ACT 3: Secrets of Silvana Castle

“Ha……..”

Ark sighed with a pained expression. It was because of a NPC named Berami. After the siege ended and he got a good night’s sleep, he connected to an office in Silvana. It was a luxurious office overlooking his estate! It was the first time Ark realized that the estate was his. After all the suffering he was able to sit down and relax in a comfortable chair.  He became thrilled at the thought of being a Lord. Then while he was in a good mood, a middle-aged NPC knocked and entered.

“I am the Lord’s advisor, Berami.”

Berami’s role was estate management, legal advice, financial management and so on……while he was old-fashioned about military affairs, his financial style was modern. A user who came to power overnight wouldn’t be equipped with the knowledge to handle the castle and its estate.  So an NPC who specialized in estate management was provided. From the beginning Ark didn’t really like Berami. And unfortunately his intuition didn’t lead him astray.

“Do you like the office?”

“Hmm, it’s not bad.”

Ark deliberately answered in a haughty tone. Berami pushed his gla.s.ses with his fingers and smiled.

“I’m glad you like it. You were brilliant in the siege but the castle is a mess. This was the only decent place. Well, enough about that……according to their Majesties’ law, the rights of the Lord have been transferred to Ark-nim. Congratulations. I hope you last for a while.”

The civil servant spoke in an official tone. Although there was a slight sense of sarcasm……..he was still a civil servant NPC. But Ark’s pleasant dream soon turned into a nightmare because of his words.

“The most important thing I have to explain is about financial management.”

“That’s right!”

Ark strained his ears and concentrated. It was the part that Ark was most curious about. He went through a lot of struggles before occupying the castle. So how much profit would he get from it? Berami’s explanation continued.

“The income for Silvana is earned from the import of alcohol, customs, various taxes and businesses in the territory…….so one month is 150,000 gold.”

‘150,000 Gold!’

Ark’s mouth dropped at the astronomical amount. That was worth 15 billion won in reality! It was more money than he’s seen in his life…….no, he couldn’t even imagine that much money. Of course, since it was the castle’s income he might not earn that much as an individual.  However he also had to apply medieval economics to New World.

‘As the Lord, am I free to spend 150,000 gold however I like?’

His heart rate sped up and his breathing became rough at the thought! Was this what winning the lottery feels like?

However……..Ark’s happiness got water poured on it.

“Now I’ll explain the amount to be spent. The most important thing is that you have to pay a tax to the royal family of the Three Kingdoms. That’s 10% of the monthly revenue, so 30% is 45,000 gold.”

45,000 gold instantly flew away.

Ark felt like he was hearing a scam but he made himself calm down.

‘I-it’s okay. There’s still 105,000 gold…….’

However Berami cruelly continued talking.

“By default, you should use the rest of the 105,000 gold for estate management. Now, I will tell you the things that need to be done based on priority. The most urgent thing is to repair the Defense Towers and castle walls that were destroyed in the siege. This is important as a Lord. Then…….ha, it was neatly smashed. Repairing it should cost roughly 47,000 gold.”

Berami shook his head as if he was irritated. However, Ark felt more like crying. He struggled so hard to destroy it and now he had to use his money to repair it!

“Then there is the monthly salary for the estate’s employees. The costs for hiring soldiers and servants is 17,000 gold. The donation to the Shrine of War is 4,000 gold. The maintenance of various infrastructure on the estate is 10,000 gold. And the castle development fund……..”

“S-stop!”

Ark shouted with fright.

“What the h.e.l.l is with all that money?”

Berami retorted with a scornful look.

“Did you think the estate is maintained for free? The items I mentioned are just summaries.  I will go into more details in the following days. But as the Lord you don’t have to be concerned.  I will handle most of it and you will still receive a small salary.”

“Then I can use that money anyway I like?”

“Didn’t you know?”

Berami asked with surprise.

“Although the kings from the Three Kingdoms authorized you to become a Lord, your actions are still limited. You can only use the proceeds from the castle for castle related business. As the Lord, you’ll receive 2% of the total revenue of 150,000 gold. That is 3000 gold.”

In the end the salary for a Lord in Nagaran wasn’t that different from a president. Of course, 3000 gold was still a large amount.  However, he had to consider the vast amount of money that was needed for a siege. And only receiving 3000 gold from 150,000? He had a sinking feeling……..

“Honestly, at present Silvana is in a deficit. Because Sir Alan who was the previous Lord started a lot of construction projects. He invested a lot in the estate. Well, if the facilities were completed then the income for the Lord would increase.”

After hearing Berami’s explanation, Ark’s idea of having a castle changed.  He had thought that he could get profit just from occupying the castle. But it was a big mistake. New World’s system and its NPCs weren’t so easy. All his funds from the territory were tied to the estate thanks to the law. In other words, he had to invest most of the money into development of the estate. Of course, the Lord would be able to get a profit in the long term.

Currently Silvana was a D cla.s.s estate. Once it develops to a C cla.s.s then the proceeds would double. The Lord’s income would also increase by 2, making it 6000 gold……..so if he developed it to an A cla.s.s estate then he would get a monthly income of 12,000 gold.  Since one month is 10 days in reality, that was 36000 gold every month! It was an absurd income! But it would take a few years and there was no guarantee that he could defend the castle for that long.

‘Realistically, in would take 1~2 game years to raise the rating of the castle by that much. In reality that is half a year.’ If I fail to defend the castle in the meantime then it won’t be very good. In addition, I also have to consider the money involved in a siege………..’

The Lord’s monthly salary of 3,000 gold was not that much. Ark now understood Alan’s feelings. Since he couldn’t use most of the money, Alan couldn’t afford to waste the 3000 gold on a siege. A ghost guild was made to reduce the cost of a siege as much as possible. And because the Defense Towers and walls weren’t destroyed, he could rush the estate’s development. Ark once again realised the uselessness of war.

‘Anyway, it is impossible for me.’

The cost of repairs, food, various potions and hiring mercenaries……… If he partic.i.p.ated in a war again then it would cost several thousand gold. Well, in the last one the money came from the Hermes guild but he still wasted 600 gold on food, cannon production and so on.

He also only used 83 people. But if he was a Lord then he needed more money and troops for a war. Since Alan had occupied the castle until now, it was clear that he suffered a huge financial loss.

‘Since I was never that greedy about it, I can just collect the 3000 gold and leave.’

That was what he first thought when he heard about it. But the cunning of the Three Kings immediately appeared.  Instead of being paid beforehand, the Lord’s salary was paid afterwards. If it was like that…….then he would receive the salary one month after he became Lord.  A month was 10 days in reality. He would have to be victorious in the sieges that were held once a week in order to receive the salary! If the Lordship changes then he would receive nothing. It was a brilliant law.

‘Isn’t this like the kings are professional conmen?’

Ark became gloomy. With the siege next week, he had no confidence about keeping the castle.  Of course, as the Lord he might be able to attract allies. However, Ark had no funds to hold a siege. Who was help a Lord who couldn’t even buy potions? They would rather help the other side to take over the castle.

‘If I sc.r.a.pe money together then I might be able to hire some mercenaries………’

He would be driven penniless by that kind of money. With no money Ark was powerless to keep the castle.

‘But the land is too good to just give up. Just like me, Raiden or Haiyan from Grey Wings wouldn’t have known anything about the estate. But Silvana’s geographical position means that its development potential is immense. When Nagaran becomes stable, I can develop it to C or even B cla.s.s. Then the income from the castle would be unthinkable.’

If it was like that then money wouldn’t be a problem. With the huge funds, organizing an army of 10,000 people wouldn’t be a dream.

‘But despite the castle, I can’t even ask for 1 copper……..I would rather Raiden become the Lord like originally planned.’

Ark felt resentful towards Raiden. If Raiden had just followed the agreement then he wouldn’t have to worry about this.  The value of 100 Intermediate Recovery Potions was 2000 gold. Catapult repair costs 1000 gold. Renovation and labour costs for the racc.o.o.ns 600 gold. In total it would’ve been 3,600 gold!

That was more than the Lord’s monthly salary.  However, Raiden’s betrayal meant he didn’t get a penny of it and the only thing he received was the castle.

‘I really don’t have any luck……..’

Ark kept on sighing. But Berami acted like Ark’s feelings didn’t matter. He extended a thick doc.u.ment.

“Then please settle the payment for the estate management immediately.”

“Please come back later!”

After Ark angrily raised his voice, Berami shrugged and left the office. His att.i.tude clearly showed that he opposed the appointment of the new Lord. After he was alone, Ark organized his thoughts for a bit. Ark quickly gave up. At the thought of dying and losing his money, he easily gave up.

‘It is impossible for me to control the castle next week. So I’ll put that problem aside for the moment………while I’m the Lord I’ll do what I can. Alan used his power as a Lord to imprison Sid in the dungeon.’

It was the objective he had to achieve first.

‘But it might be insufficient. Alan is closely related to the Cathedral. It is to the extent that the Cathedral secretly dispatched the Holy Knights. Alan also disturbed Sid because of his grudge. This has become troublesome…….’

Ark thought of something and nodded.

‘That’s it. It is the reason why the Lord of Jackson hesitated to help me. There is the rule that regular soldiers can’t interfere in Nagaran. That also applies to the knights from the Cathedral. If I find proof that the Cathedral secretly helped Alan then it is possible to strike a blow to them.’

Once the Cathedral is shaken then it wouldn’t be difficult to extract Sid. Once Ark determined his task, he immediately began to explore the castle. 20 knights were kept in the castle so they should’ve left a trail somewhere.  And he found the trail without any difficulty. No, it was just left in the open.

“What is this?”

Ark muttered with a foolish face. Inside the castle a luxurious building had been set up.  The building had an atmosphere like a temple and was locked when he pushed the doors.

“Ah, that is the Asyeosu Temple.”

“Asyeosu?”

Berami explained the history after Ark visited him.

“Yes, the G.o.ddess of balance. But it is mostly called the Cathedral because it is the most influential of the 12 religions on the continent.  The church of Asyeosu was revived 100 years ago. The former lord Sir Alan is a devout believer. According to what I heard, the church helped Sir Alan a lot when he was undergoing the ordeals to be recognized as a Holy Knight.”

“Then this temple……..?”

“Originally it just contained an old statue of Asyeosu. After Sir Alan became the Lord, he invested a lot of money into building the temple.”

Ark began to feel suspicious after Berami’s words. A guy like Alan wouldn’t invest money in a temple for no reason.

‘Maybe he had to build a temple in order to receive the church’s help. If the temple was built then the church would send NPCs for free. But…….it weighs heavily on my mind. Would he really waste all that money building a temple in the castle just for some helpers?’

Just as Ark was thinking this.

“Apart from Alan, everyone in Dawn Blade was a devout believer.”

“What?”

“After Sir Alan built the temple, all of the Dawn Blade coalition lived in the temple. They would not leave the temple even after spending three days and three nights there.”

“What were they doing in there?”

“I don’t know. Sir Alan’s commands prevented other people from coming near there. Well, wasn’t it to keep a vigil all night? They were always tired after leaving.”

Berami answered in a disinterested tone. And Ark suddenly saw a flash.

Three days and nights praying in the temple? Once the users connected they would spend hours stuck in the temple.  In addition, Alan did it as well……..No, it was impossible for him to be that devoted to Asyeosu. Even if the religion gave him all sorts of benefits, it was difficult to transfer those benefits to reality. There was no reason to believe in a fake religion in a game. Since he built the temple and wouldn’t leave it, there was definitely something hidden.

‘If I want to find a link between Alan and the Cathedral then it would be here!’

“Can I enter there?”

“Of course. Because everything in the castle is the Lord’s possessions.”

It was the first time Berami said something great. While he couldn’t receive the Lord’s salary yet, he was the Lord of the castle.

“But it was locked?”

“My Lord should go to your office safe. The keys to all the facilities are kept there. But my Lord is prohibited from carrying the key outside the estate. Since the t.i.tle of Lord was released, the key should be housed there.”

Ark headed straight to find the temple key.

Clatter, creak…….

After he inserted the key the door opened with a ma.s.sive sound. The interior wasn’t that different from other cathedrals.  There were long chairs lined up inside with a slightly higher platform at the front.

‘What the h.e.l.l? It’s not hiding anything? Then what were they doing in here?”

He really spent his fortune just to pray to the G.o.ds here? Ark looked around until he suddenly became puzzled.

‘Wait. Isn’t something strange?’

Ark stood in the centre of the temple and looked around. Berami said that the Dawn Blade coalition stayed here for three days. It was a coalition not one guild.  In numerical terms it comprised of 1,700 people. However the temple wasn’t big enough for all those people.  Even the commuter buses could only cram in a few hundred people at 7 in the morning. Then where did the remaining people go?

‘Are there any other exits?’

Ark searched every corner but nothing caught his eye.  After a few minutes………he was searching the platform when he saw small letters engraved on the bottom.

Turn your head and bring back the darkness.

‘What does that mean?’

Ark looked around the area with a dubious expression. However Ark had quite a lot of experience in solving puzzles in New World.  Once he knew the location of the statue of Asyeosu, Ark was able to understand the phrase. Since breakfast had just finished, the morning sun was coming from all directions through the transparent windows.  The light was concentrated on the statue’s right side. In order words, he had to turn the statue away from the east.  One of the unshakeable laws was that the sun always rose in the East! He had to turn the statue to the darkness, which meant to the west.

‘Then………’

Ark insolently grabbed the statue’s face and turned it. The face turned around just like he expected.  When he let go a mechanical whirring sound was heard. The platform was pushed to one side, revealing a long staircase leading into darkness.

‘It is a secret pa.s.sage! The Dawn Blade members went in here!’

There was no need to think.  Ark used Eyes of the Cat and descended the stairs.

‘Where do these stairs lead to?’

The stairs were longer than expected.  It twisted into a spiral staircase that seemed to lead to h.e.l.l. How far did he go? He suddenly felt a cool spirit on his skin. It wasn’t simply a feeling of the temperature going down. It was like cold slippery tentacles were gripping his body. An unidentified fear crept into his mind.

“What the? Why does it feel so unpleasant?”

Ark murmured in an uncomfortable voice. The stairs ended and a huge cave appeared.

The Cradle of an Ancient Evil (Special)

You have discovered a cave with a cold chill that makes even the soul tremble.  You’ve heard the groaning of a mysterious ghost deep inside the intricate maze-like cave.  And the more powerful and evil spirit as it grabbed them.  The b.l.o.o.d.y history of this cave isn’t as simple as you think.  No doubt huge and sinister secrets are hidden.  If you are wise then you should never enter alone.

“Dungeon?”

Ark looked at the information window with stunned eyes. There was a hunting ground underneath the castle? He didn’t understand but it would obviously be filled with monsters. After he read the description he knew it wasn’t a low level dungeon.

‘But I can’t possibly go back empty-handed. Although my dark attribute bonus will be supplied, I have no information about the dungeon so I have to be prepared.’

Ark took out his pot and made a survival cooking dish. To raise health he made the ‘Abundant Stew,’ ‘Grilled Smoke Bison’ to increase strength and agility, ‘Sh.e.l.lfish Salad’ to boost defense and so on……..after doping Dedric and Deimos, he entered the dungeon.

“Dedric, scout the area. Deimos, stay right beside me.”

“Ugh, I feel like this is a bad cave.”

Clack clack clack clack……clack clack……

Even Dedric and Deimos began to feel nervous about the sinister aura.  However, unlike his worries he didn’t encounter any monsters.

‘Indeed, since Alan and those guys came in here many times then of course they would sweep all the monsters. I don’t know how large the cave is or where the remaining monsters are.’

Then Ark heard something while he was thinking.

“M-Master! There it is!”

Dedric flew back all fl.u.s.tered. A pair of red eyes abruptly appeared behind Dedric.  White fangs appeared underneath the eyes while a horrible stench was coming off it.

Grrrrr!

‘Monster!’

Kaaaak!

The monster quickly rushed towards him. Ark reflexively avoided the club by throwing his body towards the ground. The whole cave shook with a tremendous roar. The incredible force even crushed the rocks! Ark got up after dodging the attack and glared at the monster. Thanks to Eyes of the Cat, the monster’s information floated in the darkness above its head. After verifying the information, Ark’s face turned white and terrified.

“Huk, what is with that guy……?”

Its ma.s.sive body filled the pa.s.sage! The upper part was human which the lower body had a goat’s legs.  The face also looked like a black goat, with three thick horns spiralling up from the forehead. It was the shape of a devil that was often portrayed in ancient religions! However Ark wasn’t appalled by its appearance. The monster’s name was the Ancient Evil Goat. If he changed it to Hangul then it could be interpreted as bad goat. No, now was not the time to joke. The Ancient Evil Goat was level 300! The name displayed had a red star engraved next to it.

‘Red star…….Elite monster!’

Ark’s spirit was stunned. Elite monsters gave several times more experience and items than general monsters.  It was also many times stronger than general monsters.  It wasn’t just a level 300 monster.

Kkuaaaa!

The Goat swung its club and confronted him. Ark avoided the first attack but got trapped in a corner! Ark lifted his sword and blocked the club. No, he tried to but the power in the club exceeded Ark’s imagination.

Kwajajak. The impact forced Ark into the wall and crushed some bones.

-You’ve received a critical hit regardless of your block.

640 damage received. Thanks to the intense block that shook your head, you have become stunned for 5 seconds.

‘Oh my G.o.d!’

Even if it was a critical hit, to do 640 damage with one blow……..

The problem was not only the damage. His spirit became stunned. His body felt like cotton every time he tried to move it. Meanwhile, Goat ran wildly and lifted its club.

Clack clack clack!

Then Deimos appeared behind Goat yelling (?) wildly. The damage caused Goat’s club to be pushed to the side but it still glanced Ark’s shoulder.  Then Dedric also entered Goat’s line of sight and distracted him. But the look on Dedric’s face wasn’t one normally seen there.

“H-here. Hey! M-Master, is it still far away? This b.a.s.t.a.r.d……..unbelievably fast!”

Goat’s speed did not match its huge body.  Eventually Dedric was. .h.i.t in the back of the head by the angrily pursuing Goat.

Backstab damage! Dedric’s defense was low so he instantly lost 50% of his health and was thrown to the ground.  Goat let out a puff of hot air and lifted his foot.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh! Help!”

Clack clack clack!

Deimos appeared in front of Dedric and blocked with his shield. Goat kept on hitting his club like it was a hammer. Deimos used his shield to block but his health was still decreased by 20%. However Deimos didn’t retreat, he just stepped forward and swung his sword at Goat. Since Ark and Dedric were unable to act, Deimos judged that he was the only person (?) available.

“Deimos! You are actually a nice guy! Okay, that’s it!”

Dedric was rooting for Deimos with an impressed face. However, Goat wasn’t something that he could face with just courage.

Thump, thump, snap! Every time there was an explosive sound, Deimos’ health would decrease.  And he fell into a critical condition in just a few seconds. After Deimos stumbled, Dedric immediately raised his voice angrily.

“Ya, you! Are you just going to die like that? Hold on for more than 3 seconds before dying!”

Yes, that bat was truly a shameless person. Goat was just about to strike the final blow when…….

“Blade Storm!”

Numerous particles of light appeared inside the cave and started to strike Goat.  The sword debris continuously attacked it and Goat was pushed back a few metres. Dedric shouted with glee.

“Master, you got up! Help me!”

However Ark couldn’t even afford to answer.

‘Oh my G.o.d…….!’

He naturally moaned. The sword that Snake spat out was a pretty good sword. He could’ve got several gold for it even though it wasn’t a magic sword. Even though he used Blade Storm, he only managed to chip off 7% of its health. It almost had the stamina of a boss.

‘In addition, the cave is pretty narrow. With the huge figure, there is no room for me to escape.’

The narrow area was a disadvantage for Ark.

‘But there is a way. It is dangerous…….’

“Deimos, transform!”

Deimos who was burning with a fighting spirit changed at Ark’s command. Ark drew the sword and shouted.

“Dedric, can you move now?”

“Okay! Although I can move a little bit, with that Goat as the opponent……..”

“If you see any other monsters while flying let me know right away.”

“If you like. Are you going to run away?”

“Too noisy! Just do it!”

When Ark raised his voice, Dedric immediately flew to the nearest pa.s.sage. When Dedric ran away, Goat shrieked and followed.

“You goat b.a.s.t.a.r.d, your opponent is me!”

Ark struck Goat with his whip like blade. Then Goat turned and charged towards him. Ark ran away and attacked a few times while he ran down the pa.s.sage that Dedric flew in. It was the plan that Ark had come up with.

The range of the whip blade was 10 metres. Thus he could attack with the whip from a distance until Goat got close. Of course, if he used the whip then the damage was only 70% of the Saw Blade. But clothes would get wet even when it is a light shower. Although it might take some time but it would eventually run out of health.

It was a hit and run strategy! It was an operation he often used when his health was low.

Kwaaaaa!

However, Goat was much faster than Ark expected. Although it was 20 metres away, Goat quickly cross the distance and swung its club.

“Huck, sprint!”

Ark hurriedly screamed. His body became as light as a feather and he quickly got some distance between him and Goat.

‘This is surprisingly useable?’

Ark had learnt ‘Sprint’ from Lancel Village and he never imagined that it would be so useful. When he used Sprint his movement speed increased by 50%. Although it only lasted a few seconds, the effect was still enough for his plan to work. Ark alternated using Sprint and the whip attack and gradually decreased Goat’s health. However his plan had one risk factor. If he encountered or aggravated other monsters while attacking then the situation would become even worse.  It was the reason why Ark urgently sent Dedric to scout ahead.

“There’s a monster in the right pa.s.sage! It is another Goat!”

“Huk, there are two goats here.  The other side, the other side!”

The Cradle of Ancient Evil was truly a dungeon where he couldn’t be careless. There were boss level goats everywhere.  Thanks to Dedric’s reconnaissance, he was able to slowly kill Goat without running into another one.

It had been 40 minutes since the battle started…….Goat’s health dropped to 10% but Ark never rushed it. If Goat managed to land one blow on him then all of his 40 minute efforts would be undone.  Ark slowly attacked until……..finally there was only 1% health left.

“Now it is time to finish this!”

Chwarararak, Kakakakak!

Ark turned around and brandished the Saw Blade.

Roaaaaar!

Goat was struck with a critical hit and collapsed with a scream.

“Huk huk huk, I killed it.”

Ark sat on the ground with a heavy thud. When he checked the information window, he saw that he only had 30 mana left. Thanks to using Sprint which consumed 20 mana, his mana was low.  He also got hit three or four times so he only had 1,500 health left. Ark’s current level was 159. With his dark attribute bonus it was 222. Nevertheless, he would not be able to win against that opponent in a head on confrontation. However, the experience was equivalent to the difficulty level.

-Your level has risen.

-Your level has risen.

It was indeed an elite Monster! He quickly gained 2 levels.  Also…….

Ssak ssaak ssak!

Snake immediately showed Ark the item it found.

Heavy Chain Gloves (Magic)

Armour type: Chain Gloves

Defense power: 65

Durability: 13/50

Weight: 50

User restriction: Level 150 and more.

These gloves are made of tightly connected small chains. Since it is old, the weight is a little difficult. But it does not look worn at all.  It seems to be made out of a hard magic material.

‘A magic item dropped from a monster I encountered for the first time…….!’

A tremendous amount of experience and a magic item!

‘Now I see.’

Ark had questioned something during the siege. Raiden had said they haven’t left the castle since they occupied it, yet the Dawn Blade members had become stronger. In fact, they actually never left the castle.  The answer was because of this dungeon. If they monopolized and hunted in a dungeon filled with elite monsters then of course they would become stronger.

“If I can monopolize the dungeon then its value will become immense. But how did Alan even find this place? And how big is it? While I was running away a while ago, I saw some stairs leading down…….this dungeon has even more secrets.’

Ark contemplated before deciding to explore a bit more. Of course he had no intention of fighting a Goat again. He could barely deal with one. If he encountered two or more of them then he wouldn’t be able to handle it with his ability now. Ark recalled his summons and used stealth.

As expected, he soon saw groups of two or three goats.  A level 350 elite monster that resembled a devil also appeared regularly.

‘This isn’t going to work. I don’t know the detection abilities of those monsters so I won’t be able to approach. I’ll leave before stealth wears off and return with the hyungs.’

It was the first time he felt like the darkness was terrifying in New World. Ark headed towards the entrance of the dungeon. Then, a horrible smell suddenly came from another pa.s.sage.

‘What, what the? This smell? Is this?’

Ark instinctively turned his head and winced. The bad stench came from a place with another Asyeosu statue. In the temple the statue didn’t seem that strange. Was it because of the darkness? It somehow had an even more eerie feel. Not only that. The landscape expanded into a place that looked like a meeting place for a devil worshipping cult.

No, it actually was that place. There were ritualistic instruments, bones and rotten corpses lying around the area. It felt like the set of a horror movie.

Ssak ssak? Ssak ssak ssak!

He glanced around to see Snake scratching at something in the ground. After 3~4 minutes, a shiny object was pulled out.

‘Eh? That is……..?’

It was the size of a fist and made out of a crystal-like material that he had previously seen in the Underwater City. Thanks to that, Ark knew the purpose of the item. It was a memory crystal often found in ancient ruins. During the Dark Century, any texts or images were retained in the memory crystal instead of books. Unfortunately, that ancient knowledge had disappeared and was now thought of as simple stones……..But Ark was different, as he had a Dark Walker’s Knowledge of Ancient Relics.

Of course ……..when he picked up the crystal, an image floated in front of him. It wasn’t a beautiful scene like the ones he saw in the Underwater City. The blurry images that looked like an old scene showed the area where Ark was standing now. People dressed in black were gathered. They chanted an unknown spell towards Asyeosu’s statue. When the atmosphere became heightened, they pulled in a group of naked people. The naked people were stricken with terror.  There was a barrage of screams.

However, the people dressed in black smiled and flocked to them like wild animals seeking their prey. A bizarre twisted sword tore their flesh off and into their bones. Every strike made a ringing sound and echoed. At the end, the blood of the sacrifices were scattered all over Asyeosu’s statue. Then Asyeosu’s face distorted.  As if it was alive, the entire face distorted and emerged with an entirely different shape. It was the face of a crow with red eyes! There was a loud thunder like cry that shook the eardrums.

Worship the Great Asyeosu!

Asyeosu has the appearance of Ankh, G.o.d of the dead! It changes from balance to destruction! Blood is a symbol of destruction! That is why we offer blood to Asyeosu. To destroy the balance.

Your Knowledge of Ancient Ruins has shown you the information hidden in the ‘Memory Crystal.’

The Memory Crystal contained the secret history of the ancient society that worshipped the Devil. The true ident.i.ty of the G.o.d worshipped by the masked figures is hidden in ancient writing.

The Memory Crystal shattered into dust. At that moment, it was like a thunderbolt had struck his head.

‘All the questions in my head are answered!’

It was the reason why the Cathedral helped Alan by sending Holy Knights! The ident.i.ty of the Asyeosu church was one that secretly worshipped the devil. And their birthplace was here, hidden in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Silvana Castle. That’s why they wanted to control Nagaran, in order to keep this place secret. But the war suddenly finished and it was opened to users.

There was no time to dispose of the things left in this dungeon. The NPCs also knows that users have a lot of curiosity. Once they occupied Silvana then it was only a matter of time until someone discovered it. If the Lord kept on changing, there was a chance that someone with the Knowledge of Ancient Relics might become the Lord. Because of that, they tried to have foreigners who worshipped Asyeosu seal up the secret.

‘That is why Alan got approval to use the Holy Knights!’

It was the reason why Alan aimed for Silvana among the 12 castles. In exchange for the church’s help, he promised to keep Silvana’s secret hidden. And they told Alan the secret of the platform in exchange.

‘Yes, the temple was built in exchange for the Holy Knights…….they were dispatched to help Alan and to also keep the secret. If they had an opportunity then they would probably get rid of the evidence. But since it is a large and complex dungeon, they probably couldn’t find it.’

The memory crystal was buried in the ground and would be hard for users to find. At that moment, Ark’s head was spinning fiercely.

‘Anyway, it is difficult to go against the church. On the other hand, I already know the secret between Alan and the Cathedral. If Alan recovers, the Asyeosu church will help him retake it again and that would be an obstacle. Then……..!’

He had no choice but to discard all answers except for one! And he had plenty of bombs to throw at them. The pieces of the Memory Crystal was scattered around!

‘Huhuhu, Alan, you’re done for now!’