Chapter 131: External Field Trip (4)

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Rustle, rustle—

While Carl and Laysis were digging around the gargoyle statue,

Yuria was investigating the underground of the Wiblem Temple.

After the afternoon peak hours passed, the once-bustling interior of the temple had grown quiet.

Yuria had deliberately planned a relaxed schedule from the beginning, knowing that she only needed to avoid the times when the tourist routes were crowded.

“This should be about the place…”

The fifth basement level.

Pressed close to the wall of the lowest floor accessible to tourists, she cautiously searched the gaps as she slowly moved forward.

She was alone.

If there had been anyone else with her, she wouldn’t have explored in such a ridiculous manner.

When she said she’d go alone for this external field trip, Laysis quickly nodded and went off to make other plans.

She was probably trying to get Carl to join her instead.

Amy and a few other cadets also offered to tag along, but Yuria turned them all down, saying she had somewhere to go.

‘You can’t share hidden pieces with others.’

The external field trip event to the Wiblem Temple wasn’t part of the original storyline.

Originally, she had planned to come here alone during the break after the semester ended and explore at her leisure.

But perhaps due to some butterfly effect, an unexpected field trip had been added.

‘It saved me time, at least.’

So there was no need to bother doing the work twice—she intended to wrap everything up today.

Click, clack.

The mana emitted from her fingertips swept through the gaps in the wall, probing the space beyond.

Naturally, this was a space that couldn’t be found with ordinary magic.

To investigate hidden locations like ruins, she had long prepared for this day using custom magic developed at the Magic Tower.

“From here on out, it’s up to chance.”

There were five hidden pieces in the underground of the Wiblem Temple.

She could obtain one of them depending on the odds.

“The key is the most practical, but it’d be nice if I got the map.”

Now that this was no longer a game but reality, did hidden pieces still exist?

That question had been answered long ago.

Even before coming to the Magic Tower and then to Bayern as Yuria, she had already secured several hidden pieces.

Of course, there was no guarantee that the game and this world shared all the same information.

Still, she was determined to pursue them as far as she could, and Yuria spared no effort.

Beep.

“Ah!”

She had finally found something.

Yuria reached out, following the sensation caught in the mana disturbance.

Her fingertips touched the seam where the wall met the floor.

As she gently ran her hand along the surface, a lock mechanism disengaged.

Click.

Suppressing her excitement, Yuria removed the brick.

She also didn’t forget to check that no one else was around.

Since this was a corridor opposite the exhibit area, and the temple had quieted down, there was no one around except her.

Gulp.

What came out attached to her fingertips was a small wooden box.

Seeing the hidden piece manifest just like in the game, Yuria opened the lid with a slightly tense expression.

“…Ah.”

She let out a quiet sigh.

Inside the box was a dark, soot-colored key.

It had no ornaments or markings.

Even appraisal magic couldn’t identify it.

Since it was an artifact from an ancient era, that was to be expected.

Perhaps only someone like her master, the Magic Tower Lord, could discern its true identity.

Of course, Yuria already knew exactly what it was and how to use it.

“Refri’s Key, huh. Realistically, this is the best possible outcome.”

Refri’s Key.

When infused with mana and turned, this artifact could open any lock without leaving a trace.

No, not just locks.

It could open anything that fell under the concept of being ‘locked.’

Barriers, seals—even causality related to time and concepts themselves.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was an all-powerful cheat key to open anything at will.

The level of lock it could open varied based on the user’s mana, understanding, and capabilities.

Still, it was undeniably a highly valuable artifact.

“It’s a shame the map didn’t come out.”

Yuria smacked her lips with a disappointed expression.

Although the key was the most realistically desirable artifact, on rare occasions, an old map would be inside instead.

That map recorded the location of a certain ruin within the Tohochu region, and the ‘Seed’ obtainable there was practically a cheat-level item.

If she could get her hands on it, she could easily abandon every spell she currently knew.

But since the odds were so incredibly low, she hadn’t placed much hope in it.

It was a rare item she hadn’t even managed to draw in the game.

“Well, a key’s still great.”

Yuria took only the key and tucked it inside her clothes, leaving behind a note in the empty box before returning it to its original spot.

That way, if another person who had entered this game world like her found it, they could make contact.

She had done the same with every hidden piece she’d discovered so far.

‘I think I’ve already found one.’

Yuria lifted her head.

In her mind, she had already concluded that Carl was another possessor like her who had entered this game world.

She was just waiting for the right time to reveal that truth and make contact.

‘I need more insurance.’

As of now, Carl’s combat abilities were overwhelmingly superior.

Of course, if she used the “Four Seasons,” she wouldn’t go down easily, but her Secret Garden was still incomplete.

It still required a lot more research.

…And now, Carl’s help had become essential.

To stop the calamities that would soon befall this world, it was about time she revealed that she too was a possessor and joined forces with him.

‘Soon.’

It wouldn’t be much longer before she disclosed that truth.

Yuria clenched her fists and nodded resolutely.

* * *

“Do you know what the color black signifies?”

Carl asked as he placed the gold coin he had been holding back into his inner pocket and turned to Laysis.

Laysis, who had been fiddling with Requin’s Glasses with a serious expression, slowly shook her head.

“I’m not sure either. The manual only listed three colors, and I’ve never seen black before.”

“Whatever the case, it doesn’t seem to be a good sign.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

It was an ominous color no matter how one looked at it.

Surely, it was even more dangerous than the red-marked traps.

The black mist leaking from the door crack gave off a sinister and gloomy aura.

“What do you want to do?”

“Hmm.”

At Laysis’ question, Carl hesitated for a moment.

If this were the Central Plains, he wouldn’t have even considered it and simply retreated.

Eliminating variables and prioritizing self-preservation came first.

But this was not the Central Plains—it was Artenia.

Much had changed since he was the Unkillable.

‘They said it’s different from the ruins of the Ancient Hero.’

What kind of place could be slumbering beneath the ground to form such a vast ruin?

Carl slowly raised his head and asked Laysis.

“Aren’t you curious what might be inside?”

“…To be honest, I am curious. What could possibly warrant building a facility this massive?”

Laysis subtly shifted her gaze toward the door.

If she were alone, she wouldn’t have dared take the risk, but Carl’s presence broadened her range of choices.

After all, the divine might Carl displayed against the Death Knight and Lich at the Temple of the Fallen Heretic was still vivid in her memory.

Carl rolled his shoulders lightly, stretching, and reached his conclusion.

“Then let’s just take a quick look around. Be ready to run at any moment.”

“Y-you won’t leave me behind, right?”

“That won’t happen.”

Carl chuckled lightly at her remark and pulled a sword from his subspace pouch.

Laysis’ eyes widened slightly at the familiar shape of the sword.

“That’s the one, isn’t it?”

“Yes. The sword I received from the Imperial Palace as a legacy of ‘Justice.’”

“The name is…”

“Cheonroe.”

“A bolt of lightning falling from the sky, right? Still hard to pronounce. Not quite as much as the Boundless Azure Sword Technique, though. …Wait, don’t tell me that technique is also part of ‘Justice’s’ swordsmanship?”

Laysis asked with a hopeful look as if she had just noticed a pattern.

“That’s probably not the case. But it’s not unrelated to ‘Justice.’ I believe they came from the same origin.”

Carl speculated that ‘Justice’ was a master from the Mount Hua Sect.

Among the many traces left in the Sword Tomb of the Imperial Palace, the clearest mark was none other than the Plum-Blossom Sword Technique.

Whatever the reason for leaving the Central Plains and coming to this world like him, it was evident that this person intended to pass on their legacy, judging from the sword and the sword marks they left behind.

‘The problem is, that legacy hasn’t been transmitted clearly.’

Nothing had been fully revealed yet.

Countless questions were piling up, and their number only increased with each passing day.

But there was no reason to be impatient.

As his cultivation advanced and NOX’s power grew, more information would surely come within reach.

Clack.

Carl fastened Cheonroe to his sword belt.

It felt noticeably heavier than his previous sword, but that much was to be expected for a weapon worthy of the title “Divine Sword.”

The rumor that Carl had acquired the sword of ‘Justice’ hadn’t spread outside the Imperial Palace.

Thanks to Crown Prince Yulian’s discretion, only a very small number of people knew.

If news of an acquired hero’s legacy spread, it would undoubtedly become a nuisance.

‘It’s a good thing for me.’

He had gained the legacy of a hero and built a friendship with Crown Prince Yulian, who admired heroes.

It was the best possible outcome Carl could have hoped for.

“Then let’s go see what’s inside.”

“Yes!”

Carl and Laysis took their positions on either side of the tightly closed door.

Through Requin’s Glasses, an ominous black light still streamed out.

But Carl didn’t hesitate—he reached out without pause and opened the door with great force.

Creeeeak.

The rusted hinges groaned as the door slowly opened.

And at the same time, the black mist that had been billowing out vanished as if it had been washed away.

“Huh?”

With one eye closed, Laysis examined the doorway and the interior carefully through Requin’s Glasses.

As if what she had seen earlier had been a lie, the black mist had disappeared like smoke in the wind.

Even after scanning the walls and floor, all that remained was the thick dust built up over years.

Tap.

Carl pushed the door fully inward and stepped inside.

The air inside was distinctly cooler, brushing against his skin with a noticeably different atmosphere.

Laysis, who followed him in, seemed to feel it too, as her expression turned more serious while she looked around.

“…There’s wind.”

“That means the air is circulating. This place seems to be the real deal.”

The spire earlier must have been just an outpost guarding this space.

Sssshhh—

Carl expanded his sensory perception.

Ahead lay a pitch-black space without a speck of light.

Unlike before, even with enhanced vision, he could barely see.

But then—

Tap.

“…”

At a certain point, his senses that had been stretching outward were suddenly blocked as if they had hit a solid wall.

‘Interesting.’

He didn’t know what was inside.

But one thing was clear—it was no ordinary being.

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