“Why do you look pale?” she asked seemingly wondering what happen. Lawrence’s grim expression hardened as he sighed deeply.

“I’m fine” he lied

“You don’t look fine. I swear to god if you lose consciousness or are beaten back and blue. I am not gonna rescue you” she crossed her arms before walking in the direction of the tomb. It’s a two-hour walk as the sound of snow getting crushed under their feet and the howling wind is the only sound both of them hear. It was quiet as they passed through a forest full of trees with no leaves. No monsters or anything as Lawrence grew suspicious of the surroundings. He caught a glimpse of a shadow moving from tree to tree as two-sphere of grey lights crashed towards the moving shadow. A sizzling of the snow followed but there wasn’t any reaction.

“What are you doing?! We need to conserve our mana.” she reminded Lawrence but he didn’t listen. He only pushed his senses to the limits as he surveyed the place. After a minute of waiting, there wasn’t any movement.

“I saw a shadow moving through the trees. I don’t know if they’re allies or enemies yet.” he muttered to Catalinna who looks understandably confused. She was at the front while Lawrence is in the back and he saw the shadow moving through the trees just beside him.

‘This is dangerous, people who usually use shadows tend to be assassins. Is it the black syndicate? Why would they target us? If it isn’t them then who?’

The black syndicate is one of the organizations running the black market. The one who supplies information and assassination. The organization is neutral and would only work for money. Most kingdoms usually use their services to remain anonymous in killing their targets from nobles to knights. There is only one thing they wouldn’t do and it is working for a demon. That’s why they weren’t hunted by continental powers seeking justice and the good of all.

Arrow whistled past Catalinna and hits a tree just inches away from Lawrence’s face. A letter is attached to the shaft before he grabbed it and started reading. Catalinna hissed in anger as flames started converging all around her arms.

“We meant no harm. We are just passing through. We won’t attack as long as you won’t” He reads it before it was caught in flames. Catalinna gritted her teeth as fire danced in her back before the cape of the fiery sun manifested its majestic form.

“I’ll fucking kill them…”

“Don’t! There might be more of them. It isn’t worth it fighting against an unknown amount of enemy with an unknown strength. Besides, we don’t get anything from fighting” Lawrence reminded Catalinna who stared at him before flames flickered out of existence.

“Hmph, if you’re scared. Don’t use any excuses. I can see right through your facade. Damn, let’s go” she’s still angry but at least she wouldn’t fight them, a sigh of relief washed through Lawrence. His grim expression hardened before shaking his head.

‘It isn’t the time to think about this.’

After an hour of walking, Lawrence saw a valley of snowy mountains and hills. Catalinna hurriedly walked towards the largest mountain before melting the ice and snow on the base of it. Flame courses through her hand and to the snow as it melted in a puddle before turning into steam. A minute later, a stone staircase heading downwards appeared. Lawrence went in first as it was a small corridor with unlit torches in every wall.

‘I can’t see shit, why am I heading first?’

“Catalinna, use your fire and head first.” he commanded but Catalinna didn’t respond. Turning his head, he saw that he was alone in the corridor as a sense of dread welled inside his heart. He went back up but he felt something is looking behind him. He hurriedly look back but there was only darkness and a stone stair heading downwards. Gritting his teeth, he went to confront whatever is looking at him. A hideous chuckle emerged before a sharp claw darted in front of Lawrence. With enough time to react, his spear glowed a grey light before blocking the strike. A similar claw materializes in front of Lawrence facing the monster before stabbing forward. A shriek followed as the creature scurried back to darkness. A line of black blood can be seen as Lawrence understood what’s happening.

‘I’m in an illusion. Dammit, so this is what Cain felt. During their fight in the novel, the point of view went to his followers fighting the tomb guardians of Solomon. Once they went inside, Cain suddenly went limp and the guardians started attacking. It means that Catalinna is fighting alone’

This is why the tomb is impossible to attack alone. One of the adventurers would be trapped in an illusion and it would usually target the stronger person in the group. The illusion worked on Cain so that’s why Lawrence didn’t attempt on attacking it alone. In the novel, during their expedition after the monster wave. Cain and his sidekicks would accidentally find the tomb and go inside for adventure. This is supposed to happen next month once it’s the second-year student’s turn to defend the fourth wall.

“I have no time to waste” he started dashing deeper into the dark corridor before smashing into a wooden door. He tumbled across the floor before standing awkwardly. He’s lucky no one saw his embarrassing display of agility.

Inside the room, there are torches fixed in the nearby wall and he can finally see the creature. There are approximately 20 large rat monsters with claws larger than a sword. They are wearing dilapidated clothes and their back are hunched.

They charged towards Lawrence while screeching as he aimed the moonlight beam towards the rat-like monsters. 3 gray beams darted in front and hit one of the rats. Instantly killing it with three holes in its body. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as 3 gray beams from the ceiling emerged before smashing to the floor. Accurately piercing 3 rat beasts to their back before slumping to the cold floor. Two rats clawed their way towards him before swinging forward. With fast movement, the gray aura of the spear accurately blocks their attack before manifesting their own attack and stabbing their throats. With six down, Lawrence jumped back and runs back to the corridor.

There, only one rat can pass through as a cold smile appeared on his face. He started barraging the rats with moonlight beam as a single hit would injure them severely or outright kill them. The rats tried charging but every time they went to the corridor, their carcasses would slide back down to the room with freezing holes covering its body. After 3 minutes of relentless charging of the rats, none would head back up. Terrified to be next, five rats remained in the room as Lawrence went inside the room with black blood all over his shoes and pants.

“It’s a shame it’s only an illusion” he muttered before blasting the rats with 3 moonlight beams before stabbing the remaining two in the head. The surrounding breaks apart like mirrors as he found himself in a room full of torches lit and in the center is a golden tomb. Shelves full of books and scrolls can be seen behind the tomb and in front of the tomb is a wooden chest containing the colored poison and 3 enlightenment potions. Catalinna is fighting two stone golems with her fist digging into their bodies only to regenerate by absorbing the nearby stones in the room.

“Finally!” she beamed with a big smile before smashing her fist to the golem’s chest penetrating it before taking it out as the golem regenerates.

“It’s not there?!” her face contorts in confusion and anger before backing up. Seeing that Lawrence is gaining consciousness, she smiled before gazing at him sternly.

“Help me find the core! It’s somewhere in their body!” she yelled as stone spikes emerged from the ground as she dodged and weaved each spike with her quick movement. Lawrence nodded before 3 moonlight beams striking to the head, chest, and stomach of the golem. It staggered before it opened its mouth as a white orb of energy materialized in front of it aiming at Catalinna who is distracted by the other golem. Stone shackles appeared in every corner of the wall as she smashes each one with her fist before charging forward.

With no hesitation, he dashed in front of the golem charging an energy blast with the gray aura covering his spear. The golem lets go of the energy blast as it blasted towards Lawrence who blocked it with the shaft of his spear. He felt an immense force pushing him away as he crashed to the walls. A similar-looking ball is seen barreling in the direction of the golem as it tried dodging the reflected attack but it was too late. A bright flash of light followed by a rumbling explosion echoed through the room.

He opened his eyes to see the golem disintegrated with some of its stone limbs resting in the ground. A blue line suddenly appeared as Catalinna closed her eyes. Once the golem entered the circle, she vanished before appearing beside the thigh of the stone golem. With a quick stab of her fingers, the gold core breaks before the golem falls to the ground seemingly turning back to a normal rock.

‘That’s amazing..ow my back. It hurts. Damn, i hope my spine isn’t broken’ he cursed inwardly as he sat on the ground with a tired expression. Reflecting that energy blast consumed almost half of his mana and the force behind it injured him. It wasn’t a clean reflect but it did the job. Catalinna looked like she was beaten into a pulp. Her arms and legs are bruised and some of her clothing is torn. Her hair is covered in dirt and sand while a fatigued expression is clear on her face. She sat beside Lawrence while panting and breathing heavily.

“What are you looking at?” she snapped like a rabid dog as Lawrence stared at the wooden chest.

“You can have the potion, i don’t need it. Haah..haah.Fuck. I’ll get the poison instead” she said while gasping for air before Lawrence nodded

“We shouldn’t head to the lair right now.” he said casually

“I know i overestimated myself but the stone golem’s core should be at their chest. Why is it in random?”

“I don’t know…no alchemist would put the golem’s core in their chest as it would be obvious once it started regenerating. It might be that everything you wrote in the novel is adjusted to suit reality”

“Maybe…. but as long as my knowledge remains true. It shouldn’t be that big of an issue”

“I don’t know.” he started standing up and he felt his knees giving up. His back hurts and he can’t stand straight at the moment but he still walked towards the wooden chest. Opening it, he saw three potions and a vial full of liquid. The blue mixed with violet should be the enlightenment potion while the liquid that changes color every second is the poison. After grabbing everything, he passed the vial to Catalinna while he pocketed the rest. It was uncomfortable putting in on his suit as the potion bulged outside of the pocket. He decided to hold on to the dagger and the spear in each hand.

“We should rest. It still isn’t the afternoon.” he suggested

“I guess so. Hey, do you want to push the lid off the tomb” she smiled cheekily at him

“No, i’m sure Solomon would reawaken then fight us for disturbing his tomb” he sneered

“It isn’t like that, do you believe that the king of alchemist would be buried somewhere unknown with only the lowest type of stone golems guarding his tomb? Of course not, this is only one of his treasure rooms for adventurers to discover. His main body is in the hall of heroes guarded by the Swordwin Empire. If you open this tomb, you’ll only find nothing” she informed as Lawrence nodded.

Solomon the Alchemist King was a 7-star mage that uses poison and potions to empower his army of golems. He himself has a weak constitution but every single one of his golem can fight a 6-star warrior or even higher. He created the institute of alchemy in the Swordwin Empire and he is one of the heroes of humanity for thwarting the attack of the demon army 50 years ago.

Meanwhile, the hall of heroes is where the resting place of the heroes of humanity. Only 7-star mages, warriors, and paragons can be buried there. Every artifact they owned is buried with them with their stories popularized across the land. It’s beside the palace of the empire where only the monarchies and nobles can enter. It is heavily guarded as it is littered with godly artifacts and relics. It is also symbolized as the pride of humanity to remind every race and demons what humanity can achieve and do.

“Hall of heroes…i remember that half of those ‘heroes’ committed heinous crimes behind the scene. Some would attack elf villages to sell them to slaves owners, steal the dwarf’s sacred weaponry for their own plans, kill the innocent people or some would even do experiments on other races and even humans. Now that this becomes the reality…did I do that? Am I the one who ruined lives just because I wanted to write an evil character in the novel? Is it my fault that people suffered under their hands because I wrote a single sentence in a novel?” she said solemnly and her eyes glistened with tears. She tucked her legs on her chest as she stared at the ground. Trying her best to hide her face.

Lawrence didn’t know what to say. She is the author of this world, the creator. No one expects their novel to turn into a reality. It wasn’t her fault but she was the cause and every character was affected by it.

“It wasn’t your fault” he replied with a smile. Deciding after contemplating about it.

“The one who created your novel into reality is the one at fault. Don’t be regretful of what you’ve done. We are here to save the world and remove the mess your characters created.” he added as Catalinna stared at him before nodding. She smiled sweetly at him but Lawrence didn’t see her expression.

“So you aren’t an obnoxious condescending asshole. Well, thanks for the advice.” she replied as Lawrence gazed at her with annoyance on his face.

“There you are, I thought you’re possessed or something” she said cheekily before heading back to the surface through the stairs heading up. He can only shake his head as the clicking of the potion brought a large smile to his face.

‘Well, at least it’s a success. Time to master my light sky step and moonlight beam. I can’t help but get excited!’