Statues, Altar, Sacrifice

He bade farewell to a friend he had known for only a few hours, yet would probably never see again.

Suren felt somewhat low.

The scene around him suddenly changed, transforming from that luxurious manor into ruins.

"Were these the remains of that manor from before?"

Although all the furnishings inside had decayed, the house's still-standing framework showed that this was the very manor where he had stayed before.

The Banquet Hall, the corridors, the study... the layout was all familiar.

"It would take at least several hundred years to decay to this extent, wouldn't it?"

Suren found it somewhat unbelievable.

He thought he had been mentally prepared, but seeing the desolate scene before him still left his mind unable to process it.

Could the mansion from before have been an illusion? Could Pestoya, Baldhead, and the others he had encountered all have been illusions?

But when he looked down, he saw that he was holding a wooden box—the very box containing the "Rune Puppet."

And on his chest, he wore that Black Gem Butterfly Brooch.

"The items are real."

As Suren stroked the box in his hand, he felt as though he had awakened from a dream and somehow brought something from that dream back into reality.

"Could that brightly lit manor just now have been some kind of special space, like a game instance?"

Suren looked around, unable to make sense of it.

His understanding of this world was far too limited. Many questions could not be understood through thought alone.

But now, he faced another problem: where should he go from here?

The first thing he thought of was the information on his retina.

"The original owner came here to find something called Sir Isaac's Relic."

Only now that he had some free time did Suren carefully examine the obscure information on his retina. He also realized that the "treasure" the original owner had come looking for seemed far from ordinary.

As it happened, he was also very interested in those "Supernatural Abilities."

After giving it some thought, Suren decided to take a look first. He also guessed that there should be no other dangers in the manor. If there were, Pestoya should have been the biggest boss.

Relying on his memory, Suren found the manor's Banquet Hall.

Then, counting from the left, he found the seventh room.

The door had completely decayed, and cobwebs covered the place, making it look eerie. Yet the structure remained fairly sturdy. Apart from the mottled, peeling paint on the walls, he could generally make out that it had been a storage room.

Suren cautiously walked inside. Other than the occasional squeaking of rats, none of the horrifying monsters one might expect from a horror movie appeared.

With a single glance, he took in all the furnishings in the room and spotted the hexagonal lampstand on the wall.

After locating the right lamp and twisting it clockwise, he heard a series of click, click sounds from gears and mechanisms, and a hidden door appeared.

"After several hundred years, this mechanism can still operate normally?"

Suren looked at the deep passageway before him, slightly surprised.

Without hesitating further, he walked in.

The passage seemed to have been isolated from outside air and was preserved remarkably well.

After testing it, he found that it was not stuffy and that he could breathe normally.

The tunnel was built from blue bricks, with a wall lamp hanging at intervals along its walls. The yellow gemstone light, made from some unknown material, was faint, but it was enough to illuminate the entire secret passage.

Suren did not dare touch anything. Since the hidden door could still open normally, the mechanisms in the passage were most likely still operational as well.

The information on his retina specifically warned him not to touch anything beyond the safe route.

Before long, Suren noticed that the tunnels around him had become strange, as though every direction looked exactly the same.

He knew he had entered a maze.

There were mechanisms here that interfered with vision.

He carved a few necessary directional markers into the ground with a stone and continued onward.

"After the first fork: left, left, right, up, down."

Fortunately, the correct path through the maze had been left in the information on his retina, and Suren encountered no trouble along the way.

After walking for roughly fifteen minutes, he reached his destination: a spacious, sealed stone chamber.

There were enormous glowing gemstones here, brightly illuminating the entire room.

"So this was the Great Hermit Altar marked on the Treasure Map?"

Suren did not rush into the stone chamber. Instead, he observed it carefully.

At the center of the circular stone chamber stood five towering stone statues. They wore cloaks that concealed their entire bodies and most of their faces, giving them a mysterious appearance. Looking closer, he discovered that three of the statues had already cracked, while only two remained intact.

Behind each statue's cloak was carved a special Symbol: , §, , , ,

They seemed to be some sort of special code names.

What astonished Suren was that merely gazing at these statues brought a sacred, imposing sensation crashing over him, stirring an urge deep in his heart to prostrate himself in worship.

It felt as though he were being watched by a deity, instantly making him feel as insignificant as dust.

"Those really were peculiar statues."

As Suren looked at the scene, he sighed inwardly.

The unveiled world was gradually revealing its mysteries before him, and Suren's desire to explore it grew ever stronger.

There was nothing else in the Secret Chamber.

The five statues each stood in a different direction, all facing a circular altar roughly five meters in diameter at the center.

An Eight-Pointed Star magic array was carved into the altar, surrounded by special writing and runes he could not understand. At its center was an engraved pattern of an Ouroboros and a set of scales.

"So the secret to obtaining a Talent like Baldhead's—one that let his bones withstand bullets—was hidden on this altar?"

Suren studied the patterns carved into the altar, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

There was also a passage left in the information on his retina:

"My dear Fick, I'm sorry that you have lost everything. Through deciphering it, I discovered an astonishing secret in the mysterious Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript I received from the family: besides natural awakening and bloodline inheritance, Supernatural Talents actually have a third method of acquisition—Targeted Awakening under specific conditions. Although this is merely an unverified 'Treasure Map,' it is the best compensation I can think of for you."

Suren did not dwell on those words. The causes and consequences no longer mattered.

He caught several important keywords: Sacrificial Medium, Targeted Awakening, Talent.

It said that after "sacrificing his own eyeball," he "might" obtain an extremely powerful S-Rank Talent. It was an exceedingly rare ability coveted by everyone in the world of Alchemy.

If he had been on Earth, Suren would definitely have dismissed those words as a joke.

Dig out his own eyeball as a sacrifice to gain superpowers?

To hell with superpowers!

But after witnessing so many supernatural forces just now, Suren carefully considered the matter.

As for that word, "might," it also meant there was an element of gambling involved.

Because no one had tried it before.

"I remember Baldhead said his ability to withstand bullets was called C079—Tempered Skeleton? Grade S. This seemed even more powerful."

Suren weighed the matter for a moment, not knowing how the Talent ratings in this world were distinguished.

But if he could obtain Supernatural Power like Baldhead's, paying a price seemed worthwhile.

Certain thoughts in his heart were already stirring eagerly.

Moreover, there was another reason Suren made up his mind.

He also recalled that the original owner's background seemed anything but simple. Even the important figure who had left information on his retina had respectfully acknowledged that this altar was of an extremely high standard. Perhaps the Talent awakened here would be stronger than Tempered Skeleton.

Opportunities, no matter the world, always involved an element of gambling.

At worst, he would go blind and gain nothing.

Having just experienced a life-and-death battle, Suren felt that this did not seem like an unacceptable price.

To gain something, one had to give something. This was a basic Rule followed in every world.

At that thought, he raised his brows and comforted himself. "I'm already here. Why not give it a try?"

Thanks to 'A Maple Night Rain in Two Dimensions' for 1,500 coins, 'Ieta,' and 'Rainy Night's Gentle Smile.' Thank you to all three for your support.