Chapter 67

"……………"

"……………"

Inside the pitch-black entrance, there was not a single ray of light.

Rod and Marin stared at the entrance, neither knowing what to say. After a while, Rod finally broke the silence.

"What did you do, Marin?"

"I, I didn't do anything."

Marin, who rarely showed a look of panic, seemed completely caught off guard by the scene before her, indicating that this was entirely outside of her plans.

In fact, this was also unexpected for Rod.

Rod was certain that there had never been any posts online about this statue or this entrance. If such a thing existed, it would have been widely shared. However, there was a possibility that someone had discovered the entrance but found nothing inside, so it never became widely known.

But looking at this, did it seem like there was nothing inside?

Rod didn't believe it for a second. The presence of a mechanism and a secret passage here could only mean one thing.

So, should they go in and take a look?

Standing before the secret passage, Rod was hesitant.

If this were a game, he wouldn't hesitate for a moment. But this was different. In a game, you could respawn after dying, but here, Rod didn't believe he would get a second chance. Moreover, Rod had encountered similar places before, and they were often filled with traps or guarded by monsters—definitely not places to be taken lightly. Additionally, this place didn't exist in his memory, meaning he couldn't rely on previous strategies or screenshots to make a judgment.

However, this wasn't a problem for Rod.

"Marin."

In the end, Rod made his decision. He drew his longsword with one hand and extended the other. Soon, a bright red card appeared in the air, transforming into a fiery blaze that landed on the ground. From the flames, a black hound emerged, following closely behind Rod.

"Stay here. I'll go in and check the situation. If I don't come out within twenty minutes or if there's an explosion, leave immediately and don't come back. Understand?"

"How can I do that!"

Hearing this, Marin immediately frowned, clearly disagreeing with Rod's plan.

"Are you asking me to run away in the middle of a battle, Mr. Rod? How can I face Liss when I return? And the Senia family has no cowards…"

"This isn't about courage, Miss Marin."

Rod waved his hand.

"We don't know what traps or dangers lie inside. If something happens and we're both trapped here, it would be very troublesome. If one of us stays outside, we can still have a chance to help if something goes wrong."

"That's true, but…"

Marin frowned, her expression changing several times. Finally, she clenched her teeth.

"I have a way!"

"Miss Marin?"

Hearing Marin's words, Rod looked at her in surprise, unable to understand what the young lady had in mind.

"I, I have a family heirloom, a magical item."

Facing Rod's surprised gaze, Marin's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head and stammered.

"Whatever danger I encounter, as long as I wish, I can instantly leave this space and return to the Senia family's home. And… this item can be used by two people. If you hold my hand, even if something goes wrong, we can leave immediately. This way, you shouldn't have to worry, right?"

At first, Marin's voice was soft, but it quickly returned to its usual tone. Hearing her words, Rod looked at the young girl in front of him with surprise, unsure of what to say.

Rod knew that mages had many survival techniques and items, and as the sole heir of the Senia family, Marin must have some ace up her sleeve. However, he didn't expect her to be so open about it. Such items were the family's absolute secrets and should never be revealed unless absolutely necessary. Now…

"So, I insist on going with you, Mr. Rod."

For some reason, under Rod's gaze, Marin's earlier confidence wavered. She bit her lip but clearly decided to stick to her decision.

"Although there might be danger, I am a mage and have many ways to protect myself. Moreover, if something goes wrong, I can activate my… and leave this strange place immediately. Isn't that a good thing?"

Rod fell silent for a moment. To be honest, he didn't want Marin to come, but he wasn't the same overpowered swordsman he used to be. Now, at level 10, he had to carefully plan even to kill a few advanced spies. Was it really a good idea for him to go in alone?

Rod himself wasn't sure.

"Alright."

In the end, Rod nodded in agreement. Since Marin had a way to leave, he didn't mind giving it a try. At least this way, their chances of safety would be much higher.

"However, I hope you will take care of yourself."

"Of course."

The dark passage was completely devoid of light.

At first, Rod was very cautious. He knew that secret passages often had traps, and the unexpected stone plates and various traps were hard to avoid. However, unexpectedly, this passage was very smooth. With the light of the torch, he could see the torch holders and intricate murals on the walls.

"These are murals from the Fasical era, Mr. Rod."

At this moment, Marin was engrossed in the beautiful carvings on the wall, exclaiming in admiration. Mages were often well-versed in history, so she was quite impressed. However, Rod was not interested in these; he was more concerned about the possible traps hidden behind the walls—though it seemed there were none so far.

"Be careful, hold my hand tightly."

Rod firmly held Marin's hand and cautiously moved forward. In front of him, the Flame Killer was leading the way, which was part of Rod's plan. After all, if the summoned spirit died, it could be summoned again, and besides—this poor dog had died more than once, so it was used to it.

The Flame Killer definitely had a different opinion about Rod's thoughts, but unfortunately, it had no choice.

Under Rod's command, the black hound occasionally jumped up and down, the flames around it flying through the darkness, illuminating the entire underground passage.

However, the further they went, the more puzzled Rod became. He couldn't understand why such a secret passage would be here, and what could be inside.

At this moment, Rod was completely immersed in his player mode, not noticing that Marin, walking beside him, was no longer observing the murals. Instead, she lowered her head, her eyes filled with a complex expression as she looked at their intertwined hands. Perhaps due to the torchlight, a faint blush appeared on Marin's face.

Just then, the Flame Killer suddenly stopped. It circled around a few times and then ran forward.

"What's happening?"

Seeing the black hound's unusual behavior, Rod's heart tightened. He didn't stop the summoned spirit but stepped forward, placing Marin behind him. He raised his longsword in front of him, vigilantly watching the darkness and the potential dangers that could appear at any moment.

Nothing appeared.

Rod frowned. At this point, he was somewhat regretful. If there were traps or monsters, he would be more at ease, as it would mean the situation was within his familiar territory. But now, with such a long secret passage and nothing inside, it was too abnormal. However, having come this far, Rod had no reason to retreat. He gritted his teeth and moved forward.

Finally, Rod and Marin emerged from the secret passage.

Before them was a pitch-black space, and beneath their feet were stone steps hidden in the darkness. The Flame Killer stood on a platform not far ahead, crouching and growling at the darkness.

"Miss Marin, do you have any spells to light the way?"

Rod raised the torch, but still couldn't see what was ahead. For safety, he decided to try another method. However, after hearing Rod's words, Marin didn't respond immediately. She kept her head down, lost in thought.

"Miss Marin?"

"Ah?"

When Rod called her again, the young noblewoman snapped back to reality. She looked away awkwardly and then spoke.

"A lighting spell? I have one, please wait a moment."

With that, Marin pulled her hand out of Rod's and closed her eyes. Soon, with the recitation of an ancient incantation, a bright glowing sphere appeared in her palm and flew into the air. Its light instantly pierced the darkness, illuminating the entire space.

What appeared before Rod and Marin made them both widen their eyes in shock, holding their breath in disbelief.