—

The Enitic Valley of Illum was located within the deeper parts of the Shrouded Valley, which meant Kieran was heading in the correct direction.

However, unlike the Shrouded Valley, the Enitic Valley of Illum produced brutal circumstances that most players couldn’t withstand.

‘Had I not gone up against Ronan and participated within the Gladiator’s Coliseum, reaching this point and withstanding the effects would have been impossible,’ Kieran inwardly thought.

The continuous flashing message alerted him of the constant Willpower test, which Kieran found somewhat annoying. Though he had yet to fail or pass the test, Kieran couldn’t move at all.

‘Forcibly breaking this may be possible, but…’ Kieran considered employing his Macabre Animosity to challenge the Enigma Chills, but he wasn’t sure if doing so was the right course of action for two reasons.

One, his soul was extremely fragile right now. Activating his Manifestation would only exacerbate his wounds. Two, if someone was responsible for these sudden Enigma Chills, how would they respond to an innately sinister soul?

Kieran would naturally be viewed as an enemy with no chance of surviving the repercussions.

‘I’ll have to persist until the end,’ Kieran decided.

His best option was to keep his Soul Trait under wraps until he could somehow convince the Wykins that he was of no immediate threat.

The longer Kieran experienced the Enigma Chills, the stronger the piercing cold became. Soon enough, it grew potent enough to pierce his bones and make it feel like a devouring tundra had engulfed him.

Rather than become tense and worried about his current situation, Kieran relaxed, calming his mind and deactivating Blood Mania. This naturally made him more vulnerable, but it allowed for better focus.

Kieran no longer split some of his concentration to tend to Blood Mania’s Source Rune.

As a result, Kieran’s Will began to manifest as an intangible ripple that lashed against the falling droplets of mysterious snow. Surprisingly, the weight of this snow was like banging one’s hand into concrete.

‘As expected… the Enitic Valley of Illum is something only a tenacious person can withstand,’ Kieran thought.

After a few minutes of remaining still, Kieran felt warmth in his left leg and stepped forward. The feeling dissipated momentarily but surged into his right leg, allowing Kieran to take another step forward.

Such a pace was akin to watching a turtle move across a large path, but Kieran had to accept his current conditions. ‘My route forward will disappear if I manifest the slightest bit of hostility. The only safe approach is to remain slow and steady while benefiting from this illusion meant to thwart intruders.’

For those of insufficient prowess, the Enigma Chills were an overwhelming deterrent. However, for someone like Kieran, who prided himself in his resilience and tenacity, it was a sublime whetstone, sharpening and honing his crude Willpower.

The words of Ronan weighed heavy on his mind. He possessed the Will, but it was crude and unrefined. Furthermore, it was sorely inferior to the Barbarians.

Kieran’s momentum naturally became faster with every successive step, and his Will increased. Sometimes it would trigger a notification, but other times it wouldn’t.

Once he returned to a momentum similar to jogging, Kieran felt that the Enigma Chills changed. Though it remained present, the chill wasn’t as oppressive as before.

Usually, one would be excited that they had overcome an obstacle, but Kieran’s expression darkened. ‘I didn’t cause this change. Which means…’

Kieran narrowed his gaze and stared into the distance with the vague outline of a few figures rising from the ground. Based on the sensation they exuded, Kieran understood it was another batch of Conjured Deterrents.

However, the problem with these Conjured Deterrents was that they were larger and swathed in profound mystic energy.

「 Lv.70 Conjured Deterrent (Champion)

Artificial Lifeform

Health: 44,000,000

/44,000,000 (100%) 」

“Lv.70 Champion Monsters,” Kieran muttered with a slight grimace. “They truly don’t want me to intrude upon their hallowed ground, huh? To think the formation would go this far.”

Unlike before, Kieran didn’t attempt to locate the nearby node. Why? Because he had no intention of battling against Lv.70 Champions while under the effects of the Enigma Chills.

“Go back, human. You are not welcomed within the lands of the Wykins,” a deep voice sounded in the distance.

As Kieran focused on the origin, he realized the Conjured Deterrent in the center released a silvery-blue light after opening its mouth.

“Unfortunately, that’s a command that I can’t heed. As rude as my actions are, I must meet the Wykins.”

“You will fail. I will ensure that,” the deep voice responded.

All of a sudden, the Enigma Chills began vibrating, releasing a ripple that started dismantling Kieran’s materialized Will.

‘Someone has turned this Conjured Deterrent into a medium… is it one of the Wykins?’

Kieran winced as the weight of the surrounding snow increased, battering against his dismantling Will.

“We do not wish to harm you, human. However, we will do what is necessary if you continue disregarding our warnings. Turn back, and leave safely. The Hallowed Land of Illum is not to be defiled by the likes of a human,” the deep voice resounded once more.

“I bear no malice,” Kieran shouted, becoming slightly agitated.

“Heh,” the deep voice released a peal of cold laughter that carried a slight mocking undertone. “Do you believe me to be a fool? Humans have uttered those words plenty of times and proven to be deceitful every time.”

The sordid history between the humans and Wykins made Kieran smile bitterly. He expected as much. How else should the Wykins react when humans annihilated a large portion of their ancient society?

Kieran soon sighed and returned Crimson Ashrune to his inventory before gazing forward with unwavering resolve. “I understand that you have no reason to trust me after the betrayal of the humans, but you can judge for yourself. I have only recently begun my journey. What danger do I pose?”

“Hmph, even the smallest cockroach can become a nuisance given enough time. Besides, it is in your nature. That vile nature all of you humans possess,” the deep voice responded.

“What you speak is true. Humans are vile creatures, capable of betrayal, deceit, treachery, and spite when the opposing side means no harm. I understand your skepticism, but I am here to tell you I am not of your world,” Kieran said.

“Not of my world? Again, I repeat—do you take me as a fool? That soul of yours begs to differ,” the voice responded.

This answer made Kieran stumble with an alarmed expression. “What do you mean by that?”

As a player, NPC should view him differently once he announced that he wasn’t originally part of this world. However, this voice seemed to believe that Kieran was indeed a part of this world.

“I did not mince my words. You feel exactly the same as a patron of this world. Your soul bleeds the tune of this world. Now… LEAVE!” The voice’s last words were like a decree of a god as the entirety of the Enigma Chills blasted against Kieran, taking him by slight surprise.

〈System: You are experiencing a «Compact Will Challenge». The effects can be mild or severe depending on how the user handles the challenge.〉

‘A Compact Will Challenge? No wonder this pressure is so horrible,’ Kieran thought to himself.

Unfortunately, Kieran’s curiosity was roused by the voice’s words. ‘My soul bleeds the tune of this world?’

As Kieran pondered these words, he considered a few explanations.

The one that made the most sense was the Seed of Vengeance. Because of his limited understanding, Kieran felt there were many inexplicable effects of the seed that he couldn’t confirm.

However, after considering this possibility, Kieran realized something. ‘Isn’t Lord Agrianos a Barbarian? Technically, they’re a race in and of itself, so the relationship between the Barbarians and Wykins shouldn’t have soured. Unless… is there some missing link that I’m unaware of?’

All of Kieran’s guesses were pure speculation, so even if he felt it was possible, Kieran couldn’t blindly trust his presumptions.

“Can you tell me precisely what makes me feel like a denizen of this world?” Kieran questioned with a contorted expression.

The Compact Will Challenge placed a considerable burden on him, but it only applied when Kieran tried to advance. Retreating or remaining still posed no issue.

“Such a question never bears a lighthearted response. It is simply the answer. I can’t go into details because I do not understand the nature of your soul. But… I will note this, it feels no different from a Source, meaning it must have been born from this world,” the deep voice answered.

‘Source… it must be the Seed of Vengeance then. I recall it being listed as my Source during the evolution of Deranged Spirit,’ Kieran thought.

Once Kieran thought of this reasoning, Kieran decided the only way forward was to reveal the reason. “My soul has melded with something known as the Seed of Vengenace. What you sense does not define me.”

“Fool… you can’t meld with something you have no affinity toward! If such a perverse power finds you attractive, there is latent darkness within you! This is even more reason for you to leave.”

‘Ugh… it’s like talking to a brick wall. So unreasonable,’ Kieran thought. His frown deepened as he lifted his hands and pressed against the Enigma Chills condensed into a wall-like construct.

“Forgive me if I seem brutish. But, I will show you that my words are genuine. There a multiple facets to a person; you can’t merely judge with your eyes and clouded beliefs.”