[BONUS]
One claw and Pii's HP was quick to deplete, and with it came smoke, thunder, and sparks of lightening. This was followed by a large roar and a large blast of a beam that made the Elder Strangler move from its spot and escape.
It didn't get far when the beam of bolts engulfed it whole. It shrieked so loud that Ren had to cover his ears. The [Monarch Sovereignty] couldn't protect him from the piercing sounds.
The Elder Strangler had lightning resistant, so it survived the blast with half HP. However, even if it survived the magical attack, it couldn't escape Pii's physical attacks. With large sharp claws, Pii swiped a large chunk of the tree before stomping what remained of it with its large feet.
The Elder Strangler couldn't do anything against a beast that was the same size as it but had double ATP. Its HP quickly went to zero, and that usual notification rang in Ren's ears.
He ignored it while Pii assumed its normal form and flew into Ren's shoulder. He then hurried towards the hill where the Elder Strangler lay before. Underground from where that Elder Strangler laid was the entrance to the Tomb of the previous Fairy Queen.
The Tomb of the Fairy Queen was marked only by its nondescript entrance: a small hillock with a dirty marred bronze door that seemed impossible to open.
Ren found the entrance of the Tomb, a bronze door, tucked on the earth, stood alone in a small, rocky hillside, so overgrown with vines it was easy to miss despite its size. Letters and symbols glow faintly underneath the dirt and plants that were twisting on the door's surface.
The door was sealed with Elven and Fairy magic and was impervious to all damage and couldn't be forced open. There wasn't also a keyhole on the door, so Ren couldn't use the [Crystal Keys] he got from Hubert.
Ren made out a faint letter on the door's surface. He cleared the dirt and vines, and the letters became visible.
[From Mother's womb to resting Tomb,
One truth will all consume,
To open this gate, speak its name,
As you rest your palm upon my frame.]
Ren touched the door and said, "Death."
It wasn't that hard to guess because they were symbols to aid the players for the riddles. Most of the symbols depicted various stages of life. The symbol on the left side of the door depicted youth, while those on the right side depicted old age.
There were also symbols on the door depicting the passage to the afterlife and an ancient symbol used by followers of the God of Death at the center.
If a player was an idiot or blind and uttered the incorrect word, the door wouldn't open, and they would suffer Necrotic damage that would chip away their HP because of the rot status effect.
The door slowly opened with a slight ramble. The hinges crackled like they were about to break.
Ren went down the flight of stairs. The ceiling was high, but the interior of the Tomb was cast in complete darkness, and he used the ever-handy [Torch] to light his way.
There was a Crystal Save at the entrance too, and Ren was thankful for that. He didn't want to start all over again when he died. At least if he failed, he could try again and would be directly transported to the Tomb's entrance.
But it only meant that the Tomb would work like a dungeon, and there would be a final boss in the end. Ren was even thinking of auctioning tickets for the Tomb to add to his money. He would form a group and auction the slots, but . . .
But he would have to compete with the others for the treasures.
For a moment, Ren weighed the advantages and disadvantages and decided that he would rather explore alone and horde all the treasures.
The price of those treasures, if auctioned, would surely be higher than the tickets for the Tomb.
After Ren saved his progress, he went on his way with Pii leading the way. The cold, dust-covered stone floor of this room narrowed down into a hallway to the east. The thick layer of dust that covered the floor made it apparent that no one had stepped here for many years.
A marble statue stood near the northern wall depicting a robed woman holding a staff.
It must be the previous Fairy Queen. Ren thought.
The entirety of the southern wall was a mural of the Fairy Queen from the various stages of her life and to her deathbed.
Ren went to the statue and offered a flower. His entire being then glowed.
[You have been blessed]
Being blessed meant that Ren was immune to that heavy feeling that weighed him down ever since he entered the Tomb. It was like a magical gravity spell that made him feel like he weighed double even though he didn't suffer any AGI decrease.
However, this immunity would only last one hour, so Ren had to keep moving.
A dark hallway with cobwebs stretched from wall to wall led further east into another room. Each of the stone tiles that filled that hallway was dyed with either faint yellow, green, red, or blue color. Above the archway was a golden plate etched with intricate letters.
[Here lies Queen Aurora. The queen of Fairies.
Quick like blossoming spring, healthy like summer in full, swift like the winds of fall, hard like winter's ice.
Those who wish to pay their respects must walk with hallowed steps through the passage of time.]
That was the clue to get to the next room. Each of the colored tiles on the floor represented a season. To pass the hallway unscathed, Ren must step on the tile in the order of the season, starting with spring (yellow), leading to summer (Green), then autumn (red), and then winter (blue), before repeating the cycle again until he reached the other side.
If the players stepped out of order at any point, they would suffer the following damage depending on the colors. Yellow meant that they would be poisoned for one hour. Green meant suffering from fire damage. Red meant necrotic damage, and Blue was speed reduction for one hour.
