“Pandora?!” Luca’s expression darkened the moment he heard the name.
He had known the Undead Coffin had an extraordinary origin, but he never expected it to be connected to the Desire Witch herself.
Pandora was one of the most dangerous of the King-level monsters.
Her threat wasn’t due to raw power but because her abilities were uniquely terrifying.
Like Jormungandr, Pandora’s strength didn’t lie in brute force but in the strange and eerie nature of her powers.
She had the ability to draw out people’s deepest desires and use them to control them.
This influence spread like a plague, infecting others rapidly.
In his past life, countless disasters were caused by Pandora. Among the King-level monsters, she had one of the highest kill counts.
It was only now that Luca realized why the plague in Pure River Town had felt so familiar.
He had seen people corrupted by Pandora’s influence before.
The only difference was that those victims had retained their human appearances, so he hadn’t immediately connected the dots.
“This is a real problem…” Luca muttered, his brow furrowed deeply.
He had refined the Undead Coffin into a magic rune, and it didn’t take much to realize he was now being watched.
Considering Pandora’s mysterious and unpredictable methods, even Luca found himself in a tough spot.
Orf noticed Luca’s troubled expression and thought he was scared, so he offered reassurance, “While the Undead Coffin appearing in the present world is indeed a bad omen, remember that ancient seals still exist. The stronger the monster, the harder it is for them to escape the Abyssal Demon Realm’s grasp.
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“Pandora won’t descend so easily. And even if they do, beings like that won’t bother with a mere Demonic Rune Mage.”
Upon hearing this, Luca only felt heavier in his heart.
The problem was, these beings would come after him.
Whether it was the King of Rage, Hydra, the Dreamlord Jormungandr, or the Desire Witch Pandora.
He had managed to anger them all.
If these King-level monsters ever descended or broke free, he’d be the first one on their hit list.
Taking a deep breath, Luca exhaled slowly.
There was no point in dwelling on it. He would just have to take things one step at a time.
After all, even if he could go back and do it over, he wouldn’t change his actions.
The core issue was that he wasn’t strong enough yet.
If he possessed the power he had in his past life, even if he couldn’t defeat those King-level monsters, at least he wouldn’t have to live in such constant fear.
He needed to grow stronger, and fast…
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Luca bid farewell to Orf.
Luca took the carriage once again and headed to the abandoned church in the Outer District.
He planned to contact Tia, asking her to gather information on any new nodes, and to keep a close eye on Harvis and the Morgan family.
That guy had given him a strange look earlier.
Luca suspected that, even if Harvis hadn’t been directly influenced by Pandora’s power, he certainly didn’t have good intentions.
It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
Maybe I’ll find a chance to kill him…
…
Meanwhile, in the Noble District of Southwind City, within the Mora family estate…
In the antique-styled hall, all members of the Mora family had been summoned back to the estate.
A group of them stood around, confused, quietly discussing.
Why the family patriarch had suddenly ordered their return?
Only Harvis stood motionless in the center of the hall, his face expressionless as he quietly waited.
Before long, a cough echoed through the room.
An elderly man, frail and stumbling, entered the hall, supported by a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious robes.
This was Andrew Mora, the current patriarch of the Mora family.
He is a high-ranking warrior at the peak of Diamond-level.
The man assisting him was his eldest son, Theodore.
The father of Harvis and the future heir of the Mora family.
As they entered, the other Mora family members respectfully greeted them.
Andrew’s second son, Ian, frowned and cut straight to the point, “What’s the reason Father called us all here?”
There was a sharpness to his tone, lacking any courtesy.
In the Mora family, many were discontent with Andrew. He was quite old yet still clung to the patriarch position.
It was bearable for Theodore since he was the next in line—he just had to outlive Andrew.
But for those like Ian and others who did most of the work yet saw little benefit, frustration had naturally built up.
“Cough… cough… Sit down. You’ll understand soon enough,” Andrew said, either ignoring or not picking up on the tone of Ian’s question. He settled into the head seat with Theodore’s help.
The rest took their seats.
They though the confusion lingered in their minds, unsure what this old man had up his sleeve.
They didn’t have to wait long. Once everyone was seated.
Andrew spoke slowly, his voice raspy, “Harvis… I’m getting old… You tell them.”
Harvis nodded and, unfazed by the suspicious glances of the others, stood up with a calm expression. “There’s something you all may not be aware of, and I’ll explain it on my grandfather’s behalf. Recently, our family entered into a secret collaboration with Duke Lyon’s son, Finn.
We were tasked with retrieving an item from Pure River Town for Finn, and in return, he promised to help establish a foothold for the Mora family in Dawn City…”
Before Harvis could finish speaking, the room was already stirring with unease.
Everyone present wasn’t a fool—they immediately grasped the implications behind Harvis’ words.
Pure River Town was so close to Southwind City, and everyone had heard about the upheaval there.
But no one had expected that their family was involved.
Moreover, wasn’t this the kind of thing the fewer people knew about, the better? What was the point of telling them now?
“Silence!” Theodore, who had been quiet until now, suddenly bellowed. His voice echoed through the room, vibrating the air. Everyone felt a wave of dizziness wash over them.
The hall quickly fell into silence.
Harvis remained calm and continued, “I’ve already retrieved the item. In a few days, Lord Finn will come to collect it. However, I’ve discovered that this item has a special quality—it can help our family rapidly grow in strength.
“So before Lord Finn arrives, Grandfather and I have decided to use its power to enhance our family. That’s why we’ve gathered you all here today. We need your help.”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
The group exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke.
Finally, Ian stepped forward, his voice cold, “If you know this belongs to Lord Finn, you should also know the consequences of this getting out.
“If we anger Duke Lyon, the entire Mora family will be wiped out. Even if our family’s power grows tenfold, what’s the point if we’re all dead?”
Many of the people in the room nodded in agreement, thinking Ian made a good point.
It was clear to everyone present which mattered more: life or profit.
They were already living comfortably, so why take such a big risk?
Harvis acted as though he hadn’t heard them. Slowly, he reached into his coat and pulled out a black box.
The black cloth wrapped around it disappeared, revealing its four strange and eerie carvings.
Harvis’ face twisted into a sinister smile as he said coldly, “It seems you’ve misunderstood something.
“I said I need your help. I didn’t say I was asking for your opinion.”
Everyone froze, bewildered by his words. Ian, however, felt a sudden sense of dread creeping over him.
But before he could act on it, Harvis opened the black box in his hands.
A surge of black liquid, filled with raw desire and negative emotions, erupted from the box like a tidal wave!
“Harvis, what are you doing?!” someone cried out in panic, but Harvis and Andrew remained unmoved, silently watching as the endless flood of darkness engulfed everyone in the Mora family!
…
After arriving at the Outer District’s church, Luca relayed instructions to Tia before logging out of the game.
It wasn’t his choice to leave, though—Sini had pulled him out, and Donald was there too.
“What’s going on?” Luca asked, confused by Sini’s anxious expression and wondering why both his parents had shown up.
Sini, visibly annoyed, responded, “Didn’t you tell us Susie was in the hospital? Stop playing games and come with us to check on her.”
Luca couldn’t help but feel amused.
He thought something serious had happened, but it turned out Susie was just sick.
Even though he knew it was probably nothing to worry about.
Luca decided to go along to ease his parents’ concerns.
After his parents left the room, Luca grabbed a casual outfit to change into.
But as he pulled on the shirt, there was a ripping sound—the sleeve tore right off!
“Is the game feeding back into reality?!” Luca looked at his hand, excitement spreading across his face.
He could clearly feel that his physical strength had multiplied several times over.
Even more importantly, he felt a faint trace of magic within his body.
Luca carefully attempted to activate the power of his magic runes.
The subtle magic responded, flowing into his hands. Slowly, crimson patterns began to appear on his skin, eventually forming a complete magic rune.
Blazing Flame Rune!
A small but intense flame suddenly ignited in Luca’s hand. Though it was no bigger than a fist, the sight filled him with surprise and joy.
Being able to use magic runes in the real world meant he had gained a form of self-defense. He no longer needed to fear the monsters that could appear at any time.
The more the game’s feedback influenced him, the stronger he would become in reality, which meant greater security in the future!
Creak! Just then, the door to his room swung open.
“Your mom bought you some new clothes. Try them…” Donald walked in holding a set of newly purchased clothes, ready to speak. But then he noticed the flame flickering in Luca’s hand.
The words stuck in his throat as his eyes widened in disbelief.
“This… is this another ability you got from the game?” Donald finally managed to ask once Luca extinguished the flame.
His face was full of shock. He could hardly believe what he’d just witnessed—his son summoning fire out of thin air!
The supernatural sight clashed hard with his worldview, especially as an old soldier.
If anyone else saw this, they might just drag his son off to a lab for dissection!