Chương 15

The moment Medivah laid eyes on the carved stone statue, his breath hitched. He immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the floor in fervent prayer. After a long, tense moment of silence, the old man slowly rose to his feet and turned to Rudra, his eyes locked onto the sealed parchment.

"You actually survived," Medivah whispered, his voice thick with awe.

"And you brought back the Lord's relics."

"Barely," Rudra replied, gesturing to the parchment.

"I tried to read that, but I kept getting some system warning." Medivah nodded slowly, stepping forward to gently pick up the rolled parchment.

"Of course you did. The knowledge of Asterion was fractured and sealed away to protect it from the Rebecca Church. These texts can only be opened with the blessing of a Priest of the Ocean God." Medivah closed his eyes and began to chant in a low, echoing, ancient tongue. A soft blue aura enveloped his hands, sinking into the wax seal. The seal melted away like seafoam, and Medivah unrolled the parchment.

"This... is a fragment of forgotten knowledge," Medivah explained, his eyes scanning the ancient text.

"Lord Asterion's domain encompasses everything the ocean has swallowed. Sometimes, these fragments contain pieces of lost martial arts, ancient magic, or production methods. If you gather enough matching fragments, you can restore them to their former glory." Medivah handed the open parchment to Rudra.

"But you are fortunate, young traveler. This is not a mere fragment. It is a complete, intact production method." The moment Rudra took the parchment, it dissolved into a flurry of blue light that shot directly into his forehead. [You have acquired the production method: 'Tide-Cured Ration'!] [Because you possess the 'Basic Cooking' skill, the recipe has been automatically added to your crafting list.] [Recipe: Tide-Cured Ration] [Rating: Rare] [A foundational survival food developed by the ancient priests of Asterion. It has an incredibly long shelf life and invigorates the body with the essence of the ocean.] [Ingredients Required: 1x Fish Meat, 1x Seaweed, 1x Rock Salt.] [Effect: Upon consumption, Stamina consumption is reduced by 50%, and Health/Mana regeneration is increased by 20%.] [Duration: 2 Minutes.] Rudra's eyes widened. A 50% stamina reduction and boosted regen?

The duration was only two minutes, but for a high-intensity boss fight where he needed to swing his heavy oak staff non-stop, this buff was absolutely game-changing. His 10-silver investment in the cooking skill had just paid off exponentially.

"Medivah," Rudra said, looking up.

"Are there more of these? More sunken archives?" This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The old priest smiled, a melancholy look in his eyes.

"Long ago, before the Church of Light claimed the continent, there were over a hundred temples dedicated to Asterion scattered across the world. Each temple guards a hidden archive. Each archive hides a trial." Medivah placed his hand on Rudra's shoulder.

"You have the mind to decipher our madness and the strength to survive the deep. If you travel the world, visit our forgotten altars, and read the texts... you may be able to piece together the entire lost legacy of the Ocean God." A massive, golden system prompt descended in front of Rudra. It was the grandest notification he had seen since logging into the game. [The Hidden Quest 'Whispers of the Forgotten Tide' has been updated!] [Hidden Quest: The Legacy of the Submerged God] [Difficulty: S ~???] [Asterion's knowledge has been scattered across the continent. Seek out the abandoned temples, decipher their maddening histories, and conquer the submerged trials to reclaim the fragments of a forgotten era.] [Clear Conditions: Locate and clear the trials of the submerged temples.] [Progress: 1 / 113 Temples Cleared] [Milestone Rewards:] - Clear 10 Temples: [Asterion's Blessing (Minor)] - Clear 30 Temples: [Title: Seeker of the Drowned Truths] - Clear 70 Temples: [Sealed Grimoire of the Deep Sage] - Clear 113 Temples: [???] Rudra stared at the massive quest window. One hundred and thirteen temples. The sheer scale of it was staggering. It wasn't a quest he could complete in a week, or even a few months.

It was a legendary journey that would dictate his path across the entire continent of the Satisfy world. And waiting at the very end of it was a reward that even the system evaluated he wouldn't understand. Rudra dismissed the window, a burning sense of anticipation settling in his chest. He had a Rare weapon, a powerful combat buff recipe, a massive questline, and his pockets were heavy with gold.

"First things first," Rudra muttered, turning his back to the temple doors.

"I need to get my Class." Leaving the quiet sanctuary of the temple, Rudra navigated the bustling streets toward the Adventurer's Guild. Established by the Saharan Empire and implemented across all allied kingdoms, the Guild was the central hub for all beginners and mercenaries to manage their progression. Entering the large wooden building, Rudra casually looked around. The hall was packed with a loud mixture of NPCs and players forming parties and bartering over cheap loot.

Spotting a free receptionist at the far counter, he made his way over. Just as he was about to speak to her, a heavy hand clamped down hard onto his shoulder. A large, bald player wearing a full set of iron armor tried to physically shove Rudra out of the way.

"Kid, get lost," the man sneered arrogantly.

"I have some important business to discuss here." Rudra didn't budge. Rudra simply turned his head, looking at the man with mild annoyance. Seeing that the beginner hadn't moved an inch, the armored man flushed red with embarrassment. He raised his voice, drawing the attention of the hall.

"I said get lo—" SMACK! Before the man could finish his sentence, Rudra casually backhanded him directly across the face. The sheer force of the slap lifted the heavy, armored player entirely off his feet. He flew backward through the air like a discarded ragdoll, crashing spectacularly into a wooden pillar at the far end of the hall. [Critical Hit!] A collective gasp echoed through the Guild as everyone stared at the bald man's health bar.

It had instantly plummeted, losing a good three-quarters of its total volume from a single, bare-handed slap. Wow, Rudra thought, stretching his fingers. That felt incredibly good. Ignoring the groaning man sliding down the pillar, Rudra turned back to the wide-eyed, terrified receptionist and offered a polite, smooth smile.

"Hi," Rudra said calmly.

"I'd like to process my Class change, please."