The Blackbird - Noir had inherited the same innate ability as Levi, he didn't know if it was due to his Dominance ability or due to the Black Wing of Lunacy which also had the same skill. Whatever the case, this had proven incredibly useful.

Realizing this, Levi devised a plan, first, he would use Lunacy on the bird, then order it to use Lunacy back on him. This way, both of them constantly improved their ability and resistance to mental attacks.

But it wasn't as simple as Levi had hoped.

He vividly remembered the first time he fell under Lunacy's effect. It felt as though something foreign had invaded his mind, disrupting his thoughts and digging up his deepest emotions. He had nearly lost his sanity during that first attempt.

In comparison, the blackbird handled it slightly better, only letting out some distressed caws under Lunacy's influence.

Nevertheless, the practice had greatly benefited them both.

To Levi's surprise, the black bird had even grown slightly after consuming the underdeveloped meat from the black cocoons. These cocoons were plentiful, and oddly enough, the flesh inside didn't seem to rot, allowing Levi to keep his food supply steady. Though he still felt disgusted whenever he had to rely on the white mucus for hydration, he couldn't deny its utility.

The black bird's abilities had also improved. Although its *Carrion Feast*, which appeared to be a passive ability, hadn't shown any notable effect even after devouring nearly twenty cocoons, its *Phantom Flock* had grown stronger. Now, the bird could summon up to twelve dormant-level ravens and maintain them for about two minutes—an impressive leap in power.

Noir was also becoming adept at MorphWing. While it wasn't at the level of the Black Wing of Lunacy's which he had faught, the bird had learned to shift its wings mid-flight, changing direction and altering its shape to fly faster.

Levi was intrigued by the possibilities and potential of this ability. Could Noir eventually transform completely, perhaps even into a humanoid form? The thought of the bird descending from the sky and transforming into a humanoid creature filled him with excitement.

How cool would that be?

Another thing Levi had grown accustomed to was his new artifact, the Eternal Vigil. It was more incredible than he had imagined.

The invisible armor - the Second Skin skill of the artifact, was astounding. He had tested its limits with Noir, and to his amazement, the black bird couldn't even pierce it. Considering Noir was stronger than most essence monsters, this meant Levi was now capable of withstanding their attacks with ease.

Once he left this sanctum, he could massacre essence monsters like they were nothing. With this the demonic essence which was still stuck at 77 out of 1000, seemed easier to fill.

He still wasn't proficient with Forgotten Echo as the ability consumed nearly half of his essence reserves, limiting its use for now. Until his essence pool grew, Levi knew he'd have to reserve this skill for critical moments.

And now that everyting was considered, Levi was in his peak condition and the addition of Noir had given him confidence. Also his food reserves were running low - he had no more cocoons to hunt nor any other source of food.

It was clearly time to move forward. Although he still wasn't sure if he would be able to defeat the monster at the next floor - Levi had already made up his mind to enter the next floor today.

[Do you want to enter the next floor?]

[Yes/No]

With one last glance at the desolate land that had sheltered him for so long, Levi pressed "Yes" and disappeared from the second floor.

It was time to clear the sanctum.

***

A second later, Levi found himself in what appeared to be an arena—massive in every sense of the word. He felt like an ant under the gaze of gods, dwarfed by the sheer scale of the structure. All around him were towering spectator seats, yet there wasn't a single spectator in sight. No humans, no monsters—nothing. It was eerily silent.

Shifting his attention, Levi's gaze locked onto the far side of the arena.

And instantly, his whole body froze!

There, bound by five interlocked golden chains, was an awe-inspiring black bird.

wo chains tightly shackled the creature's legs, keeping them locked in place. Two more chains coiled around its large wings, holding them down so they couldn't spread. The last chain was wrapped around its neck, fitting like a golden collar. The bird wasn't struggling. It was still, either too tired to resist or having given up completely.

Levi's eyes widened in shock. The bird was enormous, standing at four meters tall even while it rested on the ground.

Its beak and talons gleamed like they were crafted from pure gold, in stark contrast to the pitch-black feathers that covered its enormous body. Under the light of the crimson moon, its feathers shimmered, reflecting a luster that resembled freshly spilled blood.

Just the sight of the chained creature made Levi's skin crawl. Even Noir, perched on his shoulder, trembled at the sight of the magnificent bird.

This being wasn't like anything Levi had ever encountered. Its aura, its presence—everything about it screamed power, and something far more. It was otherworldly.

"What in the name of the fucking gods is that thing?" Levi whispered, his voice barely audible.

And as if responding to his bewilderment, a name appeared before his eyes:

[The Forgotten Goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann]

A goddess?

Levi's blood ran cold. His face drained of all color, leaving him pale and trembling. A single question now burned in his mind, a question that made everything he had experienced so far feel insignificant in comparison.

What the hell was this Sanctum?

---***---

Sorry for the late chapters~

I'll be releasing an additional chapter today for reaching the 50 Powerstone goal last week.

Plus, I have some exciting news—I'm planning a mass release of at least 5 chapters! Expect them to drop later this week. Stay tuned!