Edric opened his eyes.
As an Ultra Knight, he didn't need sleep, nor did he require any sort of spell to rest. Still, he enjoyed sleeping from time to time.
Of course, even while asleep, a part of his mind remained vigilant. If anyone strong enough to threaten him ever appeared, he'd know instantly.
He glanced to the side and saw Cenara lying next to him.
Yesterday, the two of them had spent over twelve hours together—busy on the bed. Twelve hours straight.
She'd thought he was just an ordinary man, that he'd wear out quickly. But as the hours passed, it was Cenara who ended up exhausted.
As an Ultra Knight, Edric's body was nearly inexhaustible. Cenara, on the other hand, was just a Silver Knight. Her stamina couldn't compare.
"Now that I think about it... it's strange," Edric mused. "A Silver Knight getting exhausted like that? Maybe there's something about bedroom activities that drains more energy than expected."
Normally, a Silver Knight could run for days without tiring. Yet Cenara had been gasping for breath after just a few hours.
"Maybe I should look into it more," Edric thought, considering some... personal research.
Years ago, when he was trapped in Marquis Windwalker's castle and used as a breeding tool, he'd felt that same overwhelming drain from practicing the art of yin and yang. Back then, though, he had a few special skills that enhanced his yang energy, reducing the overall consumption.
He sat up slowly.
Though he'd enjoyed himself yesterday, he couldn't truly go all out. He was always restrained.
The reason was simple: the massive difference in power between him and Cenara.
If he wasn't careful, if he let himself lose control for even a moment, he could accidentally apply too much force—and in that case, Cenara would be reduced to a bloody pulp.
So he had to be cautious. Extremely cautious.
Fortunately, his [Mental Fortitude (Black)] skill was exceptionally powerful. It allowed him to keep perfect control over his strength. Unfortunately, that also meant a large part of his attention was constantly focused on restraint.
Cenara, on the other hand, hadn't held back at all.
She went all out, using the full extent of her Silver Knight strength.
That only meant one thing: she didn't care if Edric died.
After all, she believed he was just an ordinary man. And if a Silver Knight were to unleash her full power on a regular human? That human would be crushed. Instantly.
Yet she did it anyway.
Not out of malice—just lack of control.
That was simply how she was. A bit of a pervert, too passionate for her own good once things got heated.
But she clearly knew her own habits.
Yet, despite knowing her own tendencies, she still got into bed with him.
That was why Edric was certain—she didn't care if he died.
In fact, he was almost sure he was not the only human she'd ever brought to bed... and possibly killed in bed.
High Elves had little to no law enforcement. Murders were easy to hide, and even easier to ignore.
"She's a rare one," Edric muttered, watching her sleep peacefully. "A chaotic, lawless High Elf."
Most High Elves were obsessively lawful, their entire society built on order and discipline. But now and then, an outlier appeared.
"In bed, she completely loses herself. She didn't even question how I, someone she believed to be just an ordinary man, managed to withstand her Silver Knight strength. It was like she was possessed."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be a demon?"
Demonic influence wasn't always obvious. Some infections were so well-hidden that even Super-ranked knights couldn't detect them.
But Edric wasn't just any Ultra Knight.
Thanks to his unique skills—[Abyss Emissary(Purple)] and [Demonic Ancestor(Purple)]—he could sense things others couldn't.
So, this time, he looked at Cenara through the lens of those skills.
"…Just as I thought."
She was indeed under demonic influence.
And not just any demon—the Demon King of Lust.
He stared at her with solemn eyes. He didn't know much about this particular demon king, but there was no way it meant anything good.
"First the Demon King of Weirdness, then the Demon King of Greed... and now Lust." He sighed. "This world is infested with all kinds of demonic influence. Fortunately, the demon kings are still suppressed. If they weren't… even my Ultra Rank wouldn't be enough to resist them."
He looked deeper, frowning as the truth revealed itself.
"The infection is... deep. Incredibly deep. Nearly her entire being is corrupted. And it was hidden so well, I didn't even sense it until now."
He leaned back, thinking.
"Could it be related to the Dark Forest? Or maybe something from her travels to the Flicker Empire?"
As far as he knew, the demon behind the Dark Forest was the Demon King of Weirdness, not Lust.
Just as he was lost in thought, Cenara stirred on the bed, about to wake.
Before she could fully open her eyes, Edric raised a hand and whispered,
"[Sleep – Mythic]."
A soft glow flickered from his palm.
Cenara fell still once more, slipping into a deep and dreamless sleep.
"I don't know if it's safe to soul-search her…" Edric thought.
Cenara was entangled with a Demon King. That alone made any attempt at diving into her soul extremely dangerous.
Even with his resistance to demonic infection—thanks to his skills—it was still a risk. Demon Kings weren't ordinary foes. Their influence ran deep, and there was no guarantee that his skills would be able to block a direct infection from a source connected to one.
Of course, he was only being cautious.
He estimated a 99% chance that his skills could protect him. But even a 1% chance of being corrupted by a Demon King was too high.
"I should mind-control her instead," he finally decided.
"[Mind Control – Mythic]."
The spell activated instantly.
Cenara's resistance was weak. She was a Silver Knight, after all—strong, but not strong enough to stand against a Mythic-tier spell. Her mental defenses crumbled the moment the magic took hold.
Edric slipped into her mind.
After a few moments of browsing, his expression darkened.
"There's nothing here," he thought. "She doesn't know anything useful. If I want to uncover the truth... I might have to soul-search her after all."
But soul-searching was far more dangerous.
What exactly is the mind?
It was a complicated question.
The mind had two parts: the physical mind, and the spiritual mind.
Under normal circumstances, the two remained in sync. However, there were exceptions.
First, if someone had occupied another body—through reincarnation, possession, transmigration, or any similar process—without first erasing the memories stored in their soul, then the physical brain and the soul would be out of alignment. In such a case, the soul would retain the memories of the previous life, while the current brain would not.
Memories wouldn't return easily in those cases, but they might leak out slowly—through dreams, instincts, or fragmented recall.
Second, if specific memories were intentionally stored only in the soul and sealed off from the body, then even the person themselves wouldn't know those memories existed.
Not even in dreams.
They would live their life completely unaware, unless the seal was broken—either by advancement in rank, a flaw in the seal, or intervention from another being.
In most situations, it's the soul that holds memories the brain doesn't know.
But the reverse could also be true.
There were rare instances where memories were stored only in the physical brain and sealed from the soul. In those cases, if the person were to change bodies, those memories would be lost completely.
Ultimately, the brain and the soul are connected. Unless actively sealed, they continuously share information—syncing memories and experiences over time.
This connection, however, could become a danger in certain situations.
For example, if a soul contained too many memories, and tried to pour them into a lower-ranked brain, the brain could go mad under the pressure. To prevent that, one would place seals on the less vital memories until the brain was strong enough to handle them.
On the other hand, if a weak soul inhabited a powerful body, the reverse could happen.
The memories and instincts of the strong body could overwhelm the soul, driving it insane.
And that… would be a disaster.
A body can move and survive without a soul.
And a soul can drift and linger without a body.
But both come with serious flaws.
A soulless body cannot cultivate internal energy. At best, it can grow slightly stronger through sheer physical effort, but without internal energy, it will always be at a disadvantage—and breaking through to higher ranks is utterly impossible.
The same is true for a soul without a body. It cannot cultivate internal energy, nor channel mana, nor grow in rank. Worse, over time, it will begin to fade—its energy slowly draining away into nothingness.
A body without a soul will often go mad. Without a guiding will, instincts take over, and it gradually turns into a mindless monster.
That's why, if a body ever awakens without a soul inside, its first and most primal instinct is to find a soul and devour it.
Likewise, a soul without a body is driven by a single, overwhelming desire—to possess a body.
Edric could already tell—Cenara's memories were sealed. She had no idea what was hidden inside her. Not even a hint.
"I'll have to soul-search her. But even then, the seal might be too strong… or worse, it might have a trap waiting for me."
Soul-searching someone under the influence of a Demon King was beyond dangerous. He might fail to break the seal—or he might succeed and trigger something explosive. Literally.
The risk wasn't worth it.
With a heavy sigh, Edric made his decision.
First, he erased Cenara's memories of him completely—brainwashing her clean.
Then, he removed every trace of his presence from the house—footprints, energy residue, even the air itself.
Afterward, he erased the memories of any witnesses nearby. Anyone who had seen him enter or leave, anyone who had spoken to him—gone.
He left nothing behind.
Edric had enough problems already. He had no desire to involve himself with the Demon King of Lust. Whatever was going on in this city, he wanted no part of it.
He walked away from Cenara's house without looking back.
He didn't stop there.
He left the city entirely.
A high-ranking agent of the Demon King of Lust was here, and Edric had no idea what that meant. But one thing was certain—he wasn't going to stick around to find out.
He would vanish. Drift from city to city along the edge of the Dark Forest.
Lay low.
Waste time.
And gather XP until he had enough to purchase a Super-Rank Digging Skill.
Only then could he begin his true mission—locating the Dark Crystal.