Chapter 67
[Skeleton Castle discovered.]
[First Discovery Bonus!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[All stats increased by 45.]
[Fame increased by 3330.]
[You are the first living being to set foot in Skeleton Castle since the Great Cataclysm.]
[Skeleton Castle was once the capital of the ancient Northern Kingdom. This kingdom, boasting a superior magical civilization, used all sorts of advanced magic to build a splendid city at the World’s End, a place thought to be uninhabitable, as a display of their magical prowess.]
[However, after the last king of the ancient Northern Kingdom sacrificed the lives of his people to perform a forbidden ritual, all the residents of the capital became Undead. The various magical barriers and defense mechanisms that protected the capital were also tainted and corrupted by dark magic power.]
[After countless years, in the heart of Skeleton Castle, where only the dead walk the earth, the Undead King sits upon his skeletal throne, overlooking the entire Land of Death, including Skeleton Castle, even today.]
Ignoring the notification windows that popped up before my eyes, I looked beyond them.
The polar region, filled with nothing but snowfields and blizzards!
And right before me, a gigantic castle stood tall.
‘It’s been a while.’
I smiled as I gazed at the panoramic view of Skeleton Castle.
Skeleton Castle!
This place hasn’t changed much, whether it’s the past or the present.
Six years ago, during the original Ard Saga, memories of leading the Iron Blood Alliance’s elite raid team, breaking through the Land of Death, and conquering Skeleton Castle came flooding back.
At that time, we succeeded in defeating the Arch Lich and the Black Knight Commander, known as the Undead King’s right and left arms, but the raid ultimately failed when the entire team was wiped out during the Undead King raid.
However, unlike then, when we infiltrated as intruders, we are now officially invited guests!
It was a strangely nostalgic feeling.
[Enter the city. I, the King, grant you permission.]
The Undead King’s voice echoed in my head.
Creeeeaak.
With that, the closed black drawbridge descended with an ominous sound over the moat teeming with poison, and I walked into the castle with my party members without a word.
[Grooooan.]
[Mooooooan.]
The interior of the castle was also unchanged from six years ago, during the original Ard Saga!
Zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and Death Knights roamed among the blackened, corrupted, or destroyed buildings. Specters and Bone Wyverns flew in the sky, creating an otherworldly scene!
Amidst this landscape, which seemed like a materialized vision of the underworld, I retraced my old memories and entered the Skull Palace in the center of the castle. And finally, I met the Undead King once again.
The Undead King!
His true form was a giant skeleton, standing nearly three meters tall.
Clad in a black robe, the Undead King sat on a massive throne made of human bones and skulls. Unfittingly for an Undead, his entire body was tightly bound by strangely vibrant, green vines and branches.
Kazan, the legendary Arch Druid from two thousand years ago!
The grand magic he performed at the cost of his life was still binding the Undead King.
The painful memories of the past, when my raid team was annihilated after being tempted by his seemingly weakened state due to the seal, tormented me once again.
As I arrived, blue flames flickered in the Undead King’s empty eye sockets.
The Undead King’s jaw moved.
[You have finally arrived. Contractor of the Dark G*d.]
“Why did you summon me here?”
[To hand over the incomplete Levateinn to you.]
Whoosh.
As the bound Undead King moved his right hand, blue flames flared.
[Collecting a million cursed souls and forging them into the flames of resentment has long been completed. Now, all that remains is to absorb the essence of life.]
“A million, not ten thousand?”
I questioned the Undead King’s words, and he kindly answered.
[You must have heard the legends of humans. They likely left behind such tales because they did not fully understand the true power of Levateinn.]
‘The lore I heard must have been wrong.’
I dismissed his words lightly.
In Ard World, all records passed down as legends, myths, or history were mixed with fiction and truth, and exaggerations, just like in reality.
Stories of quests based on legend A turning out to be about B were so commonplace that they weren’t even newsworthy anymore!
Because of this, there was even a saying that the attitude of a true Ard Saga veteran starts with doubting and not blindly believing any information obtained.
Therefore, it was only natural that the information I had about Levateinn and the actual information were different.
[In any case, I shall hand over Levateinn to you.]
Whoosh!
With those words, the blue fireball that rested in his right hand flew towards me and transformed into the shape of a sword, floating before me.
‘Information Check’
[Levateinn (Incomplete)]
[Category: Sword]
[Grade: Legendary]
[A sword crafted by the Undead King to counter Mistilteinn, forged from the resentful flames of a million souls. It is currently incomplete.]
[To understand h*w to k*ll life, one must first understand life itself. Once it absorbs the essence of life, Levateinn will truly become the legendary sword that burns all things.]
[Effects]
[Flame Attack Power +100%]
[Life Absorption +80%]
[Random Curse on hit enemy]
[Summon/Recall function]
[Wraith Liberation: Temporarily releases and commands a portion of the million souls that comprise Levateinn.]
Levateinn!
As a weapon personally forged by the Undead King to counter Mistilteinn, it boasted tremendous power even in its incomplete state.
After storing Levateinn in my inventory, I looked at the Undead King and asked.
“So, where can I find the essence of life?”
[In a dreadful wasteland overflowing with the repulsive power of life, a place where the Undead cannot go. The tree from which the hateful Kazan broke a branch to create the cursed spear Mistilteinn. The Snowflower World Tree in the underground cave of the Winter Forest.]
The Undead King answered, his blue flames flickering, and I smiled at his response.
Now that the destination was set, it was time to move.
▄ ▄ ▄
Winter Forest!
Contrary to its chilly-sounding name, the forest was filled with a vibrant life force, boasting towering coniferous trees that seemed to pierce the sky.
Unlike real-life coniferous trees, these trees had white leaves, just like their name suggested, making the scenery appear even more mystical.
Although I haven’t been there myself, I imagined the forests of Finland, often featured in Xylitol gum commercials, or the Siberian forests I’ve only seen in pictures, would feel like this.
A forest where, if this were reality, I’d want to enjoy a barbecue in the yard of a log cabin while basking in the forest air!
Unfortunately, this wasn’t reality, but Ard World, and the forest was teeming with monsters, just as much as it was with life force.
[Rooooooar!]
The familiar roar of an Ogre echoed.
And not just any Ogre, but a Frost Ogre, said to be much stronger than regular Ogres, with snow-white skin, native only to the north!
However, even that Frost Ogre was nothing more than a midday snack for the members of the party I had assembled.
“Who wants to go this time?”
“I will go.”
I was the party leader, but the true powerhouse of this party was Shin Ha-yeon!
As she pointed at the Ogre, Ma Boo-jang, the party’s healer and jack-of-all-trades, stepped forward.
“Golem Summon.”
As Ma Boo-jang chanted the skill activation words and waved his hand, space distorted, and a Golem emerged.
The Golem, a head taller than the massive Ogre, raised its fist and struck the Ogre, and a satisfying impact sound resonated.
It didn’t take long for Ma Boo-jang’s summoned Golem to defeat the Ogre.
[Party member ‘Ma Boo-jang’ has defeated the Frost Ogre.]
[Experience points distributed.]
[100 gold distributed.]
Experience points and gold steadily increased even while I stood still!
Looking at the consecutive notification windows, I smiled with satisfaction.
‘This is why everyone talks about ‘busses’!’
Bus!
Also known as Power Leveling, it refers to the act of high-level users forming parties with low-level users and carrying them, essentially giving them experience points, items, and gold.
However, as I was always at the forefront in the original game, I was the one driving the bus, never a passenger. But with this level of comfort, being a passenger on the bus seemed quite appealing.
While checking the experience notifications, I asked Ignis, who was standing next to me, a question.
“How much further until we reach our destination?”
Destination!
The Undead King vaguely mentioned the Snowflower World Tree being in an underground cave, but the moment the keyword ‘Snowflower World Tree’ came up, the support team in the real world had already gathered, analyzed the information, and pinpointed the specific location.
The place leading to the underground cave called the Druid’s Sanctuary, where the Snowflower World Tree was located, was the Lake of Snow in the heart of the Winter Forest, and our party was currently heading there.
“We’re almost there.”
As Ignis said, it wasn’t long before our party found the lake.
The beautiful scenery of the lake, reflecting the clear blue winter sky!
I smiled as I looked at the lake.
It was time to properly start the quest.
▄ ▄ ▄
[Entered the Druid’s Sanctuary.]
[The Druid’s Sanctuary is a secret place where the remains of Arch Druid Kazan are buried and where retired Druids await their return to nature’s embrace.]
[Do not cause any trouble in this sanctuary, where the Snowflower World Tree, which sprouted from the transformation of Arch Druid Kazan’s staff, stands in the center, above his remains. You will face the wrath of the Druids.]
Druid’s Sanctuary!
Just as the support team had pinpointed, the true nature of this cave, located at the bottom of the lake, was closer to a vast underground field than a simple cave.
In this place, illuminated by floating orbs of light, filled with Druids and their beast companions, Drakan and his party members swiftly eliminated the Druids as they advanced towards Kazan’s tomb, where the Snowflower World Tree stood.
“You dare defile the Druid’s Sanctuary! You shall face the wrath of nature!!”
The Druids uttered curses as they turned into experience points and items, and Drakan’s party quickly dispatched their enemies, finally reaching their destination.
“That’s the Snowflower World Tree!”
Snowflower World Tree!
In the center of the sanctuary, where the giant tree, said to have sprouted from Arch Druid Kazan’s staff, stood, life-giving water flowed gently.
Drakan smiled as he gazed at the scene, but then his smile faded as he noticed an elderly man with a monk-like appearance meditating beneath the tree.
‘I should be able to rest a bit after this battle.’
Drakan and his party members had been hunting and hunting to reach the World Tree.
Looking at them, Drakan took a potion from his inventory and drank it.
[Strength temporarily increased by 10%.]
[Magic Power temporarily increased by 25%.]
Numerous messages popped up as soon as he finished the potion!
It was a doping potion crafted by Ma Boo-jang, the alchemist.
As Drakan temporarily boosted his stats with the doping potion……
“Who are you to disturb the slumber of Kazan?”
Flash.
The elderly man meditating beneath the World Tree, the previous Master Druid Helrn, opened his eyes and roared.
Helrn’s wrathful gaze swept over Drakan and his party members.
Helrn was furious.
The Druid’s Sanctuary was a sacred ground, a place where retired Druids rested before returning to nature’s embrace. Moreover, it was the resting place of Kazan, the greatest Druid of all.
Yet, these outsiders had not only rudely intruded but also murdered the Druids.
This was unacceptable, both as the guardian of the sanctuary and as a Druid.
“The wrath of nature will be upon you……”
Just as Helrn was about to unleash his boiling rage upon the intruders……
“Flame Chains.”
Chains made of flames erupted from the ground, binding Helrn’s limbs.
Ignis!
He had used a binding skill.
Drakan smiled as he looked at Helrn, bound by the Flame Chains.
Once again, he had no intention of listening to the enemy’s entire speech before attacking.
Whoosh!
As Drakan channeled his Aura, the flames of Levateinn intensified.
“Steel Storm!”
Starting with the storm of Aura unleashed by Drakan, followed by Ignis’s flames and Shin Ha-yeon’s ice attacks, their skills struck Helrn directly, and he roared.
“You, you cowardly scoundrels!”
