Chapter 32

Hyper-Senses (5)

As expected, this dungeon wasn't of particularly high level.

After dealing with all the guardians and continuing forward, a trap appeared this time.

The walls of the long, straight corridor were engraved with magic arrays in various places.

- We salute those who have passed the first trial.

- Break through the magical arrows raining from all sides and advance to the opposite end of the corridor...

Bang!

The magic arrays on the walls were all destroyed by the sword beams Ashel released in both directions.

More things did appear afterward, but we just plowed through them.

The creator had prepared all sorts of trials and inscriptions on the walls, but I felt a bit guilty about destroying everything as I went.

'But it's still working well so far.'

Most dungeons were created in ancient times.

Therefore, the guardians and traps prepared by the creator often didn't function due to their age, like the immobile barrier in the hidden dungeon we encountered last time.

However, this dungeon's mechanisms were still intact and functioning properly, even though the creator didn't seem to be an exceptionally skilled magician.

I thought it might have been created relatively late in the ancient era, or perhaps it wasn't an ancient dungeon at all.

Finally, a massive stone door appeared, as if advertising that this was the final stage.

'Is this the end?'

I hadn't found any hidden spaces on the way here.

So, the mystery I was looking for must be inside.

I thought this would be the last of the non-trials, but the text on the floor in front of the door glowed.

- The final trial is a test of your luck.

- Power, wisdom, companions, trust, and powerful equipment. Even if you possess all of these, the most important thing in the end is luck.

- Pick up the orb placed in front of the door and insert it into one of the two grooves in the door.

- If you choose correctly, the door will open; if you choose incorrectly, the door will never open. You have only one chance.

Ashel couldn't read the ancient language, so she just stared blankly.

After reading the explanation, I moved forward.

I picked up the orb from the stand in front of the door and approached the door.

Click.

Without much hesitation, I inserted the orb into the groove on the left, but there was no reaction from the door.

The text on the floor glowed again.

- Incorrect, adventurer.

- Unfortunately, you are not worthy of my legacy. Abandon your hopes and leave.

I scratched my cheek and said to Ashel, "Ashel, destroy it."

Bang!

The massive stone door shattered into pieces.

It seemed to have been reinforced by magic, but it was meaningless in front of Ashel's power.

Thus, we arrived at the end of the dungeon, having destroyed all the obstacles with force.

I stood in front of the broken door, peeking inside, and said to Ashel, "Wait here."

"Yes."

Leaving her behind, I entered the inner area.

After passing through a narrow corridor, I found a space that looked like a laboratory.

In the center was a luxurious wooden box, like a treasure chest.

When I opened it, an old book and a letter were inside.

"..."

The book, judging by its title, seemed to be a magic book where the dungeon creator had compiled his magic, and the letter was from the creator.

After a quick read, it congratulated me on reaching this point and mentioned that his magic was a one-on-one inheritance, to be passed on to only one person.

I chuckled and folded the letter.

From the state of the dungeon's mechanisms, I could tell the creator's magical skills, but the letter made it sound like he had left behind some great magic book.

'Whatever.'

I looked around.

There was no further passage, so the mystery must be here.

But there was no sign of the mysterious symbol anywhere in sight.

Could all this effort have been in vain?

I felt a bit anxious and looked around more carefully.

"..."

Then, when I moved a bookshelf in the corner and examined the wall behind it, I finally smiled.

The mysterious symbol was engraved on the wall.

It glowed faintly in a blue light, perfectly hidden behind the bookshelf.

Without hesitation, I reached out my hand toward the symbol.

Whoosh!

As usual, the symbol glowed brightly and was absorbed into my body.

I stood there for a moment, then slowly looked around again.

'...What is this?'

I could feel it.

As soon as I absorbed the mystery, I began to feel it vividly.

Sounds, smells, and all the stimuli around me.

I could clearly sense Ashel standing outside the room.

When I focused my mind, my senses became even sharper, and I could even feel the movements of insects crawling on the floor.

It felt like I had crossed the threshold into a completely new world.

'Is this it?'

Is this the kind of sensation that the superhumans in this fantasy world usually feel?

And it wasn't just my senses.

I could also feel that my reflexes had improved dramatically.

I picked up a stone from the floor and threw it.

The stone, flying in a parabolic path, seemed to move as slowly as a snail.

With my enhanced vision, I could see every sharp edge of the stone as it flew.

'Amazing, really.'

This was a power I couldn't afford to miss.

After being thoroughly defeated by the ancient magician earlier, I had a clear realization.

Having defensive abilities is useless if you can't react to attacks.

But with this level of perception, I should be able to respond to the speed of most superhumans.

'I need to adapt quickly.'

I clenched and unclenched my fist, calming my heightened senses.

I had just obtained this, so I wasn't used to it yet, but I didn't think it would take long to adapt.

By the way, this mystery didn't have a name.

Or rather, I didn't know it. In the game, Teir never gave it a specific name.

After a moment's thought, I came up with a suitable name.

Hyper-Senses.

With this, I had already obtained three mysteries.

***

We immediately left the dungeon.

I didn't need the magic book, the creator's legacy, but there was no reason to leave it behind, so I took it with me.

You never know. I might not learn magic, but it could be useful for someone I recruit in the future.

After leaving the dungeon, I told Ashel what I had been thinking.

"Ashel."

"Yes."

"Swing your sword at full power."

"......Yes?"

She flinched and looked at me in surprise.

It seemed she had misunderstood, so I shook my head.

"I'm not asking you to attack me, just swing it in the air."

"Ah......"

I had a specific reason for this sudden request.

Ashel looked puzzled but didn't ask why and drew her sword.

Before she could swing it, I added, "At full power. Use your racial trait too."

As a member of the White Moon race, Ashel has a racial trait that enhances her magic power.

I wanted to see her at full power, including her racial trait.

Ashel hesitated for a moment, then nodded and activated her trait.

Swoosh.

Her body glowed faintly, and soon her skin turned completely white.

I had never seen her use this trait before, as there hadn't been a need.

She took a deep breath and began to swing her sword.

Whoosh!

The sound of the air being split was unbelievable, and a sword strike was drawn in the air.

I maximized my Hyper-Senses and watched her swordplay.

'...I can see it.'

Her movements were clear enough that I could react if the sword strike were aimed at me.

Hyper-Senses were so advanced that they could track the movements of an 81-level character at full power. There was even some room to spare.

'With this, I should be able to react to 80-level characters to some extent.'

But what about stronger opponents?

I recalled the movements of Quan Seong on the transport ship and the strike from Guanglang in the corridor during the monarch meeting. And the attack from the ancient magician that had nearly removed my side.

Before I gained Hyper-Senses, I couldn't even see those attacks, so there was no way to gauge them now...

I don't know. I'll have to confirm it myself.

In any case, I was satisfied with the results and said, "Stop."

Ashel stopped swinging and took a light breath.

She had really gone all out, even though she hadn't swung many times.

For some reason, she looked at me expectantly.

'...Does she think I was testing her skills?'

Her expectant gaze suggested that was the case.

I remained silent for a moment, then said, "You definitely have potential. Keep working hard."

"......Understood."

She nodded, looking a bit disappointed.

I felt a bit guilty for raising her expectations, but what advice could I give her with my own skills?

It was dark, but we didn't stop and immediately left the forest.

We were tired, but with Hyper-Regeneration, it was manageable. I could sleep when we got back to the carriage.

We arrived at the carriage around midday, where Baros was eating alone.

"Welcome back."

He had apparently been hunting and was roasting a rabbit.

It was good to see he had been eating well in our absence.

We joined him for a meal and then returned to the city.

***

Back in the city, I visited the adventurer's guild to find out about Railo.

I learned from another adventurer that she had returned to the city and then left for another city in a hurry.

'So she really ran away out of fear.'

The situation was a bit amusing, but I was relieved to confirm that she was safe, so I stopped worrying about her.

We stayed one more night and then left the city.

Our next destination was the 1st Monarch Territory of the Decline, as originally planned. It was quite far.

We intended to travel the shortest route, cutting through the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Monarch Territories in a curve from our current location.

After a long journey, we arrived at Quebacks, one of the major cities in the 3rd Monarch Territory.

While waiting in line for the checkpoint at the city gate, I fell into thought.

'This is the fork in the road...'

I was a bit conflicted.

Blood Magic, one of the most needed abilities for me, could be obtained in the Elrod Forest.

The Elrod Forest was located far to the west of Quebacks.

'Should I go straight to the 1st Monarch Territory, or should I visit the Elrod Forest?'

According to the original plan, I intended to focus on mysteries and postpone obtaining Blood Magic.

But after obtaining the Immovable Barrier and Hyper-Senses, and gaining some confidence in my safety, I felt a bit regretful about just passing by.

'...No, I shouldn't.'

After a short deliberation, I decided it was better to go straight to the 1st Monarch Territory.

Heading to the Elrod Forest was too risky.

Even if I felt confident about my safety, to obtain Blood Magic, I would need to communicate with the vampire tribe living there. But there was no guarantee that would happen.

So, it was best to stick to the original plan, postpone Blood Magic, and focus on mysteries.

"......?"

Lost in thought, I noticed a commotion outside and looked out the window.

Several carriages were boldly passing through the side, ignoring the checkpoint line.

The pedestrians in line were whispering and looking at them.

The carriages had iron bars in the cargo area, making them look like prisons, and inside were young boys and girls.

'...A slave caravan?'

I rested my chin on the window frame and stared at them intently.