Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Church's Vault (1)
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A few days had passed.
In that time, Jun had achieved some results of his own.
Maya was finally starting to sense mana with her mind and see it with her own eyes without going berserk.
"Here."
"There."
"Hup."
Following Jun as he manipulated his formless mana, Maya hurled her dagger.
Her own eyes were tracking the mana directly.
Just like how Jun could read the spells of the old shaman crones, Maya could now move along with the flow of mana.
"Good. This level should keep your mind from being corrupted by the ancestral spirits."
"......Thank you."
Maya's face looked utterly exhausted as she replied.
Over the past few days, she had endured agony that felt like death countless times.
If this hadn't been the holy land, Maya might have long since turned into a raving mad killer.
"That means it's time to move on to the next stage, but......"
"......Aren't we doing it?"
"Timing's not right now."
The realm of sensing spirits would take far too long to even begin now.
And above all, awakening it at this point wouldn't lead to any explosive growth.
"Why not?"
"Even if you can sense spirits, your ancestors won't come close."
"......Those chatty old ghosts?"
Maya tilted her head at Jun's words.
To her, the ancestors were always itching to meddle in her life but never quite managing it.
"Those spirits are the relatively mild ones. Probably souls who passed relatively recently."
For Maya to advance to higher layers ahead, she needed help from far older spirits.
"Ah......"
Maya's expression turned pensive, as if she sensed something.
"It's the Second Gate."
"......Second Gate?"
Jun knew what she meant but feigned ignorance and asked back.
"Thanks to Leader, I'm at the First Gate now."
"Hm."
"The stage Leader mentioned is the Second Gate."
These were the stages of ability passed down in the Jokyeong Tribe.
"The chieftain was at the Second Gate. Youngest ever, I heard."
"I see."
According to the game's lore, Maya's father, the Jokyeong Tribe chieftain, had been active even in Layer 7.
If Maya reached the Second Gate, she could thrive up to Layer 7 too.
Of course, Jun's real goal was to open the Third Gate.
'Opening the Third Gate is still a ways off.'
For now, First Gate was plenty.
Maya's true growth started from here.
That was when it happened.
"Working hard, I see."
"Eleanor?"
The priestess with her eyes covered in black bandages, Eleanor, appeared.
She hadn't shown up, saying she'd train alone, but now she was back at the holy land after a while.
"Something's changed in just a week."
Eleanor, who could see spirits, immediately noticed Maya's altered state.
"Your doing?"
"Think I did it solo? She worked hard too."
"That's right. It was tough."
"In so many ways......"
Eleanor gazed at the mage before her with wonder.
She'd heard he'd personally demanded permission from Pope Elahim to enter the holy land.
Just scholarly curiosity as a mage?
'No way.'
Eleanor didn't know everything about this mage, but he didn't strike her as the type to forgo huge gains for mere academic interest.
'He knew about the holy land's nature.'
Of course, rumors about the holy land's traits had spread widely given the church's history, but they were a jumbled mess.
'Yet he came knowing exactly, meaning he planned what to gain here.'
This mage probably had a dozen sly foxes in his belly.
Shaking off the thought, Eleanor got to the point.
"Anyway, the Pope's summoning you."
To summon outsiders from outside the church so often.
Eleanor found it curious, but figured this mage warranted it.
"It's been a while, Roshin."
"Indeed, Your Holiness. Why haven't you called for me sooner?"
"You think we can just casually open the church's vault?"
"Eight years have already passed. Call me more often."
The Pope firmly shook his head at the man now entering old age, Roshin.
"No can do. Nothing coming in, only going out—how could we open it that often? You've aged quite a bit yourself."
"Forgot what I just said? Eight years. Plenty of time for gray hair to turn white."
"Tsk tsk. Should've eaten better stuff."
"Your Holiness's hair is all white too. Enough of that. Show me the faces of those who made you summon me here."
"They're coming soon. Just wait patiently."
The Pope's words came true.
Soon, three people entered the room.
"A week, huh, Jun."
They'd just been lamenting each other's age, yet these newcomers were all young.
"Thank you for summoning us."
"A promise is a promise."
Roshing eyed the trio with interest at their exchange.
From what he'd heard: a mysterious Mage Tower outsider, a discarded imperial, and a survivor from some vanished tribe.
Not one from ordinary stock.
'And soon, one more will join them.'
Thinking of her who would join that group, Roshin smiled faintly.
She was a sore spot for his old friend Elahim.
He'd heard that long-standing worry had recently been resolved.
'Change blowing through the church too.'
As if sensing his thoughts, Elahim spoke to Roshin.
"These three are the ones who made you come after eight years."
"Well now. Should I thank them or curse them for the work?"
"Weren't you just begging to meet more often?"
"Just talk, Your Holiness."
"Hm. Anyway, introductions. This is Roshin, guardian of the church's vault. He'll take you to the treasure trove."
"I'm Jun, captain of the White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"Aiden, squad member."
"Maya here."
Elahim then introduced Roshin to the three.
"Ros hin, keeper of the Ariclotos Church's vault. Pleased to meet you promising youths."
The mage's eyes sparkled at Roshin's greeting, his hair streaked with white.
'Someone hard to even see in the game.'
Ros hin only appeared after raising characters to level 6 or 7 at least.
That meant piling up massive contributions to the church.
Even then, too late and he'd be gone.
In the game's story, Eleanor turned into a level 10 raid boss manifesting on the surface, tilting the Ariclotos Church to near-collapse compared to now.
'That future's gone now.'
Anyway.
"Uh, so the treasure vault... it's here in the holy land?"
"No. The vault holds all sorts, so we couldn't bring it to the holy land."
So they had to leave this place?
Aiden thought so, but no.
"That's why I'm here."
"Pardon? A sub-space pouch, perhaps...?"
"Haha, something like that."
Ros hin chuckled kindly, like a grandpa answering a kid, and pulled a bell from his robes.
'Hm.'
Seeing the bell reminded Jun of past trouble, making him grimace inwardly.
Thankfully, this was a totally different item from the outer god's bell.
"All three, grasp my hand."
Everyone placed their hands atop his outstretched one.
"No matter what, don't let go. No panicking—just entrust your bodies."
"Pardon...?"
Before Aiden could ask, Ros hin rang the bell.
"Safe travels."
Whoosh—!
Elahim's voice came from beside them, but it stretched long and faded away instantly.
An endless golden corridor unfolded, the scenery whipping by with each shake of Ros hin's fist-sized bell.
When they opened their eyes at last, the three stood in a wholly different space.
"This is...?"
"The church's vault."
Aiden gasped, opening his eyes wide in awe.
Even after all these wondrous experiences, it never got old.
Jun felt a strange thrill seeing a game-only scene in person.
Unlike the holy land's pristine temple, this was the plain interior of a stone building, like any other.
"But more prison than vault......"
"Like a jail, right?"
Ros hin burst into hearty laughter at Aiden and Jun's words.
"We call it a vault, but it's not exactly a pleasant place."
"Why's that?"
Ros hin explained readily to curious Aiden.
"Because it holds the church's path here."
He shook the bell, and golden holy power flowed from it.
"But our path wasn't always glorious. Follow this light."
In other words, the vault brimmed with relics from cults the church crushed or vile villains defeated.
'Meaning taking them out causes problems.'
Thus, entering this vault meant the church trusted you deeply.
"Alright. Follow me."
Ros hin led them down corridors of cold brick.
The party trailed behind.
Torches on the walls lit as he passed—but with sacred golden flames.
"Feels like entering somewhere grand......"
"It boasts thousands of years."
"Thousands of years......"
Several items they needed were here.
'Someday I'll have to take those too.'
Not even permitted to take them out, and even if allowed, now wasn't the time. Carrying it would paint a target, especially with apostates hunting them—it'd draw Heaven-Soaring Church heat.
"We're here. Apologies, but this is as far as you're allowed."
They descended stairs to the space below.
The vault spanned three underground floors; Jun's group could only reach the first.
"Floors 2 and 3 hold items beyond you yet. Understand."
"No, thank you for bringing us this far."
As Ros hin said, floors 2 and 3 overflowed with things Jun's party couldn't handle now.
"Senior. Any special reason to come all this way? The stuff here's kinda......"
Like Aiden's impression, even just first floor displays oozed ominous vibes.
An armor endlessly bleeding.
Iron Maiden cylinder packed with spikes.
A kitchen knife stained with purple fluid.
"Just monstrosities......"
"Most are."
Usable goods went to auction; only creepy remnants stayed.
But poison could be medicine in right hands.