episode_0056

Hidden episode.

It was an event one could often stumble upon while playing the game.

It’s easier to think of it as an Easter egg chapter hidden by the developers here and there.

While it didn’t significantly impact the official storyline, it was possible to gain new information about the world setting or additional narratives about the characters.

Sometimes, powerful items would also appear as rewards.

‘These were contents I’d studied quite diligently.’

After all, I had uploaded walkthrough videos multiple times.

It seemed I had personally discovered over roughly 20 episodes myself.

This one was no different.

[EP???. How to Cross the Desert]

-The Door Opening in the Sky, The Boy Staying Up with the Stars-

It was an event triggered when a specific object was touched in a specific location.

An event that could only be participated in once per game playthrough.

While the stage difficulty was quite high, considering the quality of the rewards, it was well worth the challenge.

Because there were items that could only be obtained here.

“W-what on earth is this place…?”

A soft voice echoed.

It was none other than Regia.

The girl, who had been steeped in confusion just moments ago, had seemingly come to her senses and was now looking around.

Her green eyes seemed to be grasping the situation.

“A desert, all of a sudden…? I was clearly just browsing an old shop a moment ago.”

The scenery reflected in their vision was entirely golden.

An endlessly stretching sand desert.

The scene transitioned with an unrealistic shift.

As they leisurely admired the scenery, the pilot, who had been bewildered, muttered.

“Are we… perhaps hallucinating…?”

“Well… I don’t feel anything particularly strange. It seems highly likely that this is reality.”

“No, no way.”

“This truly is a bizarre situation.”

“If we’re not hallucinating, then h-how on earth are we supposed to explain the current scenery…?”

“Hmm.”

I spoke softly.

“It seems we’ve been caught in an accident.”

“Y-yes?”

“First of all, it seems there was some problem with the book we touched… but I don’t know the exact details either.”

“Th-that’s right. It happened so fast…”

“Perhaps the page was enchanted.”

“Ugh.”

First, we needed to acknowledge that we had been caught in an accident.

Just moments ago, they were walking in the academy, only to lose consciousness briefly and then open their eyes to find themselves stranded in the middle of a desert.

It was certainly bewildering.

I waited for a moment until Regia calmed down.

The girl, who had seemed lost in thought, soon stood up as if she had realized something else.

“Oh?”

Regia extended her hand into the air.

The girl, who had been waving her hand in front of her eyes for a moment, then spoke with a stiff expression.

“Y-Young Master-nim… mana isn’t gathering at my fingertips.”

“What?”

“The flow of air is strange. I can definitely feel mana, but as soon as I try to manifest magic, it scatters immediately.”

“Indeed.”

This was the core of this field.

A space where magic was completely neutralized. In this desert, the use of mana for the realization of magic was absolutely forbidden.

It was truly poison for mages.

What some traveler called it: ‘The Land That Doesn’t Shine’.

Unless one was an exceptional expert, it was difficult to break free from these restrictions.

That’s why the roles of other positions were important.

Swordsmen, Priests, Sorcerers, Summoners, and so on… cards were needed to replace the mages’ firepower.

This was precisely the role Regia was to take on this time.

“It feels like my abilities are suppressed.”

“How much, perhaps…?”

“It seems impossible to utilize shadows as usual. At most, my limit would be creating a single sword.”

“Th-that can’t be.”

Of course, this was a lie.

Such temporary restrictions could be shaken off by merely revealing a bit of my power.

But I deliberately acted as if I couldn’t use my abilities.

Because I wasn’t the one who needed to shine in this field.

After all the trouble of coming here for Regia’s growth, if I did everything myself, wouldn’t it all be for naught?

Thanks to that, I smoothly recited my lies.

“For now, I am also a mage, after all.”

“What should we do? We don’t even know where this place is right now, and we can’t even use communication magic…”

“That truly is a big problem.”

It was about time for him to appear.

I casually scanned my surroundings.

As I surveyed the desert with a troubled expression for a while, a faint voice suddenly reached my ears.

It was the echo of an old and ailing person.

-Get out of the way, you brutes! I can’t die yet…!

It wasn’t far.

It sounded like he was shouting right nearby.

“Y-Young Master-nim! What was that sound from over there just now…?”

“I heard it too.”

We immediately ran towards that spot.

As we crossed a hill that had obscured our view, the source of the desperate cry came into sight.

An old man slumped on the ground in a hunched posture.

He seemed to have injured his arm.

The old man screamed and swung his arm.

“Get lost…!”

Skreee-!

Followed by a monstrous shriek.

Around the old man, five black scorpions were slowly approaching.

We instinctively furrowed our brows.

“Oh dear.”

“Wh-what on earth are those…?”

Could those even be called mere scorpions?

They were larger than the size of typical small cars.

Without exception, they exuded a dangerous aura, their tails, laden with deadly poison, raised sharply.

As if to hunt their prey.

“Let’s go immediately, Regia.”

“Y-yes…!”

A hair-trigger situation.

Without even a moment’s hesitation, we pushed off the ground.

As our bodies darted forward, blurry afterimages were left behind.

Skreee! Grrr-!

The monsters roared chillingly.

I compressed the long-drawn-out shadow. Then, I drew it forth as a single sword.

The jet-black blade cut across the sandstorm.

“Hmph…!”

I let out a short breath.

I leaped towards the scorpion standing closest.

Skreee-?!

Had it noticed our presence?

It belatedly turned its body.

However, the sword strike I launched was already advancing, drawing a magnificent line.

I instantly sliced it.

Slice-!

A clear cutting sound echoed.

The scorpion’s tail, which it had extended for defense, was cleanly cut off.

‘I cut it.’

A tingling sensation spread through my fingertips.

The creature backed away in a panic.

Not missing the chance, I slaughtered the opponent with a sword swung to its fullest extent.

Thwack-!

Its massive body split in half.

Purple blood soaked the ground.

Merely 10 seconds.

A life cut short in a brief moment.

However, there was no time to stand still.

Snarl-!

Because the gazes of the other creatures were fixed on me.

Three scorpions charged.

I lightly twisted my wrist as if flicking it.

Whirl-.

The blade rotated, following my elegant hand gestures.

The long shadow soon split into two branches, transforming into short daggers.

A dagger held in each hand.

I leaped into the monsters, my upper body bent low.

Swish-!

A scorpion’s tail fell overhead.

I deflected it with a smooth movement. The missed attack brushed against the back of my sword.

Scrape…!

Sparks flew.

I moved past the powerful tearing sound. I slashed horizontally with both daggers.

A series of crushing blows against their hard shells.

Crunch-!

Immediately after, the scorpion’s head was crushed.

I briefly adjusted my distance and readjusted my disordered footwork.

“Hmm.”

Although I wasn’t using magic, basic swordsmanship was enough for these trash mobs.

I steadily dealt with the monsters one by one.

“G-get away!!”

Next to me, Regia was struggling against the last one.

I had worried how she would fight, especially since she couldn’t even use basic magic, but she just slammed its head with the bag she was holding.

Thwack-!

I don’t know what was inside, but the sound was tremendous.

Perhaps it was because she was a student of Galimar.

Her basic movements weren’t bad.

Thanks to that, the scorpion extermination was smoothly concluded.

Skreee-!

The last one fell with a single scream.

A pool of blood seeped into the small grains of sand.

A brief respite was granted.

“Haa…”

A faint breath escaped.

It was certainly troublesome to fight without using my full power.

Perhaps because there was no stamina correction applied, I kept feeling hot breaths escaping.

It had been a long time since I felt this.

Of course, thanks to the [Smiling Mask] trait, no signs of difficulty were visible on the outside.

I was merely smiling with utmost leisure.

I stroked Regia’s head as she looked utterly exhausted.

“You worked hard, Regia.”

“Hah, huff… What on earth are these enormous scorpions?”

“I don’t know either, as I’ve never seen them before.”

“They’re too strong, to the point my arms are trembling…”

“They certainly don’t look like ordinary creatures.”

“Hah… Young Master-nim, you’re truly amazing. Just one of them was overwhelming for me, but you handled four of them, and so effortlessly.”

“Thank you.”

The corpses of the scorpions lay scattered on the ground.

We passed by their fragments and moved towards the old man sitting quietly to one side.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be seriously injured.

“U-um… are you feeling alright?”

Regia approached carefully.

The old man, who had been staring blankly at us, soon came to his senses. A dry cough escaped his wrinkled lips.

“Cough cough! Thank you for saving me, young ones… I owe you my life.”

The old man was wearing a tattered robe.

His hair had turned completely white, a beard covered his lower jaw, and his blue eyes blinked.

He was an old man with a dignified appearance.

“D-did you perhaps injure your left arm?”

“I just accidentally strained it.”

“I’ll treat it for you! I always carry m-medical supplies in my bag!”

“Oh, I don’t know how to thank you enough…”

Regia rummaged through her bag.

She fumbled around and took out bandages.

Meanwhile, I was staring at the white hair visible over the girl’s back.

The old man, hunched over and receiving treatment.

‘As expected, this is how we meet.’

The key character of this episode.

The man who would be our objective for the next few days, and the key to leaving this field.

The mission the player undertook here was simple.

[Safely escort the character ‘Josh Clacker’ to the destination.]

It was to safely escort the old man right before my eyes to his destination.

What he meant by ‘destination’ was this:

“You young ones… I know it’s shameless of me, but I have one request.”

The man with transparent blue eyes spoke while clutching his arm.

“Can you perhaps take this old man… to the stars?”

A single sentence containing a strange request.

Just like in the original, the episode began that way.