Chapter 219

We entered through the massive rock wall and soon found ourselves facing a space that resembled an elaborately constructed ancient temple.

“…To think she built all this alone. Just how skilled must one be to accomplish such a thing?”

Shin Noeul let out an admiring, incredulous laugh, while the rest of the party remained vigilant, carefully surveying the interior of the rock wall.

‘Is the structure similar to the Trial Hall in the Black Forest?’

The shape was certainly alike, but upon closer inspection, the structure itself seemed quite different.

Still, one thing was clear: we had finally found the right path.

“If we proceed through here, we should get closer to solving the labyrinth.”

“…So this is where it really begins.”

As Shin Noeul said, the challenges that would unfold from now on were likely to be even more difficult than the battle with the Guardian.

Nevertheless, we had to press on.

“At least this room seems empty.”

A vast space with only a single, ornate door.

Since there was only one way forward anyway, we cautiously advanced while maintaining our guard.

“Alright, I’ll open it.”

Kwoong.

Kkiiiiik.

The second space that unfolded before us was composed of strange platforms resembling a modern chessboard.

However, everything was already destroyed, to the point where the original forms were unrecognizable.

“This is……”

“Hmm. Did someone pass through here ahead of us?”

It was hard to believe, but this was the only plausible explanation for such a sight.

And I already knew of one being capable of such a feat.

‘Xiao Chen.’

Frankly, I thought surviving alone would be difficult, but it seems she somehow managed to push through the obstacles one by one.

Even so, she probably hadn’t fully cleared the labyrinth, but it was still quite disconcerting.

“…It seems we need to hurry a bit.”

With that, we immediately passed through the room and headed for the next gate.

However, the state of that place was not much different from the previous room.

‘She managed to break through here alone?’

We exchanged bewildered glances, then, as if by unspoken agreement, simultaneously moved toward the next room.

Soon, what unfolded before our eyes was a vast plain.

“Ugh, the sunlight……”

“It seems there are no traces of destruction here, at least.”

As Yeon Jaki said, the state of this gate was pristine. Perhaps it was simply because no battle was required, or perhaps Xiao Chen hadn’t managed to pass this gate either.

Since there was no point in worrying about it immediately, we proceeded without haste and began exploring to gather information.

“Oppa, there’s nothing over here.”

“Same here. It just looks like an ordinary grassland.”

The opinions of the party members were generally similar.

Ultimately, this place, too, required reaching some truth beyond what was visible to the eye.

‘Let me think.’

Although all of this was undeniably real, the method itself originated from a human mind.

Perhaps this was a stage that had already been conceptualized to some extent during my time over there.

No need to overcomplicate it.

Just stay calm, make judgments, and pinpoint the truth.

‘Is there anything strange?’

First, I summoned Sahwanje, which had performed admirably earlier, but this time it shook its head as if to say it didn’t know.

From now on, I had to find the answer myself.

‘A plain full of grass, beating sunlight, and even the sounds of insects.’

At least, there was nothing strange about what was visible.

But that was only for a moment; soon, I immediately identified the problem.

“The sun is in the west.”

“What?”

“Huh? How can you tell?”

Even if the sun were truly positioned in the west, there was no clear way to determine that in this place where compasses didn’t work.

Almost all methods of determining direction inevitably use the sun as a tool.

“It’s simple if you recall the scenery outside the rock wall.”

“No way, you remembered that…?”

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered to memorize such a thing either.

However, the structure of the massive rock wall, meticulously designed to make the sun’s position indiscernible, ironically made me pay attention.

Thinking about it now, that too was probably preparation for the current gate.

‘…I knew it, but what a truly nasty temperament.’

I let out a small sigh, and the party members looked at me with incredulous expressions.

But there was no helping it. Having played countless notorious games, including the Exorcism Academy Series, I had already developed a suspicious nature regarding such aspects.

In this case, it actually helped me.

“The sun is in the west… What does that mean?”

Seoa tilted her head, and the party members fell into deep thought with serious expressions.

However, if viewed simply, the answer was predetermined.

“The sun is a guidepost for all paths.”

The fact that such a sun rose in the opposite direction meant that we, too, should head in the opposite direction of our destination.

In other words, the answer likely wasn’t to advance but to retreat—to go back the way we had come.

Without hesitation, I stepped forward and opened the door leading back to the previous gate, and the party silently followed.

Kwoong.

Kkiiiiik—!

“…It looks exactly the same?”

“It’s too early to judge.”

As I’ve said many times, you shouldn’t trust what you see.

If this were a puzzle that could be solved simply by returning to the previous gate, then lucky individuals could pass through even without knowing the truth.

I crossed the destroyed space, immediately opened the next door, passed over the ruined platforms, and finally reached the very first space.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it strange? To leave such a large space without any setup.”

In other words, the path to the next gate is here. That was the answer I had deduced.

“That makes sense. It certainly feels unnatural.”

Just then, Seoa, who had nodded, walked with confident steps toward a specific spot.

It was right in front of the decorative stone statues filling the first room—specifically, the statue of a woman holding a small jar.

“Did you figure something out?”

“Yeah, Oppa. Actually, I thought it was odd from the start.”

What Seoa pointed to was the laurel wreath worn on the woman’s head.

‘I see.’

It wasn’t easy to notice at a glance, but upon closer inspection, the direction of the laurel wreath was positioned opposite.

And the message it conveyed perfectly matched the earlier situation.

“Well, grains have held high ritual value across nations since ancient times, right?”

With that explanation, Seoa placed the grains we had obtained from the fourth gate directly into the jar.

Plop.

Kugugugung!

Then, a massive vibration echoed, and the floor in the center of the huge room slowly began to crack open.

What was revealed there was a staircase-like passage leading underground.

“…Well, I’ll be. Can’t keep up with kids these days.”

Shin Noeul, assuming a combat posture, took the lead first, and we followed behind, slowly moving forward.

After we had advanced a fair distance, the shadows began to flicker, sending me an intense warning.

The hardening of the party members’ expressions happened almost simultaneously.

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Oppa, from here onward, there are countless overlapping Art Formulas… They share some aspects with the knowledge left by the witch, but I can’t grasp them at all at my level.”

I couldn’t pinpoint any clear facts either, but just the suffocating energy permeating the surroundings made it easy to anticipate what lay ahead.

‘…Have we truly entered the core now?’

We tightened our guard further, steeled our resolve, and began moving forward again.

What unfolded before us was an old wooden door.

“…Well, I’ll be. There’s a limit to how nasty a temperament can be.”

Its appearance was shabby, but the ominous feeling emanating from it was incomparable to any of the previous gates.

Swallowing hard, I opened the door and stepped inside. This time, the interior of a massive mansion—who knows where it came from—greeted us.

And the difference from the previous gates immediately became apparent.

“Oppa, the door…”

“So from here, we can’t go back anymore.”

It was a truly chilling situation, but on the other hand, it was also a positive sign.

Whatever the case, it meant we were gradually approaching the endpoint.

“By the way, this mansion is quite interesting.”

“Hmm. It looks quite spacious from the outside. And it doesn’t feel good.”

“Which means it’s another treasure hunt, I suppose.”

We were still critically short on information. Judging by its size, it would likely take considerable time, but we needed to explore the mansion at least once to find clues.

“We’ll split into three groups. Sophia and I will take the third floor, Unit Leader and Seoa the second floor, and Yeon Jaki, please investigate the first floor.”

At my words, Yeon Jaki stared at me with a meaningful expression, but I calmly averted my gaze and headed toward my destination with Sophia.

Exploring such an unknown place alone would be extremely dangerous, but she was clearly an exception.

‘Even the village’s Guardian—if she put her mind to it, she could probably defeat it alone with ease.’

The third floor we reached had a long, straight corridor with two branching passages at each end.

Just the rooms along the corridor numbered over ten; assuming we examined each in detail, it wouldn’t be finished in an hour or two.

Just as I was about to sigh at the headache-inducing situation, the shadows flickered again, sending me a warning.

And exactly about five seconds later, Sophia, having sensed something, quietly assumed a stance and took a combat posture.

“…The third room on the left. Someone’s there.”

I vaguely sensed it too. They were hiding their hostility very subtly, but by focusing my senses carefully, I could detect the refined killing intent within.

‘…Quite strong.’

A strength palpable even before facing them. This was not an opponent I could guarantee victory against.

“…Kangyoon, should I strike first?”

“No, wait for now.”

Since the opponent had likely already detected us, taking the first move was too risky.

Tick.

Thud!

How long did this standoff last? Eventually, the opponent seemed to change their mind as well, as the slowly closed door opened, revealing someone in tattered attire.

“…What is this? Am I seeing things?”

It was none other than Xiao Chen, the Night School member who had been defeated by me in the Black Forest and had fallen to this Blind Mountain.