Chapter 125: Fixing Headless Guardian
After finishing the work, Edgar checked the Soul Network to see how those who were close to the Han River were doing.
Edgar quietly closed his eyes once again.
The familiar connection spread through his consciousness before his vision shifted toward the distant Han River.
...
The world reappeared through the Human Soul Guardian’s pale azure eyes.
The rescued people remained gathered around several circles of Unbroken Fire.
Flames flickered quietly against the darkness, pushing back the surrounding shadows just enough for everyone to breathe a little easier.
Most of the former slaves had finally calmed down. Children had fallen asleep against their mothers.
Several elderly people rested with blankets draped over their shoulders.
A few younger men quietly stood watch near the edge of the camp, though their fearful eyes constantly drifted toward the endless darkness beyond the firelight.
They weren’t afraid of the Soul Guardians anymore.
Instead, they were terrified of everything outside the circle of light.
’It’s good that they’ve come to trust the Guardians,’ Edgar thought to himself. ’I plan to use them as my messengers.’
Every now and then, distant growls echoed somewhere within the forest.
Whenever that happened, several people instinctively shrank closer to the flames.
Fortunately, the Soul Guardians never moved.
They remained standing around the camp like silent statues.
Whenever a Nightmare wandered too close, one of the skeletons simply disappeared into the darkness.
Only a few moments later, a dull impact echoed from somewhere beyond the trees.
Then silence returned.
The rescued people never even saw what happened.
All they knew was that every danger disappeared before reaching them.
Standing near the largest fire, the same middle-aged man quietly distributed the little food they had recovered from the abandoned wagons.
They all waited for whatever would happen next.
Edgar quietly observed them for several more minutes.
Satisfied that nothing unusual had happened, he finally withdrew his consciousness.
...
Time quietly slipped away, and the Eternal Night continued without interruption.
Edgar spent the next two hours checking the Fortress, reviewing the newly built refinery, and occasionally glancing toward the Soul Network.
Everything remained peaceful until a familiar presence finally entered the range of the Fortress.
"...He’s back."
Edgar immediately stood up.
Without wasting another second, he walked toward the northern side of the Fortress.
The newly built ⟨Level 1 Soul Guardian Repair Platform⟩ stood silently beneath the night sky.
Only moments later, heavy hoofbeats echoed from beyond the outer wall.
The Headless Soul Knight slowly emerged, leaping over the wall in one bound atop its skeletal horse.
Its armor was covered in countless arrow marks, and its left shoulder had been completely destroyed.
The entire arm was gone. Despite such heavy damage, the Commander remained standing proudly.
Edgar quietly approached it.
The Headless Soul Knight immediately dismounted before lowering itself onto one knee.
Using its remaining hand, it untied the leather pouch hanging from its waist.
It respectfully offered it forward, and Edgar accepted the bag.
The moment he opened it, a gentle golden glow escaped through the opening.
Inside, hundreds of Sornja Flowers lay neatly stacked together.
Each blossom quietly illuminated the pouch like a tiny star.
A broad smile slowly appeared across Edgar’s face.
"...You did well." He carefully placed the pouch aside. "There’ll be plenty of time to celebrate later."
His gaze shifted toward the damaged Commander. "...Let’s repair you first."
The Headless Soul Knight immediately stepped onto the center of the newly constructed platform.
Ancient runes carved across the stone floor slowly began glowing.
Edgar took out ten White Nightmare Stones before placing them into the circular sockets surrounding the platform.
The moment the final stone touched its place--
"Hummm!"
Every rune ignited simultaneously.
The Nightmare Stones rapidly dissolved into streams of white liquid.
Instead of falling, the liquid floated into the air before flowing toward the damaged shoulder.
Countless tiny strands wrapped around the broken bones.
Edgar watched quietly as new black bone slowly grew outward, starting with the shoulder before the upper arm, forearm, and finally five skeletal fingers formed one after another.
Within only a few minutes, the missing arm had completely regenerated.
The pale azure flames inside the Commander’s neck flickered slightly before stabilizing once more.
The Headless Soul Knight slowly flexed its restored fingers.
Everything moved perfectly.
"...Excellent." Edgar nodded with satisfaction. "The platform works exactly as intended."
He dismissed the Commander back to its patrol before picking up the pouch once again.
The soft golden flowers gently illuminated his face.
"...Finally."
Everything had come together.
He already possessed the two Yellow Nightmare Stones.
Now, he had the hundred Sornja Flowers as well.
Every requirement for the ritual had finally been fulfilled.
Edgar looked toward the dark sky above the Fortress.
The Eternal Night had only just begun. "...The timing couldn’t be better."
Excitement slowly spread through his chest.
For days, he had been preparing for this exact moment.
Without another second of hesitation, Edgar walked back to his house to retrieve the two Yellow Nightmare Stones.
He wanted to complete the ritual tonight without delay.
"..Hm?"
As soon as Edgar entered his house, he saw Hera sitting on the sofa, which also served as his bed.
The young woman was sitting there rather suspiciously, as if she had been waiting for him.
Her hands rested neatly on her lap while her silver-white hair fell over one shoulder.
’...Is she here to sleep?’
Edgar wondered as he slowly walked toward her.
The moment their eyes met, Hera’s body stiffened.
"...!"
A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she quickly looked away.
"I-I..."
She opened her mouth before hurriedly closing it again.
Edgar blinked. "...Were you waiting for me?"
"N-No."
Hera immediately lowered her head, pretending to be interested in the wooden floor.
"I was just... resting."
"...I see."
Edgar couldn’t help letting out a quiet laugh.
He walked toward a nearby cabinet before taking out a small wooden box.
Inside rested two Yellow Nightmare Stones.
Unlike the White ones, they emitted a deeper golden glow.
Edgar carefully picked them up before placing them inside his inner pocket.
Hera quietly watched his movements. "...Are you going to be busy tonight?"
"Something like that." Edgar didn’t deny it. "I might not come back for a few hours."
"...I see."
She lowered her head and didn’t say anything else.
Edgar wanted to say something more, but everything that came to mind sounded as though it could be misunderstood.
Finally, he spoke.
"...I’ll come back before morning." He paused for a brief moment before adding with a small smile, "So don’t stay awake waiting for me."
Satisfied that this sounded much better, Edgar turned and walked out of the house.
’Urgh, I need to focus.’
Taking a deep breath, Edgar arrived at a clear area where he carefully laid out everything needed for the ritual.
Once the night reached its midpoint, Edgar began the process as he climbed over the Fortress wall.
Outside, the Headless Soul Knight and the Gorilla Soul Guardian were already waiting for him.
Standing in the middle of the Eternal Night, beyond the protection of the Unbroken Fire, the feeling of dread was unimaginable.