◈ 429. [Free Exploration] Attacking the Magic Tower
“… .”
“… .”
Belldandi and I were sitting in front of the stream in silence.
The residence of the Holy Grail Exploration Team… … should I say Should I call it a hideout? Anyway, right next to it.
How calmly did he watch the rippling creek water? Belldandy spoke awkwardly.
“How did you know about this place?”
“I knew it before. that you are staying here.”
He knows where all his party members are staying.
If you have to, you have to call them to battle, but you can’t do it without knowing where they live.
“I don’t know how you came to know… You must be more curious about why you came.”
I smiled lightly at Belldandi. Belldandi was embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.
The reason why I quietly visited Belldandy today.
that… It was because I had something to say about the ‘Holy Grail’ that I was going to find this time.
I hesitated a little, but I gathered my heart and opened my mouth.
“Berdandi.”
“yes.”
“The Holy Grail certainly exists, but it will be a little different from what you think it is.”
The reason why Belldandy is looking for the Holy Grail.
It is to resurrect the world tree that has already died by using the enormous power of regeneration contained in the Holy Grail.
And by raising the world tree again… … Rebuilding the elven kingdom by activating the ancient magic of the World Tree.
This is the reason and purpose of Belldandi’s search for the Holy Grail under the Lake Kingdom for over 100 years.
but… The Holy Grail is a little different from what Belldandy thought of.
Having already secured the Holy Grail in the game, I was well aware of the Holy Grail’s identity.
And the fact that Belldandi’s goal was bound to be frustrated. I knew it well.
“… .”
Belldandi was silent for a moment, then said,
“Ash-sama. Do you see the dirt field over there?”
He pointed to the field beside the creek. i saw that
“We kept planting sunflower seeds here. But it didn’t sprout.”
“… .”
“Is it because there is no sunlight or because the soil here is from a dungeon and is contaminated… I don’t know the exact reason. Anyway, the seeds died and never sprouted.”
A bitter smile lingered on Belldandi’s lips.
“Now I know that sunflowers do not bloom here. But I still planted them.”
“… .”
“The possibility that sunflowers can bloom, even if it’s just a tiny thread… Because hope remains. For that hope, we have been working in vain.”
There are still no sprouts to be seen in the finely ground soil.
“But I know. There is nothing more foolish and later heartbreaking than holding on to false hopes.”
“… .”
“There won’t be sunflowers blooming here, and… Using that Holy Grail to bring my homeland back to life is actually nonsense.”
Even while denying his past 100 years, Belldandi remained calm.
“I know. We just want to see.”
Her eyes, lined with teardrops, stared straight ahead.
“The identity of what we have been looking for for a hundred years. The result of our futile efforts… … what ending.”
“… .”
I quietly listened to her and asked a question.
“After that?”
“… What can I do?”
Belldandy shrugged.
“Anyway, you did your best. I have to get up and go find another way.”
Search for the Holy Grail that may exist in order to save the country.
One hundred years buried like that.
That the Holy Grail he finally found might actually be something completely different from what he was looking for… … Belldandy had already accepted it.
And- again.
Looking for another way to save the fairy kingdom, she will continue her new fight.
“You’re strong, Belldandy.”
I unknowingly spit it out.
In fact, she was a bit respectful.
I also told the child lying in the hospital room… … I started this fight to convey a word of support.
But only one.
If that support doesn’t mean anything. If it doesn’t bring about any change. How frustrating would that be?
Nevertheless, Belldandi declared that he would continue to fight by finding the next way.
I don’t know if this is because of the responsibilities she has as a member of the fairy royal family, or if it’s the elf’s unique temperament or her own strong will. however.
I thought I should learn that pose too.
… Life does not end when a wish is fulfilled or when a person fails.
Until this life is over… … Because you have to keep fighting.
Belldandy smiled at me bashfully.
“Thank you for helping me find the Holy Grail, Ash. If it wasn’t for Ash-sama, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
“It’s about helping each other. Didn’t you give me a lot of strength too?”
I reached out my hand to Belldandi.
“Finding the Holy Grail and the fight after that… … I will continue to help.”
“… .”
“We are colleagues. yes?”
Belldandy now skillfully reached out and grabbed my hand and vigorously shook it up and down.
The fairy princess smiled brightly with her eyes marked with three teardrops.
“… yes We are allies!”
***
the next day.
After entering the Lake Kingdom dungeon, I looked up at the tower in front of me.
The towering steeple was blue-grey.
The magical lights surrounding the tower swirl in a grotesque twist. For some reason, it looks like something you would see in a Van Gogh painting.
District 8 dungeon. mage tower.
I looked around at the party members gathered in front of this place.
Evangeline’s Knight Party. Damien’s sniper party. Junior’s wizard party.
Holy Grail Explorer. penal unit. Dragon Blood Knights.
Me and Lucas here. It is a large group of 32 people in total.
The rest of the heroes were left at Crossroads. Crossroad Defense Forces are also needed in case of an emergency.
“As explained yesterday!”
I shouted after looking around at the party members who were looking up at me with bright eyes.
“If you pass the ordeal just as I tell you, you will be able to safely clear it without fighting.”
Everyone yes! and answered all at once. Somehow, I feel like a teacher leading the children on a picnic.
I said as I led the way and entered the main gate of the Magic Tower.
“Let’s go!”
When I opened the large glass door and entered the lobby of the Mage Tower, a dungeon information window that I hadn’t seen in a long time appeared before my eyes.
[Area 8: Magic Tower]
– Clearing progress: Normal room 0/10 Boss room 0/1
– Treasure chest obtained: 0/11
The lobby of the magic tower was in the shape of a garden. A total of ten doors lined up one after the other in this perfectly round lobby.
There were magic lights installed above each door, but all of them were now lit with red light.
“Something here… .”
“It doesn’t look like a dungeon. really… .”
The heroes murmured in bewilderment.
I think so too. Rather than a dungeon… … Should I say it’s like the entrance to a high-rise building on Earth?
After bringing the heroes to the center of the lobby, I pointed to the first door and said.
“These ten doors all lead to their respective dungeon rooms. Every dungeon room has a different ordeal… … Different people can respond effectively to their trials.”
Subsequently, I ran my fingertips through the heroes.
“So I will select a different member each time to enter each dungeon room. The rest of you can rest here and wait.”
Immediately after, I pointed and pointed at one of the heroes.
“Damian!”
“Oh yes! Prince!”
“Irion.”
My dog sniper hurried forward. I put a shoulder strap on him and nodded.
“Then don’t go. let’s go! Damian!”
“yes? Oh yes!”
As the two of us headed to the first dungeon room, Evangeline hurriedly asked, flustered.
“no… Are you going alone?!”
“ok.”
The first ordeal is a place where you can clear it as long as you have Damian.
Except for the necessary manpower, I was thinking of letting as many people rest as possible, but when only the two of us went in, the other heroes objected.
“You still need an escort, don’t you? I will go too.”
“me too! I’m curious, so I’ll go!”
Lucas and Evangeline hurriedly caught up and said,
“I am also a member of Your Highness’s main party!”
Junior also hesitantly followed. Have you ever felt left out?
“Ash. May I go too?”
“what. Are you all going? Then I will go with wine.”
“It’s like this, let’s just go to the party leader level!”
Even Dusk Bringer Quylan came after Verdandie.
I readily nodded.
“Okay, follow me. Anyway, the first trial will be cleared by Damian alone, but… … It would be nice if everyone could figure out how it works.”
So, with each party leader, everyone entered the first dungeon room.
I walked for a long time down the dark aisle.
I wasn’t nervous, but the rest of the heroes were in a state of being wary of their surroundings and grabbing their weapons.
No, guys, if you don’t fail the ordeal, there’s no battle.
After walking like that for some time, a brightly lit room suddenly burst in front of us.
Large murals were painted on both walls of the bright room.
It was a picture of wizards building a tower. Strangely, however, the two paintings are almost identical.
“Two identical murals… ?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Among the bewildered heroes, I chuckled. And I looked at Damian.
“Damian.”
“Your prince.”
“how is it. Are these two murals really the same?”
Damian immediately shook his head.
“no. Similar picture, but… … These two are different.”
Yes.
The first ordeal here at the Magic Tower is… … .
[Magic Tower – Room 1]
– (Wave 1) Find the different part among the two pictures presented.
Find another picture!
In the center of the room was a paintball and slingshot. It is what is often referred to as a slingshot.
I pointed to it and instructed Damian.
“The left wall is the original, the right wall is the comparison. Mark the other parts with this paintball.”
Damian nodded, hooked the paintball on his slingshot, and fired the paintball accurately at the right wall.
puck! puck! puck!
The heroes groaned whenever Damian’s paintballs hit the painting.
“no… The leaf ornament on his head is different? How do you find that out?”
“How do you know the direction of the pupil is different!”
“If the color of the clothes is white and beige, who can tell the difference!”
Everyone complained that the difficulty was ridiculous, but there is Damian on this side.
After Damien hit a total of ten paintballs, the mural was painted… and started to vibrate. and.
Kugu Palace!
The wall with the mural on it sank to the bottom… … After that, a new mural appeared.
[Magic Tower – Room 1]
– (Wave 2) Find the different part among the two pictures presented.
Evangeline broke out in a cold sweat.
“… Wasn’t it over?”
“If it ended that easily, would it be a District 8 dungeon?”
The murals became more complex and splendid. Besides, is it because of the mood… … The figures painted on the mural seem to be glaring at us… … .
Wizards experimenting inside the finished tower were drawn. It looked like some tree branches were grafted with magic.
Damian calmly fired the slingshot this time as well. puck! puck! puck!
Kugu Palace!
Then, again, the wall collapsed, revealing a new mural behind it.
It was a much more complex and detailed mural, and it was a large mural.
“… .”
Something… The difficulty seems to have become more vicious than in the game… … .
However, no matter how complicated and enlarged the picture was, it was meaningless. Because there is a clairvoyant holder on this side.
Damian didn’t blink an eye and continued to fire slingshots.
After solving a total of five waves of finding different pictures in turn like that –
[Magic Tower – Room 1]
– CLEAR!
A clear declaration is output.
Kurrrrr!
Less than a click!
This time, the wall in front cracked, and with a haze… … A large treasure chest appeared.
Standing in front of the treasure chest, I grinned.
“You can do it this way. okay?”
I laughed nonchalantly, but why did the heroes have pale complexions?
The heroes were not looking at the treasure chest, but behind it. I looked around to see what was there.
“ah… .”
Immediately behind the box are dozens of mage tower batteries loaded with all kinds of attack magic… … Dozens of defense golems were ready to jump out at any moment.
“If Damian was wrong, these would have tried to kill us.”
I shrugged.
“But Damian couldn’t be wrong, right?”
“… .”
Everyone looked tired. No, but it means that the probability of Damian getting this puzzle wrong is zero.
“Well, you’ve worked hard, Damian.”
I grinned and opened the box.
“You eat this item.”
Flash!
Golden light exploded from the opened box.
Eventually, the golden light shrank to one… … It turned into a sharp-edged rifle.
