Chapter 166: A Story Only I Don't Know 1

Chapter 166: A Story Only I Don't Know 1

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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The party members were completely exhausted after their lengthy adventure.

Despite having restful sleep in a sanctuary infused with divine energy, over ten days of relentless activity had taken a toll on their bodies.

Upon leaving the tower, they each staggered to their rooms, too tired to even consider celebrating their recent victories.

Han Se-ah didn't even bother to secretly attach a camerashowing just how tired everyone was.

The following morning, rejuvenated by hot baths, we gathered at the guild's table to look for requests on the 35th floor.

It was then that the guild's doors burst open.

Is Adventurer Roland, Sir Roland, here?!

A temple knight in shining white armor stood at the entrance.

Her armor was typical of her kind, but her voice, emanating from beneath her helmet, was unexpectedly gentle.

All eyes turned toward the knight, their attention captured by both her imposing presence and the feminine quality of her voice.

Some of the gazes then shifted to me, full of curiosity.

The high-level adventurers who recognized me seemed to silently question what I could have possibly done to warrant a temple knight's search.

I am Roland, but

Oh, Sir Roland! You are as tall and handsome as I heard.

The knight had come in search of someone, and upon spotting me, she spoke with a hint of caution.

I knew better than to foster bad relations with the temple, especially in a medieval fantasy world, so I responded carefully.

However, there was a noticeable excitement in her voice, free from any hostility or anger.

It seemed to be about the divine energy.

She was a temple knight, a person who lived according to the will of the Goddess.

Yet she seemed as excited as a child in front of a birthday gift.

As she enthusiastically grasped my wrists, the clanking of her white gauntlets filled the air.

I had thought that a common adventurer like me, using divine energy, might be shunned or looked down upon.

Was this a modern person's overly influenced by fantasy novels perspective?

Without realizing it, I channeled divine energy into my hands, which she held.

Her reaction was of pure astonishment.

"Wow, this energy is so pure!"

-What's going on here?Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

-I was looking forward to a possible event on the 35th floor, but is this turning into a temple-related event?

-That knight's eyes and voice... what's wrong with her?

-I thought we were going to go shopping and then make some troll bombs.

-So where did the bomb pouch go? There's only a chatty lady here.

[Troll Acne Specialist Han Se ah donated 10,000 won!]

"Looks like Roland's personal quest is tied to the temple. We all thought only Irene would be involved, but now the temple knights are here for Roland. Maybe it's due to his Paladin title?"

Grace and Irene seemed uncomfortable with the attention, while Han Se-ah and Katie, no strangers to the spotlight, appeared unaffected.

The knight's attitude towards Han Se-ah shifted slightly; maybe they were starting to believe she was indeed a genius mage.

We arrived at the temple, enveloped by the temple knights in a formation.

They guided us beyond the areas typically open to the public, such as the prayer hall and the orphanage's playroom.

We entered sections that weren't even displayed on the minimap.

"This place isn't on the minimap. It seems you can only access it as part of the storyline. Given the game's open-ended nature, I'd wager access depends on more than just story progression. Like a high level affiliation with the temple."

As we reached a majestic hallway flanked by towering white pillars, it felt like stepping from a cathedral into a space inspired by an ancient Greek temple.

Even Irene, who, as a Saint Candidate, might have been expected to be familiar with such a place, gazed around in awe.

We were ushered into a grand hall lined with white pillars.

The temple knights stood motionless, almost blending into the architecture.

The lead knight gestured for me to step forward into the center of the hall.

"Roland, Sir Roland of Lombardo. You have heeded the Goddess's summons, harnessed divine energy, and embarked upon a treacherous journey."

'Where is Lombardo?'

I wondered this as I stood there, listening to a voice addressing me.

It wasn't coming from any particular direction; it filled the space, perhaps amplified by magic or divine energy.

The problem was, I couldn't understand the gentle female voice enveloping the hall.

Since I fell into Roland's body in its adult form, I was clueless about his past or his place of origin.

As I stood there in silence, grappling with my own ignorance about Roland's past and his connection to Lombardo, I realized that my lack of knowledge was partly due to how I had entered this world.

I had posted a lengthy message on the community forum and spammed macros without reading Roland's character bio.

I'd been living in this world for ten years, yet new things like this pop out of nowhere, like the addition of the Northern Duke to the world's setting.

Perhaps, as a side effect of hearing Han Se-ah's direct conversations with her viewers, I was oblivious to the 'patch notes' that NPCs seemed aware of.

Caught off guard by the conversation, I simply bowed my head, staying quiet.

"......"

When in doubt, fitting in with the current atmosphere is half the battle.

"You could settle for an ordinary life of wealth and honor. You could avoid the darkness for a comfortable, peaceful existence. Yet, you've chosen to climb the blasphemous tower. Who could question your determination? Isn't that so, Sister Irene?"

"Yes, yes!"

I bowed my head silently, thinking I have to complete the quest, anyway when suddenly a voice came from nearby.

Startled, I realized they were from Irene, who, clearly nervous, had stepped trembling into the center of the hall.

Suddenly, I received a notification:

[Detected a Fragment of an Unknown Dimension]

[The Blessing of an Unknown God Descends Upon Your Body]

Unlike last time, no illusions showed up, nor did a system message asking for confirmation pop up.

Yet a system message popped up as if I had confirmed something.

What had I agreed to?

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