Episode 6
No matter how much he thought about it, it was an absurd situation.
‘Did he hit it on the first try…?’
Ethan stared blankly at the door that had swung open so effortlessly.
Though he had been careful with his words for Allen, the ruins he described as Kabuans style were notoriously called ‘the graveyard of archaeologists’.
A mechanism where, from a massive wall seemingly covered only in bizarre patterns, one must find a hidden button to open it.
If that were all, it would be a form commonly seen in other ruins, but the cruelty of the Kabuans didn’t end there.
Naturally, there were more than five hidden buttons.
Except for a single correct button, the others were filled with all sorts of traps.
Furthermore, they were organically connected, so one wrong choice meant you could never find the correct answer again.
Therefore, with sufficient analysis, one could inevitably find the right answer, but…
That required not only immense background knowledge but also mathematical calculation and a genius intuition.
Some even thought this was the final trap intended by the Kabuans, given the high level of difficulty.
In fact, the ruins where clumsy archaeologists or tomb raiders die most often are all Kabuans style, so for an archaeologist, nothing could be more burdensome.
And Allen had accomplished that difficult task.
Unless one was an archaeologist of Ethan’s caliber,
Generally, even discovering the buttons would be a struggle, but…
An eye that discovered the hidden button on the first try, and the intuition to find and press the correct one among them.
‘Did he just press it randomly? But he seemed so sure of himself for that…’
Whether it was a beginner’s luck or reckless courage born of ignorance, it was a spectacle too strange to simply overlook.
And didn’t he claim to have lost his memory?
He had even confirmed that fact while explaining common knowledge on the way here…
‘Just who is he?’
The more he knew, the more curious he became.
The overwhelming martial prowess he showed when they first met was one thing…
To Ethan, Allen was clearly a peculiar individual.
‘Should I tell my comrades?’
To the extent that he wondered if he should inform his true ‘comrades’ about this.
‘No, not yet…’
After a moment’s thought, Ethan shook his head.
While the side Allen showed was certainly unusual, for now, it was just a case of luck piled upon luck.
It meant it was still time to observe.
Hiding his uneasy feelings, Ethan moved deeper into the ruins.
Black Desert was far from being a player-friendly game.
Hidden stories you couldn’t know unless you dug into every detail yourself.
Phrases written seemingly without meaning could become crucial quest clues.
And puzzles appearing without context often consumed time as they offered no hints whatsoever.
If you looked at it positively, it meant the game had high freedom, but if you were curious, you had no choice but to bump into things and find out one by one.
Perhaps because of that.
The moment he saw the massive stone wall blocking the passage, he remembered.
The unfamiliar patterns on the wall that just looked bizarre.
That was because it was a puzzle he had encountered countless times while playing the game.
‘I got hooked on this one and stuck with it for a while back then.’
At the time, he had solved every single puzzle in the game, regardless of type or difficulty.
So much so that he could probably solve them with his eyes closed.
So his body moved unconsciously.
“How on earth did you do that?”
“I just had a feeling.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
From Ethan, who was just blinking blankly, a bewildered question followed.
Perhaps because it was still early in the main story in terms of the setting, the reaction felt fresh.
Honestly, compared to the ruin puzzles you face in the later parts of the main story, this was cute.
“Well, that’s good. It could have taken a long time.”
“Huh? Ah, ah. Yes. That’s fortunate.”
When he glossed over it, Ethan made an uncomfortable expression, as if not fully convinced.
But even if he harbored doubts, nothing would change.
At most, he’d probably just chalk it up to someone being lucky.
And it wasn’t exactly a wrong explanation.
The moment he saw the wall, the answer simply appeared to his eyes, and he naturally pressed it.
“Well… done. However, you must be careful next time. You were lucky just now, but Kabuans ruins cannot be overcome by luck alone. Even if it takes a little longer, please move safely.”
Well, I’m truly sorry to say, but I had no intention of taking it easy as Ethan suggested.
On the contrary, I planned to move even faster.
If the explanation I heard earlier was correct, there was no time to just sit still.
“I’ll take the lead again. The area ahead is unknown, so please keep your distance and follow slowly.”
To survive the impending ruin.
I needed to grow stronger, even by a single day.
And one thing I was grateful for…
At the end of these ruins, what I needed was also waiting for me.
“Oh my, perhaps because it’s a newly discovered ruin, there are many traps. This pattern is a typical trap to waste intruders’ time. If you wait a moment…”
-Click!
Just like that.
Every time a ruin trap was discovered, I opened the way without hesitation.
“W-Wait a moment, my benefactor! Please don’t touch this trap! This is a semi-automatic type triggered with a time delay…”
-Clunk!
Downwards.
“P-Please stop! Even if you could guess the others by luck, this one requires solving the code written around it…”
-Clack!
Downwards again.
“Sigh… Alright. I don’t know how you did it, but well done. However, you won’t be able to do this one. This requires entering a 10-digit number that only comes from decrypting a random number…”
-Tatatadak!
“No way…”
After dismantling every visible trap, Ethan muttered with an expression of disbelief.
“What in the world is this… At this rate, you wouldn’t have needed my help…”
“No, without you, Ethan, I wouldn’t have come this far. I don’t know the way well.”
“You… Just who are you?”
When I shrugged my shoulders as if I didn’t remember, Ethan, who had been looking at me with a suspicious gaze for a moment, continued.
“Setting that aside… Judging by the structure of the ruins, this seems to be the final floor.”
It seemed his professionalism overcame his doubts.
“Ruins with this many traps are rare, so it seems this place was meant to imprison something…”
The structure of the ruin wasn’t much different from other floors.
A stone chamber with walls covered in chaotic patterns and tall pillars lined up in rows.
At the end of that path, a massive stone wall blocked the way.
“I wonder what sleeps here. Originally, once we reach this point, we should call for escort forces, but…”
Ethan subtly checked my reaction.
It was probably silent pressure telling me not to touch this.
“You don’t seem to have that intention.”
-Click.
I nodded and, without hesitation, opened the final gate.
“Wow… This is…”
The moment the door opened, an emerald glow poured out.
Ethan, having confirmed the ruin’s final chamber, let out an admiring sigh.
“It was worth breaking through all those traps…”
“Is it impressive?”
“Of course! This structure is the legacy of the ancient people called the Prophets. Its archaeological value is immense…”
As if he had completely forgotten about Jaerett’s request to find the Black Stone, Ethan explained the ruin’s greatness.
“And the stronger the traces of the ancients, the more substantial the Black Stone deposits usually are.”
Without stopping his explanation, Ethan moved to the very center of the chamber.
And then.
“Look at this. This is the Black Stone. Its size is enormous.”
A square-shaped stone, occupying the very center of the chamber and emanating a sinister aura.
The object Ethan called the Black Stone was, for some reason, floating in mid-air without any support.
“Perhaps because so much time has passed, it’s in a relatively stable state despite its size. We could probably process and use it right away.”
Perhaps because he was excited by the new discovery.
Or because he had accomplished the request so easily.
In an extremely elated voice, Ethan placed his hand on the Black Stone with a thump and gestured for me to come.
“With this, even that fussy Jaerett will be satisfied. Come and take a look.”
“Isn’t it a dangerous object that shouldn’t be touched carelessly?”
“Generally, yes. But in a state this stable, it should be fine.”
At his words, I reluctantly approached the Black Stone.
The closer I got, the more intense the dark aura emanating from it became.
As Ethan and Diken explained, the Black Stone was a crucial tool, the root cause of conflicts erupting all over the continent.
An unknown object whose true nature wasn’t revealed until the very end of the story.
But I knew the hidden purpose of this Black Stone.
“Uh… Huh?”
Just as I placed my hand on the Black Stone.
Along with Ethan’s startled voice, an aura began to emanate thickly from the Black Stone.
A black mist pouring out from around the stone.
“Th-This is bad! It’s suddenly become unstable! Allen, run!”
Ignoring Ethan’s urgent cry, I surrendered myself to the mist.
As complete darkness enveloped my body, silence followed.
Even with my eyes open, all I could see was an impenetrable darkness not even an inch ahead.
But that too was brief.
-We meet again so soon?
Something undulated in the darkness and spoke.
It looked even blacker, as if it had absorbed the surrounding darkness.
Perhaps because of that, its form was distinctly visible in this space.
“Black Spirit.”
The red eyes I had met when I first awoke in this world met mine once more.
-This place feels comfortable… It’s as if my strength is returning.
As if it had grown by absorbing its surroundings, the being floating around was even larger than before.
-Has the promise come back to you now?
It was still spouting incomprehensible things, but I nodded along to the Black Spirit’s rhythm.
During our first meeting, it had only shown its face and disappeared, but the Black Spirit was an indispensable existence in this world.
An entity that grants its contractor immense power through mysterious abilities.
And in return, it is said to always take its price.
Its presence was that of a major hidden force even in the late stages of the story, as ruin approached.
Simultaneously, it also held the unique position of being the protagonist’s ally.
Even in the game, its identity remained shrouded in mystery until the end, filled only with hints, so even I didn’t know exactly what it was.
But the Black Spirit and I were inseparable.
‘For now, just facing the Black Spirit makes me stronger.’
In the game, it not only boosted stats but also gave items and provided important story information.
If this world was the same as the game, it would surely be of some help.
Holding such expectations, I was waiting for the Black Spirit to finish speaking when…
-Hmm… No, that’s not it.
After floating around for a while, about to say something, the Black Spirit narrowed its red eyes and glared at me.
A reaction not in my memory.
-You…
And then the words that followed…
-You came from another world, didn’t you?
Were beyond my expectations.
