Too many names, really.

While Ashy was leading the group, the broad-shouldered Michy was speaking to the Baroness.

"It is suspicious, Baroness. How did a child stay alive in this place?"

"He is an Eclipsed Walker and there is no strong Creature of Darkness here either. Dealing with a few mindless undead is easy even for a child." Although Baroness said this, she wasn't also not sure how a child lived here, even if the said child was an Eclipsed Walker.

"What if he isn't just a kid but a devil that masquerades itself as a kid?" Michy asked as he grabbed the hilt of his mace. "Just a drop of blood is enough to confirm."

The Baroness shook her head. "Don't try to do anything. First, we will find the Gate and return to the City of Hope, then we will hand him to the Count or Duchess to handle."

"Alright." Michy accepted and backed down.

***

Ashy led the group to the mansion. Although he didn't understand what they were searching for, he thought it would be better to lead them somewhere he knew.

'...oh fuck!' Ashy cursed, remembering something he foolishly forgot about. 'I forgot Elissa's body parts!'

"Do not stop. Continue."

"...okay,"

While on the way, Ashy thought of many lies to spout and found the most convincing one.

'I will just say that the body parts were ''my father's" favorite. What can they say to a "child" who lived here without knowing any other people? That his father is a sick fuck?'

With that, he found relief and calmly led the way. The sun was rising when they arrived in front of the mansion.

"Search through the mansion! Bring everything useful!" The Baroness ordered and the other people, Eclipsed Walkers, obeyed.

Ashy, the Baroness, Michy, and three others stayed outside while the rest of the Eclipsed Walkers began the search.

Then, one after another shouts began to come from the mansion.

"We found books!"

"There are berries here!"

"Well-preserved honey in the storage!"

"Traces of black blood! A lot of it!"

To get into the Baroness' good side, Ashy gave not-so-useful information.

"The berries are poisonous, grandma."

"Then why do you have it?"

"I eat once in a while to develop resistance and poison my weapons."

"I see." The Baroness nodded before shouting to the mansion. "Don't eat the berries!"

"There is a clot stained with human blood!"

"..."

"..."

"What?" Ashy asked. "Can't I bleed too?

"You can, we didn't say anything, did we?"

Some more time passed as the body parts of Elissa still weren't found.

Ashy was a little bit scared. After he severed Elissa's head, he nailed her hands to the wall, bonded her arms and leg with a makeshift rope, and buried her torso very deeply. This meant one thing, and it was terrifying.

'Fuck… she played with me again. Instead of escaping while she was with me, she just chose not to and pass the time with me.'

After knowing this, Ashy just wanted to get out immediately. Even simply waiting became a torturous process.

"We found the Gate!"

As if the transcendent existence pitied him, the wait didn't last long. Though to Ashy, it felt like an eternity.

With hurried steps, they entered the mansion and walked around the broken chandelier. When they reached the stairs, they found rubles and broken wood right in the middle of the wall where the stairs parted two ways.

There a circle made of blue metals and crystals welcomed them, it was about three meters wide and tall. Right at the side of this circle, two Eclipsed Walkers were waiting.

"Misha, fix the Gate." The Baroness ordered the red-haired woman that was following her.

"Yes."

Curious about this thing called Gate, Ashy turned to the Baroness.

"What does a Gate do, Grandma?"

"With the help of the Gates, we can save time and effort. With Gates, you can return to a particular Gate you took the mark of. It is called Gate Mark or just Mark, and all of us have one." The Baroness explained as she showed her wrist, which had two blue-angelic wings on her skin.

When he heard this, Ashy was startled. He quickly asked.

"Then will I not be able to come with you?"

"Don't worry, as long as I hold you, you will be able to come with us."

"..."

Ashy couldn't help but be suspicious even though he knew there was no need for this woman to lie. So, he just nodded like a good boy.

"Baroness, the Gate will be open in a few minutes." The red-haired woman named Misha called out behind the blue metallic circle.

Hearing this, the Baroness opened her lips to call out but she couldn't, her voice was cut by agonizing screams.

"AAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

She immediately unsheathed her sword and shouted.

"Gather at the entrance! I will execute anyone who comes late!"

Loud footsteps echoed, shaking the whole mansion. The first ones were a group of five, which meant all of them were alive and didn't encounter any life-threatening problems.

The second ones were also a group of five, there were a few scratches here and there on their bodies, but they were also mostly fine.

However, the third group was the problem. It wasn't a group anymore but just one person, who was covered in both black and red blood, shouting frantically.

"Baroness! Ludwig! Ludwig has gone mad!" The guy missed a step and rolled on the floor before getting up immediately. He spoke while breathing desperately. "He killed Tom and Jeremy! I cut him up and escaped but I couldn't find Hassan!"

"Stay right there! Don't get any closer, Harry." The Baroness pointed her sword at the desperate man named Harry. To this, Harry stopped and bowed his head.

"What do you think, Michy?"

"Can't be trusted. All of his team members are not in sight."

Hearing this, Harry lifted his hand and bit his thumb. Bright red blood began to flow little by little.

After seeing this, Michy and Baroness thought deeply.

"His blood is so pure that it is hard to replicate for Creatures of Darkness."

"Still, let's go with caution, Baroness."

Nodding, the Baroness turned to Harry and ordered. "Drop all of your weapons and let Michy tie your hands,"

Harry hesitated. "But without a weapon—"

"Just do it!" The Baroness roared and Harry reluctantly did what he was told.

Everyone managed to breathe comfortably when Harry obediently let his hands tied up with a reinforced steel rope very thoroughly.

"..."

Groups, one after another, arrived. Their member count was full, so the Baroness let them without much problem.

"Misha, how much?"

"Two minutes, Baroness!"

Footsteps were coming through again, this time irregular and heavy.

"Baroness! Ludwig!" A man covered in grievous wounds stepped out from the dark. "He is com—"

A dull, worn-out sword burst through the man's chest, directly destroying his heart. The man's eyes widened as he looked at the sword that 'killed' him. Coughing up blood, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Hassaaaaaaaaaan! NOO!!!"

'Fuck… too many names to remember…'