Chapter 05 …
“Ugh…!”
When you’re too shocked, you can’t even scream. I experienced that for the second time.
I fell, like Alice in Wonderland.
Maybe half a second?
It was only the height of a grown man—like dropping off a small cliff.
Of course, humans can drown in a spoonful of water, so if I landed wrong, my spine would’ve shattered.
Thankfully, I landed on both feet.
“Damn, that scared me…”
I’d half-forgotten that stepping on this stair would make me fall.
Gamers are the kind who’ll use a cliff as a shortcut as long as it’s not a fall-to-death.
Except for the faint light from where I fell, everything was pitch-black.
I couldn’t see a thing.
I touched the wall of the ancient ruin.
Cold, damp, and slimy.
While patting along the wall, my hand hit something that stuck out.
Found it. A magic switch.
Thank god—it’s just like the game.
When I pressed the stone button, a soft light lit up from the ceiling.
Unlike in the game, the eerie air brushed against my skin, and the stuffy underground smell filled my nose.
It finally felt real.
Definitely different from controlling a character on the other side of the screen.
‘There’s no way my imagination is this vivid.’
Yes—this is reality.
‘If I die here… will I return to my original world, or will I just die here?’
The only place with answers was the system, so I had to gather believers and holy relics to get information.
No—at the end, in that last cutscene, the demon king definitely said something.
‘If I meet the demon king, I should be able to get some info. The system will give me some, but I need my own source, too.’
But with stats this pathetic, if I meet the demon king, I’ll be killed in less than a second.
With that personality, there’s no way he’d let a suspicious human live.
Honestly, I’d probably die on the way there.
The demon king is at the center of the Demonic Territory.
Getting there is a nightmare in itself.
‘I need to raise my stats. And get useful items…’
While thinking, a long hallway appeared.
Along the corridor, there were stones shaped like lifelike humans scattered around irregularly.
At the end stood a large statue with a strange design.
It had bat-wing membranes and long deer-like fangs, covered in moss and grime.
In contrast, the necklace hanging on its neck was clean—no rust at all.
The statue recognized me and clattered, speaking in a deep voice that echoed like a cave.
“When the world is full of light, where does darkness go?”
Just answer three questions.
From my perspective, it wasn’t even nerve-wracking—it was easy.
I was the one who posted this hidden quest on the game forum, after all.
“Darkness hides behind the places where light falls. It never disappears.”
The necklace around its neck glowed briefly.
The statue’s mouth clattered again—its mouth and voice weren’t synced, making it creepy.
“Under the sun, all things breathe. Nothing can exist without light. Are those words true?”
“They are not true.”
The necklace glowed again.
“Do those who are forgotten disappear as they are?”
“They will be resurrected, remembered, and called forth.”
The necklace glowed again.
Now, it was time for the reward. I waited for the statue to say the scripted line.
But it didn’t.
Red light flickered in its eyes—stone eyes that should not have life.
“Do you… remember the legend?”
Wasn’t it three questions?
If I answer wrong, it’s over.
I’ll turn to stone.
Even priests with high curse-resistance can’t stop this curse.
“…”
Something that felt harmless in the game felt horrifying in reality.
Did I do this event? Did I not?
Or is there another third answer?
Think. What was the lore?
The game’s name itself is Forgotten Legends.
And if I put together what I learned from the three questions, then this statue is definitely…
The statue’s teeth clicked loudly.
If you hesitate too long, this gimmick triggers.
If you can’t answer, you die.
If you answer wrong, you die.
Think.
If you don’t want to die, think!
Forgotten legends. Three questions. Ancient ruins. The final cutscene… and…
I swallowed dryly and answered.
“Yes, I remember.”
“Whom do you remember?”
The voice bounced off the cave walls. The statue clattered louder.
Whom do I remember?
“I remember the nameless legends.”
The violent red in the statue’s eyes slowly faded.
“Remember… forever… and then… the legends shall…”
Its head lowered—its long reptilian neck stretching forward, dangling the glowing necklace near my hand.
So it was satisfied?
I let out a shaky breath.
“…Haah.”
I thought I was going to die on day one of my possession.
Carefully, I took the necklace from the statue.
At least I got this one easily.
Other relics will be hard to get at my current strength.
At that moment, a blue window popped up in front of me.
[You have retrieved a holy relic!]
[Holy relics retrieved: 1/9]
[Time limit to retrieve next relic: 26 days]
[Selecting sub-quest reward…]
[Reward loading time: 00:59]
I have to wait even for the reward?
What a garbage game system… And I actually thought this was a god-tier game.
“Maybe there’s an Easter egg.”
I rummaged through the ruins.
I inspected the now-inactive statue, checked between the walls for a hidden mechanism.
At one point I bumped into a petrified person and—dropped their hand, breaking it.
That one’s going to the grave with me.
“Oh.”
I looted coins—minted ages ago by the look of it.
Not sure if usable, but worst case, I can melt them.
They’re gold coins, so they’ll have value.
I also found some jewels and fancy-looking ornaments and packed them into my bag.
Initial funds secured! Hell yeah!
After about two hours of searching, judging by the penalty timer, I found no Easter eggs.
Come on—it’s an ancient ruin. Would giving a little more hurt?
You die instantly if you answer even one question wrong.
Could’ve given me a sword or an item.
So stingy.
Grumbling internally, I left the ruins.
And I remembered to pick up the sword I left behind.
It was dark dawn when I went in, but by the time I came out, it was full morning.
Breathing fresh forest air instead of dusty underground air made life feel sweet.
There was no illusion barrier going out—just walk.
While walking, the penalty timer ran out, and I coughed up a bit of blood.
Just as expected, a little more than before.
‘Can a person cough up blood every three hours without any health problems…?’
This body is mine for the foreseeable future.
It’d be a pain if I started getting complications or stomach ulcers.
I finally have a body with working legs and joints—if the system’s penalty ruins it, I’ll be pissed.
“Brother.”
“M-master, are you alright?”
I coughed blood on the way, so he must’ve worried.
“No problem. Your child was sick, correct?”
“Y-yes. We live nearby, so we’ll arrive soon.”
“Then let us hurry. We cannot leave a child in hell any longer.”
Truthfully, if we delayed, I might die of anemia.
Not the child—me.
But the coachman got emotional, eyes welling up.
I have no skill comforting crying people.
Actually, I have no skill talking to people at all…!
I pretended not to notice and climbed into the carriage.
The coachman quickly started driving again.
- I placed my hand on the child’s forehead.
Golden light and dust-like particles burst between my fingers.
‘That’s a flashy effect.’
At that moment, the pale child’s eyelids fluttered.
“Dad…?”
The child’s voice was raspy, calling for her father.
I almost laughed.
Now, just touching someone lets me erase all unholy things.
Like germs.
If it were external injuries, this wouldn’t help.
Luckily, the girl was bedridden from illness.
I wonder how cancer counts?
Since this is a fantasy world, maybe it just gets classified as “bad stuff” and gets purified.
“It… it’s a miracle… A miracle! Thank you! Thank you, Master!”
The coachman sobbed and grabbed my shirt.
Impressive fatherly love.
If I had a family like that, I wouldn’t have ended up in an orphanage, right?
“It was my duty.”
[Number of believers: 1]
[system: If the number of believers remains ‘1’ after 6 hours, gradual bodily collapse will begin.]
I got a believer.
Fanfares rang in my ears and another blue window appeared.
[Skill tree unlocked!]
[Believer bonus: +3 Points]
Skill tree?
“What a noble statement… Is there anything you desire in return?”
I’ll check the skill tree later.
As for something I want…
“Saving someone from hell cannot demand payment.”
The coachman looked absolutely overwhelmed with emotion.
The child, half leaning in her father’s arms, looked up at me.
Her cheeks were sunken when they should’ve been plump.
Her wrists—her arms—were so thin they hardly seemed human.
To heal her dise…
