Chương 686: The Sunken Temple

The group reached the Beacon, then stopped short of getting too close. Two people stood between them and their goal. One was a woman in red, somewhere between twenty and twenty-five. Beside her stood... Jonathan.

"Angelica," he said.

"I'm here to save you." Jonathan?! Luke didn't think twice. A knife appeared in his hand and shot forward with absurd force, boosted by [Telekinetic Impulse] and [Burst Throw]. Jonathan reacted on instinct, dodging at the last second before leaping onto the roof of a nearby building.

"Last time he showed up, he was with that lich," Charlie said, her eyes sweeping the area.

"A trap?" Eleanor asked.

"I kill him first. Then we ask questions," Luke said, already conjuring more knives. The woman in red tilted her head, as if she found the whole thing amusing.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to track you people down? Cut poor Johnny some slack." The Beacon's tracking thread? If Jonathan had completed a Beacon, maybe he could track Luke. Or anyone in Luke's group. Luke frowned. He'd been so busy dealing with everything else that he'd overlooked it. I can be followed because of a Beacon's magic. Not just me. Anyone in the group. Even so, it wasn't exactly hard to guess where he'd go. Luke intended to complete the Beacons.

All someone had to do was watch the challenge areas for each phase.

"I don't want to fight!" Jonathan shouted from the roof.

"I came to talk to Angélica!"

"Go fuck yourself, Jonathan," Luke said. He launched another knife. Jonathan jumped aside, and the spot he'd been standing on exploded.

"Keep an eye out for the lich and anything else that might show up," Luke said, never taking his eyes off Jonathan. The woman in red sighed.

"We're late for a meeting with the Rabbit. It would be much better if this conversation happened quickly, Johnny boy."

"Don't rush me, Scarlett." Angie stepped forward, partly putting herself in front of Luke, and raised a hand in a calm gesture.

"It's fine. I want to hear what he has to say." Luke glanced at her, but he didn't lower his guard. Jonathan stared at Angie.

"Are you my Angelica or not?"

"Your Angelica?" Angie repeated, almost laughing.

"But yes. In a way, I am Angelica."

"How did you survive, Angelica? How? I saw you die!" His voice shook between desperation and euphoria. Then his gaze snapped to Luke, full of hate.

"And why, out of everyone, are you walking around with this guy?" Angie's expression changed at once. The smile vanished, replaced by a cutting coldness.

"Do you have a problem with me walking around with him?" Luke kept watching the area, searching for any sign of the lich. Was this idiot really dumb enough to show up without that thing protecting him? But there was Scarlett. The woman in red didn't look like she was there just for decoration. Doesn't matter. I kill Jonathan first, then deal with her.

"Angelica... you're a little different," Jonathan said.

"But your voice, the way you act... it's her. Even that angry face. It's Angélica. Everything I did, I did for you. Revenge was all I had left, and now you're here. Alive. It's fate, Angelica. Fate gave you back to me."

"Fate?" Angie asked.

"Is this guy sick in the head?" Evangeline muttered.

"The fate of us being together," Jonathan said. Angie stared at Jonathan in silence for a few seconds.

"Jonathan, I have no interest in you or your feelings. My Angelica side knew you liked her. But to her, you mattered about as much as pig shit." Jonathan froze.

"W-what?"

"That's right, Jonathan. My Angelica side wouldn't have wasted a second thinking about you. She only interacted with people because she had to. And you were the most pathetic one in Haven." Angie smiled, but there was cruelty in it.

"You were outdone by someone who had only arrived in the tutorial a few months ago. No wonder, in my final moments, I chose to be with Luke." An aura began leaking from Jonathan's entire body. His eyes lit up red.

"That's a lie!"

"It's true, Jonathan," Angie said.

"This is one of your tricks, isn't it, Luke?" Jonathan clenched his fists.

"It has to be. It has to be. My Angelica would never say that. She's fake." Luke was done listening.

"Then let me show you the real Angelica." He raised his bracer and fired a knife charged with [Shadow Mana Explosion]. [Knife Storm activated] A rain of blades appeared around him and surged toward Jonathan. Before the attack reached him, Scarlett lunged into the path of the knives, arms spread wide. A red circle appeared in the air and swallowed every blade like a mouth. When her feet touched the ground, Scarlett spread her arms again. The circle opened in front of her again and spat the knives back at high speed.

"Dodge!" Luke shouted. The group scattered. The knives tore through the air and exploded against the ground, walls, and nearby buildings. Fragments flew in every direction. Luke charged toward Jonathan, drawing his kukris.

"I'm going to kill you, Luke!" Jonathan shouted.

"Come try it, bastard!" But before the two could collide, Jonathan was struck from above. Scarlett dropped onto him with a brutal kick, smashing him into the ground. In the next instant, Jonathan's body sank into a red puddle that opened beneath him.

"That's enough. We're late for our meeting. Bye now." Scarlett smiled as she sank into the same puddle. Luke tried to attack, but he was too late. The puddle vanished, leaving nothing but untouched ground behind.

"What the hell just happened?" Evangeline asked. Anne approached, studying the spot where the two had disappeared.

"Teleportation magic...?" Luke jumped onto the roof of a building and scanned the city around them. Nothing. No sign.

"Damn it. They're gone. Too far for my [Predator's Mark]." Even if they were still close, they probably knew enough to remove a mana mark. Eleanor kept her bow ready, watching the streets and rooftops around them.

"They're gone," Charlie said.

"No scent or sound nearby."

"That guy has stupid luck," Evangeline grumbled.

"Do we go after them?" Eleanor asked. Luke dropped back down and approached the Beacon.

"Going after Jonathan could be a trap. The best way to stay one step ahead of him is to clear this Beacon and use its tracking to find him." The group placed the marine artifacts into the Beacon. The structure reacted almost immediately, releasing an intense glow. Magic wrapped around them, and the entire group was teleported. Dungeon Challenge 1: Protect the Sunken Temple By the third day of the challenge, Luke was working inside his dimensional greenhouse, tending to the plants while preparing fertilizer potions.

Your profession [Guardian Botanist of Mother Freya] has reached Level 87! (+5 Strength, +3 Agility, +4 Vitality, +4 Intelligence, +12 Free Points) The group had been living inside a sunken temple in a cavern for three days. The place wasn't exactly comfortable, but it worked. At least the corridors weren't flooded.

Dungeon Challenge 1: Protect the Sunken Temple Objective: You and your group have been sent to a special temple inside a submerged cavern. Inside this temple are two idols in different locations. You must protect the temple from creatures attempting to steal the idols. Time Remaining: 3 days: 19 hours: 23 minutes: 32 seconds The temple was a maze of rooms and strange architecture, like a pyramid sunk into the heart of the cavern.

Square openings led outside into the completely flooded area, but some kind of magical protection kept the water from coming in. The problem was that the same protection did nothing to stop creatures from invading. The idols were in separate rooms. The challenge reminded Luke of what he had faced with Charlie, when they had needed to protect the cabin. Because of that, they split into pairs. Since there were six of them total, two people rested while the others guarded the idols. Then they rotated shifts.

During those days, Angie made progress too. She reached angel level 95 and unlocked a new eye skill. [Eyes of Uriel (Unique)]: In the beginning, you were there. A beautiful angel, watching over and guarding the unknown as the first worlds took their steps toward true freedom. After witnessing countless civilizations be born, grow, and change, your understanding of existence surpassed mortal limits, awakening the spark of your divinity through an incomparable intelligence.

The stars had always drawn your attention, especially the Moon. There was something about it that kept pulling your gaze back, even though you could not understand why. Until, one day, the call was finally answered. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Blessing: [Wisdom of Uriel]: Anything you truly wish to understand can be reached.

The Eyes of Uriel grant a wisdom whose depth is difficult to measure, allowing you to learn with extreme speed, absorb complex knowledge, and develop your understanding at a frightening pace. Few things remain incomprehensible before that gaze. However, knowledge alone is not enough. To reach true understanding, willpower and curiosity must walk together. Secondary Skills: [Eye of the Angel] It was similar to Luke's, but slightly inferior, since it was meant for an Angel.

[Eye of the Angel]: The eye functions as a second heart. If the heart is destroyed, the eye assumes its role, allowing the body to continue functioning while severe injuries are gradually restored.

"Ready to go, my lord?" Angie asked.

"I'm ready. Let's relieve Eleanor and Evangeline." Angie had slept for the first time in days, while Luke had spent most of his time focused on potions. The two crossed the damp temple corridors until they reached the area where Eleanor and Evangeline were stationed. The ninja was lying on something that looked like an improvised beach chair, sleeping like she was on vacation. Eleanor, on the other hand, was crouched near the corpses of sea creatures. Her clothes were stained with blood and strange fluids.

"I stink. You shouldn't be here," she said, ripping a sharp canine from a dead monster. She was collecting materials to craft arrows and other equipment. Luke knew Eleanor was also trying to make a powerful bow of her own.

"Did some monster spit something on you?" he asked.

"That is exactly what happened..." Angie pointed her hand at Eleanor and used her cleric powers. Light wrapped around Eleanor's body, healing her wounds and easing some of the physical strain.

"I also removed your fatigue and gave you a little boost," Angie said.

"Every time you use that, I'm impressed," Eleanor replied.

"It doesn't replace sleep," Angie explained.

"If you don't sleep, your body doesn't really rest. I only removed the mental effects of being tired." Evangeline kept sleeping.

"Want me to wake her?" Angie asked.

"No. She's enjoying the sleep." Evangeline snored loudly.

"A little too much," Luke added. The pairs clearly had very different ways of handling their shifts. After that, Luke and Angie crossed the temple to the other idol room, where Charlie and Anne were on guard. The doll woman was pushing corpses out of the temple with her usual elegance.

"Getting near the opening is dangerous. Something could pull you out," Luke warned.

"Lord Luke," Anne said, curtsying with her dress.

"Master Luke... best not come near me," Charlie said.

"I stink."

"Let me guess. A monster spat something on you."

"Yes. How do you know? Can you smell it?"

"No. Just had déjà vu."

"I do not sleep," Anne said.

"I can stay."

"Rest still matters. And even if you don't sleep, you need downtime."

"Right..." the doll maid agreed. Luke watched her for a moment.

"And how exactly do you 'rest' if you don't sleep?"

"I stay still... for a while. Like a toy... on a shelf."

"Interesting." Charlie and Anne left, leaving Luke and Angie in charge of the room. There were three entrances to the chamber where the idol stood. The object was made of wood and looked like an octopus face, except something about it was wrong. Carved tentacles curled around a central shape, almost like they were hiding an eye. It didn't take long for the creatures to appear. [Sea Knight - Lvl 108] [Sea Soldier - Lvl 81] [Sea Soldier - Lvl 81]"I've got this!" Angie said, excited.

She advanced with her spear, focused on leveling her cleric class. Luke stayed in the rear, watching the creatures' positioning and preventing any of them from getting too close to the idol. After a few hours, the notification came. Angie's 2nd Class [Light Cleric] reached Level 84! (+22 WIS, +14 WIL, +8 VIT, +7 TGH, +5 END, +4 INT, +2 PER, +15 Free Points)"I did it!" she said, smiling.

"We make a pretty good pair, my lord."

"We do." Charlie couldn't take shifts with Angie. Angie's cleric support powers hurt Charlie more than they helped. Because of that, Luke ended up being the perfect partner for her. The shift continued. Sometimes an entire horde came all at once. Other times, monsters appeared separately, as if testing the temple's defenses. At one point, Luke peeked outside through one of the openings, but all he saw was the darkness of the submerged cavern. He didn't risk going out.

He had no idea what kind of punishment the dungeon might apply if he abandoned the area. Killing more monsters while focusing on the use of his witch skills, Luke made progress too. Your second class [Arcane Witch] has reached Level 94! (+12 Intelligence, +10 Wisdom, +7 Perception, +6 Willpower, +5 Agility, +3 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +10 Free Points.)

"This will be my last Beacon, Luke," Eleanor said. Luke was having dinner with Eleanor and Evangeline during their shift. At that point, nobody could say whether the meal was breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Inside the dungeon, the group just followed their own biological clocks and pretended it made sense.

"Mine too, Cinderella," Evangeline said.

"After this Beacon, I'm joining the others on the ship. I'll help you and whoever else goes to the next one, but for me, these were enough." At the end of Phase 5, anyone who completed a Phase 6 Beacon would automatically be taken to Stage 3 of the event. Anyone who didn't complete a Phase 6 Beacon could return with the others to Earth at the end of Stage 2.

"I get why you're stopping," Luke said.

"And I'm grateful you came this far with me." He fell silent for a moment before continuing.

"When you go back to Earth, can you tell my family I'm not dead? That I'll see them again soon?"

"Of course," Eleanor answered.

"And if you can, keep them safe." New Earth wouldn't have technology anymore. As far as Luke knew, it would also be merged with other worlds. Whatever happened to his planet, when everyone returned, it definitely wouldn't be the same place anymore. It would be dangerous. Not only because of the inhabitants of other worlds, but because of the threats that would come with them.

"If the system sends each of us back to the exact place we were before the event started, then Evangeline and I will appear in your parents' house," Eleanor said.

"Don't worry about that. I'll do everything I can to keep them safe. But..."

"I know, Eleanor. You need to find your mother." She pressed her lips together.

"She was on a plane when the event started. If she's sent back to the same place, she could appear at an enormous height. I... have a lot to think about." If that happened, Eleanor's mother could die from the fall.

"But the system might put her on the ground instead," Luke said.

"And that would mean she'd be somewhere along the plane's route, in a dangerous world," Eleanor replied.

"At least your mother wasn't flying over the ocean..." Evangeline said.

"There's that too," Eleanor said, looking down.

"She might not have been over the ocean, but when the event started, thousands of people definitely were." For a moment, her gaze went distant. Worried. Maybe she was thinking through every bad scenario involving her mother. Or about how many people might die simply because they returned to the wrong place.

"Don't worry, Luke," Evangeline said. This time, there was no humor in her voice.

"I'll stay with your parents. It's not like I have a home to go back to anyway. I was living in hotels before the event. Maybe I'll take your room and live with the Baumanns while you decide to keep going in the event." Her eyes narrowed.

"But don't die."

"Thanks, Evangeline. That actually helps."

"Why don't you come back with us, Luke?" Eleanor asked.

"Nobody knows how long Stage 3 will last. And I'm sure our world will have plenty of chances to gain levels. If you came back with us, things would be easier." She took a deep breath.

"The world we knew is over. Technology will disappear. Governments will fall. Maybe America won't even be America anymore. Maybe it'll border a bunch of new places, or maybe the territory has been split open and new nations have risen from those cracks." Too many possibilities. All of them bad in one way or another.

"Finding my mother and father will be hard for me," Eleanor continued.

"But we can build a safe place if we combine our abilities." Luke stared at his food for a few seconds.

"I thought about it. In terms of items or levels, I know I can manage out in the world. But if I win Stage 3, maybe I can get something that helps me track Elizabeth Moon. Something like what exists here, that lets us track anyone we know as long as they're in the same region." He raised his eyes.

"If there's even a small chance I can find her, I have to take it. I'm sorry. I can't go back with you."

Luke watched the idol during his shift with Angie.

"Cadmus, what is this thing supposed to be? The Marine Artifacts look similar."

"It is what the ancient inhabitants of this world worshiped," the robot replied.

"I thought it was an octopus, but it kind of looks like an eye."

"I think so too, my lord," Angie said, moving closer. The object really did look more like an eye with tentacles. But with the tentacles curled around it like that, it ended up resembling an octopus head.

"It's weird," Luke said. A creature entered the temple. Angie threw her spear, hitting the monster before it could advance any farther. While she handled the enemy, Luke checked the new spectral beast skill he had gained after absorbing 100 D-rank cores. [Form Devourer Slot I (Legendary)]: Using the power of [Form Devourer], the Spectral Beast gains an additional slot, allowing it to absorb and store another magical beast form without replacing its current devoured form.

A true predator does not rely on a single shape, it evolves by consuming many.

Layla was spending the day relaxing in her room. Or at least trying to.

"Here. For you," she said, holding out a piece of meat to Katarina. The plant almost ate her hand along with it.

"You eat too much!" Layla complained, yanking her fingers back. After that, she went to her father's room and found him reading.

"That scumbag's been gone for days now. Hope he and the others don't die," she said.

"Layla, all you talk about is Mr. Luke."

"I only complain about him, Dad. And I'm worried about Professor Eleanor. She only goes to dangerous places because of him." For some reason, Eddie started laughing.

"Worried about the professor, huh...? Sure you are." What is he talking about? Layla narrowed her eyes, but decided to leave before the conversation got any stranger. She walked through the ship. Everything was too quiet. The wrong kind of quiet. No damn Luke playing tricks on her, like the time he used telekinesis in the middle of the night to slam doors and move buckets around just to scare her. No noise. No complaints. No stupid threats. Just silence. On the deck, Layla sighed.

Erza and her maids had vanished days ago. Layla didn't complain. The port was safe, anyway. And she wasn't exactly eager to complain about that woman's absence, because Erza was terrifying. Isolde had gone with her friends Ulric, Hugo, and Roland to look for more people from Lagras. Every now and then, one of them showed up on the ship to say Luke shouldn't leave them behind. They were scared the scumbag might actually do it.

"He doesn't even bother calling them by name," Layla muttered.

"Just calls them Extra Three or some crap." There was also Stephen, Jack's father. But he was probably drinking on some street. Layla found Jack sitting in a chair, sewing something.

"Hey, prison buddy," she said.

"Prison buddy?"

"Yeah. You and I got arrested because of Luke in the tutorial. Forgot?"

"Oh, right." Jack looked up from what he was sewing.

"By the way, you talk about him a lot, Layla. You know that?" She froze for an instant. I just had déjà vu.

"Me? Talk about that scumbag? I think you're mistaken."

"You do. You've mentioned him like five times. Even if it was to badmouth him."

"I don't have much to talk about with anyone," Layla replied, crossing her arms.

"He's the evil that unites us. I mean, in what world would I be on a ship with a doll princess, an assassin princess, and Professor Eleanor? That guy might be a terrible friend, but somehow he knows everybody."

"Terrible friend? So you do consider him a friend?" Layla froze.

"T-that guy? My friend? Of course not."

"But you're the one who said it."

"L-look, forget I said that, okay? It's just that me and that bastard went through some stuff together. But don't tell him." She backed away a little too fast.

"I think I heard my dad calling me." At that exact moment, she heard people climbing onto the ship.

"About time one of you came back," Layla said, turning around. But the people climbing onto the deck weren't anyone she knew. A pistol was pointed at her face. Behind it, more men climbed aboard with weapons drawn. The man in front smiled.

"Captain Thomas Schwartz," the pirate said.

"And I'm taking this ship."