Chapter 462 - 464: Key Of Lazarak

Damon went through a lengthy interrogation, along with Lilith and Matia, who were supposed to be his accomplices.

Professor Kael, of course, was also called in for questioning—but as far as Damon was concerned, it felt more like a research defense than a criminal interrogation.

He wasn’t in chains, and he was allowed to make his points while they asked questions.

Lilith answered with her usual grace.

Matia, on the other hand, said absolutely nothing. Not a word. Not even a change in expression.

By the time the sun rose, the academy had no more reason to keep Damon detained.

They tried to take Chrome’s severed head, but Damon flat-out refused.

The Headmaster argued that capturing Chrome alive and presenting him to the White Ruler would’ve been far more useful—but Damon answered with a single, blunt statement:

"I simply wanted to kill him myself."

The Headmaster sighed.

By morning, the students had already made a memorial for Chrome.

Candles had been lit around his office and near the academy’s fountains.

Word traveled fast.

They expected to see justice. But Damon just walked out of the building beside Lilith, his expression completely calm.

He could feel their gazes, hear the whispers. Once, they’d mocked him. Now?

Mostly fear.

And that was fine by him.

Now that Chrome was dead, the next name on his hit list wasn’t far away.

His "good friend," the Wendigo.

After that, he’d go to the capital city—wipe out a few more names—then travel many miles back to his village.

There, he would retrieve his father’s broken sword.

Hopefully, it would work as his dealer’s hand.

He really wanted to test how powerful that skill was—and whether it synergized well with Ashborn.

Naturally, he didn’t return to his dorm.

Instead, he headed straight for the Student Council office.

Lilith opened the door and sat down on the large sofa.

Damon took his place next to her, while Matia stood silently behind him in her armor—like a stalwart knight.

If he didn’t know her better, he might not have even noticed her. She liked hiding in his shadow these days.

’I should put a stop to that,’ Damon thought. ’Or she’ll start following me everywhere. Even to the restroom...’

Lilith sighed.

"Everything went according to plan. Now we have an excuse to leave the academy for a while. It’s about time we start looking for clues and expanding our operations..."

Damon nodded. That had always been the point.

"They wanted to investigate the Temple Lilith got her stigmata from."

And the Snake Temple—Lilith had done research on that too, but it was on the Demon Continent. So they couldn’t go there.

She pulled out a map.

"This is where we’re going. It’s on the borders of the Holy Empire, which means we’re leaving Valtheron—but not quite entering their domain."

Damon’s eyes narrowed. That location was close to Ravenscroft territory. The spot she pointed to was a city just a few hundred kilometers from his village. It was ruled by Xander’s family.

"We’ll stop there until the next full moon."

He didn’t disagree. The place where Lilith had gained her stigmata was off the Golden Road, in an area marked by a mana anomaly. The place couldn’t be accessed properly unless it was under the light of a full moon.

The alternative was to travel around the anomaly through the Holy Kingdom, which would take a month and a half—and involve constant battles with monsters.

"The city’s a safe zone, so we can take Iris and Luna while we wait. It’s a frontier region. Lots of adventurers pass through. Who knows—we might even find potential recruits."

Damon still had a bitter taste in his mouth.

"So, we’ll be staying in that city for a month... then heading into monster-infested territory to look for the temple?"

Lilith smiled, her green eyes flickered slightly.

"I’m sorry if you think you can’t catch a break. It’s not a death zone, but... yeah. It’s still dangerous. The only reason I ended up in the temple the first time was because I was traveling in that direction from the Holy Empire."

Damon narrowed his eyes.

"So basically... we have to travel deep inside that region."

She tilted her head.

"Do you want to go through the Holy Empire instead?"

He shook his head.

"I’d rather not. This is fine."

He clenched his fist.

"While you guys wait in the city for a month, I’ve got more than enough time to settle some old accounts..."

Lilith sighed, leaning into him just slightly.

"Do you want me to come with you? I can."

"No. It’s fine."

"You weren’t there when they wronged me. There’s no need for you to be there when I kill them."

Lilith said nothing for a moment.

Then she nodded.

"Fine. I suppose I can allow that. Just... stay in touch."

Damon agreed. But seeing how disappointed she looked made him feel a bit guilty.

He reached into his shadow storage, pulling out a rusted key.

It was long, with multiple magical symbols and ancient circuits carved into its body.

"I found this on Chrome. If I’m not wrong... it leads to a hidden space."

Lilith’s eyes flickered.

Damon had already appraised it. He’d only managed to learn the name.

"It’s called the Key of Lazarak."

That, and it held two enchantments.

Lilith examined it closely.

"This is a spatial artifact. Really well made. Probably one of the best I’ve ever seen."

She brushed her fingers across the surface.

"It connects to a hidden space—somewhere unknown..."

She walked up to the office door and inserted the key.

When she opened it, Damon saw the other side was no longer the academy.

It looked like a research lab.

She quickly closed the door, removed the key, and opened it again—it was now back to normal.

"Yeah, it’s a trap for sure. That’s the second enchantment. A failsafe against intruders."

She held her chin thoughtfully.

"I see. It can only be opened through marked coordinates. And only someone with spatial access or understanding can use it safely... it can also tear through space once a day even without a door."

She waved her hand, crushing something invisible in the air.

"The door was laced with a trap. Luckily, I’m the Priestess of the Void. Without that, we’d be lost in the spatial currents if we went through."

She opened the door again—this time pouring her magic inside.

Damon watched as the rippling space collapsed and then stabilized.

"Now it’s safe."

She turned toward him.

"Do you want to explore it?"