Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Ancient Tower (1)
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The space that had formed in the colossus's chest.
Jun, who had arrived right in front of it, murmured softly.
"I can feel spirit energy inside there."
"A spirit, you say?"
"Yeah."
Spirits were typically thought of as nature-loving beings that occasionally formed contracts with humans who had high affinity for nature.
But this world was a little different.
Most spirits didn't even communicate, and even if they did, they were extremely hostile toward humans.
That was why there was no class called 'spirit mage' in this world.
However, there were very rare spirits that did contract with humans.
Like the ring on Jun's finger, 'Phantasm'.
"But the one inside there is a bit different from ordinary spirits."
"How so?"
"Hard to say for sure, but... it doesn't have that monster aura."
Not the inherent hostility toward humans that monsters possessed.
Just like how the evil spirits had regained their own wills.
This spirit seemed to have something similar.
"I don't know how you can talk to those ancient elves, but it'll probably be the same once you're inside. Go meet that spirit first."
"Ah... Understood."
At any rate, it seemed clear the evil spirits and colossus had no intention of attacking them.
'And somehow... I felt a sense of desperation from them.'
Aiden recalled the evil spirit that had guided them here.
Then he stepped into the space created by the colossus.
In that instant, the surrounding scenery shifted completely.
It was a forest.
But it didn't feel like an ordinary one.
He had seen plenty of forests in his life, but never one with air this refreshingly pure.
Yet for some reason.
Even in this unfamiliar place, Aiden felt a strange familiarity, like it was his hometown.
"Mm..."
Aiden looked at the spirit he was about to face.
It was the wind.
But not ordinary wind.
It held life in itself, serene. Yet upon closer inspection, its depths were wild and fierce.
Aiden unconsciously reached out toward what he assumed was the spirit.
The wind wrapped around his hand and enveloped his entire body.
And then...
"Ah!"
A sensation as if some unknown entity was seeping into his whole body.
Like a life form entrusting itself to him—the wind naturally settled into his core and fell into a deep sleep, as if relieved.
"The wind spirit..."
It had taken residence in Aiden's body.
The moment he realized that, the surrounding space collapsed.
Aiden opened his eyes the next morning.
"Awake?"
Jun was looking down at him from beside his head.
"Sunbae?"
"How's your body feeling?"
"Er... Refreshing."
"Figured as much. You contracted with the wind spirit, after all."
"Wind spirit... Ah!"
Finally recalling what had happened, Aiden sat up.
He glanced around frantically.
"What happened to the colossus and the evil spirits?"
"The evil spirits said their wishes were fulfilled and all vanished. The colossus... look over there."
Where Jun pointed, the colossus lay toppled, as if a massive mountain had crumbled and lost its balance.
"What happened?"
"Not entirely sure, but from what I gathered..."
The bluish orb they had found in the ruins.
It was none other than a spirit's egg.
Not exactly an egg—more precisely, a spirit's seal.
"The wind spirit was sealed inside it. No idea how they made it."
"A sealed spirit...?"
"Extremely rare phenomenon. It didn't turn into a monster inside Blackout and retained its own will purely."
Jun's 'Phantasm' was similar. Except it was sealed in a ring, not an egg.
"But... I still don't feel any special energy."
"It's in a deep slumber. Like a growth phase. It'll take quite a while before it wakes up."
So it was useless for now?
No.
In that short time, Jun had noticed Aiden's gestures and movements were far smoother than before just by watching him.
Even that brief assimilation with the wind spirit was unknowingly accelerating Aiden's growth.
And not just that.
'My enhancement spells will affect him even more now.'
It would take time to adapt, but that alone was huge progress.
'Man... protagonists in games stumble into opportunities just walking down the road.'
They had faced a crisis with the sudden colossus appearance.
But unexpectedly, things wrapped up anticlimactically, and Aiden gained an unforeseen boon.
'Whatever. The sudden crisis turned into an opportunity.'
At least they didn't have to fight the colossus. That was fortunate enough.
Jun let out a sigh of relief.
After some rest, the party set off across the sand desert again.
With somewhat lighter steps than before, toward the ancient tower now visible in the distance.
The ancient tower, standing solitarily in the middle of the desert.
They opened the entrance half-buried in sand and stepped inside one by one.
"Sunbae, what is this space?"
Jun caught his breath lightly and looked around at Aiden's question.
First impression: pure white.
The entire world was so white that even object outlines were indistinguishable.
Not even a blank canvas would feel this empty—the space welcomed them.
"Think of it as a waiting room. Cross that door, and you go up to the next floor."
In the direction Jun pointed was a black door.
It looked just like...
"It resembles the doors we see when crossing strata."
"Exactly."
No doubt it operated on a similar principle.
"But first, something we need to do."
"What?"
"...Rest."
The party nodded without a word.
The desert field, ruins, colossus, evil spirits.
Physically and mentally exhausted, they wanted nothing more than to lie down, ancient tower or not.
While everyone slept.
Jun, who woke alone, looked over his comrades and smiled wryly.
'They must be exhausted.'
It was understandable.
The 5th stratum had been that taxing on the party.
But their efforts had paid off.
Jun quietly opened his dimensional bracelet and took out two items.
One was a world tree root, the other a world tree leaf obtained through all that ordeal.
Handed to him by Mentras before leaving, Jun overlaid them and infused mana.
A soft green light emanated. Overwhelmed by the immense vitality, even Jun lost himself for a moment.
Turning back.
"Mm..."
"..."
"Snooore..."
His sleeping comrades fell into an even deeper, more peaceful slumber.
'This should handle the first countermeasure against 'that guy.'
He looked down at the completed item.
The 'World Tree Essence,' which would one day save their lives.
Two days.
That was how long it took for the party to recover their condition.
"My body still feels languid..."
Maya, the last to wake, yawned lazily and sprawled on the floor like a cat.
"You went all out then slept like the dead— of course you're not fine. But get up now. Time to eat."
"Ugh..."
She expressed utter reluctance with her whole body, but the tantalizing aroma reaching her nose was impossible to ignore.
Once everyone finished eating.
"Phew. Feeling alive again."
"Haha... Yeah."
"This is life. Heh."
With Eleanor emptying the last bowl, the party looked around once more.
"By the way, this is the waiting room?"
"Yep. No threats while you're in here."
"Convenient. So we go up and fight to the death nonstop?"
"Nah."
The ancient tower provided rest areas like this after each trial.
Some were a bit special.
"Special?"
"Better to see for yourself. But first, something to explain."
Jun pulled out the 'World Tree Essence' from his pocket and showed it to the party.
"Er... It feels oddly familiar, sunbae."
"Hm. Probably reacting to the ancient elf blood in you."
"Haha. Weird, right?"
Aiden was still awkward about having ancient elf blood.
"It's a kind of communication device."
"Communication device?"
Eleanor showed some interest.
"If you're explaining it like this, it's no ordinary one."
"Right. Made with ancient elf tech."
"Like a sword that connects souls?"
Maya, sensitive to this, nailed it.
"We'll link the world tree energy inside to us. Might seem boring at first glance... but the biggest perk is no distance limit for contact."
This held massive implications.
Information exchange in Blackout wasn't easy.
Blackout's strata weren't just distant—they were spatially separated.
Thus, running an info network required numbers and skill inevitably.
But with this, no need.
"Sure, sounds impressive. But we don't split up that often, right?"
"Think about it. No restrictions. Anything come to mind?"
"...Ah! Kiheung Nopa?"
"Exactly."
In the past, during the battle with Kiheung Nopa at the aptitude test, Jun had fallen into her sorcery world.
No external communication possible there—had to escape on his own.
The World Tree Essence enabled comms even in such environments.
"Upper strata have situations like her sorcery pretty often."
"True..."
"Definitely sounds amazing, hearing sunbae explain it."
Aiden and Eleanor quickly grasped its utility, but Maya stayed quiet.
"Hm..."
"What's up, Maya?"
"How does this thing work?"
Rare for Maya to show interest here. Jun's eyes lit up.
It might spark insight related to her abilities.
But.
"Sorry, can't explain fully yet. I haven't grasped the principle completely myself."
Eleanor lacked understanding here, so he'd need advice from Shylock and Munsar if possible.
"Got it. Tell me later."
"Anytime you want."
Preparations done, the comrades eyed the door to the upper floor.
"Alright, time to head out? Let's see how far we can go in this place."