Jack looked at Rune.
The mechanical fairy glowed bright white. Seemingly satisfied with their acquisition. She zipped off again. Leading them further.
The ruins became less defined. The structures giving way to an eerie, dead forest. Here, the twisted trees were thicker. Their skeletal branches interwoven. Creating a perpetual twilight even in the muted light of the Valley.
The mist hung heavier. Thicker. Making visibility a challenge. And there were more undead creatures. More powerful looking ones.
Suddenly, Rune stopped. Hovering before a truly monstrous tree. It was ancient. Its trunk was extremely wide. With roots like great pythons coiling out of the ground.
The bark was a mottled purplish-black. Gnarled like weathered skin. And it seemed to throb with a faint, sorrowful pulse. It was utterly dead. Yet, it possessed a perverse, unnatural vitality.
Embedded deep within its purplish bark was an amber-like orb. Gleaming faintly like a captured star. It was the size of a baby fist. Translucent. With strange, swirling currents of a darker, viscous liquid trapped within its depths.
It pulsed with a faint, irritating energy. This wasn't merely sinister. It felt distractive and bothersome.
Jack's [Eyes of Wisdom] brought its details. The orb was called the 'Cursed Amber Eye'. Another cursed object.
Jack drove his hoverbike closer. Approaching the orb. Extending his hand. Touching the tree first. It felt cold, like stone. Yet, its surface was strangely sticky.
He pressed his fingers against the orb. The irritation intensified. An almost uncontrollable urge to scratch at his skin. At something unseen beneath the surface. It was a potent, focused annoyance.
[NEW SPELL CARD ACQUIRED!]
[SPELL CARD: ITCH CURSE]
The orb pulsed. Its swirling contents momentarily flashing with an angry, reddish hue. Then settled back into its dull, amber glow. Jack pulled his hand away.
A tarot-like card appeared. Hovering on air in front of him. It had a classic painting of an amber orb and shadowy insect. Another curse-type spell card. The Valley was truly living up to its reputation for despair and suffering.
He checked the details with his [Eyes of Judgement], without hesitation.
[Spell Card: Itch Curse]
[Type: Curse]
[Effect: Inflicts the target with an excruciating, uncontrollable itch across their entire body. This relentless irritation causes severe discomfort, disrupts concentration, and can drive the target to frantic, non-lethal self-harming scratching. Severity scales with caster's Mysticism and target's resistance.]
[Requirement: Caster must possess a minimum 20 points of Mysticism.]
[Maximum Duration: 6 hours]
[Cooldown: 15 minutes per use.]
Jack let out a low whistle. "An itch curse? Not flashy, but incredibly effective for distraction and irritation."
"True." Reina agreed. "Imagine trying to fight, or even think, when your entire body feels like it's crawling with insects you can't get rid of. This one is also useful, Dear."
He grinned. "It's a deceptively cruel curse. Simplicity itself, but agonizingly effective."
He could picture a heavily armored foe flailing. Trying to tear off their gear. Or a mage unable to concentrate on their spells. It was beautiful in its mundane horror.
Jack took out the four spell cards in his possession. [Dragon's Lullaby], [Bleeding Curse], [Nightmare Curse], and [Itch Curse]. Three out of four were curse type. Focused on torment, debilitation, and suffering. They were all useful collection for specific cases.
"Alright, Rune!" Jack addressed the glowing fairy. His voice was firm. "We've had our little treasure hunt. But time is running out. We can seek more cursed treasures next time. For now, lead us directly to the Forbidden Chalice. No more detours for cursed trinkets."
Rune pulsed with a brighter, more determined golden light. Her tiny form zipped forward with renewed purpose. She had collected her small tributes from the Valley's despair. And now, the main mission took precedence.
"Lead on, then, Rune!" Jack said. Ready on the Hoverbike. Reina was also ready behind him. Her arms wrapped securely around his waist.
The oppressive gloom of the Valley still pressed in around them. But now, Jack felt a growing sense of anticipation. The Chalice... a forbidden artifact.
The factions of both orthodox and demonic principles... they were all still fighting outside for the chance to enter. He was already inside. Already ahead. But it wouldn't be for long. He needed to hurry.
Rune, the small mechanical fairy, floated a few meters ahead of them. She glowed with a steady, pulsating golden light. A color that signaled confidence and fortune.
They had been moving for twenty minutes. The Hoverbike had been tearing a path above uneven ground. The terrain rose slightly. And the rows of dead, leafless trees thinned. Revealing the shattered outline of a sprawling, ruined settlement.
"The town..." Jack observed. Decelerating the bike slightly. "Looks like it died violently several hundred years ago."
This was the center of the Valley. The most likely location for the Forbidden Chalice.
They rode past skeletal remains of stone houses. All roofs had long been collapsed. Walls were cracked and blackened by some long-forgotten conflagration. Even in ruin, the town felt massive. A testament to the civilized settlement that once stood here.
Reina maintained the illusion around them effortlessly. Her concentration was pretty much absolute for this type of magic.
Every few seconds, the shadow of a gaunt undead warrior would pass on the ground, a few meters below. And there were slow-moving evil spirits floating around. All were totally oblivious to the sleek, humming machine gliding not far from them.
Rune's golden glow intensified. She pointed directly toward the heart of the settlement. There, hunched over the town's center like a predatory beetle, was the ruined castle. Its walls were half-shattered. But the main keep still partially stood. A jagged monument to despair.
They drove the Hoverbike right up to the castle's main entrance. And dismounted quickly. The silence the moment the engine stopped was deafening. The oppressive weight of the Valley rushed in.
Jack recalled his [Lightning Hoverbike] back to his system. "Keep the illusion blanket tight, Love." He commanded.
"Don't worry, Dear."
Rune led them through a series of dark, crumbling corridors. The air here was even thicker. Laced with the metallic tang of dried blood and the sharp, pungent scent of necromantic decay. The castle had clearly been the site of fierce battle. Centuries past.
They reached the central keep. Ascending a wide, spiral staircase that crumbled under their weight. They moved carefully. Jack's footsteps were slow and steady. Reina's movements were fluid and as silent as fog.
Finally, they entered the throne chamber.
It was vast. Its ceiling was partially collapsed. Letting in narrow beams of sickly grey light. One that did little to dispel the gloom. A massive stone throne stood against the far wall. Partially broken and was etched with symbols of forgotten nobility.
And there it was.
In the center of the room... On a circular, half-damaged stone altar... The artifact. It was delicate and exquisitely crafted. Softly pulsing with faint crimson glow. The [Forbidden Chalice].
Jack approached cautiously. His leather boots crunched the ground faintly.
Reina remained several steps behind. Her eyes were scanning the broken room. Poised to deploy a thicker fog-wall should anything seem to react to their presence.
Jack's eyes flared briefly. He activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The information panel snapped into his vision instantly.
[Name: Forbidden Chalice]
[Grade: Divine]
[Durability: Unbreakable]
[Special Ability: Equal Exchange Resurrection]
[Description: A relic of immense power, said to be capable of resurrecting the dead, but at a terrible price. Its true origins are untraceable. It might be either a gift from a vengeful deity or a blasphemous creation of primeval necromancers. It draws upon the life force of the living to restore the deceased, demanding an equivalent or greater sacrifice. Its very existence warps the natural order, making it an object of both immense desire and profound dread amongst those who understand its true nature.]
"The same information. Still, so unreasonable." Jack muttered. A dry acknowledgment of its immense power.
It was exactly like what he saw the last time. But, this time it was not surrounded by super powerful transcendent beings trying to seize it. If he could harvest the spell card from this, it should be one of the most powerful utility ability he could possess.
He stepped closer. But, then, his [Eyes of Judgement] caught additional information. Jack focused harder. The panel was updated. Flashing a new, red-tinted warning section.
[Passive Effect: Undead Lure Curse]
[Description: This artifact is currently cursed by the residual divine authority of the Saint of Joy. If the Chalice is removed from the confines of this throne chamber, every undead entity within the Valley of Despair will instantly track and swarm the bearer with overwhelming force.]
[Passive Effect: Hidden Mark]
[Description: The artifact carries a half-divine tracking signature from the Saint of Joy. It allows the demigod-tier entity, to permanently monitor and track the location of the Forbidden Chalice, irrespective of distance or dimensional storage.]
Jack snorted. A harsh, dismissive sound that echoed briefly in the stone room.
"I knew it." He announced quietly. "The Forbidden Chalice was never meant to be taken out cleanly. It was a lure and a trap. The Saint of Joy had his own hidden agenda."
Reina shifted behind him. "Is there any probkem, Dear?"
"Yeah." Jack confirmed. "It's cursed. Anyone who carried the chalice out of the hall would be swarmed by all undead creatures out there. And Saint of Joy could track wherever the artifact would go."
Jack grinned. "Fortunately, I don't need to carry it out. My main target is never owning the artifact after all."
He straightened up. Looking at the exquisite artifact. The physical object was worthless to him. A liability. A glowing beacon broadcasting his location to a demigod and guaranteed to summon hordes of rotting meat.
He didn't need the Chalice. He needed the power he could get from the Chalice. That was the fundamental difference between a conventional treasure hunter, and a transcendent 'Treasure Hunter' class.
Jack lifted his hand and ignored the inherent danger. He didn't need to carry it. He just needed to make contact. He reached out and let his fingers brush the cold, carved stone of the [Forbidden Chalice].
The moment his skin touched the artifact, the air in the chamber crackled. Not a loud, violent discharge. But a deep, low hum. The Chalice did not move. But it glowed brighter for a few seconds.
The system message flashed...
[NEW SPELL CARD ACQUIRED!]
[SPELL CARD: SACRIFICIAL RESURRECTION]
Another tarot-like card appeared. Hovering on air in front of him. This one had a classic painting of a chalice and a drop of blood.
He activated his [Eyes of Judgement] once more...