Pina and I made a grave for the Lycanthrope.
“..Poor thing.”
“What if we had arrived a little earlier, Licht?”
Though I had no acquaintance, he was ultimately a victim sacrificed to the Demon King.
“The Magic Hat was scheming from behind, so it probably doesn’t mean anything.”
I patted Kainel’s shoulder, who was blaming himself.
Perhaps he was regretting not being able to protect someone as a Hero.
“..Demon Kings are all like this, Kain.”
But Demon Kings are strong. It’s a blessing that no casualties came from the Academy.
‘Demon King of Truth… what on earth is he doing?’
Did he know the Administrator and have everything settled in advance? Normally, he wouldn’t even be able to set foot in the shrine.
On top of that, he obsessively fixates on me.
How much does he know about the game? Even the way he recognized me was unsettling.
“O Messenger of the God of Will, Tardun.”
I stuck a sword lying around into a mound of dirt. A great sword adorned with a wolf design on its hilt.
“A swordsman born a wolf, and dying a wolf. A free spirit running across the earth under the moonlight sleeps here.”
Just like the Nameless Saintess did when she fought the Demon King.
“..The gray Lycanthrope.”
I knelt down and began to pray. After all, I possessed the skills of a Paladin.
“Though we have not met, may you rest in peace there.”
Another life was claimed by the Hero Church. The Magic Hat is gradually coming to the surface.
Starting its activities means that my injuries must have healed.
Biting my lower lip in frustration for getting caught by that guy once again.
*
‘Corridor of the Wolves.’
A word that appeared briefly in the setting books.
It was merely a guess that this shrine also had a hidden chamber.
There was a brief description stating that only those recognized as members of the Inrang Tribe could access the corridor.
Just like how the Library of Truth exists in the depths of Akasha’s shrine.
In the game community, there was a post regarding whether it was true or just a fishing thread.
[Title: There is a secret space in the Shrine of Tardun.]
[I discovered it while exploring the dungeon this time.]
[Surprisingly, the floor is high. It seems like there’s a hidden staircase.]
[Considering the scale of the Library of Truth, wouldn’t something come out here?? Since it’s the God of Swordsmanship!]
[Comment: I can’t believe there are newbies who believe this.]
└[??? Isn’t this it?? It’s written in the setting book….]
└[That wasn’t implemented. Even if you break through the map, it’s empty.]
└[Aside from the Potion of Swordsmanship that comes out after clearing the dungeon, there’s nothing.]
Nobody had ever confirmed the existence of the place, so it was just known through rumors.
Being a prequel, does it exist? Here, it’s not the era when I was playing the game but the past.
As I went down the stairs, swords adorned with bright gold were lined up.
“Wow.. Kai.. Look at that!!”
“What’s this.. Can I take one?”
Countless weapons of various sizes and types, from rapiers to greatswords, were arranged along the long corridor.
“..This is worse than our royal treasury. Keep that in mind.”
“…?”
While looking at the flashy weapons, Pina clicked her tongue, seemingly dissatisfied.
“Hehe, Kai..”
“Ariel, be careful. You might fall.”
Like a couple of heroes jumping around hand-in-hand as if they were at an amusement park. The moment of awkwardly swapped dynamics.
‘..Something feels off.’
Normally, only qualified individuals can enter the depths of the shrine.
It was the same case with Laplace. He had to break the lanterns in the Library of Truth to gain his qualification.
Could I obliterate libraries used by high-ranking gods with my abilities? It’s fortunate I’m still alive.
I’ve passed the tests and gained my qualifications.
But how did they get in? Did the Administrator die? That can’t be it.
“Ta-da, Kai. Look! I’m like a hero too!”
Right before my eyes was a red-haired mage confidently holding a sword taken from the corridor, trying to imitate a hero.
“Yeah, if there’s a hero among elves, it would look like that.”
A blonde-haired hero was petting her head while watching.
Having confessed and become lovers, the two were definitely closer now. The psychological barriers they had towards each other had crumbled. I’m a bit jealous.
“..Really?”
“When have you ever seen me lie?”
“No way, my boyfriend wouldn’t say that!”
Love makes people foolish.
Whether it’s the aftermath of their kiss, each time they glance at each other’s faces, they grin like broken wind-up dolls.
“..Licht. Something seems weird here.”
At that moment, Pina said, her golden eyes shining as she surveyed the surroundings. Her sensory skills are clearly quite gifted.
Speaking of game races, each seemed to have its characteristics. What might the Inrang Tribe’s characteristic be?
‘Dwarfs take pride in their masterpieces, and elves love only one person….’
When I was with Pina as a Saintess, I hadn’t encountered any other Inrang Tribe members. I had only seen Rufus at the very least.
The coming-of-age ritual for the Inrang Tribe that was performed in the past.
What significance could it have had? Just handing out weapons like this without testing….
Ah, wait a minute.
“Pina, all the swords here on the side.”
Could it be? I picked up a sword hanging on the wall and dragged it along the ground. There was a sound like slicing through the air, but.
“..It seems to be fake swords. They all have dulled edges.”
They looked fine. The red carpet laid out as if to celebrate the passing of trials wasn’t even scratched.
All the swords that looked like they would fetch a good price turned out to be fakes.
There were strange swords with an attack power of 0 that occasionally dropped in the game. Was this the source?
“What’s important is not the swords here….”
A ruse. It could mean that if I go out of the shrine while being distracted by these swords, I wouldn’t gain anything.
I looked up. The wolf statue at the end of the corridor came into view. Opposite appearances.
“It might be something else.”
The wolf statues at either end. The gray wolf wrapping the sword symbolizes Tardun.
It’s a shrine that tests one’s will. Such rewards wouldn’t exist. The Library of Truth relates to intelligence as well.
At the base of the statue, there was an inscription.
– When the wolf closes its blue eyes and opens its orange eyes, it shall seek the wolf’s head.
The character was rugged as if someone had chiseled it with a sword. Perhaps it was left by the Administrator.
“..What does this mean?”
Pina tilted her head while looking at the letters. Blue eyes and orange eyes. What could they be?
“….”
For now, it’s definitely not a decorative sword on the wall. If it were, there would be no need to specifically refer to ‘eyes.’
While the statue had eyes engraved on it, they weren’t made of any jewel.
“..Kainel, do you know what it is?”
“Well, it seems like a riddle? Maybe it’s asking you to knock twice….”
But here, it’s a long corridor. The two directions are blocked, making it a closed space.
Trying to open the door behind the statue or knocking on it yields no response.
“Could it be some kind of metaphor?”
The red-haired Ariel snapped her palm. Known for her keen instincts, she made a statement.
A metaphor? Where can blue and orange eyes fit figuratively?
“..Dog?”
That’s not a metaphor, that’s straight up!
Beside me, Pina was once again petting the wolf statue adorably.
It’s hard to believe that the daughter of Emperor Rock liked cute things, given the stark difference.
‘Wait a moment, Emperor Rock…?’
Now that I think about it, Emperor Rock had a nickname. A wolf that bites the sun and devours the moon.
“Let’s think of the eyes of the statues as the sun and the moon, everyone.”
There was a part I had overlooked. This place was a space where the coming-of-age ceremony of the Inrang Tribe was held in the past.
The swords hanging on the wall were probably taken as a symbol of having completed the coming-of-age ceremony.
The symbol of Tardun is a wolf. A gray wolf at that. The God responsible for swordsmanship and will.
‘He is also a subordinate god serving the God of Light and Darkness.’
With time, the sun and moon alternate rising.
From the east to the west. Crossing spaces, moving like rails on a track.
“Then what do these statues signify?”
They represent day and night. I had heard stories about it at the accessory shop, and there were plenty of ways to connect the dots.
“..It really moves.”
When I slightly pulled it forward, the statue began to move with a creak sound.
“That means… the sun is setting….”
I moved closer to the wolf statues at both ends to bring them together.
“The time when the moon rises.”
In that moment, dusk where light and darkness intertwine creates a rich color like paint.
“The meeting of day and night…. twilight.”
The wolf statues took the form of kissing sculptures as if they were a pair.
Looking closely now, their tails also make a heart. The hints had been provided.
─Creak.
A hidden door revealed itself from the side. The red carpet was oddly misaligned.
I hope this will be the key to the perfect Demon King Kill.
‘When I strike Intinium, it feels like cutting through a person.’
Like slicing through a sheet of paper.
The Demon King, turning into a deck of cards after taking the Demon King Kill, looked completely bewildered.
Though I knew that the Magic Hat could create clones from cards, this was the first time I had seen it in this case.
Watching the Demon King of Truth himself act or imitate someone else was something I had seen before.
‘Can he make a card of someone who looks this much like a living person?’
Intinium. An unfamiliar figure and ability. Besides, he even mentioned he was Pina’s younger sister.
If it were the real Demon King, he would have taken them out in one go like the Head or the Magic Hat. Everyone here might be dead.
“….”
A sense of unease began to settle in. If I couldn’t rescue Pina from the hands of the Demon King like this….
“Licht. Let’s go in.”
At that moment, Pina took my hand, which was looking down at the ground. It was cold and smooth like a glass glove, but her warm heart could be felt.
Yeah, from now on, even if there are tough things to come.
‘..I have to face them with Pina.’
I stepped forward, pushing open the firmly sealed iron door together.
*
The space we entered was a place where pure white light shone down.
Wolf statues holding swords were arranged to the left and right, and at the ends, there was a small podium positioned in a secret chamber.
On the podium, a shimmering potion was visible.
“Is that a Potion…?”
A Potion of Swordsmanship. Originally, it was an item I obtained when I broke through Tardun’s shrine.
Initially red, it provides a short-term boost to the user’s swordsmanship abilities.
I thought I could perfectly complete the Demon King Kill with this.
But that potion was different in shape and appearance.
A burning scarlet potion that seemed to contain the sun, and right next to it, a deeply contrasting blue potion.
“..Potion of Sun and Moon.”
At the sight of it, Pina immediately spoke as if she had sensed something.
