Chapter 180: Oh, Holy Maiden
Exactly three days later. Leviathan landed in its original base area of District 1.
Truly astonishing— it only took three days to travel from Markeuteuriseu to the center of Unterland with its massive size. Looking back now, it was an absurdly incredible feat.
It took me a good month, a little over, to travel on foot with Seop Baek from Mittelrand to Markeuteuriseu. It seems Leviathan moves at roughly subsonic speeds. I’m no expert, so I can’t be more precise.
“Hmm, then another month to get to Gaissus. Two months to settle in and establish a base…”
Practically speaking, the last substantial investigation of information happened only about three months ago, and even then, roughly one month of that time went to other investigations.
To me, it was an important investigation. The target of the investigation was…
“Aldcon and Skaro.”
That’s correct.
Two of the main members of the Veil Test’s Four Brothers.
I spent considerable time trying to locate them somewhere within the Valley of the Dead.
“But there was nothing remarkable found in Gaissus.”
Still, there hasn’t been any meaningful clue. Sometimes, I wonder if they’ve already succumbed to the Black Blood Disease and crossed the Three Paths. But deliberately, I’ve removed that assumption from my mind.
“Perhaps deeper into the Valley of the Dead…”
To kill Zadkiel, I must enter the deepest part of the Valley of the Dead regardless.
There might be a clue found deeper inside. I decided to look at it this way for now.
“Hmm, I kind of get the gist of what you’re trying to say.”
And once again, back to the present. Inside a small container in Gaissus.
I’m exchanging written messages with Yuria, who is holding a large stack of papers.
“Who would’ve thought the paper would be used this way?”
I always carry plenty of pens and paper with me.
Just in case I need to write a will and place it inside the Box of the Dead at any moment. Unexpected alternative uses brought a wry smile to my face.
“The Discernment Eye is a unique skill that only holy maidens can use, which was inherited from… Luna Rueba, your ancestor?”
Upon summarizing it clearly, Yuria nodded gently and meekly.
Still, Luna Rueba— wasn’t that the name written in the description of the Holy Maiden’s Crest? My memory of it seemed hazy, but yes, it must’ve been her.
I took the opportunity to check the Holy Maiden’s Crest.
[Name: Holy Maiden’s Crest]
[Stat boost: On nights with a crescent moon, all abilities are amplified by 1.5 times. During a full moon, boosted by 2 times.]
[Details: A crest blessed by the ancient Holy Maiden, Luna Rueba, holding the moon’s power enhancing combat abilities at night. It carries a bittersweet attachment towards the fallen First Hero.]
[Enhancement Available: 1 time]
Indeed, my memory served me right.
“Do you know what this is?”
Just in case, I tossed the crest to Yuria.
Yuria was caught off guard by the sudden flying object but managed to catch it.
Her eyes widened uncontrollably.
“Umm, ah ah…”
Yuria let out fragmented moans. After carefully brushing her fingertips over the crest, she clutched it tightly to her chest.
“Khh… Uh… Wah…”
Tears streamed down from Yuria’s eyes, drenching the Holy Maiden’s Crest. For a while, she clung to the emblem and cried loudly with a fractured voice.
… I didn’t expect such a strong reaction. She was happier than I anticipated.
“Though this encounter is moving, just so you know, it’s a loan, not a gift.”
I added a crass warning out of fear she might completely take it over.
Unavoidable. It’s an absurdly powerful item that can astonishingly boost night combat skills by 1.5 times. I can’t give it to anyone until my goal is achieved.
“When I reach my goal… I’ll give it to you. Maybe.”
With such an irresponsible verbal agreement, I swiftly snatched the emblem back. Yuria stared at her now-empty hands for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Yuria looked up at me and smiled gently. It was an unexpectedly pure and translucent smile.
[Notification: Condition Met]
[The faith and wishes of a Holy Maiden have been infused into the Crest. Enhancement condition for the item ‘Holy Maiden’s Crest’ has been fulfilled.]
At that moment, a panel appeared before my eyes.
Whoosh! The crest emitted a brilliant light. Both Yuria and I instinctively closed our eyes and waited for the light to subside.
“What, what is this?”
When the light faded, I hurriedly checked the crest for any abnormalities. Externally, there were no significant changes.
I tilted my head, then activated the Eye of Mimir.
[Name: Holy Maiden’s Crest]
[Stat boost: On nights with a crescent moon, all abilities are amplified by 1.5 times. During a full moon, boosted by 2 times. Unique Skill “Discernment Eye” now available.]
[Details: A crest blessed by the ancient Holy Maiden, Luna Rueba, holding the moon’s power enhancing combat abilities at night. The crest now carries an added ability passed down through another Holy Maiden’s wishes.]
[Enhancement Available: 0]
“Discernment… Eye?”
Startled, I jumped up from my seat.
The newly added Holy Maiden’s Crest stat enhancement item. There it was— the exact skill that had been the subject of all our hot discussions.
As I muttered this to myself, the skill window suddenly popped up.
[Skill Info]
[Name: Discernment Eye]
[Effect: Pierces falsehoods and illusions. Cooldown: 24 hours]
[Detail: The power that rejects all falsities, deception, and lies. Destroys illusions, penetrates lies, and banishes the non-existent from the world. The skill level cannot be enhanced.]
The explanation is abstract, so I don’t fully understand what it means, but I confirmed that the controversial “Discernment Eye” skill now resides within the Holy Maiden’s Crest.
“This… if I hadn’t found someone like Yuria Rueba, it would have been a lifetime before the crest would have been enhanced, right?”
It seems the enhancement condition was indeed contacting an entity like Yuria Rueba with the lineage of a Holy Maiden. I let out a wry laugh and clicked my tongue.
“No, maybe not.”
Thinking about it, according to the prophecy of the ancient Holy Maiden, everything I’m doing is unfolding exactly as predicted. Even meeting Yuria shouldn’t be all that surprising.
I don’t want to believe in prophecies or the revealing of divine wills. It feels like I’m playing into fate’s hands.
“Hey, Holy Maiden.”
Anyway, I scratched my head and called out to Yuria. Yuria looked at me with much less guarded eyes than before.
I told her, somewhat awkwardly,
“You’re free now. I don’t need to take you with me anymore.”
“……?”
“Go. Thanks for all the hard work.”
“???”
Yuria seemed to not understand my sudden order of release, shaking her head repeatedly.
Regardless. With no more reason to hesitate, I put on my pouch and backpack to prepare for departure, securing the container door behind me.
Before leaving, I gave Yuria a casual wave for a final farewell.
“Big brother’s in a good mood, so I’m letting you have my house. Stay strong and live well.”
“A… uh…!”
“Stay away from weird middle-aged potbellies or dumb blond tanning punks. And don’t trust anyone. You might fall for them again.”
With these last words, I left the stunned Yuria behind and exited the container.
“Let’s go.”
I picked up my pace. The direction was south, towards the Valley of the Dead.
For everything to fall into place so smoothly… At least the beginning is good.
My steps naturally became lighter.
*
How long had I walked?
I soon entered a village where the iron fence was nearly collapsing, and motionless factories lined the streets.
Creeak. Opening the barely-standing gate at the entrance of the village, I noticed a tattered welcome banner hanging precariously from both sides of the entrance.
[Welcome to Erakma, the Ultimate Theme Park of Unterland.]
The slogan written at the entrance read this.
It seemed this was what the town was proud of. The state of disrepair suggested it went belly-up a long time ago, probably due to the plague.
I sighed softly and used the Eye of Mimir to scan the location data.
[Location Info]
[Detail: Unterland, Former District 10, Near the Veil Test’s ‘Valley of the Dead’]
A map appeared, along with detailed information in fragments.
This town of Erakma was precisely the location where the final sixteen of the Veil Test, apart from me, had fallen. The ‘Valley of the Dead’ test site.
“Even here, Skaro and Aldcon weren’t present…”
Of course, the Hero Test had ended long ago in this area. Now it’s just another border town of Unterland filled with diseased people.
Today, I intend to take Ruci into the Valley of the Dead to search deeper. That’s why I’ve returned here.
I entered the village, which emitted a foul stench, then immediately stopped my steps.
“Hmph.”
At this, Yuira, who had been following me quietly, also suddenly stopped her steps.
I glanced backward. Upon making eye contact, Yuira flinched slightly.
“Hey. Why are you following me?”
“…Ugh.”
Yuira just lowered her white eyes and fidgeted with her fingers.
She was mute, wasn’t she? I quickly thought of a few direct questions to figure out her intentions.
I then asked,
“Do you need money? Try some part-time jobs. Your looks might get you hired as a waitress somewhere.”
“…”
“I no longer have any Utterand coins. Be content with the house I gave you.”
She violently shook her head.
… It seems settling with the house is not enough for her.
‘You cheeky girl…’
It’s as if I saved her from drowning, and now she’s trying to take everything I have. She’s not that pretty, yet her greed seems to have fully exploded.
I was about to say something to scold her when Yuira quickly scribbled on a piece of paper and showed it to me.
[It’s too scary for me to be alone.]
With that, she peeked at me through her paper, her eyes brimming with tears. I shut my mouth.
… This cheeky girl can make anyone’s heart soften. If you look at her like that, do you really think I’ll fall for it?
I’m not the old, naive Park Jeong-yong who went crazy over women and became an easy target.
“… Didn’t I already tell you where I’m going? If you stay with me, it’ll be even scarier. You’ll die.”
[Even if I stay alone, I’ll die.]
Yuira quickly handed me the next piece of paper.
I thought she was speaking aloud at first, and my response was immediate. She already had this written down ahead of time.
‘I’ve fallen for her trap.’
As I silently stared at Yuira, I roughly ruffled her hair. Her short bob swayed with my hand.
She is shorter than Ruci, making it much easier to pat her head.
“If you go back to the sect’s tent, the remaining believers will probably welcome you with open arms.”
Before this, she was merely a pawn of the sect, protected by the sect head. Judging by her poor hygiene and nutritional state, it seemed she was treated worse than a dog.
However, I shattered the Rescue Angel Sect with my own hands earlier. Even if she goes to any remnants of the sect, they might not last long, but she could probably survive longer than today.
[They’ll kill me when they realize I don’t have the ability to heal.]
But Yuira shook her head vigorously and quickly wrote this on another piece of paper.
She was wiser than I thought. Naturally, I couldn’t argue with her.
“Hmph.”
Honestly, I know.
If I leave her here alone in this area, she’ll likely be carved up and her meat and organs sold on the black market by today or tomorrow. This isn’t a joke or an exaggeration; it’s the reality.
[Please let me follow you. I beg you.]
Among the young maidens and boys around here, there’s a rumor circulating that boiling their flesh can cure the Black Blood Disease. I know all this after a thorough investigation.
“…”
For a woman to survive safely in the Gaissus area on her own, she has no choice but to marry a gang member or become a prostitute for protection under one of the pimps.
“It’s not my fault if you die.”
Because of this, neither could I let her follow me, nor could I tell her not to. I just left with those words and continued on my way.
[Thank you.]
Yuira, looking very pleased, kept nodding enthusiastically, then handed me a paper with her final heartfelt message written in large letters.
I don’t understand what exactly she’s thankful for. I blew my nose and continued walking through the streets of Erakma.
“I’ve arrived. Everything okay here?”
Bang! I pushed open a raggedy hut midway.
At the sound, Ruci, who had been lounging around and playing foot games on the bed, perked up immediately.
“Ah. Finally you’re here, Hero. Why are you so…late?”
She greeted me cheerfully but stopped short when she noticed Yuria hiding behind me.
“……”
“……”
The two shared a moment of awkward silence.
Ruci’s tail shot up like a cat’s, bristling with caution. Yuria, on the other hand, hid tightly behind me, but her eyes were wide, clearly interested in both Ruci’s horns and wings.
“Is she not afraid?”
Generally, seeing Ruci’s horns and wings would make someone think of a demon and panic. Yuria’s reaction is unusual. Perhaps she’s never seen a demon before and doesn’t know to be afraid?
“Talented, I must admit.”
Ruci gave me an incredulous look, scanning me and Yuria as if we were a peculiar pair.
“Where do you keep finding these women? Do you do it on purpose to annoy me?”
I sighed deeply and entered the room.
The musty smell of rotting wallpaper greeted me like an old friend.
