Level Up Machine 089: Clue to the Truth (1)
A day after Yeong-sik and Tiriya rejoined the guild members. Having camped in front of the entrance to the lowest floor to recover their stamina, they finished their battle preparations and lined up before the massive door.
"Then... let's begin."
Tiriya stood before the enormous door with a tense expression. The guild members watching her nodded slightly, their faces taut with anticipation.
O noble one who inherits the bloodline,
Bring the light of glory once more
To us, who have fallen into ruin...
The characters engraved on the wall glowed as a stiff voice emanated from it, accompanied by a deep hum.
The massive door, which neither Yeong-sik nor the Leviathan Guild could budge, began to creak open slowly.
"Noble bloodline...? Glory?"
At the meaningful words spilling out as the door opened, bewilderment flickered across the summoners' faces. All eyes turned to Tiriya.
"I... I have no idea what that means either."
Tiriya looked just as puzzled, her expression blank. From teleporting straight to the lowest floor upon entering the dungeon, to the guardians not attacking her at first—there were too many oddities here in the Forgotten Ones' Tomb.
Is it connected to our family somehow...?
As far as Tiriya knew, the Erman ducal family wasn't one with particularly deep traditions compared to others. It was a so-called "overnight success," elevated to ducal status just a century ago through the strong influence of the king two generations back.
"Is it related to the angelic power passed down in the Erman family?"
Yeong-sik, standing beside her, tilted his head and asked. Tiriya shook her head with a complicated expression.
"I'm not sure. My father was always reluctant to talk about the family's history, so I don't know much about it."
"Hmph."
Yeong-sik and Tiriya exchanged glances of uncertainty as they stared at the massive door.
"...Tiriya. Could I have a word with you?"
Park Sia approached them, lost in thought after hearing the inscription as the door opened. Tiriya nodded hesitantly.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Remember when you went straight to the lowest floor? You said you had a guess about it."
Park Sia gazed at the now fully open door and continued.
"Yes..."
"Hearing that just now confirmed it. A secret about your family."
"A secret about my family?"
Tiriya stared at Park Sia in confusion. Park Sia nodded slowly and went on.
"I once read a document discovered in the Ingrium Empire's imperial palace—one hastily written just before the empire fell after the Great War."
The Salvatore Guild members watched her tensely.
"That document stated that the Erman family was the sole remaining blood kin of the Ingrium imperial house."
"...What?"
Tiriya's face hardened at the utterly out-of-left-field claim. Park Sia continued calmly.
"A century ago, there was a fierce power struggle among the imperial family in the Ingrium Empire. One prince lost and was exiled from the empire."
"No way..."
"Yes. The family he founded is the Erman house."
Short gasps escaped the guild members' lips at her words.
"It's said the first emperor of the Ingrium Empire was a half-blood between the great archangel Seraphim and a human. I believe that's why you can wield angelic power—the angel's blood flows in your veins."
Tiriya clamped her mouth shut upon hearing this. She clutched the pendant hanging around her neck.
The angelic power handed down through her family for generations. She had never imagined it originated from the Ingrium Empire.
"...So that's why the king two generations ago granted the ducal title."
Yeong-sik, who had been listening, spoke with sharp glint in his eyes. A brief exclamation slipped from Tiriya's lips.
"I did find it suspicious that he suddenly bestowed a dukedom on someone with no merits, but I never dreamed... The puzzle pieces are falling into place." Bae Han-seong trailed off in a trembling voice, struck by the sensation.
"W-What? So does that mean unnie is a princess from some huge empire?"
Yuna, still not quite grasping it, looked around and asked. Yeong-sik slowly shook his head.
"The empire's long gone, so not exactly. More importantly... what does Tiriya having angelic power have to do with this dungeon? Or rather, why does this place require angelic power to access the lowest floor?"
Yeong-sik fixed Park Sia with a piercing gaze. Caught up in the shocking revelation, he addressed Tiriya casually without realizing it.
Park Sia answered in an even tone.
"Because this dungeon was created by survivors of the Ingrium Empire who lived through the 'Great War.'"
A murmur rippled through the guild members.
Survivors of the Ingrium Empire. It was an unexpected name from her lips.
"That information..."
"It was in the document I found. That's how we located this dungeon in the first place."
Yeong-sik swallowed a short groan upon hearing her.
So that's how it was.
Now he understood why touching the pattern on the first floor had teleported Tiriya straight here, and why the guardians hadn't seen her as an intruder at first.
This was a dungeon made by Ingrium Empire survivors from the Great War, as a final bastion in hopes of reviving their empire.
The dungeon itself was made for Tiriya.
Yeong-sik nodded as he glanced at Tiriya, her hand pressed to her chest with a complicated look.
"That's all I have to say. Now, let's head to the lowest floor."
Park Sia turned away from Tiriya. Lee Chae-rin watched her retreating back and tilted her head.
"Oppa Yeong-sik. So if we go in with Tiriya unnie, the lowest floor is safe?"
"No. Only Tiriya won't be attacked. We'll still be seen as intruders."
Yeong-sik recalled his battle with the guardians.
In truth, if this place was made solely for Tiriya as Park Sia said, the safest option would be for her to enter alone. As long as she didn't strike first, they wouldn't attack her.
...Too dangerous.
Yeong-sik shook his head, rejecting the thought that crossed his mind. With no idea what lay in the lowest floor, sending her in alone was far too risky.
"Let's go."
Yeong-sik followed after the Leviathan Guild, who had already entered. Snapping out of it, Tiriya hurried after him with a flustered expression.
"S-Sorry, Yeong-sik. I just blanked out without realizing..."
"It's fine. I'd be the same in your shoes."
A hidden secret about her family had been revealed—one too shocking to brush off lightly from her perspective. It would be weirder if she wasn't shaken.
"Honestly, it doesn't feel real."
Tiriya spoke as she walked beside him, her voice still laced with confusion.
"I don't think you need to dwell on it too much. Whatever your bloodline, you're still you, Tiriya."
Yeong-sik said it plainly to the bewildered woman.
"But..."
"There's no reason to feel responsible for a fallen empire just because of some blood connection. I think you should keep doing your best for the guild like always."
"...You're right."
At his matter-of-fact words, Tiriya smiled faintly. Just some blood flowing in her veins, nothing more—as he said, "just."
There were no other ties between her and the Ingrium Empire.
"Hehe. Hearing you say that calms me down a bit."
Tiriya let out a light laugh, her jumbled thoughts somewhat sorted.
The lowest floor of the dungeon was eerily empty, devoid of any presence or atmosphere. The Leviathan and Salvatore Guilds advanced cautiously, eyes scanning their surroundings, but after hours, no sign of guardians or monsters appeared.
"...Are there no guardians at all?"
Yeong-sik muttered, peering around with narrowed eyes. Hwang-hyeon nodded at his words.
"I've been using detection skills nonstop, but... nothing."
"Mana detection shows nothing either."
Seo A-ra, walking beside him while employing her mana sense skill, added.
"Hm... feels kinda anticlimactic."
Park Cheol-tae murmured lowly, gripping the hilt of his massive greatsword. Jeong So-rim, walking next to him, trembled like a frightened animal and replied.
"N-No guardians is good, right? If they'd come at us like before, it'd be too scary."
She squeezed her eyes shut, recalling the guardians they'd faced en route to the lowest floor.
"Hmm? But you were always charging ahead, unnie. Grinning like you were having a blast."
"N-No, I was scared on the inside!"
"Didn't look it at all."
As hours passed with no threats, tension eased, and idle chatter flowed among the guild members.
Yeong-sik pondered as he watched the Leviathan Guild ahead.
There has to be something...
It was a dungeon crafted by Ingrium survivors as their last stronghold. It couldn't be empty.
The problem was he couldn't even guess what.
The Leviathan guild master seems to know something.
Yeong-sik's eyes sharpened as he thought of Park Sia, who possessed considerable knowledge about this place.
She had paid the Salvatore Guild a jaw-dropping 300,000 gold to reach this lowest floor. Investing that much without hesitation meant she knew what lay inside.
What the hell is it...?
Something valuable enough to throw away 300,000 gold without a second thought. He couldn't imagine what.
-Murmurs.
"W-What's that?"
A stir rose from the Leviathan Guild ahead. Yeong-sik's group tilted their heads and approached.
There, they saw...