The Sword of The Past: 9

Chapter 9

Getting ready

Markus knew many skills. Some were powerful, like flames, which let you create a flow of flames from your hands. Some were more practical, like gluttony, which let you digest almost all kinds of food without a problem.

“Let the airflow from your hand. Never let it stop even when you ignite it.” Markus told me.

In the past week, I learned five skills that were useful for me. But now was time to leave. We couldn’t waste any more time, as other hunters and explorers had already started to enter and investigate the ruins.

“I think I had enough of learning. We should go before it is too late.” I hated to listen to him, but I needed to learn.

“Yes, you learned the basics. That should be enough for now.”

Before leaving for the ruins, we still needed equipment. Clothes for cold and hot environments. Picks for climbing and digging. Markus was more experienced and knew that the ruins were unpredictable. There would be many different situations that we would be exposed to.

“There are a lot of people.”

It was a statement from Markus as we entered one of the shops we needed. Indeed many people, most of them were hunters, were gathered. It was expected, even hunters from other towns would come to explore the ruins. So the shops were filled to the brim with people.

“The prices will be raised for the things we need,” I commented.

“Don’t worry, I have enough money.”

Markus did have enough money. But we could only buy limited quantities. It was a rule set by the Lord of Iron town. The more people explore the ruins, the better. Most artifacts and other stuff found there will be sold to the Lord. So it was in his interest that more people explore it.

There might be all kinds of monsters and beasts, too, so we got as many antidotes for venom as possible. Once we gathered all we could, we left Iron town. Too bad the information on the Ruins was scarce, to say at least. If there was something that people would share, it would cost too much to acquire.

It would take four days to reach the site of ruins. So my training didn’t end but just began. Now out of the town, we could use more destructive skills to practice.

…

Makus’ two curved swords blocked my attack. The blade in his right hand had engraved runes for sharpness, while the blade on the left hand had runes for sturdiness.

Once Markus blocked my attack, he quickly let my stone sword slide to the ground. Before I could regain my balance, he swept my legs, making me fall.

“You learned fast, but you are still too slow to apply it,” Markus commented as I lay on the scorched ground. “Still, at least you won’t slow me down.”

“You can go on your own if you want,” I replied to him.

“Hahaha, after I waved off your dept and taught you my skills. No, we are going together.”

I didn’t respond to him. He needed someone to watch his back. I was the only one who would have agreed to help him. It was that simple, my debt was gone, and I learned new skills for free. Even if I didn’t like him, there was no other reason to deny this proposal.

“Still, I have to ask, why are you insisting on using that stone sword? It is useless in close quarters combat. It is made of stone too, heavy, and isn’t sharp enough.”

“It is my weapon,” I simply answered him, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

Markus looked suspicious for a moment, but he let it go. It was just a weapon, and it wasn’t like I was useless in close quarters too.

We didn’t rush towards the site of the ruins. There wasn’t a point to do so. We took our leisure, resting every night. Training and sparring in the day. Guts was good at hunting, so we didn’t have to worry about food either.

“We should arrive at the site tomorrow,” Markus said as I was preparing dinner. “We will leave with the first light.”

“Very well.”

I agreed to his plan. Once we are there, we should look around first and then set our camp. We still didn’t know what the situation was in there.

…

The ruins were more impressive than I thought. I wouldn’t even call it a ruin. It was an enormous palace with crumbling walls. It had at least five floors, not to mention the underground floors.

“It is bigger than I imagined. It is the size of a big village at least.”

I agreed with Markus' words. Inside the walls, many people were wandering from one place to another. Tents were erected in every corner. There were a blacksmith and tailor shops too. It definitely could be called a village.

Once we found an empty spot, we set our tents too. Afterward, Markus left to gather some information. I, too, went to look around.

Two blacksmiths were working hard in repairing weapons and armor. I saw three priests setting a small altar and healing hunters. As I walked around, I found two shops selling miscellanies things, from cooking oil and pots to flammable liquid and charms.

Listening to passing hunters, I learned that two Gold rank hunters are leading two powerful parties of their own. For a moment, I thought about those silver-haired siblings, but they weren’t there.

It seems that there are many entries to the palace, but no one knows where they will lead. It was a labyrinth. Some would only lead to the first floor. Other entrances led to the basement or only up to the second floor.

“The halls are guarded by golems created from iron full plate armor,” Markus explained to me once we met again. “The basement is filled with traps and stone golems.”

“We should go to the basement. If it was a magician's palace, the basement would hold most of his precious items.”

Markus agreed with me, and with the plan established, we rested for today and prepared to enter the ruins in the morning.

…

Entering the ruin’s basement wasn’t difficult. The ruins didn’t belong to anyone, and anyone could enter as they wished. If those who entered died, nobody would be blamed.

It was damp and dark inside. Only our oil lamp lighted the way. Torches wouldn’t light up in this damp, and some kind of magic interferences would extinguish all fire. Only the oil lamp worked for now.

“This passageway was already cleared. We can move quickly,” Markus told me.

“But should we?” I asked.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Nobody has found a way deeper into the basement. They missed something. We need to look around carefully for hidden passages or some clues that would lead us deeper.”

“You have a point. Fine, but be careful to not trigger some trap that would kill us.”

And so we slowly walked and checked all crannies and cracks, but in the end, it didn’t matter because we didn’t find anything. There was nothing unordinary or anything special that would give us any clues about the ruin.

Once we reached the first floor of the basement, we were met with a dozen hunters looking around and checking corners. There were no doors or anything that would lead below the first floor, but there had to be something. Otherwise, why would golems protect the passage?

‘Boy, don’t even try to look around. It is a high level of illusion that hides the entrance to the floors below.’

The Heavenly Demon’s words sounded about right. This whole palace was hidden behind the illusion, so there was a high chance that entrances would be hidden by illusion too.

“Can you sense an entrance?”

‘No, it’s a too high level of magic. You will need a magician if you want to dispel the illusion.’

I sighed with the Heavenly Demon’s response. Magicians were rare, and a high-level one was almost nonexistent. Only the association magician and court magician could be called high level in Iron Town.

“There is nothing we can find, Markus. If these people couldn’t find anything, then it only means that the entrance is hidden by an illusion.”

“Is that so? Well, then damn it,” Markus cursed. “What do we do now?”

“We need a magician with keen senses for magic.”

“I heard that the Gold rank huntress Elisa is the best magician in the Iron town, and it so happens that she is too exploring the ruins.”

“And? She is exploring the upper floors. Do you think we can talk her into helping us?”

“She had no luck in the upper floors. If we explained the situation, then maybe she would be inclined to go to the basement.”

It’s not like there was anything else we could do, so I agreed with Markus and left to find the Gold rank huntress Elisa.