It was already nightfall when Lazu and Kain left the village, walking under the starry sky towards their next destination—the Ruins of the Demon King's Tomb.
Kain was still feeling the adrenaline from his first trial. He had managed to escape Gregor without fighting, using only his wits and words.
But now, a greater challenge awaited.
"Lord, how far is the ruins?" Kain asked as he stepped on the rocky dirt path.
Lazu, who was walking leisurely beside him, let out a long yawn. "Not far. Maybe half a day's journey… or a whole day if you walk slowly like that."
Kain snorted, but continued on his way.
Along the way, the forest began to grow darker. Tall trees loomed like giant shadows, and the sounds of nocturnal animals could be heard from every direction.
Kain felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Uh… this place is a bit creepy."
Lazu just chuckled. "Of course. This isn't a path that ordinary humans often take. Only a few people are crazy enough to approach the Demon King's tomb."
Kain swallowed. "Why?"
Lazu glanced at him with a mysterious smile. "Because that place isn't just ruins. There's something alive inside."
DING!
[Warning: Dangerous Area Ahead]
[Threat Level: Unknown]
Kain's eyes widened. "W-Wait, we're not going straight in there, are we?"
Lazu just shrugged. "Are you going to get stronger or not?"
Kain clenched his fists. He knew this was part of Lazu's training, but still…
"Alright," he finally said. "But at least give me a hint of what we're going to face."
Lazu smiled. "Alright. It's simple."
He pointed ahead. "Inside the tomb, there's a guardian protecting something. If we can get past it, we might find something that could change the game."
Kain stared at the ruins that were now coming into view in the distance—a giant, partially collapsed stone structure, surrounded by a thick mist that shimmered with mysterious energy.
His heart pounded.
He knew that once they entered… there would be no turning back.
The air grew colder as Kain and Lazu approached the ruins. A dark mist shimmering with strange energy enveloped the area before them, as if it were a boundary between the ordinary world and something more… dangerous.
Kain swallowed. "This… feels strange. Like this place is still alive."
Lazu, who was walking leisurely in front of him, merely chuckled. "That's because this place is still alive."
Kain frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lazu pointed toward the ruins. In the middle of the collapsed stone structure stood a giant gate made of black obsidian.
Above the gate, an ancient symbol in the shape of a large, closed eye was engraved.
"This gate isn't just an entrance," Lazu said casually. "It's also a seal that locks something inside."
Kain bit his lip. "Wait… So there's something locked inside?"
Lazu grinned. "Exactly."
DING!
[Mission: Open the Gate of the Demon King's Tomb]
[Description: Find a way to pass through the gate's seal without waking up whatever is sealed inside.]
[Warning: Failure may trigger unknown consequences.]
Kain read the notification and immediately felt uneasy. "Without waking up anything"?
"Uh, God… do we really have to go in?"
Lazu looked at him with a relaxed expression. "Of course. We didn't come here to look around, right?"
Kain took a deep breath and stepped closer to the gate. His hand rose, ready to touch it…
But before he could—
BOOM!
A powerful tremor shook the ground beneath them.
From behind the mist, a giant shadow slowly emerged.
Kain's eyes widened as he saw a three-meter-tall creature, clad in black armor, with a pair of horns curling on its head.
DING!
[Tomb Guard: Eternal Knight]
[Threat Level: Unknown]
The knight raised his giant sword, his glowing red eyes staring coldly at them.
Kain felt his blood run cold.
"G-Gods… we might have a big problem."
Lazu just sighed and stretched his body. "Don't worry. I expected this."
He turned to Kain and grinned.
"Now, let's see… can you get out of this without fighting?"