Chapter 137: The Sealed Truth Unveiled

“This is a bit much for a prank.”

The interior was filled with extravagant decorations.

Excluding the massive plaque in the center, the surroundings were filled with what looked like treasures, as if rewarding someone for their hard work.

Golden coins were grandly displayed.

There were also many items that appeared to be Magic Weapons.

Anyone who saw this would think it was the end of the Dungeon.

However, far from feeling proud, Rayrn only became more curious.

‘It could be a mimic.’

Ignoring the treasures provided as rewards, Rayrn walked toward the massive plaque.

“…It is an ancient language.”

The era referred to as ancient in this time was not actually that long ago.

It was generally considered to be the period before the founding of the Empire. Therefore, the ancient language had not been completely lost.

Quite a few nobles who prided themselves on being cultured had learned it.

‘Mastering the script itself is not that difficult.’

It was the same for Rayrn. Since many Magic Books were written in the ancient language, it would have been stranger if he did not know it.

He examined the content of the ancient script.

“It says this is an ancient training ground. Can you believe it?”

-…Are you asking me?

“Who else is there but you? What was the ancient era you saw like?”

-It was not particularly different.

Just because it was an ancient era did not mean it was an extraordinary time. On the contrary, the level of development was not that great.

‘It is common sense for the present to be superior to the past.’

However, if there was one thing that was superior.

“They did say that Magic was outstanding.”

It was only Magic.

And even then, it was about the stories of the Magic Tower, Under, when it decided to reveal itself. Now, Magic Tower Under was treated as something that only appeared in folklore.

‘It is also questionable whether it would even be strong if it revealed itself now.’

No matter how great a Magic Tower was, it had to attract people to maintain its legacy.

He did not know why they hid, but it was a ridiculous notion that they were unconditionally strong just because they were in hiding.

But in the ancient era where Magic was superior.

“Even if they insist on calling this place a training ground, it is closer to a warrior training center rather than one for a Ma Beop Sa.”

-I agree.

Creating a Dungeon for warriors in this manner? To gain what? To the point of even sealing it?

‘That makes no sense.’

The context did not fit at all. That was why Rayrn dared to call it a fraud.

‘There is no way this place is just a training center!’

The power etched here. The divine power.

None of it made sense if this was simply a training center.

They called it a training center and placed plausible treasures as rewards, but.

“If you refuse to show me until the very end, I will have to force you to show me.”

In his view, the real thing was somewhere else.

shhh—

-What are you doing?

“Just watch. It is going to be quite interesting.”

Rayrn crouched down and began to engrave a Magic Circle on the floor.

‘If it does not want to reveal its form, I should help it along.’

vroooom—

He gathered the surrounding Mana using a Jinbeop and engraved what he wanted using a Magic Circle.

The one thing he wanted was.

“…The truth.”

flash—

The Magic Circle began to emit a massive light. It was a light bright enough to cover everything in the vicinity.

“HARMONIZE!”

The moment Rayrn shouted.

rumble—

The plaque that stood before him began to twist.

The place called a training center and the many treasures that seemed to be rewards vanished.

‘A fake inside the truth.’

Considerable time passed as it twisted and melted.

When everything that had been flowing in gold like lava solidified and disappeared.

“Bingo!”

Instead of the plaque, a massive entrance appeared before Rayrn’s eyes.

“This is the real one. I suppose they want to see this through to the end.”

Rayrn took another step inside.

‘What was the reason for going to such lengths to hide it?’

Rayrn’s curiosity intensified.

The interior was different from before. There was no marble with elaborate carvings or well-made illusions.

It was a ruin.

At the center of those ruins stood a building that looked like a temple, so worn out that it appeared hideous.

It was incomparably shabby compared to the treasures shown just a moment ago. However, Rayrn felt even more admiration within it.

“It is incredibly dense.”

The hideous ruin was not what was important. What was inside mattered.

Even Rayrn could not tell what was scattering Mana to this extent. He had to see it for himself.

But.

“I guess it won’t be easy.”

slither slither—

Entities blocking Rayrn’s view began to slowly emerge.

Entities with substance that were on a different level than illusions.

-The test….

-Must be passed.

-For the final trial.

They blocked the path.

vroooom—

The Mana they emitted to stop Rayrn was by no means shallow. It was comparable to the Mana of a Five-Circle Ma Beop Sa.

Twelve such entities were scattering Mana before him.

Fire and water. Wind. Earth.

They were entities composed of a single attribute, similar to those of spirits.

“A type of homunculus.”

-…I will assist you. These wicked things.

Homunculus. One of the pinnacles of artificial life created through alchemy.

All entities created by a Ma Beop Sa using Mana were classified as homunculi.

Judging by the Fire Spirit’s rage, it was clearly an artificial lifeform made using a spirit as a base.

‘To be at this level.’

Rayrn felt a thrill as he looked at one of the pinnacles of Magic.

And to solve the curiosity he felt as well.

“I will find out exactly how you were made.”

vroooom—

He drew up his Mana.

“Let’s go.”

I will help.

crackle—

The surrounding Mana vibrated as the fourteen entities began to clash.

***

“Pant.”

Rayrn’s breath became ragged.

The artificial lifeforms created by drawing from attributes were stronger than he had imagined.

‘They didn’t just match the attributes, did they?’

It was common sense that fire and water would cancel each other out when mixed. The artificial lifeforms knew that common sense too.

Opposing attributes moved so as not to collide with one another.

Instead, they used attributes that harmonized. For example, fire and wind.

If a fire-attribute artificial lifeform rushed in, the wind attribute joined to increase the firepower.

They seemed to have been created under thorough calculations.

‘Truly top-tier. Amazing.’

Rayrn could not help but be impressed.

‘If the Shikigami in the Central Plains had been used like this, the landscape of the Murim might have changed.’

Since entering the Dungeon, he had raised his benchmarks for this world several times.

He had no choice. It was beyond his imagination. It was a Dungeon made with new concepts. It was too powerful to ignore.

The methods here were complex and superior to simply rushing in relying only on Aura.

crunch

In the middle of the ground rising up in uneven bumps.

“Whoops!”

boom!

Iron was mixed in. Iron bars! On the spearheads, sharpened as if to pierce anything instantly.

crackle—

White, incandescent electricity was leaking out. It was certain that anyone who tried to block them would be electrocuted.

“RESIST!”

Rayrn quickly cast an attribute resistance spell and asked.

“Were there spirits of that kind as well?”

-It is impossible for there not to be. However, they are a minority even in the Spirit Realm.

“They managed to catch them.”

-They must be insane.

“Perhaps.”

-We must kill them and set them free.

whoosh—

While helping Rayrn, the Fire Spirit expressed its anger without reservation.

A spirit was nature itself. The Fire Spirit was the same, so it showed rejection toward something created by artificially imprisoning a spirit.

It might be instinctive rejection and hatred.

It was certainly an impressive method. One could feel the madness.

‘What final trial? I think they have no intention of doing anything other than thoroughly killing whoever makes it to the end.’

The unrestrained madness meant to kill the opponent.

kaboom!

“…Crazy.”

It threatened him every second.

‘Heavenly Qi Movement! Jump! Haste!’

Rayrn raised his speed to the maximum, dodging all the madness.

He ascended into the air to observe the flow and constantly read the surroundings.

‘The power source is… the homunculus itself.’

Unlike the iron armor illusions, they were not entities that moved through Magic Circles. Therefore, he could not even find the Magic Stone that served as a power source.

Thus, destroying the power source was impossible.

‘In the end, I have to break them one by one.’

flare—

Rayrn calculated again even while dodging.

“To do that, I need an opening… hmm….”

It was a chain of attacks. Because it was sequential, there were no openings. They were also powerful.

If he tried to force an opening.

‘I will be the one hit.’

He could be wounded by a counterattack.

He was different from these artificial lifeforms made of attributes. If he suffered a fatal wound, his combat power would plummet no matter how much of a genius Rayrn was.

However, there was certainly something that could replace that.

‘That is the only way!’

A brilliant idea flashed through Rayrn’s mind.

flash!

“Hup!”

Even while moving his body, Rayrn immediately put his brilliant idea into action.

“Hey. How much power can you put out?”

-It will be as much as you help me.

“You said the output increases if we make a Contract, right?”

-Oh, is it finally a Contract? If it is a Contract at a time like this, I will have to make sure I get paid properly.

What a calculating spirit until the very end.

Rayrn swallowed his words and acted bold.

If even this calculating spirit said there were no openings, then he just had to create one from this side.

whoosh!

He neutralized the flying wind with his own Mana and asked.

“If I don’t Contract now, I won’t do it at all? Are you still going to insist on getting paid properly?”

-That is what a Contract is.

It was chaotic, but the Fire Spirit was adamant when it came to the Contract.

However.

“Then shall I just run away? And leave those things as they are?”

-A-ah, no!

Bingo.

As expected, there was an opening even for this calculating spirit.

“It is instinctive, right? You cannot leave such things behind, can you?”

-…Half of it is.

“Then how should the Contract be? Hmm?”

-…Let’s do it properly.

“No. You have to take a loss on this Contract.”

-You damn contractor. Fine. Let’s do it.

The moment permission was granted, Rayrn scattered Mana into the air.

A Ma Beop Sa’s Mana control meant the same as the level of a Will-Energy Harmful Person in the Murim. Tuning Mana according to one’s will was easy for a Ma Beop Sa.

Especially when the Neigong of the Danjeon was scattered together!

shhh—

It was possible for the Mana to draw a Magic Circle in the air as if it had a will of its own.

The Magic Circle being drawn meant one thing.

“It is a Spirit Contract Circle.”

-Here I go!

It was for the Contract!

vroooom—

The Fire Spirit, which had become a massive flame, jumped into the Magic Circle.

There was no need for time for resonance, tuning for the Contract, or asking for each other’s opinions.

‘Because we are practically already unified!’

Even if they had spent their time calculating, a long time had passed since their fates intertwined.

The Contract.

“I proceed with the Contract. The price is my Mana.”

-My price is to be your strength.

“Established.”

-Good.

It was established in an instant. Although somewhat informal, the established Contract was definitely fulfilled.

vroooom—

The Mana of the Magic Circle was instantly amplified. The Magic Circle, converted to the fire attribute, had all its Mana absorbed by the spirit in an instant.

At that moment, the absorbed Mana etched a seal.

The seal etched between the spirit and Rayrn connected them to each other.

-I am overflowing.

“Not bad.”

The Contract between the two entities—the one the spirit had long awaited and the one Rayrn had pushed back for a long time—was established.

In this world, it was a Contract described as the etching of soul to soul.

As the price of that Contract.

“…Let’s let it all out.”

-As much as you want.

Rayrn, equipped with new power, wielded a massive force.