I clapped my hands instinctively while repairing the damaged armor of that guy.
A small gift given to me for successfully battling a powerful enemy.
‘Honestly, that was dangerous.’
It was a fight that had cut my health to less than half for the first time in a while.
‘I wasn’t being careless, but I didn’t expect it to be this tough.’
This entire area was a spawning ground for a creature with characteristics similar to [Sanctuary of Vigilance].
The fight was ongoing with the overwhelming initiative in the hands of the opponent.
Even though it didn’t do much, my health kept dripping away in this bizarre space.
That’s why I had no choice but to take it on alone.
‘Hmm… Is there no way to block that ignore-defense attack? This is awkward since it’s like this in here. There’s nowhere to dodge. Even continuously firing flame shots while activating the sanctuary is tough in a one-on-one situation.’
The Blood Mosquito, which granted me the amazing ability of Blood Extreme Transformation, was certainly a unique creature in many ways.
Having collected numerous monster byproducts and mana stones, we headed straight to the next location.
On the way, variants of ‘Frizkana’, ‘Minescarabe’, and ‘Blood Mosquito’ came pouring in non-stop.
Since they were materials for alchemist potions, we relentlessly hunted them down.
But that only lasted for an hour or two.
“Uweeeek!”
“Ugh, I can’t fight anymore.”
“Shall we head up soon?”
“Please. Just looking at those insect legs makes me nauseous.”
So many monsters filled the entire field of vision?
Chasing after materials was nearly costing us our lives.
In the end, we had no choice but to ride on the back of the ‘Sword Dragon’ again.
‘Y- Long time no see-‘
[Grurrr…]
‘Hey, buddy. Open your eyes nicely.’
[……….]
Even though it had been a while since I met the Sword Dragon, it still felt chilly towards me.
However, it wasn’t glaring at me like it used to.
The balance of power between it and me had naturally shifted.
‘I wish I had a mount too. I can fly, but!! I want to ride something!’
There was a mount called ‘Sky Craft’ that I obtained from Jung Tae-hyung, but it looked too shabby. It consumed a lot of mana too.
‘Is Yeon-hee the only one I can rely on?’
If Yeon-hee could summon a new mount for me, I would have to charm it well from the start so that riding it would be easy.
As we flew for a while, monsters gradually thinned out.
I worried there might be a ‘transcended asymbiotic species’, but since the spirits that dealt with them last time had vanished with the last self-destruction, I couldn’t see a trace.
I had been to the depths with the eternally towering tower, but I hadn’t been able to explore the surroundings properly while dodging the ‘transcended asymbiotic species’ that were members of another world.
Back then, I didn’t find the Temple of Light, so I had to leave the Sword Dragon and soar far ahead, investing quite some time in exploration.
*Clap, clap, clap.*
Still, while flying and keeping a close eye, I was able to find the Temple of Light rather easily.
Among the giant mountains I saw the last time I dealt with the ‘Crystal Road’, something that emitted a divine aura was faintly detected at the entrance of the nearest one.
Even though it was far beyond the range of my senses, feeling it must be thanks to ‘Areina’’s help.
– ······.
There was a pair of eyes watching me, pretending not to see.
After facing Dnarr, I hadn’t felt a connection to Goddess Irmana at all, so it must only be Areina left.
The goddess of light stalking the undead.
Talk about taking jokes too far.
“That’s a long way!”
Just as Yeon-hee said, the place where the collapsed tower was located didn’t seem that deep.
It was only after flying for quite some time that we finally arrived at the hidden Temple of Light.
I easily found it, but to the other members of the Ilseom Guild, it would have appeared to be just an ordinary cliff. Only someone like Jung-gil could discern its nature.
I could tell well enough the level of people who built this structure.
Grrr──
*Swallow.*
“It’s called the Temple of Light…?”
“I could believe it was the Demon King’s lair.”
“So scary…”
The building was covered in pitch-black, decayed structures and all sorts of nameless carnivorous plants, giving off a decidedly eerie atmosphere.
‘Looks like it’s been left untouched for quite a long time.’
It was at least five times larger than the hidden dungeon, and there was even a gigantic underground space.
‘This doesn’t seem right.’
It was a seriously contaminated place, enough so that I needed to throw my friends a carrot like ‘Small Blessing’.
‘I might have thought too simply…’
“Ha-ha-ha, leave it to me!! I’ll beat them all up!”
“Ah-rin, what good thing happened to you? You seem extra lively today.”
“I’ll tell you once we’re out of the dungeon!! I’m not afraid of anything that gets in my way!”
“……….”
Thanks to the unusually spirited Ah-rin, we could ease our tension and soon entered the temple.
Ssssssh—
*Whiiiiiish—*
“Why does it sound like a cockroach in here… so unlucky.”
“Ughhh… I hate bugs…”
“Ah-rin… Isn’t your current demeanor a bit different from before?”
But once inside, the extremely unpleasant bug noises sank into my ears, and I instinctively shrank back.
If I felt dirty, it was a lost cause.
“There are loads of Blood Mosquitos. And… Zombies? It seems like some ‘asymbiotic species’ that turned into zombies are gathered in the corner.”
“Ughh… now zombies too.”
Blood Mosquitos weren’t a challenge for our party unless they were ‘queen-tier’ variants, and the ‘asymbiotic species’ were not particularly fearsome unless they had mutated.
The only concern was how many there were, and the existence of a boss-level creature residing in the depths of the temple.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper boss battle with my companions.’
In the temple filled with repulsive creatures, two figures that hadn’t lost their noble dignity awaited us.
[Skeleton Bomb]
*Boom-boom-boom!*
Of course, we had to eliminate the swarming minions before heading down.
Using my bomb as a signal, we began the purification work in the temple.
A place that hadn’t been cleaned for a long time.
I felt the imminent danger just before a dungeon break.
We spent a full three hours hunting.
[Sanctuary of Vigilance]
I invoked my own space and gathered my companions within.
Now, the sanctuary had become sturdy enough to block a considerable amount of attacks.
And it even had the function of ‘Non-existence’.
“Uh?”
A spectacular scene unfolded as the monsters charging toward us all suddenly halted.
“Wow— that’s amazing. This is practically a safe zone, right? Can’t they see us?”
“It’s huge! Can we make it even bigger?”
“If we have enough materials, there’s no limit to growing it.”
“Wow, then maybe Il-wol can build a city later!”
‘A city? I thought about a castle, but a city feels really far-fetched.’
We stared blankly at the monsters wandering aimlessly.
“Just standing here and staring feels a bit… odd.”
“Yeah, why can’t we just eat each other up like we’re itching to do.”
While we had such self-reflective conversations…
“Il-wol says he’ll release the sanctuary in a minute.”
“Alright!! Let’s kill them all!!”
“For ‘Small Blessing’!!”
“Hahh!!”
When we actually got into action, the contemplation faded, and our bodies responded first.
The battle lasted much shorter than the time it took to reach the temple, but the intensity was incredibly high.
We gathered an overwhelming amount of materials sufficient even for the deadly potion of the alchemist.
After a long time, we arrived at the innermost depths of the first underground floor.
Kriiiriiriik—
Kiiiriik—
“Uh…… Is that the boss here?”
“Do we fight those things?”
Two gigantic statues, resembling the goddess from the mural in the previous hidden dungeon, turned toward us.
A small figure four meters tall and a larger one five meters tall.
The smaller one was about 20% stronger and held a mysterious orb with a magical power.
‘A classic warrior-type with a spear and shield.’
Statues of the goddess adorned with equipment suitable for battle gleamed with blood-red eyes.
“When Il-wol gives the signal, make sure to hide inside the sanctuary!!”
“Got it!!”
‘This energy feels a bit strange. It seems more like a creature rather than a living statue.’
What’s certain is that they were no longer beings that protected the sacred temple but rather constructs of evil.
‘Combat power is A-rank top tier. They’re weaker than the Giant Tribe, but still a formidable enemy.’
– Goddess of Light ‘Areina’ is issuing a small quest.
‘Huh? Again?’
– There were two priests whom ‘Areina’ cherished dearly. They devoted everything to protect the temple but ultimately succumbed to evil and have now become guardians of the dungeon.
– Subdue the guardians and ‘purify’ them to free them from their suffering!
– Reward: +500 Magic Power, Areina’s Noble Shield.
– Kyaah! What?! She’s giving 500 Magic Power!!
– Is she giving me both Magic Power and a shield for a small blessing?!
– That shield of Areina! It’s the one that only a select few paladins are granted, right?!
‘Exactly. It’s a paladin’s special trait that can block a lethal attack just once…’
Just how much did those priests mean to her that she’s doling out such nonsensical rewards? And she’s even giving it to all participating members?
I could vividly recall the image of the weakened Goddess Irmana unable to say anything when she got angry.
‘Areina seems to be of a higher standing than I thought.’
“She clearly said to subdue them. We can’t kill them!!”
“Understood!”
“Confirmed!”
Yeon-hee had already summoned a ton of summoned creatures and was giving attack orders.
‘Subduing them without killing them is going to be a tough mission, but still, let’s watch for a moment.’
I spotted Ah-rin on the back of the ‘Red-haired Dire Wolf’.
‘Huh? Really? Wouldn’t it be faster in Lightning Step form?’
Even more amazing was that Ah-rin was utilizing [Lightning Step] while riding the crimson lightning of the Dire Wolf.
‘Oooh?! Is that doable?’
She twisted her body in unpredictable directions as if teleporting.
Charging forward quickly, she skillfully dodged the guardian’s attack and delivered a powerful kick to the statue’s knee, imbued with the energy of lightning.
*Boom—!!*
[?!]
The small goddess statue staggered from the substantial shock.
‘… What? It worked? That’s incredibly cool, isn’t it?’
When did she start executing such coordinated attacks? I thought I couldn’t do what she’s doing, but could it be an ability gained from her encounter with the god of lightning? The Dire Wolf seems to be blessed by the god of lightning as well, so there might be some connection there.
There was even more amazing footage.
[Earth Creation]
As Bae Joo-ah’s spell commenced, a clumsily formed lump of clay floundered and surged up from the ground.
But that was it; it didn’t move properly.
As Yeon-hee’s mana enveloped Bae Joo-ah’s magic.
“Sister!”
[With a rhythm that shakes the earth— The stony body awakened from a long slumber dances and sings of life— The heart of the stone beats— As the wizard’s power smolders, it shall advance forward—]
Ham Eun-young’s song fabrication combined with the bardic energy.
– You witnessed the incredible spectacle of creating a semi-living creature from a non-living one!
– The weight of existence has increased slightly!
‘… Are they insane? The three of them collaboratively created something like a golem?!’
I thought they were simply leveling up diligently while I was away, but they had undergone dazzling growth unnoticed.
“Go, Ah-rin!!”
Moreover, when Noh Ha-yoon created an ice spear nearly three meters long and gave it to the Earth Golem, the picture became convincingly complete.
‘It’s better that I’m not in this.’
Truly, it seemed wise to take the dual-track approach, and I nodded in agreement.
“Ah-rin! Retreat!!”
“Okay!!”
The madly speedy Ah-rin, who had been teasing between the two statues, pulled back, and in her place, the ‘Earth Golem’ and Yeon-hee’s summoned legion led by the Alpha charge forward.
‘What a sight to behold.’
Of course, I had no intention of being just an observer.
‘Go.’
*Clap, clap, tap!!*
I brought Ainz and the remnants and minions into the fight.
The remnants would vanish once they died, so I had always been cautious of them.
‘I can’t keep holding back forever. Time to unleash it.’
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