Amanael's Trail
The giant trees of Astral Forest kept most of the forest shrouded in shadow. Beneath their sprawling canopies, the members of Guild TEMPLAR rested after several days of relentless hunting.
Their efforts had paid off handsomely.
Nearly every guild member had now reached Level 160, while Reina and Lisa had climbed to Level 190.
It wasn't just their levels that had improved. The Manual XG that had once been their primary objective was now in the hands of every guild member.
Amid the lively atmosphere, Yukio remained busy forging equipment.
The steady clang of his hammer echoed through the forest.
One by one, weapons and armor were transformed into Level 150 XG Equipment +7.
"Why stop at only +7?" Rian asked curiously.
Yukio paused his work for a moment.
"Because the XG attribute is far more valuable than enhancement levels alone."
He held up a freshly forged sword.
"If an enhancement to +8 fails, XG equipment is destroyed."
"We don't have enough weapons and Catalyst materials yet."
"So it's much safer to lock them at +7."
Reina nodded in agreement.
"That's the right decision."
With every guild member now properly equipped, their objective in Astral Forest had finally been accomplished.
The journey back to Nergal City was far easier than before.
The Demonic and Demonia that had once posed a serious threat were no longer worthy opponents.
With their current levels and equipment, the Mostro could now be defeated in only a few attacks.
By late afternoon, Guild TEMPLAR finally returned to Nergal City.
As usual, Reina and Lisa continued the Main Quest while the other guild members rested or attended to their own business.
The two of them entered Fortune Teller Xina's house once again.
"What did you discover?" Xina asked as soon as she saw them.
Lisa immediately recounted everything that had happened inside Henia Cave.
About Amanael.
About Cronio Orion.
And about the founding of the Cult of Cronios.
The moment Xina heard Amanael's name, her expression changed.
"Amanael..."
She fell silent for a long while.
"I never imagined anyone still remembered that name."
Reina and Lisa exchanged glances.
Xina took a deep breath.
"Many years ago..."
"Amanael became a wanted criminal of the Kingdom of Atlas."
"He attempted to assassinate King Leon and Queen Clarissa."
"No one ever discovered why he hated the royal family so deeply."
Reina carefully observed Xina's expression.
The elderly woman seemed to be recalling painful memories.
"If you wish to know more..."
"Go speak with my father."
"Nael."
Reina and Lisa looked at each other again.
Nael...
The name was familiar.
Wasn't he the NPC who had just taught Yukio the Catalyst Skill?
Without wasting another moment, they bid Xina farewell.
"Thank you."
"We'll go see him."
Reina immediately contacted Yukio through Guild Chat.
Not long afterward, Yukio came to meet them.
"Ms. Reina?"
"Please take us to Master Nael."
Yukio nodded.
"Follow me."
The three of them walked along Nergal City's main streets.
Mining rails crisscrossed throughout the city.
Smoke from countless furnaces filled the air.
The rhythmic clang of blacksmiths' hammers echoed from every direction.
Eventually, they arrived at the city's largest forge.
Inside, Nael was still hard at work.
Clang...
Clang...
Clang...
He only stopped hammering when he noticed Yukio.
"Hey."
"You're back again?"
"What brings you here this time?"
Yukio smiled.
"We'd like to ask you about someone."
Nael nodded.
"Who?"
"Amanael."
Instantly, Nael's expression changed.
The hammer slowly slipped from his hand.
He lowered his head.
The workshop fell completely silent.
"That boy..."
Nael let out a long sigh.
"He hated the kingdom with all his heart."
"Long ago, he stole a sword I had forged."
"I deliberately kept that sword sealed away because it had been corrupted by Cronio's power."
"I still don't know how that power affected his mind."
"But after he began wielding that sword..."
"Amanael changed."
"He tried to kill King Leon and Queen Clarissa."
"When his attempt failed..."
Nael clenched his fists tightly.
"...he murdered his own mother."
Tears slowly streamed down the old man's face.
"After that..."
"He disappeared."
No one dared interrupt him.
After several moments, Nael continued.
"The truth is..."
"Before all of that happened..."
"Amanael's lover died while carrying out a royal mission in Opal Cave."
"After that day, whenever something troubled him, he always went there."
"I believe he returned to Opal Cave."
"But I never searched for him."
"That cave is filled with high-level Mostro."
"I..."
"...had already given up."
Nael finally broke down in tears.
Reina and Lisa comforted him until he gradually regained his composure.
After wiping away his tears, Nael took out an old map.
He pointed to one location.
"This is Opal Cave."
"You'll have to pass through Tira City first."
He then pointed to two additional routes.
"Opal Cave contains a portal connected to Henia Cave."
"And Henia Cave contains another portal leading to Loki Forest."
"Those portals have existed for ages."
"No one knows who created them."
"My guess..."
"...is that they're anomalies formed by the collision between the powers of Belio and Cronio."
Reina studied the map carefully.
Their next destination in the Main Quest was now perfectly clear.
Opal Cave.
The journey to Opal Cave would be a long one.
They first had to pass through Tira City, the city of sword and dagger wielders.
The moment the Warriors, Knights, and Rogues heard the city's name, they became visibly excited.
"There are specialized trainer NPCs there," Reina explained.
"Each job can learn one Special Skill."
She began explaining them one by one.
Knight — Blessing Shield
A defensive buff that reduces all damage taken by every Party or Guild member by 50%.
Warrior — Tornado Great Sword
A powerful Great Sword swing that creates a massive tornado, dealing area damage.
Rogue — Shadow Dagger
Throws dozens of daggers simultaneously, each with an exceptionally high Critical Hit chance.
After hearing the explanation, the Warriors, Knights, and Rogues became even more eager to continue the journey.
Just before they left, Nael called out to Reina once more.
"Wait."
He took out a silver iron key.
"This key..."
"...is the only key to the gate leading to Tira City."
Nael handed it to Reina.
"Guard it carefully."
"Without this key, no one can pass through the gate."
Reina accepted the key and nodded slowly.
At that moment, she finally realized something.
Guild TEMPLAR was not only the first guild to advance through the Main Quest—
they were also the first guild to reach Tira City.
A city that, until now, had never been visited by any other player.