ocean-life Chapter 30: Isolation (2)
Chapter 30: Isolation (2)
Chapter 30: Isolation (2)
Finding the path wasn't too difficult. Excluding the area where the water was rising, there was only one passage. Ulan continued walking steadily, using the torch to dispel the darkness.
After a while
"Huh?"
Sylphie let out a surprised gasp.
She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes scanning the floor and walls.
"The path is different now."
"Different?"
"Just a while ago, the path was uneven, but from here on, it's well-paved, almost as if someone deliberately paved it."
Sylphie was right.
The path ahead was much smoother and easier to walk on compared to the path they had taken so far; the surface of the walls also gradually became smoother as they walked.
As they continued walking while observing the changing path, the group stopped again.
"It's blocked."
There was no path ahead anymore.
What looked like a lump of iron was blocking the way. That's when Ibella, who was examining the surroundings, spotted something and shouted, "It looks like there's something written here."
Ulan and Sylphie stepped closer.
Indeed, there were strange-looking characters written there. The problem was that these were unfamiliar characters they had never seen before.
"Can you read it?"
"Sorry, I've never seen these characters before."
While Ibella awkwardly chuckled, Sylphie's eyes widened suddenly, "Ah! This is the language of the ancient desert kingdom."
"The desert kingdom? Does that mean it's the language of the Heretics?"
"From a modern point of view, yes."
"How can you read the language of the Heretics?"
Did you recognize it at first glance?
Just as he was about to ask, Sylphie's response, which she had anticipated, came ahead of his question, "When I was young, I had the opportunity to travel with my parents and learn many different languages. So, I can read it to some extent."
"What does it say?"
"Ahem! Let me read it."
After a light cough, Sylphie slowly started interpreting the characters.
"Hark, thou unchosen Hero. Thy spirit is far too stout to falter in the face of dismay. Confront this trial and unveil thy true worth. Shouldst thou succeed, thou shalt be bestowed the strength and wisdom to fight the Abyss."
It was a perfect interpretation, even for Ulan.
"It sounds like something out of a fairy tale."
"Ahaha, thats true."
Ibella's chuckle was met with Sylphie's agreement, as she smiled. However, Ulan didn't join in. He recognized a word that caught his attention.
"Trial."
He had initially felt that this place was similar to the Trial of a Warrior, and it seemed like that wasn't a misconception.
As Ulan's gaze deepened...
"Oh, there's something else written here."
they found another set of characters.
"Can you read that too?"
"Of course."
Since it was the same language.
Sylphie began interpreting again.
"Behold, this is the Trial of a Hero. O thou who hath readied thyself. Open the door and confront the Trial. Yet, only those endowed with requisite qualifications may unbar the door."
The Trial of a Hero? Not the Trial of a Warrior?
Ulan scratched his head.
He had never heard of the Trial of a Hero in his previous life.
"Ah, so this is the door."
Ibella, meanwhile, tapped the iron blocking the path. She took a deep breath and, putting all her strength into it, tried to push the door open.
"Hmph!"
Shivering arms and legs; all her strength focused on her arms and palms, causing her face to turn red within moments.
Despite her efforts, the door didn't budge.
The iron gate refused to budge.
Ibella took a deep breath and wrinkled her forehead, trying her best.
"Ugh, it's not working. I can't even make it budge."
Let's take a break, and then we'll all do it together Ibella was about to suggest that. But she didn't have to.
Clang! Squeak!
The iron door, which had shown no signs of moving earlier, suddenly made a loud noise and began to open. It was Ulan who did it. Ibella stared at him, dumbfounded.
".......How did you do it?"
"I just pushed it."
With a little more force than usual.
At the nonchalant answer, Sylphie smiled awkwardly and said, "The minimum qualifications probably refer to having at least the minimum strength."
With a mumbled comment, the group resumed moving.
The path beyond the iron door was much better maintained than the one they had walked so far; though it was still dusty due to long years of neglect.
"Wow, it looks just like an ancient ruin!"
"It seems like you're really excited."
"Yeah! I never imagined there would be ruins like this near the Fountain of Magic."
Her eyes glittered like stars. Given that she was studying ancient history, her excitement was probably due to seeing ruins.
How much time had passed?
Suddenly, Ulan blocked her path, "Stop."
"What? Why all of a sudden...?"
"There was a noise up ahead."
As soon as he finished answering.
Ibella and Sylphie clamped their mouths shut. Then, after a few moments, they did indeed hear something.
Ssskk! Ssskk!
Like a snake slithering across the floor.
Or maybe it sounded like old clothes being dragged across the floor. A sense of tension filled the air, and Ulan's face turned serious.
Soon, the source of the sound became apparent.
"What, human?!"
Like Sylphie's astonished cry, the figure that emerged from the darkness was indeed a human. A dwarf dressed in tattered robes, resembling a beggar. However, Ulan's thoughts differed.
"Wrong. He's not human."
"Huh? But..."
Sylphie was about to say something when Ulan abruptly stomped on the ground. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and sent the opponent's head flying.
Thud! Splat!
The sound of tearing dry husk accompanied it
The head, having said goodbye to the body, rolled like a ball. The two girls looked bewildered at this sudden attack.
"Ul, Ulan?!
The walkthrough said that each person has their own set of ordeals.
It didn't say what those ordeals were, but it did say that a minimum strength was required, so it was probably combat-related.
At least Ulan and Ibella are fine.
There was no need to worry about Ulan, and Ibella had a reasonable amount of strength as well.
The problem was the ashen-haired girl who was swept up with them.
'Since I don't recognize her, or remember her name, she's probably an insignificant extra.
Please, let her be a Mage.
That would make things easier.
While she silently wished for that, a familiar voice tapped her ear, "Looks like you've finally calmed down."
Professor Miel had approached unnoticed.
Remembering her mistake from earlier, Noah bowed her head and apologized, "......I'm sorry for showing such a pathetic sight."
"It's alright. It's only natural to act in such a way when your friends disappear right before your eyes. Don't worry about it," Miel's gentle response came.
Then it dawned on her.
Professor Miel was the Instructor of Class-3. Surely he would know what course the ashen-haired girl was majoring in.
"Uh, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Um, what is it?"
"I was wondering which field of study the ash-haired girl was enrolled in among the three missing students."
"Hmm, if it's the ashen-haired one, her name is Sylphie. She enrolled in General Studies, in case you didn't know."
"What, General Studies?"
"Yep. She's aiming for Ancient History."
As soon as Professor Miel finished speaking.
Noah smiled, as if she'd been liberated.
Good luck. Hidden event.
She felt a brief moment of anticipation and happiness. With clear dew forming at the corners of her eyes, Noah clasped her hands together.
Now that the rewards would be fine, she prayed for the safe return of Ulan and the group.
After a considerable amount of time had passed, both Ibella and Sylphie showed signs of exhaustion on their faces and for good reason: they had walked endless corridors and fought five battles.
On the other hand, Ulan was still in good shape. Having gone through the Trial of a Warrior for ten days, this felt more like a leisurely stroll for him.
How long had they been walking? They reached yet another dead end.
"This is."
A massive chamber that could accommodate hundreds of people.
The group surveyed their surroundings cautiously, searching for clues. And once again, there it was text written in the language of the Desert Kingdom.
Sylphie deciphered the text, her face displaying a surprised expression as she read it.
"The three Heroes who challenge the trial."
After reading this far, Sylphie exclaimed with a bewildered expression, "How did they know there were three of us?"
"Isn't it just a coincidence?"
"But it's too..much for coincidence."
"Anyway, let's read the rest and think about it."
At Ibella's suggestion, Sylphie nodded her head.
She continued deciphering the text.
"If you wish to face the final trial beyond this point, first overcome three Ordeals. Prove your knowledge, battle, and talent."
"Ordeals, huh..."
"Then we must prepare to fight."
Ulan grabbed his axe.
But Sylphie shook her head.
"No, I think this is a bit different this time."
"Different? In what way?"
"Look here, there are three words. When translated in order, they mean 'Knowledge,' 'Battle,' and 'Talent.'"
Knowledge. Battle. Talent.
The same number as the number of Ordeals; it was as if they were themes that symbolized each Ordeal.
"So we each choose one?"
"Well, I guess that's probably it."
"Then Sylphie should take Knowledge, and me and Ibella can take Battle and Talent, respectively," Ulan proposed a solution.
Ibella, meanwhile, was taken aback.
"Me, you want me to be in charge of talent?"
"Yes, because you are talented in swordsmanship."
Ulans expression was serious.
Facing that earnest gaze, Ibella closed her mouth. She wanted to protest, to say that it wasn't quite to that extent, but she couldn't bring herself to utter the words.
'...How can I say that when I see those eyes?'
Eyes full of conviction and faith.
Ulan was the only one who had shown such expectations for her. Not wanting to betray his expectations, Ibella put on a brave face and answered, "Okay, then I'll leave the Battle to you."
"Okay. Leave it to me," Ulan laughed ferociously.
It was a smile brimming with fighting spirit.
"Anyway, now that we've each chosen our Ordeals, let's figure out how to make our choices.."
As Sylphie calmly continued, her words suddenly stopped.
She didn't stop mid-sentence, but her voice was abruptly cut off.
And then another one.
The presence of the group disappeared. Not just Sylphie, but Ibella's presence as well. Only now did Ulan sense that something had changed.
"This is..."
This was not the room he had been in.
He was now in a much narrower and darker space. It felt like he had been summoned to an entirely different location. Just as Ulan was about to survey his surroundings.
Swoosh!
An unearthly flame burst forth; a flame that gnawed at the darkness and burned. It seemed to come alive, carving some sort of character into the air.
'Those are definitely...'
The same characters he had just seen; the very same characters that Sylphie had pointed to and interpreted just before they came here.
So he jogged his memory.
And some time later
he realized what they meant.
First Ordeal: Knowledge
Ulan furrowed his brow.
(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .)
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