Meanwhile, outside his Game Dungeon, Wallace sat comfortably at his dining table, enjoying each bite of his meal while the letters handed to him by the Butler lay open before him.
As he skimmed the contents, a cold feeling rushed down his spine, making the hairs on his back stand up in alarm.
"This is absurd…"
He thought the words on the page revealed a wicked plot unfolding within the Vard Family, but seeing a casual normal event like their daughter being forcefully married to Wallace's deceased brother, he took his words back.
"Oh… Amazing… hehe…"
Suddenly, the memory of that dreadful night, when his brother fell victim to the Lady he wanted to forget, came back, sending shivers through his body.
Lost in his thoughts, Wallace was suddenly brought back to reality by an unexpected sound.
"Huh?"
He turned his head, only to see Marcus standing in front of him, wearing a puzzled expression.
Confused, Wallace wondered, "Wait...you didn't come in?"
He was sure that Marcus had entered the dungeon with the seven knights, so how could he have left so quickly?
'Maybe he just went to the bathroom?'
Wallace thought, trying to find a reasonable explanation.
Earlier, Gideon, one of the knights, had mentioned a secret knife that allowed fast passage.
Surely, with such a tool, one could navigate the dungeon easily. Unless, of course, Marcus was simply a person who the people call on earth, 'Noob' who didn't know about it.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Marcus replied sheepishly, his voice filled with embarrassment, "No..."
The way he hesitated and blushed gave away the truth—Marcus was indeed the famous Noob, lacking the experience and knowledge that Wallace had assumed.
Observing Marcus's behavior, Wallace couldn't help but think, "Wow, this guy might really be a Noob..."
The puzzle pieces were starting to come together, and Wallace was intrigued by what might have happened during Marcus's exploration of his dungeon.
Wallace's mind drifted back to a clear memory, etched into his mind like a vivid dream.
He remembered seeing Marcus, a man of unmatched bravery, locked in a fierce battle—in a slugfest with a fearsome angry docile Orangutan.
The intense determination in Marcus's eyes as he faced the powerful creature was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. But what amazed Wallace the most was Marcus's boldness—he actually bit the Orangutan's backside to gain the advantage.
It was a strange and funny sight that left Wallace both puzzled and thoroughly entertained.
As if called by the memories, Marcus, still sitting on Wallace's head, approached him with a purposeful walk. In his hands, he held a small, mysterious bag. "Sir," Marcus said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty, "here is another magic crystal. Can I still enter your gaming dungeon?"
Caught off guard by Marcus's sudden arrival, Wallace couldn't help but suppress a laugh.
The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on him. He struggled to keep a serious expression and replied, "Yes, you can. You've only experienced a small part of the game, just three minutes at most. There are plenty of hours left for you to explore."
Marcus's face turned red with embarrassment, his cheeks becoming crimson. "Sir, I... thank you," he mumbled, his voice fading away. He quickly turned around, determined to reenter the depths of the dungeon and prove himself.
Wallace watched Marcus walk away, his eyes fixed on the old man, the leader. When he entered the gaming dungeon, Marcus glanced at his wrist, a glimmer of anticipation shining in his eyes, before pressing a button on his wristband.
A holographic screen appeared before him, ready to display the grand spectacle of his impending defeat.
This time, Marcus wanted to witness the spectacle of his own downfall, a strange desire that both confused and fascinated Wallace.
With a quick flick of his hand, Wallace activated the hologram, plunging himself into a world of knights.
[ —-------------— ]
The livestream played right in front of him, captivating him with their incredible skills.
Every move, every strike appeared to glide across the holographic display, leaving him in awe of their abilities. But something was wrong.
He hadn't asked for this livestream, yet it played before him, as if summoning him into its depths.
Suddenly, his attention shifted, locking onto the hologram where Marcus was supposed to be.
A mischievous grin formed on Wallace's face, excited at the chance to tease his friend.
To his surprise, though, nothing happened.
Impatience ate at him as he waited, fidgeting with his fingers, his mind filled with anticipation.
With each passing moment, his curiosity grew like a storm ready to unleash its anger. Having finished his meal, Wallace's gaze landed on the second message from the mysterious Mana user of the Toraz family to distract himself from overthinking.
Eager to discover its contents, he decided to delve into its secrets.
"What could this be all about?" he pondered aloud, his fingers delicately touching the envelope. As he pulled out the letter, his eyes devoured the words written on it.
The message written seemed to emit warnings, as if cautioning him against a serious mistake.
"To the Ruler Wycliff Toraz," the letter began, its words written in ink that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly power.
"Do not bring any 'First Mana Knight' or the 'Initial Magic Circle with 10 to twelve stages' during the Monthly Clearing ceremony..."
Wallace furrowed his brow in confusion, his mind racing to grasp the meaning behind these words.
Questions flooded his thoughts, and he couldn't resist expressing his bewilderment.
"What does this mean? Why do I feel like we exercise such caution?"
Wallace closed his eyes, imagining himself standing at the top of a grassy hill, his eyes scanning the vast stretch of the Toraz land.
The sun covered the area in a warm light, creating long shadows that moved like secrets in the wind. His mind wandered, thinking about what could lie beyond the borders of this place.
"Could there be something that the lone magic user of this Territory was hiding from the masses?"
"Why does his letter say, 'Do not bring any 'First Mana Knight' or the 'Initial Magic Circle with 10 to twelve stages' during the Monthly Clearing ceremony…'?"
"What's in it?"
He wondered, his thoughts drifting like the breeze.
While pondering this idea, he noticed a quick movement.
His gaze shifted, and there, in front of his dungeon, he saw Marcus again—the funny guy he had been observing earlier, Marcus, the lone Mage and leader of the knights, was now wearing an even more embarrassed expression.
"Again?" Wallace couldn't help but say, his curiosity aroused.
Why was Marcus here?
Did he die unexpectedly while he was not watching?