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Chapter 87

“Go ahead and search.”

Charlotte quickly ran off, her steps lively.

“And she talks to me about greed. Seriously.”

On the other hand, Thesaya had a look of indifference.

Ian commented as he moved, “It seems you’re not interested in weapons. The adjudicator we met used them quite well.”

“I find them uncomfortable. I don’t want to use them. It seems I didn’t handle weapons even when I was just a fairy.”

“I can’t imagine a fairy not knowing how to handle weapons...”

Ian thought of the fairies in the games. They were arrogant and at the same time cruel, especially toward other races other than humans. The derogatory terms he knew for various races, like a dumpy who only knows about hammering metal, the stinky aspiring demons, and the money-grubbing snob, were mostly learned from fairies.

“Well, it’s up to you.”

Ian glanced at the various weapons on display as he walked. Although they were supposed to be ancient artifacts, some of them, upon checking their stats, turned out to have durability worn down. Still, their original performance exceeded that of many items from this era.

It seems that the technology of this era might have been more advanced than right now, excluding the Empire.

After all, it wasn’t unusual for civilizations to decline over time in the history of the world. It probably was even more common in a world riddled with countless wars. It wouldn’t be strange if the civilization of an ancient kingdom that once flourished was comparable to the current empire. Otherwise, the artifacts in the game wouldn’t possess such exceptional stats. There would be no reason for the Empire’s engineers and mages to study ancient spells or technology.

“...Huh.”

Ian stopped in his tracks when he spotted a dagger on a stand. Unlike the others, its blade was pristine, its edge seemingly alive. The blade surface shimmered with a strange pattern. Ian grabbed its handle, which seemed to be made of some dark bone.

A stat window appeared. It was an Ancient Meteoric Dagger. Although it was a rare grade artifact with no special enchantments, its attack power and durability were exceptionally high with bonuses to durability reduction and a chance to destroy equipment upon hitting. It also had an unrepairable option, a common penalty for artifacts.

Excellent.

After realizing it didn’t fit in his current dagger sheath, Ian quickly stored the Meteoric Dagger in his pocket dimension. Though he didn’t find anything else particularly striking, Ian’s mood lightened. Acquiring a decent piece of equipment was enough of a gain for him.

“I found something useful, Ian.”

It wasn’t long before Charlotte approached, holding a large single-edged ax in both hands.

“It suits you, kitty. Looks absolutely brutish.” Thesaya mocked.

Charlotte snorted, “Such a dismal taste typical of those pointy-eared.”

Charlotte then offered the ax to Ian. The ax was as heavy as it looked. The wide, long blade extended downward, covering more than half of the handle, providing ample protection for the wielder\'s hand. The handle was entirely metal.

“Hmm.”

Surprisingly, this item also had stats available. It was a rare-grade Ancient Craftsman\'s Battle Axe with incredibly high attack power and even provided a defense bonus despite being a weapon.

Its durability was naturally high, and it even had a durability restoration option. Upon closer inspection, ancient runes carved along the handle were visible, indicating a type of spell that absorbed ambient magical power to function, eliminating the need for a magic stone.

“Isn’t it splendid?” Charlotte asked, her eyes shining.

Ian shrugged, “It’s too heavy for me.”

“Is that so...?”

Just as Charlotte’s ears drooped slightly,

“It seems more suited for you than for me,” Ian added, looking at her.

Charlotte looked puzzled at the suggestion. Charlotte blinked in surprise, and Ian gestured toward her empty scabbard.

“Since one of your swords broke anyway. If you can handle it, use it.”

“Really...”

Charlotte, holding the ax Ian handed her, looked down at it with an expression of disbelief, as if she hadn’t expected this at all. Then, holding the handle with one hand, she swung the ax to the side. It seemed heavy even for her, but perhaps that was exactly why she liked it. Smiling like a child who got a new toy, she suddenly looked back at Ian.

“Is it really okay for me to have something so precious?”

“If I kept it, I wouldn’t use it anyway. If you don’t use it, I’d just sell it. Would you rather have the money?”

“Of course not...”

Her grip tightened on the ax’s handle, her furry hand filled with strength. With a promise in her eyes, Charlotte said, “I’ll do my best from now on, Ian.”

“Unbelievable... Only that beast gets a gift.” Thesaya sighed.

“Luck tends to favor those who least expect it.”

Charlotte, with the ax slung over her shoulder, casually passed by her. Her short tail flicked. Thesaya glared at her back and then suddenly turned her head.

“I’ve changed my mind, Ian. Maybe I want to find something here too...”

Her voice trailed off as the light sources around them dimmed suddenly.

Rumble—

A low vibration seemed to spread from afar, causing dust to fall from the palace ceiling. The tremor subsided, and the area was softly illuminated again.

Thesaya, frozen in place, turned her eyes back to Ian.

“Could this be?”

“We’ve been too relaxed.” Ian, with a deadpan expression, quickly turned around.

***

Returning to the audience chamber, the group immediately entered a dim passage. With no knowledge of where it led, they had no choice but to rely on torches to move forward. As it turned out, there were no other paths.

Rumble—

The low vibrations, like the stirring of an abyss, continued intermittently, raising doubts about whether the underground palace and passages might collapse. This uncertainty was more than enough reason to leave.

...This better not be a dead end after all.

Ian clicked his tongue silently. Like the underground palace, this passage was an uncharted territory in the game. The danger of ignorance in this world hit him anew. He had never considered the possibility of dying buried underground.

If we hit a dead end and the palace collapses... I guess I’ll have to try everything.

He planned for the worst-case scenario, constantly revising his plans as they moved forward. Not everyone, however, faced the unknown with such fear.

“Die here...? No, I can’t even die. Am I going to be buried alive forever? Drying up like a mummy? That can’t happen. Guys, please. If it comes to that, better you kill me yourselves, right? No? I don’t want to die. Ian, Ian will have a way. He always finds the answer. Ian, right? Please respond—” Thesaya’s murmuring grew louder.

Cornered, she seemed unable to control her demonic hysteria.

A set of orange eyes finally glared at her.

“Shut the fuck up, pointy ears.”

Thesaya didn’t retort sharply as usual. Instead, she faced Charlotte, revealing the tremble in her red eyes.

“I’m scared, Charlotte. You might not fear death, but I do. I don’t want to die....”

Charlotte’s gaze narrowed. After a moment, she said, “At least you won’t die lonely, pointy ears.”

“....”

“Don’t worry about surviving alone in this deep abyss. I’ll help you find peace before that.”

“Peace...? Death?”

“Beastfolk view it that way. So said Lu Solar as well.”

“Could a demon like me also find such peace?”

“I don’t know. But even if your soul wanders the void, it’s probably better than being buried alive for eons.”

“...Right. Death is better than that. Alright. If that moment comes, let’s have a proper fight, kitty.”

“...Fight?”

“You want to die in battle, right? I’ll grant you that wish as well.”

Her tone was almost generous. A smile crossed Charlotte’s lips.

“Not a bad proposal. But I’d prefer to die by Ian’s hands if possible.”

“Actually, me too. I think Ian would make it painless.”

“Let’s save that opportunity for another time,” Ian responded, glancing back at Charlotte and Thesaya.

“Right now, we should prepare to climb the stairs ahead of us.”

Charlotte and Thesaya’s gazes swept across the darkness ahead. At the end of a lengthy darkness, a staircase with high steps faintly emerged.

“I take back what I said. I won’t die.” Thesaya declared, her silver hair fluttering as she took the lead. Ian and Charlotte exchanged brief smiles, shaking their heads before moving forward.

Ian and Charlotte ascended the staircase, each step higher than their knees. Both Ian\'s and Charlotte’s breaths became increasingly labored. It was natural to feel exhausted. Since stepping into the forest, they hadn’t taken a single proper rest. But there was no stopping. They silently continued climbing the stairs.

“Here. This is it.” Thesaya’s voice echoed. They had reached the end of the staircase. The Sword of Judgment hummed softly as if Tir En’s gaze was finally upon them. Finally, Ian reached the top of the stairs.

“This is a door, right? It looks like one, but it won’t budge.”

Thesaya pointed to a tall door in front of them.

Unlike the doors of the underground palace, this one was made of a stone nearly black in color. Beside it stood a pillar taller than Ian.

“A mechanism, perhaps...”

Ian approached it. Charlotte followed him, picking up on the hint.

“What? So that’s not just for decoration?”

Thesaya approached as well, her face filled with confusion. Ian looked down at the gap beneath the lever, covered in dust.

“When I push it, pull with all your might.”

Ian pushed the lever hard. Charlotte and Thesaya, standing to each side, also pulled with all their strength.

Creak... Crack... Click.

The uncomfortable sounds were followed by the pillar moving and eventually stopping at an angle.

Click, click, rumble, rumble—

The sounds of old gears and pulleys meshing continued.

Whoosh—

Unexpectedly, the door lifted upwards, yet no light seeped through. They were enveloped in a dim darkness, still beneath the earth\'s surface.

Boom—

With a low rumble, the door fully opened. Ian looked beyond the door at the revealed scene. Another ruin lay before them.

“Where is this...” Thesaya’s murmur ceased as Ian put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Carefully, he stepped beyond the door. The stale air was thick, and even small sounds seemed to echo in the vast silence. Like the passages they had traversed, there was no light source here. The fading torchlight barely illuminated their surroundings, but it was enough for Ian. Taking another step, he looked back. The door was in the middle of a wall, an unexpected place.

A secret... passage?

Ian turned his head again. The high ceilings were typical of giant ruins. A few meters ahead, pillars appeared, plain without any decoration or pattern, spaced wide apart on both sides. The same pillars were visible across the distance. The scene was eerily familiar.

...Could it be?

Ian’s gaze followed the pillars until it stopped. Far off, a massive door was closed. A hammer-like symbol was engraved in the center of the door. Ian’s brow furrowed.

There was a secret passage like this...?

In the Ahigorn Mountains, there was an underground ruin where a legion of giants and their commander lay dormant. And at that time, the symbol that represented the legion was exactly this hammer. It meant that the place they came from was the ruins of the giant legion.

Then where in the dungeon is this—

Crack.

At that moment, a sound reminiscent of a crack forming in ice resonated. Ian\'s expression hardened as he swiftly looked away from the source of the noise. Beyond a line of pillars, a massive throne emerged. Upon it, the figure of a giant, encased in ice, became visible.

Crack.

The sound of ice breaking sounded again. Ian’s mouth twisted into a humorless smile as he saw the blue glow beginning to emanate from behind the silhouette.

Fucking damn it...

The Legion Commander was waking up.