Extra in a Romance Fantasy

119 – Entry (1)

Time passed, and at last, the day of the hero’s tomb opening had arrived.

The atmosphere of the camp, once filled with subtle warmth and vitality, sank in an instant.

They all knew well that the events about to unfold, the space they were about to enter, would not be an easy place to navigate.

Thus, most of the people waited for the door to open with faces clearly marked by tension.

And our group was no different.

“It’s almost time.”

“Indeed.”

“I can’t help but feel my heart racing at what might be waiting for us.”

Max, Johanna, and Hector, who had temporarily stepped away from the mission after safely escorting the client to the destination.

We were all prepared to enter the tomb, waiting for it to open.

Despite being seasoned mercenaries, the tension was evident on the faces of all three, even Johanna, who usually showed little sign of such feelings.

It was understandable.

The place we were about to enter was the tomb of a hero, a space crafted by the grand sorcerer who had reached the pinnacle of magic.

We had no idea what kind of environment or dangers awaited us inside.

No matter how long they had worked as mercenaries in the forest, it was a situation that could not help but induce tension.

I, too, maintained a calm expression, but I was feeling my own kind of anxiety.

The reason, however, was different from the others.

If the hero’s tomb was real, and if the creator of the tomb was indeed Verhabill, I wouldn’t have much to worry about.

Honestly, I felt that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t find myself in danger.

However, if that were not the case.

Imagining that the tomb was not made by Verhabill inevitably made me tense.

I had no way of predicting what kind of purpose the “organization” might have or what tricks they might have played.

I could only fervently hope that whatever awaited me would be a problem I could handle.

After swallowing my tension and anxiety for a while.

“The door is opening!”

At last, the time had come.

Kuuung—

The massive stone door began to open with a tremendous sound, as if it had never been touched by anyone or anything.

And what lay beyond the opened door was a pitch-black space where nothing could be seen.

“…Indeed, it seems that from the very beginning, this is anything but ordinary.”

It was merely a black space, but that was precisely why everyone present realized it.

That beyond it lay a completely new realm.

An unknown space where anything could be waiting inside.

Stepping into it was a daunting task, even for a skilled warrior.

As this subtle atmosphere lingered.

“I shall go in first!”

A man shouted, his voice echoing through the tomb, as he leaped through the door.

It was the white-haired man, Kahim.

“Haah…”

Following him with a sigh was his sister, Pana, and the white-haired siblings jumped into the black space behind the door, soon vanishing from sight.

And that was the beginning.

“We’re going in too!”

“Let’s go!”

It is said that the hardest part is always the beginning, and with Kahim breaking that most difficult barrier, a torrent of momentum followed.

Those gathered began to leap into the black space, one after another.

The force was so tremendous that it was visibly apparent how the number of people filling this vast space began to dwindle.

“Well then, we should start heading in as well.”

Max, who had been watching the flow from a distance, spoke up.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and we jumped into the space behind the door.

*

“Hmm…”

In a forest where trees stretched endlessly, a figure was lost in thought.

With arms crossed, the figure pondered for quite some time before finally speaking.

“…Well, I suppose I can head this way.”

Choosing a direction, the figure stepped forward as if there was no hesitation at all.

Thus, the figure soon disappeared, hidden by the dense trees.

*

A strange sensation of moving through space brushed against my entire body.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a place I had never seen before.

It was a room surrounded by stone walls.

Only one side is open.

“…….”

I slowly looked around.

All I could see were stone walls.

Not a single person was in sight.

‘…So this is how it is.’

I figured that the structure of this space was likely designed this way.

A layout that separates everyone who enters.

Though I found myself alone in this unknown space, rather than feeling anxious, I felt a sense of relief.

If my companions were nearby, I would have been too distracted by their presence to act properly.

Considering the purpose of my being here, it was better that there were no people around.

However, it was also true that I worried about my separated companions.

This place was probably quite dangerous.

And aside from that, Max was likely in a state of utter confusion.

Max was responsible for my protection on this journey.

Even if that role turned out to be unnecessary, in Max’s perception, I was just a novice mercenary in need of care, so I imagined that the moment he realized I was not around, he would feel dizzy.

Yet, that didn’t mean I was going to look for my companions.

There were things I needed to confirm here, and I didn’t have the luxury to wander around searching for them.

I had to move forward.

With that thought organized in my mind, I began to walk straight along the only path.

The path stretched on for quite a long time.

With no changes, the same road continued endlessly, creating an illusion that it might go on infinitely.

How long had I walked in that strange sensation?

Finally, a change appeared in the path.

A room emerged.

Without hesitation, I walked into the room and came face to face with it.

A stone figure, slightly larger than a human.

I recognized its identity the moment I saw it.

‘It’s a golem.’

Golem.

To put it simply, it was a doll created by magic.

With the right materials, it was relatively easy to make, and it faithfully followed commands, which made it a favorite among wizards as guardians.

‘How conventional.’

The great wizard Verhabill created it… or so it was said, the first gate of the hero’s tomb was a golem.

From the perspective that it was made by a wizard, it was indeed a quintessential guardian, but if you considered that it was made by Verhabill, it could be seen as a somewhat disappointing first challenger.

At first glance, its appearance and size didn’t seem particularly special.

Hmm—

As I quietly observed the golem, it finally seemed to recognize me, emitting a small mechanical sound as it began to move.

And without warning, it charged straight at me.

Its speed was astonishingly quick and agile, far beyond what one would imagine from its clumsy exterior.

Even a seasoned martial artist could find themselves breathless in an instant.

However, despite such a sudden movement, there was no sign of panic on my face.

I reached out my fist toward the golem that was rushing at me like a bolt of lightning.

Crack!

A hole was punched through the golem’s upper body.

And then, the golem came to a halt.

What I had done was simple.

I had merely struck the part where the golem’s core resided with my fist, shattering it.

The core was the golem’s power source.

Once the core was destroyed, the golem could no longer function.

Thus, this golem was rendered immobile.

“……”

After glancing at the golem that had completely ceased to operate, I began to walk down the path it had been blocking.

Surely, among those who had entered this tomb, very few would be obstructed by that golem.

Most of those gathered around the tomb were individuals of considerable skill.

Perhaps there might be someone struggling, but the majority would likely pass through without much difficulty.

With such thoughts in mind, I continued on my way.

After a while of moving forward, the second chamber came into view.

However, this time, there was no guardian inside.

There was just one difference from the previous chamber.

—

Indeed, it was not just one path.

In the room, there was the path opposite to the one I had entered, and the path along the right wall.

So there were a total of two paths.

“…….”

Faced with this crossroads, I pondered.

More than the guardian, this was what truly troubled me.

For someone like me, who needed to move forward quickly, a crossroads was a bothersome presence.

There was no time to stop and check each path one by one.

Yet, it was also difficult to use magic to sense anything. Perhaps due to the peculiar nature of this space, my magic couldn’t penetrate the walls.

It seemed possible to break through, but without knowing what this space truly was, doing such a thing would be akin to inviting disaster upon myself.

If an uncontrollable situation were to arise, I might be fine, but others certainly wouldn’t be.

Because of that, I had no suitable method, and I could only continue to worry.

However, fortunately, my worries soon washed away.

From the opposite path, I sensed a presence, and a woman stepped out.

“…Oh.”

The woman spotted me, her eyes widening, and then she smiled.

“It’s nice to see you again like this.”

With her rare white hair swaying, she spoke those words.

*

“…….”

In a space where only stone walls were visible, he lifted his head.

After surveying his surroundings, he realized he had successfully entered the space, and without hesitation, he began to move forward.

There was no time to be dazed.

If he lingered in a stupor, all the plans he had prepared would come to naught.

This time, he had to deliver good news to ‘that person’ without fail.