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After hearing the story, Tilla clicked her tongue.

“That sounds like a scam.”

Wasn’t it completely rigged gambling? Repenhardt shrugged his shoulders.

“So what? I didn’t lie, did I?”

Even Finia couldn’t find any falsehood in his words, so it certainly wasn’t a lie. Contrary to what one might think, it seemed Repenhardt had a knack for swindling. While snickering, Russ suddenly hardened his expression and asked,

“I have a question, brother.”

Chewing on a chicken leg, Repenhardt turned to look at Russ.

“You mentioned six Aura users, didn’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Russ started counting on his fingers.

“You, me, and the three Dwarf Aura users…”

Having folded all the fingers on his right hand, Russ looked puzzled.

“But that’s only five. Is there an Aura user among the Elves that I don’t know about?”

“Ah, of course, there are Aura users among the Elves, but…”

He remembered only one Elf Aura user. And that Elf Aura user wasn’t exactly on friendly terms with Repenhardt, the former Demon King, in his past life. They were allies, but not friends, something like that?

‘He’s a tough one to persuade, so meeting him at this point would be…’

Repenhardt shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s not an Elf. And I’m not included in that number. I’m only working behind the scenes; I have no intention of stepping forward.”

Russ tilted his head, even more confused.

“Then we’re still short by two.”

Repenhardt gulped down a mug of ale. After quenching his thirst, his eyes sparkled.

“It’s alright. The Orc Great Warrior, Kalkan, and Stala will join us.”

“…Orcs? Are there Aura users among the Orcs?”

Not only Russ but also Sillan looked surprised. Despite being another slave race, the perception of Orcs being stupid was strong compared to Elves or Dwarves. And in truth, many of them were indeed below average in intelligence.

Could there really be an Orc who had awakened the spirit of the Great Sword?

Sensing their astonished gazes, Repenhardt slowly began to speak.

“About a fifteen-day journey southeast of the Rakid Mountains, there’s a wasteland. It’s called the Land of Trials by non-human races. There are Orcs there who have preserved their ancient traditions.”

Not slaves who had lost all their wildness, nor were they gladiator orcs who had grown savage and brutal, but those who combined intellect and savagery in a delicate balance, maintaining the spirit of a proud warrior.

“They are called the Blue Bear Tribe.”

And the leaders of these orcs were the great orc gladiators, Kalken and Stala. This couple, even in their previous lives, had led Repenhardt’s army with tremendous combat prowess despite their advanced age.

In this era, they possessed the bodies of their prime. Even Repenhardt couldn’t fathom how strong they had become.

‘Now that I think about it, Tassid would be there as well. Has that guy grown much?’

Repenhardt reminisced about the fierce orc warrior and the frail young orc boy from his past life, smiling nostalgically.

Russ shook his head in disbelief.

“Of course, some orc gladiators seemed quite capable… but are orcs truly that strong?”

Repenhardt spoke firmly with a serious expression.

“As far as I know, they are the strongest combat group on earth. This includes humans, elves, and dwarves!”

* * *

At the northernmost part of the Graim Kingdom, in the eternal permafrost of Friesland.

Among the desolate valleys of the vast snowfield, a group of ten people was camping. They had set up three tents made of thick fur hides and used the cliffs of the valley to block the wind, huddling around a bonfire to escape the northern winds.

An old man wearing a thick fur hat shivered, blowing white breath from his chapped lips.

“Phew, phew… It’s cold.”

A burly man, also warming himself by the fire, questioned the old man.

“Can’t you increase the heat, Mage Hal?”

Though it was called a bonfire, there were no logs to fuel the flames. In this endless snowfield, not even a single twig existed. And with limited carrying capacity, they couldn’t bring logs with them. Hence, they relied on Hal’s magical flames to fend off the cold.

“Be patient. We need to keep the fire burning all night; I can’t waste my magic power now.”

“I see.”

They were an expedition team from the Graim Kingdom led by Mage Hal.

Mage Hal, who was turning fifty-seven this year, was a renowned ruins explorer. His magical ability was at the latter part of the 6th circle, which could be considered average for his age. However, Hal’s skill in decoding ancient languages and interpreting information was unparalleled.

He had already explored three ruins and was renowned for his accomplishments. This time, his challenge was a dungeon located in the remote wilderness of Friesland, Salkana.

After half a year of preparation, Hal led the expedition team to this frozen land. For two months, they endured countless hardships, and now, they were on their way back after exploring the Salkana ruins.

Aaron, the burly sub-leader of the expedition and a seasoned swordsman, glanced around the campsite as he warmed himself by the fire. Each of the three small campfires lit by Hal had three or four people huddled around, shivering. The thick frost on their hair and beards starkly displayed the severity of the cold.

Aaron lamented as he muttered, “We came with over thirty people, but only ten have survived…”

Recalling the journey, Aaron shuddered.

Most of the Silver Age ruins were located in extremely remote areas. However, Friesland was in a class of its own.

The ferocious cold that seemed to freeze even one’s blood.

The relentless snowstorms that never ceased.

The vast, unending snowy plains that broke even the strongest wills.

Friesland’s horrific natural environment was a monster in itself. Just reaching the Salkana dungeon through this terrain cost them three comrades. If Hal’s expedition team had not been veterans who had experienced three other dungeons, they would never have made it to Salkana.

Terrifying magical traps and powerful monsters they had never faced before forced Hal’s expedition team to taste hell. Though they managed to progress to the dungeon’s midpoint, they lost numerous comrades, including powerful mages and clerics. It was sheer luck that they were not wiped out and managed to escape the dungeon.

“The losses are too great,” Aaron sighed, thinking of their fallen comrades.

His words brought somber expressions to everyone’s faces.

Hal, smiling weakly, encouraged them all.

“Still, didn’t we gain a lot from this expedition?”

At that, smiles slowly returned to everyone’s faces despite their hardships.

They had suffered heavy losses and managed to explore only about half of the Salkana dungeon, which was a formidable place. But the rewards were equally immense.

The expedition members warming themselves by the fire looked toward the tents with satisfied expressions. Inside, there were more than ten infinite pouches filled with artifacts from the Silver Age.

Seeing the loot, Aaron’s voice brightened, feeling a bit more energetic.

“Indeed, this haul is far greater than all the artifacts we’ve collected so far combined.”

Because it was located in such a remote region, the Salkana Dungeon contained many mysterious artifacts that had never been discovered before. The supposedly rare infinite pouches were common, and they acquired numerous powerful magic swords and armors. Each item was among the highest tier of artifacts from the Silver Age. If they were to put these on the market, they would amass an enormous fortune. The amount was enough for every survivor to retire and live in luxury for the rest of their lives.

However, at this moment, the price of those artifacts meant nothing to Mage Hal.

Hal suddenly reached into his bosom. Despite shivering in the cold, the old man wore an expression full of joy.

“Hehehe, if this is presented to the academy, it will cause a tremendous stir.”

What he was touching was one of the books discovered in the Salkana ruins. Hal’s party had also found several tablets and faded books in Salkana. The other members showed no interest in these seemingly worthless artifacts, but to Hal, they were worth more than gold.

‘The ancient language is too advanced to fully decipher, but I could infer some of the content just by skimming through it.’

This book contained records of the mysterious ancients from the Silver Age, shrouded in secrecy!

The Silver Age, a distant ancient time, perhaps thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago.

Most of the artifacts from that era have eroded and faded away with the passage of time, leaving only a few behind. Those that are discovered tend to be highly durable artifacts. Military weapons are built with durability in mind, so the artifacts found in dungeons usually possess combat capabilities.

However, the Salkana Dungeon was different. The harsh environment of Friesland was the worst for life to survive in, but it was the best for preserving artifacts. Historical records from the Silver Age, which would have normally left no trace, were perfectly preserved.

‘As soon as we return, I must dedicate myself to decoding these records. I will unveil the secrets of the Silver Age and those ancient people. If that happens… hehehe.’

Despite being an old man, Hal’s heart was pounding fiercely like a young man’s. He couldn’t help but be excited. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the immense honor that would be bestowed upon him if he presented these findings. As a scholar, he might achieve immortal fame in human history!

“Let’s hurry back to the Kingdom of Graim. I am eager to present our findings to the academy as soon as possible.”

Seeing Hal urging them on, everyone agreed.

“Of course.”

Though they were not scholars, the others were equally excited about the bright future ahead. Dreaming of becoming wealthy by selling the artifacts, the expedition members joyfully patted each other on the back.

“Um?”

One of the expedition members looked across the valley, tilting his head in confusion. In the fierce north wind and the thick snowstorm, a shadowy figure appeared.

Everyone stood up in surprise.

“What, what is that?”

The shadow multiplied. There were now four figures, and everyone looked shocked.

In this harsh environment of Friesland, not even monsters could survive. There was no way any other living beings could be here. Yet, someone had approached their campsite!

They all wore confused expressions, wondering if they were seeing things. Aaron drew his sword and shouted.

“Who goes there?”