Chapter 57: Old Legends & Platinum
She went on like this until Gagaran could no longer stay silent.
"That's enough, Shortie. Comparing Climb to someone who has stepped into the realm of heroes is way too harsh."
Still, Evileye persisted in tearing down Climb's efforts, warning him of the dangers of chasing dreams that were far beyond his reach.
"Climb, you shouldn't be fixated on trying to grasp the stars."
Despite this, Climb remained steadfast in his resolve, determined to serve Princess Renner. Seeing his unwavering resolve, Evileye dismissed his determination as foolishness, cautioning him about the dangers of pursuing unrealistic goals.
Fortunately, Gagaran decided to lighten the mood. With a sly grin, she teased, "You know, Evileye, you sound like you care a little too much about Climb."
Annoyed, Evileye finally turned the conversation in a different direction.
"If he really wants to improve, he should start learning about magic. That way, he'd at least understand his enemies better."
Gagaran raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Magic? Seriously? You want him to study all of those spells? Isn't that a bit cruel?"
"It's not like that," Evileye shot back. "The spells that most magic casters rely on are fixed. He just needs to focus on the essentials. As long as he learns up to the 3rd tier, he'll manage."
"But wait," Gagaran interjected. "Isn't magic supposed to go up to the 10th tier? No one has mastered such advanced magic, correct? Do you know why that is?"
Evileye hesitated, mulling over the question. "Hmm…"
Meanwhile, Climb couldn't hide his surprise upon learning that magic could reach the 10th tier.
Noticing his expression, Evileye shot a glare at Gagaran for mentioning something unnecessary. She then reached into her robe and pulled out a small magic item. With a series of gestures, the sounds around them suddenly dulled, as if they were wrapped in a thin, invisible film.
"Don't worry," Evileye reassured them. "It's just a trivial item I activated."
"Is this conversation really so important that you'd use such an item?" Gagaran inquired, and her curiosity piqued.
"Yes, it is." Evileye paused, her voice lowering. "This story traces back to ancient myths—the legends of the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings. It's said that the Eight Greed Kings stole the power of the Six Great Gods, using it to rule the world with absolute dominance."
Climb nodded slightly; he was familiar with the legend of the Eight Greed Kings.
"The Eight Greed Kings possessed many powerful artifacts, but the most legendary among them was the [Nameless Spellbook]. This is the key to understanding."
"Huh? A book?" Gagaran asked, surprised.
"Yes," Evileye confirmed. "It is said that the [Nameless Spellbook], an unimaginable magical artifact, contains every spell that has ever existed. There is a rumor that its pages automatically record newly created spells."
"From this, we can infer that 10th-tier magic does exist," Evileye continued. "Of course, very few people know this story—even fewer know about the existence of the [Nameless Spellbook]."
The revelation left Climb stunned. The story of the Eight Greed Kings, which he thought he knew, was far deeper and more mysterious than he had realized.
"The Eight Greed Kings, who stole the power of the Six Great Gods, wielded magic of the 10th tier. But here's where it gets even more fascinating," Evileye said, her eyes narrowing. "There was a being—one so terrifying that even the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings feared him."
Climb's curiosity spiked. "That being...?"
"I don't know exactly," Evileye admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even the leader of the Thirteen Heroes only referred to this being as 'the one who rules dragons and demons.' The Eight Greed Kings were said to tremble at the mention of his name."
"There's also an old legend," Evileye added, her tone growing darker. "Srushana, the god of death, supposedly left a cursed message for the Eight Greed Kings. People say that whenever this mysterious existence appeared, time seemed to pause, as if the world awaited a fateful duel."
"The power to stop time?!" Climb exclaimed.
"I don't know," Evileye replied, her expression unreadable behind the mask. "And I don't know what kind of power you're aiming for, Climb, but remember one thing—don't lose your humanity in pursuit of it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Climb said, nodding solemnly.
And then their conversation continued, eventually shifting to Lakyus, the leader of Blue Rose. Gagaran mentioned Lakyus's possession of the Demon Blade Kilineyram, a cursed weapon once wielded by the Black Knight of the Thirteen Heroes. She described how she noticed that Lakyus frequently muttered about struggling to suppress the blade's dark power.
Evileye also acknowledged the possibility that Lakyus might be battling the weapon's curse. When Climb voiced concern about Princess Renner's safety, given that she was in Lakyus's company, Evileye reassured him and expressed confidence in Lakyus's ability to control it.
Finally, the group contemplated reaching out to Azuth, Lakyus's uncle, for help. Evileye reluctantly agreed that, given the stakes, it would be wise to inform him.
"Mm. We should also prepare ourselves to back up Lakyus at any time."
Gagaran proposed, and Evileye agreed.
"Right. After all, it takes an adamantite-ranked adventurer to stop another."
Suddenly, Evileye recalled something.
"That reminds me of the third adamantite-ranked adventurer team that was formed in E-Rantel."
"Oh, what was it? I forgot again. Platinum?"
"That's right. The team became adamantite-class adventurers in E-Rantel, and they're pretty famous, even all the way out here in the capital."
Climb listened, a bit confused by their banter but intrigued nonetheless. Unable to contain his curiosity, he finally spoke up.
"Excuse me, Evileye-sama, I didn't mean to interrupt, but you said a new Adamantite-ranked team has appeared. What are their names?"
"Hm? Ah, yes," Evileye said, snapping out of her thoughts. "They're called Platinum. Their leader is a warrior named Lucifer, also known as the Platinum Sword King, and they have a magical caster named Nabe, who goes by Beautiful Princess. It's just the two of them."
"Two people?!" Gagaran whistled. "They must be damn confident in their skills to rise to adamantite rank with only two members. That's quite the feat."
Climb, his curiosity piqued, leaned in closer, eager to hear more about the accomplishments that earned such recognition for this duo.
"I heard they've done a lot in just two months... First, they resolved the undead outbreak in E-Rantel. Then they wiped out the goblin tribal alliance that had moved north. In the Great Forest of Tob, they solved a rare case by gathering herbs, subduing a Giant Basilisk, and annihilating an undead division that had flowed in from the Katze Plains. Finally, they took on a request from the Roble Kingdom, where they annihilated an army of 50,000 sub-species."
"What?!"
Climb gasped in disbelief. The Giant Basilisk—a creature capable of wiping out an entire city—defeating it was an unimaginable feat in itself. But eliminating an army of 50,000 sub-species without taking a single casualty? That sounded like something beyond even Adamantite rank.
"Heh~. That's the first time I've heard about the 50,000 sub-species. What kind of monster could do that?" Gagaran asked, equally shocked.
"At first, I didn't believe it either," Evileye admitted. "But it's an official statement from the Holy Queen, and Remedios Custodio, the leader of Paladin Order—said to be the strongest Paladin in the Roble Holy Kingdom. They witnessed it through a crystal ball."
"Then that team is not something I ever want to face," Gagaran muttered.
"Actually," Evileye smirked, "you could probably learn something from Lucifer, Gagaran. He's a warrior, like you. Next time you meet, it wouldn't hurt to ask for some advice."
"Eh~. But still," Gagaran replied with a grin, "how many years have I been adamantite? I'm not sure he can teach me much." Her tone was playful, but there was respect beneath her words.
"That's also true," Evileye conceded. "Anyway, Lucifer achieved adamantite rank because of such feats. They say he's reached the level of a god with just his swordsmanship. As for Beautiful Princess Nabe, well, I'm not so sure."
"Hmm, it really is impressive."
"Don't worry. I know your strength very well, Gagaran-san. I'm certain you won't lose to those people."
"Wow~. Thanks for the compliment, Cherry Boy. Okay, do you want to sleep with me?"
"No, I'll decline that."
The conversation shifted to lighter topics as the group continued talking, but elsewhere in the Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom, another plot was quietly unfolding—one whose outcome would be vastly different from what was seen in the anime.
After all, allowing the plot to develop naturally did not imply that Aurelius had no intention of intervening.
While he didn't always intervene directly, he kept a close eye on places and people that could impact his plans. Every detail was scrutinized, every thread of fate pulled according to his will. Everything had to unfold precisely as he wished, and everyone had to move according to his design.
He would never allow things to drift beyond his control.
If they did drift, however, there was no need for them—or the places they inhabited—to continue existing. This applied to everyone, be it the Re-Estize Kingdom or even a certain Floor Guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
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