novelraw Chapter 115: No Way In
Chapter 115: No Way In
The gap before us led into a dark corridor. Dust and grit crunched beneath our boots as we stepped carefully inside. But what stopped us cold were the two colossal figures standing ahead, which were easily five times our height. Their bodies were carved from solid black stone, with molten cracks that pulsed like veins of lava. From their hollow visages, twin eyes blazed with furnace light, radiating an oppressive heat that seemed to breathe on its own. To top it all off, each was holding a huge battleaxe of their size.
[Obsidian Golem Warden – Lv.140]
An ancient construct forged from condensed obsidian and magma, created to guard the entrance of forgotten ruins. Its body radiates immense heat, and each movement leaves molten footprints in its wake. The runes carved into its core act as conduits for destructive magic, allowing it to unleash bursts of searing flame or devastating shockwaves. Its obsidian armor is nearly impervious to physical attacks, except for the tiny, exposed joints.
Threat Level: Extremely High
Daleth-rank—and strong ones at that! My breath caught for a moment. Clearly, these two golems weren’t mere guardians; they were executioners, placed here to crush any intruder foolish enough to enter.
As if to emphasize the danger of this place, a new window appeared before my eyes, displaying the dungeon’s details.
Forgotten Vault
A long-lost ruin buried deep beneath the Great Wilderness, believed to predate the current divine era. It serves as both a labyrinth and a mausoleum, housing ancient constructs and sealed relics from a forgotten civilization. There is a residual divine energy inside, hinting that it may have once been a sanctum devoted to an extinct god—or an ancient order erased from history. Only those strong enough to survive the guardians within may uncover the secrets buried inside.
Difficulty:
C+(Recommended Level: 120+)Note: This place is deadly for Gimmel-rank divine warriors and below
Level 120 and above meant that this dungeon was recommended for Daleth-rank divine warriors at a minimum. By comparison, if we included the accumulated levels from our previous ranks—Aleph and Bet—we were hovering around level ninety-five or higher, slightly short of one hundred. Not to mention the C+ difficulty rating… even the last scenario, or Istellise’s character quest to be specific, had only been D+ in comparison.
Thankfully, the golems hadn’t yet noticed our presence and still stood motionless like statues. If they had been active, a battle would have already been unavoidable.
“Hah… no wonder this place hasn’t been plundered yet,” Boris commented, frowning.
Michelle’s face paled, though her eyes held firm resolve. “These things aren’t like the scarabs or basilisks. I’m not sure it’s wise to fight them. One mistake, and we’ll be flattened.”
I couldn’t disagree. Daleth-rank monsters were leagues beyond anything we had faced so far. Even with all three of us working together, this would be an uphill battle—the gap between Gimmel and Daleth was wider than the one between Bet and Gimmel. Nevertheless, if we wanted to get inside, there was no avoiding them.
But is it worth fighting these golems? They were monstrously powerful. Taking down even one would demand everything we had, and that was assuming the rest didn’t awaken in response. Even if we managed to win and get inside, who could say the interior wasn’t crawling with guardians just as strong—or worse?
If Graham, a cautious man, had found this dungeon before, he likely would have stopped at this very point, realizing it was beyond his reach. And he had been right to do so. Even with my current strength, I couldn’t guarantee victory here. If I forced my way through, I might run out of plausibility before reaching whatever lay at the dungeon’s core.
Yet… it felt like there was something calling me inside. A kind of power that felt eerily familiar, though I couldn’t quite place what it was.
Shaking my head, I turned to Boris and Michelle. “Let’s pull out for now. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to raid this place once we’re stronger. For the moment, it’s wiser to avoid unnecessary risk.”
“Clever.” Boris nodded firmly. “A strategic retreat is better than a reckless advance. I would’ve said the same if you’d insisted on going further.”
Michelle also gave a small nod of agreement, and together, we withdrew from the dungeon’s entrance.
Once outside, I glanced back at the towering structure. “Is there really no other way but to retreat?” I muttered under my breath, unable to shake the pull that emanated from within.
Then, something caught my eye: a narrow gap near the midpoint of the inverted pyramid, just large enough for a single person to pass through. A thought sparked in my mind. If I possess Selene again, I could probably reach that spot undetected. Her agility and stealth would make bypassing the golems possible. With her power, I might even be able to sneak all the way to the dungeon’s core.
It wasn’t a bad idea at all. While it might be risky, it wasn’t impossible. At the very least, it was worth a try. Of course, it would have to be a solo attempt. Bringing Boris and Michelle along would only increase the danger. This was something only I could do.
I didn’t want to worry them, so I’d have to go about it quietly behind their backs. If they knew, they’d insist on coming along or trying to stop me altogether. In this case, it would be wiser to return to Fantasia first and come back tomorrow fully prepared. There was also something else I needed to take care of before I attempted this.
We made our way back to the portal thereafter, and as we walked, I let my mind wander. I was fully aware that even the smallest mistake could mean death, but if I went alone, it should be easy enough to escape with my current power.
More importantly, I had to strengthen my compatibility with Selene’s possession. The last time I used more than 1 percent of her power, the plausibility cost had been too great. If I continued using her abilities gradually, pushing the limits little by little, I might discover a way to make the synchronization more efficient so that it wouldn’t drain me as quickly next time.
When we finally reached the portal platform, I turned for one last look in the direction of the inverted pyramid. Even from this distance, I couldn’t shake that faint, alluring pulse echoing in the depths of my mind, as if calling out to something within me.
Tomorrow, I would return and uncover the source of that call.
***
When we arrived back in Fantasia, I noticed that although several hours had passed inside, only about an hour or so had passed here. Well, the reason could easily be explained by this:
The Great Wilderness
A vast, untamed expanse that stretches almost endlessly. It is a fragmented world of cracked earth, arid plains, and treacherous swamps teeming with primordial life. The monsters that inhabit this place are far stronger and more numerous than those found in ordinary scenarios, and the environment itself seems to resist divine power. Even time flows differently here, warped by the remnants of ancient divine influence.
Difficulty:D
(Recommended Level: 60+)Time Dilation: 3:1 (Time flows three times faster inside the Great Wilderness)
Note: This place is deadly for Bet-rank divine warriors and below
Since we had just finished a massive hunt, we made our way to the trading post in the main plaza to sell off our haul. The carcasses of the hyenas, scarabs, and basilisks we’d taken down would fetch a decent amount of soul coins, even if we hadn’t taken the time to skin them. Naturally, that meant the profit would be lower than if we’d processed the materials ourselves, but with how many there were, it simply wasn’t worth the trouble. Our focus had been leveling up, not butchering.
Of course, we didn’t sell a small part that was of higher quality, thinking that it could be useful for making equipment later.
On top of that, there were the weapons I’d looted from the frogmen. Although most were crude and of poor craftsmanship, quantity had its own kind of value. After tallying everything up, our combined earnings came to a total of 15,690 soul coins, with my portion reaching 6,210, thanks to the sheer amount of loot I’d contributed. Obviously, I made sure to use Negotiation to squeeze out every last coin possible from the merchant’s offer.
After splitting the earnings and storing my share, I opened my inventory to check my total balance.
Soul Coins: 16,710
A small, pleased grin tugged at my lips. I’ve gathered quite the pile of soul coins, haven’t I?
With this amount, I could easily afford a single piece of epic-grade equipment. The difference between unique and epic grade was so vast that it was enough to completely alter the outcome of a previously unwinnable fight. As for legendary-grade equipment, that level of power could change the tide of an entire battlefield.
However, I didn’t really want to buy a new weapon or armor just yet. What I had served me well, and obtaining something beyond my current capacity would only be reckless. Possessing a weapon too powerful for one’s control was no different from giving a child a large motorbike—impressive, perhaps, but utterly impractical.
Besides, with the right materials, Tuilë could likely craft an epic-grade piece herself in due time. Her craftsmanship had been improving rapidly, and it was only a matter of time, or simply materials, before she reached that level. And if that wasn’t enough, I still had the option of using Grant Plausibility to evolve one of my existing items. As long as I’d forged a strong enough connection with the equipment and saved up sufficient plausibility, even a unique-grade weapon could ascend far beyond its limits.
Thus, by excluding them, the only things left for me to buy were skill books and elixirs. But I already had a ton of skills, and I wasn’t in particular need of anything new at the moment. It would be wiser to combine or evolve some of them first before expanding my repertoire. As for elixirs, there were a few worth buying, such as those that could permanently increase attributes or enhance affinity with certain elements. Still, I wasn’t in desperate need of them.
“It might be a waste, but it’s better for me to save them for later,” I mused under my breath.
Actually, there might be one epic-rank skill worth buying that came to mind. If I had that, I could do some interesting exploitation… since it complemented my signature skills well.
All right, it’s decided. I will buy that skill. Hopefully, it is sold in Fantasia, I thought.
The three of us then went our separate ways. Michelle mentioned that she wanted to purchase a few new skills to sharpen her combat ability at the Ranger’s Guild and the Mage’s Guild and test them out in the training center. Clearly, she still wasn’t satisfied with her current power. Meanwhile, Boris declared that he would be going to the tavern to “gather information,” though I suspected that was just an excuse to have a drink or two. Either way, it didn’t matter to me.
As for myself, I decided to visit the skill bookstore in District D. If nothing else, that place should be the most likely place to have the skill book that I wanted.