rotten bastard seems to still have some form of cunning. After the first battle, it must have thought we were too dangerous.

Viers was especially looking forward to getting his hands on its teleportation method. The undead was not a space Pathseeker so the method was most likely an external one, such as a magical item or technique. Viers saw a rune lit up when it Disapparated. Chances were, he could use it too. A Level 4 soul was also a scrumptious meal.

Hell’s bells!

From a broken roof there was sunlight peeking from the misty beyond, providing light to a patch of greenery. The sight of flowers and varieties of rare plants was beautiful and picturesque.

Viers knelt on one knee, eyes closed, one hand on the ground. Dia climbed on top of his head, fascinated by the naturally created garden inside the destroyed ruins.

Half of Viers’ mind was listening to the discussion of the others. They were sure the undead was still up and about. They feared it would return and continue stalking the swamp for souls once they were gone. However, they couldn't continue hunting the revenant. Ciel was waiting and since it was teleportation-capable, the difficulty of killing it rose significantly.

The other half of Viers' mind was examining the very land they stood on. The undead was here; the taint was clear. This was its central haunt. What got Viers’ attention was the invisible spider web-like thing that spread out from this place to all over the swamp. Viers guessed it was a product from some sort of a necromantic ritual, very subtle, very delicate. If Viers’ soul mastery wasn’t above most Pathseekers alive, he didn't think he would have noticed it. The spider web’s function was to trap souls that had lost their bodies and then the master could absorb the souls at their leisure.

During the assault on the Noharic Vipers’ nest, Viers tried to collect a human soul that had died there. Mita wordlessly slapped his soul tendril. It was like a mother who slapped the hand of a sneaky child that was reaching for the cookie jar. Viers played it off as if trying to help the soul, it didn't matter if she believed him or not. It confirmed his suspicion. That was why he didn't try to collect souls where there were strong people around such as when he was in a city. Who knew which people got the eyes to discern his ability? He didn't want to expose his identity as a soul Pathseeker for some random rat soul.

But with this subtle spider web thingy… With my soul mastery, modifying it shouldn't be too hard.

As always, Viers squeezed as much benefit as he could get from his venture.

“-iers. Viers! Do you hear what we said?” Rose called.

“Get the flower, save Ciel, the revenant's not our problem anymore cause you’ll tell it to the high command later. Yaaay…”

“Urgh! You have to say it that way…” Rose grimaced.

“Well, at least one of us is happy,” Wendy pointed at Dia. She was strolling on a field of flowers with a smile; Fullcure Lilies and other varieties. One of the colorful butterflies landed on the flower on Dia’s head. Dia giggled then sneezed from the pollen it carried.

“Lalanka Butterflies. Beneficial for plants. Quite the rare species,” Damon said.

I’m sooo getting some of them for Dia’s Biome, Viers looked at the garden. He’d already studied the hidden soul spider web thingy and even destroyed it so the revenant would have a hard time later. Oh? Is that a coffee plant!? And those are Dragon Durians? Pinti Berries? I want them!

Why the undead did not desecrate this place Viers had no idea. Perhaps it was its way of luring fresh souls to this place? At any rate, the place was filled with rare plants. Precious rare plants.

“Dia, can you introduce me to your new friends?” Viers said. The others were eyeing him strangely.

“Un!” Dia happily agreed.

“So, uhh… You also can talk to plants?” Conn asked Rose who had a wood 5 affinity.

“Not me, or any human wood Pathseeker that I know of… but maybe Dia really understands them? She’s a plant spirit, right?”

“All right, you know the drill. Let’s get what he came for,” Damon got them in line.

“You can take the plant products but don't damage their foundation. Take two, leave five. Leave some for other people in the future.”

After Mita said that, she left to survey the surrounding ruined building. The resources might be too low-leveled for the Level 4.

Viers took some of the flowers, berries, grasses, herbs, and fruits, then left the hall too. He let Dia chat with the other plants.

The ruins piqued his interest. He was in no delusion that there was a treasure chest waiting for him to open but after seeing through the walls with Euryale Sight, he found something interesting.

“Wow…”

In one of the deepest rooms, Viers found a mural.

“What are those about?” Clarissa asked.

“History of the Coriz Empire. Its glory… This ruin must be from that era.”

Interesting tidbits but didn't really matter to Viers. He browsed through depictions after depictions. His slow steps echoed.

“Now this-” Viers pointed his finger at one of the walls. “-is the main dish.”

“Sealed power of the Coriz royal line…” Farley felt her immaterial heart thumping in excitement.

“This is big…” Paina muttered.

“It seems the family that used to live here was entrusted by the emperor to safeguard the hidden power,” Clarissa pieced together the story encased in stone.

The writing on the wall pointed to the location where it was hidden in a cryptic manner.

How typical. The people that made this cannot simply tell where the X is. Every frickin’ time!

Viers scoffed and opened a map of Valkut and the Recordkeeper Mirror. Silently, he referenced the obscure depictions with the memories of the locals.

“-but the passage can only be opened by a chosen one, bearing an intangible key,” Farley read aloud. Below the writing, there was a picture of a person raising both of his hands, holding something before an opened gate. “The heir will restore the glory of the Coriz Empire…”

Viers made a circle on the map. He’d deduced that the location of the hidden power was somewhere in the circle, but it was still too wide of an area. He would need to gather more clues.

“We’re done here,” Viers walked out.

“Even if you find the place, what are you gonna do about the key?” Paina asked.

“We’ll see,” Viers replied.

The picture of the person holding the mysterious key was pretty vague but it looked like it was shining.

Perhaps it was a brilliant jewel, a bright stone, a star, or perhaps… a fire?

In this place, where Viers mysteriously met multiple people from his Luxore days as if guided by the hand of destiny, wasn't there someone he hadn't met yet? Even if he didn't meet him yet, Viers was sure he was here or coming here.

And didn't this person have a special fire?

Despite the earlier failure, Viers’ genre-savviness was still going strong.

To think he has this sort of setting… I’m counting on you as my treasure detector, Max buddy.

***

Viers didn't spend much time with the murals. His next destination was the second and last unique location in the ruins. This one felt more dangerous compared to the garden and the murals.

He found Mita there, looking down at an underground cavern. There was a tunnel that led deeper in. The poisonous air was thick down there, at least ten times more concentrated. Who knew what else they would find further in.

The garden was wondrous, the murals were old but grand, and the cave was simply eerie.

“Find anything interesting?” Mita asked.

“Different ruins. Same old, same old,” Viers replied. “So what’s this thing here?”

“Something that’s better left alone,” she said with a flat tone.

That’s for damn sure.

All over the cave’s entrance, there were round rock statues of varying sizes. The smallest one was the size of a human head, the biggest one was a weather-worn three meter tall boulder. All statues bore the likeness of bug monsters.

“There were ancient wards here,” Viers examined the remains.

“There were,” Mita said.

…From nursery rhymes and folklore, they said the Valkut region was teeming with greeneries once. Something happened and it became a barren land. Was it caused by these bug monsters?

“...I’m gonna head back,” Viers wanted nothing to do with the cave. He felt it was out of his league. This was not the first dangerous place he encountered in his travels. Smartly staying away from them was one of the reasons he was still alive.

“Yes. Let’s.”

Mita walked with him.

They were back in the garden and the party had finished harvesting. Dia snuggled Viers after being separated.

“So?”

Dia whispered to his ear.

“Uh-huh. That one, that one… Oh, that one too, hm? My, you’re quite the diplomat, little one.”

“Viers?” Rose had a puzzled look.

“Oi, what are you doing?” Bryan asked more harshly but Viers treated him like a fart. Unpleasant, but inconsequential.

Viers started uprooting some of the plants, inviting some ire.

“Cool it. I’m not hurting Dia’s new friends. I’m not an animal. You see, they agreed to new, better housing, which I can provide. They’ll love it there.”

Viers put four plants in special storages. He also caught some Lalanka Butterflies.

Bryan did not like it. “You selfish-”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Can we just not fight because of some trees?”

“And there are monsters coming. Power hates a vacuum,” Wendy informed.

Monsters like to stay in places with high mana concentration. Now that the undead had gone, some beasts had started to test the water.

“You!” Bryan invaded Viers’ personal space. “You’re not a team player. You go off after you take what you need and you take more than the team. Arrogant and selfish. That’s you! You’ll never be one of us!”

At a caterpillar’s pace, Viers started to frown. What the hell was Bryan talking about?

“Your point?”

“Urgh! Talking to you is useless!”

Bryan threw his face away in anger. Was Bryan misunderstood that this was Viers’ trial run for the Church’s orientation? Viers put his thinking to a stop because he didn't want to use any more brain cells for something so useless.

“Is there anything else?” Viers asked Mita.

The Level 4 silently took out the silver pendant. It was this magic item that teleported them in and would now teleport them out. The pendant glowed as it started activating.

Mita was a bit disappointed. She’d hoped Viers would grow closer with Damon and the others but that didn't seem to be the case.

If a hero went together with a hostile or stranger group, by the end of the arc friendship was usually formed. Viers had seen such cases over and over again.

This was the result of Viers being Viers.

***

A monster’s head was thrown to a man’s feet.

“The monster is dead,” Max said haggardly. “May your wife’s soul rest peacefully.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Now I'll tell you what my great-great-grandfather bid to pass on to the key bearer. Go to the Foulfae Swamp. What you seek is at the center.”

“Foulfae Swamp…”

Max’s eyes shone with determination.