75 – 32. Sealed Dark Sword (5)
There were occasional discussions when such stories circulated.
“Is the saint really necessary for the adventurer party?”
It was a question of whether it made sense to include a saint, not particularly strong in combat, just because she had Eris’s trust.
Of course, thinking that way wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
“After all, adventurer parties are where monsters gather. Ilian Siegfried reached the pinnacle of Elven training for centuries, and Maducelan is arguably the guild master of the Empire.”
Just hearing their names made one think, ‘Ah! Those people are insane.’ It would be hard to understand if a saint entered the party just because she had the trust of the gods in such a combination.
However, at least Ian didn’t share that perspective.
“But… if you know the true power of the saint, you can never say such a thing.”
Certainly, the saint didn’t possess exceptional combat strength. That was an undeniable fact.
But the saint had outstanding talent in another aspect.
“Infusing divine power… it’s called enchantment.”
Enchantment.
Originally, it meant overlaying mana with attributes onto an object. But the saints entrusted by Eris could enchant divine power.
From Noble mtl dot com
“People with holy attributes might think they can do anything… but that’s not the case. Saints don’t discriminate when it comes to enchantment.”
Weapons and terrain aside, the insane technique of bestowing the Holy attribute even to others’ skills. That was the true value of the saint.
Isn’t it remarkable even with a brief consideration?
If Elysion’s onslaught, already exerting insane power limited to demons, were further amplified by the saint’s support, how would it turn out?
‘Even Arié, who is just an expert… at that moment, the damage she dishes out could make even the master chew on it, making her an essential figure in the party.’
Seriously contemplating the need for a saint in the first place was foolish.
Not a healer. She was someone whose main skill was enchanting, but additionally took responsibility for the healing of party members.
‘Just look at Glendia. They even went so far as to enchant the equipment of party members with holiness, and not satisfied with that, they enchanted water to make holy water.’
Ian, recalling past memories for a moment, let out a bitter laugh.
Anyway, the reason for having such thoughts was simple.
‘Certainly, from my memory, only high-ranking members of the Elysian Church possess that pendant, right? Looking closely… it seems to have a pattern symbolizing the saint.’
Igor, who seemed far from holiness, had the saint’s relic hanging around his neck.
If that was really the saint’s possession, killing a ghost with just a chokehold wouldn’t be particularly strange.
‘It must have reacted to the holiness of the pendant due to the chokehold.’
The question of why Igor had it remained.
“Are you curious about this? This pendant was given to me by the saint who came to Bishen for missionary work when I was young.”
Since Igor started explaining first.
When I opened the pendant, the face of the woman standing next to young Igor caught my eye.
“I was severely injured from excessive training and once fainted in the forest. The saint, who was walking around the surroundings for a stroll, treated me. After that, she gave me this, saying she would protect me when I was in danger.”
Igor carefully caressed the precious pendant.
Certainly, it will be important. There are memories from the childhood, the person who received help. Above all, the item received from the Saint, isn’t it?
‘Although I don’t know the face well. Probably from the previous Saint before Glendia, right?’
Igor will simply wear it around his neck as an amulet. But it wasn’t just that.
Elysian’s high-ranking position. Especially since it was equipment directly worn by the Saint, it would have its own protective function.
Perhaps the buffs directly applied by the Saint herself were also smeared on it.
‘Then…. Igor’s peculiar recovery ability might be because of that.’
It’s not certain because the owner of that item is different from Glendia.
In Glendia’s case, she not only had buffs for safety but also buffs for health and stamina recovery lined up.
If the same type of buffs were applied, Igor’s intense dedication to training might have been the reason.
‘Anyway, thoughts about the pendant should end here.’
As long as the dungeon conquest is not over yet, there is no room for leisure.
‘Already violated two patterns. It would be better to finish within 10 checkpoints.’
At that moment, the task to be done was already decided.
“Let’s run. Follow closely.”
“Sure. Let’s go check it out.”
As Ian struck the ground, Igor followed suit.
***
The moment Ian and Igor made the decision, they ransacked the mansion like crazy.
“Get out of the way. Before I kill you!”
“Screaaam!”
There were people screaming, and whether the impassable door was open or not, it didn’t matter. Patterns were ignored, pushed aside without a second thought.
Fortunately, in just three minutes, from the first floor to the third, success was achieved in exploring every corner of the mansion.
Occasionally, there were monsters blocking the path like stubborn obstacles. Yet, they were not given any attention.
“Fold your waist in half!”
Crunch!
Whether it was a ghost or whatever, their waist bent like a bow under Igor’s powerful momentum.
Ian, running with the momentum of a rampaging tank, came to a stop on the right wall of the third floor.
Standing there, looking at the wall, Ian’s posture made Igor express his confusion.
“Hey Ian. So, where the heck is the boss? You’ve pretty much searched everywhere.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they had thoroughly searched from the first floor to the third. Not just wandering through the corridors but also smashing locked doors with mana emissions.
However, what Igor saw was not the boss, but the end of monsters.
Even though they had searched everywhere, the boss was nowhere to be found.
Ian had even unexpectedly stopped in front of the wall.
Touching and knocking, wondering if there was some device on the wall, but it was just an ordinary wall.
‘What could possibly be here…’
As if not understanding English, Igor tilted his head, but Ian’s thoughts were a bit different.
‘Surely it’s here.’
This was no ordinary wall; he could be certain of that.
If it wasn’t for that, Levrian wouldn’t have reacted.
[An enemy has been detected nearby! If the seal is released, adjustments can be made based on combat power.]
Even if it was sealed, it didn’t mean Levrian’s abilities wouldn’t activate.
Saying that the abilities were activated meant that there was a boss monster nearby.
Of course, it was inevitable that Igor would think strangely.
If you saw it without knowing anything, you would suddenly look like you were staring at a wall.
But there was a hidden secret here.
“This is the right place. It’s certain.”
“No matter how I look at it, it’s just a wall… Is there a hidden space or something?”
“It’s not that. This is just an ordinary wall.”
“Then why are you so sure it’s this place?”
“Igor, have you ever seen the control room while wandering around?”
“The control room? Wait a moment… “
In response to Ian’s question, Igor closed his mouth.
Certainly, he didn’t see the control room while rummaging around.
Of course, it could be because the structure of the mansion, which included the control room in the basement, was not visible, as stated in the paper attached to the action guidelines.
Then, in this situation, wouldn’t it be right to at least see a way down to the basement?
“Come to think of it, you’re right. Why wasn’t there even a way to go underground?”
“It’s simple. The control room was made inaccessible from the start.”
According to the manual, when encountering ghosts or unusual phenomena, it is written to stop patrolling and head to the control room.
“But most people only knew that there was an office, not how to get there. Because their only interest was avoiding the current situation.”
In a nutshell, the office was a figment of imagination.
It’s like tempting someone dying of thirst in the desert by saying there’s an oasis just a little further away… It’s better to think of it as something that makes you believe in a glimmer of hope.
The intruders who witnessed ghosts would only think of going to the office, acting with blurred judgment. In the process, they were induced to fall into the pattern once again.
“For example, it’s like this. You just keep thinking about going to the office, passing by the ghost walking in the hallway, and end up using the stairs recklessly.”
What happens then? No matter how much you go down, you end up back in the same place. Of course, in such a situation, you just have to quietly stay in place and wait for the maids to come. But here, it’s an abandoned mansion… There won’t be maids wandering around to open windows, even when morning comes.
The moment you follow, instead of salvation, you slowly dry up and die.
As time passes, the monsters will gradually become stronger, and if you act impulsively to escape this situation, you’ll soon lose your life, caught in the pattern.
In the first place, there is no safety zone in this dungeon.
That’s why.
“The boss’s place must be the office.”
The certainty came from knowing that the dungeon disappears if the boss falls. So wouldn’t the safest place be to hide oneself there?
A place you can never reach through normal means. It wouldn’t be left neglected, as good a place as that.
I figured out the location, but Igor’s question remained unanswered.
“Then why did you come here? Is this a hidden passage or something?”
“Yeah. A passage.”
“Huh?”
Hidden passage? Was there talk of a hidden passage? It was undoubtedly an ordinary wall.
“What on earth is supposed to be here…”
Was it necessary to try hitting it with a fist? That was the thought at that moment.
“Step back for a moment.”
Ian, moving forward after passing Igor, touched the wall and began infusing mana.
Endlessly dark mana spread from his hand to the wall. It was the moment when the unfolded mana gradually covered one side completely.
Whoosh!
“Oh? Suddenly, a portal!”
The wall distorted, revealing the hidden portal.
It was the portal that had been concealed, erased by overlaying illusions using mana.
Looking at Igor, who had his mouth wide open in surprise, Ian raised the corners of his mouth.
“If we ride this, we should be able to go to the control room. The boss’s level might not be that high, but still, be prepared as there’s a high chance the battle will start immediately.”
“…Got it.”
Although Igor seemed to have many questions still, he didn’t ask or say anything.
He knew that there would be plenty of time to ask questions after the dungeon conquest was over.
With preparations complete, Ian and Igor jumped into the portal at that moment.
“Whoa! Uh, how do you know the portal’s location!”
Plateau, unable to conceal her surprise, was trembling.
At that moment, Ian whispered.
‘Ethere.’
The moment to strip away everything in this dungeon had arrived.
Is it possible that Igor might be a male saint?