Chapter 22

### Immovable Curtain (2)

Under a contract sealed with money, I had a more detailed discussion with the adventure party about the task I wanted to entrust to them. Roding, who had been listening silently to my story, asked in a flustered tone, "So... you're thinking of searching through all the peaks of the Tyrell Mountains?"

"Yeah."

I knew it sounded absurd, but there was nothing I could do. Unlike the initial rebirth, the only geographical feature I remembered about the hidden place was that it was somewhere on the peaks of the mountains, and it was likely a valley.

I might get a sense of it if I went there and looked around, but for now, nothing else came to mind. To find this mystery, I would have to be prepared for much more hard work than during the initial rebirth.

Still, one fortunate thing was that the Tyrell Mountains were smaller than the Luther Mountains.

"How long do you think it would take to search all the valleys on the peaks of the Tyrell Mountains?"

Roding let out a sigh before answering, "It's too vague to really gauge, but if I had to say, it would probably take at least two weeks, wouldn't it?"

Two weeks.

In fact, it was such a vague matter that it would only be clear once we actually did it. Roding asked again, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

A client who had requested a guide through the mountains with a large sum of money. It was natural to be curious about my identity, so I answered appropriately, "I'm from a family in another nearby city. It's difficult to reveal my exact background."

"Then, why are you climbing the Tyrell Mountains?"

"I'm looking for something."

"What are you looking for?"

"That's a bit hard to explain."

"Ah, yes..."

A moment of silence fell over the room. Roding and the party members looked quite troubled, perhaps not expecting such a request. I took out a money pouch from my coat and placed about five to six gold coins on the table.

"I'll give you 30 gold as a down payment right now. I know it's not an easy task, but isn't the reward more than sufficient?"

"..."

"If you can't take the job, there's nothing I can do. So, will you do it?"

After some deliberation, Roding exchanged glances with his party members and finally nodded.

"Are the two of you the only ones climbing the mountains?"

Roding looked at me and Ashell, who was standing behind me, and asked. I nodded.

He also nodded and introduced himself and his party members briefly.

"I'm Roding, the leader of the Blue Fox Adventure Party. And in order, this is Arma, Lud, Baxter, and Sienna..."

There were five in total: two men armed with swords and shields, a woman with a bow, a woman who seemed to be a mage with no visible weapons, and Roding himself. Sienna, the woman with the bow, smiled and looked at the gold coins on the table.

"Actually, there's no one around here who knows the geography of the Tyrell Mountains better than us. You really came to the right place, sir."

"Hey, you crazy woman, look at her eyes glazing over with gold..."

The man named Lud, sitting next to her, muttered, but was immediately hit on the back.

I also introduced myself briefly.

"I'm Ron. This is my bodyguard, Ashell."

"Sure, we'll do our best."

Thus, Roding's Blue Fox Adventure Party ultimately accepted the job.

***

I could have left immediately, but they needed time to prepare, so we took an extra day. We agreed to meet in front of the eastern city gate early the next morning. Since there was no need for Baros to stay, he remained at the inn, while Ashell and I went out together.

"Let's go."

"..."

As I left the inn room, I could feel Ashell looking at me with a strange expression. She was probably looking at the bow and arrows I had brought out.

I could clearly read the question in her eyes: "Why are you bringing these?" But I ignored it.

Who knows what unexpected dangers we might face, like in Belvago? Even the smallest complacency can lead to death. Preparing everything you can is the right attitude for survival in this harsh world.

"Have you arrived?"

We met the adventure party waiting at the city gate and immediately headed for the Tyrell Mountains.

Tyrell Mountains.

If there was one characteristic of this mountain range, it was the abundance of orcs. While orcs are common monsters found everywhere, they were particularly numerous in the Tyrell Mountains. However, since they were only around level 20, there was no need to worry about safety.

After a few hours of climbing, I, who had obtained the initial rebirth, no longer had to worry about stamina and could easily keep up with the party's pace. Soon, we encountered a group of orcs.

Squeak.

Large, green-skinned monsters emerged from the bushes, emitting low growls. They looked exactly like the ones I had seen in the game. There were a total of eight, and some of them held rusty iron swords or spears.

"Are these brats crazy to come down here and hunt?"

Roding and his party members didn't hesitate and started to slaughter the orcs. Those with swords and spears fought at the front, while those with bows and magic supported from the back. Ashell and I watched the scene.

With Roding, who was over level 30, the battle was quickly over.

We took a short break and chatted with the adventurers.

"Orcs are surprisingly intelligent. Even experienced adventurers can be killed by a mob hunt if they're not careful. The weapons the orcs we met earlier were using were originally taken from other adventurers."

"I see."

Of course, I already knew this. Orcs live in tribal communities, making them more intelligent than most monsters.

Encouraged by my responses, the adventurers shared more stories.

"Have you heard how orc monster waves occur?"

"They happen when a rare mutant king appears, right?"

"Yes, you know. Normally, due to their aggressive nature, they can't form large groups, but when a king is born, they all unite and become a terrible disaster."

Monster waves.

This term refers to the phenomenon where a large group of monsters surge like a wave. There are various causes, one of which is the rare birth of a mutant 'king' among the monsters. Notable examples include orcs and lizardmen. When a king is born, a massive army of monsters, ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands, can invade human territories.

"An orc king can be as high as level 70."

In any case, such monster waves were significant events that often occurred in the game's story.

After the break, we resumed our journey.

***

It had been almost a week since we started searching the Tyrell Mountains. The adventure party, as they had promised, guided us excellently without getting lost. However, despite searching several peaks and valleys, we still hadn't found the mystery.

I continued to rack my brain as we moved.

"The valley was definitely a valley."

I remember it being quite wide, with gentle slopes on both sides, though not very accurately.

None of the valleys we had passed matched my memory.

And what else was there...?

"It's a valley."

Roding said, looking at the scene ahead. This was the fifth valley we had encountered.

"..."

Wait a moment...

The shape of the valley seemed to vaguely match my hazy memory, and I furrowed my brow.

As I scanned the valley, a commotion broke out. More orcs had appeared, this time in the dozens. Roding and his party members frowned.

"More this time?"

"They're just orcs, after all. Arma, I need a big spell."

As usual, Roding and his party members prepared for battle, though they looked a bit tense due to the larger number.

"Ashell."

"Yes."

"Take care of them."

In this situation, where something was starting to come back to me, the orcs were a significant hindrance. Ashell drew her sword and swung it at the approaching orc group.

Swish!

A large, blue sword aura erupted from her sword, cutting the orcs in half.

The adventurers, who were about to join the battle, were momentarily stunned.

"Wh-what..."

While the valley was quiet again, I continued to look around, trying to recall my memory. I quickly moved to one side, and Ashell followed.

"..."

This was definitely the spot.

I moved along the cliff face, stopping at a certain point and looking up.

A convex cliff face above my head, and a lone tree at the end. This was the exact view I remembered from the user's video who had obtained the Immovable Curtain.

"Ashell, destroy this wall."

Boom!

Ashell destroyed the wall, and a passage appeared inside, leading down to a lower level with old stone steps.

Seeing this, I smiled with joy.

"Finally found it."

This was the dungeon where the Immovable Curtain's mystery was hidden.

Roding and the other party members approached and stared at the entrance with wide eyes.

I told them, "Wait here for a moment."

Leaving them behind, I went down the stairs with Ashell.

***

Holding a luminescent stone, I advanced through the dark passage. On either side of the long, wide corridor were giant statues, and Ashell looked at them with a slightly tense expression.

The dungeon was an artificial space created by ancient mages. It had traps and guardians to protect it.

However, I continued forward without worry because, from the playthrough video I had seen, this dungeon was already broken, with no traps or guardians.

There were no dangers until I reached the innermost part where the Immovable Curtain's mystery was hidden.

Soon, I reached the end of the corridor, where a giant door appeared.

"..."

I stopped a short distance away.

A giant statue, similar to those lining the corridor, was blocking the entrance to the inner room.

'This shouldn't be a big deal.'

Since the statue was clearly not moving, I continued forward.

Ashell could destroy it and enter, but...

[Lv. 85]

'...Why can I see its level?'

I noticed something strange when I saw the level floating above the statue's head and stopped.

Suddenly, the statue's eyes glowed blue, and it swung the spear it was holding.

Boom!

"!"

The blue aura that narrowly missed me sent a shiver down my spine.

Then, a metallic voice came from the statue.

- Warning. If you cross this line, you will be considered an intruder. Those who are not qualified should leave.

...What is this, crazy?

'This dungeon didn't have any guardians, right?'

I was flustered and looked down.

I noticed that the floor had a line etched into it. Crossing this line would trigger an attack?

I was frustrated by this unexpected situation, just like when I encountered Belvago.

Rumble.

Ashell's expression hardened, sensing the ominous aura emanating from the statue. Given its level, she couldn't handle it.

I thought to myself,

'...Can an instant kill work on a golem?'

The guardian was clearly a magic golem, more of an inanimate object than a living being. I was unsure if an instant kill would work, but I had no other choice.

Still, this is a unique 10-star skill; it should work on a golem, right?

I took out an arrow, smeared my palm with blood, and aimed at the statue.

***

Ashell watched the giant statue emitting powerful magic and swallowed hard.

Could she defeat it with all her strength? She wasn't sure.

What kind of place is this dungeon? What is this creature?

She was confident in her abilities and was always considered a genius among her clan, but for some reason, she kept encountering opponents she couldn't handle while traveling with the Seventh Overlord.

"..."

She suddenly turned to the side.

The Seventh Overlord had an arrow on the string, aiming at the golem.

Whizz!

When the Seventh Overlord released the string, the arrow hit the statue's body and bounced off weakly.

Watching this, she heard him mutter, "I tried to aim for the head, but I'm still lacking."

...What is he doing?

Just as she was puzzled by his seemingly playful behavior, the Seventh Overlord spoke again.

"Get out of the way, rock. Don't block the path."

And at that moment,

...Boom!

The statue lost its balance and fell to the ground.

Ashell's eyes widened in shock.

The Seventh Overlord, putting his bow back on his back, said, "Let's go inside."

"..."

Ashell, who had been staring at his back as he moved forward, finally followed.