Temple of the Sage

Jeobuk, jeobuk.

“It’s quite deep…”

“Indeed?”

Footsteps echoed in a dark and quiet place.

Nadia and I moved through the space together.

The path forward was a single road.

“What kind of place could this be?”

I crawled, sliding like a snake on the glass-like smooth floor.

There was no problem with entry since I had reduced my volume to 6 meters.

This would have been impossible if I hadn’t acquired polymorph.

Uwung-

Blue mana circuits run and illuminate the path at every contact surface we touch.

It was as if directing us which way to go.

It was truly a dreamlike science fiction-like scenery.

Thanks to this, lighting was unnecessary.

“It’s not ancient Arubian either… it’s impossible to read.”

Nadia looked around the surrounding walls and expressed difficulty.

“You can read ancient West Continental language too?”

“It’s essential when studying the Sand Scripture, which records the deeds of the desert god Karayan.”

“I can’t read it either… what could these say?”

Just like the stele seen from the outside, the walls on both sides were smooth stone walls with obsidian texture.

The walls were inscribed with extremely squiggly vertical text.

It wasn’t the current Arubian script.

They were things that couldn’t be read even with the ability of Xenoglossia, which has automatic translation and interpretation functions.

I speculated that these were some kind of artificial language like Arka of Earth.

I don’t know what purpose this fabricated language was created for.

“This…”

Midway, Nadia stopped her steps and pointed at the wall with her finger.

Uwung-

At her gesture, the inscriptions on the wall resonated.

Blue fluorescent mana circuits ran through the inscriptions.

“Just this one… I can read. Aslan. A person known as the Sage of Time.”

“The Sage of Time?”

“Aslan Niven Murabiyan Hal Zartasha… In the distant ancient times thousands of years ago, a legendary figure who made a name as the alchemist of the century. He essentially laid the foundation for West Continental alchemy.”

Feeling interested, I looked at the squiggly writing she pointed to.

“…Uniquely, he was known to be able to predict the future. He claimed that the true gold of alchemy is the flawless concept of time, and through perfect understanding of space-time, one can prepare for the future. Like the twilight setting on the desert horizon, I thought it was just a faint legend… to find his name here.”

“Isn’t he a figure from too long ago? Could this place be related to him?”

“It seems likely…”

Nadia trailed off at my question.

“If we go further, would the answer to the question come out?”

“Probably.”

We started moving again.

The sage’s temple had a structure that went absurdly deep.

It was hard to believe that such a place had been created underground in the distant ancient times.

“Just how far does this extend?”

“It feels like we’ve entered the belly of a huge snake.”

When we had been walking for quite some time.

“It’s a dead end…”

Suddenly, the space at the end was blocked.

There was no side path anywhere in the ceiling, ground, or walls.

It feels like getting an empty draw when expecting something beneficial from a draw box.

“Hmm, that’s probably not it?”

I slid across the floor and slightly stepped forward.

“Pardon?”

“Look carefully at the center of the wall. Just like when we entered, can you see the protruding part in the center?”

“Ah…!”

Nadia exclaimed as if she had realized.

The dead-end wall had a slight protrusion in the exact center.

As if begging the sharp-eyed maze enthusiasts to please press it.

“Then we should press it.”

Wiiing-

I slightly exerted telekinesis.

Dulkuk. Kiiiiii…

The doorknob turned, and the hinges made an old sound.

We entered the newly revealed darkness.

It was a narrow stone chamber that couldn’t even be 10 pyeong.

Passuk.

Midway, something broke under Nadia’s feet.

Looking closely, it was a tool used for surveying.

Nadia carefully looked around.

“Something… a laboratory perhaps?”

As Nadia said, it looked like a laboratory or study.

Bookshelves positioned on the left and right, and books densely inserted.

In front, a large desk was placed.

On it, a human figure was sitting in a chair, turned toward us.

A faded turban, a robe that once must have been luxurious.

It was someone’s skeleton.

“The sage, Aslan…”

Nadia spoke in a subdued voice.

Naturally, he was no longer a person of this world.

However, Aslan was uniquely holding something to his chest with both hands.

It was a seed shining brilliantly in five colors of the rainbow, the size of a jujube.

It was generating its own light in this dark room.

“What could this already dead person want to convey to me…”

I crawled to the legs of Aslan’s chair and looked up at what he was holding.

The five-colored seed held by Aslan emitted an extremely chilling light.

[Approached the trace of the dead. Access to the thought residue of the dead becomes possible.]

Suddenly, a new system message appeared.

Currently, I am exerting Death Mode.

It seems there’s such an unexpected function.

[…White Sovereign?]

Suddenly, Aslan, who had been lowering his head, lifted it.

A calm male voice also echoed in my mind.

[Who are you.]

I instinctively questioned the telepathic voice.

Aslan’s closed jawbone gaped open.

[I am Aslan Niven Murabiyan Hal Zartasha. Also known to the world as the Sage of Time. Although it’s been a very long time since I was stuck here… by the time you meet me, I would have been long dead.]

The voice introducing himself as Aslan continued speaking.

[Welcome, our visitor from the unknown and savior arrived from another world.]

Aslan formally greeted.

“Nadia? Can you hear the voice now?”

“Huh? What voice?”

Nadia tilted her head at me with her blue eyes wide open.

“You can’t… hear this?”

“Huh? Not at all?”

“The dead Aslan is currently speaking to me?”

“R-really?”

Nadia was startled and stared at Aslan’s remains.

[You must be curious how I, who died long ago, am speaking to you. Well, it’s the application of complex magic. Before entering this formula, I forcibly put my body in a half-dead state. Hoping to meet you while still alive, if possible.]

Aslan clacked his jawbone slowly and spoke incomprehensible words.

[But 3,000 years have passed. Eventually, I reached my limit and truly died at some point… but even though my body has become like this, due to an additional formula cast right before death, my mental entity still remains and operates. Nevertheless, it was flickering precariously as if about to go out… but finally, you’ve come. I’m truly relieved…]

Aslan explained with a voice of relief.

Despite his body decaying into a skeleton, he seemed alive for some reason.

[You already knew… that I would come in the distant future?]

[That’s right. Since I awakened to the prediction of space-time, I’ve been waiting for you all along.]

[For what reason?]

[…Do you know the saying that the universe reincarnates?]

Aslan answered my question with a counter-question.

[The watchers of the world who have realized the truth, the guardians of the world, come to make truly many preparations…]

Aslan seemed to just unilaterally list things.

I asked again in the incomprehensible context.

[What are you talking about?]

[I don’t know either. This is my mission and role. Simply because I saw such a future.]

[What?]

[The cyclical universe… the reincarnating world… everything converges to the theory of the ouroboros snake.]

I couldn’t be sure if the conversation was properly taking place.

[Tell me more. These concepts of space-time and cycle keep intertwining, what do they mean?]

[The cycle of reincarnation must be broken. All variables are meant to be controlled.]

Suddenly, Aslan raised both hands that had been gathered at his chest.

He revealed the seed shining brilliantly in five colors.

[This is the seed of evolution… the result of my lifelong research. Dreaming of becoming a god, daringly challenging the achievement of divine power, my wish fulfilled by investing everything I had. Take this.]

[Seed of evolution…?]

[…Anyway, with this, I can now rest in peace. My role is finished.]

Aslan slowly closed his jawbone that had been clacking.

[That is all.]

Aslan lowered his head just like that.

Then he no longer moved.

He had really become a corpse.

Karuruk…

The skeleton sitting in the chair crumbled just like that.

All the clothes he wore also turned to ash.

The aftermath of the restrained years swept through.

Only the seed remained.

“What?”

The meeting was much shorter than expected.

Is this really all he wanted to say?

Doesn’t one usually go on and on with long speeches in such situations?

“Rest in peace…”

Nadia lowered her head and offered a silent prayer.

“The sage… waited continuously until the White Sovereign arrived. In this narrow and dark place…”

The Time Sage Aslan, who had crumbled and turned to ash.

Only the seed of evolution remained intact on his remains.

It was still an incomprehensible context, but I was curious.

“If that’s what he asked.”

I crawled toward the five-colored shining seed of evolution and opened my mouth.

I chewed it hard.

Kaduk.

For a moment, a power that felt like it would explode swirled in my body.

[The seed of evolution has bloomed. Responding to divinity, physical growth occurs daily. Additional growth also occurs according to specific conditions.]

Something absurd system message appeared.

“What…?”

Followed by unbelievable words.

[The seed of evolution activates. Physical growth has occurred.]

[Height: 54m -> 55m.]

[Weight: 1,050t -> 1,110t.]