Aidan shook his head. “No.”
“But there is one strange thing.”
“What is it?”
“This item... wasn't originally an auction item.”
Matthew looked up. “What do you mean?”
“It was a last-minute addition. Just five days ago.”
Five days ago. That was exactly after he had purchased the Blood-Veined Rapier.
Matthew's eyes darkened. This was no longer a mere coincidence.
“Who brought it in?”
Aidan said, “I don't know. The Auction House didn't make it public. However, I did manage to find out one piece of information.”
“What?”
Aidan lowered his voice. “The person who brought this item in is related to that incident at the old theater ten years ago.”
The room fell silent. Matthew looked at the documents on the table.
Three days. He was already certain. The auction was absolutely not a normal transaction. Rather, it was a gathering centered around items related to the blood-veined patterns.
The question was: who was organizing it? Who was waiting? Who would show up?
At night, Matthew sat alone in his room. He didn't sleep; instead, he was testing the Blood-Veined Rapier.
During these three days, he had discovered something. The influence of the Blood-Veined Rapier did not exist constantly. It followed a pattern.
Combat, killing intent, and dangerous environments—under these circumstances, the influence would strengthen. In a state of calm, the influence would weaken.
What did this mean? It wasn't a simple curse. It was more like... a form of guidance.
It was amplifying something: a person's desire for combat, their aggression, or some kind of hidden instinct.
Matthew looked at the blade. “What on earth are you?”
There was no response. But in the next moment, the blood-colored patterns on the blade glowed faintly.
His panel emerged.
【Detected active communication from the holder】
【Attempting to unlock hidden information】
【Insufficient conditions】
【Missing: Core component】
Matthew's eyes narrowed.
A core component. Not just any ordinary component, but the core.
This meant that if he found the missing part, the Blood-Veined Rapier might undergo a change. Perhaps it would even restore its true power.
But why was it missing? Who had dismantled it? And who had placed it in that weapon shop?
Right then, outside the window, a dark shadow flashed past.
Matthew instantly opened his eyes. It wasn't an illusion. Someone was watching.
He didn't give chase immediately. Instead, he walked slowly to the window.
The street outside was completely empty. However, on the windowsill, an object had been left behind: a single black feather.
Matthew picked it up. In the next second, his panel emerged.
【Detected special item】
【Shadow Messenger Feather】
【Source: Unknown organization】
Below it, there was another line of text.
【Message:】
【If you want to know the past of the Blood-Veined Rapier, come to the old theater tomorrow night.】
Matthew looked at the sentence, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Finally, someone had actively reached out to him.
But he didn't celebrate just yet. He knew that people who approached on their own initiative usually didn't do so to give answers. Instead, they did so to present terms.
Tomorrow night. The old theater.
That place was highly likely the true gateway to the incident from ten years ago.
The following night, in the Old District of the royal capital.
The Old District at night was completely different from during the day.
In the daytime, residents could still be seen here. The shouts of vendors could be heard, and one could feel the bustle of ordinary life.
But at night, those dilapidated streets seemed to be shrouded in another layer of shadow. There was none of the brilliant illumination of the Central Commercial District, nor were there any patrol knights from the Noble District. Even the roadside taverns had closed early.
Only a few scattered magic lamps emitted a dim glow, lighting the road ahead.
Matthew walked down the street. His pace was neither fast nor slow.
Aidan followed closely behind him, a look of obvious tension on his face. “Brother Matthew, are you sure you want to go?”
Matthew glanced back at him. “I'm not sure.”
Aidan froze. “Then why are we going?”
Matthew smiled. “Because if we don't go, we'll never know what's inside. Besides, the person who invited us wants to meet us even more than we want to meet them. Since that's the case, at least for now, we still hold the initiative.”
Aidan thought about it and found it made sense. Even so, he tightened his grip on his hilt.
After all, what they were facing now was no longer an ordinary mercenary mission. It was a secret that had been hidden in the royal capital for ten years.
The old theater.
This place had once been one of the most bustling entertainment venues in the royal capital. Nobles would visit, merchants would gather, and even members of the royal family had once made appearances.
But now, nothing remained here but ruins: dilapidated outer walls, shattered stone pillars, and an entrance overgrown with vines.
Moonlight spilled over the ruins, carrying a sense of desolation.
Matthew stood at the entrance. He didn't enter immediately, instead observing his surroundings.
There were no guards, no ambushes, and no obvious magic fluctuations. It was too quiet—so quiet that it didn't even seem like a trap.
But this only made Matthew more cautious. A truly high-level trap would never make you feel danger.
“Let's go in,” he said.
The two entered the theater.
The interior was even more dilapidated than the outside. In the center of the hall, the once-magnificent stage was now nothing but debris.
The murals on the walls were faded beyond recognition. Yet, Matthew still noticed something. Though the murals were damaged, they contained a large number of blood-red lines that were extremely similar to the patterns on the Blood-Veined Rapier.
He stepped closer, his fingers touching the wall.
In the next instant, a familiar sensation arose—cold and distant, as if something was responding to his touch.
His panel emerged.
【Detected cognate energy】
【Matching Degree: 52%】
It was higher than before.
Matthew's expression shifted slightly. This place was indeed related to the Blood-Veined Rapier.
“You've come,” a voice suddenly rang out. It didn't come from afar, but from right behind them.
Matthew spun around instantly.
Standing there was a person clad in a black robe and a silver mask. It was the very person who had left the feather behind.
“Who are you?” Aidan immediately fell into a defensive stance.
The figure ignored him, keeping his gaze fixed on Matthew. “You are faster than I expected.”
Matthew said calmly, “You knew I would come?”
The masked man nodded. “I did. Because anyone who possesses that will inevitably end up here.”
Matthew looked at him. “Have you all been waiting for the holder?”
The masked man fell silent. Then, he said, “No. We are waiting for...” He looked at Matthew's waist. “...the next owner of the key.”
The key. It was that word again.
Matthew's brow furrowed slightly. “Explain.”
The masked man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the center of the stage, where a shattered stone slab lay.
He reached out his hand, and a faint light flickered. The dust on the slab slowly dispersed, revealing the hidden pattern underneath: a door, a sword, and a blood-colored pattern.
“Ten years ago,” the masked man began, “a failed ritual took place here. Someone attempted to open a door underground. But they failed.”
Matthew asked, “What is behind the door?”
The masked man looked at him. “I don't know. Because no one has ever truly been inside.”
This answer caught Matthew somewhat by surprise. “You don't know? Then why do you want to open it?”
The masked man fell silent for a moment. “Because behind that door, there might lie a power capable of changing the world.”
Aidan frowned. “So you just want to obtain power?”
The masked man did not deny it. “Power, knowledge, truth... any one of those is enough to make a person take the risk.”
Matthew stared at him. “What organization are you?”
The masked man didn't answer. Instead, he said, “We are simply seekers of answers. Just like you.”
Matthew let out a soft chuckle. “I don't think we are the same at all. You know a great deal, while I am just someone who obtained this sword by accident.”
The masked man shook his head. “No. You are no accident. At least... not anymore.”
As his words fell, he retrieved an object from his robes—a small box—and placed it in the center of the stage. “Open it.”
Matthew didn't budge. “What is inside?”
The masked man said, “The thing you are missing.”
The air instantly froze. Aidan's expression shifted.
Matthew stared intently at the box. The thing he was missing... the core component? The missing part of the Blood-Veined Rapier?
“Why give it to me?”
The masked man replied, “Because only you can open it.”
Matthew didn't believe him, but he walked over and opened the box anyway.
In the next instant, a familiar aura rushed over him. It wasn't mana, nor was it combat qi. Rather, it was the aura of the Blood-Veined Rapier.
Inside the box lay a dark red crystal. On its surface, there were also blood-colored patterns.
【Detected missing component】
【Name: Blood-Veined Core Fragment】
【Matching Degree: 78%】
Matthew's pupils contracted slightly. Indeed, this was exactly what the Blood-Veined Rapier was missing.
But in the next second, a new prompt appeared.
【Warning】
【Upon fusing this item, the Blood-Veined Rapier will restore a portion of its abilities】
【Simultaneously, the spiritual influence will intensify】
Matthew stared at the prompt. He didn't initiate the fusion immediately, because he knew that the true choice was only beginning now.
Matthew didn't pick up the blood-colored crystal right away. He simply stared at it quietly for a long time.
【Blood-Veined Core Fragment】
【Matching Degree: 78%】
【A portion of its abilities will be restored upon fusion】
The prompts on his panel were very clear. This item was indeed a missing part of the Blood-Veined Rapier.
Yet, the more explicit it was, the more cautious Matthew became. He understood very well that in this world, there was no such thing as free power.
The first time the Blood-Veined Rapier had enhanced his talent, the price he had paid was spiritual influence. What about after restoring the core? An increase in power? Restored abilities? Or... a deeper erosion?
“You're not in a hurry to take it?” the masked man spoke up.
Matthew looked up. “Do you want me to fuse it right now?”
The masked man fell silent.
In this brief moment, Matthew had already obtained his answer. The other party wanted him to, but they weren't forcing him. This indicated that this core fragment was equally important to them.
“What if I don't fuse it?” Matthew asked.
The masked man said, “Then it is merely an ordinary relic. But if you fuse it...” He paused. “...you will see everything that transpired ten years ago.”
Ten years ago. Ten years ago, once again.
Matthew looked down at the fragment. “What is it you want me to see?”
The masked man didn't answer, because in the next moment, the entire old theater suddenly shuddered.
Rumble—
From deep underground, a dull, heavy sound echoed, sounding as if some massive creature was rolling over in its slumber.
Aidan's face instantly paled. “There's something down there?”
For the first time, a solemn expression appeared on the masked man's face as well. “That shouldn't be. Why would it awaken now?”
Matthew caught the keyword. “It?”
The masked man didn't answer. Right at that moment, the Blood-Veined Rapier at Matthew's waist suddenly began to vibrate on its own.
Buzz—
From within the black scabbard, a low hum of the sword rang out.
In the next second, the core fragment floated out of the box and flew straight toward the Blood-Veined Rapier.
“Wait!” Aidan cried out.
But it was already too late. The fragment transformed into a streak of dark red light and merged into the blade.
Boom!
A powerful aura erupted. The walls of the entire old theater simultaneously lit up with blood-colored patterns, as though a mechanism that had been dormant for years had finally been reactivated.
Matthew gripped the hilt. In an instant, countless images flooded his mind.
A dark underground space. Dozens of people clad in robes.
In the center, a massive stone door. In front of the stone door, a sword was plunged into the ground. It was none other than the Blood-Veined Rapier.
Some knelt on the ground, some recorded feverishly, and some argued loudly.
“The key is complete!”
“As long as we open the door, we can obtain true power!”
“No!”
“There is no power behind that door!”
“Only disaster!”
The images shifted rapidly. Someone drew the sword. The stone door opened a crack.
Darkness began to seep out from behind the door. Everyone's expressions twisted.
Then came screams and chaos.
A voice rang out.
“The seal has failed!”
“We must dismantle the key!”
“Otherwise, it will open the door again!”
Finally, an elderly man gripped the Blood-Veined Rapier, removing its core and sealing the blade away.
His voice was weak.
“Wait for the next person capable of controlling it...”
“Do not let it become the key.”
“Let it become the gatekeeper's sword.”
The vision ended.
Matthew snapped his eyes open. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but his gaze was clearer than ever before.
The masked man looked at him. “Did you see it?”
Matthew didn't answer, because he was currently processing the information he had just received.
They had misunderstood everything from the very beginning.
The Blood-Veined Rapier was indeed a key. But it wasn't a key to open the door. Rather, it was... the key to lock that door.
“You want to open it,” Matthew said.
The masked man fell silent.
“Why?”
“Because there might be power to change the world inside.”
“What if it isn't power?” Matthew asked. “What if it's a disaster?”
The masked man didn't answer. This time, his silence spoke volumes.
They didn't know. They were merely guessing. For the sake of a potential power, they were willing to take the risk.
Matthew looked at the Blood-Veined Rapier in his hand. After fusing with the core, it had undergone a transformation.
【Blood-Veined Rapier】
【Quality: Purple】
【Status: Restored 78%】
【Special Abilities Unlocked】
【Ability 1: Blood-Veined Resonance】
【Can sense cognate relics】
【Ability 2: Sword of Sealing】
【Suppresses special mana】
【Ability 3: Unknown】
【Unlock conditions not met】
Matthew's eyes flickered slightly.
Sword of Sealing. This was its true ability.
The so-called talent enhancement from before had likely been nothing more than a side effect caused by its leaking power.
Right at that moment, from outside the old theater, footsteps suddenly echoed—a large number of footsteps. Someone was coming.
The masked man's expression shifted. “They've arrived.”
Aidan gripped his sword. “Who?”
The masked man looked toward the exit. “The people who want to open the door.”
In the next moment, the theater doors were pushed open, and over a dozen figures walked in.
At the very front was Eli. But this time, there was no smile on his face.
He stared at the Blood-Veined Rapier in Matthew's hand, his voice deep as he spoke. “You fused it after all.”
Matthew looked at him. “You knew this would happen?”
Eli did not deny it. “I did. That is why I wanted to stop you.”
Matthew frowned. “Why?”
Eli looked toward the ground, his voice low and heavy. “Because now, it already knows that the key has returned.”
Boom!
The entire old theater shuddered once more.
Underground, that door, which had been dormant for ten years, slowly cracked open.
And this time, no one could be certain of what exactly lay behind it.
Rate on N.U.
