Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Even higher level beings could feel some level of mental interference from the energy here. It was no wonder why Annette was so cautious.

She had seen the battlefield where all the enemy soldiers and officers were equipped with these weapons.

The level of energy there would have been incomparable to the ones currently contained inside the seals. She must have seen many people go berserk or break down mentally whether it be enemy or ally.

It was because of this reason that she was so worried. However, she had forgotten he possessed a source that produced this energy which was multiple times more pure and dense.

That's right, as he had suspected, the energy given off by these items although extremely diluted, possessed the essence of curse energy.

Simon fixed his gaze on a particularly innocuous-looking sword. The sword handle was small and the blade chipped and worn, but the power emanating from it was anything but weak.

He could sense the malevolence within it, coiled and waiting like a serpent ready to strike.

"Interesting… these attributes are similar to the finger of Ozymandias" Simon muttered to himself, lowering his hand.

The sword was definitely reacting to him, and instantly mellowed out whenever he touched. It was as if it was a beast that had been tamed by him or maybe was cowered by the power within him.

This kind of reaction was something he got when coming in contact with the Curse energy for the first time. Back when he was clearing the fourth trial in the forbidden grounds.

His first encounter with the curse energy was when he fought with those zombies. It was only later on during the trial that he found out that the source of this unknown energy which was making these zombies was the curse energy.

The finger of Ozymandias that appeared afterwards and him being immune to it for some odd reason.

Simon always wondered why was he able to come in contact with the curse energy and even use it without suffering any of those drawbacks that others did.

He had seen with his own eyes during the trial what fate awaited those who were exposed to the curse energy.

Yet despite all that when it was his turn to face it head on, the energy turned docile like a tamed beast on a collar. It was a mystery through and through as to why it was so.

Nevertheless, thanks to that, he was able to come out on top and subdue the Finger of Ozymandias who was the final boss of the fifth trial.

Anyways, now that he knew it was curse energy, Simon could feel a connection forming, a thin, almost imperceptible thread of energy linking the dagger to him.

Others, unless they were the soldiers of Blackthorn, would be repelled or consumed by the power, but he could control it and even bend it to his will.

"Master, are you alright? Did you find anything?" Seeing that he had yet to drop the sword and appeared normal, Annette couldn't help but ask.

SIGH… He let out a deep breath still staring at the sword in his hand.

The room was silent except for the faint hum of the containment seals, the oppressive energy contained once more. Annette's question hung in the air, but Simon took a moment before answering, carefully placing the sword in its place.

"Yes, I did find something, but instead of providing answers, it only made things more mysterious. However, there's one thing I'm sure of now—the energy you guys have sensed from these items is definitely the same as the one item I possess."

The Valkyries who participated in that war exchanged surprised glances. They had all felt a vague sense of familiarity when they first encountered this peculiar energy, but none of them had expected it to be so closely tied to the power their master wielded.

The realization brought a mix of unease and curiosity. Why was it the same as the energy their master used?

What was this energy and why does the enemy possess it?

"So, these items…" Annette started, her beautiful eyes behind the glasses narrowed as she thought of a possibility "If they have the same kind of energy, does that mean that master knows the enemy…"

Before Annette could speak her thoughts, Simon shook his head "Let's stop here. Whatever we could think at this point would only serve to confuse us even more"

"As I said before, these items today have raised more questions than answers. That said, what I can do say for sure is that there is nothing for anyone to worry about. No matter what kind of enemy is waiting for us, our dungeon will overcome them all".

His final words that spoke of victory and his tone that held no doubts, cleared the dreary and malignant air in the room as if it was never there.

Everyone cheered and felt their confidence soaring.

"Master is right, there is no point in thinking too much. Now that we know it is the same energy as what the master uses, we can be better prepared for it next time" Annette spoke on behalf of everyone.

"By the way master, what should we do about these items?".

Simon's gaze shifted to the many items sealed within the containment area. "These swords and armors themselves aren't the true source of power. They're nothing more than afterproducts, byproducts created by infusing curse energy into them"

"It's like they were mere vessels, or tools, corrupted by the dark energy of whoever—or whatever—produced them"

In short, what he was trying to say was that these items held no value. Other than the soldiers of the kingdom, no one can use it and since it has been contaminated with curse energy the items cannot be used as raw material either.

That said, he couldn't just throw it out as he was worried about the contamination. The curse energy was like a plague that was incompatible with the mystical energy.

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