Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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“Class… change?”
While repeating this unfamiliar word heard for the first time, Turan immediately turned past the page with the title.
The next page was filled with messy writing, perhaps for organizing thoughts.
[Night Hunter = Hunter + Pursuer + Shadow + Alchemist]
[Class Change Condition: Clear Evil Labyrinth]
[Need solo clear? Or possible with multiple people?]
[Will recreating dungeon and monster forms as similarly as possible count as meeting conditions?]
[Design to open when detecting subject meeting conditions]
[Add function to lure only qualified subjects]
[Reject entry if not qualified? X]
The meaning of the sentence at the top likely meant the bloodlines passed down to Night Hunter’s descendants were four types.
Though “class change condition” remained unclear… contextually it seemed to express becoming Night Hunter with the term class change.
The lure function likely meant that inexplicable compulsion that drew Turan in.
This book was clearly something like notes left by the labyrinth’s creator.
Given circumstances, likely the same person who made the Gods’ Tomb, meaning writing left directly by the limping goddess or Frea divine tribe member of similar rank…
Turan swallowed nervously and turned the page.
The next page had similar scribbles and drawings of monsters that swarmed the labyrinth.
[Monster Rotten Angler, materials are giant blood and flesh, dungeon boss Giant Angler uses Queen Giant as material.]
[Power source magic? Handle lifespan with hibernation.]
[How to recreate acidic blood and fire breath? X]
[Too low level compared to real dungeon. Ways to raise limit?]
Monster seemed to refer to those creatures filling the labyrinth.
Though shocking to learn they were artificially created beings using extinct ancient giant race as materials, it was also somewhat understandable.
Wouldn’t it be stranger for such hideous creatures to exist naturally?
Rather, he felt awe at divine power capable of even molding life.
Though he turned several more pages, there wasn’t much comprehensible text.
From phrases like “Apply to Earth Mother class change experiment” and “Apply previous experiment failure,” he could only guess such “experiments” didn’t occur in this one place.
While folding and pocketing the paper, Turan recalled the door eyeball’s words.
‘It said my entry was an error.’
Reading this book, he could roughly guess the circumstances.
The labyrinth creator’s goal was creating a Frea god, the Night Hunter.
This required a magician with all four bloodlines originating from that god.
They believed if a magician meeting those conditions defeated the labyrinth leader, this book’s dungeon boss, they could become a god.
But for some reason this labyrinth mistook Turan, recognized as having four bloodlines due to the holy relic, as that “Night Hunter candidate” and opened.
As for Ferga’s group, they probably just got caught up while sightseeing.
Anyway, since he did defeat the leader he checked his body again just in case, but felt no divine power bestowed… just stronger magic power from consuming the monsters and nobles outside.
To begin with, the chance of Turan having two locked bloodlines was nearly zero, let alone them being Shadow and Alchemist.
Both were bloodlines extinct so long ago they weren’t even mentioned in history books read at Orem’s library.
Comparing with legends passed down in the Enril Desert, they probably went extinct after clashing with brother family Zahar in ancient times, during or after the old empire era.
While organizing thoughts thus, Turan suddenly felt strong déjà vu.
The Burner Obil killed in the northwest near Karmaine territory…
That madman’s method claiming covering oneself in human ashes granted pyromancer bloodline felt somehow similar to this labyrinth’s method.
Especially in claiming power could be gained through seemingly meaningless methods.
‘Could methods of artificially gaining bloodlines be real too?’
Come to think of it, didn’t Obil also say a god taught him the method?
But then couldn’t the labyrinth creator have directly created someone with such bloodlines instead of waiting for a Night Hunter bloodline holder to enter?
After pondering this topic deeply, Turan sighed and walked toward the whirlpool.
No answers would come from thinking here, and above all he worried the exit whirlpool might disappear if he delayed too long.
* * *
Emerging beyond the whirlpool, Turan realized he stood in desert outskirts of Banipel.
Evidence was the Gods’ Tomb displaying its massive majesty far in the distance.
He moved to a relatively high place, dropped invisibility and called the black eagle through their soul bond.
Perhaps being far away, it took nearly thirty minutes to appear and peck his head before writing on the ground.
[Too late! Day, second day, anyway late! Scared!]
“Haha, sorry…”
Had about three days passed since being trapped in that labyrinth?
Having received the black eagle’s anxiety through their soul bond during that time, Turan stroked its head repeatedly to comfort it.
Just then, the black eagle shook its head and stepped back.
[Smell.]
“Ah.”
Being stuck in the labyrinth three days and even engaging in close combat at the end left Turan’s clothes and body filthy with rotten flesh and blood.
Though he tidied somewhat while erasing his traces, it was far from enough to remove the smell.
Since the black eagle refused to let him ride due to being too dirty, he ran on two feet toward Banipel’s oasis.
Naturally as the city’s most important water source, it was guarded by knights.
“Hey, doesn’t the family atmosphere seem really bad lately? Haven’t seen the family head and his entourage in a while.”
“What could happen? Let’s not worry about high lords’ affairs. They must have their reasons. More importantly, want a drink tomorrow?”
“Come on, I’m trying to be serious here.”
Turan passed between the two chatting knights and magically drew enough water for two people to bathe where they couldn’t see… Thanks to invisibility, the knights didn’t notice him stealing oasis water right beside them.
Taking the drawn water to an uninhabited rocky area, he transformed the ground to make a pit, filled it with water and heated it.
After undressing and washing his body, he lifted the water into the air, removed all impurities and washed his clothes before putting them on, finally looking somewhat human again.
“Whew, finally feel alive…”
Just how did he live without bathing for weeks before?
After bathing, Turan didn’t forget to dispose of all traces.
He flattened the transformed ground, lifted and evaporated the water while burning away all impurities.
[Clean now?]
“Yes, clean. Will you carry me now?”
[Yes!]
Turan grabbed the black eagle’s legs and flew into the sky.
The labyrinth’s opening would soon be known through vagrants Banipel kept sending in.
He needed to get far away before then if possible.
Zahar would search for who absorbed ten nobles’ magic power.
Though he left no traces inside, hopefully they’d think the magic power vanished due to the labyrinth’s special nature, but such things should always assume worst case.
‘Better to leave the Enril Desert for months until things quiet down.’
Ten nobles’ deaths would be extremely serious even for a great family like Zahar.
With twenty-six nobles dying in past war with Arabion, this was nearly half casualties from great family warfare.
Moreover one being heir candidate meant thorough investigation.
If during this, circumstances emerged of fallen noble Turan Brahms suddenly gaining tremendous power?
He’d clearly be prime suspect without question.
Though leaving the desert meant postponing his original goal of finding parental traces…
His mother probably wouldn’t want her son dying while tracking her footsteps.
With the black eagle it wouldn’t take long to return either.
While deep in thought, a peep sounded from above.
The black eagle looked down sending confused feelings asking where to go.
“Ah, right. Let’s go that way first.”
The direction Turan pointed was northwest.
* * *
While flying on the black eagle, Turan tried avoiding contact with others as much as possible.
Using tracking magic over nearly ten kilometers with his strengthened power, he moved to avoid areas where human scent was detected.
After forced marching flying and resting for a day and a half, the desert region gradually ended.
Not only did observed people’s clothing differ from afar, but weather became more humid and cool.
Distance taking ordinary people over a month and nobles a week was nothing before this bird’s wings.
When white snow began falling from the sky, Turan landed the black eagle.
“Good work, let’s walk and rest from here. Tired?”
[Yes. Want rest.]
The black eagle wrote with somewhat tired appearance before perching on the rod attached beside the bag and closing its eyes… Turan stroked its feathers then looked at the white rocky mountains spread before him.
‘So this is the grey zone.’
This region west of Enril Desert and east of Maderi City where Turan first met Asiz was filled with rough rocky mountains.
It was also where Arabion and Zahar armies once fiercely battled.
‘Travel journals mentioned blind dwarves living hidden in mountains eating people.’
Of course even if such creatures existed they wouldn’t be much threat to Turan.
Current him was stronger than typical small-medium family heads like Baltas family head met before, classified as elite even in great families.
Such a noble wouldn’t easily die without directly facing several noble families.
Unless caught in ridiculous situations like Ferga.
‘Should leisurely look around and figure out where this is first.’
Turan’s new destination was Orem City, Baltas family base visited before.
He planned to revisit the library and consult the librarian about various secrets learned in the labyrinth.
After walking an hour with black eagle at his side, an old empire road appeared.
Though surroundings were completely white, snow falling from sky melted immediately upon touching the road.
Just then, a strange procession approached from opposite Turan on the road.
“Mom, I’m tired.”
“Stop whining and walk faster. We’ll leave you if you stop!”
“Waah…”
A mixed crowd of men, women, young and old carrying all kinds of luggage.
Though they looked strangely at Turan while passing, all showing exhausted appearances, they continued southeast as if lacking energy even to speak.
‘What’s this?’
They seemed to be fleeing from something.
Walking the direction they came from, before long a fairly large city appeared.
Perhaps being midst mountains, it had semicircular walls built backing against large cliffs, and a guard at the gate tilted his head seeing Turan.
“Traveler? But what’s that bird and why those clothes…”
His confusion wasn’t strange at all.
The white desert garment was burned after washing due to monster blood stains, now wearing only upper clothes, pants and cloak gifted by Asiz.
Only two types of people traveled dressed like that in midwinter.
Madmen, or magicians.
The guard’s face turned white realizing this.
“W-welcome! May I ask which esteemed one you…”
Seemed he’d need to buy thick padded or fur clothes to act common again.
“Just a passing traveler. Could I request one day’s hospitality from this place’s master?”
Once identity was exposed, secretly passing would violate custom.
But for some reason the guard showed hesitation at Turan’s question.
“What’s wrong?”
“W-well, Kalamaf currently has no lord.”
“What? How is that possible?”… A city without master?
Even clearly not small cities like Murei had nobles residing for emergencies.
Could that refugee procession earlier relate to this?
“As a lowly guard I don’t know well, but recently fell to dark elves invading from west…”
The guard explained with bewildered expression that now this city had no nobles or knights at all.