Chapter 45: Trial of Hanox (1)

Chapter 45: Trial of Hanox (1)

After successfully concluding his mother's birthday party, Han Jung-Woo logged back into the game.

"Let's see...."

The mini-map indicated that the Trial of Hanox was north of Glendale. It was a place that could only be reached by climbing high mountains, crossing rough rivers, and traveling through deep valleys!

Indeed, the journey there was difficult.

Kai said huffing and puffing, "It's going to take forever just to get there."

After two days of travel, Kai was currently struggling up a steep cliff. He had chosen this difficult path for a simple reason.

"They really don't care about the player's convenience at all!"

It was obvious, but the reason was that the Trial of Hanox was located right on this cliff!

What awaited Kai after his hard climb was a small crevice. It was a place that one would never think to look for without being certain a dungeon was there.

The Trial of Hanox was inside that crevice.

"So this is the Trial of Hanox."

The entrance to the trial looked like an ancient temple from Mayan civilization, and the walls of the structure were filled with drawings that one could find in Egyptian murals.

I probably have to pay close attention to these trivial symbols and drawings to enter the dungeon.

There could be a hidden hint somewhere!

Kai stared at the hieroglyphs and drawings, but that was only for a moment.

[Your level in the Ancient Language Interpretation skill is too low.]

[Your level in the Decryption skill is too low.]

[Your level in the Insight skill is too low.]

[You have completely failed to grasp the meaning contained in the symbols and pictures.]

[You have been staring at a scene you cannot understand with your current state for too long.]

[Afflicted by the Headache status effect. Stamina decreased by 5 every second.]

This world was not lenient at all! With a throbbing headache, Kai felt this harsh truth to his bones. He pushed open the door.

Creeeak

It opened but not a single beam of light came through. It was as if darkness itself had opened its mouth.

Kai prepared himself and entered the darkness. As he stepped down the stairs, the door behind him closed on its own.

"A-ahem!"

With his heart racing, Kai rubbed his goosebumped arms and slowly went down.

What greeted him at the bottom of the stairs was a dome-shaped space.

As he looked around, he began to tremble because of a statue that came into view.

[Apprentice Knight Statue. LV.130]

"I-I’m not supposed to fight that, am I?"

It shouldn't be. It just couldn't be. That threatening statue was an opponent Kai could never defeat with his current abilities! But, unfortunately, a blue flame flickered to life in the deeply hollowed eyes of the knight.

Bzzz.

[Apprentice Knight Statue has awoken from its slumber.]

[Apprentice Knight Statue is evaluating the challenger.]

[Evaluating....]

"Oh, come on! Why do things always happen as expected only in these types of situations!"

Biting his lower lip hard, Kai immediately used all sorts of buffs and then drew his weapon.

How am I supposed to beat something like that?!

A deep sense of defeat floated over Kai's face.

At that moment, additional messages appeared as if they had been waiting for the right time.

[Challenger's job confirmed to be Solaric Cleric.]

[Challenger granted highest level of access.]

[All gates have been unlocked.]

Then the light around the statue's eyes fizzled out like a candle in the wind.

"...What’s going on?"

—Wait, then why have you come here?

"Pardon? Well, I came to continue your legacy...."

—But you’ve already inherited my legacy, haven’t you?

Kai tilted his head in confusion. Inherited? What had he inherited? The only thing he had received on his way here was stress.

Patrick, looking at Kai's gloomy expression, cleared his throat.

—Let me introduce myself again. My name is Patrick Glorious, also known as Radiance, a Paladin of the Church of Solaris. And I am the third Solaris Cleric."

"Wait a minute. You're the third Solaris Cleric?" Kai asked back in a reluctant voice.

What? I'm not the first Solaris Cleric? Is this job more historical and traditional than I thought?

Kai had thought he was the first. Certainly, among players, that would be correct. But if NPCs were included as well, that would be a different story.

Kai's eyes sparkled.

...It is.

MID Online wasn’t a game that ran on just a few simple concepts. The three kingdoms and two empires located on the continent had ongoing history. This was why historians and experts in various fields found MID Online interesting. The entire historical concept was created by the game's developer, Pegasus Co., and the super A.I., Ramus.

So I'm the first Solaris Cleric among players, but there have been three NPCs who held the job before me.

In that case, Patrick was a sunbae[1] to Kai!

Kai quickly bowed his head. "I see. My official greetings to you, sunbae, as a new colleague walking the same path.”

—S-sunbae?

Patrick, who had never received such treatment even after death, was taken aback.

—...It seems the apostle of this era is quite an interesting character.

"Apostle?"

—The representative who will execute the will of the Solarian God, Helik. We call such beings apostles.

"I see. I am grateful for your teaching, sunbae."

—Umm, it's nothing much.

Patrick seemed to like the word 'sunbae,' as he nodded slowly and then murmured,

—Anyway, what to do about this....

As Kai observed him for a moment, he cautiously said, "Sunbae, do you have a concern?"

—I had not anticipated such an event, so things have become a bit troublesome.

Patrick sighed and explained the situation,

—Originally, I would have taught the method to become a Solaris Cleric to the one who passed all of the Trial of Hanox. However... as you can see, you're already become half of an apostle."

"...Half of one?" Kai tilted his head, puzzled. "Are you suggesting that you don’t acknowledge me as the true Solaris Cleric because my power is too weak?"

—No, that's not it... It's because you have not yet fully awakened as a true apostle.

"Does that mean I have not truly awakened as the Solaris Cleric?"

But that can't be....

Suddenly, Kai's train of thought was interrupted, and he looked as if he had been struck on the back of his head.

Wait, come to think of it....

Aside from the skills he acquired during his job change, he hadn’t been able to learn any other skills.

Even when I tried to learn skills at the temple, the category itself was locked.

Perhaps the reason was the half-awakening that Patrick was talking about.

Kai's gaze deepened.

The other half. I must fulfill it.

Even though the Solaris Cleric was a Mythic-grade job, there was a clear limit to what could be done with only half of its potential unlocked.

For Kai, who saw things from a different perspective, this was a situation he wasn’t fond of.

However, instead of harboring complaints, Kai smiled broadly, "So, that means I can become stronger than now?"

It wouldn’t be by just leveling up or equipping better equipment, but by enhancing the abilities of his job itself! A path opened up to him that everyone desired but not everyone could take.

—Of course. If you truly awaken as an apostle....

Patrick quickly scanned Kai's entire body and declared in a firm voice,

—You will become incomparably stronger than you are now.

1. Sunbae is a Korean term that is typically used to address an upperclassman in school, or someone who is more experienced in the same particular field as oneself. ☜