Chapter 255: Temple of Unir (1)

“N-No, it’s nothing. Lord Julian.”

But even after saying that, she completely turned her head away and couldn’t meet my eyes.

‘She must have seen what happened during the day.’

If that was the case, it was no wonder. The lovemaking with Chloe. I had tried a new play to make the womb tattoo.

It must have been shocking for a virgin like Trisha to see that. But it was cute to see Trisha, who was usually easygoing and cool, showing such a shy reaction.

“Then we will continue moving.”
“Okay!”

And at Trisha’s words, Chloe answered cheerfully. Chloe was full of energy now. It was night and demonic energy was boiling all around the primeval forest.

But now that she had a womb tattoo. There was no major obstacle for her, a human, to be active here. No, it was rather a buff.

‘It’s not bad. But…’

Elti was buzzing for a moment. She wasn’t just chatting like usual. She was also anxious about something.

Up until now, we had been heading towards the World Tree smoothly under Trisha’s guidance. But I had a feeling that something might happen.

‘The Millennium Ancient Dragon. The place where the remains of that ancient dragon are…’

I recalled what Trisha had told me. The ancient dragon that had existed since the era of the Old Empire. That ancient dragon had breathed its last breath of longevity in this primeval forest.

‘The World Tree embraced the remains of that ancient dragon.’

An ancient dragon that had lived for so long became a precious source of magic power even after it became remains.

The ancient dragon and the World Tree, who knew that fact. So the World Tree wrapped its roots around the remains of the ancient dragon and hid its appearance.

It did not stay in one place, but kept moving the ancient dragon’s tomb according to the will of the World Tree.

So even to the demons, the ancient dragon’s tomb was a story that was passed down like a legend.

‘It’s true that it exists. But only the high priests of Unir can access the will of the World Tree that can track that tomb.’

And Cecilia said. A high priest who had access to that will. She said that one of them was pro-Lucifer.

In other words, if we approached that priest, we could find the ancient dragon’s tomb. That priest’s temple of Unir was also hidden in this vast primeval forest.

Trisha was leading us in a hurry without any hesitation.

“Hmm. That Lady Trisha’s spirit art is amazing. It’s on a different level from the spirit art of those incompetent wizards of the Magic Order.”

And Chloe, who was following Trisha with me, said that. I looked around for a moment.

The primeval forest was shining even brighter at night. The luminous plants that filled the surroundings. And the luminous insects.

The overloaded senses among those bright lights might make it difficult to find the way. But Trisha’s spirit art was too skillful.

Water, wind, fire, and earth. Those four major spirits were interacting with each other and delivering only the correct information to Trisha in real time.

And unlike me, the spirit that Trisha was using was an intermediate spirit. I heard that she had also contracted with a high-grade spirit.

‘She said she was using intermediate spirits for efficiency.’

As expected, as befitting her age. Her experience as an elf was amazing. And for the revival of Ciertia.

I thought of Rosette, a heroine who should be able to use even more advanced spirit art.

‘Rosette. She seems to be in a slump these days.’

I recalled the midterm exam results. Since there was no wizard in the Magic Order who could compete with her. Of course, she was first. But in the theory lectures that the top students took in common, her grades were far behind Chloe’s.

And even in the training camp that followed. Rosette’s grades were not good.

‘Well, I already know that the problem is me.’

As when I met her at the atelier a while ago. Rosette was actively conscious of me. And she was feeling emotions to the point where the Archduchess of Envy was paying attention to her.

‘Jealousy.’

Then, just like that emotion. If I fulfilled Rosette’s desires. Like I did with Chloe. If I created a womb tattoo on Rosette, her magic level would rise rapidly in a short period of time.

‘Rosette’s magical talent is not something that should remain only at spirit art.’

And above all, Rosette’s gaze had to be fixed on me. Otherwise, the attack of the Witch Cross Society that would happen during the Magic Combat Competition.

At that point, there might be an unfortunate incident where I could lose Rosette.

Elti buzzed again.

It meant that I was right. From the moment I obtained Elti, the story had already changed a lot from the original.

‘Even entering the primeval forest like this. It’s a story that happens much later in the original.’

If so, it meant that my judgment had been correct so far. The stories behind the scenes that the original users couldn’t access.

The second hand of destruction was moving. And if I clung to that second hand too late, I would not be able to do anything and would only have to wait for the bad ending like in the original.

‘I must secure the Millennium Dragon Scale here. Otherwise, I will fall behind the mastermind who is already moving behind the scenes.’

I knew that Duke Pedro was the mastermind and the final boss. But his motives.

And how he was moving at this point after the midterm exam. I couldn’t accurately grasp it just by playing Demon Survival.

‘But if it’s me now, it’s possible. So I have to move more quickly.’

I made up my mind like that. As Elti. And as the warning from the rosary felt.

If something happened here, that incident would rather be a clue to approach the mastermind. I ran for several hours like that.

And finally, the party arrived at the temple of Unir. But what we saw there.

It was a scene of brutal carnage.

“Wh-What happened…”

The place where the party entered was the middle of the temple of Unir. There was no sign of life there.

Blood-stained priestly robes. The priests of Unir were dead in a gruesome state.

‘What on earth…’

I could feel that Trisha was greatly shocked. Although she had left the Demon Kingdom. It was a place where she had stayed for a long time as a priestess of Unir.

There must be acquaintances of Trisha among those victims. I quickly pulled her into my arms and covered her eyes.

Even Chloe, who had a cool-headed personality. She was so surprised that she spread her fan and covered her view.

“It seems like we were attacked. Could it be monsters? I can vaguely feel demonic power…”

Chloe was right. It was night in the primeval forest and demonic energy was thick. And that demonic energy was rather comfortable for me, who was no different from a demon.

But among that demonic energy, there were very unpleasant and creepy scents and sensations mixed together.

A power of chaos that was completely different from holy power or demonic energy, and that blindly hated the lives of Iceland. The demonic power was felt all over this area.

‘But it’s not a monster.’

There was a Chaos Gate in the Demon Kingdom. But the location of that Chaos Gate was at the eastern end. The primeval forest was located far from that gate, so it was not easy for a sudden gate to be created.

‘Besides, the demonic energy of the primeval forest acts as a holy obelisk.’

And even if a gate was formed through the wall of demonic energy. This was the temple of Unir. Just as the holy priests of the Empire could fight against monsters.

It meant that the priests of Unir could fight against monsters much better than ordinary demons. But they were annihilated.

‘Then the opponent is a human. No, it’s more like a demon-possessed person.’

It was clear that a demon-possessed person had invaded this primeval forest. A human corrupted by demonic power, a demon-possessed person. Of course, that human was a more comprehensive concept.

Whether it was a human or a demon. Everyone could be dominated by that demonic power. And among those demon-possessed people, there were special demon-possessed people.

‘Probably like Duke Pedro… Those who hear the voice.’

The voice. The ultimate mastermind connected to Duke Pedro. But it was an existence whose identity could not be known just by playing Demon Survival.

I had a hunch. The ones who attacked this place must be related to Duke Pedro somehow.

And considering that the high priest of this temple of Unir knew the location of the Millennium Ancient Dragon’s tomb.

The purpose of this attack was clear. I spoke to Trisha, who had calmed down a little.

“It seems that there were those who were aiming for the Millennium Ancient Dragon before us.”
“Who on earth…”

Chloe answered that question.

“I do have someone in mind. My younger brother. I heard that the second son of the Orhain family was coveting something in the primeval forest recently.”

Trisha and I turned our attention to her.

“Of course, that brother is just a petty small-minded person. And I don’t think that brother could have done this in the middle of the primeval forest alone. But that brother joined hands with Duke Pedro. And that Duke. He’s a very meticulous and scary person.”

Trisha looked surprised. Perhaps if she was close to Lucia. She must have already heard about what kind of man Duke Pedro was.

“Duke Pedro… Then the Sentiac Knights?”

And her expression became serious. The Sentiac Knights. That knight order was different from the toothless Imperial Guard of the Holy City.

The southern conqueror who was still waging war on the border with the Demon Kingdom. And she must know that it was a powerful knight order that was on par with the White Night of the north.

‘And if the knights of Sentiac were turned into demon-possessed people…’

Then it was time for me to be nervous too. If they really came here aiming for the remains of the Millennium Ancient Dragon.

It meant that I would definitely have to face those guys. At that time.

I felt a presence not far away. Trisha, who felt that presence, shouted.

“E-Elder!”

The three people quickly ran towards that direction. There was a survivor. It was an old female elf wearing a classic priestly robe.

“Elder! Q-Quickly, healing…”
“Wh-Who… C-Could it be Trisha…”
“Yes. Elder… And more than words, quickly healing…”

Trisha’s hand shone. Since she was also from a priest, she cast a healing spell on the elf who was called the Elder with the holy power of Unir.

‘But… It’s already too late.’

The wound on her abdomen was too deep. And judging from the blood that had spread, it was a miracle that she was still alive until now.

As expected, Trisha’s spell was useless. But when I saw Trisha’s eyes, I couldn’t stop her.

The two seemed to have a close relationship. It would be difficult for her to survive. But maybe it was because of that healing spell that she had a little bit of energy, the Elder barely opened her mouth.

“Trisha… I heard that you left the Demon Kingdom with your sister… I’m glad you’re safe. The elves who left the Demon Kingdom and headed to the human country… They usually suffer very badly…”
“I… I’m fine! Elder. More than that, what on earth happened…”
“A group of humans… attacked this temple. They were disguised, but… elite knights with unusual skills… It must be those evil Sentiac Knights…”
“But how could ordinary humans be in this primeval forest full of demonic energy…”
“They were not ordinary humans… I felt demonic power… I felt an eerie sensation that was different from humans… They must be demon-possessed people…”

It was as I expected. Chloe also looked surprised when she heard the word demon-possessed person.

“Then their purpose is… Is it the remains of the Millennium Ancient Dragon?”
“Yes. Trisha… They stole the branch of the World Tree that points to the ancient dragon’s tomb. At this rate… The remains of that ancient dragon… to those guys…”
“What about the other priests? We need to quickly ask for cooperation from other temples in the primeval forest and track those guys…”
“No. Unfortunately… Many priests have left for the eastern gate. Perhaps there was an informant who gave that information…”

I understood why the priests were so easily defeated. Even if the opponent was Sentiac, the priests of Unir were not so weak as to be unilaterally massacred.

But it seemed that those elites had gone on an expedition to the gate located in the east of the Demon Kingdom. The five Chaos Gates that existed in Iceland. All of them had unusual movements.

At that time. Despite Trisha’s healing spell, the Elder, who was approaching death, coughed up blood.

“Cough… Trisha… Stop using the spell… I think this is it for me. And you alone can’t stop those guys. I don’t know how you came back to the primeval forest… But you should quickly go to a safe place…”
“I’m not alone. I have companions…”

At that moment, the Elder, who was lying on the floor, turned her head towards me. And she looked very surprised.

“L-Lucifer…?”