Chapter 125: A Power Outage in the Castle?
The bathtub was filled to the brim with warm water and foam. Steam rose gently, slightly fogging the edges of the nearby mirror.
Max lay back inside, his arms resting along the sides, completely relaxed.
"...yeah..." he murmured, closing his eyes.
He let his body sink a little deeper into the water.
"...I definitely overreacted about protecting Chloe..."
Chloe’s image came back to his mind. Calm. Smiling. Teasing him.
The knocked-out orc.
The black cloak. Sophie picking it up like it was nothing.
Max let out a long sigh.
"I’m being way too paranoid..."
He ran a hand over his wet face.
"She can take care of herself... and pretty well, too."
He slid a little deeper into the tub... until the water reached his chin.
"...I really needed this..."
And then, without thinking much about it, he submerged completely under the water.
Silence. Bubbling. Isolated.
For a moment... everything disappeared.
...
And suddenly—
WHOOM
A gust of wind tore through the castle. Far too violent.
Windows rattled. Doors creaked. And the lights went out.
Max opened his eyes underwater.
...
He shot up instantly.
"What—?"
The steam was still there... but the light wasn’t.
The room was dark. Only the faint moonlight coming through the window cast long shadows across the floor.
Max stayed still for a second.
"That wasn’t a normal gust of wind..."
His expression changed. He stood up immediately. Water dripped from his body as he stepped out of the tub, soaking the floor. He grabbed a towel and dried himself quickly, without much care.
"...this isn’t normal..."
He wrapped it around his waist, barely covering himself. His wet feet left marks across the floor as he walked to the door. He opened it slowly and peeked into the hallway.
Only darkness.
Complete darkness.
But not silence.
Shouts. Echoes. Confusion.
And then, he heard one in particular. Sharp. Familiar.
It was Elanor. He was sure of it.
Max’s eyes widened.
"...shit."
He moved quickly. Went back into the room.
He fumbled for his infinite backpack. Grabbed it and opened it.
Pulled out the small dropper he had claimed from the previous mission.
"Come on... work..."
He brought the vial to his eyes. One drop in each. Blinked a couple of times.
Then, he felt a pulse. Something inside him reacted.
[Effect Activated: Night Vision]
He also felt his ability. That deep sensation... like something activating on its own.
[Ability Activated][Enhanced Effect: Complete vision in all types of darkness]
The darkness... changed.
First, he saw shadows. Then shapes. And finally, color.
Max blinked a few times, surprised.
"...no way..."
He could see everything. Not just in the dark, but through it. The walls. The details. Even the faint magical energy floating in the air.
"...this is..."
A small smile formed.
"...way better than I expected."
He slung the backpack over his shoulder. Grabbed his pants. And left the room, putting them on as he moved. Barefoot. With his torso and hair still wet, and his heart pounding.
The screams continued. Clearer now. Closer.
Max clenched his jaw.
"...Elanor..."
And without hesitation, he ran toward the source of the sound.
***
Max’s footsteps echoed against the stone floor, fast and barefoot, matching the urgency driving him.
He turned a corner, and saw them.
Elanor and Moonlight were there. In the middle of the corridor. Fighting.
In front of them... a massive figure. Hooded. Over two meters tall, easily. Broad back. Heavy presence. The air around it felt dense.
Moon moved quickly, dodging a brutal strike that made the wall tremble.
Elanor, beside her, cast wind magic with precision, trying to contain and push it back.
But it wasn’t enough.
Max didn’t hesitate.
He raised his hand, and his hammer appeared in it.
"—HEY!"
He hurled it with all his strength.
The weapon spun through the air and struck the hooded figure square in the back.
THUD
The impact made it lean forward for a second. But that was enough.
Moon’s eyes lit up.
"Now!"
Her sword ignited, frozen fire.
And in a single motion—
CLANG
The blade struck, and ice spread. Fast and violent. Covering the giant from feet to neck. Freezing it completely.
The hallway fell into silence for a moment.
Elanor exhaled.
"...thank you, Max."
She looked at him, still tense.
"But it doesn’t seem to be the only intruder in the castle."
Max frowned.
"...what?"
Moon lowered her sword, looking around.
"We heard more screams."
She pointed toward the side corridors.
"And sounds of fighting... all over the castle."
Silence tightened again.
Max turned his gaze to the frozen body and approached. Something didn’t sit right. Thanks to his vision, shadows were no longer a problem. He could see everything clearly—even what others couldn’t.
He leaned in slightly.
And then he noticed it.
On the giant’s neck... there was a tattoo.
A seven-pointed star.
Max narrowed his eyes.
"This... feels familiar from the game..."
But he didn’t finish the thought.
"...Max..."
Elanor’s voice interrupted him.
He turned his head.
And found her staring at him. Fixed. Directly at his chest.
Max blinked.
"...what is it?"
Elanor averted her gaze slightly... blushing.
"...care to explain why your chest is completely exposed?"
Max looked down.
"...oh."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"Uh... don’t get the wrong idea."
He laughed awkwardly.
"I was taking a bath."
He pointed behind him with his thumb.
"I heard you scream and ran out."
He shrugged.
"Didn’t have time to fully get dressed."
Moon looked at him... and burst out laughing.
"HAHAHA!"
She bounced a little.
"I want to walk around barefoot like my dad too!"
She lifted one foot.
"It looks fun!"
Elanor reacted instantly.
"No!"
She looked at her seriously.
"You’ll catch a cold."
Moon pouted.
"...so boring..."
Max let out a small laugh.
But his expression hardened again almost immediately. He looked down the corridor. Then at the frozen body. Then... at both of them.
"...we need to move."
His tone shifted. More serious.
"Can you come with me?"
Elanor nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Moon raised her sword again.
"Let’s go!"
Max was already moving. Running.
And this time... he knew where he was going.
’...maybe I didn’t overreact...’
His heart beat faster.
’...these guys aren’t here by chance...’
He clenched his teeth.
’...they came for her...’
And he picked up his pace.
Straight toward the guest rooms.
Toward where Chloe should be.