Chapter 102

Chapter 102
Alon and Evan, together with Liyan’s party, set out for the ruins of Malacca.

“Marquis… the air feels increasingly damp the further we travel,” Evan remarked, his expression showing clear distaste.

“It does,” Alon agreed, observing Evan’s discomfort.

‘I was aware the climate here would be humid, but this is worse than I imagined. It’s truly unpleasant,’ Alon reflected, attempting to conceal his own unease.

He adjusted his clothing, feeling the moist fabric under his touch.

‘We should finish our business here and depart quickly.’

After they had walked for some time, one of the group proposed, “We should pause for a rest.”

They had arrived at roughly the halfway point.

While they rested, Alon spoke with Liyan and discovered the reason she and her companions were traveling to the ruins of Malacca.

“…Malacca is considered a magical ruin?”

Magical ruins.

Within Ronovelli, discovered ruins took many forms—some held treasure, others contained legacies or stored knowledge, and more.

Among these, magical ruins were particularly sought after by magic-users, as they frequently housed artifacts dating back to the age of the forgotten gods.

However…

‘In the game, wasn’t Malacca just an ordinary ruin?’

He had traversed this region innumerable times while playing <Psychedelia>, hunting for artifacts unique to the jungle, much like he had during the Raksas story segment.

Memories of the jungle mini-games remained fresh in his mind.

“It isn’t confirmed, but there is a possibility,” Liyan answered.

“Do you have any proof?” Alon pressed.

“Yes. Recent explorers compared architectural features of Malacca’s ruins with those of known magical ruins. They identified remarkable resemblances using maps drawn by explorers,” Liyan clarified.

This was news to Alon.

“I knew of Malacca’s ruins, but I never considered they might be magical. That is fascinating.”

“Isn’t it? I wouldn’t have known either without Theon. Based on the initial reports sent to camp, I believed it was a standard ruin. This new insight is entirely because of Theon,” Liyan stated.

Hearing this, Alon looked toward Theon, who was resting at a distance.

Theon briefly met his eyes, then swiftly averted his gaze, pretending not to notice.

Alon found this strange but did not pursue it.

“So, could Malacca’s ruins potentially hold artifacts from the forgotten era?” Alon inquired.

Liyan tilted her head in consideration.

“Hmm, I believe it’s improbable. When explorers and wizards first found Malacca’s ruins, they reported discovering nothing of substance. At most, we might uncover some academic records.”

Alon nodded in understanding, but then Liyan turned the question back to him.

“Speaking of which, Marquis, what is your purpose in visiting the ruins?”

Alon paused briefly before offering an ambiguous answer.

“An acquaintance made a request of me.”

“A request?”

“Yes, they asked that I come to the ruins of Malacca.”

Liyan appeared intrigued but, sensing his reluctance to elaborate, decided not to question him further.

Alon was grateful for her tact and shifted the topic.

“Incidentally, is it acceptable to share such information so freely? I was previously unaware of any of this.”

“Ah—” Liyan nodded, comprehending his point.

“It’s perfectly fine. Even if the ruins share traits with magical ruins, the probability they actually are one is very slim. And the odds of locating artifacts are virtually nonexistent. Any scholarly discoveries would eventually become public knowledge anyway, so there’s no need for secrecy.”

After her explanation, Alon asked, “So your goal is simply to verify whether Malacca’s ruins are magical ruins?”

“Precisely. The Red Tower is skilled in ‘interpretation,’ and the Green Tower specializes in ‘detection,’ so we formed a joint team for this investigation.”

Liyan then detailed how the magical exploration unit had been assembled for this task.

“Once this survey is complete, you’ll be departing immediately, correct?” Alon asked.

“Unless there is another uncharted region in the north requiring examination, that is likely the case.”

“…An uncharted region in the north.”

Alon repeated the words quietly, remembering what he knew of that northern territory.

‘That place… In the future, it will certainly become a domain of one of the Four Great Factions, the Hyakki.’

The Hyakki.

They arose during the mid-to-late stages of <Psychedelia>, spreading chaos alongside the Five Great Sins that descended in that era.

Notorious for turning an already weakened allied kingdom into a total catastrophe, the Hyakki’s members, especially their leader, were infamous for their nightmarish challenge.

‘Particularly the Hyakki’s boss, the “King of Aberrations,” still makes my blood run cold just remembering.’

“The uncharted northern region… it may be wiser not to explore it.”

“? Why do you say that?”

“I’ve heard from a contact that it could be somewhat hazardous,” Alon replied.

The Four Great Factions, similar to the foreign gods within the world’s lore, generally remained inactive unless the Five Great Sins awakened and descended.

In an uncommon gesture of goodwill, Alon offered his counsel.

“Let’s resume our journey!”

He rose to his feet, leaving a puzzled Liyan behind.

‘…Hopefully, everything will be alright,’ he thought, though a brief, vague unease flickered through his mind as he momentarily thought of Deus.

The heavy, damp morning persisted…

***

Some time later, the party finally reached the temple of Malacca.

With the sky clouded over, judging the time was difficult.

“We should proceed inside immediately.”

Aware the ruins were not classified as a hazard zone, the wizards did not hesitate.

They moved into the interior sections with their hired mercenaries and guides, all keen to start their investigation.

“Shall we enter as well?” Evan asked.

“Yes.”

Alon, who had been studying the ancient pyramid-like structure of the ruins, stepped forward with Evan.

Inside, the ruins showed long-term effects of the humidity, with moss filling the gaps between the stones.

As they advanced, Alon suddenly remembered something Cretenia Siyan had told him:

—…You will comprehend the reason once you are there.

In truth, Alon still could not grasp Siyan’s motive for sending him here.

No matter how much he pondered, he could not even form a reasonable guess.

‘What could it be?’

Lost in his thoughts, Alon was brought back to the present by Evan’s observation.

“Ah, it’s cooler in here.”

At that moment, Alon finally surveyed the interior of the ruins.

“…”

There was, quite literally, nothing there.

Besides the moss-covered stones, the sole significant feature was an enormous stone slab at the center, large enough to comfortably hold a hundred people.

Other than that, it was just a vast, hollow space.

‘What could possibly be learned from a place like this?’ Alon wondered.

As he stood in the slightly cooler air, Siyan’s cryptic statement resonated in his memory.

Alon scanned the empty ruins once more.

As his eyes traveled slowly upward…

“?”

He saw something.

What looked like a drawing was, in reality, text.

Alon immediately identified it as “writing” in his mind, comprehending it instinctively as if it were second nature.

He had felt something similar before when examining a tablet in ruins once occupied by the Dragonkin.

—Egg of the Sacred Dragon.

Despite the erosion of time, the inscription remained clearly readable.

“…‘Stasis’?” he murmured, reading the words below it.

Thunk.
From somewhere in the distance came the sound of something immense closing.

Crack!
A piercing, breaking noise followed.

***

So it really is unlikely this is a magical ruin, despite the similarities, Liyan thought, still observing the previously vacant ruins.

But then, an abrupt cracking sound snapped her to attention.

“!?”

One of the Green Tower wizards, who had entered alongside her mere moments ago, now lay motionless on the ground.

His head had been shattered.

Crunch, crunch. Whirrr!
Nearby, grotesquely large insects were devouring the wizard’s remains.

“Ugh!”

“What… what in the world are those!?”

“This is unbelievable—”

One wizard retched in revulsion, while others cried out in terror.

But soon, they all began readying spells, focusing their attention on the monstrous insects, which were now appearing in greater numbers throughout the spacious ruins.

‘Why are jungle mutants here?!’
Liyan could not make sense of the situation, but there was no time to think.

She too began preparing her magic.

However, she soon made a shocking discovery.

‘Why… won’t my magic…!?’
It was simple yet horrifying: magic could not be formed.

As the insects started to swarm, Liyan desperately attempted to cast a spell again, her face growing more frantic, but it was useless.

‘The mana… it’s scattering…!’
The instant she released her mana to shape a spell, it dissipated wildly into the atmosphere.

Realizing this, she was seized by dread.

“Hah—”

A sigh resonated through the chamber, catching the notice of Liyan and the other wizards.

“That was close,” said Theon, standing calmly amidst the swarm of insects.

“Theon…?” Liyan uttered his name in shock.

Theon, positioned over the body of the Green Tower wizard, wore a distinct smile—one filled with scorn.

“You seem confused,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery.

Liyan’s expression hardened at his obvious contempt.

“…Do you have any idea what you are doing?” she demanded.

“Oh, are we doing this now? A scolding? Sorry, but save your breath. I’ve had my fill of lectures. And don’t concern yourself, I know exactly what I’m doing.

It seems you are the one who lacks understanding, however,” Theon answered flippantly.

“What?” Liyan asked, her bewilderment increasing.

Theon gave a short laugh.

“If you understood what I was going to do, you wouldn’t look so composed.”

With that, he pulled a dark, pitch-black staff from his robes and waved it gently.

At that moment, one of the insects—resembling a giant mosquito—plunged its sharp proboscis into the chest of the wizard’s corpse.

In a horrifying motion, it ripped out the heart amidst a burst of blood.

Theon took the heart from the insect’s mouth and threw it toward the center of the arena.

The heart pulsated violently, smearing blood across the huge space.

Liyan tried once more to use magic, but Theon interrupted her.

“Oh, don’t bother. Now that the ‘trial’ has commenced, magic is unusable within these ruins.”

“Trial?” she asked, alarmed.

“Correct. A trial to decide who is worthy of obtaining the magical relics located here,” Theon explained with a casual shrug.

“I should add,” he continued, “I bear no ill will toward any of you. The only reason I brought you here is because I require the hearts of at least ten wizards.”

With a cunning smile, he went on, “Apparently, only a wizard’s heart will suffice—or so I was told by… a certain person. I truly had no alternative.”

Theon’s manner became disturbingly cheerful, as if all his previous quietness had been an act.

“Still, I must confess I was concerned for a bit. Bringing the Marquis of Palatio wasn’t an issue since he’s a wizard, but that beast carrying Caliban’s sword? That was truly nerve-racking.”

“I even considered how to delay until the Marquis departed. But being able to start the trial on our very first day? Well, I am just profoundly thankful.”

Theon cast a taunting look toward Alon before facing the others again.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Don’t fret—your hearts will serve a valuable purpose.”

With a wave of his dark staff, the mutated insects unfolded their wings and lifted into the air.

‘So… this is how it ends?’
Liyan watched in despair as her mana, no matter how much she expended, scattered into the air without effect.

Her face contorted with hopelessness.

Crackle—
A sharp sound cut through the tumult, drawing her eyes.

There, in front of Alon’s outstretched hand, a bright, shining magic glowed brilliantly.

The wizards, who had been submerged in despair moments before, stared at the light as if mesmerized.

“!?”

Theon’s smug smile vanished, first into confusion, then into pure astonishment.

“Stasis.”

Alon, having understood the sole method for employing magic in this space, recited the incantation with utter calm.