Temple in the Desert -1

We greeted a chilly morning, yet the villagers began their activities outside as soon as the sun rose.

We hurriedly left the village, powering up the magic trike to full speed and arriving at the ruins after a day's journey.

Rilka was excited to be riding a magic trike for the first time, nearly falling off several times, and was on edge the whole way.

Apparently, this entire area used to be a stronghold for bandits in the past.

But somehow, the bandits gradually disappeared over time. The reason remains unknown—rumors say they couldn't bear the severe deterioration, or that a powerful monster lived here...

I've heard the buildings are made of stone, and apparently there's nothing wrong inside. If there were a powerful monster, there'd be a massive uproar by now. In truth, no one really knows.

So why don't people come here now...

"Could this be the reason?"

Before them stood an insect with a disproportionately large beetle-like form. What kind of insect had it once been? Though still alive, it could no longer move.

A magic stone, the one always visible from its abdomen, had burst out from within.

Among insect-like beasts, it's not uncommon to find them adorned with magic stones far too large for their bodies—typically discovered in areas where magic stones are plentiful.

This area here is probably where the rumored liquid-like magic stones are found.

The ruin we're about to enter appears to have become a dungeon.

Monsters and sub-beasts have been frequently observed near the ruin, though it originally was just a ruin with no magic stones or other such items generated inside. It remains unclear why they've gathered here.

"This time, we're surveying the dungeonized ruins, not clearing them. So let's avoid combat as much as possible and move stealthily toward our destination. Stay vigilant!"

A cheerful reply comes from the two of them.

They immediately enter the ruins. The map of the ruins was copied by Gram from a map preserved in the village, and thanks to it, they can proceed without issue all the way to the deepest part.

According to the records, there's an altar on the second basement level. I hope there's some trace of a hero here... The path to the underground is a single straight route, so we should be able to advance without difficulty.

The problem is...

"There are more enemies than expected."

"Since it's a place even the villagers avoid, they've probably multiplied over time."

Clearly, there are many sub-beasts.

Though now hidden behind collapsed rubble, we had to pass several sub-beasts to reach it. We're moving forward while avoiding all combat, but progress is difficult.

The sub-beasts are based on animals from the original world—gazelles, camels, and similar creatures.

Each one has eerie crystals growing from its body. Some blindly charge into walls, others stand utterly still, staring at a single point as if lost in thought.

The creature still in its bestial form continues to act erratically.

"Troublesome indeed. If a fight breaks out, it'll be cramped and there are too many of them—quite a nuisance."

Gram grumbles in frustration.

"Let's keep the scouting magic active at all times. Scouting magic drains little energy, and since the path is clear here, there are no obstacles to block it. We can tell when they're approaching by the intensity of the magic lamp's light."

Saying that, he immediately activated his scouting magic. The magic lamp softly glowed, signaling the presence of another being.

It was red.

We advanced in a line, me in front, Lilka behind me, and Gram bringing up the rear.

This place had originally been used as a temple, abandoned mysteriously 300 years ago and rebuilt elsewhere. Therefore, there were no special traps or dangers here.

Dodging the recurring sub-beasts, they pressed deeper into the underground. This entire area had once been a temple visited by pilgrims. It was extremely spacious.

"Wow, it's huge. To think this space was created three hundred years ago... What's going on here?"

"We don't know. Our maps don't mention such a vast space."

"So, does that mean this space was created after the map was made?"

Gram hesitated.

He truly seemed unfamiliar with it.

Still, given the architectural capabilities of this world, it was hard to believe such a vast and intricate space could have been constructed.

Mysterious patterns were painted across the entire wall.

"For now, we don't know. Depending on the situation, we might need to consider exiting temporarily. For safety, let's begin by surveying this area first."

"Understood." "Got it."

Rather than moving forward, they started investigating the surrounding area.

According to prior information, the passage should have been a single path leading down via stairs. However, inside it opened into a spacious area with a series of small rooms connected in sequence.

The more they investigated, the more mysterious the place became. The walls were adorned with strange, irregular patterns, and the rooms themselves had oddly shaped forms, unlike anything they had ever seen.

Embedded at various points along the walls were processed magic stones, but all of them were degraded and no longer functional. These stones were unlike any they had ever seen—similar to light magic stones at first glance, yet upon closer inspection, clearly entirely different.

Though they should have known the types of magic stones from their reference guide, none of these matched anything they could identify.

Following the map Gram had brought, we head to the altar located on the second basement level. However, there are only a few traces of what was used in the ceremony, and nothing particularly distinctive.

Finding nothing of note, we return to the first basement level.

Still, this place feels larger than the map Gram brought suggested.

"Taro-sama, please look over here."

I was called by Gram.

It seems he's found something.

In the direction Gram pointed, there were marks left from something being dragged.

"Deep grooves clearly etched into the stone floor. It looks like something quite heavy was moved here—what could it have been?"

"I don't know. There's no mention of anything like this in the records. According to the internal structure I've documented, the original room ended right up to this point."

Gram shows me the map he brought along.

Indeed, the room size marked on the map ends precisely at the location of the marks—no further space is indicated beyond that.

"For example, could there be a heavy wall made of stone, so dense it could sink into the floor, hiding this room from us all along—something we never knew about?"

Lilka spoke her sudden thought. It sounded utterly far-fetched.

Yet, surprisingly, it might just be possible.