Chapter 71: The Fake World of Valles

Evan and Darwen were filled with various thoughts as they took in the landscape unfolding before their eyes.

‘How is this possible?’

They had definitely descended underground and ventured deep along the corridor below.

After opening every door, they finally reached the end.

A square in the heart of Valles.

But it was just the starting point.

They had somehow ended up back where they first entered.

“Young Master, it seems that the last door had some kind of special magical mechanism. Because of that trap mechanism, we were sent back to the original location.”

“Is that so? But still…”

Evan scanned the square carefully.

No one was around; the place was as silent as a tomb.

Something felt off.

“Young Master, let’s head back for now. I’ll be more careful and deactivate the trap mechanism next time.”

Darwen turned around and went back into the Bell Tower.

Though Evan felt something strange, he decided to follow Darwen’s lead for the time being.

Upon entering the Bell Tower, Darwen stood there, looking blank.

“Is something wrong? Is there a problem?” Evan approached him and asked.

“Y-Young Master, this is strange! The underground entrance we came through is gone!”

Only then did Evan look around inside the Bell Tower.

“What the… Why is there nothing here?”

The interior was ordinary, unlike before.

The walls had no runes etched into them anymore.

And just as Darwen said, the entrance leading underground was nowhere to be found.

Evan approached the spot where the underground entrance had been and crouched down.

He probed the floor with his hands, tapping and feeling around.

“It’s just bare ground…”

“Step aside. If the entrance is blocked, we can just make a new one.”

Darwen cast Fire Bolt.

Whoosh!

The fireball flew toward the floor where the entrance used to be.

Boom!

A small explosion caused the ground to cave in.

But there was no passageway, just a normal pit.

Normally, the underground entrance should have been revealed.

“What… what is going on? Why is there nothing?”

Darwen started to panic.

Evan calmed him down.

“Let’s get out of here first. If, as the Marquess said, we’ve been returned to the original entrance, it’s possible that all the sealing devices have reactivated.”

“Hmm, true. That could be the case. Alright.”

Darwen followed Evan out of the Bell Tower.

The square was eerily quiet.

No, all of Valles felt silent.

This was impossible.

Knights should have been scattered throughout Valles preventing any acts of terror.

Noticing the growing sense of unease, Darwen asked Evan,

“Doesn’t something feel off?”

“Yes. Actually, I felt something strange from the very beginning.”

There was no doubt they were in Valles.

The buildings and decorations lining the square left no room for doubt.

Yet, not a single living soul was sensed anywhere.

“Marquess, let’s first check the temples in the east, west, south, and north.”

Evan took out the Sword of Jormungand’s Fang from his inventory and gripped it tightly.

Darwen prepared himself to use magic at a moment’s notice.

***

The deserted streets of Valles were empty of any life.

Darwen, stroking his beard, muttered, “No matter how I think about it, this place is strange. Not a single person to be seen. This makes no sense.”

Evan nodded.

“Marquess, I’ve been thinking. Could it be that we’ve already passed beyond that door and entered another world?”

“Another world beyond the door? You mean, this is a different realm?”

“Yes. Otherwise, we can’t explain the current situation. And the sealing device in the underground passage we came through keeps nagging at me.”

Darwen snapped his fingers.

“That’s right! How could I have forgotten? There was a fake statue, exactly like the real one.”

If you consider the undeciphered hieroglyphics they’d found, everything points to a single conclusion.

“A similar but different world. Real and fake… Could it be that this is a replicated fake world?”

Evan added, “It seems the last door was the entrance to the fake world.”

“Yes. That makes sense.”

As the mystery began to unravel, Darwen’s eyes lit up.

“This is a great discovery—an artifact from ancient times. To recreate a world identical to the real one. Ancient technology truly is incredible.”

His curiosity as an archaeologist was sparked.

This entire ordeal was a treasure trove of research material for him.

“Wait a moment. I need to record all of this.”

Darwen raised one hand.

The ring on his finger flashed brightly.

Thunk!

Several scrolls spilled onto the floor.

Evan gave him a look that said, I can’t stop him.

Then Evan spotted something.

“Marquess!”

He called out, pointing ahead.

“Hmm? What is it?”

Darwen lifted his gaze toward where Evan pointed.

There, they saw figures in black robes moving somewhere.

Evan knew exactly who they were.

There was no one else who could have come here but them.

“They look like Nervan Cultists. Let’s follow them.”

Evan started to give chase.

“W-Wait a moment!”

Darwen pocketed his scrolls and followed Evan.

***

Darwen and Evan were tailing the Nervan Cultists.

They hurriedly moved somewhere.

“I wonder what they’re looking for,” Evan said.

Darwen nodded.

“If it’s something hidden here, it must be beyond anything we can imagine. I’m worried if we can even get out of here safely.”

“No, we must stop them at all costs.”

“Heh, I hope so…”

As Evan and Darwen spoke, the Nervan Cultists suddenly stopped.

They stood in a large clearing paved with smooth stones.

“This place…”

Evan recalled.

It was the square located north of the central Valles plaza.

Street vendors and bards performed here.

Evan had seen it occasionally while passing near the Marquisate estate.

“Why have they come here?”

Evan summoned the Map Window to check if anything was hidden at this location.

‘The center is the same as Valles, so I’ll use it as a reference…’

He gauged their current position.

Then something caught his eye.

‘A prison?’

At that moment, Darwen tapped Evan’s shoulder.

“Focus, Young Master. They’re starting something.”

Evan closed the Map Window and watched the Nervan Cultists.

Three of them touched the ground, feeling around.

Then one bit his finger, drew blood, and let it drip onto the floor.

Flash!

A large magic circle began forming on the ground.

At the same time, divine power was released from their bodies.

It was an incomprehensible sight.

The Nervan Cultists Evan had encountered before wielded dark, evil power.

How were they now using divine power?

“What’s going on? Those guys should have evil magic.”

Darwen agreed.

“I thought Magia and Holy Power were incompatible, mutually antagonistic. I have no idea what’s going on.”

Evan started drawing Aura.

“Marquess, we have to step in and stop them.”

“Understood. I’ll provide support from the rear.”

Evan wrapped Aura around himself, focusing on strengthening his arms and legs.

He opened his inventory and pulled out chains he’d bought beforehand from a shop.

[Grade: F]
[Category: Miscellaneous]
[Durability: 4/4]
[Effect: Can be attached to weapons.]
[Notes: Mainly used by hunters.]

Evan wrapped the chains tightly around his arm, connecting the end to the pommel of his sword.

‘I’m not sure if this will work.’

He gripped the sword with one hand as tightly as he could.

Then Evan activated a newly acquired skill.

Sharpshooter Skill has been activated.

An auxiliary skill that guarantees 100% accuracy on ranged attacks.

Evan opened his eyes wide and threw his sword at the target with all his might.

Swaaaash!

The chains unwound from his arm as the sword flew straight like an arrow.

Whoosh!

It struck the closest cultist.

“Graaah!”

The man screamed as the sword pierced his back.

At the same time, Evan yanked on the chains, using the momentum to surge forward toward the cultists.

[Blow has been activated.]

[From now, all strikes are amplified proportionally to the number of hits.]

[Fighter’s Spirit has been activated.]

[Stamina consumption is reduced by 50% for 15 minutes.]

[Strength and endurance temporarily increased by 50% while Aura is active.]

Closing the distance in an instant, Evan used his skills first.

Then he yanked on the chains connecting to the sword.

Whoosh!

The sword was pulled free and returned to Evan.

A strange idea flashed in Evan’s mind.

He readjusted his grip on the sword and began slashing at the Nervan Cultists.

Shing!

“Ugh!”

“Intruder! Stop him quickly!”

The Nervan Cultists belatedly realized the ambush and charged at Evan.

Crackle!

But before they could reach him, they were roasted by lightning.

Darwen was providing supporting fire from behind.

Seeing the cultists fall instantly, they hastened their efforts.

Meanwhile, Evan kept dealing with the heretics.

Soon, only one remained.

“You’re the last one.”

Evan ended it with a single blow.

The situation was resolved more easily than expected.

‘Something’s off. They shouldn’t fall this easily…’

Evan looked down at the sprawled Nervan Cultists.

Then he suddenly realized something.

‘Wait. The quest hasn’t been completed?’

At that moment, Darwen shouted from behind.

“Young Master! They’re still alive! Look behind you!”

Evan turned around and saw the cultists, wounded by the sword, already fully healed and activating the magic circle again.

“Damn it!”

Evan tried to move and slash them again but it was too late.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Light poured out from the magic circle.

From the floor, a huge cage-like prison rose upward.

[The chosen one, Agarrus, has been released from eternal bonds.]

Inside the cage was a middle-aged man with brown skin and short black hair.

As he slowly opened his eyes, gray irises were revealed.

The fallen Nervan Cultists rose to their feet again.

Evan had no choice but to step back.

“Young Master, I’ve been watching from behind, and they don’t die!”

Darwen approached Evan and explained what he had witnessed.

“They don’t die… Marquess, this is going to be harder than we thought. And they’ve managed to awaken that one.”

Evan pointed at the brown-skinned middle-aged man.

But Darwen showed a surprised expression.

“What? Brown skin, gray eyes. Isn’t he a Lamakrian? Awakening him was just… that?”

“Huh?”

“You might not know, but long before the Lupes Royal Family came to power, various kingdoms existed on this land. According to records, this land originally belonged to the Lamakria people. Even now, you can see Lamakrians scattered throughout the kingdom.”

Listening to Darwen’s explanation, Evan turned back to look at the middle-aged man.

Agarrus smiled slyly, baring his teeth.

All the cultists immediately prostrated themselves before him.

Agarrus slowly spoke.

“The time has come. I, King Agarrus, shall fulfill my promise to you all.”

His body began to be covered in runes.

Then, [Main Quest has been updated.]

[Main Quest: Crisis of the Kerten Marquisate III has begun.]

A new quest window appeared before Evan’s eyes.