Chapter 185: Last Holy Item (1)

God of Time Heres.

The god was reported to have been born alongside Alphen, but he didn't have many followers. No, the existence of the god hadn't been spread, so the normal people didn't even know about his existence.

Only his priests worshipped Heres, and their missions were conducted in secret. They secretly traveled across the continent, and they only opened their doors to their successors.

Scholars and the long-lived races were the only ones, who knew about the existence of Heres.

The exclusive and secret order of the god was located on a land covered with ice.

Too too too too.

A Phantom Steed was running above this land.

"Ha-ah."

A white plume of breath came out of Latasha's mouth.

The Elf Lord was once again co-opted as a guide, because she knew the location of Heres' temple, and she had good eyesight.

"Are you sure we are on the right path?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I don't see anything here."

Woojin tilted his head in puzzlement, yet Shing Shing didn't stop running.

"It is located at the land of ice. Heres' temple is located at the deepest and coldest location."

"Where is that suppose to be?"

"We can see it now."

Woojin's eyes lit up when he looked at the location pointed out by Latasha. One could see an enormous ice mountain towering over this flat lands.

As they got closer, his eyes kept getting larger.

It wasn't a mountain.

"Ice Castle?"

"Yes. You are correct."

The Ice Castle was placed in a location where the cold made it impossible for any creature to live here. However, the enormous castle was as big as the Saurus mountain.

"Huh."

This was beyond it being grand. Its overwhelming size gave even Woojin a pause. It was the same for Latasha.

The information about this place was passed down through oral tradition, and this was the first time she was seeing this place.

"Well, let's head in."

They circled the castle once, and they were able to find an entrance halfway up the castle. When the Phantom Steed approached it, one could see a very small door big enough to allow only a single person to enter.

Kwahng kwahng!

"I think it is locked."

Latasha knocked on the door then she turned to looked at Woojin. He stepped forward.

"Move aside."

He saw no doorknob or keyhole.

Moreover, when he put his palm to the door, he could feel the coldness through the door.

Weeeeeng.

"W...wait a moment..."

When she felt the nearby magical energy move, Latasha tried to stop him.

Woojin gathered his power into his palm, and he detonated the door.

Ggoo-ahng!

Accompanying a shock wave, the door flew inward.

"It's open."

"Why are you so rude?"

"Did you want me to knock and wait for someone to come to the door?"

"..."

She didn't know why she bothered with words.

The Immortal wasn't a good candidate for her to lecture about manners and etiquette. Latasha's cheeks puffed out as she turned her head away.

Woojin ignored her, and he started climbing the long staircase made out of ice.

"Why is it so dark in here?"

"Please wait."

Latasha elegantly waved her hands before cupping her hands together.

Pah-paht.

A small fairy made out of light appeared atop her palms. It gave a bright smile before it flew in front of the party.

"It is a Spirit of Light."

"I didn't ask for one."

"Uh-whew..."

Latasha shook her head from side to side as she walked in front of him. They climbed long enough that they were starting to get bored. At the end of the stairway, a door appeared.

Unlike the one before, this steel door had a deeply recessed handhold. Latasha pulled with all her might, yet it refused to open.

"Are you going to blow it up again?"

"Of course."

Weeeng.

Woojin placed his palm on the door, and he gathered his magical energy. However, the door opened before the explosion could occur.

Chweeek, weeeeng!

"...."

After looking at the opened crack, Latasha looked towards the Immortal.

"What should we do? Should we not go in?"

"We'll go in."

Eeeng, chweeek!

When they went in, the door locked itself.

"...."

Woojin frowned, and Latasha was taken aback.

"W...what the hell happened? I can't hear the voice of the wind."

The temple severed the inhabitants from the outside. It seemed the Immortal wasn't the only one, who had his power taken away.

Latasha also lost her power, and she floundered at this alien feeling.

"L...let's go back out. This is too dangerous."

In an unexpected turn of event, an unknown power had made her lose her power. The pitfall of such a situation made her feel agitated.

"It's all right. It is always like this. We'll leave after we find the Holy Item."

"But..."

Latasha frowned. However, she inferred from the Immortal's expression that this was normal.

Woojin walked as if he was used to such a situation.

"It isn't shaped like a spaceship..."

The light attached to the ceiling reminded him of the ones at the Aria's Temple.

He didn't have to see Skia, Lecia, and Coor's temples to know what was in it. Still, he wonder why these 5 gods held the Master Codes of Alphen....

As they walked down the long corridor, they came to an intersection. The space partitioned into sections, and they arrived at doors as they followed the walls. However, none of them were open.

Toong, toong!

He tried punching the door, but he knew it wouldn't be easy to break through the doors.

"S...shall we continue forward? Since we came in without consent, maybe the god Heres is mad at us?"

"I have no idea."

Maybe, it was the absence of her power, but she was unusually chatty right now. She continued to speak as they searched the place.

A high priest must exist somewhere, so they continued the hide & seek.

"Jeez."

If he had his abilities... He would have used Ggaebi to scout the surrounding. It was very unfortunate that this option wasn't available to him.

He walked through the long corridors, while he drew a map inside his mind. While he was searching, he came upon a door with a different looking door handle. He tried opening it.

Poo-shook.

He only put a small amount of pressure on it, yet the door opened automatically. The sight across the door was familiar to Woojin, but it was foreign to Latasha.

"A pool table and a refrigerator..."

It was a pretty large room, and at a glance, one could tell it was being used as a break room. Woojin opened the refrigerator, and he saw the familiar sight of a cola.

"This is..."

Kahng, cheeek.

Woojin opened the can, and he started drinking the soda. Latasha was taken aback.

"W...what if it is poisoned..."

"You should try drinking it."

He unexpectedly threw another can of coke towards Latasha. She caught it, and she looked over it in confusion.

Tik, tik.

She didn't know how to open it, so she struggled to open the drink. He smirked at the sight, then he looked at his surrounding.

He saw a sofa and a tv. Beyond the screen, he could see a locker room. He saw familiar letters on each locker. Woojin looked at it with narrowed eyes.

He could read some characters.

"Saurie, Iello, Gahng, Natamube...."

There were around 8 lockers, and the letters looked similar to english, but he wasn't sure if it was the same language. He wasn't sure if he was reading it right.

If this was a spaceship, it would have had a crew. If this was a building, it would have had custodians.

He opened all the lockers, but it was all empty.

He looked through the items within the break room, and he was sure of one thing.

'There's a connection here with earth.'

Woojin had finished searching the room, and he was about to move on when Latasha was successful in opening the can.

"Wow."

She looked at it with a face filled with curiosity. She took two gulps before she sprayed the liquid into the air.

Poo-ooh-ooh.

"Ooh-ook! As expected, it's poison!"

She felt her throat being tickled as the carbonation of the drink attacked her. Latasha grabbed her white neck as she rolled around on the floor. When she felt a pressure rising from her stomach, she gave into it by opening her mouth.

Burrrrrp.

She had been rolling on the floor, but now she lay perfectly still. She was surprised as she stared at the ceiling. Woojin let out a sigh.

"Stop playing around. Let's go."

"...."

"What're you doing?"

Her face was bright red from embarrassment, but at the same time, her eyes widened.

"There is movement over there!"

"Huh?"

He looked towards where Latasha was pointing at. He saw a small camera installed on the ceiling near the kitchen.

"Ho-oh."

It seemed someone was here.

Woojin approached the lens of the camera, and he had a wide grin on his face.

"Since you've invited me, should we talk face to face?"

To be precise, he hadn't been invited. However, Woojin sent a warning towards the unfriendly owner of the temple.

"I saw some tools over there. If you don't come out now, I'll destroy everything."

He gave the camera a wink, and he headed towards the bags containing tools.

"What are you doing? You should carry one too."

"Yes."

Woojin took out a long claw hammer, and he passed the bag to Latasha..

"Ughh."

The bag was quite heavy. She was a woman, yet she wasn't laboring under the weight.

Her magical energy had disappeared, but it seemed her strength as an Elf Lord remained.

"Well, shall we start now?"

If all the doors were locked, he'll force it open.

Woojin exited the breakroom to force open the locked doors.

This was when a light turned on in the corridor.

To be precise, a guiding light in the shape of an arrow appeared on the floor.

"Ho-oh. You should have done this in the first place."

Woojin and Latasha walked through the maze-like corridors as they were guided by the arrow. Afterwards, they arrived at a pretty large hallway.

Chweek.

A door opened from both sides, and they entered a small room.

"T...the ground is shaking."

"It is called an elevator."

"...."

As if taken aback, Latasha grasped at the guardrails. This sight amused Woojin.

Weeeeng.

When the door opened once again, they came out to a large hall.

Woojin walked forward with a long claw hammer that was as long as a baseball bat.

He could see numerous computer screens placed everywhere.

Even at a glance, one could see a screen that was placed at the head, and the screen was on.

A bald man was standing inside the screen with a subdued smile on his face.

"What should we do? I think he is trapped inside."

"You should go stand over there.."

"Yes..."

Woojin distanced himself from Latasha, who was making a big fuss. Then he addressed the screen.

"Heres?"

[Yes.]

"No, should I be referring to you as one of the crew members?"

[...both aren't really suitable. If you are asking about why there's no one here, they didn't exist in the first place.]

"I don't plan on humoring your riddles. Just give me your belt."

[Hmm. You should have a lot of questions. Aren't you going to ask me about it?]

"Do you plan on answering it?"

[Of course.]

"Does the ancient civilization of Alphen have any connection with earth?"

[I only record. I don't have the authority to browse the records.]

"You...."

Ha. Nothing would come from his cussing at it.

Rather than wasting his effort with words, it would be better to ignore it.

Well, even if he hadn't asked about it, he wasn't too interested on finding those answers.

"Give me your belt."

[I can give it to you, but it isn't time.]

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

[I'll give it to you when it is time.]

"I'm asking what time?"

[....]

The bald man inside the screen didn't answer him, so Woojin started to swear.

"Do you want to die?"

[If you want to terminate my system, it isn't possible. You won't be able to get close to my physical server.]

"...."

Woojin had a big frown on his face.

"Server? What are your goals as gods?"

[We want to maintain and protect Alphen. That is all.]

"Uh-whew."

Woojin shook his head from side to side. He never expected to find a god that was harder to talk to than Aria.

So basically the gods were like a firewall protecting and preserving this planet.

However, the gods always spoke in obscure ways, and this one in particular was speaking in stiff tones that made Woojin's blood boil.

"If you won't give it to me, I'll find it for myself."

[You won't be able to find...]

Kwah-jeek!

Woojin took the sharp end of the claw hammer to the screen.

Pi-jee-jeek.

The screen let out a spark, and the screen next to it turned on.

[You won't be able to find it.]

"Ha."

Woojin once again smashed the lit screen, and another screen turned on again.

[Please be ready. When the time come, I'll give you the 'key'.]

"I told you I'll find it!"

Kwah-jeek!

Woojin kept destroying the screens, and Latasha stared at Woojin from the corner with wide eyes.

In all her memories, she had never seen the Immortal in such an excited state.

***

Saurus Mountain's World Tree.

"You rascals! If you cook meat here, you'll be punished!"

"Ooh-ahk. It's the soldiers."

Che-haesol and the Phantom Unit arrived in front of the unquenchable fire. It was called the Fire Spirit King's Last Breath. The children, who had been playing around the fire, scattered into the surrounding as they laughed.

"Uh-whew. I wonder when our director will be back."

After crossing over to Alphen, they hadn't spent much time with Woojin. Moreover, Do-jaemin had already returned to earth, and Sunggoo had disappeared into this single flame.

Weeeeng.

The portal vibrated as it let out a subdued light. It was right in front of them, yet they weren't able to cross it.

"Who is it! Uh? Holy Maiden."

Haesol smiled as she watched Melody slowly walk towards the World Tree. Whether it was on earth or Alphen, her miraculous healing ability was an awesome power. Everyone in the Coalition liked her.

"I came here, because I would like to have a conversation with the World Tree."

"What? Ah... Well, please go ahead."

The World Tree was only a symbol representing the Colony to Haesol, but the World Tree held a special significance to the people of Alphen.

"Could you leave me alone with the tree for a brief moment?"

"Mmmm. All right."

Haesol and the Phantom Unit eyed Melody as they distanced themselves from the World Tree.

When the Holy Maiden was the only one left in front of the World Tree, she looked up at it with a heavy heart.