"Ruler?" Both Kim Seong-Hoon and Jieun asked curiously. I had no intention of revealing those details to them in the past few days. Fine, it's not that big of a deal anyway.
"I... Yes. You guessed well. In my last battle, I became a ruler, and all of my stats were multiplied by two." I was unwilling to spill the beans, but I had no other choice. Kang Eun-Woo seemed to be aware of the existence of rulers. "That is why I could most likely leave a wound deep enough to kill it. But without your help..."
"No wonder! I'm so honored to be in the same party as one!" He was preparing to stand up as if to approach me.
"No need... Sit. I'm not some celebrity," I quickly stopped him.
"She says she's not a celebrity, but that's a living Lee Gaon to you, you know, the world champion!" Kim Seong-Hoon whispered into his friend's ear.
"That Lee Gaon?! How could I have been so stupid?!" Kang Eun-Woo slapped his forehead with his palm. "Is it true what they say? Did you really—ouch!" The back of his head was met with a sharp slap from Kim Seong-Hoon.
"Of course not, you big idiot! She was clearly framed. Do you have a pumpkin for a head?" He was furious, almost standing up to fight.
"So... Sorry... I knew that, of course, just..." His face was apologetic, but I was already used to this; I could not care less what people thought of me. I knew the truth, and that's all that mattered.
"You big brothers are funny!" Jieun laughed, not understanding the deeper meaning of the conversation.
"It's fine." My gaze shifted to the distant mountain range. "Let's forget all of that and focus on getting out of here." I had a feeling we were being watched, but I could not see or sense anybody around us. "Any ideas?"
"System help!" Kim Seong-Hoon shouted. But his expression turned frustrated. "It's not working. It seems we will have to find another way to learn about this place."
"How about we find a way down first?" Kang Eun-Woo suggested. "We are pretty high up at the moment; I believe there should be more to find in the valley below."
"Good idea, big brother! Let's go explore!" Jieun stood up excitedly, ready to speed off at any moment.
"Hold your horses." Kim Seong-Hoon quickly grabbed her by the collar. "We're not here to play around."
"Ugh... fine..." Jieun was sulking, but the tight grip of an adult would not let her go.
"Enough, you two..." I was starting to get extremely annoyed by the entire situation, especially since Malrang had yet to wake up.
"Let's head down first. Kang Eun-Woo, would you mind taking the lead? You're something like a tank, right?"
"Sure! No problem at all!" His loud and beaming voice echoed through the alley, but after noticing my angry eyes reminding him to keep his voice down, he put his head down and strolled down the path leading down the mountain we were on.
"Follow me..." His voice sounded a bit upset, as if I was his mother who just scolded him.
The path led to a narrow cave in the mountain, just wide enough for us to squeeze through. Kang Eun-Woo had a hard time fitting his muscular frame inside. The cave itself was dark, and the only source of light was Jieun's ability—a small celestial flame that danced on her hand, dimly lighting the narrow passage.
"Should I take the lead, big bro? You can hardly see anything in front of you," Jieun asked in a concerned voice directed at Kang Eun-Woo.
"It's okay. I can see all right with my enhanced vision. It's not the clearest path, but I can get by."
Crack.
After a good 5 minutes of walking a sudden crack sounded from in front of us.
"Wait!" He signaled to us, lifting his hand in the air. "Can you hear that?"
Crack.
Crack.
"Something is not right. Is the cave slowly cracking?"
"No..." I felt something amiss with the sound itself. It sounded more like bones. No, that made no sense either. Why would there be bones in this narrow path, and whose?
"I see a light up ahead..." Kang Eun-Woo said in a quiet voice, his steps getting slower and more cautious.
"Cancel your light, little sister," Kim Seong-Hoon whispered gently, slowly materializing his sword. "We might have to fight soon. Who knows what kind of creatures lurk there."
The passage slowly expanded, giving us more room to breathe. With each step, we neared the light source. A faint, flickering glow stretched across the cavern walls, casting erratic shadows that twisted with each shudder of what looked to be a flame. The light seeped from deep within the tunnel.
"Be quiet..." I whispered to my teammates. We walked almost crouching, our breaths becoming hushed. I could feel some mysterious aura emanating from that place. Just what exactly lay there?
Nearing the entrance, the shadows cast by the light thickened, dancing along the jagged walls and spilling out like ghostly figures beckoning us closer.
Each cautious step we took made the light grow stronger, and the cracking sounds intensified. A foreboding feeling washed over us, leaving only the imagination of the danger that could lie ahead.
As the light grew increasingly bright, we advanced cautiously, entering a grand hall. Kang Eun-Woo was forced to stop, confronted by a massive five-meter skeleton towering above us. It was bound by chains through its entire body, slowly compressing and decompressing its bones. The source of the mysterious sound was finally revealed.
"Holy shit... Is that thing alive or dead?" I exclaimed, shocked by the majestic sight. The grand walls were decorated with fire torches, casting an eerie glow that danced over the rich black-and-gold limestone decor, accentuating the intricate patterns adorning the surfaces. Above, the ceiling dazzled with lavish designs, shimmering with gold and sparkling rubies that caught the light and reflected it, giving the impression that the ceiling was on fire. Beneath our feet, the polished marble floor gleamed, its surface swirling with veins of deep onyx and brilliant white, creating an exquisite tapestry of color.
"Why would this thing be in a hall meant for royalty?" Kang Eun-Woo marveled, his green eyes sparkling in the glow of the torches.
"Stay on guard! This does not feel right," I instructed the group cautiously.
"Let's try to inspect it," Jieun suggested.
Everybody nodded in unison, eyes shining with a golden glow, scanning the monster above our heads.
Inspect!
-The trial guardian. Level 10-
There were no stats or skills displayed this time. Weird. Is our probing restricted for this trial? "Can any of you see its stats?" I asked, baffled.
Everybody shook their heads.
"Level 10 is high, but with our combined strength, we should have no problem handling that thing if it wakes up. Plus, it's bound by the chains; what's the worst that could happen?" Kim Seong-Hoon guffawed. He got closer to the skeleton and stood near where it hung. He turned to face us with a carefree expression. "See? It's safe. We're just paranoid for no reason."
Clank.
With a loud clank, the chains, as thick as a human leg, thundered to the floor, reverberating through the silent hall.
BANG.
The massive body of the skeleton quickly followed, dropping to its knees and making an earth-shattering noise. Kim Seong-Hoon jumped in fright and rushed back to hide behind me. What the hell? Is he even a man?
Crackle. Crackle.
The sound of its bones shifting and moving groaned through the air, sending chills through our bodies. The monster lifted its head, locking eyes with us. Its empty eye sockets slowly filled with golden flames. Above its head, a grand crown materialized, adorned with gold and diamonds. It was unreal, almost ethereal and spectral.
WAAAAAAAHHH.
The skeleton wailed with a sound of deep sorrow, its voice echoing like a lament in the night.
"Krasha, caram, saa!" it suddenly spoke in an unknown language, taking small pauses between each word. But I could feel the deep anger and resentment radiating from it. A 10-meter-long longsword materialized from thin air into its hands as the monster slowly pushed itself off the ground.
"Prepare to fight!" I said in a hasty voice. I felt my arms tremble slightly as Malrang slowly awakened.
"Woo?" The fox looked around, confused, sensing the skeleton. Its body tensed slightly, but once our eyes met, she relaxed. "Woo!" She licked my face with deep love and passion.
"Malrang! You're not angry? I..." The fox put its paw on my lips, shutting me up and shaking its tiny head.
"Caram, doia, raasnet!" The trial guardian spoke again, the aura around its body rising, making my teammates' bodies tremble slightly.
"I think it means we are not welcome here..." Kim Seong-Hoon laughed drily. He took the least impact from the words. His soul was strong, but I was worried about the other two.
Both Jieun and Kang Eun-Woo struggled to process the soul-trembling words, their expressions etched with fear, while Malrang, shielded by my aura, growled defiantly at the monster ahead.
-WELCOME PLAYERS TO YOUR TRIAL!-
The sudden system voice startled us.
-IN YOUR LAST BATTLE, WE HAD OBSERVED YOU... YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS ARE MOSTLY RELATED TO ONE PERSON, A PERSON TOO STRONG FOR THIS TRIAL RIGHT NOW. THEREFORE...
I felt my body being pulled away from the group. Malrang was pulled out of my hands, dropping to the ground. My arms and legs were chained with spectral chains, and my entire body felt weak and powerless to struggle. My teammates were left to face the monster.
-TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT TRIAL, YOU MUST FINISH THE DEATH BATTLE WITHOUT LEE GAON'S HELP. IF COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY, THE PLAYERS WILL RECEIVE THE EXPERIENCE FROM THE LAST BATTLE AND UNIQUE NEW ABILITIES. LOSING... MEANS DEATH TO THE ENTIRE GROUP.-
I remember this voice! The bastard who created this world!