Translator: CinderTL
Roland frowned, staring at the silently opening portal before him.
His keen senses spread outward, meticulously probing the surroundings. Only after confirming that the portal's energy fluctuations were extremely subdued, almost perfectly concealed, did he finally exhale in relief.
He bent down to pick up a stone and tossed it toward the shimmering barrier.
Sizzle!
With a faint sound, like piercing a film of water, the stone vanished as if dropped into an absolutely still deep pool, leaving only a few barely perceptible ripples before disappearing completely.
Roland didn't stop there.
He gathered several different items from his surroundings—dry twigs, earth, and more—and tossed them into the barrier one by one.
Only after confirming the absence of any signs of danger or abnormal reactions did his tense nerves begin to relax slightly.
Then, he slowly extended a finger and tentatively touched the mysterious barrier.
His fingertip met a sensation as smooth and warm as jade, as if passing through a layer of warm water.
Roland immediately focused his mental power, extending his perception along his fingertip and into the portal's interior.
His mental vision revealed only chaos, but he detected no signs of life or consciousness within.
Taking a deep breath, he hesitated no longer and stepped through the barrier.
After a momentary sensation of weightlessness, Roland found himself in absolute darkness.
The space seemed to devour all light, the thick, pitch-black darkness as tangible as a solid mass.
Yet, strangely, his vision remained unimpaired in this extreme darkness. Everything within the space was clearly visible to him.
Within the small chamber, several objects floated: a dagger, an ancient scroll, and...
Nearby, a dark red organ of an unknown creature pulsed slowly and rhythmically.
Each item was confined within its own small, invisible magical barrier, preventing them from interfering with one another.
Roland's eyebrows twitched slightly as he observed the pulsating organ.
"So... the so-called Secret Imprisonment Dice is actually..."
He glanced around the chamber, carefully choosing his words before finally concluding, "A magical container capable of creating an independent dimensional space for storing items?"
With this thought, Roland slowly approached the sealed artifacts, examining them closely.
He first approached the strangely shaped dagger.
Its dark metallic sheen seemed to absorb light, and an ominous chill radiated from its blade.
Roland cautiously extended his hand, but his fingertips were stopped an inch from the barrier by a gentle yet impossibly resilient force.
This force wasn't a harsh, rebounding impact; rather, it felt like an impenetrable, flexible wall composed of pure energy.
No matter how much force he applied, his fingertips couldn't advance even a fraction of an inch further. When he tried to force his way through, a faint burning sensation tingled at his fingertips.
Roland's gaze sharpened, but he remained undeterred.
He shifted his approach, channeling his inner mana into a stream of refined energy and carefully probing the barrier.
However, the energy stream vanished instantly upon contact with the invisible screen, like a mud ox sinking into the sea, leaving not even a ripple in its wake.
Next, he focused his mental power into an intangible probe, attempting to analyze the barrier's structure or identify any weaknesses.
Yet in his mental vision, the barrier encasing the artifacts appeared seamless and monolithic, its internal structure complex and arcane, far beyond his current analytical capabilities.
Forcing the probe only brought a wave of dizziness, as if he were staring into a twisted abyss.
After shaking his head lightly, he repeated the process, attempting to interact with the ancient scroll wrapped in dim, glowing threads and the pulsating, dark red organ.
The results were identical.
Every attempt, whether physical contact, energy blasts, or spiritual probes, was flawlessly blocked and neutralized by that invisible force.
"It seems my current strength isn't enough to breach these mysterious barriers protecting the artifacts," Roland concluded, feeling no disappointment.
After all, the Secret Imprisonment Dice had been an unexpected find, and he hadn't harbored high expectations for it.
Moreover, even if he couldn't obtain the sealed artifacts, the Secret Imprisonment Dice still held value for him.
After roughly estimating the size of the independent space, Roland nodded slightly.
"It's not vast, but it's sufficient for storing many things."
"This will save me the trouble of hiring manpower or carriages for long journeys in the future. Quite convenient, indeed."
With these thoughts, Roland stepped out of the pitch-black space.
"Phew..."
Watching the slowly closing portal and the cave, unchanged from when he'd left, Roland exhaled deeply. He then took the Secret Imprisonment Dice into his palm and began to examine it closely.
Perhaps because this place was so far from the River Domain's Royal Capitals, even as the dice filled his palm with an eerie blue light, Roland felt no connection to the magic well in the core zone of the royal capital.
He shook his head slightly, deciding not to dwell on the matter.
Closing the Secret Imprisonment Dice and tucking it into his waist pouch, he stepped out of the cave.
Mounting his horse, he left the secluded spot.
Noticing the darkening sky, Roland didn't rush back to the royal capital. Instead, he settled in a nearby town for the night.
After a hearty meal, he headed toward the local Adventurer's Guild.
Roland still vividly remembered the "self-selected reward" missions that the influential figure Lilith had mentioned at the Adventurer's Guild.
Of course, he wasn't planning to take on such a high-risk mission just yet.
The difficulty of the Wolf King extermination quest alone had given him a glimpse of the challenges these missions entailed.
But with nothing pressing to do, he figured he might as well try his luck.
Even if there were no suitable missions, he could gather some information while he was there.
Though Roland still lacked precise knowledge of the forces behind the Adventurer's Guild, he held its information-gathering capabilities in high regard.
With this in mind, he stepped into the Adventurer's Guild.
After presenting his A-Rank Adventurer Group credentials, he was immediately distinguished from ordinary adventurers and mercenaries and respectfully invited into a private room.
In the quiet atmosphere, he carefully reviewed the recent job postings.
Treasure hunting, escort missions, demonic beast extermination...
Most were commonplace.
But then, a few newly posted commissions caught his eye:
Large-scale crop withering reported in eastern Golden Valley Kingdom. Soil exhibits oily sheen; unknown black crystals discovered at root systems. Nearby adventurers requested to investigate.
Deep mine shafts of Stone Furnace Fortress report abnormal cold light and unintelligible whispers. Contacted individuals exhibit altered mental states. Experienced adventurers requested to assist with investigation.
Tidal anomalies reported at coastal outpost of Black Reef Principality. Unusual shadows appear on mudflats during low tide, causing mental disorientation in those who come into contact with them. Investigation personnel urgently needed.
(End of the Chapter)
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