He woke up in the same safe place where he had fallen asleep. Beneath him was the grass he had carefully laid out, and nearby were the stones he used for cover. But something was off.
"Could it all have been a dream?" the thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Everything that had happened felt too real, too vivid to be just a product of his imagination. His hand instinctively reached for the Phantom Sword, and as he spoke its name, he felt the familiar weight and cold of the metal. The sword was exactly as he had seen it in that other world. But how had he ended up back here, in this safe place, when just a moment ago he was in the castle? It was hard for him to understand; his logic was tangled, and the events intertwined, leaving no clear picture. Yet, straining his mind, he tried to form some hypothesis. Perhaps a portal had opened in his sleep, transporting him here, or maybe this was another trial he wasn't yet aware of. Realizing these thoughts were only confusing him more, he set them aside.
Closing his eyes, he focused and once again checked his stats. Everything was in place, except for one thing: in the artifacts section, the Lich's Crown had appeared. This puzzled him, as the lich he fought didn't have a crown.
**[Lich's Crown]**
**[Rank: ?/7]**
"What? question mark in rank? You've got to be kidding me. Did I just win the lottery?"
His curiosity about the new artifact quickly overshadowed all other thoughts. He opened the crown's description:
**[Lich's Crown]**
[*Once belonged to a younger prince who, in his quest for power, betrayed all his allies and claimed this crown by overthrowing his enemies.*]
[*The crown temporarily enhances the wearer's concentration and clarity of mind. When activated, the user gains the ability to analyze situations better, make quicker decisions, and solve complex problems for a limited time.*]
**[Limit: Once every 24 hours.]**
He was overwhelmed with joy. Although it was strange that the crown had a limit while the sword did not, this thought quickly faded before the realization that he had found something valuable. But the next lines made him frown:
**[Enchantments: Lich's Madness, True Owner]**
**[Lich's Madness]**
[*The more you use the crown, the more your mind will be subjected to a destructive influence, leading to madness.*]
These enchantments were serious. The crown would have to be used only in the most extreme situations. The description of the second enchantment, however, sounded somewhat reassuring:
**[True Owner]**
[*No one but the true owner can see the artifact's characteristics or use the crown's abilities.*]
"Well, that's at least better than the first one," he muttered.
He summoned the Lich's Crown. Before him appeared a dark crown adorned with intricate and sharp details. Gothic elements, such as twisting vines and spikes, gave it a menacing and majestic appearance. It was heavy, almost solemn, as if intertwined with a sense of decay and death. The leaves and branches emerging from the crown added to its grim and terrifying look.
"Incredible... it's so beautiful... Maybe I can sell my artifacts and finally get out of poverty," he thought, examining the crown, but painful sensations quickly reminded him of themselves. His body ached from the lingering pain.
After a short rest, he decided to explore the castle, which was in ruins, as if after a great battle. The atmosphere was gloomy and dark, with mist everywhere. He wandered among the debris and rubble until he noticed faded hieroglyphs on the walls. They reminded him of the symbols he had seen in his dream when he received the crown. It was like a sign, confirming his suspicion: the place he was in and the place from his dream were one and the same. Only now it had fallen into ruins and chaos.
He continued his exploration, hoping to find something valuable, but unfortunately, the castle had been ransacked, and there was no food left. He had no choice but to leave this mysterious place. He knew the castle still held many secrets, but at the moment he had no other option but to go. Food and water had become more important to him than solving mysteries.
When he finally emerged outside, he saw bright lands with few trees, and he smiled, feeling a slight hope. Aren't these the kind of places where people live?
But his joy was short-lived. Glancing back, he saw that the castle, which had seemed ancient, had vanished as if it had evaporated, leaving nothing but emptiness behind. His heart skipped a beat, but he continued on his way, knowing that much more unknown awaited him ahead.