Episode 136: The Ruins (4)
Rumors about Demian spread like wildfire across the entire White Nation.
Before a day had even passed, everyone near the ruins knew about Demian—or rather, Victor.
“Have you heard? There’s a new explorer named Victor. They say he’s got a knack for finding artifacts.”
“Even if he does, what’s the big deal? Why all the fuss?”
“No, listen. He found an APG!”
“What? Those have been gone from the first and second floors for ages! Where did he find one?”
“I have no idea. But sometimes, you get people who have a nose for treasure.”
People buzzed with excitement over the items Demian had discovered.
“Looks like a big shot has arrived. Maybe this explorer will find the legendary artifact sword.”
“Or maybe he’ll end up dead before that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Victor’s tangled with the Deplis faction.”
“What? Are you serious?”
Currently, the White Nation was teeming with nobles eager to find the artifact sword and marry Lady Frize.
Many nobles formed alliances rather than exploring the ruins alone.
Among these factions, the Deplis faction was not only the largest but also the most powerful.
“If what you say is true… that Victor fellow won’t last long.”
“Good news for us. One less dangerous competitor.”
While people gossiped about him, Demian lay on a bed in an inn, plotting his next move.
“Seven floors deep, huh?”
Demian murmured to himself, studying a map he’d acquired from the ruins.
The ruins were shaped like a triangle, expanding in size the deeper they went.
“It’ll take a while to search this place thoroughly.”
It wasn’t just about searching visible areas. There were bound to be hidden rooms within the ruins.
But Demian wasn’t too worried. His detection range was vast.
If he could sense even a hint of dark magic, he could track it down.
“Maybe they’ll come looking for me.”
Having destroyed the undead created by Gastal, he expected some kind of reaction.
Out of anger? Unlikely. The undead he’d destroyed were simple creations, easily replaceable for Gastal.
Gastal was currently gathering souls for research on ‘memory.’
Not just any souls, but those with rich combat experience.
So, someone like Demian wouldn’t be let go easily. Gastal would try to capture him by any means.
“Tomorrow, I’ll venture deeper.”
Demian decided to make himself an irresistible bait to lure Gastal out.
The next morning, Demian headed to the entrance of the ruins.
“Good morning, Victor!”
Tebo greeted Demian with a deep bow.
“If there’s any trouble today, leave it all to me!”
Demian looked at Tebo with a curious expression.
“You didn’t run away?”
Before they parted ways yesterday, Tebo had been trembling, warning that the Deplis faction wouldn’t sit idly by.
Demian had assumed Tebo would flee to avoid further involvement.
“To say I didn’t think about it would be a lie…”
Tebo replied with a determined look.
“But when will I ever meet someone as extraordinary as you again, Victor? I can’t let this opportunity slip by.”
“I never said I’d be an opportunity for you.”
“What? Oh, um…”
Despair flickered across Tebo’s face. Demian chuckled softly.
“Just kidding. Do your part well, and I’ll make sure you get a share.”
Tebo’s knowledge was quite useful, saving Demian the trouble of learning about the White Nation himself.
“Here, take this.”
Demian tossed Tebo the guard uniform and APG he had acquired the previous day.
Tebo looked at Demian in surprise.
“Why are you giving me this…?”
“I’m not giving it to you. I’m lending it.”
Demian planned to delve deeper into the ruins today.
While he wasn’t worried about his own safety, Tebo was another matter.
“I’m lending it because it might be dangerous. Use it well and return it.”
“In case there’s a fight, use it wisely.”
“Yes, sir!”
“If you do well, I might just let you keep it.”
Tebo’s eyes widened at Demian’s words.
“I, Tebo, will serve with utmost dedication!”
“Then let’s go.”
As Demian was about to enter the ruins, Tebo stopped him.
“Victor, wait a moment.”
Tebo disappeared into an alley and returned with a large backpack. Demian looked at him incredulously.
“Why did you bring that?”
“Just in case. If we find more stuff than yesterday, it’ll be hard to carry it all.”
Tebo was more prepared than Demian had given him credit for.
Demian and Tebo descended to the third floor of the ruins.
Like the first and second floors, the third was empty, stripped of valuables by mercenaries and explorers.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s anything hidden here.”
Demian skipped the third floor and headed straight for the fourth.
The fourth floor had multiple entrances. Demian chose the nearest one.
As soon as they entered the fourth floor, a cacophony of noise greeted them.
“Hey! We claimed this area first!”
“You’re talking nonsense! We were here before you!”
Mercenaries were bickering everywhere, some even hacking at the walls with pickaxes.
“As I understand it, once nobles conquer a certain floor, others swarm in to grab anything valuable,” Tebo explained to Demian. That explained the crowd on the fourth floor.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s any need to linger here.”
With so many people around, it was unlikely Gastal would be hiding here.
Even if there were hidden treasures, too many eyes made it difficult to search.
“Let’s head to the fifth floor.”
At the mention of the fifth floor, Tebo froze.
Unlike the first four floors, the fifth was still largely unexplored, making it highly dangerous.
“If you’re scared, you can head back.”
“No, I’m fine!”
There were several entrances to the fifth floor. As Demian approached the nearest one, he was stopped.
“Hold it.”
Two men blocked Demian’s path.
“This entrance leads to the ‘Obter’ mercenary group’s exploration zone. Outsiders aren’t allowed. If you want to go to the fifth floor, find another entrance.”
Caught off guard, Demian looked at Tebo, who explained.
“Victor, I’ve heard about this. The deeper levels of the ruins are divided among powerful factions.”
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
“I didn’t think they’d block the entrance.”
Tebo scratched his head sheepishly.
“Victor, it’s best to avoid conflict with the Obter mercenaries. They have three mid-class fighters, including their leader.”
Tebo spoke with concern, and Demian nodded in understanding.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of fighting over something trivial.”
“Wise decision.”
“Unless they refuse my request.”
”…What?”
Ignoring Tebo’s confusion, Demian addressed the mercenaries.
“I don’t intend to interfere with your operation. Just let me through to the fifth floor.”
“Why should we trust you?”
The mercenary’s tone was icy.
“The fifth floor is crawling with ancient golems. One wrong move, and you could die. We can’t risk having a potential threat at our backs.”
The mercenaries spoke firmly. Demian pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Then I guess I’ll have to make you understand by force.”
“What nonsense is that? How do you plan to—”
Demian’s hand moved swiftly, brushing the mercenary’s chin.
That slight touch was enough to send the mercenary’s head reeling, knocking him unconscious.
“Henson!”
Startled, the other mercenary drew his weapon.
“What do you think you’re—”
Demian’s hand moved again, brushing the second mercenary’s chin. He too collapsed.
“Looks like they understand me now. Shall we proceed?”
Tebo stared at Demian in disbelief.
“Something you want to say?”
“N-no, not at all…”
Just then, something flew out from the door leading to the fifth floor.
It rolled across the ground, stopping at Demian’s feet.
“Eek!”
Tebo screamed. The object was a person.
Covered in blood, with mangled limbs, the figure was barely recognizable.
“R-run… they’re all… dead… the leader… and the veterans… all…”
Before he could finish, his head slumped to the side. He was dead.
“W-what on earth is going on…?”
Tievault was paralyzed with fear when a heavy thud echoed from the direction of the door.
Something was ascending from the fourth floor to the fifth.
A body clad in metal.
A single, enormous eye dominating half its face.
Tievault gasped in horror at the sight.
“A-An Ancient Golem!”
His shout drew the attention of the other mercenaries on the fourth floor, who turned to look at the door.
“An Ancient Golem!”
“It’s coming up!”
The moment they saw the golem, the mercenaries dropped whatever they were holding and bolted for the exit. Dozens of them scrambled in a panicked rush.
“Ah, an Ancient Golem.”
Damian observed the golem with a look of intrigue. It was the first time he’d seen one since his return.
This golem was quite different from the ones Damian had encountered in his past life.
”┻┫━╋━.”
The golem spoke in a strange language. Unlike the others, Damian understood it.
“So, it’s saying it’s going to eliminate the intruders.”
A crystal embedded in the golem’s chest began to glow, sending light coursing through its body.
Simultaneously, the sword it held started to shimmer.
“That’s a dangerous weapon.”
The golem itself was a threat, but the sword it wielded seemed even more perilous.
It was incomparable to the equipment of the ancient guards they had found on the first floor.
”━╋━!”
The golem leaped, its metal body moving with surprising lightness.
“Better than a human, even.”
Damian murmured in admiration as he dodged backward. The golem’s sword struck where he had just been standing.
The ground split open as if a giant had swung a blade.
“That’s at least a low-grade relic sword.”
For an Ancient Golem to possess such a powerful relic sword…
Perhaps this ruin was far more significant than Damian had anticipated.
The golem swung its sword again and again, each strike causing the walls and ceiling to crack.
“This would be a challenge even for a mid-class warrior. Not bad for a pile of scrap.”
Damian commented as he evaded the attacks. If it were a person, they might have been enraged by now, but the golem remained silent.
“Being scrap metal, it’s not much fun to taunt.”
The golem aimed a strike at Damian’s head. He spun half a turn, dodging the attack.
In the same motion, he swung his sword, slicing through the golem’s neck.
With a clean strike, the golem’s head fell to the ground. Headless, it staggered before collapsing to its knees.
Even without using aura, there was no resistance. It was proof that Damian’s sword, Dawn, was far superior to the metal composing the golem.
“The cutting edge has improved.”
At Damian’s praise, Dawn hummed with satisfaction.
“Gather everything. We can sell it later.”
Damian instructed Tievault.
Ancient Golems were precious artifacts of ancient technology, highly sought after by mages willing to pay a fortune.
“Don’t forget the weapon.”
“Understood!”
Tievault loaded the golem onto a cart and strapped it to his back.
“Huh? It’s lighter than I expected.”
He remarked in surprise. This too was a marvel of ancient civilization. Despite its appearance, the golem was surprisingly light.
“Shall we head down?”
“Yes!”
The two of them made their way down to the fifth floor.
As soon as they descended to the fifth floor, a large sign greeted them.
<┗┓┏┛┗┓┏┛┗┓┏┛>
Translated, it read “Research Office.”
Though a workshop and a research office might seem an odd combination, it was not unusual in ancient civilizations.
Ancient craftsmen were often brilliant researchers as well.
“Look, Damian. There’s something drawn here.”
Tievault pointed to a wall beside them.
A large bulletin board was mounted there, covered with numerous sheets of paper.
As Damian examined the papers, he couldn’t help but be astonished.
“This is…”
The papers contained information about the equipment being crafted in the workshop.
One sheet, in particular, caught Damian’s eye.
It depicted a greatsword, surrounded by countless ancient characters.
Damian read through the text carefully.
“A commission from the state… a weapon to protect the soon-to-be-born prince… a sword that moves on its own to guard its master… thirty blades in one… capable of moving independently even when separated… the project’s name is…”
The final phrase was faint, but Damian managed to decipher it.
“Igi-eogeom, the Sword of Will.”