I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 464

"Just a little more, Moro," Lucia whispered, gently stroking its mane.

Despite ragged breathing, Moro let out a low growl and pushed forward, forcing through loose, swampy dirt clinging to its legs. They were moving through the landslide's aftermath.

Thick dust hung in the air, spreading with every step. Large and small rocks jutted up like scattered debris, obstructing Lucia's view.

Snort...

Moro blew a sharp breath passing a particularly jagged boulder. Just beyond, the path sloped upward into a wide, shallow valley.

Lucia's gaze shifted to its middle—specifically, to a collapsed rock pillar's ruins, now just a shattered base. More precisely, to the black-haired man beside it and the fairy slouched at his feet.

Lucia tilted her head slightly in confusion. She realized the black-haired man, Ian, wasn't looking at her.

Instead, his gaze was fixed somewhere behind her, far off in the distance. Only then did she realize that he must have been speaking to Diana—he had turned his head toward her.

Lucia couldn't hear what was said, but Diana tipping her head back for a long swig from a bottle told her enough. It seemed Ian had said something infuriating.

Or maybe something's wrong.

Flashes of what she'd seen during the ride flickered through Lucia's mind.

An endless expanse of black wasteland, twisted and cracked in unnatural curves. A horizon that shimmered and warped, like shadows moving across water. Above it all, a sky streaked with violet, brick red, and a sickly green-blue sheen—like an oil slick floating overhead.

I'll find out soon enough if it's something like that.

Lucia snapped out of her thoughts, unwinding the reins from her left hand. Moro had finally cleared the debris and stepped onto the slope. Ian was also turning to face her again.

He was still some distance away, but close enough for her to see his unchanged expression—that same blank, unreadable look. A face that might inspire fear in some—but to Lucia, it was oddly reassuring.

"Let's go, Moro."

Even before she finished whispering, Moro surged forward.

Its mane rippled with every stride, with a flickering faint violet gleam. Dust kicked up behind them in thick, billowing waves.

However, Lucia's eyes never left Ian. As if he had caught her expression, that familiar, dry smile was spreading across Ian's lips.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

As they drew closer to Ian, Lucia pulled the reins tight. Moro responded immediately, twisting mid-stride and skidding to a smooth, controlled halt.

Shhhhhh—

A wave of dust swept past, swirling around Ian's feet as Moro halted.

"Sir Ian!" Lucia's eyes widened as she kicked off the saddle, throwing herself from Moro's back.

Ian had swayed violently, caught in the dusty wind that swept past. Lucia hit the ground, rolled, then sprang to her feet and ran to him. She caught him in a tight embrace before he could fall.

Even as he let his body fall limp into Lucia's arms, he murmured something under his breath, "No need for all the drama. It's nothing serious."

"I'm sorry," Lucia whispered.

Wrapping her arms around Ian's back, she continued, "I was just so relieved you were alive... I didn't even think about what kind of state you might be in."

No matter how capable Ian was, no one could unleash spells of that magnitude and emerge unscathed. It wouldn't have been surprising if he'd collapsed long ago, coughing blood and losing consciousness.

While Lucia quietly blamed herself, Ian regained his balance, gently resting a hand on her head. "I'll be fine after some sleep. Don't worry."

His voice and gaze lacked strength, but he didn't sound like he was lying.

Lucia looked at his dust-covered face and finally let out a relieved breath. "Even that much is a huge relief. At first, I thought you'd both been buried alive in the landslide."

"But this time, you didn't come back. You kept going—just like you promised." A faint smile curled Ian's lips as he spoke.

Lucia hesitated, then slipped her shoulder under his left arm, steadying him. "To be honest... I was going to turn back. Moro's the one who didn't let me."

Her eyes shifted to the beast still standing nearby. Despite panting heavily, Moro glanced at Ian, clearly uneasy.

"Then I realized... if something had happened to you, Moro wouldn't be acting like this. That's why I kept riding."

"Well done, Moro." Ian, too, glanced back at the creature and extended his right hand. As if waiting, Moro stepped closer, pressing its head into Ian's palm.

Grrrr...

Its horns and armor were caked in dust and the sticky fluids of those revolting cave creatures. However, Ian didn't care; he simply patted the beast's head, unfazed.

With a snort like a relieved sigh, Moro finally lowered to the ground and sat, tucking its legs under. It was an oddly gentle posture for such a fearsome-looking creature. Lucia found herself smiling unintentionally at the sight.

"Is Sir Seren still alive?" Ian asked, eyes shifting to the Black Lion tightly secured to Moro's back.

Lucia's smile faded. "Yes. She's breathing... but that might be all she's doing."

After glancing briefly at Seren's limp head, Lucia added, "Her body was jostled around a lot while we were riding. Her head too."

Through her disheveled black hair, a pair of sharply curved horns—like those of a mountain goat—was visible. The mutation had clearly progressed quite far, and her healing ability seemed impressive, but none of that changed the fact that she was still wounded.

However, Ian simply gave a small nod. "She'll be fine. And even if she's not—this wouldn't be your fault."

He looked at Lucia again, nodding toward the ruined landscape behind them. "You couldn't have risked getting buried with her just to protect her."

"I know... but still." Lucia turned away as if shaking off lingering guilt.

Over the collapsed rock pillar's base, the distant ridge's slope was now clearly visible—a jagged black mountain, partially caved in.

Unlike the relatively smooth terrain around them, that whole area was a wreck. Boulders were scattered everywhere, and the surrounding canyons had collapsed, completely sealed off. If the landslide hadn't swept everything downhill, this place might've ended up looking just as bad.

Beyond the ridge, a strange, hazy, dust-like mist rolled unnaturally through the air.

"Now that things have settled... I should probably say this." Lucia's gaze, which had been slowly scanning the area, finally returned to Ian's face—the one resting so casually beside hers, his arm draped over her shoulder.

"...You were incredible. You really lifted that mountain on your own. Well, and brought it down too," said Lucia.

"It was only possible because the strata were already split," Ian, who had also been looking back, replied with his eyes still fixed on the mountain of rock. "If they hadn't been, I'd be buried under there with it."

"I'm sure you would've found another way. Those spells... I couldn't believe you hadn't used brown magic until now."

"I didn't use it because I didn't know how."

"What?" Lucia blinked in surprise.

Ian offered a faint smile, then shrugged. "Anyway, I guess this counts as practical experience."

"Ah, so you weren't familiar with it." Lucia finally nodded, understanding. "Well, knowing a spell and actually casting it are two very different things. If conditions aren't right, brown magic can be even more dangerous than red magic."

"They say interpretation adds more than the dream itself," Ian muttered with a small chuckle, withdrawing his arm from her shoulder. "Anyway, it doesn't look like anything else is coming down from back there, so take it easy now. You've earned it."

"I was just sitting in the saddle, that's all. But..."

As Ian dropped down with a thud, Lucia finally looked toward the rock pillar's base. "What's with Diana?"

Diana leaned against the storage box top with one arm, staring skyward as if trying to see through it. Only her head and eyes moved, slowly tracking the sky. She hadn't so much as glanced their way.

"She said she wants a chance to fulfill her duty as a guide," Ian replied as he shook out his hair, sending up little puffs of dust each time his hand brushed through it.

Lucia tilted her head a little further. It might've been nothing—but Diana's expression and the look in her eyes seemed far too anxious for that.

"Are you going to drink the whole thing yourself?" Ian threw the comment casually in Diana's direction.

Diana paused with the bottle halfway to her lips, then finally lowered her head. Her brow furrowed slightly, but Ian simply flicked his left hand toward her as if it were nothing.

"Damn it..." Muttering under her breath, Diana handed him the bottle.

As Lucia looked into those swamp-colored eyes, clear of any trace of intoxication, she cautiously spoke up. "I'm glad you're okay, Diana."

"Yeah, you too, Lucifer," Diana replied, resting her arm on the storage box, and staring at the sky.

Lucia offered a hesitant smile and continued, "It's good to stay focused on your duty and all, but... how about taking a break, even just for a bit? We survived. That's worth celebrating. It was an incredible escape."

"We haven't escaped anything, Lucifer." Diana finally turned her gaze to Lucia with eyes sunken and heavy as her voice. "We're in the middle of a desert."

It was enough to make Lucia's brow crease slightly.

"This... is a desert?" She echoed the words like a whisper to herself, turning her head toward the slope.

Beyond Moro's sprawled form, the shadowed wasteland stretched beneath the darkened sky. Cliffs jutting on either side, paired with swirling, ominous hues above, made it look almost like a painting framed by jagged stone.

"This doesn't look anything like what I've heard. I thought deserts were filled with golden dunes and unbearably hot. But this place... is neither."

"That's a common misconception. But not all deserts are like that," Diana replied, her voice low and dull.

She clicked her tongue softly before continuing, "Vast canyons, rocky wastelands—those count as desert too. Also, nights in the desert are cold. And as you know, this land has no sunrise."

"Ah, right. Of course. I forgot—you're from the South. You'd know."

"Not everyone from the South is best friends with the desert. I just know more than most. That doesn't mean I like the damn place."

While Diana muttered, Lucia gave a slow nod and looked back at her. "Still, at least we're not in the Desert of Death, right?"

She shrugged one shoulder as her gaze met Diana's pale green eyes. "Yanar Tash and its kinds live beneath the sands, don't they?"

"Yeah... Looks like the Goddess of Fortune hasn't completely turned her back on us. Unlike our legendary White Mage who—" Diana cut herself off with a nasal sigh, then smacked her lips and muttered the rest, "Who seems like he's itching to kill another archdemon while he's at it."

Lucia's wide eyes shifted to Ian. Holding a bottle in one hand, he was now coldly staring at Diana.

"I understand what you're planning, Sir Ian, but..." As Diana quietly looked away, Lucia continued, "Shouldn't our priority be getting out of here first? We need to regroup too."

"It's just more pointy-eared wordplay," Ian said, finally turning his eyes back to Lucia.

He clicked his tongue. "I never said I would hunt it down. I said I would if I had to. We can't afford to waste time wandering in circles when we're likely to starve."

He gave a small shrug and added, "And apparently, there aren't even any strongholds left in the South."

"Ah, so that's what it was. Hmm, you're right. Better that than slowly drying up and dying." Lucia finally nodded.

Diana let out a soft, clearly displeased grunt.

Lucia turned to Diana again. "So? Any progress, Diana?"

"A little. Don't push me, Lucifer. I'm still working on it," Diana replied with a scolding tone, then fell silent as if to say she had nothing more to add. It was clear she didn't like how Lucia had responded.

"Alright, I won't disturb you."Lucia gave a light shrug and sat beside Ian.

She glanced at him sipping lazily from the bottle, looking as exhausted as he was, and smiled. "Good thing we refilled the water. We would've been in trouble if it weren't for you, Sir Ian."

"If I'd known it'd come to this, I would've brought more," Ian replied flatly, giving a small nod. "Anyway, you should drink too, Lucy. You've probably swallowed a fair bit of dust."

"I'm still fine. We should conserve our water. Besides, when it comes to clearing dust from your throat..." Her gaze drifted to the bottle in Ian's hand. "That might actually do a better job."

"No, it wouldn't. And definitely not," Ian said flatly, not even glancing at her as he raised the bottle to his lips.

Lucia stared at the side of his face for a moment, then added, "But Sir Ian, I am an adult now, you know."

Ian froze, the bottle's mouth just touching his lips.

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