Chapter 34: Everlast Ruins

‘Did Guardians ever have romance events among themselves?’

Of course, that never happened in the original.

But judging by how things are going, it doesn’t seem entirely impossible either.

Once the event revealing Tirvaen’s identity happens soon, and Karls has his reunion event with his father, maybe then…

‘Ah, whatever!’

It’s not important right now, is it?

It’s not even my romance, after all.

Whether they set up flags or not, I focused on finding the Dungeon and set out.

After passing through the residential areas of Aurax’s citizens, at the edge of the undeveloped district, the entrance to the Dungeon stood.

This is exactly… the

‘Tomb Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom.’

Through the tangled undergrowth, I spotted the entrance to the hidden ruins.

Drawing my longsword from my belt, I hacked away at the brush and pressed deeper inside.

The entrance leading underground was damp and pitch-dark.

It looked old and precarious, as if to prove how many years had passed.

‘But this is the honey Dungeon every Newbie in the Revolutionary Army Camp has to clear.’

Still, actually facing the Dungeon with its gaping black maw, like the entrance to hell, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

…No, maybe a lot.

“Ahem.”

Steeling myself, I slowly stepped downwards.

Step, step.

Fortunately, some magic lights still flickered here and there, so I didn’t need to light a torch.

But it was still dark, and if I wasn’t careful, I could easily tumble down the stairs.

“High mountains, deep valleys… silent land. Snow-covered front lines… hm?”

For some reason, I found myself humming a military song, then suddenly stopped.

The stairs had ended.

And in the darkness, a new sight appeared.

“Wow…”

It was a massive doorway.

A towering metal door, easily as tall as a four- or five-story apartment building.

This was the entrance to the Main Hall, the true heart of the Tomb Ruins of the Ancient Kingdom.

‘Should I try opening it?’

A dangerous curiosity flickered for a moment, but I dismissed it right away.

It probably wouldn’t open anyway, but even if it did, Guardians with an average level of 70 would be wandering beyond.

Unless I was Marquis Reith, there was no way I could break through the Main Hall course.

“Instead, my path is this way.”

I turned my gaze to another door lost in the darkness.

Compared to the grand Main Hall entrance, it looked utterly shabby, but it was still a big door, about three meters tall.

What lay beyond that was the route I’d be tackling this time.

‘Tomb Ruins’ Sealed Passage.’

If I cleared this Dungeon under the hidden conditions, I could obtain two rewards.

[Dungeon Clear Rewards]

• B-Rank Equipment Selection Ticket

[Special Clear Rewards]

-Encounter with Ancient Divinity

-Blessing of Ancient Divinity (choose 1)

Naturally, the latter was the real highlight.

They were the so-called ‘Guardian Stars,’ ancient Divinities from ages long past.

‘Were they supposed to guard the ancestral tablets of ancient kings here?’

In the distant past, now faded even from history.

In the Everlast Kingdom, there were said to be five Guardian Saints.

The Saint of Light and Darkness.

The Saint of Spear and Sword.

The Saint of Bow and Wheel.

The Saint of Dog and Wolf.

The Saint of Shield and Flame.

They were known in short as the Saint of Light and Darkness, Saint of Spear and Sword, Saint of Bow and Wheel, Saint of Dog and Wolf, and Saint of Shield and Flame — these ancient Divinities.

They were a completely different kind of gods from those who now maintained faith and orders across the continent.

‘No, maybe it’s better to call them rivals.’

It seemed the old gods and the current gods simply couldn’t coexist.

The proof was right here.

The five Guardian Saints sleeping in these ruins normally do not appear.

Only when certain conditions are met do they activate and appear as a Dungeon.

‘That’s when the power of the two temples above weakens.’

In other words, when the Divine Power of the Eolem Grand Church and Kishiris Grand Cathedral is diminished.

Only then do the five Guardian Saints of the ancient kingdom appear here in the Dungeon.

And the ‘Rite of the Crimson Wind’ scheduled for tomorrow is exactly the trigger.

To control the hunting grounds used in the ritual, both temples need to expend a considerable amount of Divine Power.

So right now is the time when the five sleeping Guardian Saints become active.

‘If I had gone the mage route, I’d have chosen the Saint of Light and Darkness without a second thought. But since I’m a Gladiator, I should go for the Saint of Spear and Sword.’

The Saint of Light and Darkness grants a Blessing that helps with magic effects.

The Saint of Spear and Sword grants a Blessing that increases physical attack and defense.

These Blessings of the Saints, unlike a god’s blessing, don’t require faith to maintain.

As long as certain conditions are met, you can continue to benefit from them.

And in the Tomb Ruins’ Sealed Passage, the condition is ‘under level 30.’

In other words, until I reach level 31, no matter where I am or what I do, I can keep the Blessing of the Saint.

‘But only one Blessing.’

This Dungeon can only be entered once.

So I only get one shot at the Blessing.

That’s why, even after deciding on the Saint of Spear and Sword, my head was still a mess.

‘Honestly, the Saint of Dog and Wolf or the Saint of Shield and Flame aren’t bad either.’

Still, I should focus on physical offense and defense for now.

Strong attack power and solid defense.

That’s the fundamental requirement for a Gladiator, so I’ll stick to the basics.

“Whew!”

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle of the door to the Sealed Passage.

‘Will I be able to do this?’

Come to think of it, this was my first real battle.

When I leveled up to 9 by hunting Goblins, Karls and Tirvaen carried me, so I hadn’t really fought myself.

Even dueling Marquis Reith to break through the Special Knights was a different matter from a life-or-death fight.

I knew from the start that the Marquis wouldn’t kill me.

‘The time I robbed the Shadow Market and escaped?’

I didn’t even draw my sword properly then.

I just used skill combos to take down Black Society Underlings and escape.

And now I’m here.

A nagging question.

Will I really be able to do this?

Can I survive this Dungeon?

Instead of answering myself, I gripped the handle tight and pushed the door open.

Creeeak.

The heavy door swung open, and a faint light began to spill out from within.

‘Can I really do this?’

…What a spoiled question.

A few days of sleeping in a soft, warm bed must have made me soft in the head.

Asking myself if I can do it is just a pointless question.

‘I have to.’

Just shut up and do it.

Going alone into a pitch-black Dungeon like this?

If not today, I’d have to do it someday.

And this is exactly what is—a game, and what I always did in front of my monitor.

The only difference is that now, instead of a mouse and keyboard, I have to do it with my own two hands.

That’s all that’s changed.

I’m still the same great gamer.

“Hoo!”

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the Dungeon.

Alright, let’s go.

[You have discovered a new Dungeon!]

[You have entered the Dungeon ‘Tomb Ruins’ Sealed Passage.’]

[This is your only chance to enter! Good luck!]

[Dungeon Objective: Defeat as many enemies as possible]

Inside, the Dungeon was lit by magical lights, but they were spaced far apart, so it was still quite dark.

If I just wandered around, I’d trigger every hidden trap and end up a pincushion full of arrows.

So I took out a torch.

Not just any smoky torch, but a torch imbued with magic.

[Consumable] A torch crafted by an artisan’s hand, imbued with magic. With only a small amount of mana, it shines a bright light far into the distance.

Simply put, it’s an extremely powerful flashlight.

How did I get this?

‘…Of course, I bought it with gold.’

The reason Karls struggled so much to avoid the city guards was because I had so much to buy.

Thanks, buddy!

Feeling grateful to Karls, I slowly moved forward.

Normally, a ‘Dungeon’ consists of three elements.

Maze, traps, Guardians.

The maze in the ‘Tomb Ruins’ Sealed Passage’ wasn’t much of a maze.

Since it’s an Instance Dungeon whose layout is set when the player enters, even I couldn’t memorize its map…

‘But the structure itself is very simple.’

A wide corridor stretched straight ahead, and while I occasionally had to detour, it was never far.

It was so simple that it was hard to get lost even if you wanted to.

But…

‘That just means the other two elements are much tougher.’

First, the traps.

Along the simple path, various trap triggers were installed.

Pressure-sensitive floor plates.

Wire triggers that activate when cut.

And magic circles that react to movement and activate with mana.

Those were the three types.

Looking at the cleverly camouflaged arrow trap on the floor, I thought,

‘The Dungeon’s Guardians come later…’

Should I try triggering these first?

The reason I’m deliberately triggering traps I don’t have to?

That’s because I have to clear this Dungeon under special conditions.

Only then can I meet the ancient Guardian Stars and receive the ‘Special Clear Reward.’

The condition is this:

[Spill blood on every trap]

It sounds a bit gruesome, but that’s the hidden objective I have to fulfill.

‘Defeating as many enemies as possible is a given.’

Only then can I get a perfect score and unlock the hidden room.

The room where the five Guardian Saints are.

So I had to deliberately trigger every trap here, while skillfully avoiding fatal wounds.

Gulp.

Swallowing dryly, I lightly placed my foot on the pressure plate.

‘Can I do this?’

Just as that stupid thought crept up again,

“…Just do it!”

Shouting at myself, I pressed down on the plate.

At the same time, I activated a skill.

[Evasion Skill: Gale Commission]

Ping!

With a sharp sound, an arrow shot from my left front.

But by then, I had already twisted my body halfway out of the way.

Even I was surprised by how quick my reaction was.

Of course, that was thanks to the skill ‘Gale Commission’ I had just activated.

It wasn’t a perfect dodge.

Fwit!

The arrow grazed my thigh and vanished into the darkness.

“Gah!”

A searing pain hit me a moment later, and I hurriedly grabbed the wound.

Bright red blood spurted from the long gash.

“Potion!”

I opened my inventory and poured a red Potion over the wound.

The unfamiliar pain made my hands shake.

Fortunately, the wound healed in an instant, not even leaving a scar.

“Haa…”

Dazed for a moment, I shivered in the darkness.

There are about a hundred traps in this Dungeon.

‘I have to do this a hundred times?’

Who was that idiot who said just do it a moment ago?

You try it, jerk!

I’m the one doing it here, damn it!

…Ugh, feels like my mind is splitting apart.

Anyway, I got back up.

The pain was shocking, but the Potion healed it.

The first time is always the hardest—once you repeat it, you get used to it.

A sense of confidence bloomed in my heart.

‘Gale Commission. Not bad at all.’

This new skill was better than I’d expected.

[Evasion Skill] Temporarily entrust your body to the flow of wind, sharply raising your senses and physical abilities to evade danger. Can be used again after 15 seconds.

‘Yeah, I’m starting to get a feel for it.’

The skills granted by cards also feel like a part of my own power.

That’s what I’m starting to sense.

I need to get even more used to using this power itself.

Not just the pros and cons of each skill, but the flow, timing, details…

‘I need to grasp all of that and factor it into my calculations.’

I need to be able to use skills as naturally as my own limbs.

‘If I do, I’ll be far stronger than when I used them clumsily before.’

It’s just like learning to use a tool properly.

‘The three new C-Rank Mercenary Gladiator skills.’

And Haewoo Swordsmanship too.

I need to make all of them truly mine.

“…Alright.”

I stared into the depths of the dark Dungeon.

Let’s really get started now.