My First Artifact II

"Huff…"

I stopped running. My legs trembled and I was short of breath from running nonstop.

"Just where the hell is that artifact?!"

Taking my time resting on the tree's large root that spreads to the surface, I checked my status screen.

There was no change happening to my status. It was all still the same as before I got into this mess. Except for one thing… My skill [Clairvoyance] has leveled up. I didn't know when it leveled up but I guess it was thanks to my frequent use of it. But, starting from now on, it'd be a hard grind.

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[Clairvoyance Lv.2]

Type: Active / Passive

Rank: EX (New!)

Allow users to acquire information about their targets and detects the undetectable, the range of this skill limit is unlimited.

> Sub-skills

[Pathfinding]

===

"EX rank?!"

There was a rank in skills. Starting from the lowest was the F rank and the highest was the SS rank. But, in some cases, there were exceptional skills that were bound to one soul. That was the EX rank.

The great thing about this skill rank was that there was only one piece of this skill in the whole world, which meant that I was the sole owner of the <Clairvoyance >, and there would be no other living soul out there that could have it other than me.

Also, there were no EX skills that were useless because those skills were growable. Every time I hit the max proficiency on each level, it would level up to the next level. Each level up would get the skill much more use and benefits. Just like what recently got, a hereditary skill; Pathfinding.

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[Pathfinding]

Type: Active

Rank: Hereditary

The user can trace where targeted objects or subjects that they know (whether it was the visual or a special mark of target) are located.

– Consume mana upon using the skill.

===

"Isn't this sweet?" I drooled. "Just what I need in a time like this!"

"Let's try it!"

Unlike magic spells which needed someone to chant the spell correctly to use it, the skill was much simpler. One just needed to activate it with a command by a mana-imbued voice and say the skill's name.

Of course, in my case, there was a limitation just as the skill's description stated. I needed to imagine the visual mark of my target to be able to track it. Coincidentally, I knew everything about the artifact.

<Hereditary Skill: Pathfinding>

After saying the skill's name inwardly, I felt weak probably because of the sudden decrease in my mana.

In a split second, I received information; an image in my head showed a location somewhere in the forest. There was a large tree in the center, and surrounding it was pillar statues with a marked symbol etched on them.

"Where is that place…?"

Honestly, I still didn't know where should I go to get to that place. But at least, I have a clue. So, let's just walk around and hope I stumbled upon the damn treasure.

There were so many glowing mushrooms in this section of the forest. It was much darker and deeper from where I found Herman's group corpses so the glowing mushrooms were also increased to compensate for the darkness.

The scenery truly looked like I was in some fantasy, magical forest. As I walked along, following the blue light that sometimes appeared amongst the green and yellow light of the glowing mushroom.

Although it was dark and shut from the outside world, the breeze I felt against my skin made it look like this place had a natural air conditioner. Not too cold, and not too hot, it was just a relaxing temperature.

Before I knew it, the Goddess of Fortune seemed to give her blessing upon me as I finally stumbled upon the damn place that I saw when using Pathfinding. It didn't take me that long, or maybe it was a long adventure but I just didn't feel it, anyway, here I was, standing before the great magical-looking tree.

There were 8 statues made of stone, and there was a carving on each statue. The statues were placed at 8 different points surrounding the great magical-looking tree as the center. I dared to guess that if I was to see it from above, it would make it look like an octagon shape.

At one glance, I more or less could guess what this place was. According to my experience of reading horror and fantasy or dark fantasy stories, this place was…

"A magic formation!"

I walked closer to the tree and entered the invisible pillar formation. Once my feet stepped inside the formation. The carvings on the statues lit up in different colors, it made me amazed.

A wide smile was plastered on my face when I witnessed those scenes.

"It really is a magic formation…" I said, fascinated.

I extended my hand behind–outside of the magic formation, instead of an empty wind there was an invincible wall that blocked my hand.

"Cool!" I whistled.

I looked around and observed each statue's carving. A dagger, an hourglass, a crown, a praying hand, a two-faced demon's face or mask, a lip, a flag, and a sword?

"Huh?"

What the hell did this suppose to mean?

"Wait, let me think… "

There was a sword-carving statue, when I approached it, it would glow a faint red color.

"A red sword? A murderer?"

Shuuu–!

The sword carving was glowing lit red.

"Oh. The light is no longer dim. Does that mean that I'm guessing it right? A murder, or perhaps an assassination?"

My smile widened as I realized what this riddle was trying to tell me. Some sort of story. Like hell I knew what the story was about, the most important thing was I have to solve the puzzle first.

"Next is… The hourglass."

The carving had a dim blue light when I approached it. "Okay, let's solve this!"

The hourglass, according to me, probably meant time. But, what did the color blue have to do with time?

"A peaceful time?" The dim light then grew brighter. I guess I got it right again.

Next was a crown with a pink dim light carving.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" It took me dozens of attempts until I guess it correctly. "A princess?"

Just like before, the dim light grew brighter.

Time had passed for damned who knew how much time had passed! But, finally, I finished the puzzle.

A praying hand carving with white dim light symbolized an innocent scapegoat. A two-faced demon's face with purple light symbolized a trickster. A dark green dim light of a lip carving symbolized an instigator. A flag carving with black dim light was a war. And the last was a sword carving statue with golden light that made me frustrated, it hold no special meaning, and the answer was well… a sword, it was just a sword. I just wasted my time on that…

The ground shook greatly as if the earth was angry, but it was just for a moment, at least that was what I felt. But, my surroundings were different, the trees or likely everything outside the formation was shaking madly.

Then… Something happened to the magical-looking tree at the center of the formation. The trunk which was so big and wide moved writhing like a worm, slowly a hole began to form and got bigger and bigger until it finally formed like a door entrance on the trunk.

There was now an entrance to the tree. But, I was not sure how to proceed from now on.

My gut told me to just walk inside the entrance and that something interesting would happen.

I sighed. My heart was beating fast as I closed the distance between me and the tree's entrance. Then, I passed through the entrance that brought me into an unknown place. It looked like a corridor in the castle dungeon, torches were installed on the wall. There was only one path in this place, a straight and forward path that only needed me to walk forward toward the door far in front of me. Behind me, there was nothing except a solid void black that I couldn't pass through.

I noticed that I couldn't speak here. I opened my mouth as if I was screaming, which was true that I was screaming right now, but my voice won't come out.

Then the next strange thing was my feet moved by themselves, they brought me along forward, closer and closer to the door. Only when I was just one step away from the door that I regained control over my body.

The door had eight stars decoration on its wooden surface.

'Huuu… I guess I just need to open this door…' I thought.

I grabbed the doorknob nervously.

Taking a small breath to release the tension, I twisted the doorknob and pushed it.

What greeted me on the other side was a large vines nest room, in the middle of the room was a stone with a flat surface. On top of it was lying a plain white mask-looking object. Surrounding it was 8 statues of different features.

But then, as I was about to take my step forward, a shadow emerged behind the flat stone surrounded by the statues. The shadow's features somehow resembled me even though I couldn't see its face.

Two long sticks made of shadow formed from the shadow's hand, he threw one at me, and I consciously grabbed it. It turned out that the shadow stick was a shadow sword.

I stared at the shadow curiously and nervously. What did it want by giving me a sword?

My question was answered immediately in the next second. The shadow at first was walking slowly, but after three or four paces, it rushed toward me.

"A fight it is," I gulped my saliva as I readied my stance.

The shadow jumped at me while swinging its shadow sword vertically from the top. I nearly got hit by that attack if I didn't move my hands to block it with the other shadow sword in my hand.

"What is the meaning of this? A test?" I gritted my teeth when the weight of his sword increased.

It was not wise to hold it, so I pushed him with my sword. He jumped back and landed gracefully after several backflips.

A smirk formed on my face without my knowledge. "Bring it on, then!"