Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Berbeia Ancient Temple
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As users began to gather at the dwarven settlement, the excavation of the elite dungeon entrance proceeded at an ever-increasing pace.
The delicate hands of skilled dwarven miners, seeking to reveal their ancient heritage in its most pristine state, were paving the way to this elite dungeon, the ‘Berbeia Ancient Temple.’ Just as with the ‘Demon Army's Forward Base’ and ‘Aspero’s Citadel,’ this was a form of content pacing.
Now that the dwarves had accepted the adventurers from the stars into their settlement and actively stepped onto the world stage, the weapons forged from their minerals and the items they crafted would become a great source of strength for the people of this world.
The ‘Friend of the Dwarves’ achievement, which I had obtained so easily. The reputation grind for it seemed harder than expected. Simple mining quests couldn't raise one's reputation past 40. Perhaps once this elite dungeon opened, reputation could be further increased through its exploration and conquest.
And so, some time passed, and a large number of the vanguard users managed to achieve the minimum reputation required to enter the elite dungeon.
Finally, the day came for the ‘Berbeia Ancient Temple’ to open.
I, who had no need to grind reputation, had nothing special to do in the meantime.
I’d just do a round of daily quests, help Chris level up, and then we’d hang out, sightseeing around the rocky mountains or the Berbeia Plains.
And at the end of it all, I would hole up in one particular place.
I thought I had forgotten everything. I thought it had nothing to do with me anymore.
But as long as I was living in this world, I couldn't help but be reminded of the old days.
Especially when sitting in the corner of a cave, looking at a rock carving like this.
[Dwarven Hero ‘Ain’]
Mister Ain.
Honestly, I don't know.
Why am I still here?
Is this some kind of after-sales service, telling me to protect the Astria Continent? *Heh heh.* They couldn't even provide proper after-sales service for my own body.
There are many excellent adventurers in this world now.
It doesn't have to be me, right?
I just want to feel the sensation of a body that moves as I wish, enjoy the scenery of this world, and adventure with a peaceful heart.
But.
I looked at the face of my old comrade and rose to my feet.
After all, these are the things we protected together.
As long as I'm still here, I have enough loyalty to watch over it in place of my comrades who are no longer around.
And make some money while I'm at it.
As I left the cave, sunlight fell upon my face, casting a red hue upon it.
I squinted, looking up at the source of the red glow.
"Rain, are you all ready?"
"Yes."
Still, there is a precious bond I’ve formed since coming here.
Someone I never would have met if I hadn't returned to the Astria Continent.
A cherished person who pulled me out of the mire of the past.
"Chris, I like the color red."
"Hehe, is that so? I like white."
I took Chris's hand and headed for the stage of our next adventure.
A low murmur filled the air.
A large crowd of users had gathered before the entrance to the ancient temple, which had finally revealed itself.
Compared to the crowd at Aspero's Citadel, the number of users was clearly smaller. The requirement of 40 reputation with the dwarven settlement was tighter than expected.
Of course, other users would eventually make their way here over time, but for now, only those present had met the entry condition.
"I barely have time for the Arena, and now I have to grind reputation with a pickaxe. Utterly unpleasant."
Death of Death grumbled.
"I've heard you've been hitting the Arena hard lately, Death. Rain, do you do the Arena too?"
"I only do the dailies."
"Really? I thought I saw the name 'Rain' on the first page of the Arena rankings. Of course, except for the top three, only the last two letters of the name are shown, so it must be a similar name."
I blushed slightly at Beimerung's question.
Since I hadn't lost in the Arena, my ranking had climbed quite a bit. I had only been doing dailies, but my name was unexpectedly exposed.
Should I intentionally throw matches and surrender to lower my rank? The ranking rewards are too good to waste.
Still, unless I run into someone I know in the Arena, it'll be hard to identify me.
...Probably, right?
"Seriously, I was the first in our party to start grinding reputation, and it won't go up past 40!? I even tried to get on their good side by doing every odd job I could find! I even helped them wash their backs! Can you even imagine?"
"I'd rather not."
This time, it was Cherni who vented his frustration. Beimerung snickered.
*Woooong.*
*Rummble...*
While we were chatting, the seal on the elite dungeon's entrance was released.
The temple's massive doors split apart, opening its maw.
Chris, who was holding my hand tightly, lowered her head slightly to meet my eyes.
A memory of the old days, when I would hide in a corner to avoid people's gazes, flashed through my mind.
Thanks to her sticking so close to me, I had found the courage to wait at the front.
"Rain, let's both do our best today."
Chris's eyes darted left and right, as if checking to see if my party members were nearby.
Was this how a parent felt when entrusting their child to friends they didn't know well?
I squeezed her hand once, gently let go, and created some distance between us.
I stood alone before the dungeon entrance.
"You too, Chris. Good luck."
A hint of confusion appeared on Chris's face.
"Rain, your party members...."
*Hop.*
With a small leap backward, my body entered the dungeon. Soon, Chris's face was out of sight.
***
"Whoa."
The temple's interior was unbelievably vast. The ceiling was incredibly high.
It was a dungeon with a continuously descending structure. It seemed to utilize space not only within the rocky mountain but also deep beneath it. It would be better to call it a labyrinth rather than a temple.
A true ancient labyrinth.
A dungeon that seemed to have been built long before the era I was active in, containing the essence of ancient dwarven architectural skill.
The smoothly polished walls, etched with strange patterns, glowed with a faint blue light.
Minerals that emit such a light are not common. I lightly touched the temple wall.
"Mana Stones."
Minerals that naturally absorb mana and allow its stored energy to be used. They were using these expensive things for mere lighting inside a dungeon.
I wanted to pry them all off, but it seemed they were considered part of the dungeon structure and couldn't be taken.
I licked my lips and continued downward.
*Clomp, clomp.*
I arrived at the first room of Sector 1.
Inside the massive, cube-shaped room, four bizarrely shaped stone statues were positioned.
Gargoyle statues. A type of golem.
Is this a dungeon where the mob sections are puzzle-based?
I recalled the cave I passed through to enter the dwarven settlement. That place was a dungeon with basic mazes and puzzles, but this labyrinth, an elite dungeon, is designed to properly kill users. The golems' stats would also be on a completely different level.
*Wooooong.*
As I fully entered the room, square blue lights began to appear on the floor, starting from beneath my feet. The lights didn't cover the entire floor but formed a certain pattern. And its end connected to the exit on the opposite side of the room.
*Tap.*
As I took a step, the blue light where I placed my foot disappeared.
"Aha."
I understood the room's puzzle structure.
It's a single-stroke drawing type of puzzle. I have to step on all the blue light panels to turn them off and finally reach the exit on the other side.
If I step on the same spot twice or on a spot without light, the golems will immediately awaken and attack.
"Ugh, umm."
I'm not very good at puzzles.
Well, let's give it a try.
*Rumble...*
"Hah."
I sighed, looking at the open door after defeating the last gargoyle.
Each time I made a mistake, one gargoyle golem attacked. As gimmick-type monsters, they had a lot of HP.
In the end, I used up all four chances and had no choice but to defeat all the gargoyles.
As expected, puzzles and I don't get along. Smashing everything is the only way.
After passing through a few more puzzle rooms, I faced a room of a different shape.
It was different from the cube-shaped rooms.
A long, corridor-like structure.
But the path was broken. I could see a door on the other side, but the floor leading to it was a gaping hole.
I approached the edge of the broken path and looked down.
"Oh."
Below, there were tons of the gargoyle golems I saw earlier. It wasn't high enough to die from the fall, but I'd probably have to defeat all of them to get back up.
*Voom.*
Just then, with a resonating sound, blue platforms began to form, starting from the edge of the cliff where I stood.
*Voom, voom, voom.*
The irregularly formed platforms, spaced some distance apart, were all floating in mid-air.
And the end of this dotted line of platforms connected to the other side of the corridor.
The platforms are narrow. The distance between them is also quite far.
But if I cross by stepping on these floating platforms, I won't have to fight the golems below.
I grinned.
This structure requires physical skill. My specialty.
*Tap.*
Pushing off lightly, my body leaped and landed on the first platform.
*Wooooong.*
The platform flickered as if it were about to disappear. I immediately moved to the next one.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
After repeating this a few times, I had already reached the other side of the corridor.
*Tap.*
I landed in front of the exit, spreading my arms to the sides.
If this were a sport like gymnastics, it was a perfect landing that would have earned a perfect 10 from all the judges.
"Made it!"
I spent quite a bit of time in the puzzle rooms, but I could zip through the platforming corridors.
After crossing a few more of those rooms, I arrived in a cube-shaped room twice the size of any I had passed through before.
This was the first named boss room.
As if to prove it, a giant golem statue stood in the center.
A golem with the head of a bull.
It stood firmly on two legs like a human.
A bipedal bull? Since this is a fantasy world, it seems appropriate to call it Mister Minotaur.
The minerals making up the golem's body emitted a faint blue light. It was all a mass of high-purity mana stones. How much is all that worth?
As I stepped fully into the room, the golem's head began to move.
*Kkik, grrrr.*
The movement, starting from its neck, spread throughout its massive body.
*Thud.*
And finally, it took a step toward me.
*Ooooooooh-!*
A resonating sound, as if all the mana stones comprising its body were vibrating—the bull's roar—spread throughout the entire room.
[1st Named]
[Level 45 Ancient Golem Minotaur]
[HP 8,600,000/8,600,000]