Evelyn stared at Elias for a while before entering the room.
Her eyes shifted towards the grotesque, dead body.
Taking in what was left of Kade, Evelyn once more turned her gaze towards Elias, who was now adjusting his black glove.
"Hm?"
Something caught Evelyn’s attention.
"A Magical Item?"
Elias, hearing her words, turned towards her.
There was no surprise on his face, as if he already knew that Evelyn was going to know about the ring on his finger.
"Yes."
He answered.
"Is this what you came here for?"
"Hm," Elias hummed, moving towards the bathroom present in the room. "Wait a second. Let me wash my face, and then we can start the preparation to leave this place."
Not waiting for Evelyn’s reply, Elias moved into the bathroom.
Splash!
The crimson color flowed, mixed with the water, staining the porcelain-marble sink.
Splash!
Elias rubbed his face, as if wanting to remove the upper layer of his skin.
"Whoo..."
He shook his head, the wet auburn air swaying as water sprinkled around.
’I want to vomit. I really need to do it.’
Elias sighed, looking at his face. His face looked bleached, as if he had eaten shit, literally.
Threading his fingers through his hair, he shifted his mind to the ring on his finger. It looked like a piece of art crafted by one of the biggest craftsmen in the world.
’Ring of Fortune.’
This was the name of the ring Elias wore on his finger.
In a world where mana was the currency of power. Where swordsmanship and magic prevailed, with the dangers creeping in the form of gates, dungeons, etc.
Lasthaven also had magical items and artifacts.
Artifacts could only be found in gates. And they were pretty much identifiable if not for some ability they had.
But that was not the case for the magical items.
Magical items were not found in the gates. They were found outside the gates. However, they were very rare in comparison to artifacts.
A person can be said to be unbelievably lucky if he or she came across a magical item. For if one didn’t know that the thing they had was a magical item, they would never be able to distinguish it.
’After knowing, they could. It is quite easy afterwards, but before that, it is hard. Next to impossible.’
Magical items also didn’t have a drawback. They didn’t need people to be careful when using it. They also couldn’t be sensed, save for special people.
’Evelyn is one of them who can sense them.’
However, considering all of the pros, there were cons too.
Magical items had unlocking conditions.
And the ring Elias wore had one, too.
The unlocking condition of the Ring of Fortune was nothing but letting a user bet. And when the bet’s result would come, not only would the user lose, but he or she would die too.
The same happened with Kade.
After this, the next person can use the ring. If the ring is removed, the condition resets.
It will once more need a sacrifice before it can be used.
And what was the ability of the item?
It was to make the user win any bet they would make.
But this was not the reason Elias wanted this ring so badly.
No.
He wanted it because this ring was not a complete item. No, it was the 1/5th part of a complete item.
Elias needed the remaining four rings to complete this magical item.
’Then it would be complete.’
Elias rubbed the ring on his finger before finally leaving the bathroom.
After coming out of the bathroom, he glanced at blood-soaked Evelyn and felt his stomach churn.
’I really will vomit.’
"Were you using blood to hide your features?"
Elias asked as he proceeded down the stairway.
"Yes," Evelyn replied.
’Really? You couldn’t find anything else. Maybe something else to hide your features.’
Elias mulled it in his head but didn’t speak.
"How many people are left alive?"
He asked what he wanted to know.
"I don’t know the exact number," Evelyn replied. "I have left everyone alive whom I deemed not to be in the wrong. The rest of them, I have killed."
"Hm," Elias hummed, reaching the chamber down.
’She would have left everyone present in the cell. Other women or people that Kade used. That’s it. I don’t think there are many people to leave.’
Elias started to inspect every box present.
"Are you," Evelyn muttered, and after a long time, a sliver of emotion that quite matched incredulousness laced her tone. "Going to take all of this."
"Yes," Elias answered.
The money and the things present here were very huge in amount, but Elias had a way to take them all.
What was it?
’Storage artifacts! There should be some here.’
Elias continued his search as he asked another question.
"Did you find the way to enter the gambling house from here?"
"Yes," Evelyn answered, as she moved towards one particular box. "The entrance is accessible only when someone from here allows. Only then can people enter and exit."
"Here," she stepped aside as she pointed towards the contents in the box.
Storage artifacts.
Rings, bags, and bands.
’Money and connections can really give you things that can make you wonder.’
"Thanks," Elias muttered as he started to take out the storage rings, bags, and bands. There were 3 of each.
Storage artifacts were expensive. It was a blessing in itself that it was already present here.
’Enough for storing all of this.’
Elias smiled, glancing at the boxes filled with money and potions.
"Did you go there?" Elias asked as he started to store money.
"No."
"Good."
"...So, we are going to leave them. The people working for this place are also in the barony."
"Yes, we are going to leave them. There’s no need to fight. And as I have already told you, there are many stronger than you. Powerful enough to crush you in seconds. So, I am not very keen on dying with you."
Evelyn went silent.
’She really needs to control her emotions.’ Elias glanced at her. ’Who am I even to speak? Sigh!’
"Don’t burden yourself. You have other goals; keep that in mind. And it’s not like we are going to always run away." Elias turned his attention to the papers he had found. There was nothing important. No information about anything.
’All of this is filled with things about the arena. Nothing else.’
"Anyway, don’t burden yourself. And," Elias said and pointed towards one of the boxes filled with Sol, the paper currency of the empire.
One sol equaled one copper coin.
"Take all of it and go distribute it to the surviving people. Select a leader and lead them all outside this arena."
"Ok?"
"Also, take care of your blood-covered condition. You reek."
Evelyn stared at Elias for a second before taking the box filled with money and moving out. As she stepped out of the chamber, suddenly her voice drifted.
"Are you going to destroy the whole place?"
"Yes," Elias answered, not stopping.
He needed to take care of all of this money, which was enough to run a barony like Cross for three years.
***
"Are you done?"
"Hm?"
Elias turned to look at Evelyn, who sat on one of the chairs. Her body was now clean, with no dot of blood present.
’Why the hell are you sitting here? Couldn’t you have come to help me downstairs?’ Elias grumbled inside. ’Not that it was much work.’
"Yes, let’s go."
Elias spoke up as he patted his pockets, feeling the storage artifacts in them.
"You are using that for destroying this whole place?"
Evelyn pointed towards the red device that Elias was fiddling with while she followed him.
"Yes."
Elias answered.
"I am pretty sure you already know that this whole place is engraved with a massive Tier 4 magic circle."
"Is it controlled by this remote?"
"Yes. On my signal, the connection between the mana crystal and the magic circle would be made, and then... Why are you even asking when you already know?"
"No reason."
Elias glanced at Evelyn.
’Whatever.’
They continued to walk, backtracking their steps.
Minutes later, they came out.
The slum air invaded, filling their lungs.
But this time, Elias liked it; hell, he loved it.
’At least there is no dead body or dried blood.’
Suddenly, a disturbing sound echoed.
’At least it’s not present in front of me.’
Turning, he glanced at the hallway before them, painted in crimson.
"Ha!"
Inhaling air, he glanced at the device in his hand. The red button on it shone under the moonlight.
"Let’s end it all. Shall we!"
Tap!
As he tapped, darkness crept, and the door shut close, its hinges tearing the silence.
Creaakkk...
The ground shook, the sound of rumbling echoing as if an earthquake were passing.
However, it was not strong enough to alert someone.
’The whole mechanism was made for an emergency. In case they needed to destroy the whole arena without leaving any evidence.’
But little did they know that someone would use their saving method to destroy them, to save himself, not them.
’Anyway...’
"Let’s go." Elias turned around. "Didn’t you want to sleep?"
"Yeah, I forgot due to a certain someone."
Elias threw the device in his hand to her.
"Destroy it. Leave no trails."
"I know. Don’t fucking babysit me."