Chapter 456: Rescuing Ahn Hyun.
Chapter 456: Rescuing Ahn Hyun.
“What…?”
Ahn Sol drew a sharp, quiet breath and asked again in a faint voice. But the man did not speak again. He simply gazed up at Ahn Sol, seeking some unspoken permission.
“Ah… B-But…”
Finding his gaze rather burdensome, Ahn Sol avoided the man, turning her head this way and that. Eventually, she looked at me with a desperate expression, as if to say, “Orabeoni. What should I do?” Her face was filled with uncertainty.
‘Would you please grant us a single chance to save you and your precious people?’
I had no reason to refuse. From what I’d heard, this had the distinct scent of a reward.
Still, it felt a bit awkward to openly tell her to accept, so I just offered a gentle smile instead.
Ahn Sol blinked once, then twice. She raised a loosely clenched fist to her lips. The way her throat bobbed as she swallowed showed just how complicated her thoughts were.
A moment later.
“Are you… really sure?”
Thankfully, Ahn Sol didn't commit the atrocity of flipping over a perfectly set table. Though her face was still full of doubt, as if asking, “Is this really okay?” she eventually gave a slow nod.
Ahn Sol’s permission was finally granted. The man’s face brightened, proving his offer to repay her kindness was no empty promise.
—Thank you for your consent, Savior. We will now perform a simple ritual, so please do not be alarmed.
Ahn Sol cautiously nodded once more.
I felt like I could vaguely understand what she was feeling right now. After always just tagging along behind me, being the center of a situation like this must have felt incredibly awkward.
The man slowly rose to his feet. He lifted the sword in his hand high toward the sky, closed his eyes, and began to speak.
—In the name of Istantel, I swear to the sun rising in the sky.
…What? In the name of Istantel?
Hearing the familiar word, I quickly turned to look at the man.
But it was difficult to interrupt him now. Not only was he chanting the spell at an incredible speed, but the sword in his hand had also begun to slowly levitate.
—…Therefore, I promise once more to protect the Savior who has guided the light of miracles to us.
The man chanted rapidly for about a minute. The sword, now floating high in the sky, began to blaze as it absorbed the sunlight. As the light from the sword grew brighter, the light flowing through the spirits also began to emit a radiant glow.
—…In accordance with the law of Istantel, the soul pact is complete.
Hearing that it was finished, it seemed the simple ritual the man had mentioned was over.
I focused on his last words. The law of Istantel—in other words, Istantel Low (Law).
For a second, my curiosity about what he meant spiked, but the atmosphere still wasn't right for questions.
I decided to ask Han Soyoung about it later if I got the chance and kept my eyes on the man.
And in that very moment.
Fwoosh!
Vwoooooooooom!
A brilliant light erupted from the sword in the sky, illuminating everything in all directions. Simultaneously, the light flowing through the spirits’ bodies flared, beginning to resonate with the light from the sword.
Perhaps noticing Ahn Sol’s consistently downcast expression, the man smiled warmly and spoke.
—Do not make such a face, Savior.
“But…”
—We are now happier, prouder, and more joyful than anyone. We can finally walk the path of liberation we have yearned for for thousands of years. If we can use our strength one last time for our Savior, there could be no greater joy. So please, do not refuse our humble sincerity.
Were his earnest words of some comfort? Ahn Sol’s listless face brightened, if only slightly.
Before long, the light flowing through the man’s body intensified, while his spiritual form, in contrast, began to fade.
After slowly looking around the fortress with a wistful gaze, the man turned back to me, his eyes looking somewhat empty.
—If it is not too much to ask, I have one favor.
I gave a slight nod, signaling him to speak.
—We will follow our oath immediately, but we intend to leave this child behind for a moment. If you follow her, you should be able to reach the first basement floor without much difficulty. And…
The child he spoke of was the golden-haired woman who had healed my body earlier. Our eyes met, and she gave me a gentle smile. Was she telling me not to worry?
The man paused for a moment before continuing calmly, as if he had made a decision.
—Once you have finished your business on the first basement floor, there is a path to the second basement floor.
“The second basement floor?”
—Yes. The second basement floor is where Magna Carta was sealed, and it is the place the Great Hero walked into of her own accord at the very end. If my guess is correct, the Great Hero may still be there.
“…I see.”
I stared intently at the man. For some reason, I felt like I knew what he was going to say next.
—So, once you have finished your business, could you go to the second floor and meet the Great Hero just once?
“Are you asking me to save this Great Hero as well?”
—No, not at all. Just as we were saved unexpectedly, I will leave that matter entirely in your hands. It’s just… I would like you to meet her and listen to her story. And when we meet again in the future, I want to hear why she did what she did.
That was a request without much burden, so I told him I would. The man smiled with a look of relief and calmly raised his eyes to the sky. The surrounding spirits had already turned into motes of light, flowing one by one into the sword.
Suddenly, the man nudged the woman beside him. When she turned in surprise, he whispered something in her ear. The woman glanced at me, giggled, and then jabbed the man hard in the side. He let out a sharp groan, but his face was still smiling. It felt like watching a living person.
—Then, until the day we meet again… Farewell, everyone…
With his final words, the man transformed into a streak of light and seeped into the sword. After one last, intense flash, the sword fell helplessly from the sky, and Ahn Sol scrambled to catch it. I activated my Third Eye and looked at the fallen sword.
『Sword of Oaths.』
(Description: In a distant age of myth that predates antiquity, dragons and humans waged a great war for dominance over the continent. …Thus, the heroes of myth were freed from thousands of years of suffering by the miracle wrought by the Priestess of Radiance.
This Sword of Oaths is a pact to the Savior who guided the light. Just once, when the user wishes it, they can summon the heroes of myth who participated in the final battle. Though they have finally returned to their spiritual home, they will rush to the user’s side without hesitation whenever they are called. The extent of their power is nearly immeasurable.)
Simply put, it meant I could summon a legion of mythical heroes. For me, this was an incredibly valuable gain. Even with the condition that it was a one-time use, I had already keenly felt their power.
I really must only use this when it’s absolutely necessary.
“Orabeoni…”
Just as I was thinking that, Ahn Sol, holding the Sword of Oaths in both hands, approached and carefully extended her arms. I snapped out of my thoughts and met her wavering gaze. In a way, this achievement was almost entirely Ahn Sol’s alone.
I paused in thought for a moment, then calmly shook my head.
“You should keep it.”
“What…? N-No.”
“They are the ones you saved. So cherish it, and when you think it’s absolutely necessary, tell me.”
“…Okay. Really?”
Ahn Sol tilted her head for a moment, but then she looked up with innocent eyes and hugged the sword tightly. A warm feeling spread through me as I watched her gaze down at the sword with an affectionate expression.
At any rate, seeming to finally feel that things were okay, a bright smile blossomed on Ahn Sol’s face. I smiled back and stroked her hair.
“There. You’re smiling now. Our lucky charm.”
“…I’m a lucky charm?”
“Of course. You absolutely are. You did a wonderful job. So much so that even I was surprised.”
“Wow…! I got praised.”
Ahn Sol spread her arms wide. She then trotted toward me, looking as if she was about to leap into my arms.
However, at that same moment, each of her outstretched arms was grabbed by someone else.
“Heehee. Our lucky charm is so precious. Now, now, don’t just go to your brother, come to your big sister. You naughty girl. Trying to sneak away…”
“Huh? H-Huh…? Yoojung-unni? What are you doing all of a sudden? Why are you grabbing my arm?”
“Aigoo. Come here, our Sol. Who do you take after to be so pretty? You’re acting like a little fox~.”
“Eek…! What does that mean! H-Hey, Daeun-unni, why are you grabbing my other arm? Let go. I said let go! Eeeeek…!”
After confirming that Ahn Sol was being dragged away by Yoojung and Nam Daeun, I quietly raised my gaze and looked around.
The sky was clear and blue. The sunlight shone down on the fortress. The spirits that had densely packed the area were gone without a trace, leaving only broken statues and scorched walls.
And standing alone was the skeletal corpse of a dragon. In a way, that too could be considered an achievement, so I was momentarily lost in thought.
How should I deal with that dragon… And I still need to find out why it had a Demonkin horn.
Just then, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I calmly turned around to see the lone remaining spirit staring at me. When our eyes met, the woman pressed a hand to her chest. Then her ample… no, wait.
Is she telling me to follow her?
In that moment, I exclaimed with a jolt of realization. Right, there was still work to be done.
“Everyone, listen up! You’ve all worked incredibly hard. But we still have a job to do, so let’s save the celebration for after everything is finished. Form up, quickly.”
“Kim Soohyun! That dragon! What are we going to do with that dragon?”
As expected, Vivian pointed at the dragon’s corpse with a greedy look in her eyes. I quickly waved my hand.
“We can’t take it with us now, so let’s leave it here for the time being. Anyway, let’s talk on the move.”
“Hmph.”
Vivian pouted but eventually let out a disappointed sigh and started walking.
The clan members, also remembering Ahn Hyun was in the basement, quickly gathered and formed ranks. Once they were in formation, the female spirit began to walk calmly toward a certain direction. We hurried our steps to follow her.
The assault on the Sleeping Dragon Mountains was finally drawing to a close.
*
Finding the way to the basement wasn't difficult. A short distance from the fortress’s central plaza, we found a large hole, just as the man had said. I’d thought there was a massive earthquake when the dragon appeared, but it seemed the tremors were caused by it forcibly breaking through from the second basement floor.
The hole wasn't as deep as I expected, so we reached the first basement floor with ease.
The melee classes went in first to land, then caught the mages and priests as they descended. The last user to come down made sure to set up a rope, securing a path for us to climb back up later.
Once everyone was underground, we had to walk down a straight passage.
There was nothing particularly special about the basement. We were just walking down a straight corridor with walls on either side, much like exploring a normal cave. Of course, we had gotten in easily thanks to Magna Carta; I had no idea what difficulties one would face trying to enter normally.
The passage was almost flat, but I could feel a slight, gentle downward curve as we walked.
I followed diligently behind the woman, lost in thought.
I had been wary of another battle, but no monsters appeared in the basement. Seeing as we were just walking peacefully, it seemed right to consider this a hidden area of the ruins. Of course, we had to remain cautious until the very end, but perhaps this was a sort of bonus stage.
‘Yes. The second basement floor is where Magna Carta was sealed, and it is the place the Great Hero walked into of her own accord at the very end.’
That meant there was a high probability of more rewards. So far, we had obtained a total of four. The Sword of Oaths, the dragon’s corpse, Hanna, and Cha Sorim.
Hanna and Cha Sorim were quite a unique case. On the way here, I had asked them what they discussed with the spirits. As expected, one was an Arcus Valkyrie and the other was a Twilight Medium. In other words, to the spirits, those two were their juniors.
After a brief conversation, the two spirits had given their respective juniors a small gift, and that gift was power. An ability.
Hanna was granted the ability of the engraved tattoo, one of three powers used by the ancient priestesses, while Cha Sorim’s Potential Ability, Blessing of Valhalla, had evolved into an ability called Astera’s Blessing. In layman's terms, you could say they both hit the jackpot.
Honestly, the Sword of Oaths alone was an enormous reward. But as they say, human greed knows no bounds.
And now that Ahn Hyun’s rescue was almost certain, I calmly emerged from my thoughts, anticipating what rewards might await on the second basement floor after we saved him. I noticed that the female spirit, who had been maintaining a steady pace, was gradually slowing down.
Looking ahead, I could see a point where the gentle slope curved upward rather sharply. At first, I thought it was just a simple bend, but on closer inspection, I could see faint traces of human hands. It must have served as a staircase in the past.
The female spirit stopped for a moment before the curved point. At the top of the upward slope, a vast darkness loomed. It looked like some place would be revealed if we went up, but the deep darkness obscured everything.
After a brief pause, the female spirit began to move again.
As we carefully followed her up the slope, a hollow darkness greeted us. Nothing was visible but the color black, like looking at a canvas painted pitch-black.
Heo Junyoung must have had a similar thought, as he stood at the top of the slope and muttered calmly.
“I can’t see a thing.”
Did she hear him? The female spirit, also at the very front, slowly raised her hand.
She hadn’t said a single word on our way here. For a moment, I wondered if she was mute, but on second thought, she wasn’t. She was the one who had cast the translation magic on the man, and I had definitely heard her chanting a spell when she healed me.
It was then.
Just as a sudden curiosity prompted me to check the woman’s information with my Third Eye, she lightly waved her raised hand.
Simultaneously.
Flicker, flicker, flicker, flicker, flicker!
As if dozens of fluorescent lights were switched on at once, a bright light flared to life, illuminating the space that had been shrouded in darkness.
I immediately raised an arm to shield my eyes. The light was so dazzlingly brilliant that for a moment, I was blinded.
After waiting a little, I felt the light gradually dim to a level where I could look again.
And as my vision recovered, the space, now cleared of darkness, slowly revealed itself.