Chapter 271: Seventy-Second Floor, The Forgotten God (2)

[Complete Tunyak’s additional request. Time remaining: 23 hours 30 minutes.]

Tunyak wasn’t merely surprised at the possibility of something being concealed within the rock pillar. Instead, it was the notion of trying to demolish such a colossal object that had led to his outburst.

Though I referred to it as a pillar, it was easily the size of a small house.

Scratching his chin, he muttered, “Shouldn’t we at least check if there is some kind of mechanism?”

He wasn’t wrong. However, when I had surveyed the area earlier, I hadn’t detected anything out of the ordinary. Even if something had escaped my notice, I trusted that Yoonie would have spoken up.

Still, it seemed wiser to let him verify it himself—I had been asking him to trust my judgment from the start. Moreover, judging from the way he was scrutinizing the pillar, he would likely sulk for hours if I broke it open and nothing emerged.

“Go ahead, take a look.”

Tunyak turned toward the stone pillar and placed a hand against its surface. “It may take a while.”

Shutting his eyes, he summoned his mana and began moving slowly around the massive structure.

I crossed my arms and waited patiently.

Once he had completed a full rotation, he opened his eyes and frowned. “Are you sure there’s something here? I’m not picking up anything. No trigger, no mechanism.”

“I’m certain. There’s something sealed within.”

“Well, if you say so. The divine beast did guide us here, after all.” He exhaled roughly and glanced over at me. “So, how exactly do you plan to break it open?”

“Don’t worry. I have a way.”

Ever since Ha Hee-Jeong lectured me on the importance of being prepared, I had made it a habit to stock the mimic with every useful tool imaginable—shovels, crowbars, hammers, and naturally, a sledgehammer or two.

Plus, I hadn’t cut any corners. I had spent more than a few achievement points to acquire high-quality and durable tools.

The pillar itself didn’t show any signs that it was magically reinforced. Channeling mana into my strikes should allow me to break through it with ease.

Instead of explaining all of my thoughts, I simply retrieved the sledgehammer. Its description claimed it was forged from some kind of cosmic alloy, though it looked sturdy enough without such embellishments.

“So you don’t carry cooking gear, but you’ve got an entire tool shed in there,

huh?

”

“

Haha.

”

Not the point, genius. You are the reason I have been subsisting solely on jerky.

I swallowed my retort, offered a humorless smile, and lifted the hammer without another word.

BANG—

One mana-charged swing later, and the surface of the pillar caved in. Fragments of stone and plumes of dust rained down as a shockwave rippled outward.

Hmm.

That strike had led to a satisfying result, but the recoil had been stronger than I had anticipated—the rock was denser than it appeared. Still, it wasn’t compact enough to cause any real strain. I had withstood far greater impacts during combat.

I exhaled sharply and swung again.

Bang— Bang—

With each strike, the divine beast, the bull, and the mechanical horse gradually backed away. Doppy clamped his hands over his ears.

Who knows how long I have been keeping at it?

Klang— Klang—

The sound shifted, and a different tone rang out from the point of impact. I brushed the dust from my palms and waved away the haze that lingered in the air.

As it thinned, a faint black barrier emerged, partially revealing beneath the fractured stone.

With no real understanding of this world’s materials, I instinctively called out, “Tunyak! Get over here. There’s something underneath!”

“What is it?”

He hurried over, Doppy trailing close behind.

I stepped aside and gestured toward the exposed membrane. “Do you recognize it?”

He studied it in silence for a moment before murmuring, “

Hmm

, no. Can’t say that I do.”

“You don’t feel any ominous energy emanating from it, do you?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

“Alright. I’ll clear away more of the surroundings.”

If even Tunyak was unfamiliar with the material, then I had no choice but to reveal the entire structure. I motioned for him to step back and took up the sledgehammer once more.

“You’re not seriously going to smash that too, are you?”

“It’ll be fine. This thing is even sturdier than the pillar.”

When I had struck it earlier, it hadn’t even cracked. Everything about it radiated an unnatural resilience. It wouldn’t be undone with a few haphazard swings.

Thud— Thud—

I shifted my stance and continued hammering away in earnest. After clearing away the rest of the stone, what remained was a massive, pitch-black, elliptical mass.

It looked for all the world like a giant ostrich egg, though I couldn’t determine whether it was divine, magical, or something else entirely. Of course, it wasn’t an actual egg, but a membrane, specially formed and hardened.

“What in the world is this thing?” I glanced at Tunyak, but his confusion mirrored my own.

“I know, right? What can it be?”

I studied the black structure closely. Based on how much it concealed its own presence, it felt like some kind of veiled seal or barrier. It was clearly protecting something, but I had no idea what.

“

Hmm,

how do we open it?”

While I was muttering, Tunyak had already notched an arrow, clearly ready to begin testing.

“Should I try shooting it?”

I shook my head. “Let’s try to understand it first. Ryun, do you know what this is?”

“

Hmm

... I... don’t think so... but it feels like someone constructed it... to hide whatever lies within...”

I already know that. Not exactly helpful.

I turned to my climbing companions. “Doppy? Yoonie? Any idea what this is? Can either of you do something with it?”

They shook their heads simultaneously.

“Nope! Doesn’t look like I can do anything!”

“I’m not sure, either!”

I wasn’t particularly disappointed, as I had somewhat anticipated this. This ovoid was part of a hidden mission that only challengers would see, and they would be expected to complete it even without Doppy. Brute force was, in all likelihood, the correct approach.

I looked at Tunyak. “I’ll try striking it first.”

Tunyak was capable, no doubt, but his strength lay in precise, calculated shots. His arrows were designed to pierce targets, not to pulverize structures.

Besides, I had the advantage in raw power, and my powerful Aura would only add to it.

“Alright,” he said, though his expression betrayed a hint of disappointment.

I had assumed he had only offered in passing, but maybe he had genuinely wanted to try it himself.

Is he confident he can pull it off?

Pushing the thought aside, I stepped forward and stood before the egg-shaped barrier.

Time for a proper test.

Twisting at the waist, I coated my axe in Aura and brought it down in a powerful arc.

KAANG—

Even with Aura, it sounded like I had struck a chunk of metal. The axe rebounded slightly, as if I had struck a solid iron bat.

Still, it left a faint scratch.

Not indestructible, then. I will just have to go all in.

As I prepared for another swing, Tunyak called out from behind me, “Want me to give it a try?”

I turned to look. He was staring at me, eyes wide and full of anticipation like an overexcited puppy.

Is he hoping to outdo me?

Or maybe he simply wanted a chance to prove himself.

I nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly. “Sure. If you want to, knock yourself out.”

At that, Tunyak beamed, his expression lighting up. “Mind giving me a bit of space? I think I’ll need to use a bit of force.”

It wasn’t until I had spent some time with him that I began to notice that Tunyak had a certain theatrical flair, and he enjoyed showing off. Maybe it came from growing up in the wilderness, surrounded by nothing but nature and tradition.

I stared into his eyes for a moment, and he shifted awkwardly under the attention.

He then coughed into his hand like he was trying to hide his embarrassment. “I’m not trying to make a fuss or anything. I just need a little space, that’s all.”

***

I took the divine beast, the bull, and the mechanical horse and moved roughly a hundred meters away. I had originally planned to stop at fifty, but Tunyak insisted we go farther, his voice full of confidence.

I didn’t protest. Regardless of the outcome, we would have to retreat once I stepped in again.

Tunyak took a sharp breath, muscles tense as he drew back the bowstring.

Is it my imagination, or is he putting more power into this than when he shot the corrupted divine beast?

No, it wasn’t just in my head.

Unlike the divine beast, the black ostrich-egg-shaped object wasn’t a moving target. He didn’t need to do any complex calculations or trajectory adjustments. He could focus everything into sheer force.

Soon, energy gathered at the tip of the arrow. Wind, normally invisible, began spiraling violently from the arrowhead and formed something almost tangible.

Oh?

Maybe the returned god had lent him some strength; the destructive force I sensed from the arrow was far greater than I had expected. The swirling wind continued crystallizing into a visible form, now radiating a crimson hue before taking the shape of a wild, beastly figure.

If I had to describe it, it looked like a red wolf.

Tunyak narrowed his eyes. Then, in the span of a heartbeat, he released the string.

Shwee!

The arrow tore through the air with a piercing, primal screech. The sound alone was harsh enough to make my ears ring.

As it flew, the ground beneath its path split and rippled outward, like someone was cutting into the dirt with a knife. In less than a blink—less than a tenth of a second—the arrow closed the distance.

The formless energy reached the black membrane first.

Kgakagak—

Unlike a normal arrow, Tunyak’s shot spun violently on impact, trying to drill through the barrier.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The arrow gradually lost its momentum and fell uselessly to the ground. Even from this distance, I could tell that more than half the shaft had been worn away.

Tunyak clicked his tongue in disappointment. “

Tch.

I guess this doesn’t work either.”,

Interestingly, he seemed unaware of the subtle shift that had occurred.

Just before the arrow vanished, the red wind had slipped into the membrane, seemingly absorbed. Moreover, something about the barrier had changed. The ovoid still looked solid, but perhaps that was why the divine beast had touched him with its horn.

Instead of pointing it out, I smirked quietly and tapped my fingers along my axe. “Back up.”

“

Huh?

”

“Another fifty meters. At least.”

I wasn’t joking this time. Tunyak hesitated, then nodded and withdrew alongside Doppy.

I bent my left knee slightly and stepped back with my other foot, settling into position. After a quick sweep of the ground beneath me, I tensed my calf and ankle muscles, then let mana surge through me.

Lightning-infused Aura blazed along my axe, the energy cracking and warping the air with its intensity.

I could feel the Thunderstone responding more vigorously than usual.

“

Whoa,

”

Tunyak murmured in awe, but I ignored him and centered my thoughts.

To reach my full power, I planned to utilize the Savior skill, which had provided me with just that extra burst of strength I had needed multiple times before.

I will rescue the Forgotten God and return him to the people of this world.

From deep within my chest, power surged upward.

In the next instant, I launched forward. The wind whipped past, stinging my face as the world blurred. The distance vanished in a blink.

Maintaining my momentum, I shifted my axe to the right, positioning it just behind my shoulder.

My steps became deliberate.

Right foot. Left foot. Right.

I pulled my arms back, then drove them forward just as I planted my left foot. The axe came down with everything I had.

KWAAAANG—

The weapon crashed against the black barrier. A low, seismic thrum reverberated outward, centered at the point of impact.

Crack—

The axe sank deep into the membrane. Then, as if the shell had been waiting for that exact blow, it split cleanly in two.

A wave of pressure burst outward, scattering dust and earth in all directions. It was like a bomb had gone off, hurling grit and sand in a roaring vortex. The two halves of the shell crumbled and dissolved into powder.

Finally, the dust and debris faded away, revealing a statue.

It was of a battle chariot with five wheels, and at its front, a divine beast was bound in place. Adding to its mystique, a gemstone, glowing with a deep crimson light, had been embedded into the front of the chariot. I had a strong feeling it was connected to the red energy that had clung to Tunyak’s arrow earlier.

I glanced back.

Through the swirling clouds of dust, I saw Tunyak and Doppy shielding their eyes from the storm of sand as it swept over them. As the haze cleared, Tunyak caught sight of the statue, and his mouth fell open in stunned silence.

***

[Complete Tunyak’s additional request. Time remaining: 23 hours 13 minutes.]

Tunyak made quite a commotion after discovering the statue—and for a while, too. He claimed he hadn’t seen anything like it before, but given the divine beast’s presence on it, he came to a fairly simple conclusion.

While he calmed down, I examined the statue more closely. There didn’t appear to be any mechanisms or traps.

Only one thing left to try.

“Let’s get up there.”

“What?”

“We need to climb on the chariot.”

“You want to do what? Climb on the statue?”

Tunyak grimaced. He looked far from convinced, but there weren’t any other options. I had even asked the divine beast, but it just tilted its head in confusion.

Besides, that crimson gem wasn’t going to be properly visible until we were up close.

“We don’t really have a choice. Come on.”

I leaped up and landed lightly atop the chariot. It was big enough to fit four people comfortably.

Tunyak still hesitated, dragging his feet.

“Come on.”

After my second urging, he finally pushed off the ground and jumped.

I shifted to give him room as he landed, and as soon as he set foot on the chariot, the crimson gem lit up.

Clunk—

The ground beneath us rumbled as the earth split open, and the entire chariot began to descend.

So that was it. We just had to board it. Wait, Doppy hasn’t made it on yet!

I whipped my head around, searching. “Doppy!”