[Hidden Quest Discovered.]
[‘One Who Follows the Order’ in Progress….]
As soon as I arrived at the altar where the Sun Symbol was enshrined, the status window appeared.
‘What is this?’
This is a quest I’ve never seen before.
Originally, after breaking through the maze of this ruins and discovering the altar, the quest ‘Great Tomb Raider’ would be completed.
But now, a completely unknown quest has popped up.
‘I don’t even know the clear conditions….’
After contemplating a few times, I gave up.
I can’t force myself to grasp what I don’t know.
The goal right in front of me is more important right now.
A long, chapel-like space.
Inside, there’s a large altar.
On top of it is the goal of the trial, set by Eliya.
The enshrined Sun Symbol is there.
The moment I started to walk toward it.
Creek…
The chapel door opened.
‘Huh?’
I turned around in surprise.
A man entered through the door, panting heavily, glaring at me.
“…Hazle? How did you get here?”
I asked in astonishment.
‘Why is he here…?’
Hazle has entered the hidden ruins.
He even broke through the maze.
How on earth?
Could it be from the Royal Palace…?
“…Judas.”
His eyes, calling my name, were fixed on something else.
The altar. The Sun Symbol.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I found it first.”
“What the hell. How….”
In contrast to his weary appearance, I had arrived here very easily and leisurely.
The method was simple.
At the point where the Five-way Path appears among the ruins,
I had pressed, twisted, and removed the stones on the wall in a specific pattern, triggering the Teleportation Magic.
You could say it’s a variation of teleport magic.
Generally, such ruins are used for traps, but not this time.
It acted as a shortcut directly leading to the hidden chapel of the Sun Symbol.
“Well, it’s just….”
However, it was difficult to explain everything.
Though I’m bad at lying, I had no choice but to mumble through it.
“By chance…, ah, you know Teleportation Magic, right? I got caught in some trap or another, and it brought me right in front of the Sun Symbol.”
“…….”
He looks like he doesn’t believe me at all.
Instead, I decided to change the subject.
“By the way, how did you know to come here?”
Hazle stared at me for a moment and then smirked.
“I knew you were clueless and foolish, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. How did I get here? I followed your trail; I know this place well.”
He meant he had been tailing me.
“I didn’t know that.”
“And how did you know about such a place?…Ugh!”
Hazle suddenly groaned and knelt on one knee.
I rushed over to him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I hurt myself while navigating the maze…. Can you take a look at my wounds?”
I stepped closer.
“Where….”
Pretending to check his wounds, I kicked him right in the face with all my might.
“!”
But Hazle rolled back and dodged it.
My foot missed and slammed into the wall.
“Quick reflexes.”
Withdrawing my foot, I drew my sword and shield.
Hazle didn’t seem surprised by my ambush.
Instead, he calmly, yet annoyingly, spoke.
“I hate that you’re quick to catch on in useless situations.”
“If you’re going to act, do it properly. When did we get so close that you’d ask me to look at your injuries?”
That wasn’t the only reason.
Ever since Hazle arrived here, every survival expert warned me like crazy.
Saying it’s dangerous.
This human in front of me is trying to kill me.
So, I tried to ambush Hazle first, but I failed.
Hazle has drawn out the sword strapped to his back.
One hand goes into his pocket.
‘Hazle’s weapon is a two-handed sword. Why’s he putting his hand in his pocket?’
Whatever it is, I can’t just let it be.
I kicked a shard of the ruins.
Smack!
The rock shard flew sharply.
The target was Hazle’s shoulder and arm.
Just before it could reach, Hazle pulled his hand out from his pocket.
The object he held gleamed gold.
In that moment, Hazle smiled.
“Thanks for making it easier for me.”
He blocked the rock with the object in his hand.
After the impact, the golden object shattered into pieces.
Fragments of the golden adornment scattered randomly.
However, the spread across the ground was deliberate.
As if something was drawn.
‘This is a magic circle…? An artifact?!’
Immediately afterward, magic swirled around Hazle.
The results appeared quickly.
Three figures appeared, all covered in ash from head to toe.
They wore tattered gray robes that concealed their faces and bodies.
I recognized who those robed figures were.
‘Royal Wizard Order….’
Hazle is originally a royal knight.
That much hasn’t changed.
‘What was he doing in Eliya’s training center? Spying, perhaps?’
I pulled Yuel closer, who was fuming.
If it were a night with the moon out, it might have been different, but it’s daytime now.
I can’t fight alongside Yuel.
One of the wizards spoke.
“What’s the target?”
Hazle pointed.
The altar holding the Sun Symbol, still untouched.
“It’s certain. Let’s return.”
Just as they were about to do something, I pulled a dagger from my pocket and threw it.
A throwing dagger, meant for emergencies.
A sharp line cut through the air.
The rock wall appeared to block the dagger.
It was magic.
“Getting in the way….”
Just as the wizard was mumbling, I was already leaping onto Yuel.
‘Run!’
Without me needing to say it, Yuel understood.
We dashed toward the altar with lightning speed.
I leaned my body to the side, trying to grab the Sun Symbol.
But…
Boom!
A rock flew in and exploded behind us.
Yuel and I were swept away by the shockwave.
“Yuel…! Are you okay?”
I rushed to check on Yuel first.
Fortunately, he managed to stand, shaking off his head a few times.
Indeed, a spirit.
Sturdy it is.
“That was sharp.”
The wizard’s hood, which veiled his face, was slightly torn at the edge.
It was a result of throwing another dagger when I fell from Yuel.
The wizard spoke in an emotionless voice.
“But you’re unbelievably reckless. It would have been better to run away. But I wouldn’t have let you get away.”
I slightly moved Yuel aside and said.
“I’m the type of person who would rather die than run away.”
That reckless reason isn’t the only thing.
The enshrined Sun Symbol.
It’s an object that can grant any miracle.
Naturally, it is quite dangerous.
If wished for, it might even resurrect the sealed Evil God.
The conditions for use are strict, but if the Emperor is behind this, it could be used easily.
‘By the way, what does the Emperor plan to do with this Sun Symbol?’
Before I possessed this, I took the Sun Symbol away.
Thus, I don’t know the Emperor’s original intentions.
‘Whatever it is, I cannot let it be taken away.’
The wizard nodded.
“I won’t grant your wish.”
The three royal wizards simultaneously reached out toward me.
They were gesturing to launch attack spells.
‘Here it comes…!’
[Magic Liberation (Lv.45)]
I raised all the magic within my body.
I have no confidence I’ll withstand it.
Wizards are extremely rare and strong talents.
Three spells fell simultaneously.
A giant ice spear.
A blazing fireball.
A mountain-sized rock.
‘Too big to dodge, and too powerful to block. My whole body will be crushed.’
Then, I chose to charge right through.
I dashed toward the ice spear.
My vision filled with sky-colored ice.
An instinctive fear welled up.
It was large enough to crush a person.
But I believe in my trait.
Discovery of Revelation.
It allows me to nullify any magic once.
I slammed my forehead into the ice spear.
Crash-!
It shattered loudly above me.
Like thin glass shattering in every direction.
The surrounding air turned cold.
There was no pain in my body.
What a bizarre feeling.
The sound of the ice spear breaking was deafening.
Large shards flew everywhere.
Of course, like me, my opponents were probably dazed by the sights and sounds.
‘But, they won’t be sure I’m still alive.’
That’s when I struck.
Beyond the ice shards, I spotted the three wizards.
They seemed relaxed, thinking I was dead.
I charged forward immediately.
In an instant, I burst out from the shards.
Without a moment to feel the temperature of my breath changing.
“Ugh?!”
I severed one wizard’s arm.
Hazle immediately swung his sword at me.
Boom!
The heavy two-handed sword struck my shield.
I was about to counterattack, but Hazle kicked me away.
It’s surprising he’s recovering so quickly.
There were still two uninjured wizards.
And two giant rocks floating in the air.
No time to think, they came crashing down.
“Ugh…!”
I deflected the first rock with my shield.
The force was too great.
Both the rock and my iron shield shattered simultaneously.
The broken rock scraped my body and face.
Behind the disorienting debris, the second rock flew in.
‘Damn…! If only I had a sword right now…!’
I gritted my teeth.
The pulsing sensation of magic was burning within me.
There was too little time to gather my sword.
The second rock was getting closer.
‘I’ll roll underneath and escape. The sword is too cumbersome to keep, so it’s better to disarm and go close range.’
Just as I was about to execute that plan.
Suddenly, the surroundings burst into brightness.
A golden light spread from me.
“Ugh…?!”
I squeezed my eyes shut, then barely opened them.
Golden flames consumed everything around me.
More noticeable than that was the fluttering black coat.
The red scarf flowing like a tail.
Long black hair cascading like waves.
I stood frozen, watching that back figure, which commanded the blazing background.
I was both surprised and delighted; more than ever before.
Without knowing, I dropped the honorific and called out to that figure.
“…Eliya?”
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