The Black Temple Opens

Luden decided to put the Party System on hold for now.

Even if he'd wanted to examine it right away, with no registered party members there was little he could actually learn. Accepting Ruka or Sara as party members might reveal something, but that wasn't a decision to make lightly. Better to watch a while longer and dig into the details once he actually had a party.

And beyond the Party System, Luden had other things to check.

"Alright. Let's settle up, then."

Inside the small hut the Black Wolf Tribe had provided for him, Luden wore an expression of considerable anticipation.

Finally. The time had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠come to check the rewards he'd kept putting off. This quest in particular had been grueling, which meant the rewards had to be good — his expectations couldn't help but climb.

"Growth Elixirs and skill books first."

Luden chose elixirs that would raise his lacking attributes. Since Intermediate Growth Elixirs had limits on which stats they could boost, he planned to bring his attributes into balance.

Gulp.

Closing his eyes and focusing on the changes sweeping through his body, Luden smiled with satisfaction. At this point, he felt he could fight Drag even without using items. Though winning was another matter entirely.

The skill, on the other hand, was disappointing. A skill that, true to its name, let him dodge attacks with a certain probability. It looked a lot like Counter, which he'd obtained long ago and never once used — honestly, it felt like a dud.

"Shame, but I've still got the Unique left."

The main reward was still waiting. Feeling a flicker of tension, Luden opened the Unique box.

"Change Ring?"

It looked like an ordinary ring. A plain gold band with no special engraving or ornamentation whatsoever — so unremarkable that he doubted it had really come from a quest reward.

But Luden didn't despair yet. This was a Unique item, after all. The same grade as his trusty Inventory Pocket. There was no way it was truly just a plain ring.

"Hmmm. Kind of ambiguous."

Luden's expression was noncommittal. He hadn't tried it yet, but judging by the effect alone, it didn't look all that great. And fair enough — not even a full transformation, just parts of one's appearance. What was he supposed to do with that?

Granted, it would come in handy for a criminal or anyone who needed to hide their identity, but Luden didn't foresee much use for it himself.

"I've already got the Robe of Concealment, too. I'll shelve this one for now."

Maybe his expectations had simply been too high. A tinge of disappointment crept in, but he was sure it would prove useful someday.

And so, having checked every reward from the quest, Luden finally allowed himself a real rest.

Life in the Black Wolf Tribe revolved almost entirely around hunting. From securing food to gathering everything else they needed, it all came from the Wolf Forest.

On his first day staying in the village, Luden — at Kyle's invitation — had tagged along on one of the tribe's hunts, and before he knew it, he was nodding to himself.

"No wonder they struggled."

In his previous life, the Black Wolf Tribe had held out against Bern's offensive for nearly half a year despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered. Back then he'd assumed it was simply because every last one of them was strong, but seeing the truth with his own eyes, he realized that wasn't the whole story.

They were cold, calculating hunters. The cunning to dig traps for their prey, the patience to wait for the right moment, and lightning-fast judgment of any situation. As far as Luden knew, no hunter alive surpassed the Black Wolf Tribe.

And he had walked into the Wolf Forest — practically their own front yard — on his own two feet, to face them. The man had some nerve, that was for sure.

During his stay in the village, Luden watched and learned how they hunted in the forest. He'd picked up basic tracking and trapping before, but the tribe's techniques were on another level entirely. Experience had taught him that knowledge like this always paid off. And since he had nothing pressing to do anyway, Luden joined every hunt the tribe set out on.

The chieftain's summons came five days later.

"The time has come. Tonight, we depart for the Black Temple."

"Tonight. Understood."

"Some of our tribe's finest will guide you there. But as you know, you must enter it alone."

"Of course."

Among the Black Wolf Tribe, entering the Black Temple was strictly forbidden. They called it a discipline, but even Vargar, the chieftain himself, didn't know the reason behind it. All anyone knew was that it was a rule handed down from the distant past.

When night fell, Luden finished his preparations and emerged.

"Luden. We will guide you to the Black Temple."

The guides were six Black Wolf Tribe warriors, including Kyle, who had grown close to Luden during his stay. Six men just to show him the way. And every one of them carried a weapon.

Something's up, isn't it?

Luden didn't know much about the Black Temple. The ancient dungeon discovered in the forest after the war between Bern and the Black Wolf Tribe had once set the mercenary world abuzz, but he'd never actually been there. So he had no idea what had Kyle and the others so tense.

"The forest at night — you won't see a hand in front of your face. Will you be alright?"

"That's not a problem."

The moment the skill activated, his darkened vision brightened to broad daylight.

"We can move out."

"Understood. Let's go."

The Black Wolf Tribe, blessed with keen night vision, tore through the forest without hesitation, and Luden — his sight secured by the skill — followed close behind.

How far had they traveled? Just as he was thinking they'd come quite a distance from the village, the warriors ahead came to a halt.

"Here it is."

"So that's..."

Luden swallowed at the sight of the temple before them. Built atop the swamp, it appeared pitch-black even through Owl's Eye, lending it an all the more alien, unsettling presence.

So that was the Black Temple. Luden found himself staring at it, tension creeping across his face.

"The gates of the Black Temple open only on nights of the full moon. Wait a moment, and they will open soon enough."

Just as Kyle said, before long a grinding rumble sounded and the temple's gates swung open. In that instant, Luden flinched, his body shuddering at the spine-chilling aura pouring out of the Black Temple.

"Ugh. What is that?"

"The Mana of Madness. When the temple's gates open, that mana flows outward and drives the monsters nearby into a frenzy."

Kyle explained it calmly, but even he was furrowing his brow, clearly affected by the mana. Luden's expression wasn't much better. An indescribably unpleasant sensation seemed to crawl up his entire body.

"Luden, get inside the temple, quickly. The monsters drunk on the Mana of Madness will come swarming."

At those words, Luden steeled himself and set his foot toward the temple.

And at the very same moment—

Grroooowl.

Kyaaaaaaah—!

Monsters howled from every direction.

"Pay them no mind — go! We will hold the line!"

So that was why so many had come. They meant to hold the path open so Luden could enter the temple. Then he had no choice but to trust them.

"Thank you!"

"May fortune go with you."

Squelch, squelch.

Racing across the swamp, Luden made straight for the temple at full speed. Behind him he could hear the monsters' shrieks and the clash of the Black Wolf Tribe's battle, but he didn't look back. He'd spent days living alongside these people and seen with his own two eyes just how strong they were. So he ran, eyes forward, without a trace of worry.

At last, he reached the temple's entrance.

Grind.

With a rough, grating sound, the gates of the Black Temple closed behind him.

Fwoosh.

The torches hanging on the walls lit themselves one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after another, illuminating the corridor. It was almost as if they were showing him the way.

Luden frowned without quite meaning to.

"I can't feel that Mana of Madness in here at all, can I?"

The mana that had been so thick outside vanished entirely the moment he stepped into the temple. Strange, considering the Mana of Madness was supposed to flow out from this very place. Somehow, it left him with an uneasy, creeping feeling.

"It's different from what I heard, that's for sure."

In his previous life, the Black Temple had been cleared by a nameless mercenary company. They'd been tasked with exploring the Wolf Forest after the war between Bern and the Black Wolf Tribe ended, and had stumbled upon the Black Temple in the course of their survey.

They'd said the Black Temple was no different from any ordinary dungeon. Traps and beast-type monsters lined the path into the temple's interior, with the reward waiting at its very heart — nothing special, they claimed. Given the caliber of those mercenaries at the time, it couldn't have been a particularly difficult dungeon, which was exactly why Luden had decided to challenge it alone.

And naturally, nowhere in their account was there any mention of a Mana of Madness.

Two possibilities came to mind. Either they'd spread false information to hide the truth, or something had changed compared to his previous life.

"The Black Temple's hidden treasure was definitely a potion that cures all manner of curses and poisons."

Silver Blood.

A legendary miracle elixir, said to rival the mythical Elixir itself in its power to heal every disease. Rumors had a way of inflating things, so perhaps it wasn't quite that miraculous — but there was no doubt it was worth a fortune.

Luden's goal was to get his hands on the Silver Blood hidden within the Black Temple.

"Nothing for it but to go see."

"Well, that's a first."

Letting out a sigh, Luden pressed on down the single available path. The torchlight stretched on and on, tracing the long corridor ahead. It wasn't especially wide, and he walked carefully, eyes sweeping his surroundings.

The trouble came about five minutes in.

Thwang!

A hole suddenly opened in the wall, and an arrow came shooting out. Before his mind could even process it, Luden dropped low on pure reflex.

"So that's the kind of traps they've prepared."

Manageable enough, at this level.

Then, without warning, something dropped from the ceiling.

Boom!

It had been a matter of inches. Luden flung himself aside in a flash, and glancing back, he saw a thick iron grate embedded in the floor where he'd been standing. A heartbeat slower, and that would have been the end of him.

"So that's how they want to play it."

The corner of Luden's mouth curled upward. The dungeons he would have to clear ahead were far more dangerous than this — places where one careless step could genuinely cost him his life. He needed far more preparation than he had now. In that sense, the Black Temple would make excellent practice.

He was still thinking exactly that when something else appeared ahead of him.

Grroooowl.

What emerged, snarling low in its throat, was a monster that resembled a wolf.

An Inferno Wolf.

A body at least three times the size of an ordinary wolf, and eyes glowing a burning red. The beast, which breathed flame instead of air, threw its jaws wide open without warning and spat a torrent of fire.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

With nowhere to dodge the flames, Luden's eyes went wide as he hastily yanked a shield from his Inventory Pocket.

"Ghh."

The shield glowed red-hot, searing heat radiating through it. He fought down the urge to hurl the thing away and waited for the flames to die down.

Whine.

The instant the fire finally stopped, Luden discarded the shield and lunged at the Inferno Wolf. The beast opened its jaws again, trying to spew another gout of flame—

"Not a chance!"

Slamming his foot into the ground with all his strength, Luden closed the distance in a single bound and drove his sword straight into the beast's open maw. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flame it hadn't managed to release swirled inside its mouth, and a piteous shriek rang out through the corridor. But Luden pressed tight against the thrashing Inferno Wolf and drove the blade in even deeper.

The light faded from the wolf's red eyes, and its massive body crashed to the floor with a heavy thud.

Flicking the blood from his blade, Luden's eyes gleamed.

"Next. Come on out."