439 Smelting Trial 1.2 (2/2)

A solemn expression appeared on Raven's face. He silently raised his vigilance even more. He kept looking around him as he walked, trying to search for the source of that feeling earlier but it didn't appear anymore.

Still, what surprised him was that, the golem was actually telling the truth earlier. Of course he's journey was bound to end at the peak of this mountain but as soon as the sensation appeared earlier, he could vaguely feel that he knew where he was going.

This information was as vague as it could get. It wasn't like how the pagoda informs someone how to advance to the next floor. This feeling was more of a 'calling' for Raven, not a deliberate instruction.

Raven continued on his way, still following the calling that he's receiving just now.

It made him follow a certain route, which is somehow circling around the peak of the mountain. Eventually, he found himself standing in a flat piece of ground which seems to be attached at the slope near the mountain peak.

He looked around him and saw that there's no other living being around. Instead, he could only see a lone platform near the edge of the flat ground.

The platform was made out of black crystals which contained twinkling sparks of light. It wasn't giving off any kind of energy fluctuations but its surface is filled with strange carvings which Raven was completely unfamiliar of.

The calling became stronger as soon as he laid eyes on the platform, yet it also raised Raven's conflicting feeling. He didn't feel any threat or whatnot on this calling. But the calling was too strong that he's almost mistaking it as a cry for help…

…which caused him to feel very uncertain...

'According to the golem, I should be able to meet with its so called Lord and Savior, however I have yet to see any lifeforms here. It said that I would know where to go once I reach the summit, and that's right but all I see here is a platform, no Lord and Savior or whatsoever.'

As time went on, the calling was becoming stronger and stronger but Raven could still resist it and remain composed. His gaze landed on the strange markings on the platform's surface. He took a couple of steps closer to the altar and felt the calling practically roaring on his ears, urging him to step onto the platform with outmost haste.

This caused his frown to deepen but Raven's mental fortitude could still resist it. Instead of standing on top of the platform, Raven studied the carvings on its surface to see if he could make some sense off of it. Unfortunately, the carvings were too strange and mysterious that nothing comes to mind. It was as if those markings were those of child's random drawings, but Raven knew better that these markings contained specific rules that he's not aware off, causing him to not understand anything from them.

This caused him to click his tongue in annoyance. Now, he's off to decide whether it was a good idea to answer the calling and stand on the platform or resist it and get out of this mountain as soon as possible.

After deliberating for a bit, Raven gnashed his teeth and said:

”Screw it! I'll just handle whatever comes next!”

Raven threw caution off the window and planted his foot onto the altar. As soon as he stabilized his footing and stood and the center of the platform. The world suddenly turned quiet.

Time seemingly stopped and a surprising fluctuation of energy suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Below him, Raven could see a certain part of the forest, which also nearby the mountain, trembling fiercely as if it was experiencing some kind of an earthquake.

As if triggering a chain reaction, even the trees from further away started trembling as well. And under Raven's dumbfounded gaze, everything within his vision started rising. Additionally, he was bound into some sort of technique which completely paralyzed him. All he could do is to watch at the forest rose before his very eyes.

Shortly after that, a massive expanse of brown color filled his vision. Some sort of landmass started forming in front of him.

It rose several miles up in the air and curved down, seemingly looking down at him. What surprised him is when the landmass suddenly split and revealed two orbs that emitted light, which triggered some resonance on Raven's memories of his previous life. And to his surprise, he found out that these orbs, weren't actually miniature suns…

…but eyes instead.