I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 469

Once known as the Golden Desert, the land before them now looked far more fitting for the name Black Desert. And yet, the air wasn't hot. If anything, it felt unnervingly cold.

Swoosh—

Ian's vision flipped without warning as a chill, dry wind swept across him. The black dunes filling his gaze dissolved into pure darkness, bringing the sensation of being pulled somewhere—downward, endlessly. There was no sign or warning, but Ian didn't flinch or panic.

This is sooner than I expected.

By now, this sort of thing barely surprised him. Smacking his lips slightly resignedly, Ian simply waited for the inevitable vision. However, even after the dragging sensation faded, the darkness didn't lift.

Woosh— Woosh—

Strange, rhythmic sounds echoed around him, like waves crashing on a sandy beach. Ian then realized it made sense he couldn't see—his consciousness had been pulled beneath the sand sea's surface.

Swoosh—

The sound was from something swimming through the sand. Even within the darkness, the presence beyond was unmistakably immense.

Well, that's new.

It was the archdemon, Yanar Tash.

Images and fragments of information Diana and Seren had shared about the creature flickered through Ian's mind.

Gooohhh—Oh—ooohhh—

A deep, guttural roar shook the sand sea itself. The emotion behind the sound swept over Ian's awareness. To his surprise, it wasn't something he expected.

Fear?

The sensation caught him off guard. It was something he never imagined encountering in these visions.

Before the roar's echo even faded, Ian's awareness was ejected from the void, flung back beyond the darkness.

—You've seen this how many times now? I don't get why you're still impressed, Lucy.

Yog's voice returned with sudden clarity as if someone had cranked up the volume.

"It's just... always incredible, that's all. Look—Sir Ian's probably thinking the same thing righ—Sir Ian?" Lucia turned as she replied, stopping mid-sentence.

Ian blinked once before glancing down at her.

Her lips curled into a small smile. "...You were so quiet, I wondered."

"If we'd seen it in its original form, it would've been even more beautiful." Before Ian could respond, Diana's voice drifted from up ahead. "Even the pickiest fairies are said to have praised the sunrises and sunsets over the Golden Desert."

Her tone was dry, indifferent—unlike the admiration in her words.

Ian turned to her and asked, "So, no problems so far?"

"None at all." Adjusting the leather water pouch on her shoulder, Diana gazed over the black sand sea. "But that's exactly what makes it unsettling. There's nothing. Not a hint of movement."

She wasn't wrong. Aside from shadows rippling like waves in the wind, the desert was utterly still. It felt as if they were the last ones left on a hollow planet.

"Then don't let your guard down. Something might change. Soon." At his quiet warning, Diana's brow furrowed slightly.

Lucia, eyes glinting with suspicion, turned to look behind her. "Sir Ian... don't tell me."

"I saw a vision."

"I knew it."

As Lucia let out a small breath of realization, Diana clenched her eyes shut and muttered, "... Shit."

—Shame. Next time, how about just passing out when it starts? When you're half-awake like that, I can't tag along.

Yog's useless commentary slithered through their minds.

Only Seren blinked in confusion, clearly lost. "A vision? Of what?"

"The master of this desert, most likely," Diana replied, her eyes still closed.

At that, Seren's eyes widened.

Diana exhaled softly and turned to Ian. "So does that mean its territory is nearby?"

"I don't know," Ian replied, shrugging. He gave the reins a gentle tug and added, "We'll find out if we keep going."

Moro snorted and started moving again at a relaxed pace.

Diana, brows still knit, let out a quiet sigh.

—But that thing. It has nothing to do with the archdemon, does it?

Yog's voice cut in suddenly.

And that was enough to make everyone—except Diana—freeze.

"What do you mean?" Ian asked, pulling the reins.

Diana turned at the question.

Yog's head turned with her, still coiled atop Moro's mane.

—I mean down there. Beneath us.

Everyone but Diana looked down toward the dune's base. But of course, all they saw was black sand stretching endlessly.

"What are you all looking at?" From her tone, it was clear Diana couldn't sense anything at all.

Ian raised his right arm over Moro's head and asked calmly, "You know exactly where?"

In his hand was the Black Sword of the Third Apostle. He hadn't drawn the Truesilver Steel Sword to save its durability. It had already taken enough strain during the fight with Inaskurgl. Even using it only against archdemons, he still couldn't guarantee it would last through the end.

—Of course I do.

Yog leaped lightly onto the blade's flat, sliding smoothly along its surface until it reached Ian's hand.

—Hopefully it's something entertaining.

What a time for entertainment...

Feeling Yog slip under his glove and coil tightly around his wrist, Ian jumped from the saddle in one smooth motion.

"Back up. I'll make this quick."

Without a word of protest, the group stepped aside as Ian strode downhill with firm, unhurried steps. His gaze remained fixed on the ground below. He still couldn't sense anything, but that didn't matter.

—You're going the right way. Just keep moving.

Yog sounded utterly unconcerned. Ian was now certain—this thing hadn't just grown in size after molting. Its detection abilities had also evolved.

In that case...

A faint violet shimmer rippled up the black sword as Ian picked up speed. Breaking into a loping run, he sprang off the sand with explosive force.

Fwoosh—

A burst of black sand shot skyward as Ian arced through the air. It wasn't quite the superhuman leap achievable under the Blessing of Battle, but it was still well beyond ordinary.

—Right on target.

Yog's whispered approval spurred Ian to adjust his sword grip, angling the blade for a precise strike. His gaze remained locked on a single point near the hill's base.

Though outwardly ordinary, the sand patch gave off an unsettling feeling. Only at this close range did the disturbance become perceptible.

So it detects through vibration, huh? Let's see if it's as good at taking an ambush as giving one.

Fixing his eyes on the rapidly approaching ground, Ian swung the sword down with all his might. The violet-flaring blade plunged deep into the black sand.

Crackle—

Heavy resistance surged through the hilt into Ian's grip as he landed, crouching.

Woosh!

An explosion of sand erupted around him, and with it, jagged, spike-like limbs burst up in unison. They were segmented limbs—massive, multi-jointed legs with inward-facing spines, easily several meters long.

Screech—

A piercing screech tore through the air, accompanied by tremors rippling through the dunes. Then, as if surfacing from beneath the waves, the monster's hidden main torso emerged at last.

A camel spider?

Ian's brow tensed at the grotesque sight. It looked like someone had taken the most revolting parts of a scorpion and a spider, fusing them in the worst way imaginable.

It was enormous—easily a full-grown basilisk's size. Its thick, black exoskeleton glistened under the sun. Eight towering legs flared from its body, while two shorter, equally sharp, scythe-like forelimbs jutted near its head.

The black blade Ian had struck down was still embedded across its torso, cleaving through the dense carapace. From the wound seeped a slow ooze of thick, tar-colored ichor.

—Bet it'd roast up nice and crispy.

Yog's whisper slithered in.

Ian's eyes narrowed, but before he could retort, he yanked his sword free, launching himself.

Sheek—Crunch!

Something massive slammed into the sand where he'd just stood. It was the creature's black, thick tail, lined with spines like a barbed mace. Venom dripped from its tip, glistening as it rolled down the chitinous surface.

Screech—

The creature shrieked piercingly, like wind tearing through a canyon. Ian, atop the monster's back, raised his sword high in one fluid motion. There was no need to aim for a weak spot. He was already in a perfect position—right on top of this scorpion spider.

Crack, crack, crack!

Even a demon beast's tough carapace couldn't resist Fang of the Heaven Defier and Ian's strength. The weapon plunged deep into the creature's chest, and as Ian gripped the hilt with both hands, a crimson gleam sparked in his eyes.

Crash!

All at once, the scorpion spider's limbs, once raised like a spiny cage, crashed toward its body. It seemed to have been lying flat beneath the sands, its back dug in—no other posture would allow such movement.

Its hunting method was clear now: snare prey in those towering, blade-lined legs, injure it, inject venom through its tail, and feast.

Not sure how many creatures in this desert would actually fall for a trap like that...

Even while thinking, Ian had raised his left hand high.

Zing—

A golden shimmer flared from the back of his hand, instantly forming a Platinum Barrier in a hexagonal array. One of the beast's spiked legs crashed down onto it.

Crackle—

Of course, it couldn't break through the platinum barrier. All it did was force Ian to bend lower for a moment. A crimson glow seethed in his eyes as he dipped his head.

You've got the wrong idea. I'm not your prey. If anything, it's the other way around.

The stench of scorched flesh brushed past Ian's nose. At some point, his blade had glowed red-hot, roasting the scorpion spider from the inside. And that was only the beginning.

Crash!

Ian's spell ignited the sword buried in the creature's chest, releasing bright red flames.

It was the Fire Beam, amplified by chaos power—an inferno erupting from within, cooking the beast from the inside out. Flame shimmered through the wound Ian had carved into its belly as he landed. The same was happening near its gaping jaws, now spread wide in agony.

Creeee—

For a moment, it looked as if the scorpion spider was spewing fire itself.

After, Ian clenched his open left hand into a fist. The burning red magic in his eyes flashed once, then vanished.

Swoosh—

The fire reversed course, drawn back inside the beast as if rewinding time. With it, heat funneled into every inch beneath its armored shell, searing its flesh from within.

Woosh!

Ian didn't even blink. He held firm, pouring every ounce of power into the spell. The spider's legs, which had flailed wildly just moments ago, finally curled backward like a withering flower.

Fssshhh...

It wasn't just the legs. Its whole body slackened, losing all strength.

At last, Ian rose, withdrawing the blade. The Fang of the Heaven Defier and Platinum Barrier were also withdrawn.

—That was too easy.

Yog muttered, clearly unimpressed.

Ian nodded mildly in agreement. Even the dust and sand kicked up by the earlier strike hadn't fully settled.

Of course, it wasn't supposed to be this easy. With no time to prepare for its ambush, unlike Ian, the others could have easily taken a fatal hit.

Bet it was absolute hell in the game.

The thought made Ian snort faintly.

It probably felt like walking through a minefield in the game. Sure, this scorpion spider had softer insides than it looked, but that couldn't matter when the player died from one hit. And this desert certainly wasn't home to just one.

—It might be more fun to just sit back and watch you fight from now on.

This little bastard.

Ian frowned and muttered, "Don't be ridiculous. Tell me everything in advance."

This was the most helpful Yog had ever been. It was basically a living mine detector—nullifying ambushes, allowing Ian to choose which monsters to fight and which to avoid.

—Well, I guess there's a certain charm in that, too. Being useful like this feels weird, honestly.

Yog chuckled quietly.

"Oh, my goodness..." Lucia's stunned voice brushed past Ian's ears.

He finally turned to look back at the hill. Through the drifting sand and dust, the silhouette of the beast warhorse and the two guides emerged, making their way down the slope.

All of them wore stunned expressions—most likely because of the sheer size of the scorpion spider.

But it was Seren's murmured words that clarified that wasn't the only reason. "You... took down a beast like that in a single blow?"

What truly shocked them wasn't the creature's appearance—it was how quickly everything had ended. All they'd seen was dust flying up, then settling, and a massive monster already dead.

Which is exactly why I used magic.

However, he didn't say it. He simply turned and started walking toward the group. His gaze swept across each of them before he casually nodded toward the corpse.

"Think it's edible?"

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