Solo Ruins Exploration (2)
Solo Ruins Exploration (2)
I knew perfectly well that the world hadn't slowed down; my senses had accelerated thanks to mana.
Even so, the scene unfolding before my eyes seemed to move in slow motion.
Blood spewing from the monster I'd sliced in half drifted slowly through the air, while a jet of water shot from a monster's mouth hung frozen midflight, like a specimen.
I moved my sluggish-looking body to dodge the water jet, slicing through the monster's body.
My physical speed itself hadn't increased, but staying within a flow of time several times faster than everyone else's meant I could process that much more information and make split-second decisions.
I dodged as soon as I saw the incoming water jet and thrust my sword toward where the monster was moving.
In an instant, I slipped past the monsters blocking my path.
My mana was draining at an alarming rate, but I kept sprinting forward.
And the moment my mana ran out completely, I managed to step through the entrance of the ruins.
Boom!
From behind me, I heard the largest monster let out a monstrous roar.
I didn't know what it meant, but I could feel the sheer rage packed into that roar.
"As expected, they can't come in."
I turned around.
I could see the monsters beyond the entrance.
The monsters growled at me, but they couldn't take even a single step inside.
Whether it was because of the monsters inside the underground ruins or for some other reason, I knew the monsters from the nest couldn't enter the ruins.
If the monsters had been able to enter, there was no way the ruins' interior wouldn't have been crawling with them.
There were no traces of monsters entering, nor were there any gnawed marks on the skeletons in the underground ruins.
I figured that perhaps some had sneaked inside, but, unable to get back out, they had simply starved to death.
I made my way down the passage and looked at the hallway stretching straight ahead.
Though I had arrived a few weeks earlier than I had before my death, everything was just as it had been back then.
The skeletons leaning against the walls were still there, and the stone walls and floors were merely covered in dust.
The underground ruins hadn't changed, but the feeling was entirely different from back then.
Back then, I had entered alongside others, but now I had come inside alone.
Unlike before, the underground ruins felt remarkably desolate.
"Even if the vibe is different, the traps should still be the same."
I pulled the map out of my pocket.
Hum.
As expected, a soft light emanated from the map.
When I enhanced my vision with mana, the map's light alone was enough to broaden my field of vision considerably.
The terrain markings on the front of the papyrus remained completely unchanged, just as before.
I unfolded the back. All the erased contents had been fully restored.
The mazes and their traps, as well as the traps on this top floor, were all clearly marked.
I had a map detailing all the traps, and I'd already made it through here once before.
There was no way I couldn't cross these ruins.
"Now, now. Get a grip. You'll die again at this rate."
I tapped my head with my greatsword.
It was precisely because of thoughts that complacent that I'd already died once on my way here.
I had a map and experience, but monsters lived in these ruins, too.
There was no guarantee the living monsters would attack from the exact same locations as last time.
Even with all my advantages, I had to be as careful as possible.
Using my past memories and the map, I carefully advanced through the passage.
As expected, avoiding the traps wasn't difficult.
I avoided pitfall traps that would collapse when stepped on, leaped over scythes springing from the walls, and kept pressing forward.
As I continued along the passage, I came to a fork in the road.
It was the spot where, before my death, a senior knight of the Royal Knights had picked a fight with the Princess.
Because the Princess had thoroughly refuted him, the senior knight had been forced to decide which path to take.
"And thanks to that, we suffered terribly because of those maggot monsters."
The Princess and I ended up falling right into a trap.
I checked the map.
"That really was the roundabout path. He definitely made the wrong choice."
The path the senior knight had chosen looped all the way around the outer perimeter.
"Maybe monsters burrowed in because it was on the outer edge."
Either way, there was no reason to take the wrong path again.
Though it was unexplored, I trusted the map and headed in the opposite direction.
This path was definitely the right one. Hardly any sections had collapsed, and the traps were functioning properly.
Thanks to that, I nearly died several times.
While the map showed where the traps were, it didn't specify what kinds they were.
I cleared most of the traps easily, but things like arrows shot from dozens of meters away or ceiling traps that could flatten the entire hallway were far from easy to dodge, even when I knew a trap was there.
Monsters weren't entirely absent, either.
They didn't pour out by the dozens like they had before my death, but occasionally one would burst through a wall and startle me.
After suffering through this place just as much as I had while crossing the Seal Grounds, I finally reached the end of the passage.
Rooms lined both sides, and stairs were visible ahead.
"They said this was a storeroom, right?"
The doors blocking the storerooms must have been wooden, as none of them remained.
Stepping through the gaping doorways, I saw weapons and suits of armor lined up in rows.
Most were worn and tattered items that looked difficult to use.
But some of the items here were ones others had picked out before my death.
So all I needed to do was find the items that hadn't been here back then, right?
When I returned from the ruins last time, I'd skimmed through these storerooms myself.
As long as I found the items that hadn't been visible back then, I could claim for myself all the weapons and relics that had been taken away in the artifact bag and subspace.
"This sword wasn't here, nor was that shield... Ah, these armguards are new to me, too."
I darted from room to room, gathering the items I hadn't seen before.
A belt that absorbed mana to emit light, military boots that dampened sound, and even a breastplate that maintained a constant temperature.
A pile of equipment and relics—some great, some questionable—stacked up in front of me.
I couldn't carry all of them.
I also had to pass back through the Seal Grounds. I couldn't take anything that would be dead weight.
I opened my pockets as wide as I could and shoved in as many items as would fit.
The breastplate and boots wouldn't fit through the pocket openings, so I put them on. With tears in my eyes, I set aside the items that were too cumbersome to carry.
Once I'd roughly sorted everything out, I pushed aside any lingering regrets over the rest and headed for the stairs.
As I descended the stairs, the iron door I'd seen before came into view.
Although it looked firmly shut, I knew it opened easily.
Gathering my mana, I pushed the door with all my strength.
Rumble.
The iron door opened slowly, scraping against the floor.
I opened the iron door and stepped inside.
A vast, empty plaza met my eyes.
Having seen this plaza once before, I found its desolate atmosphere strangely endearing.
I walked to the center of the plaza.
At the center of the plaza, just as before, a single orb rested atop a pedestal.
I stroked the orb with my hand.
Looking at it again, it still didn't seem like anything special.
I pulled out the signet ring and put it on my finger.
From here on, it was crucial.
If things went well, this was a chance to acquire one more relic.
Taking a deep breath, I placed my ring-wearing hand on the orb.
Hum.
Just like back then, the sound of something booting up resonated in my head.
'Is that a booting sound?'
It was a completely different sound, but knowing what would happen next, it felt like a boot-up sound.
[Administrator authentication confirmed.
You have accessed the Hero Management System.
This management system is handled by the 12th Reserve Ego.
Currently, there is no connection to the Central Ego.
Due to prolonged inactivity, this Ego's functions are deteriorating. It may shut down at any moment, so please exercise caution during the connection.]
The exact same voice rang out. Even though I'd arrived a few weeks early, the voice remained unchanged.
[Confirmed that the user possesses hero abilities.
Problem detected!
The user is not a normal Hero.]
The same voice as before continued,
[The currently connected administrator possesses fragmented and incomplete hero abilities. Information update is possible through this management system. Would you like to update your information?]
If I said 'Yes' here, a window displaying my abilities would pop up along with a surge of pain.
And then, thanks to my peculiar ability, it would update once more.
'There's no reason to suffer through the pain twice.'
'Back then, besides Physical Optimization, I recalled another ability, didn't I?'
In my mind, I pictured my ability: Death Regression.
[A new ability has been detected. Would you like to update your information, including the new ability?]
I answered 'Yes' in my mind.
Fireworks exploded in my head.
And then the status window I'd seen before opened before my eyes.
< Knight-type Hero Ability User >
< Active Abilities >
- Physical Optimization: Grade 15
- Mana Circuit Construction Method: Grade 1
- Mana Resonance: Unsealing in Progress
- Sealed
- Sealed
< Unauthorized Abilities >
- Mana Materialization: Grade 1
- Death Regression: Grade 1
The information window seemed slightly different from before, but, pushing through the pain, I shouted aloud.
"The Central Ego is broken. Do not connect."
[Hero violates standard rules!
Multiple hero abilities have been detected from the user.
Irregulars must be reported to the Central Ego.
Administrator provided information stating that the Central Ego is lost.
Executing a single connection attempt just in case.
Central Ego reconnection failed!
Cannot connect to the Central Ego.
Notification process aborted.]
Fortunately, it listened to reason. Though it unfortunately tried once, I managed to cut down two unnecessary attempts.
I waited for a moment.
Time passed, but the Ego didn't shut down.
"Did it work?"
Before my death, the Ego had mentioned that it would shut down due to excessive information updates and multiple connection attempts to the Central Ego.
The information was updated only once, and the Central Ego connection was attempted only once.
"Are you still alright?"
[Unable to comprehend the meaning.]
"Your lifespan, I mean. Are you okay?"
[As stated, this Ego has reached the limit of its lifespan. It is expected to shut down after a few more operations.]
"Is there any way to extend your lifespan by any chance?"
[There is currently no known method to extend an Ego's lifespan.]
Regrettably, obtaining a fully intact relic wasn't going to happen.
Still, it was a speaking Ego Relic. Even if I couldn't use it many times and didn't know how I'd even use it, this orb was the most valuable item here.
Before taking the orb, I asked one last question.
"Does the 'administrator' strictly need to wear this ring?"
[Would you like to restrict administrator privileges to yourself? Changing privileges will make access via existing connection equipment impossible.]
I thought 'Yes' again, removed the ring, and placed my hand on the orb.
[Administrator connection confirmed.]
It activated even without the ring.
This way, I could return the relics to their rightful owners.
Count Chaipree would be delighted to get the items in his pocket back, and seeing him happy would make me immensely glad as well.