Seeing the towering giant, over four meters tall, groveling on the ground, not even daring to lift his head before Mr. Azik spoke—completely different from how he had conversed with Ebner earlier—Ebner finally grasped the true weight of the title "Death Consul" among the dead.
Even though Giant Lord Levin likely possessed demigod-level strength, he had long since perished. Now, he was merely an undead fortunate enough to become a gatekeeper of the Underworld. Against Mr. Azik, he had no ability to resist… perhaps not even the thought of resisting.
Thus, while Ebner found the scene striking, he wasn't particularly surprised. What concerned him more was Mr. Azik's current state.
What exactly did he encounter in that Underworld ruin to cause such a drastic change?
As he pondered, Azik scrutinized Levin as if trying to recall something before speaking in a deep voice:
"What did Tana trade with you?"
Tana? If I recall correctly, that was the name of the second-generation Baron Ramde, Mr. Azik's son, whose body was later desecrated by Ince Zangwill…
During my "Historical Retrospection," I saw a knight who resembled Mr. Azik take away the "Conqueror" characteristic. That must have been him.
So, he made a deal with Levin in order to enter the Underworld and retrieve that peculiar crown covered in rust and dried blood? Given that Tana was at best a demigod, he might have been able to command undead to some extent, but he surely couldn't suppress Levin the way Mr. Azik just did.
But from my previous "Retrospection," Mr. Azik came here once twelve years ago… Why didn't he ask about this back then?
Did he ask but later forget?
Various speculations surfaced in Ebner's mind as he observed the unfolding scene.
Meanwhile, Levin kept his forehead pressed firmly to the ground. In a hoarse and faltering voice, he replied:
"Sir Tana wished to enter the Underworld to retrieve an item… As the price of passage, he gave me a key…
"I initially refused, but he told me that this key could open a 'pathway' near the Silver Kingdom in the vicinity of the Royal Court…
"As a descendant of giants, my greatest dream has always been to return to the Royal Court… So, I agreed to the exchange…
"I beg for your forgiveness…"
Levin's voice trembled with apprehension as he spoke. This wasn't surprising—after all, as the "gatekeeper" of the Underworld appointed by another "Death Consul," he had bent the rules to allow someone in. This was practically the equivalent of being caught red-handed for taking a bribe.
Of course, he was unaware of Tana's relationship with Mr. Azik.
Azik, however, did not pursue the matter. He simply commanded in an irrefutable tone, "Bring me that key."
"Yes, great Death Consul," Levin rumbled in response, as if relieved. Without even rising, he crawled away from the reception hall, heading toward the storage chamber.
Once Levin had temporarily left, Azik turned to Ebner. His expression softened slightly, and he smiled as he said, "I saw Tana's message to me in the Underworld again… It helped me recall some things, which made me rather emotional. I hope I didn't frighten you."
As long as you're fine, sir, everything else is secondary. Ebner grumbled inwardly but outwardly feigned curiosity as he asked, "A message…?"
He had received feedback from Mr. Fool regarding this before, but Mr. Azik himself wasn't aware of it.
"…Yes, Tana left a message for me in the Underworld during that mission… Heh, that child was always loyal to Loen. Even when his best friend was mysteriously replaced, he endured it without investigating further… But in the end, just because of his message, he was suspected and poisoned…"
Azik's voice carried a hint of sorrow. Then, he continued, "I only had a vague impression of this before, but after reading his message again, I finally understood…
"It turns out Loen was after the 'Conqueror' Beyonder characteristic hidden by the Death God.
"They made extensive preparations for this and somehow learned about the gatekeeper's circumstances, which led them to acquire the so-called 'key'."
He paused for a moment before adding in a slow but resolute tone:
"My son… did not need to bribe a mere gatekeeper to enter the Underworld!"
So that's why you're demanding the key back… But without knowing the 'specific location' where it should be used, what good is just having the key?
Could it rely on some kind of "convergence" effect to let fate guide its holder to the right place? That sounds far too mystical… It might take hundreds or even thousands of years to find it…
Judging from Mr. Azik's attitude toward his son, he still seems to be the gentle history professor… Hmm, the last time he came here, he probably didn't ask Levin for the key because he was already close to slumbering again. He had grown so indifferent that he no longer saw Tana as having any connection to him…
While Ebner contemplated these matters, Giant Lord Levin returned to the reception hall. Kneeling once more, he held a one-meter-square stone tablet in both hands and respectfully presented it to Mr. Azik.
The so-called key is actually a stone tablet?
Ebner stole a glance at it, and his gaze immediately sharpened.
The patterns etched on the tablet looked oddly familiar. With a bit of effort, he recalled where he had seen them before:
"The fifth level of the Dream Labyrinth Tower."
"The murals in the Elven Trial Temple."
"The symbol of the God of Fortune."
Azik toyed with the stone tablet for a moment before noticing the astonishment in Ebner's eyes. He then chuckled and asked, "Have you seen records about this key before?"
Upon hearing this, even Levin, who had been keeping his head lowered, couldn't help but raise it slightly and gaze expectantly at Ebner.
Though Levin had accepted this "bribe," the key had always been more of a dream than a practical tool for him. He had neither knowledge of its corresponding location nor the ability to leave this nightmare. His only hope was that someday, a living giant descendant would come to help him fulfill his long-held wish.
—This was, in fact, why he had taken the advice of the Calamity Seal and had previously asked Mr. Azik to take that notebook out into the world.
"I don't know anything about the key itself… but I recognize the patterns on it. They belong to the 'God of Fortune,'" Ebner replied honestly after some thought.
"The God of Fortune?" Azik frowned slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the name.
Levin also looked equally puzzled, his singular, upright eye filled with confusion.
Seeing their reactions, Ebner carefully chose his words and gave a brief explanation: "The God of Fortune was a subordinate deity of the Elven King Sunia Solem in the Second Epoch. He presided over the elven Trial Temple."
And he was likely a transmigrator…
Of course, Ebner left that last part unsaid.
"Elves? Why would an elven subordinate god create a passage leading near the Giant King's Court?" Mr. Azik pondered for a moment but couldn't come up with an answer, so he set the thought aside for now.
However, Ebner had already formed a few speculations.
As a suspected transmigrator, it makes perfect sense that the God of Fortune, knowing the future closure of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, would leave several exit routes. In fact, when he took Queen Cohinem and fled the Elven King's Court, he likely relied on prior arrangements.
As for why it connects to the Silver Kingdom near the Giant King's Court… I recall the original novel mentioning that the Silver Kingdom initially worshiped the Giant Queen, the "Goddess of Harvest," Omebella.
Omebella later became one of Lilith's aliases…
And the former subordinate god of the Vampires, the "Blood Moon Queen" Auernia, defected to the Elven King after Lilith's "death"…
With the God of Fortune, a transmigrator who must have known all this, it's entirely possible he secretly contacted Lilith and even struck some kind of deal.
Which resulted in the creation of this passage…
As for locations that could match this key, I can think of two.
One is the "Trial Temple"—though I have no idea who owns it now.
The other is the ruin beneath "Fragrant Manor"…
I believe the latter is more likely!
After all, such a passage would need to be in a secluded place. The Trial Temple, as a public facility, wouldn't be ideal…
As his thoughts raced, Ebner reached a conclusion. However, he remained wary of the ruin beneath his estate and wasn't in a hurry to explore it. Thus, he refrained from shamelessly asking Mr. Azik for that "brick"—no, that "key"—intending to wait until he reached demigod level and was fully prepared.
Even if the ruin itself isn't dangerous, the Forsaken Land of the Gods on the other side of the passage is filled with unimaginable horrors. Without becoming a demigod, I wouldn't dare step inside.
Besides, all of this is just my speculation for now.
Mr. Azik glanced at Ebner before putting away the "key." Then, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Once you take the 'Five-Colored Radiant Stone,' the courtyard here will become even more dangerous. Are you still planning to come back tomorrow night?"
"Since I've already promised, I have to see it through… But I'll remind that lady to be cautious," Ebner replied without much hesitation.
Mr. Azik nodded and instructed the kneeling Levin, "Hide the castle. After tomorrow night, once the visitors have left, I will completely seal the breach that connects this place to the Seamount."
Then, turning back to Ebner, he added, "If you ever need to return, you can use the notebook imbued with my power and follow the hot spring's stream outside."
A notebook? That giant descendant's notebook contains Mr. Azik's power?
That explains it… No wonder he immediately recalled the way to enter this Underworld-linked nightmare upon seeing it at the hot spring inn.
With this realization, Ebner nodded and said, "I understand, Mr. Azik."
"Then let's head out. Once we've collected the dragon bones and the Five-Colored Radiant Stone, I'll take you back to reality," Mr. Azik said, a smile returning to his face as he added jokingly, "Of course, I won't leave you behind this time."
With that, Ebner and Azik left the castle under Giant Levin's respectful farewell and returned to the courtyard.
Ebner first approached the dragon's skeleton, using the ability of the "Cursed Tudor Emblem" to "distort" its weight. Then, he simulated the power of a "Zombie" to lift it and seal it into the blank card Roselle had created.
He had previously considered refining the bone dragon right here in the courtyard, but that was when he had no means of taking it away. Now that he had this card, it was far safer to relocate the process elsewhere.
After all, this nightmare existed deep within the collective subconscious sea and intersected with the Underworld—it was by no means a secure location.
A flash of light signaled the dragon's skeleton vanishing, and in the center of the ornate card, a skeletal design appeared.
Above the design, the true name of the skeleton was displayed: "Bones of Sophia."
Sophia? That was the name of the former 'Greed' lady, wasn't it?
As this thought crossed Ebner's mind, he instinctively tapped the name with his finger—only to be surprised when the card flashed with a line of text, "Would you like to modify the true name?"
Wait… This is basically a game feature, isn't it? Was this Roselle's idea, or one of those ridiculous schemes from the so-called "Doghead Military Advisor," the Calamity Seal?
Chuckling to himself, Ebner selected "No," then stored the card before moving to the ritual setup that held the "Five-Colored Radiant Stone."
Activating "Pure White Eye," he meticulously examined the formation. After a moment's contemplation, he retrieved some of his prepared materials and used the dragon blood he had collected to paint a secondary ritual site adjacent to Roselle's original arrangement.
"I plan to use this demigod dragon blood as the foundation for a temporary ritual core. This way, after I remove the 'Five-Colored Radiant Stone,' the 'barrier' here can last a bit longer… That way, the people coming tomorrow night will face less danger," Ebner explained while making his preparations.
"No rush. Take your time," Mr. Azik replied with a smile.
Under the "Twilight" radiance, where time was nearly frozen, it was impossible to tell how long had passed. Finally, Ebner activated the altar, its crimson hue deepening with the dragon's blood, then reached out and removed the "Five-Colored Radiant Stone," carefully placing it in a metal box.
With this task done, he returned to where the dragon's skeleton had once rested and refilled his containers with dragon blood before contentedly walking back to Mr. Azik's side.
"All set?" Mr. Azik asked with a smile.
"All set," Ebner confirmed, feeling he had gained significantly from this trip. He even considered attempting his advancement to Sequence 5 before the "performance" tomorrow night.
Without another word, Mr. Azik reached out, placing a hand on Ebner's shoulder.
The colors around them intensified, vivid yet layered in disorienting overlap.
A few minutes later, they "walked" out of the Spirit World and returned to the hot spring's waterside.
"I won't be joining you in that nightmare tomorrow, but I'll be watching over you all from the shadows," Mr. Azik said. Then, with a hint of amusement, he added, "However, I came in a rush and don't have any gold horn notes on me, so I'll need to stay in your 'Trier Golf Club' suite until tomorrow night."
"Make yourself at home," Ebner replied with feigned generosity.
After all, the card Cullen had given him was a top-tier "Gold Card," meaning his suite was nearly as spacious as a villa in Backlund.
Besides, he expected Jane and the lion, Leon, to arrive in Indor Port tonight. Having a powerhouse around would certainly provide some reassurance when dealing with that demigod lion, wouldn't it?
After escorting Mr. Azik back to the club, Ebner himself returned to a concealed cave on another mountain near the hot spring inn, then activated the "Teleportation Altar" to head back to Bayam.
The "Dragonblood Five-Colored Flower," a key auxiliary ingredient for the "Mysticism Magister" potion, was something he had commissioned Chubby Pharmacist Darkwill to cultivate. It was supposed to take another two weeks to mature…
But with the infusion of "Demigod Dragon Blood," the process could be greatly accelerated.
If he could get the petals today, and then "harvest" the lion in Indor tonight, all the main and auxiliary ingredients would finally be complete!