A deafening silence filled the room as Reisou and 2B stood still, watching the glowing statue closely, waiting for any sign of a hostile move.
The statue held its strange pose for a few more seconds before finally shifting. Its stone head turned slowly, creaking as it moved to face the pair directly.
Its glowing eyes scanned the duo, lingering on Reisou and 2B as if it had noticed something unusual about them.
"You... you two are not from this world..." the statue's hoarse voice echoed through the chamber, causing the air to tremble slightly.
Suddenly, the statue began to move toward them, each heavy step echoing through the air.
Instinctively, Reisou took a step back, while 2B tightened her grip on her sword, her stance shifting as she prepared for battle.
As if sensing their fear and unease, the statue suddenly let out a booming laugh that echoed off the walls, startling both Reisou and 2B.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, little ones! I won't harm you," the statue assured, coming to a halt. "As the righteous knight of the sun, I would never lay a hand on beings from the lower realm."
Although his words sounded sincere, they weren't enough to make the duo lower their guard.
"I can see the distrust in your eyes, so let's skip the introductions and get straight to the point. Since you're the first to set foot in this place in thousands of years, I shall begin the trial and bestow the blessing of the sun upon you once you two have passed through my challenges."
The statue declared, stepping back and pulling the sword from the ground before sheathing it in its stone scabbard.
Reisou was still trying to process what was happening, but just as he was about to say something, the ground suddenly split open, causing both him and 2B to fall into a pitch-black abyss.
"Good luck, little ones. I'll be rooting for your survival," the statue said, its voice growing more distant as they continued to fall.
"Aaaaaah!" Reisou screamed, realizing he was falling faster and faster with each second.
Unlike him, 2B remained silent. Instead of panicking, she swiftly grabbed Reisou and held him close, positioning herself to cushion his landing.
It took Reisou a moment to fully understand what she was trying to do.Just as he was about to adjust their positions, both of them suddenly landed in water, submerging themselves completely.
The taste of salty water filled Reisou's mouth and nose, making it hard to breathe. He forced himself to stay calm and began swimming toward the surface, with 2B still holding onto his waist.
He swam for what felt like an entire minute, and when he finally broke through the surface, he gasped for air desperately.
As he caught his breath, he scanned his surroundings in search of land. It was pitch dark, but to his luck, a blurry outline of a small island was visible on the horizon. Without wasting a moment, he turned his attention to 2B, determined to pick her up and head there immediately.
2B, still clinging to his waist, also caught sight of the island. Silently, she tightened her grip and began swimming toward it using only one arm, determined to bring him there safely, no matter the cost.
She swam toward the distant island with astonishing speed, her legs moving with the fluidity of a mermaid's tail. Reisou watched in awe, held firmly in her grip, completely amazed by her strength.
The distance between them and the island closed quickly. Upon reaching the shore, they collapsed onto the dark sand, gasping for breath, their bodies trembling with exhaustion.
"Cough... Cough... This salty taste is terrible," Reisou said, spitting the water from his mouth.
"Huff... Huff... Cough... I agree, Master," 2B replied, breathing heavily, spitting out salty water, and holding her right arm with her left hand.
When Reisou looked at 2B, he saw that she was in very poor condition. His heart raced, and he quickly moved to check on her.
"2B, are you alright? And your arm... what happened?" he asked with concern, gently helping her to stand.
"Don't worry, it's nothing. My arm's just going to be useless for a while," she said, her tone carrying a rare hint of frustration. "I hope I don't become a burden to you, Master."
Her words made him sigh deeply. Reisou knew she had pushed her arm to its limit, using all her strength, likely straining it beyond what it could handle. Even her legs were shaking from the intense exertion.
'She really thinks I'm weak and fragile,' he thought, shooting a stern glance at 2B.
Reisou then took off the soaked shirt beneath his hoodie, planning to tear it into strips and fashion an improvised sling to support her arm.
After Reisou finished making the makeshift sling, he gently took her arm and began to position it carefully.
"Your arm doesn't seem to be damaged, but use it for now. It's better than letting it hang," Reisou said gently, giving her right arm one last check.
"Hm." 2B remained silent, accepting Reisou's kindness. At the same time, the strange sensation that had been affecting her for a while resurfaced once again, causing the android girl's ears to turn red.
While Reisou was holding 2B, thinking about what to do next, a familiar sound reached his ears.
[Ding!]
[A secret event was detected!]
[The mission list has been upgraded successfully.]
Reisou didn't hesitate and opened the mission menu. Surprisingly, a new bonus objective had indeed been added.
+++++++++
Mission Name: A Noob's End.
Objectives:
- Kill 50 monsters of any level (27/50).
- Extract 80 low-quality monster cores (49/80).
- Eliminate the Semi-Boss: Ice Scorpion.
- Eliminate the Gate Boss: Centipede King.
Bonus Objective (1):
- Let your Summon eliminate the Elite Beast: Brown Werewolf.
- Let your Summon eliminate the Elite Beast: Gray Werewolf.
Bonus Objective (2 - New!):
- Recover the Rustic Crown from the Elite Boss: Fallen King.
- Deliver the recovered Rustic Crown to the Sun Knight.
- Pass the trial and receive the blessing of the Sun Knight.
Rewards I: 20 System Points, 65 World Points and 1000xp.
Rewards II (for Bonus Objective): Elemental Technique - Rasengan (3⋆).
Rewards III (for Bonus Objective): New Element - Light, Weapon Stone and Elven Bow (C-Grade).
Good Luck :)
+++++++++
After reading through the new bonus objective, Reisou found himself questioning whether they could really complete all of them with 2B injured.
In the end, he decided to prioritize her safety. If they survived, better rewards could be obtained another time.
With his decision firmly set, Reisou began scanning the area, looking for a place where 2B could rest. Despite the overwhelming darkness of the island, he could still see a bit better than he had out on the water.
He spotted a dense forest ahead of them, an old cabin nearby, and a weathered pier missing several parts. This place appeared to have been abandoned for years, forgotten by time.
Reisou cautiously approached the cabin with 2B. As he pushed open the creaky door, he saw four rustic beds made of wood, each with cloth stuffed with feathers, tattered pillows, and worn-out bed sheets.
Torches hung on the walls, long since extinguished, and in the corner, a wooden dinner table with four chairs stood next to an improvised clay oven, likely the kitchen area.
It seemed that, long ago, people had lived there. Judging by the number of beds and chairs, Reisou guessed that a group or family had once been the owners of the place.
As Reisou moved 2B to one of the beds, he accidentally stepped on something. Looking down, he saw an iron key. He picked it up and tucked it into his pocket, thinking it might come in handy later.
Before laying 2B on a bed, Reisou inspected it for dust, insects, or anything that might make it uncomfortable. To his surprise, not just one, but all of the beds were clean and surprisingly comfortable.
In fact, the place only seemed old. However, Reisou didn't notice any unpleasant smells or see any dust. Everything was remarkably clean.
"2B, stay on the bed. I'll cover those windows and try to find a safe source of light," Reisou said, adjusting 2B on the bed and grabbing two more sheets to cover the only two windows of the cabin.
He feared that lighting a torch carelessly might attract unwanted attention. With no information about the supposed trial from the statue, they couldn't afford to take any chances.
Just as Reisou finished covering the windows, unsettling noises echoed from outside the cabin. His body tensed, and in a swift motion, he drew his lance from his inventory.
Fortunately, before the fall, he had managed to store his weapon safely—otherwise, it would've been lost forever to the dark sea.
*Awoooooo!
A loud wolf's howl pierced the silence outside, and a sense of unease settled over him.
Reisou cautiously approached the door, and as he opened it slightly, his eyes widened in fear at what he saw.
Dozens of black wolves with haunting red eyes gathered outside the cabin, their gaze locked onto Reisou. They growled ominously, their posture tense, like feral beasts ready to pounce.
"Shit!"