Chapter 40: The Mythic Dragon’s Eye
"I’m Herald of Eudenia."
The name, spoken with such calm, vibrated in the now mana-saturated air. My body ran cold, then surged with a terrifying realization. Herald. Herald of Eudenia. I knew that name. Knew it intimately, from countless hours spent binging the pages of Hero’s Vow. Herald wasn’t just a character; he was the hero’s master, the protagonist’s enigmatic mentor. He was considered one of, if not the, strongest characters in the entire novel. His power was legendary, almost mythical.
And that his left eye. The one that glowed with an ethereal blue aura, saturating the environment with raw mana. That was it. That was the S-tier artifact the system had detected. The novel had described it in painstaking detail: the Mythic Dragon’s Eye. An S-tier artifact of unparalleled power, known for a multitude of incredible abilities, including granting its wielder immense longevity. It was said to be a relic from the now dead Mythic Dragon, a fragment of a true dragon’s essence.
Everything clicked into place with a horrifying, yet strangely exhilarating, clarity. In the novel, Herald had recruited and trained Eren Valtor, the hero, because he had been anticipating someone with a special ability, an ability I know possessed, he wanted someone who could help him in his lifelong crusade against the cult – the insidious organization known as the Face of Asmodeus. Asmodeus, the Demon Lord, supposedly defeated by Eren at the climax of the story. Herald had been fighting them for centuries, a silent, relentless war waged from the shadows.
And now, he was here. In the Sapphire manor. Confronting Lord Sapphire. And calling him a "cult member."
My mind raced, piecing together the implications. Lord Sapphire’s hidden armory, his secret power, his late-night whispers of "let his will be done," the assassin from his own guards, it all pointed to one terrifying conclusion. The Sapphire family, or at least Lord Sapphire, was involved with the Face of Asmodeus. My new adopted family, was actually part of the very evil the novel’s protagonist was destined to fight.
The realization was a cold hard slap to the face. I had escaped one death, only to land squarely in the middle of a far greater, more dangerous conflict.
As I processed all of this, a growing pressure began to build around me. The air, already thick with Herald’s raw mana output, became almost suffocating. It felt like an invisible weight pressing down on my chest, making it difficult to draw breath. My lungs burned, struggling to expand against the oppressive force.
It must be another ability of the Mythic Dragon’s Eye, as described in the novel: the ability to compress the mana within a specific radius of the wielder, transforming it into a crushing gravitational force. It wasn’t just mana; it was mana weaponized, turned into an invisible, irresistible hand that could crush anything in its grasp. I was partially suffocating, my vision gradually blurring.
Lord Sapphire, his face grim and unreadable, wasted no time. His gaze, cold and hard, swept over Herald, then to the guards who stood ready. "Apprehend him!" he commanded. "Now!"
More than twenty guards, all armed to the brim with swords and spears, moved in unison. They surrounded Herald, forming a tight circle, their weapons pointed inwards. They appeared well-trained.