This Is My Path

Somehow, the lava frozen at absolute zero felt excessively extravagant. It was just hard to put into words. The red lava, which had been rippling like the sea, retained its color while freezing solid into a landscape. In Grandfell's terms... it was like a sea of rubies.

I didn't need to open my status window to sense it intuitively.

Click-clack—

It was like walking on a sheet of ice. With even sharper shoe sounds echoing, I crossed the frozen lava.

Man, your guts are something else, Grandfell.

'Not even scared, huh.'

I knew better than anyone that this was absolute zero. I knew it wouldn't melt no matter what. But walking on it was a whole different story. This was a different kind of terror from the Mage Tower stairs.

'Gotta keep going until I see what's ahead.'

To use teleportation or portals, I needed coordinates for the destination. But the lava sea stretched endlessly. No portals for now. Staring down made it even scarier. First, look away.

Conveniently, a message popped up.

I opened my status window to check. Aesthetics had definitely risen. Wearing the extraordinary Dawn Set, even if I just draped the jacket over my shoulders instead of fully equipping it, it wouldn't be surprising for Aesthetics to go up.

I never imagined hitting 上 would trigger an additional effect. More importantly, I hadn't activated Aesthetics myself. The effect triggered automatically.

'Did it add a passive effect or something?'

So what was the effect? Forgetting my fear of the crimson lava, I searched eagerly... but aside from it being beautiful, nothing seemed different?

Recalling Aesthetics' effects: In magic, it was like a copy-paste superpower. It replaced complex interference processes that guzzled mana with a tiny amount.

'That's why I haven't used it much lately.'

I'm not the mana-starved guy from back then. Purely by stats, my mana pool still lags behind Marcelo and most senior mages. But...

'Potions weren't enough, so I oiled up with elixirs.'

Decisively, with the insane buff First World Tree's Blessing always active, I reached the circle realm. I could cast high-level magic without mana issues.

'No need to bother with Aesthetics.'

The mana-struggle days were over. So I was excited for the new effect... but...

'No clue what it does?'

Thankfully, the mystery didn't last. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Even if my eyes missed it, I had reliable clones on both shoulders to see for me.

"My liege, the path is visible."

...The path is visible? The path of pride. Say that and I'll seriously unsummon you, Diend. You.

I swallowed a grumble and looked. And sure enough, a path appeared. In a form that shocked even me.

"To manifest such an elegant path in an instant... Compared to my liege, High El's Aesthetics is still sorely lacking."

What the hell is that grand boulevard?! The risen lava formed something like a sculpture. Like a triumphal arch? Right, manifesting complex magic like a statue—that's one feature of Aesthetics. But the scale...

'Huge.'

Ridiculously majestic, as expected. Even factoring in First World Tree's Blessing and Aesthetics' mana efficiency, it must've drained a ton of mana. Suspiciously so.

But...

'...No additional mana cost?'

It was the same. No extra mana spent beyond the initial absolute zero manifestation. So, contrary to Diend's dramatic rant...

"This is the path my liege has opened...!!"

It wasn't a path I manifested on purpose. Only one possibility left. Opening a 'path' to somewhere—that's the effect of reaching 上 in Aesthetics?

Yusra Kingdom. Explorer Federation headquarters. The federation explorers were in final preparations.

"The real competition starts now, Aaron."

"Me competing with you? Know your place, Lombus."

"True, my place is loftier than yours."

Veteran explorers Aaron and Lombus, and even Federation Leader Fabien, back in active duty. No need to distinguish players from Arcana natives. Everyone was tensely preparing themselves.

Park Hwigang was among them.

"Finally, time for us explorers to earn our keep!"

The Zero Mountains' 100,000 caves were the perfect stage for explorers to shine. The lively atmosphere even got Fabien pumped.

"Strictly speaking, it's not my first move since returning."

Tetpern Labyrinth rift. Recalling that made Fabien feel ashamed before Hoyeol. He'd been overconfident, thinking it was just a labyrinth. Without Hoyeol, they wouldn't have cleared it—or escaped.

"That's why it feels like a first step."

But the Zero Mountains would be different. Unlike Tetpern's unknown forbidden zone, he'd攻略ed over a dozen caves there himself.

Fabien shrugged.

"Though they're all underwater now."

Even legendary explorer Fabien hadn't reached the mid-mountains. But from lowlands exploration, he'd grasped patterns. He stepped before the explorers.

"Before departing for the Zero Mountains, I have something to tell you."

Explorers focused on his voice.

"As you know, each of the 100,000 caves has unique rules. In adventurer terms, different field types. Am I right?"

Park Hwigang nodded eagerly. "Yes, exactly!"

Fabien continued. "Dungeons, labyrinths, battlefields... You can't know the rules without entering. That's the thrill of exploration. But we explorers can no longer explore just for thrills."

Everyone nodded solemnly.

Reality and Arcana Continent faced extinction. They'd joined the Holy War. But non-combat explorers couldn't shine in total war. They'd swallowed regrets.

'Unlike unknown rifts.''Dungeons are my specialty.''I hit 200k subs with labyrinth攻略 content.'

Chance to quench their thirst. Fabien felt the same. A chuckle escaped.

"Time to smack prejudices as explorers. So, for the first time, I've decided to do something uncharacteristic. Listen well from now on."

Even rivals Aaron and Lombus showed it: explorers were competitors. Arcana was vast, but sites finite. They never shared tips. Even the federation tacitly avoided it—a taboo.

"First, fields have unknown paths."

Fabien broke the taboo as leader.

"...!!!"

Unyielded by shock, he shared his legendary experiences. Even Aaron and Lombus flinched at the new concept.

"Unknown paths...?"

"Dungeons and labyrinths have countless forks... but only one leads to the end. That's exploration common sense, right?"

"Yes. By common sense."

Unknown paths. Natural to panic. Even he, with countless攻略s, had seen one only once.

Park Hwigang asked cautiously. "...Was that place special?"

"No."

"!"

How firm. Park gasped.

"Why only once? My lack of skill. But the reward was certain. At that path's end, I seized the most valuable spoil."

...Most valuable spoil?

"The truth."

Explorers didn't catch on. Fabien sighed in relief. Good thing he returned. Can't leave it to these rookies.

He asked generously. "Have you thought about it?"

"What, Federation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Leader Fabien?"

"Aaron, Lombus. You too?"

"??"

"The being in Tetpern Labyrinth that shouldn't be awakened."

Aaron and Lombus exchanged glances. How could they forget those huge pupils? But the next words startled them.

"Why it was buried in the labyrinth walls."

"!!!"

Now they grasped the truth. Dungeons, labyrinths, fields had monsters. Fabien had long sensed wrongness. Why always monsters at the heart?

'Obviously 'cause it's a game...'

"...!!!"

Players flinched. Arcana was no longer a game. Park swallowed hard.

"Everything has a reason, right, Leader?"

Tetpern. Park was there too. He'd seen it all. Tetpern Black Contractors. Their actions. The being. He suspected ties ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Tetpern lore...

"Correct, adventurer. Despite countless攻略s, I solved that doubt only once."

"...That one time was...?"

"Indeed. The truth lay on the unknown path."

The truth. What did Fabien witness? Amid eager stares, his eyes gleamed.

"Reaching true攻略."

Siren.

Since when? Her worn memories always yearned for a blue sea. One she'd never seen. Ridiculous, right?

Bubble bubble.

From the risen rock wall, she gazed at red lava. In impossible memories, she recalled the sea. It wasn't this hot. Nor endlessly vast. In the real sea—not lava—other lives swam.

In this lava-only space, time sense was long gone. At least imagining the sea calmed her.

"!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

But calm often broke. Precisely when someone entered the lava sea. For some reason, she turned feral instinctively.

Why. Why do I desperately guard this hot space?

It was like a curse. Siren truly wished: anyone, end her undying life.

Suddenly, a sound reached her ears.

Click-clack—

Firm footsteps. Strange. Never heard in her unseen sea or lava. No place to step in sea or lava.

Truly strange. A figure approached from afar. Yet the man walked on lava.

Splash—

Regardless of will, Siren dove from the wall into lava. Her instilled mission: one. Guard the lava sea. Rampage ferociously. Only then could someone free her from the curse.

That was all.

But truly strange?

"...?"

The lava should've scorched skin and scales. But it wasn't hot. Beyond not hot—freezing cold.

"...!"

Like swimming in her longed-for imagined sea.

Deceptively so.

Aesthetics.

Heart of discernment. Beauty of beauty. Seeking beauty.

Path to beauty—gaudy, harsh, complex—doesn't matter. Grandfell would reach it somehow.

Like now.

Of course, bearing that stubbornness annoys me to no end. Still, I must advance. Even wielding the absurdity of cooling lava like seawater.

─Fulfill the Lava Siren's wish. (Success)

Zero Mountains peak, Dragon's Nest.

"......"

The ancient dragon slyly lifted an eyelid. Beautiful song from the mountains' heart. A siren.

"......"

The ancient dragon pondered. Indeed, my mother. World Tree, your choice was right.

Soon, it rose its massive body.

"Awaken from eternal slumber, kin."

The time has come.

"Dawn has arrived."