The desert was never meant for running.
With every step, your feet sank deep into the sand, draining more strength than necessary, while the blazing sunlight from above was practically a field hazard in itself.
And yet, the party’s pace didn’t falter.
It was partly thanks to their improved environmental adaptation after reaching the fifth level, but even more due to the support from Jun and Eleanor.
“How far… is it now?”
Two days had passed since they began fleeing from the giant golem.
Thankfully, they had managed to escape without a single monster encounter during that time.
However, Aiden’s condition was still far from good.
No—
In fact, his complexion had grown worse by the day, though fortunately it wasn’t bad enough yet to hinder his movements.
The real problem began that evening.
“Urgh…?!”
“Aiden?!”
One moment he was walking just fine, and the next, Aiden collapsed to his knees.
Eleanor rushed to him in alarm, and even Maya could sense the disturbance.
“His soul is shaking!”
“What in the world…”
Amid the sudden turn of events, Jun forced himself to stay calm and scanned their surroundings.
The only thing visible was the giant golem in the distance with its gaze fixed in their direction through the dark.
Jun’s brow twitched.
“What the hell… is that thing doing?”
A strange magic began emanating from the golem—
A type of mana he had never seen before, radiating outward like ultrasonic waves around it.
It wasn’t [Destruction] range yet.
[Destruction] was the golem’s long-range attack pattern, in which energy gathered in the jewel at its center before firing as a concentrated beam.
Given that nature, what it was doing now was spreading its magic and it had nothing to do with that attack.
Whatever it was, it was definitely affecting Aiden.
“Damn it…”
Biting his lip, Jun waited a few minutes for Eleanor’s diagnosis.
“What exactly is going on?”
“Phew… Luckily, it’s nothing fatal. I don’t know why, but since earlier, Aiden’s soul has been severely shaken by something.”
“So it is that thing after all.”
This disturbance had begun ever since the giant golem appeared.
This confirmed beyond a doubt that the golem was affecting Aiden.
This never happened in the game…
Was this change caused by him?
Or was it simply a part of the game’s story that “Lee Jeong-jun” had never known?
Either way, it’s not information that helps us right now.
The surest solution was still to completely separate Aiden from the golem.
They needed to reach the Tower of Ancients as quickly as possible.
But the heavens, as always, were merciless.
The desert offered no help to weary travelers.
“Damn it. This sandstorm’s getting bad.”
“Think it’s going to last a while?”
Eleanor, with her eyes covered by a black blindfold, gazed into the air and nodded.
“Yeah. And judging from the mana flow within it, I doubt it’s just a natural storm.”
Jun also read the surrounding mana and agreed with her assessment.
“The golem’s definitely involved. Tch… so it can control sandstorms too?”
“The problem is, I don’t think it’s just trying to make a sandstorm.”
Aiden’s condition aside, even Eleanor who had only recently begun learning magic could tell this storm was unnatural.
Another pattern I’ve never seen in the game…
Jun spoke up.
“The mana itself is forming a kind of melody.”
“A melody?”
“Yeah. It’s more of a metaphor, but… the waves formed when the mana collides are spreading far across the desert.”
“Now that you mention it, I can see it… Wait, Jun—who did you say made that damned hunk of scrap?”
“Ancient elves.”
“And one of the lovely monsters you can find in this desert is?”
“…Ancient elf wraiths.”
“Then I think we both know what that hunk of scrap is broadcasting without even needing to translate it.”
“Something like… ‘There are intruders here. Come kill them’.”
In the game, one of the few dangers when the giant golem awoke had been the ancient elf wraiths.
Back then, though, the golem didn’t summon them directly….running into them was more a matter of chance.
“Either way, this is the worst-case scenario…”
Eleanor muttered from inside the makeshift underground shelter Jun had hastily dug.
And before long, her words became reality.
***
When the sandstorm that had been holding them in place finally subsided, dawn had just begun to break.
When the group emerged from the tunnel they had dug, the sight that greeted them was a sky black with night, crammed full of wraiths.
There were so many that counting them was unthinkable.
And the problem didn’t end there.
“Huff… huff…”
Aiden’s condition was growing steadily worse.
Even Eleanor’s divine power could do nothing in this stifling situation.
Jun stopped Aiden, who was trying to stand and draw his sword, and let out a deep sigh.
“My life never seems to take the easy road, no matter where I go.”
How on earth had such a massive number of wraiths gathered in just one night?
Jun was reminded that knowledge from the game was far from being the ultimate truth of this world, and he was about to activate his circle when—
– Welcome.
One of the countless wraiths that filled the desert spoke.
Jun’s eyes widened.
“What did you say?”
– Our long lost kin have come to us.
“What…?”
Unlike any of the wraiths they had seen before, the one before them knelt respectfully.
Jun and the others were too taken aback to do anything.
The wraith continued speaking.
– I understand your confusion. But there is little time left.
Its gaze turned toward Aiden, who still hadn’t fully regained consciousness.
– We do not have long before our will can no longer stand against this world. Please hurry.
As if to tell them to follow, the massive army of desert wraiths parted, opening a path.
Their demeanor was as formal and deferential as if they were escorting a king.
Should we trust them?
Jun wanted to clarify the situation through a proper exchange, but unlike them, he had no way to convey his thoughts.
Then…
“Can you guarantee that you won’t be a threat to us?”
It was Aiden, still weak, who spoke.
Before Jun could translate, he realized Aiden understood the wraiths’ words.
Startled, Jun looked at him.
– If you command us to die here, we will obey.
“…That won’t be necessary. Instead, leave only the minimum number needed to guide us.”
– As you wish.
When the wraith waved its hand, the countless figures behind it scattered and vanished like a handful of sand slipping away.
“…Did they all die?”
– No, our kin They simply returned to where they came from. We were all summoned here briefly at the call of that guardian deity.
At that moment, Eleanor who had been listening to their conversation cautiously approached Jun.
“What exactly is going on right now?”
“I’m not sure why, but they’re treating Aiden like some kind of king.”
“…What kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?”
“It’s Blackout.”
“……”
Eleanor wanted to snap back at him, but the statement was so obvious that she closed her mouth without thinking.
That was right.
This was Blackout—
A land where it was nearly impossible for humans to predict what might happen.
***
In the end, the group decided to follow the ancient wraiths.
– The phenomenon currently afflicting our kin could be described as a state of soul resonance.
“Soul resonance?”
Eleanor, listening from the side, nodded as if she finally understood.
“I think I get why they keep calling you kin. It’s because your soul waves are similar.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I’m guessing one of Aiden’s ancestors inherited the blood of those elves. I’ve never heard of this happening to other imperial members, so it’s probably from your mother’s side.”
Even Jun hadn’t known that.
If such a phenomenon existed, shouldn’t it have happened the first time they encountered the wraiths in this desert?
“Does this have something to do with that giant golem?”
“Probably.”
It was still only speculation, but Jun strongly suspected it had to do with the faintly glowing blue sphere, which was the giant golem’s power source.
When it activated, it may have temporarily restored the desert elves’ minds, allowing them to recognize Aiden.
“I see… but I have no memories of my mother.”
“Really?”
“Yes. All I’ve been told is that when I entered the imperial family, His Majesty the Emperor brought me in while I was in a basket.”
In other words, aside from the emperor, no one in the imperial family knew who Aiden’s mother was.
Could there be some hidden story I know nothing about?
Anyway—
And so, the direction in which the party followed the wraiths was precisely the direction of the giant golem.
“Why are they leading us to that thing?”
When Jun voiced the question to Aiden, he relayed it to the wraith, which immediately replied.
– It is so that our kin may inherit our spirit. It is contained within the guardian deity.
What exactly was this “it” that warranted such effort?
“Strange. Now that I look closely, they’re not monsters.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hmm… It’s hard to put into words. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”
Eleanor who possessed the [Mind’s Eye] seemed to sense something invisible to the others.
Then Maya, who was beside her, spoke up.
“Threads appeared.”
“Threads? You’re right. Now that I focus, I can see them. Are those threads serving in place of their souls?”
According to Eleanor and Maya, the wraiths were currently connected by invisible threads.
It was those threads, not their nature as monsters, that were guiding their actions of their own will.
Jun nodded, as if something about this was nagging at him.
He had seen a similar phenomenon several times in the latter part of the game.
So the game’s story has been unfolding all along… but to think it was connected to the ancient elves and Aiden.
With a clue of this magnitude, it would have caused a stir not only in-game but also in the community.
Yet, the fact that it had apparently never come to light suggested that even most players had no idea.
Come to think of it, Aiden always did have a natural affinity for wind.
Without special training, ordinary people rarely had a high affinity for elemental forces.
And yet, Aiden’s affinity for wind…. could it be because the blood of the ancient elves flowed in him?
When the party finally arrived before the giant golem—
– O guardian deity. The noble kin has come to you. Open the way.
As if in the presence of a king, the giant golem knelt and gently set its hand before Aiden.
As if telling them to climb aboard, the giant golem placed its massive hand upon the sand, and the mechanism in its chest opened, revealing a hidden space within.
“Is that where we’re supposed to go?”
– Yes, kin.
“What are we to do once we’re inside?”
– Once you enter, it will greet you.
Having come this far, there was no turning back now.
Jun focused his mana and peered into the opening within the giant golem’s chest.
“It should be safe for you to go, Aiden.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll take you there.”
Still not fully recovered from the state of soul resonance, Aiden leaned on Jun for support as they climbed the giant golem’s hand.
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