Chapter 55

Kwajik!

The jewel with a broken centre at the corner of the fragment lost its blue colour. At the same time, the goddess' sword that had been falling towards my head stopped.

Kugugugung!

The statue began to shake violently. Meanwhile, Ha Tae-heon grabbed me, held me in his arms, and flew back. I pulled up the ability that had been cut off again and wrapped Ha Tae-heon's body with me.

"Ha Tae-heon-ssi, are you all right?"

I looked at Ha Tae-heon's physical condition. Fortunately, he was an SS-rank, so there didn't seem to be any major injuries other than scratches.

"Are you okay?"

Ha Tae-heon made a surprised expression. He glared at me and said in an angry voice.

"Why didn't you run away?"

"Run away?"

"It's an S+ grade monster. Your life would have been in danger if you got hit by that sword, but what the hell were you thinking?"

At those words, I frowned too.

"What if I run away? How do we break the core?"

"You just have to look for the next opportunity."

"Next opportunity? If it failed this time, the monster would have defended it more thoroughly to protect its core."

"Are you just throwing your life for that reason?"

"When did I throw my life? I'm still alive! And."

『Aaaaah!』

Before I could finish my words, a sharp scream echoed through the hall. The pure white marble surrounding the statue began to fall off as if it were peeling off its shell.

Ha Tae-heon looked at the scene and raised his sword.

"Let's take care of that first and we'll talk."

I sighed and lifted Ha Tae-heon's body into the air. Kugugung! The goddess statue, with all the marble that protected her had fallen off, had blue skin and her white hair hanging down.

The goddess' voice did not give us any more pain. Blood flowed from her black eyes as the goddess screamed with a thin and soft voice.

The huge marble blue wings spread wide from the back of the statue and a strong light flashed, and the skeleton knights in silver armour from where they came from, surrounded the statue.

The goddess raised her sword and pointed at us. A white halo shone brightly above her head.

『Protect the sanctuary. Drive out the intruders!』

Clank, clank.

At the order of the goddess, the knights pulled out the swords they were keeping around their waist in unison. Ha Tae-heon looked down at the knights, like before, covered in black dust like a shield.

Kiaaaak!

Seeing the knights running bravely, I whispered to Ha Tae-heon with a shaky voice.

"...somehow, I think we've become villains."

Ha Tae-heon ignored my words and swung his sword. Since the core of the defence was broken, neither the goddess statue nor the knights under it could block Ha Tae-heon's attack. The knights fell down with Ha Tae-heon wielding the sword.

Kiak, kyak! Kiaak!

The knights also swung their swords at us, but they were all blocked by dust. As her own knights fell helplessly, the goddess spread her wings once more.

"Ha Tae-heon-ssi!"

Then, the seven stone swords that were stuck on the floor came back again. Ha Tae-heon jumped up to the goddess statue, cutting the heads of the two rushing knights.

The defensive core was also broken, meaning there was no need to run away anymore. I twisted the direction of the flying stone sword as far as I could and looked at the tip of Ha Tae-heon's sword.

From right to left, diagonally. Ha Tae-heon's eyes lit up as the wind blew on his wrist.

『Kkiaaaak!』

Combined with my ability, the sword was swung at great speed and left a huge scar on the shoulder of the goddess. Her bright red blood splattered as a sharp scream rang in my ears.

"Ugh...!"

As the blood flowed, the light of the halo that floated on the goddess' head became stronger and hot energy came. When I was in pain, Ha Tae-heon stepped back.

"You are annoying."

He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a round ball tie with a black jewel in the centre. When Ha Tae-heon tapped the jewel a couple of times, a coat appeared in the air.

"Wear it."

I gratefully accepted the SS-class coat Ha Tae-heon brought out and put it on.

'It seems that the hot energy felt from the statue is not a flame attribute, but a strong divine power.'

If I remembered correctly, one of the attributes of the coat was chaos as opposed to divine power. Obviously, wearing this coat made me feel less pressured.

When I regained my composure, Ha Tae-heon drew new dust and wrapped around the rushing knights.

Kwaaang!

Kkiiik! Kiiik!

Each particle of dust began to explode with a loud explosion. In the reaction, the ranks of the knights were scattered randomly and the bones of dead skeletons were bouncing here and there.

Ha Tae-heon took care of the Knights under his feet and rushed to the goddess statue again. Kuuung! Kung! Ha Tae-heon, who skillfully evaded the stone sword flying from various directions, flew to the front of the goddess statue in an instant and put the sword in her right eye.

Kwarururung!

The whole ground shook as the statue floundered and struggled. The marble wings on her back rose sharply and fell towards Ha Tae-heon, but even that was blocked by his shield and shattered.

『Kiaaak! Haak!』

The appearance of the goddess drenched in her blood began to change gradually. Black horns rose from her forehead and her half-broken wings were dyed black. Her eyes burned red from the tears of her blood and thick fangs sprouted from her mouth.

『Cursed intruders! I will kill you!』

Dark red flames soared around the goddess statue, spreading eerie energy widely.

"I guess this is what it looks like."

The surroundings were full of red and sparks were scattered everywhere. In the hot air that was hard to breathe, I covered my mouth with the coat and pushed the energy away with the wind as much as possible.

When Ha Tae-heon swung his sword once, dozens of black spheres appeared around the goddess statue in an instant.

Kwagwagwang! Kuung!

『Kkiaaaa!』

The spheres surrounding the statue exploded at the same time. The goddess screamed and staggered her body. Perhaps because of the wounds caused by the explosion, it was bizarre to see her drenched in blood and revealing her teeth.

"Keuk..."

The goddess statue's halo shone even more intensely and white chains poured from above. Smoke rose from where the chains had brushed past her. Her divinity, which had grown too strong, made my stomach churn and a dull pain rushed through my head.

"Tsk."

Ha Tae-heon, noticing my condition, created dozens of black spears behind his back and narrowed the distance from the statue. Slowly, Ha Tae-heon, who had the chains tied his arms and was holding the sword and spears like snakes, didn't care and cut off the arm of the goddess statue.

『Aaaaah!』

Dozens of black spears floating in the air flew to the goddess statue with Ha Tae-heon in between. Red blood spurted out and the goddess missed the sword with a scream.

Kuung!

A huge sword fell to the floor as the statue's body began to slowly change. Before long, the goddess statue turned to marble as she struggled in pain.

The chain that burned Ha Tae-heon's arm was also gone. Tadak, tadak. Only the remained feeble flames burned continuously.

"Is it over?"

"I think so."

Slowly coming down, I turned off my ability and got out of his arms.

"Well done."

When I handed the coat I was wearing, he opened his inventory and put the coat in.

"Where shall we go now?"

I looked around the area, which had collapsed and became messy.

"Did you say that the jewel in the room turned red?"

"Yes."

"We should go to that room."

Exactly the same place as the main hall. Then there would be a room where monsters came out. I nodded and followed Ha Tae-heon.

* * *

Contrary to the central hall, which was dazzlingly shining with stained glass, this place, where only candles lit up the surroundings, gave off a dark and gloomy atmosphere overall.

Tap, tap.

As I walked without a word, all I could hear was the sound of footsteps. Forcing my tired body to move, I frowned at the pain I felt in my palms.

'Ah, when I found the core...'

The palm I looked down was torn and my nails were broken. I didn't know until recently because I was so busy dealing with monsters.

Anyway, if you just come to the gate, you won't be able to go back. With a sigh, Ha Tae-heon, who was walking ahead, stopped.

"Is it here?"

The 14th room with a blue jewel. Looking at the room next door, I noticed that the jewel in the door was different.

"Look at this, Ha Tae-heon-ssi."

I said, pointing to the 13th and 15th room.

"Unlike the room at the gate, this one has red jewel except for the 14th room."

From the atmosphere to the jewel, everything here was the exact opposite of the main hall. I looked back at Ha Tae-heon.

"Probably... the space seems to be warped. I think we've come to a place that shouldn't be open."

"Is this a hidden place inside the gate?"

"It's just speculation, I'm not sure. If you have space ability, you can check it properly..."

As a test, I pressed the red jewel embedded in the 13th room. But nothing happened.

"It won't open."

Kugugung!

"This place is open."

Fortunately, the door to the 14th room with blue jewel was opened. Ha Tae-heon and I walked into the darkroom, wary about the surroundings, just in case.

Contrary to the expectation that monsters would appear in the room lit by the light of the candlestick, no energy was felt.

"Ha Tae-heon-ssi."

Hwiiing, I heard the sound of the wind blowing. There was a black hole about the same size as the gate and the wind was flowing through it.

"I think this is the exit."

"It seems that way to me, too."

"Let's go inside. In case I don't know, the ability..."

"Wait."

Ha Tae-heon stopped me from raising my ability.

As I looked back at him in wonder, he pointed to the floor as he looked at where he had fallen.

"This."

There was a pattern engraved on it which I had never seen before.

He knelt down on one knee and looked closely at the floor. The pattern expressing the colourful roses and vines was a look that had not been seen anywhere else.

"There's something you don't even know."

"...that's natural, of course."

I thought as I touched the pattern with my hand. Hidden space, the appearance of S+ grade monsters, and the floor with a pattern engraved on it.

"Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Isn't this situation a bit similar to the D8 Area gate?"

The S+ class monster that appeared in the D8 Area existed to protect the SS class coat.

If the reason the statue awakened was under this pattern.

"Are you saying that the item might exist?"

"I'm not sure, and I don't know how to get it right now... that's what I think."

Unlike the case of the SS-class coat, this was a place that did not appear in the original.

'In the novel, the Prophet taught Ha Tae-heon how to get a coat. If so, did the Prophet know this place as well?'

I couldn't make a hasty move right now. If this pattern itself was a device to open something, it would be better to leave it alone until you know how to.

"Let's get out of here first."

I finished thinking and nodded. Both of us were in bad shape to stay here.

As I got up, Ha Tae-heon pulled me up and wrapped his arms around my waist. When I saw it, I felt a strange feeling. Ha Tae-heon seemed very accustomed to working with me as much as Cheon Sa-yeon.

As the wind engulfed us both, black dust covered it. We entered the black hole with shields on just in case.