Chapter 159: Time. (1)

[Main Quest: Time]

The branches of the main quest varied. An independent quest may lead to the main quest, or the main quest may lead to an independent quest. However, the main quest was related to the central framework of the story at any cost.

“…”

I looked around. The darkness lay thick as the fog around me, and the road crunched like ice under my feet.

“Hmm.”

I checked my physical condition first. I had suffered quite a couple of injuries since I fell. If it weren’t for Iron Man, my body would have been crushed.

“So annoying.”

I used Duct Tape around my injuries to treat them. The bleeding stopped immediately, and the pain in my bones quickly subsided. There was no healing as versatile in use as Duct Tape. That was satisfying for me, as recovery magic had nearly gone extinct in this era.

Next, I took out the map I received from the soldier before coming here. This meant it was originally an ordinary map, and it was modeled after the northern area, not this crevasse. However, my [Midas’ Hand] granted magical efficiency to the category of the map itself. In addition, in places like this right now – an area surging with mana – my available mana meaningfully increased.

If I mobilize my staff’s mana to add to that…

[Manifesting Midas’ Hand Level 5.]

The miracle of consuming five thousand mana with Deculein’s body was readily possible. Level 5, that was, [Midas’ Hand] with 5 thousand mana, exerted a wholly different power level from Level 4. It was a characteristic of this world. Symbolic numbers in units of 5 such as 5, 10, 15, 20, and so on actually classified stages.

Keeeeeee—!

I looked at the map. The dark areas were marked in detail, and a red line guided my way. I walked exactly as the map suggested.

Rustle- rustle-

Each step crackled as ice shattered underfoot.

“…?”

Just like that, when I was walking using Iron Man to fend off the cold and the dark, I found a source of light rising ahead of me. It came from blue and radiant crystal water.

“Is it this one?”

Suddenly, I recalled a familiar scenario. A memory that had been asleep somewhere in my mind unfolded as I approached. I wasn’t sure if the main quest itself, but the progression of the sanctuary story of ‘Time’ played a very important role.

First of all, Time was the sanctuary created by Archmage Demakan when he left the world. It was a gift that Demakan left for the next generation, created by him, his nephew Murkan, his uncle Rohakan, and his disciple Idnik.

“…”

I touched the crystal water. The members of Time were recorded on the glimmering blue surface of the tree-like stream. One by one, I looked through the names.

[Demakan]

[Murkan]

[Rohakan]

[Idnik]

[Dzekdan]

They were all familiar and famous names. But as my eyes went further down, I saw a name that made me flustered. Engraved crookedly, it stood out like a sore thumb.