The room felt increasingly cramped. The whispers grew sharper, piercing straight into his mind.
"Will you accept the truth… even if it destroys everything you believe in?"
Kain stared at the robed man before him. His eyes remained closed, but his aura felt oppressive—as if ready to swallow him at any moment if he gave the wrong answer.
Lazu remained silent, leaving Kain to face this test alone.
If he answered 'no', would that mean he was a coward?
If he answered 'yes', was he truly ready to face the consequences?
His mind spun, trying to find a loophole in this question. What was meant by truth?
Then, Kain remembered something.
When he entered this world, he had always felt like a pawn. Like someone who was just going along with the flow without truly understanding why he was here.
He didn't know if he was just a part of the gods' game or if there was a greater purpose.
But… whatever it was, he wanted to know.
Kain clenched his fists. He looked at the cloaked man and said in a firm voice:
"Yes. I will accept the truth, no matter what it is."
DING!
[Answer Accepted]
The cloaked man smiled faintly. The room that had been filled with tension suddenly became quiet.
"You have answered well."
Purple light gathered around Kain, then formed a magic symbol that floated in front of his chest.
DING!
[Trial of Truth Reward: Clairvoyant Eye (Lv.1)]
[Description: The ability to see hidden information and detect lies.]
Kain's eyes widened. A new ability?!
Lazu finally spoke. "Oh? That's quite an interesting reward."
Kain looked at his hand. He felt something different—as if his senses had become sharper.
The cloaked man slowly disappeared, his voice echoing in the air.
"Hopefully you won't regret your answer in the future."
After that, purple light enveloped Kain and Lazu. In an instant, they were teleported to another place.
Once the light disappeared, they were in a new room—a large hall with black stone pillars.
At the end of the hall, there was an ancient chest… and on it, was written the name of one of the Demon King's followers.
Kain swallowed. What would they find here?
Kain stared at the ancient chest in front of him. Its name was written in an ancient language, but thanks to his newly acquired Clairvoyant Eyes, he could read the writing.
[The Sealed Witch's Legacy Chest – Veyron, the Keeper of Secrets]
Lazu crossed her arms and stared at the chest with sparkling eyes. "Hmm… Veyron, huh? Quite a famous name in the olden era."
Kain turned her head. "Who is he?"
Lazu smiled faintly. "A witch who knows too much. She is the most dangerous follower of the Demon King not because of her power, but because of her information."
Kain swallowed. A witch who knows the secrets of the world? What would she leave behind in this chest?
Cautiously, Kain grabbed the lid of the chest and pulled it upwards. A creaking sound was heard, and the chest slowly opened.
Inside, there was an old book with a black cover decorated with magical symbols. A mysterious aura emanated from the book, as if it had its own consciousness.
DING!
[You have found: Veyron's Secret Book]
[Description: A book containing hidden knowledge. Some things in it should not be known to ordinary people.]
Kain felt his heart beat faster. "This book… does it contain high-level magic?"
Lazu shook his head. "More than that. This is a book containing truths hidden from the world."
Kain swallowed. His hands trembled as he opened the first page. As soon as he read the first line, his head immediately felt like it was spinning.
Strange images, symbols that moved on their own, and words that felt like they were speaking directly to his mind.
He quickly closed the book and gasped. "What is this…?"
Lazu chuckled. "You have only glimpsed a small part of the world's secrets. If you are not strong enough, reading any further will only destroy your sanity."
Kain stared at the book warily. This was more than just an ordinary magic book.
But before he could think any further—
DINDINDINDIN!
The sound of an alarm echoed throughout the room.
Lazu narrowed his eyes. "It seems we're not alone."
From the shadows in the corners of the room, figures began to emerge. Several cloaked beings with hidden faces… and glowing red eyes.
The Tomb Guardians have arrived.