It’s subtle, but I clearly felt it.
A gloomy and hideous aura, like muddy darkness.
Raising my [Super Sensory], I gazed, half-glaringly, at the warehouse beyond the darkness.
What came into sight was an ink-colored box.
At first glance, it seemed unusual that something like a chain surrounded it. I could feel the magic in the chain.
It was tucked away in a corner alone, away from other ores, and the source of the energy I felt seemed to be in that box.
“Can you feel it? You have an excellent sense indeed.”
The Wiseman suddenly said and looked towards the inside of the warehouse.
Asher put on a puzzled expression, as if she couldn’t understand what the other had said.
“What’s in there?”
I thought it was a warehouse for storing ores, but did it contain some magic items?
Even though it only flowed out faintly, it made me feel uncomfortable.
When I asked the Wiseman, he stroked his beard and answered.
“It’s an ore. It’s no different from what you see around you.”
“...Ore?”
“Of course, it’s not an ordinary ore. Would you like to look at it yourself?”
The Wiseman moved and walked right in front of the box.
Then he simply unlocked it and opened the box.
What was inside was, as he said, an ore.
An ore that emitted a black glow.
The only difference was that it was full of ominous energy.
I didn’t know what material it’s made of, but the box itself seemed to block the energy coming out from it.
“This was something I accidentally found from the demonic land of Octea. I haven’t given it a name yet, but it’s one of the finest ore I’ve seen in my entire life. However, it is a difficult material to use in crafting equipment.”
...He got it from Octea?
It was a different demonic land from Hallumenta, which Asher and I had been to before.
The Wiseman continued to explain why it was a material that was difficult to use for crafting.
“There are infinite kinds of mineral ore that are generated in nature. There are very few of them that are not only strong in magic conduction but also have unique properties. This is an ore with turbid thoughts infused with it. It’s not surprising since it’s found in a place where many things that go beyond common sense take place.”
“...?”
“If you put your hand on it, you’ll see what I mean.”
I stared down at the black ore and touched it as he said.
And I could feel it right away.
A mighty presence that existed within the ore and tries to penetrate my consciousness.
- Chiaaah...!
A bizarre echo that seems to be mixed with laughter and screams lingered in my head like an echo.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands... I could feel the existence of countless thoughts within it, as the Wiseman explained.
Thanks to the [Soul of the King], my mind did not shake, but if it was a normal person, it would not be strange if they lost their mind just by touching this ore.
It reminded me of Gascalid’s blood, which I had experienced before when getting [Blood Art].
“You’re crazy.”
When I removed my hand again showing no signs, the Wiseman looked quite surprised.
“Is it difficult to use it as a material because of this?”
“That’s right. It’s not a thing you can endure just because you have strong mental strength.”
The Wiseman turned his gaze to the side.
I said to Asher, who was staring at the ore curiously.
“If you’re curious, try to touch it. If you can withstand the thoughts of this ore, I’ll gladly use it as a material to craft the best sword and armor for you.”
Asher hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand.
I wondered if she could take it.
Results came right away.
“...!”
As soon as she put her hand on the ore, she gasped, and within a few seconds, she removed her hand as if frightened.
In that moment, Asher’s complexion turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.
Was it that much for her despite having grown to level 90?
The thoughts dwelling in this ore were far more threatening than I thought.
“Is there any way to get rid of only evil thoughts?”
The Wiseman shook his head.
“I asked the overlord a long time ago, but he said it would be difficult to get rid of only the evil thoughts without destroying the ore. It’s not something that can be solved with magic or simple smelting.”
I turned my gaze again and stared blankly at the ore.
Suddenly a thought came to me.
'...Wouldn’t my ability work on this too? '
My [Instant Kill] ability was an ability that could dissipate the target’s soul itself.
That’s why it was possible to get rid of Gascalid’s residual thoughts back when I was trying to get [Blood Art].
So maybe this was possible too.
Wouldn’t there be no problem if I could also eliminate the thoughts dwelling in this ore with [Instant Kill]?
The Wiseman said it was one of the best ore he had ever seen in my life, so if he used it as a material, I wondered what kind of amazing weapon or armor would be born.
It was a very good thing because the more good equipment Asher used, the more helpful it was for me.
The best armor made by the Wiseman was Gaeldid which was made of orichalcum. If it could be better than that, wouldn’t it be exciting?
“If the problem of the evil thoughts is resolved, can you use this ore as a material to craft Asher’s weapon and armor?”
“Yes. But I haven’t found the right way yet.”
I nodded and put my hand on the ore once more. And I used [Instant Kill].
At the same time, the scream that had been ringing in my head was suddenly cut off and disappeared. The ominous aura coming out of the ore disappeared as well.
As expected, the evil thoughts had been successfully extinguished.
The Wiseman looked at me with puzzled eyes, perhaps feeling what happened.
“Now what...”
I said as I removed my hand from the ore.
“I got rid of the thoughts dwelling in the ore.”
“...?”
The Wiseman brought his hand to the ore as if making sure.
And soon his eyes widened.
“Huh?”
He looked at the ore in disbelief, then burst into a small exclamation.
“...It’s amazing. Really, the thoughts have completely disappeared. What did you just do?”
He was evidently really surprised, as his usual calm voice even leaked a bit of excitement.
It was natural for him to be surprised, as it would appear to him that I had merely touched the ore and then suddenly the evil thoughts from it disappeared.
“Are there any more problems?”
The Wiseman smiled and nodded his head.
“As I said, I’ll use this as a material to make a weapon and an armor. Heh, it was a treasure that I had kept in the warehouse for a few decades…”
The size of the ore was considerable, and it was so large that even if Asher’s sword and armor were made, more than half would be left over.
I suddenly remembered what the Wiseman had said and asked.
“By the way, didn’t you say that it’s also important to respond to the user’s magical power?”
Was this black ore compatible with Asher’s magical power?
From the outside, the colors are completely opposite, so it didn’t seem like they would match at all.
The Wiseman shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter since this ore’s efficiency is much better compared to other ores, whether it’s magic transfer or durability.”
...Well, I was sure he would figure out what to do and make good equipment out of the ore.
I didn’t ask him any more since he was too preoccupied with the ore.
After leaving the warehouse, we decided to leave the First Lord’s territory immediately.
There was no reason to stay any longer, since our business was over.
He said that he would send a messenger to the Seventh Lord’s territory when he was done making the weapon and armor.
“Thank you very much, First Lord.”
Asher gave the Wiseman a slightly belated thank you.
She must be feeling quite reluctant at first since she was dragged here regardless of her will. But since the best blacksmith on the continent had promised to make her a weapon, she could only feel grateful.
The Wiseman nodded and saw us off.
“Then take care, Seventh Lord.”
I was about to climb on Ti-Yong’s back when he suddenly called Asher again.
“But it seems you haven’t mastered Gronhilde’s ability yet.”
“Yes.”
“As far as I remember, it seems to be a technique of dividing the magical core into three. Is that correct?”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
As if she hadn’t expected the other to know her tribe’s ability in such detail, Asher became a little flustered.
“Don’t get me wrong. I just heard it directly from your ancestor. I only know the rough principles.”
The Wiseman said.
“The reason I mentioned this story is because I have something I want to tell you. I don’t know if you already know…”
He said as if he was remembering.
“Don’t think of the separate cores as separate. Treat them as one and control them.”
“...”
“It’s what your ancestor said as the key to passing the last wall in relation to your tribe’s ability.”
Asher’s eyes widened.
In response, the Wiseman nodded.
“From the look on your face, it doesn’t seem like you knew about it.”
“Yes...”
“Your ancestor at that time was someone who achieved a level comparable to those of a Lord. If you also fully accept his legacy, you could reach the same level as well.”
The Wiseman said that in a calm tone and turned around.
Asher looked at his back with bewildered eyes.
I was also a little curious. What was the relationship between Asher’s ancestor and the Wiseman?
Just remembering the distant relationship from hundreds of years ago and giving advice like this, it seems like they were quite close.
“Let’s go.”
I took my eyes off him and opened my mouth.
Ti-Yong flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
Since they were done here, it was time to head to the next destination as originally planned.
To the place in Santea where a Mystery was hidden.
***
A barren wilderness located north of Santea.
I looked down, rubbing my eyes as the dry wind hit my face incessantly.
There was a Mystery to be found in this place where only dull rocks were visible without a single plant.
'The Mystery of [Acceleration].'
As the name suggested, it was a Mystery that increased speed.
A Mystery that allowed the body to move faster and more agile.
It was an almost useless ability for me since I already had space jump, but I still planned to take it.
The more diverse the ability, the better, so I came here to find it.
The Mystery of [Acceleration] was a Mystery that I discovered myself in the game, and the topography of the hidden place was also noticeable, so there was no great difficulty in finding it.
Flying on Ti-Yong, I was able to locate a small puddle in the middle of the plain and a cave nearby swiftly.
“Wait, a moment.”
As always, I went into the burrow alone, leaving Asher outside.
This was the place where the dungeon was located, just like the Mystery of the [Floating Veil] that I searched for before.
After going all the way inside the cave and exploring the surroundings, I was able to find the door that was the entrance to the dungeon. However...
“...?”
I narrowed my eyes.
It was because the door was wide open, as if someone had entered the dungeon first.
'What?'
Raising my [Super Sensory], I looked closely the road I had passed, and now there were traces that caught my eye.
The rubbing of the ground, the faint footprints, the traces of someone who first discovered this dungeon and entered it.
I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
No...
In the game, that was sometime in the future, there was no one who discovered this dungeon before me.
Something unexpected happened.
Why? Was it an illusion? Or was it a variable caused by the butterfly effect due to my existence?
“...”
Seeing that there was no sign of returning, it seemed that the uninvited guests were still inside.
Thinking about what to do, I stepped into the open door.
Anyway, I came all the way here. At least I had to make sure that the Mystery was really gone.
