Chapter 54
Chapter 54: Ruins of the Age of the Gods (2)
-So, when you thrust the spear, do it strongly; when you retrieve it, do it lightly. Yes, that’s the method.
-And spear techniques are maximized above the surface, but weakened below the surface. Controlling that force is the key. Hm? You’re asking if that strike that pierced the Hive’s core worked on the same principle? Of course it did. There’s an absurd difference between swinging it underwater and swinging it out of the water, you know?
-You can manipulate ocean currents? Then you could become an incredible spearman!! In that case, why not combine the Horn of the Sea King growing from your head with your ability to wield a spear?
-You brat, your telekinesis is pathetic! How many times have I told you not to let go of your weapon?!
As soon as Yalmuka was paired with Yul, he began explaining spear techniques, even urging him to move around and swing as he went.
His spear technique had no name. Still, there were key points to how it should be wielded.
While moving and listening to these explanations, Teller, who had been leading the way, spoke up.
-Stop. There’s something strange ahead.
'He has a voice like an inanimate object.'
Yul thought as he followed closely behind.
Ahead of them stood a massive door. Giant carvings were engraved into it.
-What kind of style is this?
-I don't know.
-I’ll try pushing it.
Yul, the largest among them, stepped forward and tried to shove the door with his body, but it didn’t budge at all.
‘If I hit it any harder, I’ll get hurt.’
Without any invincibility effect, ramming himself into a door wasn’t his preference.
-Turning back isn’t an option if this is the only door here.
-What about the other side? Is there a door there too?
They tried contacting Gehenna and Tuania, but both replied that there was no door on their side.
-Hm. Then we have no choice. Let’s assume this way is blocked.
-Ah, wait a moment.
Just as he was considering turning back, Yul felt something odd while looking at the wall and turned his head.
As he slowly shifted his body and examined the door, he noticed that at a certain angle, the strange patterns interlocked and transformed into characters.
Yul was able to read what appeared to be writing from the Age of Gods.
‘Is this because of the translation?’
《Bow before the Second Giant and [praise] its presence.》
-What are you doing?
-Bow before the Second Giant and [praise] its presence?
The moment he said it, the carvings on the door suddenly began to move on their own, freely roaming across its surface.
The form of a gigantic creature emerged atop the door. What the carvings assembled into was an enormous crab.
After the crab’s form fully appeared, the door opened a short while later.
-W-What?!
-You… you could read those characters?
-I just did it without realizing it...
To think it was a mechanism that opened automatically just by reading it aloud. Yul hastily made excuses, breaking into a cold sweat at the thought that this might get tied to some stone tablet nonsense again.
After roughly brushing it off, the swordfish Teller spoke.
-How it was opened doesn’t matter. There must be something more inside.
-Huh? Swordfish, what do you mean by that?
-If there’s a door that doesn’t exist elsewhere, then obviously there’s something here.
Just as he said, when they went inside, massive statues came into view.
Every one of them depicted a tentacle-headed race worshipping something—specifically, a statue shaped like a crab.
-So many statues spread across the floor…….
-It might have been a temple devoted to that crab-shaped figure.
-I wonder.
Seeing the crab-worshipping statues scattered across the floor, Yul lightly looked upward.
There, writing from the Age of Gods was inscribed.
《The Right Hand of Creation, possessing power equal to the Left Hand that supports the world, created the Second Giant, the [Sea Giant]. The Sea Giant forged countless seas throughout creation and unified the entire universe through the seas.》
‘Creation?’
So these really are ruins of the Age of Gods. Is this truly a record of creation, or merely mythology?
‘Then does that crab statue represent the Sea Giant?’
Yul carefully memorized the sight, looking it over from various angles. Unlike before, he didn’t speak it aloud.
Following the path led them deeper into the ruins. They arrived near the crab statue.
Around then, a message came from Tuania’s team, who had gone to explore the opposite passage.
-How is it over there? We’re completely blocked.
-Blocked by a door?
The ultrasonic waves came from very far away. It sounded as though it had twisted through a maze-like route; if they got any farther apart, it might not reach at all.
-No, there’s nothing like a door here. It’s just empty. Only traces remain, like something used to be here.
-We can keep going downward on our side, so we’re proceeding.
-Got it. We’ll head back toward the hall for now.
-Understood.
Yalmuka, who had been listening nearby, spoke up.
-How’s the other side?
-They don’t seem to be able to go as deep as we can.
-Hm? The statue is moving.
-What?
Yul blinked. Was it a golem or something that appeared in every dungeon?
……Thinking that, he turned his head, but the crab statue looked perfectly still.
The reactions of the others beside him, however, were something else.
-This can’t be! The statue is moving?! Move, now!
-Kugh! Not so fast! Take this!
Yalmuka suddenly tensed up, looking as though he were desperately dodging something at high speed.
And the Swordfish Teller was simply whipping his head around in empty air.
-What is this?
-Yul! What are you doing?! Standing there like an idiot! Dodge, now!
-No, the statue is perfectly still.
-Kugh!
Yalmuka was flung far away, as if struck by something invisible.
His head was visibly dented in one spot, as though he’d really been hit.
‘What is this? Are they putting on a show?’
-Take this!
Teller continued swinging his head through empty air.
Yul carefully examined the crab statue. A faint trace of magic was leaking out.
‘So that’s the cause.’
Under its influence, Teller and Yalmuka only appeared to be flailing around in empty space.
Only then did Yul realize they were trapped in some kind of illusion.
Instead of destroying the crab statue, Yul operated the Mantra of Illusion.
- [Mantra of Illusion].
After activating it, Yul approached Yalmuka and touched him.
-Come to your senses.
-Hm? Huh?! What is this?
-You were struck by illusion magic. It seems to be the ability of that crab statue.
Thanks to the Mantra of Illusion, Yul himself was unaffected by the illusion magic. This was a function he had only just discovered.
Only after calming even the rampaging Teller did Yul finally breathe a sigh of relief.
-What in the world just happened?
-You were caught in an illusion. I seem to be fine, thanks to my Mantra.
-Orca Yul, you have more abilities than I expected.
-True enough. You’re pretty good with a spear, too.
-I'm just able to do a bit of this and that reasonably well. Anyway, you just need to move while sticking close to my side.
The Mantra of Illusion has its limits. It can only affect oneself and the immediate surroundings.
So Yul passed through the statue zone while staying pressed tightly against the two of them.
After that, he sent word telling Tuania not to follow.
-Tuania, be careful. Illusions are activating around the crab statues.
'No reply is coming back.'
Perhaps they had come in too deep, as he couldn't hear a reply via ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic waves cannot travel far in complex terrain.
Yul couldn't tell if they had heard the sound, but for now, he decided to move, assuming they had.
After passing beyond the statues, enormous letters were inscribed ahead.
《Beyond this lies a fragment of the Regulator.》
《A portion of the Great Giant’s body (畜).》
‘Finally, some new information.’
If this was a fragment of the Regulator, then the Regulator itself might be divided into multiple fragments.
-Hm? It's a new area.
-It’s quite spacious.
Behind the crab statues was a massive cavern.
This place was also filled with statues, but they were statues worshipping a giant metal chest decorated with gems located at the very center.
-A chest?
-It doesn’t seem to have any particular locking mechanism.
Inside the jewel chest lay a strangely shaped piece of metal.
-What is this?
It was moderately curved, metallic, and looked like a “part” of something.
‘Is this the fragment of the Regulator?’
Characters from the Age of the Gods were written underneath.
《The Left Fragment of the Regulator. Only one bearing the corresponding destiny can assemble the Regulator.》
-Whatever this is, it doesn’t seem ordinary. We should store it carefully.
Below the storage chamber where the jewelry chest was, it looked like they could descend even further.
-It seems we could go down further from here.
-Shall we stop here for now? Let’s head back and share what we’ve found with the others.
At Yul’s suggestion, they decided to return. Having obtained one fragment of the Regulator, they planned to share the results.
Leaving the crab statue area behind and heading back toward the hall, they saw many sea creatures gathered there.
But the atmosphere was grim. Tuania spotted Yul and approached him.
-You’re back.
-Why is the atmosphere like this?
-There’s a traitor.
-What?
* * *
A short while later, the story they heard was unexpected.
-True Word Dragon Lord Timur betrayed us. He stabbed Gehenna in the back.
-Damn it! I never saw that coming. I let my guard down.
Gehenna was once again in a state of severe, grievous injury.
-Are you usually this good at getting hurt?
-Hah! This isn’t like the Hive incident. Anyone would go down if they’re ambushed from behind!
-How bad is the wound?
-It’s a penetrating injury. One of my organs is probably damaged. Looks like I’ll have to lie down in the Healing Spring again.
To think Gehenna had been taken out so quickly. At that moment, Mujin, who was standing nearby, spoke.
-Gehenna is the strongest among us. Timur’s objective was likely to eliminate the strongest first…….
-Why would Timur suddenly betray us, Lord Mujin?
When Yul asked, Mujin replied.
-For some reason, it seems he can read the language of the Age of the Gods.
-What?
Yul was reading them through translation, but how had Timur been able to read them?
-And then he spoke, filled with joy, saying that the Regulator buried beneath the ruins of the Age of the Gods could be the salvation of his race. I think it started from that moment. After that, he suddenly fell silent, and before we knew it, Timur stabbed Gehenna in the back and fled.
-Salvation of his race? I don't know much about the Sea Dragon Tribe, but what does that mean?
Before Mujin could answer, Gehenna spoke first.
-I’ll explain. I knew Timur personally, and I’m well acquainted with the Sea Dragon Tribe race. Cough.
After coughing up a bowlful of blood, Gehenna continued, his expression seeming a bit more relaxed.
-It all starts with the origin of the Sea Dragon Tribe race. They originally descended from a species called Sea Dragons. Sea Dragons lived in the outer oceans and boasted overwhelming power. But now, having lost that tremendous strength, they have fallen into decline and degenerated into what we call Sea Dragon Tribes.
-Why?
-In the distant past, a being from the Sea Dragon race who became a god was defeated and died, and they lost their god. Their influence then rapidly weakened, and they were driven out to the Archipelago Ocean in the south.
Yul tilted his head as he listened to the story.
-You said he mentioned being able to save his race after reading something.
-Yes. Perhaps this thing called the Regulator is something that can create a god.
-……!?
Yul looked down at the fragment of the Regulator he had recovered this time.