Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 187
"Has it gotten even deeper?"
The path winding alongside the bottomless chasm of the canyon seemed to stretch further into its depths. The further we advanced toward its center, the more profound the abyss appeared.
This fissure was said to be the scar left by the final sword strike of the Azure Tyrant King. It made sense that the deeper we ventured, the more pronounced the damage became.
Though legends claimed that a master could split mountains and rend the earth with their power, such statements were usually exaggerations. Sure, a master might be capable of leveling a small hill, but this scar seemed far beyond even their abilities.
"This isn’t the work of a human master’s sword energy. It’s closer to divine power."
And then, there was the demonic energy lingering in the air, condensed into an oppressive presence.
It reminded me of when I had defeated the Demon King, pouring all my inner energy into a final strike that burned my life force to its limit. The Azure Tyrant King, a Death Knight, must have unleashed every ounce of his power onto the land in a similar self-destructive act.
After that, I had been left a wreck. If the Azure Tyrant King’s strength worked similarly, he must have exhausted all his demonic energy and entered a state of dormancy.
But the power of the demonic energy that extended its grasp across dimensions would not allow a being like a Death Knight to rest in peace. Over the millennia, that same energy must have seeped back into him.
And now, the time for his full resurrection had arrived.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing important."
Walking slightly ahead of me, Chris turned back and tilted her head. The sight of her fiery red hair and striking face pulled me out of my contemplations, and I quickly shook my head.
The fleeting moment of reflection passed, and I chose instead to focus on the sister standing before me.
I hurried to catch up, walking beside Chris with a slightly disgruntled expression as I looked up at her.
"Don’t do reckless things."
"Huh? What?"
"What you did yesterday—don’t do it again. At least give me time to prepare myself."
"Ahaha..."
Chris averted her gaze with an awkward laugh. That wasn’t a promising sign. I could feel my cheeks puffing up in frustration.
She turned to face me, placing her hands on my shoulders.
"Rain, that’s a promise I can’t make. If doing something reckless means I can get you closer to your goal, I won’t hesitate."
"But..."
"I won’t die. None of us will, remember? You said it yourself—we’re going to treat this world like a game, so you can carry out your mission without worries."
"Urgh."
She had a point.
Players don’t die.
At most, their in-game avatars are temporarily incapacitated.
Chris focused so much on my mental well-being to help me view this world from an "Isulbi" perspective, making it easier for me to fulfill my remaining responsibilities.
With a kind smile, she ruffled my hair.
"We’ll get through this together, okay? You promised to try."
"I’ll... do my best."
I muttered begrudgingly, trying to push back just a little.
"In that case, since it’s not real, maybe I’ll try something reckless, too."
"You’re not allowed."
"Why not!?"
I protested.
Why could Chris do it, but I couldn’t?
"Because when you get hurt here, it still feels real."
"Urgh."
She was right again.
---
After walking for what felt like hours, talking casually, we finally reached the deepest part of the canyon. There, we found a strange hole.
"Oh."
"Now this feels like the start of a real dungeon."
We had entered from the southern side of the canyon and were moving northward. This hole was located at the midpoint, carved into the cliff face on the left.
The marks around the opening were unnatural, clear evidence of deliberate construction. The entrance was even polished, showing signs of intentional design.
Demons creating such structures might seem surprising, but they were capable of it. While they didn’t build like humans or dwarves, demon strongholds and commanders' quarters often appeared as if crafted with purpose.
Still...
"This is too intricate."
It didn’t resemble a dungeon entrance; it looked more like the entryway to an elaborate structure. Around it were carved patterns and symbols.
I turned to Chris for her opinion.
"Doesn’t this architectural style seem familiar?"
"The Berbea Mountains, the dwarven villages."
I nodded.
Could this dungeon have been built by dwarves?
Why?
---
The mystery deepened as we stepped inside.
The interior bore an uncanny resemblance to the *Berbea Ancient Temple,* an elite dungeon crafted by dwarves that many players had explored.
Chris stared in awe at the dungeon’s artistic interior, her mouth slightly agape.
"Could this be another temple?"
"From a game perspective, it could just be demon-made, but..."
"Given that this game replicates another world, there must be some story behind its creation."
Luminescent mana stones embedded in the walls illuminated the expansive corridors. The hallway was massive, both in width and length, stretching endlessly.
Surprisingly, there were no lesser demons or other monsters in sight. It was as if every creature had been cleared out in preparation for our arrival.
"I guess we should be grateful there aren’t any trash mobs."
"Exactly. Less hassle."
Chris grinned, and I stuck close to her as we moved down the corridor. At its end, we encountered something remarkable.
"Those are..."
On either side of the hallway stood rows of carved statues.
Exquisitely sculpted faces.
Graceful wings on their backs.
If I had to name them, I’d say they were angels.
Chris stared at the statues, her expression blank with surprise.
"Angel statues?"
"Unni, doesn’t this layout remind you of something?"
"...Ah!"
Chris seemed to realize it as I spoke.
The statues resembled those from the early elite dungeon *Tomb of the Sealed Demon,* specifically the second boss, the *Warden Statues.*
If the layout was similar, then these angel statues were likely...
"These will definitely move."
"Yeah, no doubt."
Schwing.
I drew my sword.
Buzz.
Chris summoned her yin-yang orbs, readying herself.
Were these statues the second boss?
As we cautiously moved through the rows of statues, something stirred at the end of the corridor.
Swish.
"Well, well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise! Kakakak!"
A laugh echoed from the darkness. Turning to face it, I saw a shirtless demon male with a combat-ready stance standing there.
[Level ???]
[Gatekeeper Bade]
[HP ??? / ???]
"Gatekeeper Bade!"
Chris exclaimed.
"Unni, do you know him?"
Chris tilted her head, puzzled.
"Huh? Don’t you?"
Now it was my turn to be confused.
Chris recognized him, but I didn’t?
"I thought he was a one-time boss from a first raid attempt. Weird. None of our guildmates or online posts ever mentioned Bade either. He’s an odd one."
I couldn’t follow what she was saying.
"Where did you encounter him?"
"The *Scarlet Grove Raid*—he controlled corrupted ants and animated golems during our first attempt. Didn’t you fight him during your run?"
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"He was behind the mid-bosses in that raid?"
I narrowed my eyes at the demon, raising my sword.
He seemed ordinary—if that word could even describe a demon. But something felt off.
Could this demon, unlike others, exist as a singular entity, unique across all instances?
Was he... something akin to a *player*?
"Hey, you. We need to talk."
As I advanced toward him with my sword drawn, he stepped back, raising both hands.
"Oh no, I can’t do that. I have things to do, you see. The master of this temple has been refusing to take up their role as a Legion Commander for centuries, cutting down any demon who approached them. Kakakak!"
Then, with a sinister smile, he continued.
"But that defiance is at its limit now. The overlords have ordered the creation of a replacement commander. And guess what? I’ve got just the right materials. It’s been in the works for a long time, so look forward to it."
Swish.
Before I could react, he retreated into the wall at the corridor’s end, disappearing completely.
"Wait!"
Zap!
I sent a blade of energy hurtling toward him, but it was too late. He was gone.
*Just wait here and have fun with the angels! Kakakak!*
Crunch.
A strange sound echoed around us.
The statues on either side of the hallway began to move.
Of course, we had been prepared.
Zap!
I cut down one of the angel statues before it fully activated, slicing it cleanly in ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) half. But the others, now fully animated, began deploying barriers.
Buzz.
Their shields displayed their health values.
[Level 58]
[Ninth-Tier Angel]
[HP 30,000,000 / 30,000,000 (100%)]
[Level 58]
[Ninth-Tier Angel]
[HP 30,000,000 / 30,000,000 (100%)]
...
Dozens of Ninth-Tier Angel statues came to life. There were at least ten, possibly more.
"Unni! Let’s deal with these first!"
"R-Right!"
Boom!
From above, a larger angel statue descended, landing with a deafening crash.
"Ooooooohhh—!"
Unlike the Ninth-Tier Angels wielding simple stone swords, this one carried both a sword and shield.
[Level 58]
[
Seventh-Tier Angel]
[HP 200,000,000 / 200,000,000 (100%)]
