Chapter 143: Chapter 143

Rena let out a deep breath and lit the candle.

She clearly wanted to reconnect Isaac's soul with the flames radiating from her.

However, Isaac seemed too distressed to even care.

A voice filled with despair and anxiety echoed from the medal. "This place… was supposed to have a barrier."

"A barrier?" Rena asked.

"Yes. From the very beginning, you entered through the Gate of Death in the formation. It's a gate where death is certain."

"Where's the Gate of Life then?"

"There wasn't one. The only ones meant to enter were the temple's executioners—"

"Yeah. You should've been ensnared in delusion, drained of energy, and hunted down in a half-mad state,but… you've been walking through perfectly fine this entire time. At this rate, you'll completely leave the cult's territory."

"Confident, aren't you? You're saying the barrier that was supposed to trap us is gone?"

"Yes. Turn around and walk back for ten minutes, then head right. I'll show you the real location of the cult."

Isaac's voice was unusually grim and serious, as if he were truly worried about something. He seemed to be telling the truth, but I couldn't trust him so easily. He could still be acting.

"Why should we believe that? What do you think? Should we start by lighting the fire?" Rena asked.

Yemera's candlestick was a sacred relic. It made souls wail in agony, but torture wasn't always a hundred percent effective.

Rena had spent the entire night tormenting him. If everything had gone as she intended, Isaac would have confessed the truth long ago.

"Wait a moment." I stopped Rena as she approached with the silver candlestick. "Isaac, even if that's true… why should I believe you?"

"I swear on my name. Please… find out what happened to my descendants. I beg you."

"You just tried to scam us, and now you want us to believe you? Master, let's just go. I think we should head to the imperial capital first and take our time verifying this later," Rena said.

The medal vibrated violently, and a desperate, furious voice burst from it. "I swear by the name of Demon King Malphas that I will speak only the truth!"

A chilling energy wrapped around the medal. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt that some kind of oath had been made.

"Do you think it's safe?" Rena asked.

"He did something. I've heard that priests treat oaths made in their god's name as absolute, but…"

Rena tapped the medal with her finger.

Rena questioned Isaac's identity. "Is he even a real priest?"

"He should be…" I mumbled.

I recalled the status window I had seen when Isaac took over me.

[Priestly Trait: High Priest of Malphas]

[Rejoice, for you are the most beloved high priest of Malphas…]

Even if he serves a Demon King, a priest is still a priest.

"Alright, let's trust him for now," I said.

"Thank you," Isaac replied.

Following Isaac's directions, we walked for a long while. For some reason, I didn't feel like he was deceiving us. Although he tried to use every possible spell, he failed to take over my consciousness in the end.

Rena remained silent. She had a habit of becoming uneasy whenever something was about to happen, but this time, she simply followed my lead.

After about ten minutes of walking in the direction Isaac had pointed out to us, Rena spotted something up ahead.

"Look over here!" Rena exclaimed.

I hurried over to her side.

It was another totem, about two meters tall. The totem was carved in the shape of a dog with its front paws clasped together, but it had been mostly crushed. The six wings attached to its back had been destroyed, leaving only fragments behind. Its face had been deeply scraped away as if something had gouged it out.

"Joshua! My Joshua!" Isaac exclaimed.

The medal trembled violently. Isaac wept bitterly.

Even I felt a strange heaviness in my chest just listening to his sorrow. I couldn't just ignore it and walk away.

"Let's take a break," I said.

I sat down on the ground. Then, I reached out and patted Acorn's head a few times.

The little creature, thrilled to be part of the adventure, wagged his tail energetically.

Isaac broke the silence. "That was his size when he was alive."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Joshua. He was my little companion. Back then, he was the same size as the one standing next to you now. Even after death, he never left my side, so I built a totem for him. I had hoped… maybe he would still be here…"

The sounds of the stream, the wind, and the insects occasionally echoed through the silent forest. Amidst the quietness, Isaac's despair seeped through. When he had taken over my skeleton, I finally understood why he hadn't harmed Acorn.

"It was a dog, wasn't it? Poor thing," Rena said.

"Joshua… was the heart of the barrier. If it has been destroyed…" Isaac swallowed his words. "Let's go. I'll lead the way."

Isaac spoke only when necessary, guiding us swiftly. We passed through dense undergrowth and a gently sloping hill.

"Wait, it's a dead end?"

The path simply stopped. A sheer cliff spread out before us.

I asked Isaac, "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Just look and then speak, idiot."

Rena carefully scanned the area ahead of us and suddenly called out to me. "There are artificial markings… Master! The rock face here is evenly carved!"

"It only half resembles a passage, right?"

"Shut up for a second," I grumbled to Isaac.

I peered down. "Is it safe?"

"There aren't any physical traps. Since the barrier is broken, you just have to walk through it."

"I'll go down first," I said.

"Alright. Be careful," Rena warned.

Climbing down seemed manageable, but Rena insisted on tying a climbing rope around my waist. She also secured a separate rope for Acorn.

Holding him close, I climbed downward. Acorn showed no sign of fear. The drop was steep, but it didn't seem fatal.

If I fell, I'd probably lose about half my health.

There were plenty of handholds, making the descent smooth. About thirty meters down, a large opening appeared in the rock.

"This is it," Issac said.

It was about two meters in diameter. Though it was a sizable hole, it was tucked deep into the cliff, making it difficult to spot. There was no mountain peak across from it either.

I gave a slight push with my legs and swung into the opening.

Rena, still secured by the rope, soon followed. "Wow… There's a place inside a cliff?"

Her voice echoed through the cave, fading into the depths. "A place … … this…"

Rena pulled a large candle and candlestick from her backpack while chewing on a piece of jerky.

"Don't worry. It's for exploration," Rena assured us.

Isaac was speechless.

The two-meter-wide tunnel gradually widened as we went deeper.

Rena blew out the candle with a light puff. "This is unnecessary."

Even though we had passed the point where sunlight could reach, faintly glowing minerals scattered throughout the cave emitted a dim light. After walking for about ten more minutes, we encountered a massive pile of boulders completely blocking the path.

Each of the rocks was more than twice the height of a person. There weren't just a few. Over twenty massive boulders stood densely packed, obstructing the passage ahead.

"What is this?" I asked.

"These weren't here before. If you get past them… there should be a door," Isaac answered.

There was an unmistakable unease in Isaac's voice.

Rena reached into her backpack. "I brought bombs. We can blast them bit by bit and clear the way."

"Hmm… Could you step back for a moment?" I said.

Rena gave me a puzzled look but seemed to realize something.

She nodded and retreated. "…Alright."

I recalled the first time I met Rena in this life— when I had split a boulder the size of a person clean in half.

She's thinking of that, isn't she?

"A little further back," I said.

"A little more?" Rena repeated.

She tilted her head in confusion. "Hmm…"

But she followed my instructions and moved back.

That should be enough…

[Sword Energy Lv. 1: Maximum Output.]

The greatsword hummed as if hungry for a target. A pale blue energy flared up along the blade. It had been a while since I had used Sword Energy with my own hands. Thin, flowing strands of energy wrapped around each other.

[Skill: Acid Lv. 5 has been activated.]

A transparent green aura wrapped around the blue Sword Energy. A powerful, corrosive mist, capable of melting anything, surged violently, but the greatsword said to have been crafted by the three lords of Grassmere remained unscathed.

I asked Isaac, "The path is blocked… Should I use Suction to pull it apart?"

"Go ahead if you want to be covered in rock dust. Use Sword Energy to slowly break it down and push it forward."

"Hmm. Thanks for the advice."

Of course, I had no intention of following his suggestion exactly.

[Skill: Blaze Lv. 2 has been activated.]

Flames surged around the ominously glowing green aura, coming to life.

The already massive two-handed sword now seemed twice as large, blazing furiously. A satisfying sensation of controlled power coursed up my spine.

[Skill: Wind Blast Lv. 1 has been activated.]

[Combining Blaze Lv. 2 & Blast Lv. 1!]

[Proficiency is very low.]

[Mana consumption increased by 300%.]

[Skill: Flickering Flame - Blaze Flare Lv. 1 activated.]

The circuits engraved on my bones burned hot. I didn't hesitate for even a moment. With both hands gripping the greatsword tightly, I swung it down with all my strength.

[Skill: Slash Lv. 2 has been activated.]

A strange sound accompanied the shockwave of intense flames, acid, and wind bursting forward. I felt my energy being completely drained from me.

The massive boulders exploded into clouds of rock dust, scattering in all directions.

Thud! Thud, thud, thud!

The cave floor beneath the boulders cracked and trembled while luminous stones embedded in the ceiling shook loose, crashing to the ground.

The thick, pale dust was completely swept aside by the pressure of the sword's impact, clearing the edges of the cave.

Issac remained silent whileI looked ahead. A large hole, about two meters in diameter, had been blasted open in the rock. Even the unbroken sections were charred black or partially crumbled, far from intact. Beyond the newly created passage, a stone door engraved with a large bird in its central disc stood in view.

"Did it work?" I asked.

"Unbelievable. With what you just did, you burned through half of the Lurium flowing in your body," Isaac said.

"Half? You mean, I used half of it?"

That seemed excessive. Isaac had poured over two liters of Lurium into my body. He had drained all the magic liquid from six golems and transferred it to me.

"Fool. Almost all of it was used for the initial circuit coating. Breaking open a path takes immense power. There wasn't much left to begin with."

Rena, wearing a distressed expression, rushed toward me from behind. "That's… too much!"

I must have done something terribly wrong. Fortunately, no system message appeared to indicate a decrease in Affection.

"How am I supposed to keep up with you?! I didn't even get a chance to protect you!"

A translucent status window appeared above Rena's head.

[Rena has absolute trust in your abilities!

—All types of effects will significantly increase now.

—She has broadened her perspective.

—Rena's understanding of swordsmanship has greatly improved.

—If trained systematically, her swordsmanship rank will now rise at a faster rate.]

Hmm… I guess that's a good thing?

Rena looked visibly sulky, but fortunately, there was no drop in Affection. As I continued my casual conversation with her, the medal containing Isaac trembled.

"Aren't you going to open the door?"

"Turn it twice to the left. Fix the bird's beak onto the snake, then press the lower hexagram. After that, turn it two and a half times to the right…"

"Can't I just break it?"

In the end, I solved the puzzle flawlessly. It was only natural as Isaac had explained each step slowly and clearly.

A mechanism inside the stone door activated with a precise click.

[You solved a D+ rank puzzle in one attempt.]

[Your experience points have increased.]

[As your skill level increases, the probability of gaining hints from puzzles will rise.]

Just as I was looking at my status window, the entire cave began to tremble. The sight was astonishing. The stone door, which had originally seemed like a single solid slab, split into four parts and slowly disappeared into the cave walls.