The Beginning of the Cataclysm (3)

Lost Elder was fundamentally a single-player RPG.

However, it did support limited multiplayer features in certain content.

'First of all, there's an in-game online community system.'

Message boards, group chats, and so on. There were various other features as well.

Among them, the one players used the most was...

'Private messages.'

Through this, they could communicate directly with other users or invite them to the multiplayer zone, the "Corridor of the Great Ones."

Anyway.

With Strawberry Latte's reincarnation, the community function had been activated.

Various options like message boards, group chats, and entering the Corridor were visible.

However, all functions except for "Private Messages" were grayed out and inactive.

"..."

I didn't know the reason.

Was it because Strawberry Latte and I were the only reincarnated players so far?

Or... did it require other conditions to unlock the various features?

'Whatever the case, it doesn't matter.'

I could worry about that later.

For now, having a way to contact Strawberry Latte was enough.

Tick.

It was right then.

An indicator appeared, showing that the other party had read my message.

However, no matter how much time passed, no reply came back.

Just as I was starting to feel slightly flustered by Strawberry Latte's lack of response, I suddenly noticed a change in the message I had sent.

'This is...'

A checkmark next to the message.

'...a reaction feature.'

The feature you press in messenger apps when you don't really have anything to say, or when you're too lazy to reply.

Why was he only sending that instead of replying to the message?

I sent another message.

But once again, all that came back was a reaction.

A tiny emoticon popped up next to my message box.

"..."

It was a sobbing face.

'...But his response is fast, at least.'

Just in case, I sent another message.

Tick.

After waiting for about three seconds, a checkmark appeared again.

It seemed Strawberry Latte was in a situation where he couldn't send messages.

Just like before, there was no way to know the reason for now.

The information regarding the community feature was simply too scarce.

"Phew."

I let out a sigh.

Getting replies only through reactions was a bit frustrating, but... what could I do? It wasn't like I had a way to solve it right now.

Right.

For now, I should just be glad that we could communicate at all.

Having reached that conclusion, I wrote the rest of the messages to somehow put Strawberry Latte at ease.

I wanted to send messages containing more information.

That way, Strawberry Latte would understand the situation properly and feel less panicked.

Ding!

But just as I was about to send an additional message, the send icon grayed out.

'Damn it.'

So there was a daily message limit.

I clicked my tongue in disappointment.

It was frustrating not to be able to convey more information, but since I had delivered the most important points, it didn't seem like a major issue.

In any case, it would be best to figure out how the community functions worked one by one from now on.

'One more thing to worry about.'

Well, at least it was now certain that Strawberry Latte was at Wintersield Magic Academy.

It was exactly the starting scenario of the mage character I knew. He was probably locked in the dungeon right now, being prepared as a sacrifice for the ritual.

That was a relief, in a way.

The slaves of the Magic Academy were guaranteed safety until the ritual began.

However...

'The problem is when this ritual will take place.'

Considering the timeline, there should be about five days left until the next cycle.

Still, it was always better to be certain rather than just guessing.

Having thought this far, I called Isaac to confirm the exact date of the ritual.

"Isaac Berylof."

"Yes."

"How many days are left until the next ritual?"

"...?"

Freeze.

For a moment, Isaac Berylof's face stiffened slightly.

He seemed surprised that I even knew about the Shadow Society's "ritual."

After hesitating for a moment, he reluctantly gave an answer.

"The ritual... is scheduled to take place in about five days."

Five days.

'Exactly as I expected.'

Considering the travel time to Wintersield, the ritual would probably begin right around the time we arrived.

'Of course, that doesn't mean I can let my guard down.'

Complacency was the enemy.

After all, the world of Lost Elder was filled with too many variables.

The ritual was the core rite of the Shadow Society, a brutal selection process where only one of the numerous sacrifices would survive.

Furthermore, at the final stage, a "monster" that was systematically impossible to kill lurked in wait—much like the Human Butcher, Barba, in the Underworld Arena.

'Strawberry Latte can never survive that thing on his own.'

Therefore...

'I have to save him.'

Ding!

With that thought, I opened my skill window.

It was the ability I had obtained in the Sky Ocean Forest, a new authority born from the fusion of two skills.

The basic framework itself wasn't much different from Immortal Slayer, but there were slight differences in the details.

In particular, the effects targeting spiritual entities had increased. This was likely the result of fusing the newly acquired Soul Kill.

'It's exactly the same as the skill I encountered in the game.'

Normally, this skill was an ability that could only be obtained in the late game.

But thanks to defeating the corrupted Sea Moon Mother at an early stage, I was able to secure this ability ahead of time.

'If I make good use of this skill...'

I clenched my fist, thinking to myself.

'...I should be able to rescue Strawberry Latte with ease.'

If that happened...

It meant I would gain Strawberry Latte, a powerful ally to help prevent the apocalypse.

Rattle, clack!

After securing a carriage in the central city of Centerium, we headed along the Silk Road toward Wintersield Magic Academy.

The twilight filtering through the window illuminated Adelia's face.

Flash.

Right then, Adelia snapped her eyes open.

Like someone waking from an intense dream.

"This is..."

After staring blankly for a long moment, Adelia clenched and unclenched her hands in disbelief.

"...It really is an incredible ability."

The unique skill, Reflection's Water Surface.

It was the reward Adelia had obtained by passing the Sea Moon Mother's trial.

During the journey to the magic city of Wintersield, she was testing her newly acquired ability.

"Are you starting to get the hang of it?"

"I'm still not entirely sure, but I'm slowly getting used to it."

Still, it was a relief to see some progress.

According to the original flow of the game, Adelia was supposed to obtain Reflection's Water Surface much later.

It would have taken at least seven more years in game time, as it was something she acquired upon reaching level 80.

'But...'

Due to my intervention, that timeline had been advanced by seven years.

If time was money, this was an astronomical profit.

'And that wasn't the only thing that changed.'

[Perfect Clear].

Despite clearing the Sky Ocean Forest dungeon countless times with Adelia in the game, I had never once seen that notification.

'How on earth did she achieve a Perfect Clear?'

Unable to contain my curiosity, I had carefully asked Adelia.

But she only repeated the same answer every time.

"It was all thanks to you, Lord Gaon."

It seemed she felt uncomfortable sharing the details of the trial.

Of course, I could fully understand her position.

Since it was a trial tied to her memories, what she faced inside must have been a deeply personal and intimate experience.

'There's no need to pry further.'

Even though I was Adelia's mentor, I didn't have the right to know everything about her.

Right. As long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.

Thanks to that, the Sea Moon Mother larva was following us like a pet, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Adelia had gained a powerful ability, so it was a win-win.

"Then, I will try testing the skill once more... Huh?"

It was just as Adelia was about to use Reflection's Water Surface again.

[Pyo-pyok!]

The slime-like Sea Moon Mother larva clung to her side and began to cry out.

"It's telling you not to overdo it."

[Pyo-ro-rok!]

The Sea Moon Mother larva wiggled over to me and shook its body vigorously.

As if agreeing with my words.

"...!"

Seeing this, Adelia wore a look of surprise.

"L-Lord Gaon, can you even understand the words of a Divine Beast?"

"To some extent."

Nodding briefly, I looked at the message window that appeared in a corner of my vision.

The Easter Egg pulsed warmly inside my coat.

The mysterious life dwelling within it conveyed the Sea Moon Mother larva's intentions to me.

Not only that, but it also translated what I said to it.

'It's one of the many abilities the Easter Egg possesses.'

I would be able to utilize this power in various ways during our journey ahead.

Anyway.

Having finished my thoughts, I turned back to Adelia.

"We will arrive at our destination soon. Training is important, but you should start getting ready to disembark."

"Ah."

Slide.

Hearing that, Adelia opened the window and looked outside.

In the distance, a massive magic tower pierced the sky, rising high through the clouds.

Various types of mana flowing from all over the city sparkled like stars, creating a magnificent spectacle.

I quietly muttered the name of the city in my mind.

'The Magic City of Wintersield.'

Finally, we had arrived at our destination.

"Empress."

Over a purple pattern glowing faintly in the darkness, a robed member entered in a hurry.

"What is it, Lugwin? Why are you suddenly here when you should be preparing for the 'ritual'..."

"My apologies. I have urgent news to deliver, so I took the liberty of seeking an audience in haste."

Catching his breath for a moment, the member revealed the reason.

"Brother Berylof has returned with the 13th Sword Master."

"..."

Freeze.

Instantly, the Empress's expression turned grave.

Tapping her fingers on the armrest of her throne, she soon replied in a much more serious tone.

"...It seems we must prepare to welcome our guest."