Chapter 51: Demonic Artifact (1)

Chapter 51: Demonic Artifact (1) They sailed for a few hours. Night came, making it harder to find their way in the middle of the ocean, but they managed. "There’s a city there," Lindy said, pointing toward a lighthouse. "It’s called Korrath Bay, I think. With this, I at least know where we are." Lindy had vast knowledge about the cities, unlike Damian. He didn’t know much. "How far are we from the academy?" Damian asked. "Far. But we can take a plane there and go straight to our mission. Let’s deal with the academy once we return." She didn’t want to think about the academy right then. Dwelling on it would only make them more anxious about the future. When they reached the city, a group of guards came to speak with them. They were the ones patrolling the harbor. Two people showing up on a makeshift log boat wasn’t exactly normal. The guards had no idea who they were. Damian let Lindy do the talking. She explained they’d had a boat accident a few hours ago but managed to make it back to shore. The fact that they were hunters eased the guards’ concerns. In fact, they treated them with respect. Once things were settled with harbor security, Lindy called for a driver and headed to the airport with Damian. "So how long until we get there?" Damian asked. "About five hours," Lindy said. "It’ll take longer compared to our private jet, but at least this way we know everything will be fine." The plane had a few stops, and the process was slower than their private flights, so of course it would take longer. But they weren’t in a rush. They’d still arrive in time to help the person with the demonic artifact and the demon problem. In the air, Damian couldn’t stop moving his hands or tapping his feet. He was nervous. His mind kept flashing back to their private jet going down. It wasn’t truly dangerous for him—his skills could have saved him if it happened again—but the memory still haunted him. Eventually, he dozed off until they reached their destination. Lindy was the one to wake him a few moments before the plane landed. She hadn’t slept. Instead, she spent the flight reading everything she could about their mission. "We’re almost landing," she said, poking Damian’s arm. "Get ready." Damian stared out the plane window as it touched down. The city looked nothing like what he was used to. They’d just landed in another country to complete the mission. "I didn’t know we took jobs outside the country," Damian said. Lindy laughed. "If the money’s good, we’ll fly to the other side of the world. Come on—we still need to rent a car." They slipped out of the airport fast. With just a couple of bags each, there was no reason to wait around. At the rental desk, they picked up a black SUV—spacious and solid. Damian liked it, even more because Lindy was footing the bill. She was also behind the wheel. "It’s about a two-hour drive to some remote place," Lindy said. "That’s where the family with the demonic artifact is." "What are they? Some rich countryside family? Farmers?" Damian asked. "Not sure about farmers, but yeah—wealthy countryside types. Hard place to get to, but the payout makes it worth it." The money would be split between the academy and Lindy, each taking a cut. Damian was just along to help and watch. He wasn’t all that confident he’d see any of it. Still, part of him hoped he would. He could be doing something else with his time. The boost in attributes, the new skills, and the mana crystals made the whole mission worth it—even without any money involved. * The surroundings shifted completely. No more city streets. Just long roads with almost no cars and endless forests. Classic countryside. For an hour, they stuck to the main road. Then they had to switch to a secondary one—a muddy path cutting deep into the forest. The car jolted up and down, fighting the holes in the road. "Pretty hard to get there, huh," Damian said. "Worse than I thought," Lindy replied. She hadn’t known what to expect from the road to the house. Online maps weren’t exactly up to date. After another hour grinding through that terrible road, they finally reached the family’s home. It was massive. The mansion had the classic old-world look—entirely built from dark stone, giving it a heavy, majestic aura. Lindy stopped the car at the front gate. An armed guard stepped forward to speak with her. "Who are you?" the guard asked. She showed her hunter ID. "We’re here for the mission." The guard frowned. "I thought you two were supposed to arrive a few hours ago." They should have—but the plane crash hadn’t exactly helped. "We’re sorry, but we’re here now," Lindy said. "Can we enter?" "Of course. Go ahead." The guard opened the gate. Besides the one posted there, several others were scattered around the property. Most of them were regular human guards—no hunters in sight. Lindy knew the family had a hunter who stepped in if there was ever a demon attack, but that wasn’t a frequent occurrence. On top of that, the mansion was equipped with protective mechanisms to ward off demons. Expensive tools only money could buy. When they reached the mansion’s front door, a young man came out to greet them. He was the son of the family’s head. "Welcome," the man said. "You must be Lindy, right? I thought you’d be coming alone." Lindy smiled. "Yes, that was the plan. But I decided to bring my assistant. This way he can learn and gain more practical experience." The man turned his gaze to Damian. "Makes sense. Welcome. But tell me—did something happen on the way? I expected you last night." Lindy kept quiet about the sabotage, about how their private plane had been taken down. "We ran into a few delays at the academy and left later than planned. My apologies," she said. "No problem at all. What matters is that you’re here now." The young man led them to the dining room, where he served coffee and some food. There, he laid out everything that had been happening. Most of it Lindy already knew from the written reports, but hearing it directly from someone living through it carried more weight. "This artifact has been in the family for a long time, but it’s never caused any trouble," the young man said. "I don’t know what might have changed." he demonic artifact was a necklace that had been passed down through generations, and for many years, it had never caused any trouble for the family. But recently, everything had changed for some unknown reason. The room where the necklace was kept had become impossible to enter, shrouded in a black mist that harmed anyone who stepped inside. One of the guards went to check and almost didn’t make it out alive. Not even the hunter who lived in the mansion and worked for the family could enter. That’s why they decided to call Lindy, an expert in all things demonic. "Can I take a look at the room?" Lindy asked. Though apprehensive, the young man showed her the way.