Jack gassed the Lightning Hoverbike's mystic steamrune engine. The bike moved fast, but the hum was barely audible. A low thrum against the oppressive silence of the cavern.
He guided the vehicle out of the cavern's mouth. The sickly green of the reflective puddle shrinking behind them. The air immediately grew heavy. Thick with the scent of decay and something sharper. Like rusting iron.
The Valley of Despair was not a small valley. It was quite a vast, desolate expanse. Surrounded by high cliffs on all sides. Under a sky that was perpetually bruised and grey. Never offering the true solace of day or the deep mystery of night.
Grey mist swirled low. Clinging to the skeletal remains of what might once have been trees. Their branches, twisted and gnarled, reached like arthritic fingers. Towards the sky. Devoid of any leaf or life.
The ground was a churned mix of dust, shattered rock, and patches of sickly, pale fungi. Ones that pulsed with a faint, unwholesome light.
Undead creatures shuffled across this landscape. Zombies, skeletons, grotesque walking corpses... Their movements were slow and aimless. Groaning eerily.
Reina's illusion was a comfort. A convenience. The thin, shimmering fog enveloping the Hoverbike and its occupants seemed to bend the light and sound around them. Even as they passed a pack of shambling zombies, just a few meters away, they didn't seem to be registered in the zombies' senses.
Jack looked at the zombies. Their skin was a patchwork of rot and tattered clothes. Their vacant eyes stared straight through where Jack and Reina sat. Registering nothing. The illusion worked. At least on these low-level mindless husks.
But the Valley's true insidious nature revealed itself quickly. Jack tried to extend his senses. To sense further away. To feel for the subtle currents of magical energy. To perceive the faint heat signatures of life. To hear beyond the drone of the hoverbike...
But... Nothing. His enhanced senses were usually so sharp they could pick out a detail from beyond the eyesight, or the magical resonance of natural objects. But, now they were mute.
It was like a thick blanket had been thrown over his perception. Forcing him back to the baseline of a normal human. He could see, hear, smell, and touch only what a mundane person could.
It was jarring. A sudden blindness after existing with hyper-awareness for so long. Jack attempted his [Eyes of Judgement]. It worked. Fortunately. But, the distance it could reach was very short. Just a few meters away.
"My enhanced senses are useless here, Love." Jack stated. "The Valley does suppress perception. Your information is right."
Reina leaned closer. Her breath warm against his ear. "Mine is limited too. It is indeed a tactical disadvantage, Dear. But, your other powers are unaffected, aren't they?"
Jack nodded. "My other abilities should be fine. It's just external perception that's suppressed. No super-hearing, no magic sight, no tracking enemies by scent alone. We're on a level playing field with any ordinary human, for now."
He paused, then added, "Except for Rune, it seems."
Rune, the mechanical fairy, flitted ahead of them. Her deep golden glow was cutting a path through the grey mist. She didn't hesitate, didn't falter.
Her internal mechanisms and connection to Jack's system seemed fine. Entirely unaffected by the Valley's dampening aura. She knew where she was going. A silent, glowing beacon of certainty in a realm of despair.
Why didn't the suppression work on her? Jack didn't know. But, it was a relief. Without her, navigating this place would be a nightmare.
Rune bobbed twice. Then sped up slightly. Indicating a clear direction. Jack adjusted the Hoverbike's course. Following her.
The terrain slowly transitioned. From open desolation to a more fragmented landscape of jagged rock formations. They were entering a rocky field. The grey mist were swirling thicker around the stony outcrops.
Ahead, nestled between two craggy teeth of rock, stood a small stone shrine. It was simple. Weathered. And partially collapsed. Barely more than a circular wall of rough stones surrounding a single, broken pedestal.
Around it, a congregation of undead monsters shuffled. There were the multitude of zombies that groans in a low chorus. Also gaunt ghouls with elongated limbs and hollow eyes. And there were even few larger, shambling abominations. Stitched-together masses of flesh and bone. Things that moved with an unnatural, jerky steps.
Reina's illusion held. Thankfully. The Hoverbike glided silently over the cracked earth. Dodging around a particularly lurching ghoul with ease.
The creatures remained oblivious. Their existence seemed to be a monotonous cycle of restless wandering.
Jack felt a flicker of grim relief. He could defeat them. It was not even too hard. But it would take time. And they didn't have that much time. The Illuminated Transcendent Beings outside could enter any time now.
They reached the shrine. Jack dismounted. Reina followed him. Rune hovered above the broken pedestal. Her golden glow intensified as if pointing to an extremely valuable treasure.
It wasn't the Forbidden Chalice they sought. That much was clear. The pedestal held only a single object... a broken dagger.
It lay in two pieces. The blade snapped near the hilt. What remained of the hilt was wrapped in brittle, dark leather. And the exposed metal was black, rusted, and jagged.
A strong aura of malice seemed to emanate from it. A cold sensation that even Jack's suppressed senses could detect. It was sinister. And utterly wrong. Just like a whisper of pain and betrayal made manifest.
Jack's [Eyes of Wisdom] brought its details. The broken weapon was called the 'Cursed Blood Dagger'. A cursed object.
Despite the curse, Jack felt that he had to touch it. The instinct from his second power class, the Treasure Hunter, told him that this was a treasure.
Jack extended a finger. Hesitant for a moment. But then, he touched the cold, dark metal. A jolt of dark energy shot up his arm. The feeling was unpleasant. Like touching a festering wound. But he didn't flinch.
His system, however, reacted immediately.
[NEW SPELL CARD ACQUIRED!]
[SPELL CARD: BLEEDING CURSE]
The message flashed in his internal vision. Accompanied by a faint, crimson glow from the broken dagger itself. Quickly faded back to its dull, dark state.
A fancy tarot-like card appeared. Hovering on air in front of him. It had a classic painting of a dagger tainted with blood. Jack immediately activated his [Eyes of Judgement]...
[Spell Card: Bleeding Curse]
[Type: Curse]
[Effect: Curses the target, causing them to suffer continuous internal and external bleeding from any wound. This weakens their physical prowess, reduces their stamina, and continuously drains their life force over the active time. Severity scales with caster's Mysticism and target's resistance. Regular potions, healing spells, or regeneration, will not work against the curse.]
[Requirement: Caster must possess a minimum 20 points of Mysticism.]
[Maximum Duration: 12 hours]
[Cooldown: 30 minutes]
Jack allowed a thin, predatory smile to spread across his face. Continuous bleeding. Persistent drain. Difficult to heal. Nasty. Very nasty. Perfect for weakening a stubborn opponent. Or ensuring a slow, agonizing end for someone truly deserving.
The pragmatic side of him appreciated such a direct and brutal tool. It wouldn't be his first choice for every fight. But against a resilient foe, a steady drain of lifeblood could turn the tide. He, and Reina, had more than enough Mysticism to make good use of it.
"A spell card, Dear?" Reina murmured. Observing the dagger and card with interest. "From such a broken thing? Treasure Hunter is... ridiculous."
"Cursed artifacts can indeed be categorized as treasures. Well, I think." Jack replied. Withdrawing his hand from the dagger and catching the card.
He wasn't interested in owning the dagger itself. Cursed objects were troublesome. Always demanding a price. Or subtly corrupting their owners.
Gaining a spell card from it was far more convenient and less risky. The dagger could remain here. Polluting this desolate shrine.
Rune observed Jack's action. She gave a small, contented pulse of golden light. She then twirled. Indicating they should continue.
Jack remounted the Hoverbike. Reina settling behind him. "Come on, Love!" He said. "Let's see what other delightful fortunes this Valley offers."
Rune led them deeper into the Valley. The landscape gradually shifted again. The rocky field gave way to signs of past, albeit long-dead, civilization.
They began to see the skeletal remains of structures. Collapsed walls. Shattered foundations. And heaps of rubble that hinted at former buildings. The mist here was laced with dust and debris.
The mechanical fairy stopped above a particularly large pile of rubble. The remnants of what might have been a house. Its wooden beams were long rotted. Its stones scattered. Forming a chaotic mound.
Rune pulsed. Her golden light casted shifting shadows on the debris.
Jack dismounted again. His combat boots made some sound as he stepped onto the loose stones. Reina remained on the Hoverbike. Her eyes were scanning their surroundings. Ensuring her illusion blanketing them remained unbroken.
Jack sifted through the rubble. He took a steamrune shovel from his Spatial Backpack and dug through some rocks and splintered wood. Following Rune's guidance. It didn't take long.
His shovel brushed against something cold and metallic. Nestled beneath a particularly heavy slab of what-might-have-been a hearthstone.
He dug around it and used his shovel to pull it out. It was a damaged candle holder. Forged from dark, tarnished metal. Three arms branched from a central stem. Each ended in a cup to hold a candle.
But the candles were long gone. Replaced by a residue of black, viscous wax. One that oozed slightly. Even after years. Or perhaps centuries.
Like the dagger, it radiated a dark, unsettling energy. Though this felt more insidious. More psychological than physical. It hummed with a familiar quiet malice. One that promised not physical pain. But mental torment.
As his fingers closed around it, the system message flashed.
[NEW SPELL CARD ACQUIRED!]
[SPELL CARD: NIGHTMARE CURSE]
Jack grunted. A sound of acknowledgment. Another curse. Nightmare... This one was pretty much his forte.
This Valley was certainly a treasure trove of malevolent artifacts. He didn't bother to keep the candle holder. Simply dropping it back into the rubble. It had served its purpose.
Instead, he looked at the tarot-like card. The one hovering on air in front of him. This one had a classic painting of demonic candle fire.
He called up [Eyes of Judgement] once more.
[Spell Card: Nightmare Curse]
[Type: Curse]
[Effect: Inflicts the target with vivid, debilitating nightmares and terrifying hallucinations. The curse severely disrupts their mental clarity, making it difficult to focus, reason, or sleep. It can even make the target hard to distinguish reality from illusion and it can lead to insanity. Severity scales with caster's Mysticism and target's resistance.]
[Requirement: Caster must possess a minimum 20 points of Mysticism.]
[Maximum Duration: 7 days]
[Cooldown: 30 minutes]
"Nightmares and hallucinations?" Jack mused aloud. A dark chuckle escaping him. "That's Jack Mystery's specialty, isn't it? Yet this card... It might even be more convenient than [Mysterious Anomaly]'s nightmare."
For the [Mysterious Anomaly], Jack Mystery needed to be present to create and control illusion. The curse... it could continuously torture the target with nightmare for a week after just one cast.
What else could he gain in this Valley of Despair? Wait! For Jack, this place wasn't exactly a place of despair. Instead it was more like a Valley of... Fortune.