〈System Alert: Congratulations, you are the first player to enter a Secret Realm! You will be rewarded a temporary item beneficial to your current Secret Realm.〉
〈System Alert: Your world fame has increased by 150.〉
〈System Alert: For being the first player to enter a Secret Realm, you have been rewarded the temporary item «Breath of Gaea».〉
〈System Alert: Congratulations, you are the first player to enter a 3-star Secret Realm! Your rewards have been temporarily withheld until you exit the Secret Realm.〉
As Izroth read over the new wave of system alerts, he was somewhat disappointed to discover that some of his rewards had been withheld by the system. But, fortunately, the system did not leave him empty-handed.
Izroth accessed his inventory and removed the temporary item he acquired.
The item was a refined silver ring with unknown white symbols etched onto its surface. Izroth sensed a flow of life circulating inside the ring; however, there appeared to be nothing else particularly useful about it.
Accessory Name: Breath of Gaea(Soulbound)
Accessory Rank: Unique*
Description: An extremely well-crafted decorative ring that emits a vibrant aura of life. If the wearer reveals this ring to others, they will either be seen as an ally or enemy.
Special Note: This ring can be equipped regardless of how many accessories its wearer has.
‘This is a bit different from what I expected. Just wearing it and revealing it to others will automatically make me an ally or enemy in their eyes. If that’s the case, isn’t it better to just not wear it?’
Izroth was somewhat skeptical about the ring. For one, it did not give any stats. More importantly, there wasn’t even an effect attached to it despite its unique rank! Instead, there was only a simple description.
‘No, this ring is definitely simple. The system clearly stated that it would grant me an item beneficial to the current Secret Realm. That means this ring must hold some form of significance here. I just have to find a way to use it to my advantage.’
Izroth decided to equip the ring for the time being. If it turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, it would not be too late to unequip it later on.
‘Now… I suppose I should figure out where I am.’
Currently, Izroth stood inside of an ancient temple that was in ruins. At the center of the spacious temple was a broken statue made of marble. It was difficult to make out the exact features due to it being shattered into numerous pieces, but one could tell that it was the statue of a person.
Without a second thought, Izroth activated his Energy Vision Sense and extended it to its maximum range to scan the surroundings. He maintained this state for a few seconds to get a clear picture of things before deactivating his Energy Vision Sense to conserve his essence.
But, after he finished scanning the area, a visible frown formed on Izroth’s face.
‘Strange, there are no signs of life within this temple or the surrounding kilometer. How is this possible?’
The others had only entered into the portal a few seconds ahead of him. How could all of them have already traveled more than a kilometer away?
‘Could it be that everyone was sent to different locations?’
To Izroth, this was the most logical answer. But, it still did not explain why there was such a large absence of life.
‘I may have been transported far away from any civilizations… That is, considering this Secret Realm has any residents. For now, I should find my way out of this temple. Maybe once I step outside some light will be shed on certain things.’
After a brief survey of the temple, Izroth found that there was only one pathway located on the opposite side of where he originally appeared.
‘It looks like there is only one way in and out of here. Since there’s nothing useful in here, I should get moving. After all, my time in this Secret Realm is limited.’
24 hours may seem like a lot of time, but Izroth still had no idea how big this Secret Realm was or where this exit portal the system mentioned was located.
One thing was for sure, Izroth did not plan on being trapped inside the Secret Realm; therefore, his first priority was to obtain information on the exit portal’s location. Of course, this would not interfere with his plans to explore the Secret Realm.
As for the others who entered before him—Izroth was not concerned. In the end, they were not even acquaintances, let alone companions.
In truth, Izroth even planned to go separate ways despite Luxia’s earlier suggestion once they were inside the Secret Realm.
Nevertheless, it was not like any of them lacked the strength to fend for themselves if anything unexpected did arise.
Izroth made his way over to the pathway. The pathway was dark as there was no light source present. Due to this, Izroth did not know how deep or far it traveled. But, despite the darkness, Izroth was still able to make out some details. Though if not for his enhanced senses, it would have been impossible for Izroth to even think about navigating through the dark pathway using anything more than luck to hope he somehow managed to reach the exit.
The next moment, Izroth stepped onto the pathway and was immediately swallowed by the darkness.
…
Several minutes later…
Izroth had been traveling in total darkness for the last few minutes and there seemed to be no end in sight. However, just as he was beginning to think that perhaps he was trapped in some sort of endless loop, he saw a glimpse of light pouring through a small crack not too far ahead of him.
Izroth halted his steps as he approached the crack. He could not make out anything on the other side, but there was a faint hint of warmth coming from the light itself.
‘If I’m not mistaken, this glow should originate from a natural light source. Then…’
Izroth looked ahead into the endless darkness. There was no way to tell just how long it would take for him to leave this place if he continued onward. And, if that light truly did come from a natural light source like the sun, it would lead him directly outside of this ruined temple!
The ceiling was roughly ten meters from the ground; however, this was not a problem for Izroth.
Swoosh!
Izroth kicked off the ground as he jumped several meters into the air. Though just as he started to lose momentum, his foot came into contact with the wall and he was propelled further upward. This was thanks to his skill, Wall Walking.
Wall Walking lasted a mere three seconds; therefore, Izroth did not have much time to force open the crack in the ceiling to create a pathway of his own!
‘I need to reserve my Sky Steps in case of emergencies. Since I’m venturing into unknown territory, I should hold onto as many cards as possible until I obtain a solid grasp of this Secret Realm.’
After reaching a bit past the halfway point, Izroth pushed off against the wall with his foot at an angle. This sent him right towards the small crack in the ceiling.
At the same time, Izroth unsheathed his Sword of The Storm. Then, in one motion, he swung twice in quick succession without killing his momentum.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Izroth’s sword strikes left an X-shaped mark over the crack as held his left arm overhead and crashed into the ceiling!
Bang!
The ceiling crumbled under the impact as a bright light poured in while Izroth shot through the new opening.
Zeeeut!
Izroth immediately used a charge of his Primed Instantaneous Movement to ensure his arrival without fault.
Tap.
As his feet touched the ground nearly ten meters away from where the opening he created was formed, Izroth was welcomed by the sight of a wilderness.
This wilderness traveled in every direction as far as the eye could see. But, although it appeared vibrant and full of life, there were still no signs of life present according to Izroth’s Energy Vision Sense. Even the plants, which typically contained faint traces of energy he could observe with his trait, were apparently devoid of life.
However, it did not make any sense. After all, Izroth was currently seeing and feeling the abundance of life with his natural senses right before him.
‘How peculiar.’
