The space that formed in the chest of the giant golem.
Jun, having arrived in front of it, spoke in a low voice.
“I can feel the presence of a spirit inside.”
“A spirit, you say?”
“Yeah.”
Normally, spirits are believed to love nature and occasionally form contracts with humans who have a strong affinity for nature… at least, that’s how the setting usually goes.
But this world was a little different.
Most spirits here didn’t just refuse contracts. They couldn’t even communicate, and even if they could, they were extremely hostile toward humans.
That was the reason why there was no such class as “spirit summoner” in this world.
However, on very rare occasions, some spirits did form contracts with humans.
A prime example of that was the ring Jun wore on his finger, “Illusia”.
“But the one inside there is a bit different from normal spirits.”
“Different… how?”
“I can’t say for certain, but… I don’t sense the typical monster energy from it.”
It wasn’t the kind of energy unique to monsters that are unconditionally hostile toward humans.
Maybe, just like the vengeful spirits had regained their will…
This spirit seemed to have something similar going on.
“I don’t know how you’re able to communicate with those ancient elves, but I’m guessing it’ll be similar inside. Just go in and meet the spirit first.”
“Ah… understood.”
At any rate, it seemed certain that neither the wraiths nor the golem had any intention of attacking them.
And somehow… I sensed desperation, too.
Aiden recalled the wraith who had led them here.
Then, he stepped into the space the golem had created.
In that instant, the scenery around him changed.
***
A forest.
But it didn’t seem like any ordinary forest.
Though he had seen many forests in his life, never before had he encountered one with such refreshingly crisp air.
And yet, strangely enough—
Despite being in such an unfamiliar place, Aiden felt an odd sense of familiarity, as if it were his homeland.
“Mmm…”
Aiden looked at the spirit he was about to meet.
It was wind.
But not just any ordinary wind.
It was tranquil, as if it carried life itself. Yet, upon closer look, there was something wild and fierce within.
Almost without thinking, Aiden reached out to what he assumed was the spirit.
The wind coiled around his hand, then enveloped his entire body.
Before long…
“Ah!”
A strange sensation, as if something unknown were seeping into every fiber of his being.
It was as though a living presence had entrusted itself to him; the wind that settled naturally within him seemed to sigh in relief, then sink into a deep slumber.
“The wind spirit…”
It had taken residence within Aiden’s body.
The moment he realized this, the space around him began to collapse.
***
The next time Aiden opened his eyes was the following morning.
“You’re awake?”
Jun was looking down at him from his bedside.
“Senior?”
“How’s your body?”
“Uh… I feel refreshed.”
“Of course you do. You’ve formed a contract with the wind spirit.”
“The wind spirit… Ah!”
Only then did Aiden recall what had happened, and he quickly sat up.
He looked around, scanning the area repeatedly.
“What happened to the golem and the wraiths?”
“The wraiths said their wishes had been fulfilled, so they all vanished. As for the golem… look over there.”
Where Jun pointed stood the toppled form of the golem, as if a massive mountain had crumbled in on itself.
“What exactly happened?”
“I don’t know every detail, but from what I could gather…”
The bluish orb that Jun and the others had discovered in the ruins—
It had been none other than the egg of a spirit.
Though “egg” wasn’t entirely accurate. It would be more correct to call it a spirit’s sealing sphere.
“The wind spirit was sealed inside it. I don’t know how they managed to make such a thing, though.”
“A sealed spirit…?”
“It’s an extremely rare phenomenon. Even within Blackout, it didn’t turn into a monster…it retained its own will.”
Jun’s own “Illusia” was similar, though in that case, it wasn’t in an egg but sealed within this ring.
“But… I can’t really sense any power from it right now.”
“It’s in a deep sleep. Almost like it’s in a growth phase. It’s going to take quite a while before it wakes up.”
So… was it useless for now?
No.
It had only been a short time, but from Aiden’s gestures and movements, Jun could tell he had become far more relaxed than before.
The brief experience of merging with the wind spirit was, in subtle ways, accelerating Aiden’s growth.
And not only that—
He’ll probably be more receptive to my enhancement-type magic, too.
It would take time for him to adapt, but that alone was significant progress.
Man… the protagonist in a game always manages to stumble into lucky encounters, huh.
The sudden appearance of the golem had thrown them into danger.
But contrary to expectations, things had ended rather anticlimactically, and Aiden had gained an unexpected stroke of fortune.
So, whatever it was, the sudden crisis ended up turning into an opportunity.
Just the fact that they didn’t have to fight the golem was fortunate enough.
Jun let out a breath of relief.
After resting for a while, the group once again began their journey across the desert sands.
Their steps felt a little lighter than before as they made their way toward the ancient tower that had begun to appear in the distance.
***
An ancient tower, standing alone in the middle of the desert.
They opened the entrance, half-buried in sand, and began stepping inside one by one.
“Senior, what kind of place is this?”
At Aiden’s question, Jun took a moment to steady his breathing and looked around.
His first impression was…white.
The whole world was white to the point that even the outlines of objects were indistinguishable.
It was such a blank, empty space that even a pristine white canvas might not seem this bare.
“In short, it’s a sort of waiting room. Once you pass through that door, you’ll go up to the next floor.”
In the direction Jun pointed stood a black door.
Its shape was almost…
“It looks just like the gate you see when crossing between levels.”
“Exactly.”
Most likely, it had been built using a similar principle.
“But first, there’s something we need to do.”
“What is it?”
“…Rest.”
At those words, the group simply nodded without a word.
After the desert field, the ruins, the golem, and the wraiths—
They were exhausted, both physically and mentally. Ancient tower or not, all they wanted right now was to lie down and rest their weary bodies.
***
In the stillness after everyone had fallen asleep,
Jun, the only one awake, looked over his companions and gave a wry smile.
They must have been really tired.
It was only natural.
The fifth level had been that grueling for them.
But the hardships had been worth it.
Jun quietly opened his dimensional bracelet and took out two items from within.
One was a root of the World Tree, and the other was a leaf of the World Tree. It was the very leaf he had worked so hard to obtain.
It had been given to him by Mentrus before he left. Jun layered the two items together and imbued them with magic.
A soft green light began to glow. The light radiated an overwhelming sense of life, and Jun found himself momentarily captivated.
Then he turned to look behind him.
“Mmm…”
“……”
“Snooore…”
His sleeping companions had fallen into an even deeper, more peaceful slumber.
With this, the first line of defense against that thing is in place.
He looked down at the completed item.
It was the Essence of the World Tree. Something that would one day save their lives.
***
Two days.
That’s how long it took for the group to fully recover.
“I still feel sluggish…”
The last to wake, Maya, let out a long yawn and sprawled out on the floor like a cat.
“We pushed ourselves way too hard, then passed out like corpses. No way we’d be fine right away. Still, time to get up. Let’s eat.”
“Ugh…”
She expressed her reluctance with her whole body, but the aroma drifting to her nose was far too enticing to resist.
And so, after everyone had finished their meal—
“Phew. I feel alive again.”
“Haha… Yeah, me too.”
“This is the good life. Man.”
With Eleanor finishing the last of her food, the group began looking around again.
“By the way, this is the waiting room, right?”
“That’s right. While we’re in here, there’s no danger.”
“Well, that’s convenient. So once we go up, it’s back to fighting for our lives again? No break at all?”
“Not exactly.”
The Ancient Tower provided rest areas like this one after each trial was cleared.
And among them, there were some… special places.
“Special places?”
“It’s better if you see it for yourself. But before that, there’s something I need to explain.”
With that, Jun pulled out the Essence of the World Tree and showed it to the group.
“Huh… That feels oddly familiar, Senior.”
“Yeah. Looks like your ancient elf blood is reacting to it.”
“Haha… It’s still a little weird, to be honest.”
Aiden was still getting used to the idea that ancient elf blood ran through his veins.
“This is, in a sense, a type of communication device.”
“Communication device?”
Eleanor’s interest was piqued.
“If you’re explaining it to us this thoroughly, I’m guessing it’s not just an ordinary communication device.”
“Correct. It was made using ancient elf technology.”
“A blade that links souls, perhaps?”
Maya who was always sensitive to such things had guessed right.
“The energy of the World Tree contained inside will connect with us. Though, at a glance, it might not seem all that impressive… the biggest advantage of the World Tree’s essence is that it allows communication without any distance limitations.”
That was a major breakthrough.
In Blackout, information exchange was never easy to begin with.
This was because in Blackout, each level field wasn’t separated by physical distance, but by space itself.
Which meant that running an information network in Blackout required both a large number of people and a high level of skill.
But with this, none of that was necessary.
“Wow, I mean, that sounds amazing and all. But it’s not like we’re often far apart from each other, right?”
“Think about it. I said there are no limitations. Doesn’t that make you think of something?”
“…Ah! The Old Crone?”
“Exactly.”
In the past, Jun had once been trapped in a spell realm created by the Old Crone during a battle.
Inside it, there was no way to communicate with the outside world, and escaping required relying entirely on one’s own strength.
The World Tree’s essence was an artifact that allowed communication even in such an isolated environment.
“In the upper levels, it’s not uncommon to encounter situations similar to the ones caused by the Old Crone’s spells.”
“That’s true…”
“Now that you explain it, this thing really does sound amazing.”
Aiden and Eleanor quickly recognized its effect, but Maya remained silent.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong, Maya?”
“How does this thing actually work?”
Unusually, Maya showed some interest in the topic. Jun’s eyes lit up in response.
It might even lead Maya to a small breakthrough related to her own abilities.
However—
“Sorry, but I don’t think I can fully explain it just yet. I haven’t completely figured out how it works myself.”
Eleanor still lacked a solid understanding of this area, so ideally, they’d need to get advice from Shylock or Marshar.
“Understood. You can tell me later.”
“Anytime you want.”
With preparations complete, the group turned once more toward the door leading to the next floor.
“Alright, shall we get going? Let’s see how far we can make it from here.”
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