Chapter 144: A Common Enemy, An Enemy Within (1)

A long staircase was revealed. The well-carved steps stretched endlessly downward.

"Let's go."

As we ventured deeper inside, the cave gradually widened. After descending for about ten minutes, a faint sunlight began to shine from somewhere within.

"A place like this exists inside a cave...?"

A vast, open space appeared before us. Lush greenery spread out in all directions. Beyond it stood massive structures. There weren't just one, but five massive buildings. They were connected in a structured pattern, forming a single complex.

"Wow... We could live here if we wanted to."

Rena's voice carried a note of excitement. I nodded in agreement.

It wasn't just the size that was impressive. Hidden within a cliff, the entrance was nearly impossible to find from the outside. The intricate mechanism served as the entrance door. The large buildings seemed fully constructed, and the environment had moderate temperatures and natural light.

There was no better place for the world's outcasts to hide. The temple in the distance looked spacious enough to house hundreds.

It would also be perfect for training.

Until now, I had always trained in the maze-like caves near Erast. While those caves had the advantage of being well-hidden, they were also narrow. Now that I had mastered magic, practicing freely in such confined spaces had become an inconvenience.

But in this place, spanning hundreds of meters in all directions, I would be able to train with unparalleled freedom.

"So this is your cult? Impressive."

I expressed my awe to Isaac. I was genuinely impressed.

—...

But he didn't even show the slightest hint of pride. There was no energy in his response. His tone grew darker and heavier.

—Go... deeper... inside...

Following Isaac's guidance, we passed through the dense vegetation and approached the temple. It was eerily silent. We couldn't even hear the sound of insects. We walked past the temple entrance and delved for another ten minutes.

"Is this where the Lurium is?"

At the temple's core, there was a towering structure. It was at least ten stories high. The tower easily stood thirty meters tall. It loomed ominously, exuding an eerie aura.

—Yes.

"

Hmm...

"

Gripping my sword, I began ascending the tower. Still, no signs of any presence.

With each step I took, the cold stillness of the place seemed to settle around us. Rena and Acorn followed closely behind in silence. I stepped onto the final stair and pushed the stone door aside.

Guuuung.

"

Ah...

"

A soft gasp escaped from Rena as she trembled slightly beside me.

"What is...?"

It seemed she had looked up while I was opening the door. I followed her gaze, which pointed towards the tower's interior.

Clank.

I froze in place.

"They... were all here," Rena said with a voice that slowly steadied.

Just like she said, everyone was inside this tower. However, all that was left were skeletons hanging on a rope.

—This... How could this happen...?!

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

The air inside the tower stirred slightly, perhaps because we'd entered. Skeletons, hanging upside down on every level, rattled their hollow bodies.

—Ah... Aaah...! Aaaaaaaah......!

Isaac's emotions surged violently. There had to be at least three hundred skeletons. Given his intense reaction, I didn't even need to ask if they were his descendants.

Rena swallowed hard.

"I can't tell how long they've been dead. A hundred years? Two hundred...?"

Who could have done this? A priestess of the goddess? Holy knights? High-ranking adventurers? Several possibilities flashed through my mind.

"Could it be... the Order of Ashen Church?" Rena said as if she had read my thoughts.

The Order of Ashen Church was a group that exterminated cultists and heretics with overwhelming violence.

"No, the method is different."

They'd usually burn everything to the ground, yet the temple buildings remained intact. There were no signs of fire damage either. This was far too clean.

—Look down... Look below...

Isaac's voice echoed. I lowered my gaze. There were another two underground floors below.

"What is this?"

On the ground was a double circle engraved with bizarre letters along its perimeter, and intricate geometric patterns were etched within the circle.

—Was it them? My descendants... offered as sacrifices at that damnable bear's altar?!

"A bear...?"

Rena tilted her head.

—Yes. Purson.

"Purson?!"

I had no idea why that name was being mentioned here. Rena's eyes widened at my reaction and turned toward me.

Isaac continued speaking.

—Yes. A ritual was performed to engrave marks onto souls.

"They would have needed consent for that..."

At my remark, Isaac snapped at me.

—What do you know?!

"..."

—The efficiency is lower, but they can still offer sacrifices through live torture. My descendants had their very last breaths dedicated to Purson...

Puruson and engravings. That combination of words was eerily familiar. I, too, had once received an offer from T&T's inner circle.

Of course, I had refused, resulting in both Rena and I being killed. I shuddered at the thought that Purson's engraving could have been forcibly imprinted on us, even against our will.

Perhaps the slime had shown me mercy by ending things cleanly. For some reason, I felt guilty about throwing away the necklace it had given me.

—Get out of here for now... I can't stand to stay here any longer.

"

Hmm...

"

Even with the remains of so many of his descendants before him, Isaac managed to regain his composure with astonishing speed. It was said that when shock reached its peak, some people became unnaturally calm. That seemed to be the case for him.

He led us to a spot in front of the tower's left wall. It was a solid, unremarkable wall.

"What is this?"

—Wrap me in your hand. Don't look at anything. Just slowly extend your hand forward.

"It's just a wall."

—To pass through, you need strong self-control. Empty your mind and follow my instructions. Move forward...

Whoosh!

Surprisingly, my hand slipped right in.

Tuk.

My fingertips brushed against something.

"What just happened?"

—Grab it. Pull it out as it is.

I followed Isaac's instructions. A large box emerged from the seemingly solid wall as if being drawn from thin air. Rena, standing beside me, covered her mouth with her hand, blinking in astonishment.

—Hah. Unlike you, she's a smart one. Usually, when someone else is watching, people fail multiple times. But she didn't even make a sound to avoid disrupting your focus.

"Shut up. It's embarrassing."

—Ahem... Even when I compliment you, you get angry.

"Shall I set you on fire?"

—Just open the box.

The exterior of the box was plain. It was neither gold nor silver. It was a large rectangular lead box.

"

Hmm

."

Clank.

The moment I touched it, the box clicked open.

Inwardly, I counted,

"One, two, three..."

Twelve glass bottles, each containing one liter of Lurium.

—Help yourself. Take them all.

"...!"

Startled, I counted again. Twelve bottles. This amount was staggering because extracting Lurium from six steel golems yielded only two bottles.

I was in awe as I asked him again, "What were you planning to do with this much?"

—Research and experiments. This is what remained after that.

I quietly observed the twelve bottles of Lurium. Just one bottle was enough to clear Rena's scenario. In all my past ten lifetimes, I had never come across this rare magical substance.

At that moment, Rena interjected, "Why are you cooperating so much? Is it for revenge?"

—Of course. Help me annihilate Purson's followers. Those vermin... After everything I did for them, how could they betray me like this? The moment I was sealed away, they stabbed me in the back...!

"You helped them?"

—I could have buried them all alive... Instead, I treated them as honored mine slaves.

There was much to say, but I chose to stay silent. Rena seemed to feel the same way.

—Help me find a vessel.

"You're looking for a new vessel? Who are you planning to use this time?" Rena snapped at him.

—I have no intention of possessing either of you. For now, I just want to track down Purson's followers... and the ones who aided them. I ask for your help.

"What does my master gain from this?"

—I will pass on my knowledge to you. But first, open one of the Lurium bottles. Right now, your condition is a mess. You have veins but no blood flowing through them.

"This is for Rena, though..."

"I'm fine, Master."

—You'll only need to use, at most, three bottles. That girl only requires one, doesn't she?

"

Hmm...

"

Rena had already removed the cap from a glass bottle and was holding it out to me.

Gulp!

As I followed Isaac's instructions, the Lurium flowed into my body.

Wooooo...

A dim yet radiant light seeped from my entire self. Starting from the crown of my head, the energy spread down my collarbone, through my ribs, and into the tips of my fingers and toes.

—One more bottle. This time, pour it from your fingertips.

Even before I could respond, Rena had already uncapped another bottle and handed it to me. I took it and began pouring it over my left hand.

There was no sudden explosion of power. Instead, a warmth gently enveloped my body. The light and heat spread throughout me, cradling me in their embrace.

Wooooong...!

By the time I had poured the third bottle over my right hand, the faint glow that had been emanating from me disappeared entirely. But I could feel something unmistakably coursing through my body.

—The basic setup is complete. Now, at your level, no matter how much energy you expend, the automatic replenishment will exceed your consumption.

"It replenishes itself... automatically?"

—Yes. Try what you just did again.

I leaped forward and swung my sword in a wide arc. While maintaining the Sword Energy, I activated a frost storm toward the stone wall.

Wooooong!

A surge of energy coursed through my body.

Crack! Crack! Craaaack!

The Frost Storm that erupted from my greatsword was at least twice as powerful as when Isaac had possessed me.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three-meter-high stone wall was ravaged and frozen over. Had I used this attack on a human battalion, dozens would have perished instantly.

"

Hmm...

"

I had never experienced such immense power before. And yet, I didn't feel any strain. It felt natural, as if my strength had increased significantly.

But... could I really call this

my

power?

It's not like I acquired a new skill.

It wasn't like when I had received the Essence Absorption skill from Gith-Za-Rai. Even if I died and revived again, I wasn't sure if this Lurium-coated circuit would remain within me.

I need to understand how it works.

I felt an urgent need to learn more about this circuit, but that meant staying with Isaac for the time being.

Whether to help him or not, I didn't want to make that decision alone. I turned to Rena. She was staring at me, blinking absentmindedly.

"Rena."

"Yes, Master?"

"We've got everything we need. Should we head straight to the Imperial Capital? With this, you'll immediately become a branch leader. That means unrestricted access to T&T's information. What do you think?"

"Actually...."

"What is it?"

"I want to move at a slower pace."

I had thought I was being considerate of her, but her reaction was unexpected.

"Why?"

"Because... if you help me too quickly, you might leave again. I don't mind taking things slowly."

Her words struck me. I couldn't deny the possibility. I felt embarrassed for even asking that question to test her response. A sense of guilt welled up within me.

"

Hmm...

Do you have something you want?"

"I don't want to go straight to the Imperial Capital. Actually, I want to learn swordsmanship from you."

Rena lowered her gaze slightly, her tone tinged with embarrassment. So that's what she wanted? It wasn't difficult to grant.

—So you plan to stay here and train? If that's the case, I have a request.

What do you want?

—Restore the barrier. Rebuild the church's protective wards. I will teach you how. It pains me to see my legacy in such a pitiful state.

Hmm...

Isaac's descendants had been slaughtered as sacrificial offerings. Yet he still wanted to rebuild the barrier of his abandoned church. It wasn't a bad deal for me, either. Learning barrier magic could only be beneficial.

"Sounds good."