Chapter 213: The Waiting Ones
I’m taking a break on the stairs. I’ve descended quite a bit, so it’s a little cooler here, thanks to the shade.
I place my lunch on my lap and unwrap it. There’s a mound of rice sprinkled with white sesame seeds, tender pork kakuni, some salted boiled okra on the side, and a vibrant orange boiled egg cut in half. A salad of scallops and dried daikon, along with sweet pickled red turnips and crunchy cucumbers.
I made a decent amount and stored it away, which makes packing my bento so convenient! But I can’t help but keep making more. My storage is filling up with food, and I’m not sure what to do about it.
The pork kakuni is easy to bite into, melting in my mouth. I let it sit overnight to let the excess lard rise to the surface, so it’s still delicious even when cold.
I handed an Ex-Staff a pork kakuni bun, and it devoured it in almost one bite before settling down for a nap, quiet as can be.
I can hear the sound of sand trickling down. Sometimes it falls in a lump, making a dull thud. Back when I was in Japan, I always wanted to explore unknown lands, especially vast, barren places devoid of nature. Who would have thought I’d get that chance here?
Though, I must admit, it’s a bit cramped down in this well.
After listening to the sound of the sand for a while, I start naming the spirits. There haven’t been any demon beasts around here thanks to the large one I defeated earlier. It might have scared off the smaller ones.
But I have no idea what might be lurking at the bottom of this well. Safety first; I need to increase my allies.
I finish naming the spirits at a suitable point and continue my descent. It’s getting noticeably cooler and dimmer, so I pull out my lantern. The stone walls, which appear black in the shadows, seem to have become damp with water, and the moisture glistens white in the lantern’s light.
At the bottom of the well, about an inch deep in water, stands a stone door.
Normally, this door must be submerged and inaccessible. The only time I can access the old temple is during this season when the Es River floods. While the water levels in other wells rise, the entrance well’s water level drops, opening the path. The entrance described in the book must be this well without a doubt.
However, the stone door is tightly shut. I hold the lantern up and poke around. Is there a place to light a fire somewhere that would open it? No, doesn’t seem like it.
If pushing doesn’t work, try pulling. Nope, it doesn’t budge. It doesn’t slide sideways either—there’s only a round hole to grip…
…
When I put a magic stone into the round hole, it opened! I had to teleport outside for a moment to dismantle that giant caterpillar I defeated earlier to get the magic stone. Was that a mid-boss? It feels like a game element has snuck in here!
I teleport back home, take a shower, give Rishu a good scratch, and enjoy a thirty-minute nap. I didn’t name any large spirits, but I did name quite a few, so I need to recover my magic power.
Ah, the cool sheets feel heavenly.
Now that I’m refreshed, I head toward the door. Beyond it, there are stairs going up, likely for water management. After climbing and descending again, I find myself in a straight corridor.
The walls on either side are partially crumbled, but lights are strung along them. There are half-spherical stone dishes made of the same material as the walls, each holding a spherical piece of glass. Peering in, I see a light spirit sleeping inside one of the glasses, which has a hole in it.
I’d read in books that spirits use glass and gemstones as their beds, but this is the first time I’ve seen it in use.
I had a bit of resistance to the idea of trapping them, but I suppose it’s fine if I create a bed for them to call them over. If I have plenty, it’ll still be bright even if a few spirits aren’t inside. A bit uncool, but still.
I pull out a wooden box to observe the light up close.
Oh, there’s a used magic stone attached, one that has lost its color. I see, so they must gently flow magic power into each one to allow spirits to inhabit them.
When I poke the whitish magic stone, it loses its shape and crumbles into dust. It looks like ash. When I move the glass that doesn’t contain a spirit, I find a small magic circle drawn on the stone.
Hmm, I see. I’ll need to create something similar in the tower later.
The stone door that wouldn’t open also has a magic circle on the inside, which I’ve memorized. From the outside, the magic circle isn’t visible, and only the magic stone can be inserted. It’s probably designed to make it difficult to analyze the magic circle without a magic stone. If the circle isn’t visible, the difficulty of analysis skyrockets.
I was tempted to break through with my Zanzenken out of impatience, but I held back because I enjoy solving puzzles.
Satisfied with my investigation, I move on. Ahead in the corridor is another large door. Behind it, I sense two reactions related to exploration—one from the spirit that guided me, and the other… what is it?
“…You’re late! How long has it been since it was unlocked!?”
“I sent someone to check earlier, and they seemed to be in the corridor.”
“How much time are you wasting in that corridor!?”
Ah, my apologies. I didn’t realize there were people waiting, so I went back home for a nap after opening the door.
Hesitating to open the door, I listen to the conversation coming from inside.