Chapter 37: The Face That Shouldn’t Exist

Daemon froze.

For several seconds, he simply stared at Roxanna.

He had expected many things from her during their time together in the Solitary Trial.

A smile.

A joke.

Maybe another one of her warm hugs.

But he had never expected her to suddenly lean forward and kiss him.

Roxanna pulled away only slightly, her cheeks bright red. Yet surprisingly, there was no hesitation in her eyes.

She looked nervous.

But she was also smiling.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Daemon blinked.

"For what?"

"For everything, Daemon."

Before he could respond, Roxanna wrapped her arms around him again.

Sana, who had been watching everything happen, stared at them in disbelief.

"Roxy..."

Roxanna didn’t even turn her head.

"You know what you’re doing, right?"

"Yes."

Her answer came immediately.

Then Roxanna hugged Daemon even tighter.

"For the first time..." she said softly, "I finally know what I’m doing."

Daemon’s expression softened.

He had liked Roxanna from the beginning.

Her kindness.

Her courage.

The way she always tried to help others despite being a support-type Awakener.

The way she had refused to abandon him in the dungeon.

And now, after everything they had experienced together, there was no confusion left.

Still, Daemon wanted to make sure.

"Roxanna."

She finally looked up at him.

"Are you sure?"

Roxanna nodded.

"I am."

Daemon smiled.

"Because once I decide you’re going to stay with me, I’m not letting you escape easily."

Roxanna’s eyes widened slightly.

Daemon continued with a teasing grin.

"You’ll have to stay with me forever."

He paused.

"And you’ll probably have to deal with a lot of chaos."

For a moment, Roxanna simply stared at him.

Then she smiled.

"Then I love chaos."

She tightened her arms around him.

"And I want to be part of it."

Daemon’s smile grew.

He placed one hand gently against her back.

"Then welcome to the chaos."

Roxanna laughed softly.

And this time, when Daemon kissed her, neither of them hesitated.

The kiss was warm and passionate, carrying all the emotions they had kept hidden for so long.

Sana stood beside them with her mouth hanging open.

Her face slowly turned red.

Then redder.

Then—

"HEY!"

Daemon and Roxanna immediately separated.

Sana pointed angrily at them.

"You two! Seriously?!"

Roxanna covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Sana’s eyes narrowed.

"We are literally standing in the middle of nowhere! We don’t even know where we are!"

She pointed at the surrounding forest.

"And somehow the first thing you two decide to do is kiss?!"

Daemon shrugged.

"I mean..."

"Don’t!"

Sana’s glare intensified.

"I don’t want to hear it."

She crossed her arms.

"And I’m definitely telling Victoria about this."

Daemon’s expression didn’t change.

"Go ahead."

Sana froze.

Daemon continued casually.

"I’ll tell her you tried to seduce me with your body too."

Sana’s face turned crimson.

"What?!"

"You were the one who crawled into my tent last night."

"I was—"

"And you hugged me."

"That was—"

"You even told me not to make noise."

Sana’s eyes widened.

"Daemon!"

Roxanna burst out laughing.

Daemon grinned.

"And you were sleeping right next to me."

Sana’s expression became murderous.

"I hate both of you."

Roxanna smiled innocently.

"You’re just jealous."

"I’m not jealous!"

"You sound jealous."

"I said I’m not!"

Daemon watched the two women argue and couldn’t help laughing.

Then—

Ding!

The familiar System notification echoed inside his mind.

Daemon’s smile disappeared.

A translucent blue screen appeared before him.

[System Notification]

Roxanna Sterling’s Affection: 95%

Relationship Status: Deep Emotional Bond

Current Qualification: Eligible for Soul Oath

Soul Oath Requirement: Affection must reach 100%

Upon completion of Soul Oath:

[Soul Bond] will be established.

[Soulfire Resonance] will become available.

Daemon’s eyes widened.

Five percent more.

He looked toward Roxanna.

She was still arguing with Sana, completely unaware of the System notification.

Then another message appeared.

[Soulfire Resonance — Locked]

Requirements:

Official Wife: ✓

Genuine Soul Bond: Pending

Soul Oath: Pending

Mutual Emotional Connection: ✓

Effect after activation:

When two bonded partners willingly synchronize their life energy through genuine emotional and physical intimacy, their energies will resonate.

This resonance allows both partners to:

Recover energy more efficiently.

Improve stamina and recovery.

Gradually strengthen their bodies and energy.

Deepen their soul synchronization.

Increase the effectiveness of certain abilities when fighting together.

Important Restriction:

Soulfire Resonance cannot be activated through forced contact, artificial bonding, manipulation, or a false relationship.

Intimacy is only the catalyst.

The true foundation of the technique is the genuine soul bond between both partners.

Daemon stared at the description.

So once Roxanna reaches 100%...

She could take the Soul Oath.

And after that, their souls could truly connect.

The thought made Daemon smile.

But before he could think any further—

Ding!

Another notification appeared.

[Nameless Bloodline Progression]

Current Bloodline: 18%

Previous Bloodline: 15%

Increase: +3%

Reason: Genuine Emotional Bond Development

Daemon’s eyebrows rose.

Three percent?

He had only recently reached fifteen percent.

Now he was already at eighteen.

The System continued.

[Reward Generation Activated]

Reason: Roxanna Sterling has experienced genuine happiness and emotional fulfillment through her relationship with the Host.

Rewards Generated:

1. Soul Sight

2. Thunder Cage

3. Bloodline Overdrive

Daemon stared at the three rewards.

Three skills at once?

He immediately opened his complete System panel.

[Daemon Miles — System Status]

Rank: E-Rank Awakener

Nameless Bloodline: 18%

Bloodline Progression: 18/20%

Solitary Trial Exit Requirement: 20%

Remaining: 2%

Attributes

Strength: Enhanced

Agility: Enhanced

Vitality: Enhanced

Mana/Energy: Enhanced

Soul Capacity: Growing

Combat Skills

Thunderstep — Extreme lightning-speed movement.

Void Reaper — Bound weapon capable of channeling Inferno Flame.

Inferno Flame — High-temperature bloodline flame.

Inferno Blast — Concentrated explosive flame attack.

Bloodline Ward — Defensive bloodline barrier.

Wingless Flight — Basic aerial mobility. Short-duration hovering and controlled gliding.

Newly Acquired Skills

Soul Sight — Level 1

Allows the user to perceive life force, energy pathways, injuries, bloodline traces, and concealed entities.

Limitation: Prolonged usage may cause headaches, blurred vision, and mental strain.

Thunder Cage — Level 1

Creates a temporary cage of lightning around a target.

Lightning pillars restrict movement while continuously releasing electrical energy.

Limitation: Energy consumption increases with the target’s strength and the duration of the cage.

Bloodline Overdrive — Level 1

Temporarily forces the Nameless Bloodline into a higher-output state.

Effects:

Increased strength

Increased speed

Increased reaction speed

Increased energy recovery

Duration: Limited

Drawback: Severe exhaustion after the effect ends.

Passive Skills

Wildcraft Cooking

Monster meat can be safely prepared and provides temporary beneficial effects.

Bloodline Nourishment

Specially prepared food can gradually suppress Victoria Hale’s corruption.

Corruption Alert

Instantly warns the Host if Victoria’s condition worsens.

Utility

Hollow Veil

Bonded Whisper

Healing Potions ×20

Companion Clause

Curse Insight Appraisal

Emberalm Jade

Ancient Bloodline Curse Elixir

Daemon slowly closed the System window.

Three new skills.

Eighteen percent bloodline.

Only two percent remained.

I’m finally getting close.

For the first time since entering the Solitary Trial, Daemon felt like he could actually see the finish line.

He didn’t know what waited outside.

But he knew one thing.

He was getting stronger.

"Let’s find somewhere safe," Daemon said.

Sana looked at him.

"What?"

"I want to test my new abilities."

Roxanna smiled.

"New abilities?"

Daemon shook his head.

"Not here."

The three continued through the snowy forest.

After several hours of walking, the landscape gradually changed.

The snow became thinner.

Trees became taller.

The mountains rose in the distance.

Then Daemon suddenly stopped.

"Wait."

Sana and Roxanna stopped beside him.

"What is it?" Roxanna asked.

Daemon pointed ahead.

Between the trees stood a massive structure.

It looked ancient.

Its architecture was completely different from anything they had seen inside the dungeon.

Tall stone walls.

Broken towers.

Large arched windows.

And a massive wooden entrance that looked like it belonged to a medieval civilization.

Most of the building was covered in vines and snow.

Parts of the roof had collapsed.

Yet despite the damage, the structure still stood.

Daemon narrowed his eyes.

"Why don’t we check it out?"

Sana immediately became cautious.

"We don’t know what’s inside."

"Exactly."

Daemon smiled.

"That means we might find something useful."

After a brief discussion, they approached the building.

The massive wooden doors were already open.

One side of the frame had completely broken apart.

Daemon stepped inside first.

The moment he entered, the atmosphere changed.

Cold.

Silent.

Ancient.

The interior looked strangely similar to a church.

Stone pillars stretched toward the ceiling.

Symbols covered the walls.

Strange drawings had been carved into the stone.

And statues stood everywhere.

Some were still intact.

Others had fallen apart.

Several were nothing more than broken pieces scattered across the floor.

Roxanna slowly walked forward.

"Who built this place?"

Sana shook her head.

"I don’t know."

Daemon looked around.

Most of the smaller statues seemed to depict women.

But one statue immediately caught his attention.

It stood in the center of the enormous hall.

It was much larger than the others.

The statue depicted a warrior.

Armor covered its body.

Long white hair flowed behind its head.

A massive sword rested in one hand.

But the face—

Daemon’s eyes narrowed.

It wasn’t human.

The face resembled a skull.

Two deep eye sockets burned with red light carved into the stone.

And strange flame-like patterns covered the entire body.

Roxanna slowly approached it.

"This statue..."

She stared upward.

"It looks so real."

Sana also looked at it.

"How old is this place?"

"I don’t know," Daemon replied.

Roxanna shook her head in amazement.

"How could someone create something this detailed?"

Daemon didn’t answer.

Something about the statue bothered him.

He couldn’t explain why.

It felt familiar.

Not the statue itself.

Something about the presence it represented.

His gaze moved toward the other statues.

Almost all of them were women.

Some were standing.

Some appeared to be kneeling.

Others held strange objects.

Sana suddenly spoke.

"It’s clear now."

Daemon looked at her.

"This wasn’t just a dungeon environment."

She pointed toward the statues.

"There was a civilization here."

Her expression became serious.

"These statues are proof."

She looked around.

"And if a civilization existed here, then we have no idea what happened to them."

Daemon nodded.

"Which means we need to be careful."

He glanced toward the massive warrior statue one last time.

"We should leave this place before we get ourselves into something we can’t handle."

Sana raised an eyebrow.

"And when exactly are we leaving?"

Daemon looked at his System.

"Soon."

"How soon?"

"Very soon."

Sana sighed.

"I don’t want to argue with you anymore."

She suddenly stretched her arms.

"I want a bath."

Daemon blinked.

"What?"

"I haven’t properly bathed in seven days."

She pointed toward herself.

"Seven. Days."

Roxanna laughed.

"She has a point."

Sana nodded firmly.

"I seriously want a bath."

Daemon sighed.

"Fine. Let’s find water."

They left the ancient structure and continued down the mountain.

After several hours, they finally heard it.

Water.

They followed the sound until the trees opened into a beautiful valley.

A river flowed down from the mountain.

Clear water passed over smooth stones, surrounded by thick greenery and tall trees.

They approached cautiously.

Sana crouched and touched the water.

"It’s clean."

Daemon used his senses to check it.

Nothing unusual.

He drank a little.

"It’s safe."

Roxanna followed.

"So pure..."

They had been surviving on limited water supplies for days.

Daemon had carried only a few liters in his bag, and the water had been carefully rationed.

Finding the river was a huge relief.

Sana looked at the water.

"Finally."

Daemon smiled.

"You two take your time."

He pointed toward the forest.

"I’ll prepare the camp."

"And?"

"If possible, I’ll cook the remaining monster meat."

Roxanna nodded.

"Okay."

Daemon walked away.

Behind him, Sana and Roxanna exchanged a glance.

Once they were certain they had enough privacy, they entered the river and began washing the dirt and exhaustion from their bodies.

For the first time in days, both women felt completely relaxed.

They splashed water at each other.

"Hey!"

Sana laughed.

Roxanna splashed her back.

"That’s for yelling at us earlier."

"I wasn’t yelling!"

"You definitely were."

Their laughter echoed through the quiet valley.

For a few minutes, they forgot about the dungeon.

Forgot about the bloodline.

Forgot about the mysterious building.

Forgot about everything.

They simply enjoyed the feeling of being clean again.

Eventually, they finished bathing and began preparing to leave the river.

Then—

Sana suddenly stopped.

Her smile disappeared.

Something had changed.

A presence.

Right beside her.

She slowly turned.

Water dripped from her hair.

Her vision was slightly blurred by the water.

At first, she couldn’t make out the figure clearly.

Someone was standing extremely close.

A man.

He wore strange clothing resembling the attire of an ancient royal court.

Sana’s eyes widened.

"Daemon?"

Roxanna turned.

"What?"

Sana stared at the man’s face.

Her heart stopped.

For one impossible moment, she thought it was Daemon.

The same eyes.

The same general features.

The same familiar feeling.

But something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The man was taller.

His face was smoother.

His hair was slightly different.

And his entire appearance carried an unfamiliar elegance.

He looked like someone who belonged to another age.

Another world.

Sana’s voice trembled.

"He..."

Roxanna stared at him.

"Looks like Daemon."

Neither woman moved.

Neither could speak.

The man simply stood there.

Watching them.

Silent.

Then Sana noticed something else.

His presence.

It wasn’t Daemon’s.

Not even close.

The energy surrounding him felt ancient.

Powerful.

And strangely familiar.

Sana’s expression went blank.

Roxanna’s smile disappeared.

The two women looked at each other.

They had both reached the same conclusion.

This wasn’t Daemon.

But if it wasn’t Daemon...

Who was the man standing beside them?

And why did his face look so much like Daemon’s?

Neither Sana nor Roxanna knew that the answer to that question