A silver monster with the head of a unicorn swiftly approached its enemy. The silver pipes that formed its limbs were playing busily, though not for anyone’s ears. In fact, the sound produced was inaudible to human hearing—it was ultrasonic, beyond the range of what humans could perceive.
This magical ultrasound reverberated through the temple, reflecting back to the silver monster, allowing it to detect objects and obstacles before it. Though inaudible to humans, the melody carried within it a curse of decay and dullness.
The transparent symphony emitted by the monster wasn’t enough to fell intruders, but that wasn’t its purpose. The creature wasn’t alone in defending the temple. By the time its master’s disciples and followers arrived, the enemies would realize their powers had inexplicably weakened, leaving them disoriented.
And that moment of confusion would be enough. The master’s disciples would unlock their abilities, overwhelming the intruders with magic, restoring silence to the temple as decreed by its owner.
But there was one problem—an unfamiliar divine presence unlike anything seen even in ancient times. The monster’s master was wary of the unknown, and this caution passed to the monster itself. It prepared for the best possible ambush.
Even if it couldn’t neutralize the variable immediately, it could buy time by forcing the intruders to remain vigilant in the dark.
The scenery around the monster began to ripple. Its once-silver body now matched the ash-gray walls of the shadowy temple—a perfect mimicry, a feat of magic difficult even for modern enchantments.
The variable had stopped moving near the temple’s deepest sanctum, where the ruined emblem of the Great Temple lay—an emblem personally destroyed by the master. Should someone capable of restoring it, or even wielding a divine command surpassing the level of a saint, appear…
The Great Temple of Pluto might once again become a rallying point for old foes, hindering the master’s grand plan.
The monster’s movements grew urgent. Dissolving into the enveloping darkness, it encountered something unexpected: a pair of glowing blue eyes staring directly at it.
How?
The monster wondered. That gaze was fixed on it, piercing despite the absence of light. Despite using its sonic powers to erase all traces of sound, despite the darkness concealing everything but the walls, the figure had found it.
Was this the result of a priest’s blessing from the god of hunting? How could they have tracked it without prior knowledge?
An instinct long unused sounded an alarm. Run or fight—those were the options.
If it fled, this individual would surely alert other enemies, who would escape as they always had. If it fought, it could buy time until reinforcements arrived.
“Adusiam, is that you?”
The monster, Adusiam, trembled at the sound of its name.
“You’re quite intriguing.”
The unknown entity spoke softly.
“A golem forged by the Wizard King, crafted using magicians predating the Ten Towers system—who would have thought to find such a relic here?”
Kore watched silently from the shadows.
In the deepest part of the Great Temple of Pluto, four passages led to this location. Ortes stood near the eastern passage, while Adusiam lingered by the western one. Utes observed them both from the northern passage.
‘Here, I’m invisible to both…’
The monster couldn’t sense him, thanks to Pluto’s “Helm of Transparency.” This wasn’t just visual concealment; it was closer to erasing his very existence from the world.
Pluto, the god of the underworld, symbolized unseen death that could strike anywhere, anytime. However, unlike the monster, Utes might be able to see through Kore’s disguise. Thus, Kore carefully hid in the darkness of the passage.
Though no physical form with magical energy was visible, Kore could sense its presence through divine means. It was right in front of Utes.
Utes spoke, his tone calm and measured.
“Adusiam, is that you?”
He knew the name.
There was no reply, but Utes continued unperturbed.
“You’re fascinating. A golem created by the Wizard King.”
Kore was startled but quickly understood. The Wizard King must have placed this guardian to warn of any attempts to liberate the temple.
What puzzled Kore was Utes. Even the priestesses of Pluto didn’t know about this golem, which likely came after the siege of the Great Temple ended. Only those present when the Wizard King crushed the greatest resistance force could know of it—the founders of the Ten Towers themselves.
Kore recoiled. If Utes was a spy for the Ten Towers, it was the worst-case scenario. Yet, it also seemed unlikely. Utes had countless chances to destroy the Theistic Order if he truly worked for them.
‘Utes said he operated within Blasphemia.’
Perhaps he learned of the golem from them. Though the Great Temple was sealed in a way even the Ten Towers couldn’t breach, similar constructs might have been discovered in other temples investigated by Blasphemia.
“Crafted using pre-Ten Towers magicians—finding such relics here is unimaginable.”
Utes’ calm exposition sent chills down Kore’s spine.
“Since you can see everything, come out.”
Kore flinched. Though Utes’ gaze remained fixed on Adusiam, Kore felt targeted.
A rumble echoed through the darkness—a spell.
It was imperceptible to sight or sound, detectable only by the faint resonance of mana. Utes merely tilted his head as the attack struck.
Crumbles of dust fell from the wall where the attack hit. Utes nodded.
“Compressed soundwave projectiles, correct? They resonate at the material’s natural frequency upon impact, instantly reducing it to powder. This feels more modern than ancient, though, doesn’t it? Are you really from centuries past?”
Utes raised his sword. Kore enhanced his vision to discern shapes in the dark. While the golem itself was invisible, its movement stirred dust and left traces of destruction.
The pattern was clear—Adusiam was retreating from Utes.
The soundwave projectiles somehow failed to damage Utes’ sword. Instead, he used a peculiar sword technique to redirect the attacks toward Adusiam, almost tauntingly.
Each redirected projectile aimed precisely where Adusiam’s presence was strongest. It felt deliberate, like a game.
Kore remembered chasing Utes, opening doors only to find nothing. Now, Adusiam faced a relentless pursuer who manipulated magic with precision.
It was a lesson in hierarchy, a reminder of dominance over a creature daring to challenge its master.
I adjusted the output controls of my high-frequency blade.
Fortunately, his magic relied on compressed soundwaves. If it had been something reckless like “I move at the speed of sound because I use sound,” it would’ve been tougher.
The principle behind the soundwave magic was simple: shattering objects using resonant frequencies.
My blade, however, was a high-frequency cutter, enhancing cutting power through ultra-vibration. By adjusting the vibration timing, I could counteract the soundwave’s destructive effect.
Getting too close to this thing was dangerous. Adusiam could emit soundwaves from its entire body, risking self-destruction if necessary.
No reason to get caught in such foolishness.
As I deflected the soundwaves, I considered how to bring this creature to Hydra Corp.
Based on what I could see, Adusiam hadn’t unlocked its higher functions yet. When I detected it, it didn’t immediately self-destruct because unlocking these functions requires permission from its creator or proxy. And the Wizard King isn’t around to grant it.
Put another way, if Adusiam could unlock its functions, it would mean the Wizard King had returned.
‘Let’s take it and repurpose it as an alarm for the Wizard King’s return.’
A flash of silver light appeared before the Great Temple of Pluto. Figures clad in enchanted combat suits emerged from the gaping void.
“A distress signal was transmitted from here?”
Argeyirion had arrived.
