In this world's power hierarchy, even the current Neonidas was extremely average—perhaps even below average. After all, Neonidas neither had sufficient control over the light element nor was he statistically strong. His top priority wasn't to defeat enemies, but simply to protect his own life.
For Neonidas, who had reincarnated into a body destined to die in a few months, the natural priority was to gain strength. Neonidas wasn't a fool; on the contrary, he was someone with great potential. It was just that his previous world hadn't provided the environment needed for him to realize it.
Neonidas walked slowly through the dusty paths of this old, dilapidated temple. He could hear some noises from the surroundings, but they likely came from rats or other rodents. Gradually, he approached the temple's center.
The heart of the temple was a circular room filled with numerous skeletons. What stood out most was a massive, demonic statue in the middle of the room. Strangely, this statue was the only thing in the decrepit temple that was intact and pristine, as though it radiated a magical or demonic aura. The colossal statue's arrogant gaze seemed to look down upon the pitiful humans below.
Neonidas studied the statue for a while. The novel didn't specify where exactly the object Neonidas sought was hidden or how the character obtained it—just that it came from this temple. Observing the statue closely, Neonidas pondered why this was the only part of the ruined temple that remained in perfect condition. He guessed that what he was looking for might be hidden somewhere within the statue.
But the statue was enormous. Its toe alone was half the size of a human body, and the entire thing was likely dozens of meters tall. Yet, something else caught Neonidas' attention—the statue was completely naked. Yes, entirely. And yes, its massive male anatomy stood in full, arrogant display, just like its owner.
But what interests Neonidas.....
Well.... The statue... The thing.... The damn thing that Neonidas was interested in was the little hole at the end of the statue's manhood where urine and sperm came out!
Now, don't get the wrong idea—Neonidas wasn't gay, nor was his interest in the hole perverse. What intrigued him was how the hole appeared sealed, yet resembled a button.
In primitive tribes, the male genitalia in particular could be a valued or sacred organ. In fact, this organ was even considered sacred because it ensured the continuation of life. That's why many mythological stories had exaggerated sexual stories. Even natural events such as rain were depicted as the god fertilizing the earth.
In short, the male sexual organ could be considered sacred in undeveloped societies. That's why Neonidas thought that the most valuable thing in this temple was right there. He approached a few guards close to him.
"Hey! Do you see that damned hole up there? Someone who can fly, get up there and examine it," Neonidas commanded.
The guards looked where Neonidas pointed with his index finger and then looked at Neonidas.... Then they looked again where Neonidas was pointing with his index finger.
"... Uh, my lord, are you referring to... that hole in the statues... uh... part?" one of the guards asked hesitantly.
"Yes. I want you to examine that damned hole in that specific part of the statue," Neonidas replied bluntly.
"... Uh-huh. May I ask why?" the same guard ventured cautiously.
Neonidas shot him an annoyed glare. "I was wondering if it could impregnate your mother. That's why."
"But my lord, it's just a statue... Also, that thing is enormous. It would split my mother in half."
".... You're serious, aren't you? Damn it, you are. Fine. I'll do it myself," Neonidas muttered in irritation.
He donned his climbing gear, which he had used previously for scaling mountains. The guards, both bewildered and strangely curious, sat down to watch. One even pulled out a snack.
After all, they were witnessing a historic event. Who has ever seen a duke climb a gigantic statue up to his genitals? Now that was really something to behold.
About twenty minutes into the climb, Neonidas felt utterly exhausted. His poor stats weren't helping, and despite taking frequent breaks, he was still worn out. Yet, with determination, he finally reached the that region and crawled slowly downward until he could reach the hole. He crawled until he finally got to the point where he could reach that place and then he pushed the hole with his hand, but it didn't move at all. When Neonidas used every last drop of his strength, finally the part inside the hole went in like a button and when Neonidas pulled his hand out, it came out automatically like a drawer.
Inside was indeed a treasure. A dusty ring lay securely in the compartment. Neonidas carefully retrieved it and found nothing else within. With his prize in hand, he began his descent, his body now even more fatigued.
Neonidas looked down at his guards, who were watching him with great enthusiasm and admiration. In fact, he had climbed the statue himself because he was afraid that the ring might somehow connect with one of the guards, but he was still angry at the guards watching him.
"You useless idiots... You'll all take turns carrying me down the mountain!" he shouted angrily at them.
The guards exchanged worried glances, but soon resigned themselves to their fate. Luckily, Neonidas didn't seem too heavy.
Neonidas stepped away into a side room, out of the guards' sight, and cleaned the ring before carefully slipping it onto his finger. Now, alongside the ducal ring he received from his sister and his engagement ring, he wore this third one—a ring adorned with a demonic goat figure. The moment he put it on, it felt as though a new limb had been attached to his body. He sensed that he could control it as easily as his own hands, though it wasn't a limb at all.
When Neonidas activated the ring, the hand wearing it transformed. His fingers stretched and morphed, turning into sharp metal blades forged from the hardest steel. Though the transformation caused mild discomfort, it wasn't unbearable. When it was complete, his hand had become a long, thin sword.
This was the ring's power. Its true function wasn't merely to give the user a blade-like hand, but to create the perfect sword, tailored to the wielder's magical and physical attributes.
Neonidas examined his new sword-hand carefully. It promised incredible combat potential, but also looked eerie and unsettling. He swung the metallic hand gently, producing a soft metallic hiss. Then he channeled his light element into it, causing the sword-hand to glow a brilliant red. It now resembled the iconic lightsaber wielded by a certain dark-masked villain from a sci-fi movie.
As Neonidas tested his newfound power, he couldn't hide his excitement. The glowing blade illuminated the room, revealing ancient symbols and writings on the walls that had been hidden beneath layers of dust. These inscriptions hinted that the temple had been used for rituals involving either the transfer of power or the imposition of curses.
With his sword-like hand, Neonidas lightly tested, cutting through an old stone column. When he saw how effortlessly the metal sliced into the stone, a smile spread across his face. Then, he attempted to return his hand to its original form. Just as naturally as moving any other limb, his hand reverted back to normal.
"Hah… This thing is pretty damn cool." But when Neonidas tried to remove the ring, he found it completely impossible. In the novel, it was mentioned that the ring could never be taken off, but Neonidas brushed off the thought and walked outside.
Once the guards were ready, Neonidas left the temple. Taking turns riding on the backs of his men, he slowly made his way down the mountain. Fortunately, the duchy's guards were highly trained, and they managed to reach their small ship without any accidents.
Now, Neonidas needed to return to the duchy and prepare for the celebrations of war triumph. Soon, he would have to journey to the capital—or more specifically, the Imperial Palace—where he would meet his beloved fiancée, Princess Allea. For now, despite all the newfound powers he had gained, Neonidas knew he could only manage to leave a few scratches on Allea at best. If he used his stat points and got lucky, he might even draw a few drops of her blood.