Chapter 86: A Quiet Search

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: A Quiet Search

The deeper they went, the more dangerous it became.

Ice covered the ground and walls, while strange currents of elemental energy moved through the area. Every now and then, they could sense the presence of powerful Spirit elementals watching them.

Damon enjoyed every bit of it.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have an Ice affinity.

The Spirits around them showed no interest in him.

He wasn’t disappointed, though.

That wasn’t what he came here for.

Caelia was also ignored by most of the Spirits they encountered.

Damon quickly understood why.

She already had a contract.

The Ice spirits seemed to recognize that immediately, so neither side wasted time approaching the other.

They simply continued forward.

After a while, Caelia began to slow down.

"How long are we going to keep walking?"

Damon looked at her.

"Until I find what I’m looking for."

"And if you don’t?"

"Then we keep walking."

She stared at him.

"You really don’t get tired of this?"

Damon smiled.

"Not when there’s treasure around."

As if to prove his point, he bent down and picked up another Ice Elemental Crystal.

Caelia watched him put it into his storage bag.

"You know you can just buy those, right?"

"I know."

"You have enough money now."

"I know."

"You could even ask my father for some."

Damon looked at her seriously.

"I know."

Caelia frowned.

"Then why are you picking up every single one?"

Damon looked at the crystal in his hand before putting it away.

"Because finding something myself feels better."

Caelia couldn’t argue with that.

Damon genuinely enjoyed exploring.

It wasn’t only about what he could gain.

He liked finding things that other people had overlooked, figuring out how they worked and seeing how much they could help him grow.

And the deeper they went, the more rewarding it became.

The Ice Elemental Crystals became more common, while some were noticeably purer than the ones near the entrance.

Damon’s storage bag slowly filled.

He still hadn’t found a Core Spirit.

But he wasn’t worried.

His second core had already reacted to Core Spirits before.

As long as they were close enough, it would tell him.

So for now, he trusted Caelia’s knowledge of the Birthground and his own senses.

As they continued walking.

Eventually, Damon decided to use the quiet journey to learn more about the place he had just gotten involved with.

"So, tell me about your city."

Caelia looked at him.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything important."

She gave him a strange look.

"That’s a lot."

"Then start with the things that can get me into trouble."

That made her laugh softly.

"Fair enough."

She explained that the city was heavily dominated by Ice Elemental users.

That much Damon had already guessed from the terrain and the number of Ice beasts around the Winterbourne Mansion.

But there was something more important.

The city only had one Birthground.

The Winterbourne family’s Birthground.

However, that didn’t mean the other families were unable to enter the Frostveil Expanse.

Anyone with the strength could explore the Distorted Zone.

The difference was that the Winterbourne family had been doing it for generations.

They had more people, more experience and more access to the resources inside.

They were also the ones who had spent years holding back the Frostveil Expanse.

Damon nodded slowly.

"So they get the most benefits because they put in the most work."

"Exactly."

"And the others don’t like that."

Caelia’s expression darkened.

"They never did."

Damon understood.

The resentment had probably existed for generations.

But before, the Winterbourne family had been strong enough to deal with it.

Now the Frostveil Expanse was changing.

More beasts were appearing.

The pressure was increasing.

And the families that had once been unable to challenge the Winterbournes finally had an opportunity.

Damon rubbed his chin.

"They’re waiting for your family to weaken itself."

Caelia didn’t answer immediately.

Her silence was enough.

Damon continued.

"Letting you fight the Distorted Zone until you’re exhausted, then stepping in when you’re weak enough to take what’s left."

"That’s what it feels like."

Her fingers tightened.

"They’re supposed to be allies."

"Supposed to be?"

Caelia gave him a bitter smile.

"You’re starting to understand this city."

Damon chuckled.

"Unfortunately."

They continued walking.

But the conversation had changed her mood.

Damon noticed the frustration on her face.

Every few moments, her lips tightened as if she was holding something back.

Then she finally muttered,

"We need to grow stronger."

Damon glanced at her.

There was no hesitation in her voice.

He could feel how serious she was.

Ever since he had saved her, that determination had only grown.

Damon understood it.

He wanted the same thing.

The difference was that he already had several ways to keep growing.

Freya had more weapon arts waiting to be developed.

Sylphie was getting closer to her own weapon form, and Freya’s evolution had already given her a direction to work toward.

Then there was the Ice Core Spirit he was searching for.

If he found one, his options would increase again.

But Caelia didn’t have the same advantages.

Damon looked at her quietly.

He wanted to help her.

The problem was that he didn’t know how.

He could teach her some things eventually, perhaps.

But getting stronger wasn’t something he could simply hand to another person.

They continued in silence for a while.

Then Damon stopped.

Caelia nearly walked into him.

"What is it?"

Damon didn’t answer.

His Spirit Origin had pulsed.

Once.

His expression changed.

Then it pulsed again.

Thump.

Damon’s eyes narrowed.

He knew that reaction.

He had felt it before.

A Core Spirit.

And this time, the response was much stronger.

His second core had clearly sensed something nearby.

Damon slowly smiled.

"Change of plans."

Caelia blinked.

"What?"

Damon turned slightly.

"This way."

He pointed toward another passage.

"That isn’t the route we were taking."

"I know."

"Then why are we going there?"

Damon’s smile grew.

"Let’s say my instinct just told me where to go."

This made Caelia stare blankly at him.