The Forgotten Temple's Ruin
Having just acquired my first familiar, Pandemonium Nependes.
Its species was Pandemonium Nependes, level 103, and its relationship was Summoned Beast.
Attack power: 883.
Defense: 35.
Growth: A.
Loyalty: 50.
Strength: 313.
Constitution: 189.
Agility: 450.
Dexterity: 120.
Intelligence: 100.
Wisdom: 100.
Luck: 50.
Skills equipped: Shadow Explosion, Greater Shadow Explosion, Growth Explosion.
Equipment worn: None.
The first summoned beast was fiery and explosive by nature, unlike its species.
‘It would pair perfectly with Nos. 1, 2, and 3.’
In truth, Fafnir had never possessed a proper area-of-effect damage dealer until now.
Nos. 1, 2, and 3 were specialized as a tank, spearman, and warrior respectively.
Belle was built for harassment and close-range combat.
But with a Pandemonium Nependes named Panne, everything changed.
The explosive power of its tendrils would be wide-ranging, allowing stealth or long-range attacks since they could penetrate the ground.
Of course, its power was unmatched in the highest tier.
So far he had hunted them one by one slowly, but now everything would be different.
‘So, what now… I’ll check my schedule.’
‘Should I level up before the big war breaks out?’
Hunting orcs would be fine, but it was no longer enough.
His current level was 83, and he had only raised it two levels to 85.
A 90-level orc was a huge gap, and efficiency was poor.
He had earned overwhelming contribution points with this hunt.
Moreover…
‘When time allows, I should snatch Flush’s hidden pieces near the capital beforehand.’
After the large-scale event it would be too late.
As he rushed through chaotic events and kept growing, six months would vanish in an instant.
One year and six months in game time.
After that, Flush would begin playing, and the timeline of the original novel would begin to unfold.
‘The hidden pieces I can obtain nearby right now total two… I’ll start with the easy ones.’
They say that necessity is the mother of invention.
Fafnir immediately headed west toward the kingdom’s borderlands.
The farther from the capital, the more the monsters’ auras intensified.
By the time he reached his destination, the area was filled with monsters, with no players in sight.
[Bloodthirsty Black Rune Scimitar Tiger] [Large Mist Giant]
All of them were level 200 or higher.
They were powerful entities that matched or surpassed the beasts of the Felaron Mountains on the eastern border of the kingdom.
‘Filled to the brim with real monsters.’
Fafnir sighed and stopped walking.
To reach the destination he had to pass through here, and those monsters would never let him go unnoticed.
‘No choice, I’ll just wait for the right timing.’
He stealthily observed for more than ten minutes.
Kihuuu! Kiik! Kick!
A flock of Jurbats descended from the sky and circled a single Black Rune Scimitar Tiger, baring their teeth.
A battle broke out among the monsters!
Horizon’s monsters were not simple AIs.
Each one had its own territory and would fight each other if left alone without any manipulation.
Gooo!
As soon as the fight began, other monsters such as Mist Giants and Dark Warriors joined, turning the area into a chaotic battlefield.
Fafnir maintained a slight distance and walked calmly.
‘Just as in the novel.’
The monsters causing the chaos had no time to care about the outside.
Because their power levels were equal, a moment’s distraction meant receiving a blow from another monster.
Flush in the original novel had simply passed through because of the timely battle.
Knowing this in advance, Fafnir waited, and thanks to that he was able to cross the final field.
‘Great, we’re here.’
As he moved southward in the wilderness, a wide basin and a temple in its center came into view.
Fafnir exhaled as he looked at the temple.
‘Finally I get to see that temple.’
It looked like a dungeon at first glance.
Even the surrounding fields were filled with high-level monsters, but inside it would be even worse.
‘Flush did a rampage here before.’
Normally, reaching this place required two things.
Luck in timing when the monsters fought each other.
And guts to enter an area that looked full of even stronger monsters at first glance.
The reason was simple.
Only the owner of this temple would expect such luck and guts.
‘Of course, since the owner is Lady Luck.’
The goddess of luck, Tike.
The hidden god behind Flush.
She was one of the heroines of the game’s top-tier play.
***
Flush crossed the Forgotten Wilderness.
Kyah!
Kyahng!
Even glancing at them, the Scimitar Tigers with sharp fangs and claws were intimidating.
A group of them attacked the Mist Giant.
From the sky, Jurbats with sharp claws and fangs flew in formation and tore at weaknesses.
A chaotic battlefield where monsters fought each other.
Between the chaos, Flush slowly passed through.
“Just in case I moved and it really worked?”
Monsters busy fighting each other ignored anyone passing near their feet!
Upon reaching the temple, a message window appeared.
“Wait, if I go in, I’ll die? Is this correct?”
“Even with my luck, how am I supposed to not take damage? Am I some spider person? Did I make poison?”
“Aigoo, really.”
Flush forced his unwilling legs forward.
***
Click.
Fafnir opened the door and surveyed his surroundings.
“That temple from the novel.”
According to the description, the first room had no monsters.
In the center of the vast hall was an altar, and on both sides the walls were filled with forgotten statues and sculptures.
‘If I make an offering at that altar, the goddess of luck Tike will grant me power.’
Fafnir, recalling the original content, approached the altar.
The circular altar and decorations waited with accumulated dust.
After a moment of deep breathing, Fafnir checked his inventory.
“Ah, found it.”
What he pulled out was a mining pick and hammer.
They were for digging minerals, including sewer exploration.
“This should break through smoothly.”
Fafnir took the mining pick and braced himself.
‘My presence here is to become stronger than Flush.’
Even if he obtained the first title and hidden pieces, as long as this temple remained, Flush would receive the same benefits.
In other words, there was no good thing for Fafnir as long as this temple existed.
‘If there is any room for that guy to grow, I’ll eliminate them in advance!’
Similar to other strategy games.
To win, you had to not only expand and manage resources but also effectively destroy the opponent’s workers and buildings.
‘This is just harassment, after all.’
Clang! Fafnir swung the mining pick and smashed the altar.
Not only that.
The holy items and statues scattered throughout the temple could not escape the pick’s blade.
‘Charisma stat? Priority is given to harassment over something like that.’
Fafnir continued swinging the pick and extracted the gems embedded in the holy items.
A thief would have been careful, but Fafnir thought Flush’s luck might apply, so he didn’t hesitate.
Upon destroying the temple, the owner goddess Tike reacted.
It was only natural.
Tike was one of the forgotten gods.
Even being forgotten was painful, and seeing a thief come inside and wreck the place made her even angrier.
That was why Fafnir had predicted this.
“Curse? Do it.”
After all, a Necromancer fights through summons.
Even if a curse like reduced hit rate or lowered critical hit chance was applied, it would have less impact on the battle relatively.
Just as Fafnir muttered, the messages stopped and a gloomy aura began to move around.
At that moment.
‘Huh?’
Fafnir tilted his head.
More messages appeared.
Hades, who had given blessings, canceled the curse.
The next moment, a voice rang in Fafnir’s head.
They looked more like mischievous children and neighborhood old men rather than gods.
Thinking about it, the original Greek and Roman myths had many such stories, so it was accurate.
‘I didn’t expect such service, but thanks to this I don’t have to worry about curses.’
Although Hades was not a main god, he had followers and possessed the powerful domain of the Underworld and death.
In contrast, Tike was now almost a forgotten goddess with no one who knew her.
It was only natural that there was a reason to openly block and mock a curse.
“Anyway, if the service is good, I should cheer up too.”
Fafnir completely destroyed the remaining holy items and statues in the temple.
Instead of simply destroying, he worked like mining with the pick, and as a result he gained some gems and a slight increase in mining skill mastery.
It would have been impossible if he hadn’t intended to destroy it from the start.
After completely destroying the temple, sixteen messages appeared.
Fafnir retracted the pick.
“Great, this is enough.”
At this point, even if Flush came, the only thing he would get would be pretty stone fragments!
Just in case, Fafnir smashed the pillars and walls too.
‘So, now… what remains is the temple basement and the monster pen connected to it.’
“That honey, that honey, the emphasized great hunting ground, I’ll eat it too, I’ll eat it!”
His warm-up was done, and finally it was time for the long-awaited level-up.