Shattered Expectations
Quite some time had passed since Carpe engaged the twin statues in battle.
In reality, only a little over an hour had elapsed, but it felt like more than three hours of an epic showdown!
"Die already!"
Boom!Kaboom!
Carpe's magic slammed into the martial artist Dretsch, while Tina's lance and Gillian's sword pierced the mage Dretsch right on target.
Rumble!
The Statue of '???' has ceased functioning.
Was it Carpe's earnest wish that finally reached them?
With the desperate strike hitting home, both stone statues crumbled simultaneously.
And as if waiting for that moment, a barrage of notifications began popping up.
You have reached Level 60. Room upgrades are now available.
You may receive a job gift from a job-related NPC.
"Huuuuh."
Carpe exhaled deeply, then drew in a fresh breath.
The air inside the tower was hardly breathable even as a compliment, but right now, it tasted sweeter than nectar.
That was how intense the fight had been.
Among all the foes he'd toppled so far, this was undoubtedly the strongest boss since the Servant Lord's fragment.
His head spun a bit from the hyper-focus of battle.
"Whoa, they made this thing brutally tough. Bro, you said you took it down once, right? How the hell did you solo this?"
—...Whew. Thinking back to that grind still brings tears to my eyes. Anyway, good job. Tough as nails, but you pulled it off.
In truth, the bosses' attack patterns were straightforward. Not particularly fast, either.
But these twins had a ridiculous gimmick: the martial artist Dretsch was immune to physical attacks, and the mage Dretsch was immune to magic!
"Hiding that crap behind solo-only triggers... the devs are straight-up sadistic."
Still, as bosses went, the EXP was generous—even after grinding earth dragons that barely budged his level, it finally ticked up.
"Kinda ridiculous when you think about it. I slaughtered dozens of level 30+ mobs and nada, but this does it."
—Eh, RaSe doesn't explode EXP from level gaps like that. Heh, told you last time too—don't expect lowbie rocket-leveling. This is just the beginning.
Of course, his leveling speed was still over five times faster than average players, but Cheonma didn't bother pointing that out.
"Guess steady grinding will get me there eventually. Anyway, that's it? What about the hidden piece?"
—Any second now... Ah, here we go.
Vrrr.
With a vibrating hum in the air, fist-sized orbs rose from the fragments of the fallen statues—one red from the martial artist, one blue from the mage.
The two orbs floated up, spun in the air, and merged into one.
Flash!
In a burst of light, they transformed into a warp gate.
A warp gate to the 'Secret Library of ???' has been generated.
"Ah, gotcha. Nice touch."
Carpe appreciated the solid production value as he placed his hand on the warp gate.
Would you like to enter the 'Secret Library of ???'?
"Enter."
The moment Carpe confirmed, the scenery shifted in an instant.
"Whoa, tons of books. Clues on the relic in here, right?"
As the name implied, the secret library was packed floor-to-ceiling with tomes.
Dust blanketed everything from years of neglect, and the musty scent of ancient pages tickled his nose.
—First time I poked around in here, I dug through everything... nada special. Grabbed a few junk items, though.
Back then, Cheonma had barely scraped by after an ordeal to down the twins.
But no real payoff after all that...
—I even devoured every book here in denial. Ah, memories. Yeah, I had my crazy phases too...
That was when he'd first encountered the name Magic King Dretsch.
No hidden pieces in the books, though—he'd ragequit and bailed on the Red Tower.
"Hmm. Any relic mentions in the books?"
—Not that I recall. Even I can't memorize every word from this mountain.
"...Fair."
Carpe scanned the room carefully.
Even lowballing it, there were at least a thousand volumes. He furrowed his brow.
"No way I gotta comb through all these?"
—You got a full party unlike my solo run, so if we hustle...
But in the end, such worries proved moot.
Vrrr.
A massive magic circle formed underfoot, and a notification appeared.
Mana pattern of visitor to the Secret Library analyzed.
Confirmed as heir of Magic King Dretsch. Record playback commencing.
Smoky mist rose from the circle, coalescing into a figure.
Dretsch Akram.
Not the young version from underground, but older than even Mirage's recreation.
"Ah, ah. Can you hear me?"
Dretsch spoke without waiting for a reply.
"No need to answer. Unlike my underground self, this has no ego. It's just magic reciting my recorded words."
"Ah..."
—Like a video letter keyed to the Magic King's mana, huh.
"Hearing this means you passed my trial unscathed. Glad a proper heir will carry my power."
Dretsch's voice was cheerful, but his face looked weary.
"Welcome to my tower. Much to say, but time's short. Straight to the point: the fourth relic. Steel Royard."
"Steel?! Don't tell me it's a short alchemist dude..."
—Quit spoiling novels and trim your comics first, punk.
"My biggest, sturdiest doll. It'll be your unbreakable shield."
"Oh, not that."
Carpe felt a twinge of disappointment.
"As you saw, I scattered my masterpieces worldwide for your arrival. Planned extra work on this fourth one, but..."
"But?"
Did that mean it never happened?
A bad feeling stirred in Carpe's gut.
"Tried beefing up Royard my way. Added modules for the ultimate shield, but..."
"...No way."
The word "enhance" stacked fresh dread.
"Easier to show. Put your hand there. Your mana pattern will activate it."
"What the heck is..."
Despite his unease, Carpe approached the spot Dretsch indicated and placed his hand.
A magic circle bloomed on the wall, ejecting a small box.
"Huh? Relic chest?"
He'd seen this in Ramark Kingdom.
Identical to the one holding the Dark Army doll.
"Not a clue—straight-up handing over the relic. Worry for nothing."
Carpe sighed in relief and opened it.
But the contents dashed his hopes.
"...Huh?"
Nothing.
Should've been a tiny doll and its soul stone.
This box was half-empty: the red gem soul stone was there, but no doll body.
What the hell?
Carpe shot a quizzical look at Dretsch's projection, which scratched its head as if responding.
"Busted it."
"...Pardon?"
"Eh, extracted the soul stone first, so that's fine. Just the body broke. Just the body."
"...You're kidding."
"Tch. Still salty about it. One more upgrade and it'd have been the ultimate shield. Damn, greed's a killer. Slipped up. Sorry!"
"You bastard!!!"
—Whoa. The more I learn about Dretsch, the more legendary he gets. This guy unified the continent once? Nah, gotta be a joke.
Carpe could only yell.
The polar opposite of the third relic, Dark Army—doll yes, soul no. Now soul yes, doll no.
He let out a hollow laugh.
What quest chain isn't cursed?!
"So I rushed to craft a new one? No time, no mats, no mana... zilch."
"...Can I curse? Please?"
"My liege. I see no issue. Hmm. To think Steel Royard met such a fate. A pity."
"So the fourth doll's gone forever..."
All that hype, and it ends in upgrade failure.
His strength ebbed with disappointment.
"But not hopeless. Soul stone's intact."
"Oh?"
"Powerful relic dolls require my unique skill Magic Engineering. I can't now. Means only one person in the world can: you."
That was when it happened.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The entire library shook as the magic circle underfoot reactivated.
"Make it yourself. You're the only one left who can craft such dolls."
Flash!
At the circle's power peak, its energy enveloped Carpe.
8-star skill – Magic Engineering now registers 'Epic-grade Doll Blueprint'!
The Magic King's Fourth Relic (4)
📍 Quest Type: Job Scenario
📍 Restrictions: Heir of the Magic King's will, possess Intermediate+ Dollcrafting
You've found the fourth relic, but alas, Steel Royard is damaged. Yet there's a way. Inherit Dretsch's secrets and craft a new doll. Royard's soul will be all the happier for a splendid body.
🎁 Success: Acquire Steel Royard
*Doll effects vary greatly by material grade and synergy.
"...Holy crap."
Supreme mage, alchemist, and dollcrafter Dretsch Akram.
The moment his heir, Carpe, embarked on his first dollcrafting.