But just as I reached out to take it, something unexpected suddenly happened.
The Radiant Chapter, which had shown no abnormalities before, instantly grew scorching hot the moment it touched my fingers. The gilded text on its surface coalesced into invisible ripples, as if actively repelling my touch.
At the same time, a wisp of black aura peeled away from my body, standing out starkly in the brightly lit reception room.
Myceni’s expression changed at once. As the head of a Holy Knight family, he was especially sensitive to this kind of aura. He looked at me with alarm and suspicion. “You’re actually a demon—quick, summon the guard squad!”
By the time I reacted, a shrill alarm had already sounded. Chaotic footsteps echoed down the corridor outside the room.
Maybe I had watched too many dramas, because my first thought was that he wanted to silence me and keep the Radiant Chapter for himself. Only afterward did I realize the real issue was my true identity.
Oh no, why did it get exposed?
Panic surged through me. Almost on instinct, I summoned Kai and the others.
The monastery squad that suddenly appeared in the reception room immediately surrounded me protectively, forming a clear standoff against the swarm of knights pouring in through the doorway.
The heavy atmosphere made everyone freeze. Kai and her team had no idea what was going on and didn’t dare act rashly, while the knights opposite them didn’t know their identities and held back as well.
In the end it was Myceni who broke the tense silence. He stepped out from behind his knights, studied Kai’s group carefully, and fell into thought. “This armor style… the crest… You are from the Radiant Monastery in the Alwyn Empire?”
“Yes, we are members of the monastery’s trainee squad,” Kai answered after glancing at me. At my nod, she explained, “We signed a contract with Her Highness under Lady Claire’s orders to protect her safety.”
“Why are you here?”
Myceni’s gaze shifted back and forth between me and the squad, as if weighing the situation. His stern expression suddenly softened, and he let out a hearty laugh. “It seems this was all a misunderstanding.”
He clapped his hands, dismissing the surrounding knights. Though they were clearly confused, they faithfully obeyed the order.
Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief, though I kept my guard up.
“The Radiant Chapter is extremely sensitive to demonic aura, which is why it reacted that way and led me to that judgment,” Myceni explained when he saw my expression.
“However, since you are protected by knights of the Radiant Monastery, you clearly cannot be one of those demons rejected by the Holy Light. I assume the adventurer simply picked up some demonic aura while in the Mihri Ruins, causing the Radiant Chapter to mistake you.”
He nodded, apparently satisfied that his reasoning made perfect sense.
He didn’t notice the strange looks on the pink-haired girl across from him or on the monastery squad’s faces, nor could he possibly know that his earlier guess had been completely correct—and that the suspected “demon” was actually the Demon King herself.
I couldn’t help feeling grateful that Alice’s intervention back then hadn’t turned the monastery group into Dark Faction members. Otherwise I would probably be stone-cold dead right now.
Since he still didn’t know my real identity, I didn’t need to stay so tense. “Ahem. I understand, Mr. Myceni. Still, I think your reaction was a little… hasty.”
“I’m truly sorry for frightening you, adventurer. I will make up for my mistake. As it happens, the rewards for completing the trial quest also need to be given to you now. Please wait here a moment.” Myceni spoke apologetically, then rose and left the reception room.
I blinked. I had only meant to complain a little, yet I had somehow earned extra rewards. This was something I hadn’t expected at all. Although I felt a twinge of guilt, there was no way I could possibly refuse.
Myceni didn’t stay away long. He soon returned to the reception room, but this time two servants followed behind him, each carrying several boxes.
“Is this a Mana Crystal?”
The moment one of the boxes was opened, revealing more than a dozen glittering crystals inside, I recognized them instantly.
Using a Mana Crystal summoned a self-aware crystal companion that was almost like a pet, though it could only be used by magic classes.
The crystal came with a massive mana pool and would automatically consume itself when the owner’s mana dropped too low. At higher levels it even provided extra effects such as reduced skill cooldowns and increased magic damage.
For magic classes it was practically a top-tier support item. They only dropped from mechanical or spirit-type monsters, and with their ridiculously low drop rate they had been extremely rare and sought-after in my previous life.
“Adventurer, as a reward for completing the quest, you may choose three Mana Crystals from these according to your needs.”
Handing out three of these priceless Mana Crystals so casually left me stunned for a second, but I quickly composed myself and began selecting from the collection.
Mana Crystals had different attributes corresponding to various elements and magic classes. While a mismatched attribute could still be used, the matching one naturally performed better.
I quickly picked out three: dark, fire, and ice. The dark one was obviously for myself, while the fire and ice ones were for the fire and ice mages in the group. Even if I didn’t need them later, they could still sell for a good price.
Just as I was about to confirm my choice, my peripheral vision caught sight of a colorless, transparent crystal tucked away in the corner of the box.
An attribute-less Mana Crystal?
I paused.
Unlike the others, these had an even lower drop rate, but they could perfectly adapt to the owner’s attribute growth direction and might even mutate into dual- or even triple-attribute crystals.
The downside was obvious: the cultivation period was much longer, and the mutation chance was equally low. If no mutation occurred, its effects would be no different from a regular Mana Crystal. In short, it was a gamble where you bet your cultivation time.
I looked at the three I had already chosen, then at the colorless crystal lying quietly in the corner. After hesitating for a moment, I swapped out the ice one for the attribute-less Mana Crystal.
“I’ve finished selecting, Mr. Myceni.”
Seeing that I was done, Myceni nodded and handed over the remaining rewards as well—several Holy Light skill books usable by any class, plus two special accessories. One was an area shield based on the user’s own health, and the other could link with teammates to provide damage boosts.
None of these skills or items were particularly useful to me. After thinking it over, I passed them all to Kai and the others.
Natives in Epoch could also use equipment and skill books, so in my previous life many people had raised followers. If the follower had decent growth potential, their combat strength could not be underestimated.
Kai and the rest were deeply moved by the gifts.
“We will treasure them for the rest of our lives, Your Highness.”
Hey, I didn’t give them to you as keepsakes!
I had assumed those were all the quest rewards, but it turned out a surprise was still waiting for me. And yes, it really was a surprise.
Myceni put on a solemn expression and patted my shoulder. “Adventurer, since you have proven your courage, I hope you will carry on Lord Enzo’s legacy, dispel all darkness, and live up to the glory he once held.”
System: Title acquired [Beginner Demon Hunter]
Beginner Demon Hunter: Bright Faction reputation +100, 10% increased damage to dark creatures, dark creatures suffer 5% reduction to all attributes. Title can be upgraded after killing a certain number of dark creatures.
The pink-haired girl blinked at the new title floating above her head. The monastery squad exchanged bewildered glances.