Chapter 21 – The Gate That Shouldn’t ExistChapter 22 – The Forgotten Gate Beneath the Grove

Two days had passed since I woke from my year-long coma. My body was still recovering, but my heart no longer allowed me to rest.

Too many unanswered questions.

Too many new ones beginning to form.

So, I stood before my father once more—this time not as a prince, not as a son—but as a soldier requesting to return to the front lines.

> "You wish to return to the battlefield this soon?"

His voice was low, unreadable.

> "Yes," I answered. "It's not just about reducing monster movement near the border…"

"I need to walk… farther."

> "Farther?"

I hesitated.

> "There's something I need to find. Something I remember."

He studied me carefully.

Then slowly gave a nod.

> "Then go, Alein. But take caution. You've already gambled your life once."

I bowed.

> "I'll come back with answers."

---

◆◇◆

Nightshade Grove.

A forest at the edge of the borderland—known for eerie silence, pale glowing fungi, and trees tall enough to block the sky. Few dared enter it. Fewer still returned from its depths.

The perfect place for secrets to hide.

I marched in full armor, sword strapped to my side, a simple bag filled with bread, dried meat, and two canteens. I didn't plan on fighting.

This was a search mission.

A search born from my memories of the game world.

---

> "In the original otome game… this forest only unlocked after you defeated the demon lord in the final arc."

> "A hidden side quest. Most players called it pointless. A gate that led nowhere. The wikia called it a 'glitch area.'"

> "But I always found that odd."

> "Why would the developers put such detail into a place with nothing?"

> "Even in that world… there was something eerie about this place."

---

The further I walked, the quieter it became.

Not just monster silence.

Even the birds and insects stopped singing.

The trees curved unnaturally—bent as if leaning toward me, whispering things I couldn't hear.

Eventually, I reached a clearing.

The moon pierced through the foliage like a divine spotlight.

And there it was—

> A massive, hollowed tree, so wide it could house an entire ballroom inside. Its roots twisted like serpent coils. The bark was scorched in places, glowing with faint runes.

> "This is it…" I whispered. "The place from the game…"

I took a step closer.

The ground responded.

A quiet click beneath my foot.

Suddenly, golden vines of magic ignited across the roots of the tree, racing upward in symmetrical lines. Symbols, old as time, lit up around a hollow opening near its base.

> "The Gate…"

> "The gate that led to nothing…"

My hand trembled slightly as I approached.

No monsters. No sounds.

Just that strange hum of forbidden magic.

---

> "In the game, this was where you were supposed to find a chained person… someone trapped beyond the demon lord's defeat."

> "But no one ever found anything. The quest wouldn't complete. No dialogue. Just… a dead end."

> "What if it wasn't meant for the main story?"

> "What if it's meant for someone like me?"

---

I stepped into the tree's mouth.

Cool air greeted me—unnaturally cold, like stepping into an ancient crypt.

A soft light pulsed in the distance, leading deeper into its roots.

And just before the dark swallowed the light behind me, I looked back at the grove, where the moonlight no longer reached.

> "Let's see what this place was hiding all along."

---

The moment I stepped beyond the threshold of the hollowed tree, my surroundings changed.

The twisted bark gave way to dark stone walls.

Cold, wet air swept over me. The scent of moss, blood, and rusted iron clung to every breath I took. And yet—

> "This layout… it's exactly like the game."

Each corridor curved like a spiral. A labyrinth, just as I remembered. But unlike the pixelated graphics of the game version… this was painfully real.

The sounds were real.

The danger was real.

---

Not even ten minutes in—

I was ambushed.

Two mutant ogres lumbered from the shadows—half-decayed, but faster than anything I'd seen in real life. Eyes glowing orange. Their roars echoed like echoes of something ancient.

I barely dodged.

Sword drawn, shield up, I carved through their tendons with precise cuts and let my regeneration handle the bruises from their flailing fists.

> "Not B-rank in name only…"

In the game, these creatures were mid-tier. Annoying, but manageable.

Here?

They were nightmares brought to life.

---

I pressed deeper.

Floor after floor, my body drenched in sweat and blood, even if most of it wasn't mine.

I found chests—hidden behind illusionary walls and strange markings etched into stone.

They didn't glow or hum like the game.

They were just… there.

Dusty. Old. Real.

Inside them, I gathered what I could:

High-grade healing potions

A heavy silver dagger engraved with angelic runes

Bundles of rare herbs used in anti-magic rituals

And… a book.

> A curse book.

> Its cover was made of weathered black leather and stitched with a thread that pulsed like it was breathing.

A rusted nameplate was nailed onto the front:

> "Ekslibris"

Something about the book made my hand shiver just touching it. I didn't dare open it—not here.

I dropped it into my bag.

Still uneasy, I reached out telepathically.

> "Goddess… I found something strange. A book. A cursed one."

> "Its name is Ekslibris."

She didn't answer right away.

Then—

> "...That book shouldn't exist anymore."

> "It's an ancient artifact from a hundred cycles ago—back when the world still obeyed primordial laws."

> "Burn it if you value peace."

I blinked. That wasn't the tone she normally used.

> "Then why is it here?"

> "Because something… or someone… wants you to find it."

> "But keep it closed. Don't let its ink touch your soul."

---

I pressed on, unease curling inside me now more than ever.

And finally—

The passage opened into a massive chamber.

The ceiling extended high, high into darkness, with black banners covered in runes I couldn't read.

And at the end of the room stood two towering golems.

Their frames were pure adamantine, shining with the luster of silver and starlight. Over seven meters tall each, built like medieval knights from forgotten empires.

In their chests burned a slow, red flame like molten hearts.

Their twin greatshields dragged across the floor, and in their right hands, each held a black halberd longer than my entire body.

They didn't speak.

They simply turned toward me as if sensing my presence—

> And readied their weapons.

---

> "So this is the gate's final trial…"

I adjusted my armor. My grip on my sword tightened.

> "Let's see if a useless prince still has what it takes to carve through history."

Chapter 21 volume 2 end...