Episode 19
The near future.
The world turns upside down once in a while.
Their decay began in a tomb accidentally discovered by archaeologists.
An ancient dungeon that will later be called “Asar’s Tomb”.
The total number of Asar’s tombs discovered is thirteen.
In each tomb, there was a ‘sacred object’ containing the power of an ancient god, and there were four trials with high difficulty to reach the divine object.
and its value.
It was revealed along with the descent of the demon god.
* * *
‘A miraculous sanctuary that blocks the demon’s power with its existence itself.’
A raided dungeon becomes a sanctuary.
Just by belonging to that space, you will have resistance to the devil’s energy.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use that good method properly before returning.
Timing was an issue.
It was too late when the new object was discovered, and most of the talented people who could try to attack it had already been lost.
In the end, we couldn’t fully revive the sanctuary, let alone awaken the spirits.
so it’s a pity
If only half of the 13 divine objects had been awakened, the situation might have changed greatly.
‘It’s a bygone story now.’
Leaving old memories behind, I looked up and saw a huge door ahead.
4th gate.
The final gateway to this tomb and the hidden piece that had never been captured before returning.
“I think I skipped something, but how did I come?”
“I mean.”
“Hmm…”
The butler looked at me with meaningful eyes.
“Boss, when the hell did you build up this level of knowledge about dungeons? You don’t know magic, but you weren’t interested in this kind of thing.”
“No, I was quite interested.”
It’s not a lie.
When I was young, I was pretty ostentatious, so I was fascinated by things like ‘dungeons’.
I put the most important magic aside and diligently gathered information about the dungeon.
“Because there is romance in dungeons. I read all the secrets that belonged to our family.”
“…Really?”
“Uh, I once sneaked into my father’s private study.”
At my answer, the butler gave a small sigh and said,
“no…Didn’t you pour that passion into magic? Then I think you’ve already completed the 7th circle.”
“Anyway, isn’t that helpful?”
“Well, that is true.”
The butler looked at me and asked.
“Is that really all?”
The butler’s eyes were cold as he asked.
Pretty nostalgic eyes.
I naturally accepted the butler’s words.
“Of course that’s all.”
“Hmm…”
Then, he quickly returned to his usual gaze.
“Well, if it’s the Bocchan, that’s what it would be like. Shall I explain that to Prince Lian?”
“There is no need for that.”
It doesn’t matter, since he’s not the kind of person who cares about such things.
More important than that is here.
What are these 4 gateways?
I don’t know exactly what kind of ordeal this place is or what it needs.
This is the realm of speculation.
You have to predict and prepare for the ordeal by using the clues that exist around you.
‘It’s the 4th gate… …’
It wasn’t that there weren’t cases of breaking through the 4 gates before.
I’ve only been able to do it once or twice.
Is it because it is definitely a hidden piece?
It was different from the previous trials in many ways.
If you think about it… ….
‘I guess I have to go in to know.’
In the end, I came to the conclusion that nothing is known here.
“Okay, open it.”
“No wait. Are you opening it right away?”
“uh. There’s no clue anyway, so it’s useless to think about it. Oh, but before that… …”
I reached out to the butler and Lian.
A cluster of light flowed from his palm and wrapped around them.
“…What is this?”
“It is a light measure. This should be able to protect the butler and you from mental and physical shock.”
“Hmm, is it some kind of strengthening magic?”
“Similar.”
It’s a bit different from that.
In any case, it can be seen as similar in terms of preventing the loss of the mind and body.
In any case, there is no reason to delay.
“Hey, but I think it would be better to look into it a little more…”
“No, it’s useless.”
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the ancient letters engraved on the door. “
Don’t think about measuring.”
Of course, he probably didn’t make anything that could be guessed as a clue.”
“Mmm.”
Ryan let out a sob.
The boy reflexively reached for the sword at his waist.
Slightly trembling fingertips.
Proof that he was nervous.
I didn’t show it before returning, but I used to get nervous when a big battle was ahead.
“Don’t be nervous. If you’re nervous, nothing will happen.”
“I wasn’t nervous.”
“Oh yes, I would say that.”
“….”
Ryan glared at me with eyes that looked like they were going to eat me at any moment.
So what.
Roughly like that, I didn’t think much of it and touched the 4th gate.
“Go right away.”
With those words, the 4th gate opened.
* * *
Kugoong.
The door started to open with a dull sound.
Nothing was visible inside.
black darkness.
Can’t even see an inch ahead.
“< light >.”
At the same time as the chanting, an orb of light immediately illuminated the surroundings.
Only then did the surroundings become discernible.
‘It’s quite wide. The radius that can be determined by the light is not small, but it is so unknown… …’
Where are Lian and the butler?
Butler, no need to worry.
“Lian!”
But no answer came.
There’s no reason he wouldn’t answer… ….
‘That it’s not nearby or that it’s a situation that can’t be answered.’
There are limitations in the 5th circle.
Even if my mind reached the 9th circle, there is a limit to what I can magically perceive.
‘Did something catch a trap?’
I tried to track them using the magic I had put on them for a while.
The location was unknown, but it was clear that there were no major problems with life, at least not yet.
“I need to solve this quickly.”
Even if there is no problem now, it will be a matter of time.
Especially Ryan’s side.
It was then.
“Mikhail.”
familiar voice.
A voice that can no longer be heard, stained with war and blood.
no you shouldn’t hear it
I turned my head towards the voice and said.
“Rian.”
Lian replied to my words.
Distorting the corners of his wrinkled mouth, completely different from now.
“Yes, it is me. this bastard.”
Hearing that, I was convinced.
oh this is fantastic
* * *
Rihanna Parslov.
The place where I met him was a battlefield. When they reunited, he had lost everything.
Both family names and lovers.
With only a sword in his hand, he was frantically tearing apart the demon’s main spheres.
It would be nice to call it a plural demon.
Dissolving his rage with nowhere to go, he ran rampant like a beast on the front line of the battlefield.
“Yeah, it’s been a while, kid.”
As before, I laughed at the guy’s words.
“It’s pretty plausible for a fantasy subject. I’ll give you 8 out of 10.”
“It’s saltier than I thought.”
“It’s pretty high, so be satisfied and disappear. I need to find others.”
I waved my hands roughly and said. At the point of seeing through that it was an illusion, this is of no use.
At the point of recognizing that it was an ‘illusion’, Lian in front of me could not do any harm to me.
“Hey hey, don’t ignore me.”
I ignored him and moved on.
I had to travel diligently from now on to find the scattered Lian or the butler.
“Even if it’s a fantasy, it’s a reunion after a long time. Should I ignore it like this?”
“….”
“Hey, you don’t have to worry about the people you came with. Asar’s trials are merciful. Especially the 4th gate. I will not die.”
“….”
“It’s okay to share small memories from the past for a while.”
The guy was talking really jingly.
I reached out my hand when those words started to bother me.
“it’s bothering.”
Illusion magic is powerful.
Yes, assuming it wasn’t detected.
If it was discovered, even if that illusion magic was at the 7th or 8th circle, it would be of no use.
It was just a bit more precise so that higher circles’ fantasy magic would not be detected, but once it was detected, it would be of no use.
At that moment, as if pushed by something, ‘Lian’ was pushed back.
“bothered? It won’t be a past you can pretend you don’t know about.”
“That’s right.”
Going back in time, the past has become a future that will never come again.
Of course, it was also true that I had experienced them myself and could not ignore them.
but.
“But at least I’ll pretend I don’t know for now.”
“…!”
There may be a sense of shame about those who could not save the unfortunate future.
But that’s not the case now.
sometime in the future
If we change the planned future and everything goes back to normal, then we might look back… …
okay.
never that now
“Are you ignoring all of this?”
At that moment, the scenery around Lian began to change.
In an instant, the empty room turned into a battlefield overflowing with blood and death.
The past, which was daily life before the return.
He stood in the center of it, glaring at me and asking.
“really? I dared to get out of this hell by myself… …”
“7 points. One point is deducted.”
I cut him off halfway through and reached out my hand.
The fantasy twitched around the eyes.
“…what?”
“It’s called a penalty. The guy I really knew wouldn’t have said such a thing.”
At the same time, mana moved.
If you’ve recognized it, isn’t it at all difficult to make an illusion out of nothing?
“Go away.”
With those words, I destroyed the fantasy magic as it was.
* * *
When the illusion magic was broken, he could see the surroundings.
There was no light in the room, but the surroundings were very bright now.
“Is it a mental type?”
I looked at the brightly lit surroundings and clicked my tongue briefly.
mental series.
Well, if you can’t defend it, there’s nothing more terrifying than that.
It’s simple, but in some cases it could be the most effective and brutal ordeal.
‘Then first, the butler… …You can’t miss it ”
Oh boy.”
Then the butler’s voice was heard.
“Are you here? I couldn’t find it, so I looked for it for a long time.”
“Looks like nothing happened?”
The butler did not appear to have been harmed at all.
Smirking and flimsy appearance as usual.
“Yeah, there was nothing wrong. Apparently, the magic the Bocchan gave us was quite effective.”
“Hmm.”
Not necessarily.
There are obviously limits to what can be prevented with it. Of course, even if it doesn’t go to the point of mental collapse, it’s natural that it will be difficult… ….
“Because I’m a butler after all.”
“Hehe, what are you saying?”
The butler casually followed me and said,
“By the way, this around right now…Could it be a mana stone?”
“Oh mana stone, right.”
“Huh…The
butler blankly looked around. The mana stones filling this large room.
Yes, this was the identity of the light that was lighting up the room.
“At this level, Countess Paslov is certainly more than enough to revive.”
“Isn’t it about revival?”
Perhaps, it would be more than enough to become one of the best estates in the empire.
As a bonus, I was promised ‘half’ of the dungeon to give that power.
how long did it take
“young master.”
“Why are you calling?”
“Over there…”
said the butler, pointing forward.
“Isn’t it Confucius Lian?”
It was as the butler said.
Lian crouched down and was buried in the center of a completely scorched earth.
“You don’t look well.”
“Hmm.”
It seems that I haven’t gotten out of my fantasy yet.
It was to be expected, but… ….
“I can’t help it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What do you do?”
I said while holding up the staff.
There is an instant potion that has been handed down to those who have fallen into illusions since ancient times.
“I have to lose.”
Great mage who transcends by regression
