Chapter 13 (1/2)

Huk, huk, huk…!

I felt like I was about to die. The iron hoop and arrows weren't the end of it. I had to pa.s.s through lava erupting from the ground at fixed intervals, gigantic icicles falling from above at random times, a path of fire that burned unendingly, and a marshland full of flesh-eating bats. My hair was completely burnt away and not a spot on my body remained untouched because of this, and the 150 gnolls that had followed me were now reduced to 30 or so.

'It wasn't deemed impossible for nothing.'

There was no end to it. I now understood why it was determined as 'impossible'.

'How the h.e.l.l did the previous guy pa.s.s this?'

Dying a hundred deaths to these traps wouldn't be strange, unless you happened to have fully invested in the luck stat to the limit; even I had almost died at least five times.

But now I was almost at the end of it. As I followed the path, continuing to head underground, a wide lake came into sight. The lake was beautiful and its waters were clear, as far as the eye could see, and on the other side of the lake there was the corpse of a dragon.

'Is that the Ancient One?'

I turned my gaze upwards as I scratched at my half-burned head. The size of it seemed to reach about 100m; big enough to be considered a 'behemoth'. When you consider that most dragons can't even surpa.s.s 50m, that corpse was truly tremendous. It appeared to have been left alone as it was for thousands of years. Nothing but bones was left of it, appearing a little desolate even.

But wait, there was still an orgain remaining.

'The heart.'

I did a double-take in disbelief, yet my eyes weren't deceiving me. The heart alone remained and was beating intensely.

I took half a step into the lake but then, at the same time-

Kururururung!

The entire cave shook and the waters of the lake splashed everywhere. Finally, the lake water whirled around in a circle and gathered into a spot to form a figure.

[Altar Guardian 'Al Araxar' has appeared.]

It was a knight of water. A man who wore an undulating armor of water stood floating above the lake and stared down at me. There was a towering presence to him. A presence of this level was something I had almost never felt before. The only time I experienced something similar was when I first encountered the Demon Lord and Queen of Terror.

'Mind's Eye.'

I used Mind's Eye out of a desire to know the specifics of this knight that had appeared.

Name: Al Araxar (Value – 500,000)

Race: Dragon Soldier

Occupation: Altar Guardian

t.i.tles:

? Ancient One's Guardian(Lv9)

? One Who Wields Water(Lv8)

Stats:

Str 90 Agi 90 Con 90

Int 90 Mag 90

Potential(450/450)

Special Note: He is a knight that the Ancient One poured its heart and soul into creating.

That was all I could see of him. I tried examining him further, however, it seemed that I couldn't find out everything about the knight even with the power of Mind's Eye, but it was enough to have seen that much. It was clear, at the very least, that in this situation he was 'an existence that mustn't be provoked'. The moment I did, it would be the end. I would be sent on my way to the other world before I could even take a breath.

'Definitely not something that should be in a beginner dungeon.'

The entry to this altar could only be pa.s.sed by those with stats totalling 150 or below. The trial would only be set within the limits of that stat restriction. It wasn't as if there wasn't a chance of success even though the difficulty was declared as impossible. But on the contrary, the knight before my eyes was literally 'impossible'.

I swallowed with a gulp.

It was like I had been climbing a mountain, only to find out midway that I was really on an express highway straight to heaven.

”It's been so long since a guest has come.”

”I've come to receive the Ancient One's power.”

It was my declaration of war; it was best to be clear with your objective. But the words that left the knight's mouth took me by surprise.

”Fine. I shall grant you that power if you return the way you came.”

”What…?”

I frowned instinctively. It was all too easily granted. You would give me the Ancient One's power as long as I went back like this?

The knight then spoke as if having read my mind.

”You have proven your right just by reaching this point. You are sufficiently worthy to share in the power of the Ancient One.”

I felt myself deflating all of a sudden.

However, the latter part of his speech bothered me strangely.

'The right to share, is it.'

Not to have, but to share. Simply put, it meant that he wouldn't hand over the Ancient One's power.

I hadn't come all this way just so I could receive someone's 'borrowed power'.

I came to take it. I was here to fight for it.

As such, I held nothing back as I spoke,

”What I want is the Ancient One's power in its entirety. I didn't come here to receive a share of power.”

”Such excessive greed. You must defeat me if you so desire it.”

Al Araxar held out his right hand.

Sukung!

Kwaang!

Water stretched out like a whip to strike my cheek and thrashed me to the ground on the spot, forming a deep crater where I fell. This was all it took to make the difference in our abilities clear. There was real need to take it any further.

However…

”Al Araxar! Knight of water. I shall accept your trial.”

”You mean to duel me?”

”If I must!”

I took a bold stand, looking him straight in the eyes, and at that moment I felt a chill spreading all over me. My body s.h.i.+vered uncontrollably and sweat poured out from everywhere.

'Killing intent.'

I could literally feel his intent to kill. The gap between Al Araxar and me was like heaven and earth. The knight before my eyes could kill me a mere glance.

'And yet he hasn't killed me. This is a test.'

A restriction was placed upon entering this place. Even a novice could definitely achieve something here. A monster like this shouldn't have been here in the first place, but if this was another 'trial', then I could understand. Al Araxar's att.i.tude helped to further add to my belief; his actions were as if on purpose to provoke me. He was humorously observerving me to see how long I could stand the killing intent he exuded.

This was a test. A desire to see how far I could go was in his eyes. The previous challenger must have given up at this point, however, I was different.

Kkwaduduk!

I clenched my jaw so hard that my teeth bled, feeling like it would break. I roused every single cell in my body, exerting myself to the point I started seeing red and I felt my head emitting steam. Time continued to trickle, every moment feeling like an eternity. Finally, Al Araxar exclaimed in admiration,

”How unexpected that you could withstand my aura. You are no ordinary man.”

”I desire the Ancient One's power. I have no intention of going back until I obtain it.”

”Is that so?”

Al Araxar laughed with ridicule and stepped across the surface of the water to stand before me.

”There is a saying that water is a mirror which reflects the beholder. Likewise, I am capable of morphing into any other.”

Al Araxar's form began to change the moment he finished speaking.

”My present self is identical to you. I cannot exhibit strength that exceeds your own. If you can defeat me in this form, I shall relinquish to you the entirety of the Ancient One's power. But if you lose, your life will be forfeit.”

Al Araxar transformed into me. Going so far as to replicate my half-burned hair slightly irked me, but his appearance now was like a mirror placed before me. He looked so much like me, even down to the very last hair, that it was almost repulsive.

At any rate, was he truly the same as me?

The extent of how 'identical' he was remained to be seen.