Beyond the Barrier
Following Gwen, I left the village behind.
Perhaps because of the late hour, the streets were completely deserted.
Gwen walked ahead, her petite frame leading the way.
As much as I knew her and trusted her, following her without knowing our destination still made me a little uneasy.
"Excuse me, where are we going?"
"The barrier."
"The barrier?"
She raised her hand and pointed toward the distant barrier.
It blanketed the sky, casting a faint, ethereal glow.
For as far as the eye could see, the entire heavens were wrapped in its protective embrace.
"I assume you know what the barrier is?"
Since the barrier played a crucial role in this world's lore, it was mentioned frequently.
I had a decent grasp of it, but I was curious.
I wanted to see if there were any discrepancies between my knowledge and reality, or if there was something I had missed entirely.
"I've heard stories from the village elders," I said, feigning ignorance.
"They said monsters live outside the barrier."
"So you know the ruins lie beyond the barrier, but not the specifics?"
It seemed she bought it.
Gwen paused for a moment, likely organizing her thoughts, before continuing.
"Yes, you're partly right.
Monsters called Chaos Beasts roam outside the barrier."
Chaos Beasts, the monsters inhabiting the lands beyond the barrier.
So far, my knowledge aligned perfectly with reality.
"And we call the lands outside the barrier, where the Chaos Beasts dwell, the Chaos Zone."
As we conversed, we arrived near the edge of the barrier.
While Chaos Beasts occasionally managed to breach it, there was no need to worry with Gwen leading the way.
Besides, the beasts were always severely weakened during the process of breaking through.
When we finally stopped, I was able to examine the barrier closely—and, more importantly, the faint silhouette of the Chaos Zone stretching out beyond it.
This was the first time since coming to this world that I had seen it up close.
Come to think of it, I had never seen such a thing on Earth either, so it was truly a first-time experience.
It definitely doesn't feel pleasant.
Staring at the indescribably dark, writhing mass on the other side, goosebumps broke out across my back.
The realization that I would have to cross this barrier and plunge headfirst into that abyss to reach the ruins felt utterly terrifying.
Observing my reaction, Gwen spoke up.
"You can feel the Chaos, can't you?
Even the barrier cannot completely block it out."
"Chaos?"
Of course, Chaos had been depicted in the game, but its true nature was never explained in detail.
I only knew it as a hazardous substance.
Experiencing it firsthand like this was entirely new to me.
"The Chaos Zone isn't dangerous just because of the Chaos Beasts," Gwen explained.
"In fact, the Chaos filling the region is far more lethal."
I could already tell she was right.
Just being exposed to the trace amounts of Chaos near the barrier was causing my physical condition to deteriorate.
If I were to step into the Chaos Zone completely unprotected...
"An ordinary human wouldn't last a minute out there before their mind collapsed.
They would undergo Chaos Beastification."
Indeed, that was one of the most common ways novice players got their characters killed: Chaos Beastification.
Naturally, I had no intention of letting that happen to me.
That was precisely why I had waited for Gwen.
"There are two ways to survive in that Chaos," she continued.
"The first is a Stigma.
But you don't need to worry about that.
It's not a guaranteed method, and knowing about it won't change anything for you anyway."
She probably meant it wouldn't change anything because Stigmas were innate.
I did possess a Stigma, but I had no obligation to tell her, which was why I had denied having one when she asked me before.
In truth, my own Stigma was practically useless anyway, save for the parts I had inherited.
She folded one of her two raised fingers.
"The second is a Holy Relic."
Shring.
She drew her sword from its scabbard.
Even in the darkness, the gleaming blade revealed itself—the very sword she had been polishing in her room.
Following Gwen, I left the village behind.
Perhaps because of the late hour, the streets were completely deserted.
Gwen walked ahead, her petite frame leading the way.
As much as I knew her and trusted her, following her without knowing our destination still made me a little uneasy.
"Excuse me, where are we going?"
"The barrier."
"The barrier?"
She raised her hand and pointed toward the distant barrier.
It blanketed the sky, casting a faint, ethereal glow.
For as far as the eye could see, the entire heavens were wrapped in its protective embrace.
"I assume you know what the barrier is?"
Since the barrier played a crucial role in this world's lore, it was mentioned frequently.
I had a decent grasp of it, but I was curious.
I wanted to see if there were any discrepancies between my knowledge and reality, or if there was something I had missed entirely.
"I've heard stories from the village elders," I said, feigning ignorance.
"They said monsters live outside the barrier."
"So you know the ruins lie beyond the barrier, but not the specifics?"
It seemed she bought it.
Gwen paused for a moment, likely organizing her thoughts, before continuing.
"Yes, you're partly right.
Monsters called Chaos Beasts roam outside the barrier."
Chaos Beasts, the monsters inhabiting the lands beyond the barrier.
So far, my knowledge aligned perfectly with reality.
"And we call the lands outside the barrier, where the Chaos Beasts dwell, the Chaos Zone."
As we conversed, we arrived near the edge of the barrier.
While Chaos Beasts occasionally managed to breach it, there was no need to worry with Gwen leading the way.
Besides, the beasts were always severely weakened during the process of breaking through.
When we finally stopped, I was able to examine the barrier closely—and, more importantly, the faint silhouette of the Chaos Zone stretching out beyond it.
This was the first time since coming to this world that I had seen it up close.
Come to think of it, I had never seen such a thing on Earth either, so it was truly a first-time experience.
It definitely doesn't feel pleasant.
Staring at the indescribably dark, writhing mass on the other side, goosebumps broke out across my back.
The realization that I would have to cross this barrier and plunge headfirst into that abyss to reach the ruins felt utterly terrifying.
Observing my reaction, Gwen spoke up.
"You can feel the Chaos, can't you?
Even the barrier cannot completely block it out."
"Chaos?"
Of course, Chaos had been depicted in the game, but its true nature was never explained in detail.
I only knew it as a hazardous substance.
Experiencing it firsthand like this was entirely new to me.
"The Chaos Zone isn't dangerous just because of the Chaos Beasts," Gwen explained.
"In fact, the Chaos filling the region is far more lethal."
I could already tell she was right.
Just being exposed to the trace amounts of Chaos near the barrier was causing my physical condition to deteriorate.
If I were to step into the Chaos Zone completely unprotected...
"An ordinary human wouldn't last a minute out there before their mind collapsed.
They would undergo Chaos Beastification."
Indeed, that was one of the most common ways novice players got their characters killed: Chaos Beastification.
Naturally, I had no intention of letting that happen to me.
That was precisely why I had waited for Gwen.
"There are two ways to survive in that Chaos," she continued.
"The first is a Stigma.
But you don't need to worry about that.
It's not a guaranteed method, and knowing about it won't change anything for you anyway."
She probably meant it wouldn't change anything because Stigmas were innate.
I did possess a Stigma, but I had no obligation to tell her, which was why I had denied having one when she asked me before.
In truth, my own Stigma was practically useless anyway, save for the parts I had inherited.
She folded one of her two raised fingers.
"The second is a Holy Relic."
Shring.
She drew her sword from its scabbard.
Even in the darkness, the gleaming blade revealed itself—the very sword she had been polishing in her room.
Type: Weapon (Longsword)
Grade: 2-Star Holy Relic
A replica of the original Holy Sword Sacred, forged by the former High-grade Hero, Heinz. It is the 87th replica out of a total of 101 produced. Even Heinz could only replicate a fraction of the immense divine power contained within the original Sacred. However, even this tiny fraction of divine power grants resistance to Chaos equivalent to a standard 2-star Holy Relic.
The Sacred Replicant. The original sword, the Holy Sword Sacred, was hailed as the strongest weapon in the game—the only Holy Relic to bear the title of "Holy Sword." Yet, even as a mere imitation, this replica was a highly significant weapon.
Is she really allowed to lend me something like this?
This was a sword the Holy Church lent to the top 101 Heroes who showed promise of ascending to the rank of High-grade Hero. Of course, running away from Gwen with this sword was out of the question, but compared to the Breezebringer on the left, it belonged to an entirely different class.
Even so, I had no intention of borrowing it.
Its value was largely symbolic; as an actual weapon, its practicality was lacking. Aside from possessing divine power equivalent to a 2-star Holy Relic, it had no other notable features. Furthermore, because its design mirrored the original Sacred, its cumbersome, ornate decorations made it difficult to wield effectively in combat.
Besides, borrowing it would feel like too much of a burden.
I moved on to the final sword. The moment its information appeared, a faint smile played on my lips.
This is the one.
Careful to maintain my act of thoroughly inspecting the blade, I spoke up.
"I'll go with this one."
"How unexpected," Gwen remarked.
"What is?"
"I thought you'd choose the one in the middle."
Her surprise was natural. The appearance of the Sacred Replicant and the sword I had chosen were polar opposites. The sword on the right looked utterly plain, indistinguishable from any ordinary blade.
"Thank you for lending me a Holy Relic."
"Don't thank me. It's a transaction," she replied. "I agreed to take you to the ruins' Trial."
Despite her detached words, I noticed the corner of her mouth twitch upward. She was clearly pleased by my gratitude.
This was exactly why I had waited for her. Despite her seemingly cold demeanor, she possessed a warm heart.
"What are you staring at?"
"Oh, nothing."
"A deal is a deal. In return, once we reach the Trial, you will tell me the location of the Holy Relic and return this sword to me."
I nodded. "Of course."
I felt the weight of the sword Gwen had given me. Nice loot. Even if it was only temporary.
Just then, she spoke.
"Well then, let's go."
"Pardon?"
Go where? A sudden wave of foreboding washed over me as I stared at Gwen.
Noticing my look, she said, "What's with that bewildered face? We need to cross the barrier, of course. It's always best to experience things firsthand."
"I suppose, but..."
Right now? Naturally, I wasn't mentally prepared for this at all.
"Did you expect to just leap straight past the barrier in three days without any practice?"
The problem was, she was absolutely right.
Forcing a strained smile, I replied, "Haha... Right, of course we should go..."