Chapter 41 : Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Sand Hell (4)

Eidon and Keldric wished me luck before departing.

The cave grew pitch dark.

The light emanating from my body was the only source of illumination.

Even though the mana I radiated was brighter and whiter than most, it wasn’t enough to dispel the cave’s darkness entirely.

Moreover, the scene at my feet was so gruesome that I almost wished I couldn’t see it.

Corpses of all kinds of demonic beasts littered the ground.

They varied in size and appearance, and the demonic aura seeping from their bodies stung my nose.

It was a landscape straight out of hell.

Every step I took landed not on solid ground but on the squishy flesh of a beast’s corpse.

Yet, I didn’t try to suppress the mana within me or avert my gaze from the bodies.

This was a sight I’d have to face countless times in the future.

To follow in Adjak’s footsteps, slaying beasts and demons, and ultimately conquering Myeolji—that was the mission I firmly believed I was meant to fulfill in this world.

“A message sent to the demons… It’s intriguing, but I’ll need to be more cautious from now on.”

Eidon’s fervent gaze lingered vividly in my memory.

He was astonished that the rumor of me being Adjak’s successor had spread among the demons, while also deeply concerned about the potential threats that might come my way.

- I’ll do my best too.

Keldric’s serious voice echoed clearly in my ears.

The way both of them looked at me had changed.

If this news spread further, it would draw even more attention.

After receiving the Heart Engraving directly from Baden, my overall abilities had significantly increased.

I hadn’t slacked on training either.

But I knew I was still lacking.

Moreover, I keenly felt the gap between Grade 3 and Grade 2 beasts.

When facing Damanos in Habisa, I had some leeway.

But against Alkmyon, I had to prepare for death.

If I hadn’t exploited Alkmyon’s berserk trait, surviving would have been nearly impossible.

The enemies I’d face in the future would be even stronger.

Even mid-tier demons would consider Grade 2 beasts trivial.

I briefly considered the level needed to defeat a Grade 2 beast but quickly dismissed the thought.

This world wasn’t a game.

Not only was it hard to gauge my current level, but the demons and beasts I’d face couldn’t be overcome with just levels and patterns.

However, the concept of “Rank” used in this world was quite clear.

“I need to reach the Fifth Rank.”

I thought as I stepped over a massive beast’s corpse.

I had already achieved the ability to sense, circulate, and release mana—an impressive Fourth Rank.

Considering my age, this was undoubtedly a remarkable achievement across the continent, but it had its limits.

The Fifth Rank wasn’t something attainable through training alone.

It was the foundation for the Seventh Rank, where one develops their own signature ability.

Hamdel was a good place to lay that foundation.

One of the Tunes Adjak favored was buried here.

By now, faint moonlight illuminated the cave.

Looking up, I could see the night sky and stars.

It was time to leave the hellish cave behind.

* * *

“So, you’re saying you don’t know where the Cat-Ear Rock is? You’ve never even heard of it?”

“Yes, yup, that’s right. I don’t know!”

It didn’t take long for the dark mage, who had been cackling about a test subject wandering into the desert, to change his tune.

After thoroughly intimidating the socially inept mage into using polite speech, I asked about the location of the Tune Adjak used, but I got nothing useful.

“There can’t be that many rocks visible from a distance in this desert, right?”

“There’s the One-Horn Rock, and the rock blocking the entrance to Choryun’s Atelier and also…”

The dark mage spread out a map of Hamdel and marked the locations of the rocks.

As I took the map, I noticed it also recorded the locations of several ateliers.

Tucking the map into my chest, I said:“Share some water and food too.”

“Of course, I should. But I don’t have much on me right now… How about visiting my atelier? I’ve got plenty of food there.”

I stared silently at the dark mage, who wore a servile expression.

He seemed to have lost all will to resist, but I couldn’t let my guard down.

An atelier was a dark mage’s laboratory and fortress, built to fulfill their ambitions.

Even a street thug acts tough on their own turf, so a dark mage’s atelier was no different.

They often set all sorts of traps for intruders.

While I could easily overpower him here, a fight in his atelier would be far from simple.

I had no intention of walking into his trap.

“…Would you like to go?”

He gave a groveling chuckle, but when I didn’t respond, his expression soured.

He opened a subspace pouch and pulled out bread and water.

“…Here you go.”

“Thanks and give me that pouch too.”

“Huh?”

“Hand it over.”

As I tapped the pommel of my sheathed sword, the dark mage’s simpering smile twisted.

But prioritizing survival, he gritted his teeth and handed over the pouch.

The subspace pouch was an unexpected gain.

It didn’t seem like it would last long, but it was still a rare item.

I stored the food in the subspace pouch and said:“Stop preying on good people from now on.”

“…Good?”

His speech was already getting curt again, but I paid it no mind.

I could sense several presences converging on this place.

They weren’t the demonic aura of demons or beasts but something slightly different.

A few dark mages were subtly showing interest in this location.

There was a saying in Tune World: “The easiest time to kill a dark mage is when they leave their atelier.” But I had no intention of dirtying my hands.

“I’m going.”

“…”

If I grew stronger, I’d wipe out the dark mages in Hamdel, these parasitic demons, but now wasn’t the time.

Besides, this guy would likely die soon after I left.

His presence had already provoked the other dark mages in the desert.

As I walked away and put enough distance between us, I felt several bursts of dark mage-specific aura flare up.

“…You cowardly bastards!”

That’s what you get for crawling out here.

I resumed walking through the desert.

It had been a while since I started tracking the demon, but this place was truly nothing but sand.

After capturing the demon with Eidon’s help, I had been wandering the desert, searching solely for the Cat-Ear Rock.

Beneath that rock lay Adjak’s Tune, [Fear].

After Adjak’s death, the Tunes he used had returned to their original places.

I couldn’t recover all of them, but I intended to take the ones I needed.

[Fear] was conveniently close, making it an ideal target.

However, the background descriptions from the game were of no help.

Even Tune World’s detailed graphics couldn’t match reality.

Above all, 300 years had passed since Adjak’s death—enough time for the wind to reshape the dunes and ridges.

“There’s probably no one here to guide me either.”

I had heard that, aside from a few nomadic tribes living somewhere in the desert, hardly anyone ventured here due to dark mages preying on passersby.

For now, I decided to visit the rocks marked on the dark mage’s map.

I wouldn’t fully trust it, but since there were only a few notable rocks, it wasn’t too many places to check—a small stroke of luck.

I unfurled [Wings of Ainsitel] and headed toward the rock labeled “One-Horn Rock.”

* * *

While flying toward the One-Horn Rock, I spotted a wriggling cactus below.

It looked like a cactus but could move—a Grade 7 beast called Rackger.

“Seeing so many Rackgers, I must be heading toward the Cat-Ear Rock.”

The same phenomenon had occurred in Tune World.

Rackgers gathered in colonies near the Cat-Ear Rock.

To succeed on my first try was lucky.

I had only planned to check rocks with protruding features, like horns or ears.

I folded my wings and descended.

It was time for my childhood efforts to shine.

Among the countless daily quests I had completed, some involved gathering herbs.

“Found it. Spiral Cactus Seed.”

As I scanned the area, I spotted a cactus harboring medicinal herbs.

After dealing with a few Rackgers, I split open the stem of the real cactus they were mimicking.

Inside, I found seeds capable of detoxifying certain poisons.

I also harvested a few intact Rackger spines before continuing.

Soon, I saw the rock marked on the map.

“It’s the one. The Cat-Ear Rock.”

One ear was torn off, and the remaining one, weathered by time, was sharper.

I stood before what was now called the One-Horn Rock, not the Cat-Ear Rock.

The rock’s appearance had changed over 300 years of weathering.

Staring at it, another question arose.

This maze had been cleared by Adjak 300 years ago.

What had changed inside?

This could significantly impact my journey ahead.

Steeling myself, I began pushing the rock blocking the maze’s entrance.

“Urgh…”

Even with all my strength, the massive rock didn’t budge.

Then, my Dragon Heart began to activate naturally.

After receiving the Heart Engraving and advancing my trait level, my Dragon Heart had noticeably evolved.

It was as if it had a will of its own, instinctively drawing out the strength I needed.

Grind, grind.

The rock, several times larger than me, began to move slightly.

I pushed harder.

The faint white light emanating from my body grew denser, intensifying.

“Found it.”

The maze where the Tune [Fear] lay dormant.

The stone slab blocking its entrance came into view.

“It’s broken.”

I couldn’t hide my joy.

A broken slab meant the maze Adjak had cleared likely remained unrestored.

“My luck’s holding.”

I suppressed a smirk.

When have I ever been this lucky?

Trying to contain my excitement, I touched the broken slab.

It slid aside effortlessly, letting out a chilling screech as if proving it hadn’t moved in ages.

Screeech──!

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