Aidan said, “We would like to ask about a patient.”
“Name?”
Aidan gave the name.
The priest's expression did not change, but he paused for a brief moment. It was extremely brief—an ordinary person wouldn't have noticed, but Matthew did.
“He cannot see visitors right now,” the priest said.
“Why?” Aidan asked.
“His mental state is unstable.”
Matthew suddenly spoke up. “We aren't here to pry into secrets.”
The priest looked at him.
Matthew continued, “We just want to know if he showed any anomalous behavior.”
The priest fell silent. After a moment, he asked, “Why do you care about him?”
It was a probe. Matthew didn't answer directly, instead saying, “Because we might have seen something similar.”
The priest's eyes flickered slightly. “What kind of thing?”
Matthew didn't mention the Blood-Veined Rapier, only saying, “Something related to the underground ruins.”
The air fell silent. The priest stared at him for a long time before slowly saying, “Follow me.”
They walked through the corridor and arrived at a private room. Inside sat a man—or rather, someone who used to be a man. He was incredibly thin, his face pale, his eyes hollow, and his hands trembling constantly. Under his breath, he kept repeating a single sentence:
“The door is open... The door is open again... They have returned...”
Aidan's face paled.
Matthew stepped closer and asked in a low voice, “What did you see?”
The man didn't react until Matthew drew near. He suddenly raised his head and stared fixedly at Matthew.
In the next second, he uttered a sentence: “Why are you holding it?”
Matthew's pupils contracted.
The man trembled as he looked at him. “It's not a weapon... It's a key...”
The room fell instantly silent. Matthew didn't speak, because he knew that he might have misunderstood something all this time.
The Blood-Veined Rapier might not be a piece of equipment, but a... key to open something.
The man continued, “Don't let it go back... Don't let them find it... Otherwise...”
His body suddenly shook violently. In the next second, he suddenly grabbed Matthew's hand, his voice filled with extreme terror. “The underground door... has already opened a crack...”
With those words, the man lost consciousness completely. Only three people remained in the room.
Aidan looked at Matthew, his voice low. “Brother Matthew... is what he said... true?”
Matthew didn't answer. His gaze fell on his storage ring, where the Blood-Veined Rapier lay quietly.
At that very moment, his panel emerged once more.
【Detected keywords: Door】
【Detected keywords: Underground ruins】
【Blood-Veined Rapier hidden information unlocked】
【Prompt: This equipment is not in a complete state】
Matthew's breath hitched for a second. Not in a complete state? What did that mean?
The next line of text slowly appeared.
【Missing Component: Unknown】
【Restoration Condition: Unknown】
Matthew stared at the panel. For the first time, he felt that the secret behind this sword far exceeded his imagination.
Meanwhile, outside the Church, a dark shadow stood in the distance, quietly watching the direction in which they had left.
The shadow murmured in a low voice, “It has finally begun. The key has been found. Now... the door should be reopened as well.”
Inside the Church room, the air seemed to freeze. Matthew stood there, silent for a long time.
【Blood-Veined Rapier hidden information unlocked】
【Equipment Status: Incomplete】
【Missing Component: Unknown】
These lines kept flashing in his mind.
Before, he had always thought that the greatest secret of the Blood-Veined Rapier was its ability to improve talent and affect the user's Spirit. But now it seemed that was merely the surface.
The real question was why it existed, why it had appeared in that weapon shop, why it had triggered that incident ten years ago, and why someone had called it a key.
Matthew slowly withdrew his gaze and suppressed his emotions.
The closer he got to the truth, the more he had to maintain his composure. This was a lesson he had learned from countless experiences in his past life. Many people didn't die in the face of danger, but rather in the excitement after discovering a treasure.
Power, secrets, opportunities—there was nothing wrong with these things in themselves. The real danger lay in the people who possessed them starting to believe they were omnipotent.
“Let's go,” Matthew said.
Aidan glanced at the explorer on the bed. “Are we not going to ask any more?”
Matthew shook his head. “We won't get anything more out of him. At least not right now.”
Aidan didn't quite understand. “But he said so much important information.”
Matthew nodded. “Which is exactly why we shouldn't ask further.”
“Why?”
Matthew looked at the unconscious man and said softly, “Because he isn't recalling memories right now. He is replaying his terror. What a person sees in a state of extreme fear is often part of the reality, but it isn't the complete truth.”
Aidan fell silent, gradually understanding. They had already obtained enough. Pressuring him further would likely only cause his mind to break completely.
The two left the healing room. As they walked out of the Church, the sunlight of the Royal Capital spilled over them.
The streets outside were as bustling as ever. People sold bread, drove carriages, and chatted about the day's weather, as if everything that had just transpired didn't exist.
This stark contrast made Aidan feel somewhat out of place.
“Brother Matthew,” he murmured. “Sometimes I feel like this world has two faces.”
Matthew looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“One is the world that ordinary people see. The other... is the world we are coming into contact with.”
Matthew smiled. “You're only realizing this now?”
Aidan froze.
“From the moment you became a Knight, you already entered this second world. It's just that before, you saw monsters and battles. Now, you see what is hidden behind them.”
Aidan fell into deep thought.
The two walked down the street, not returning directly to the inn. Matthew had another place to go: the Materials Market.
If the Blood-Veined Rapier was indeed incomplete, then he needed to find out what was missing. And the simplest way to do that was to look for similar items.
The Royal Capital Materials Market was located on the east side of the Commercial District. It was far more chaotic than the regular shops, with a cacophony of voices blending together.
“High-grade magical beast bones! Straight from the northern ice fields! Guaranteed fresh!”
“Elven branches! Only three left!”
“Fire crystals! Perfect for fire-attribute Class holders!”
The air was thick with all kinds of strange smells—potions, metal, and the unique aura emitted by magic materials.
Matthew walked through the crowd, observing constantly. Unlike the Class Holder Plaza, which showcased people, this place showcased resources. And resources were often far more telling of a world's true level than its people.
Aidan looked around, somewhat astonished. “The things sold here... I've never seen so many of them.”
Matthew nodded. “That's normal. Many of these materials are things ordinary Class holders won't ever come across in their entire lives.”
The two arrived at a large materials shop. The shop owner was a middle-aged man who immediately walked over to greet them upon seeing their equipment.
“What do you two need?”
Matthew didn't mention the Blood-Veined Rapier directly. Instead, he asked, “Have you ever seen a material with dark red patterns?”
The owner thought for a moment. “Dark red patterns? Can you be more specific?”
Matthew said, “Like the patterns of coagulated blood.”
The owner's expression shifted slightly. It was very subtle, but Matthew noticed it.
“What is it?” Matthew asked.
The owner smiled. “Nothing. I just thought of a certain material.”
“What is it?”
The owner hesitated for a moment, then said, “Blood crystal.”
Matthew's eyes shifted.
“Tell me about it.”
The owner pulled out a materials catalog and flipped to one of the pages. On it was a drawing of a dark red crystal with natural patterns on its surface.
“Blood crystal. A very rare magic mineral. Its characteristic is the ability to store unique energy. However...” The owner paused. “This thing is dangerous.”
“Why?”
The owner lowered his voice. “Because in the past, some people discovered that certain special equipment in ancient ruins used this material. Especially...” He glanced around. “...equipment with blood-colored patterns.”
Matthew's heart jolted. “Where can it be found?”
The owner shook his head. “There's almost none of it now. But...” He paused. “...the auction in three days might have some.”
The auction again. Matthew fell silent. It seemed he absolutely had to attend that auction.
Leaving the Materials Market, Aidan said, “All clues point there.”
Matthew nodded. “Yes. Which is why we can't make it too obvious.”
“What do you mean?”
Matthew looked at the distant Auction House. “If someone intentionally allowed these things to appear, then they will definitely be watching to see who is interested in them.”
Aidan frowned. “So we have to pretend we don't care?”
Matthew smiled. “Not pretend we don't care. But rather, make others think we are just ordinary buyers.”
Just as the two were leaving, a masked man stood at the street corner, quietly watching them. In his hand, he held a portrait.
The person in the portrait was none other than Matthew.
Beside it were written a few words:
【Confirmed Holder】
The masked man murmured in a low voice, “He is faster than expected. He has already discovered the blood crystal.”
Someone behind him asked, “Do we need to deal with him?”
The masked man fell silent. After a moment, he shook his head. “No. We cannot touch him yet. Because...” He looked in the direction Matthew had left. “...he might be the first person in ten years who hasn't been consumed by the sword.”
At night, in the inn, Matthew organized all the information he had obtained today. Finally, he wrote down a few terms on a piece of paper:
Blood-Veined Rapier. Blood crystal. Underground ruins. Old theater. Auction. Eli.
Then, at the very bottom, he wrote a single sentence:
【Three days later, the auction. Must attend.】
Meanwhile, deep beneath the Royal Capital, in a space that had been sealed for many years, a stone door slowly cracked open in the darkness. A dark red glow seeped through the gap, and a voice that had been asleep for a long time slowly echoed:
“The key... has returned...”
Three days might seem like a very short time to an ordinary person, but for Matthew, these three days were packed to the brim.
He didn't rashly investigate the underground ruins, nor did he continue searching for Eli. Right now, what he lacked wasn't clues, but preparation.
The closer he got to the core, the less he could act on instinct like before. Doing so would make it very easy to die.
The Royal Capital. The auction. Hidden factions. Blood crystal. Behind all these lay power of a much higher level. And the current Matthew did not yet have enough qualifications to stand at the center of the chessboard.
Therefore, he needed to increase his chips first.
The first order of business was equipment.
At the Materials Market.
“Boss, do you have any protective gear suitable for a Swordsman?” Matthew was picking out items inside an equipment shop.
The owner was a dwarf. He was short but had thick, muscular arms, and his eyes were more earnest than anyone else's when looking at weapons.
“A Swordsman?” The owner sized Matthew up. “Your sword is quite good.”
Matthew didn't deny it.
The owner glanced at his waist and smiled. “But I'm not talking about that one. Your true weapon shouldn't be an ordinary piece of equipment.”
Matthew's eyes shifted slightly. This owner's observation skills were quite sharp. However, he didn't explain, simply saying, “I need a piece of equipment that won't attract attention.”
The owner paused for a moment, then laughed. “You're quite strange. Many young Class holders can't wait to hang all their best things on themselves, yet you want to hide.”
Matthew said flatly, “Living long is more important than looking strong.”
The owner stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. “Interesting.”
In the end, Matthew bought a piece of ordinary black leather armor. The quality wasn't high—it was even below Blue-quality—but it had the advantage of being inconspicuous.
He didn't plan to bring the Blood-Veined Rapier to the auction, at least not openly. If everyone knew he possessed that sword, he wouldn't be participating in the auction, but rather becoming a target for others to observe.
The second order of business was identity.
An auction was not an ordinary market. Without a certain status, one couldn't even enter many of the areas. Thus, Matthew needed a reasonable identity.
Ultimately, he chose the identity of a mercenary.
The reason was simple: the easiest Class holders to hide in the Royal Capital were mercenaries. They came from all over, possessed varying strengths, and had complex backgrounds. No one would pay too much attention to them.
The third order of business was intelligence.
During these three days, Aidan had visited almost every tavern near the Class Holder Plaza.
At night, in the inn room.
“Brother Matthew,” Aidan said, placing several sheets of paper on the table. “This is the information on the auction.”
Matthew took them.
The first sheet: the auction process.
The second sheet: the participating factions.
The third sheet: the key items up for bid.
He quickly scanned through them.
“The scale of this auction is quite large,” Aidan said. “Several major merchant groups of the Royal Capital, as well as nobles, will be participating. I even heard that a member of the royal family will show up.”
Matthew nodded. It wasn't surprising for blood crystal to appear in an auction of this caliber.
“What about the key items?”
Aidan pointed at the list. “These.”
Matthew looked over.
【No. 217】
【Unknown blood-veined fragment】
【No. 183】
【Blood crystal】
【No. 091】
【Ancient relic】
All three items caught Matthew's attention, especially the blood crystal.
“Is there any more information about the blood-veined fragment?”
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