章節 497: CHAPTER 656
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
Jin's hand, holding onto red hair, was shaking slightly as he walked into the cave.
On the outside, Zephyrin was also roughly tidying up things. In the first place, the knights attached to her did not have the anti-air ability to deal with a dragon like Zephyrin.
"Hmph, that unlucky demon dragon is strong, it seems it's almost over. If Hedo do well, would you lose?"
"It's not over yet, Sandra Zipfel."
"Really? It looks like things have been sorted out."
"Reinforcements are on their way."
Sandra tilted her head and looked at Hado as if asking what he meant.
"What do you mean? 12th flagbearer."
"Focus, Tower Keeper. At first, I thought that the energy of chaos was concentrated only near the cave, but as soon as the battle began, I could feel the faint energy of chaos coming from far away."
Hedo, who closed his eyes once and raised his senses, immediately showed a look of surprise.
He could sense an extremely faint energy, as small as a tiny bug hidden in a field, but he was sure it existed without having to search for it. It was an energy that could never be detected without focusing, especially in a blizzard in the Kaldran snowfield.
"You... sensed it without even focusing?"
"I've been able to feel chaos more acutely for a while now. It's not just one place, the energy is coming from all over the snowfields. They'll probably be here within an hour. And there will probably be more reinforcements behind them."
If he could sense such a faint energy of chaos from over an hour away, then the scale of the presence would be enormous when they met face-to-face.
"Tower keeper, can you tell Zephyrin about the situation?"
At those words, Sandra's eyes lit up like a flashlight.
"Go quickly, Hurry up! And come as late as possible."
Her eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of being alone in the cave with Jin, as soon as Hedo left to inform Zephyrin.
Besides, Jin was walking very slowly. Of course, it was because he wanted to carefully explore the cave in detail after Valeria disappeared. However, Sandra decided not to think about that and instead focused on the fact that she was alone with Jin.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've walked with Jin alone. It's so nice...?" Sandra said.
But Jin was too focused on observing the inside of the cave to even hear her. After a while, Sandra grabbed his shoulder and asked, "Is the person we're looking for very important to you?"
"Yeah. Why are you asking such an obvious question?"
"It may not be her hair. So don't be too impatient."
"I'm sure it's her hair," Jin replied.
"How can you be sure?"
"Because it's a rare color."
Of course, Valeria is not the only one in the world who has red hair. However, Jin clearly recognized that it was Valeria's hair, and it was something that was difficult to explain in words.
"Will you come to rescue me too if I get kidnapped somewhere in the future," Sandra said.
"It depends on the situation," Jin replied.
"That's very cold of you, but I forgive you because it's cool. But I believe you'll come to rescue me anyway," Sandra said.
"I don't want to go through something like this again. So always stick with the Tower Keeper."
Sandra was moved to tears, while Jin continued to observe their surroundings.
'I still don't see anything out of the ordinary, as Ronil said...'
The cave wasn't very deep, and even after a few minutes, Jin hadn't noticed anything noteworthy.
From then on, Sandra stopped complaining and instead began to meticulously search the cave for Jin.
'There is still energy of chaos because the knights have been residing there, but since Valeria disappeared, the Garden of Swords has not made any additional changes to this place.'
Despite this being a land where an important figure disappeared, they only arranged for personnel, without making any changes.
The meaning of this fact was clear.
"It seems like Runcandel... no, the Garden of the Swords is being very cautious about this place, darling. Even though Hister disappeared, they didn't dig up the ground or demolish the walls. Even the icicles are still intact. They must be hundreds, if not tens of years old."
"I was also thinking the same thing."
"You said that the tomb of the first patriarch of Runcandel is a subspace, right? I think they were looking for a way to enter that subspace. If Runcandel knows it is a subspace."
"It is quite possible."
Eventually, when they reached the end of the cave, Hedo, who had gone to tell Zephyrin the news, returned.
"Why are you back so soon! It was just starting to get peaceful and quiet, but you're as oblivious as a musclehead."
"Everything has been sorted out over there, and Zephyrin said she will scout accurately first. She also said that if possible, she would delay or annihilate any reinforcements that arrived."
"Alright, Tower Keeper."
If Zephyrin did that, it would add more time for the additional troops to arrive, but it was difficult to gauge how much.
At the end of the cave was a chamber filled with a transparent ice-like substance, with no part of it broken and reformed.
"Big brother Ronil was right, there's only one way out of here, either go back the way we came or break through the ice wall...I see now why the Hister survivor couldn't be tracked down by my clan."
Even after Jin and Sandra continued to search for any remaining traces of mana in the cave, they found nothing special. The blue window displaying the record magic that Ronil had seen was also gone, which was expected since the wizard was no longer there.
'Valeria was out of contact for about two months before she disappeared from here...and left no clues about Temar's tomb either.'
Valeria was most likely in a desperate situation where she couldn't even make contact with Tikan during those two months. And she disappeared suddenly from this very spot, with a slightly shaved lock of hair.
'... Sir Ronil didn't get to face my teacher properly, but it's certain that Rosa's knights fought with Valeria.'
Valeria would have searched for this cave after escaping from that battle. Ronil would have pursued her, and so would Luntia.
Even after combining all the information from Ronil, the incident became increasingly unclear.
Already more than ten minutes had passed.
"12th flagbearer, I think it's a trap. Rosa Runcandel must have expected you to come here."
"Perhaps."
"In that case, she should have placed more troops or prepared to ambush us when we entered, or even appeared herself. It feels like Rosa Runcandel is purposely giving you time."
Jin nodded, as he had been considering this possibility all along.
"As the tower keeper said, Temar's tomb is assumed to be here. She must have waited, assuming that I have a way to get there."
Suddenly, the image of Padler Runcandel flashed through Jin's mind.
'There's a high possibility that Sir Padler is the guardian of the fifth tomb. However, if the prophet took Sir Padler out of the tomb, she must have entered the fifth tomb at least once.'
But why is Rosa giving me time as if she wants me to find this.
'Is it because Valeria is still inside the tomb? Maybe the prophet who came out of the tomb for some reason doesn't know how to go back in.'
The problem is that even Jin doesn't know how to enter the tomb. It wasn't like the first tomb, where there was a key or a guide.
Time was passing incredibly fast.
"The 12th flagbearer."
"Speak, Tower Keeper."
"We won't be able to come back here. If it becomes clear that there's no other way, Rosa will completely block this place. So, how about we try something they haven't done and leave quickly?"
"Are you suggesting we destroy the cave?"
"Yes. It seems like there's no other option."
"We won't destroy the cave. Even if we go back today without any harvest, we don't want to eliminate any reason to come back later."
"So, are we just going to stay like this? We need to be rational."
For Hedo, it was more important not to put Sandra in danger than to find Hister.
Especially in a situation as hopeless as this, it was even more important.
"Hedo! You said she's someone very precious to Jin. Think of something more drastic!"
"I think it would be better to stay put, my lady."
Hedo was right. If they couldn't harvest anything, they needed to go back as soon as possible and reconsider their search.
"I'll try one last thing, and if it doesn't work, we'll go back."
"Good idea. What's the plan?"
"I will fill the cave with shadow force. If there is no response, we will withdraw without further delay."
Jin sat upright and released his shadow force. When using the key to the first tomb in the past, Murakan also injected a large amount of shadow force in this way.
'Perhaps the shadow force itself is the key to responding to subspace. Please open...…!' Jin thought, but in reality, if shadow force was needed, Valeria's entry into the tomb would not have been possible.
Jin was just grasping at straws. Shadow force quickly filled the inside of the cave.
However, even when Jin released a massive amount of shadow force in an instant, there was no response.
Watching from the side, Sandra bit her nails and turned her head to Hedo.
"Can't you do anything else, Hedo?"
"I don't think there's anything I can do, my lady. I'm not a shadow force user."
"Then pray! Don't just sit there!"
"....You mean pray?"
"Yes, sincerely. Ask for help to find Hister, Jin's friend."
Sandra closed her eyes and clasped her hands. Seeing her, Hedo let out a deep sigh and took the same pose next to her. He wanted to know what this was, but he couldn't help it because it was obvious that if he didn't do it, there would be another commotion.
And then, the shock came when Jin felt a sudden blow to the back of his head.
'Suddenly, shadow force is being absorbed into one place...!'
It is the first time that a change has occurred.
Jin immediately moved his gaze to the place where shadow force was converging. It was where Sandra and Hedo were praying side by side.
"Hedo! Your sword! The sword is shining and making something, heaven has answered our prayers!"
"I am seeing it too, my lady. What the hell is this...…."
Jin had a strong intuition that Hedo's sword was the key to Temar's fifth tomb.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
創作者的想法 
babayaga01
babayaga01 You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
章節 498: CHAPTER 657
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
The light extending from the blade of the Bale was gradually changing into a 'door'-like shape. The speed at which the door formed was exactly proportional to the infusion of shadow force.
Sandra trembled with excitement, believing that this was the power of her wishes, while Hedo looked at his sword and the door in a daze.
'... Is it true that Bale is related to the old Runcandel or Solderet, as Black Dragon Murakan once said?'
Hedo's sword had the word "Bale" engraved on its blade, which he had obtained by chance a long time ago.
-You...where did you get that sword?
-You are asking a strange question, Black Dragon. And from those who have experienced your battle prowess on the Gaifa Islands before, I've heard that it wasn't quite like this.
-Keep that sword safe. It seems to be something related to this Murakan. Let's go, kid.
When the group first met Hedo at the White Tower, Murakan suffered a brief headache upon seeing Hedo's sword, as if a forgotten memory had surfaced.
Even after escaping the Sota Desert, Murakan continued to try to recall memories related to the sword Veil, but failed every time.
Because of this, the party assumed that Hedo's sword was also an object whose history was manipulated, but of course no one could have imagined that Bale would become intertwined with Temar's tomb in this way.
"I don't know what the reason is. You used a large amount of shadow force when fighting with me in the past, and there was no reaction at that time."
"It's probably because the positional condition of Temar's tomb wasn't fulfilled. It seems that the sword is the key to opening the tomb. Where did you get that sword?"
"I obtained it by defeating a monster in the Black Sea when I was young."
"I'd like to hear more details about that later. Anyway, thanks to your sword, we have hope, Tower Keeper. Thank you."
Coincidence, it was close to pure coincidence that Jin brought Hedo to the Kaldran snowfield this time. However, Jin thought that if his sword had a story about Runcandel, it might not be a coincidence, but fate.
"12th flagbearer. When the portal is complete, you intend to enter it, right?"
"Yes."
"I'm going in too!"
"No, my lady."
"You can't go, Sandra."
Both Jin and Hedo spoke at the same time.
"Why not!?"
"We don't know what might happen inside. If Hister's survivor is alive, she may have gone in there and never got out."
"I agree. This is a different issue from when we came to the Kaldran snowfield. If this door leads to Temar's tomb, we can't predict what will happen inside. It could mean that escape is impossible."
"What about you, Jin? You are Rosa's only opponent. What if you go in alone and die?"
"Temar's tomb is a tribute my god and ancestors left for Runcandel. I've been wandering around these tombs and have never been in danger. Also, I could always escape through the shadow force whenever I wanted."
Of course, this was a lie.
Jin had almost died at the hands of guardians in most tombs, and in the fourth tomb, he didn't know how to get out and had to wait endlessly with Valeria.
However, since Euria was not here now, Sandra had no way to confirm the truth. Even if it were confirmed, Jin planned to go in alone.
"We can't wait here during that time. We don't know how long it will take or what the situation will be, so we need to think about what me, my lady, and the demon dragon should do."
"Based on my experience so far, I could return to the human world within a day or two."
"We can't wait here for that long."
"I know, so please go back. As long as Rosa doesn't come in person, I can escape in any situation."
"I won't leave you alone!"
"Sandra, please."
First and foremost, although Jin grew quite close to Sandra, she and Hedo were clearly Zipfel's people. Jin couldn't bring them into Temar's tomb.
"Still, you can't go alone. Even if it were friendly before, this tomb might be hostile to Jin. Hedo and I can be helpful. Besides, just opening the door has exhausted Jin like this."
When the door was fully formed, Jin felt a great sense of exhaustion, just as Sandra had said. Jin consumed all of his shadow force just by opening the door.
'I think the amount of shadow force used is several times greater than what Murakan used in the first tomb.'
Although Jin had aura and mana, he couldn't fight with full force if he met a tough opponent inside.
"And what about Runcandel's 3rd flagbearer!? It's a problem even if there's a 3rd flagbearer not Rosa when you come back. You have to deal with the 3rd flagbearer alone in a tired state, right in the middle of enemy territory."
Runcandel 3rd flagbearer, Luntia Runcandel.
Ronil said she led the pursuit team herself and chased after Valeria, but they hadn't seen Luntia yet. The group speculated that she might be among the reinforcements that were expected to arrive.
As Jin tried to enter the door, Sandra threw herself in that direction first. Hedo immediately tried to stop her, but soon realized that there was no need.
Tung-!
"Ugh!"
A shockwave occurred as Sandra approached the door, causing her to bounce back.
"Damn, what is this...! Hedo, see if it bounces you off too."
The same thing happened to Hedo when he tried to approach with superhuman strength. As soon as he touched the door, he could no longer move forward, as if blocked by a wall.
"I have a feeling there might be trouble with the door if I go any further, my lady. Give up."
However, Jin did not experience the same phenomenon at all.
"The 12th flagbearer."
Jin looked back at Hedo.
"If possible, stall for at least three days inside the tomb. That way, we can return and request help from Kinzelo."
Hedo concluded that using the leader's dimensional portal was the best option for now, and Jin immediately agreed.
"Understood. Please make sure to do so."
"Also, when we leave the tomb, if we return to this cave, release as much energy as possible. We will use that as a signal to request that the leader open the dimensional portal."
"Despite your appearance, it seems that your brain processes information very quickly, Tower Keeper. It sounds like a good idea. That would give me more peace of mind."
"I will put Orgal on standby as soon as possible. Good luck."
"Jin!"
As Jin was about to enter the door, Sandra hugged him and said, "Remember this, if by any chance only your companion returns alive to Tikan, I will do whatever it takes to kill that person."
Jin's head immediately throbbed with the realization that Sandra wasn't joking, but he still smiled and replied, "I'll keep that in mind."
As soon as Jin entered the door, the light forming from Bale disappeared.
Sandra stared blankly at the spot where Jin disappeared for a while, and Hedo patted her on the shoulder.
* * *
In the fifth tomb of Temar, the darkness was so thick that it felt like being in the abyss of Glyek.
"Valeria!"
Even when Jin shouted Valeria's name, there was no echo.
Jin didn't feel the same sense of comfort he had in the other tombs, and he wondered if it was because of his anxiousness or something else.
'Unlike the tombs that I went through in the past, there is no sense of shadow force guiding me. There are no traces of damage by Zipfel or other forces. Is there another reason?'
He had no choice but to explore the tomb himself.
[Myaah!]
Shuri emerged from the ruby and Jin immediately began searching the vast desert of the subspace on Shuri's back.
The flow of time in the subspace was different from that of the human world. Jin had experienced that time flowed much faster in the human world.
'Where are you, Valeria...!'
After about an hour of searching with no progress, Jin began to feel anxious.
Then, Shuri stopped walking and pointed with her front paw.
[Mya, myaah!]
There was something transparent that shone like glass, emitting a faint light that was about to go out. Jin could recognize that it was a fragment of mana that took the form of a window.
It was a piece of "Record Magic."
<In this direction...….>
'These are the traces left by Valeria...!'
Jin's heart began to beat rapidly.
Record Magic was not only used to find past records but also to leave markers like this.
'It's either very old or was left in a state where almost no mana remained, given how faint the trace is.'
Above all, the fact that the magic remained meant that the caster is still alive.
Only then was Jin able to take a deep breath for the first time.
'She isn't dead. My teacher definitely remains in this subspace.'
Jin's heart was filled with the belief that he could save her. However, as he followed the direction indicated by Valeria's mana fragment, he felt an unpleasant energy approaching instead of Valeria's magic. It was a pure and enormous chaos energy, qualitatively incomparable to what he had felt in the Kaldran snowfield.
As he approached the source of the chaos, the Subspace showed not only desolate darkness but also traces of battle. There were cracks and distortions all over the space, as if they were caused by destructive swordsmanship.
Eventually, Jin came face to face with a woman who was not Valeria.
[It's been a while...… my youngest brother.]
It was Luntia Runcandel, his second sister.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
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babayaga01
babayaga01
You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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