There were many things that made the Third Trial more bothersome than I had previously thought.

The first factor was that there were three different schedules.

One for the Bride.

One for the Groom.

And one for when they got together.

The schedules mentioned the exact halls and rooms each would be, and how long they should spend on each event. The Bride’s schedule didn’t mention her appointments before arriving at the castle. After sending a message to Hal, he confirmed my suspicions.

[our squad already started same monsters as the first one

check on hil if you can.]

From the way the message was written, Hal was probably engaged in combat. I could not help myself but worry, even if Hal had proved he knew his way with a blade. I wish I knew others, people who could be on the Escort Squad, someone I could trust.

Like Kurosawa.

A bitter taste spread in my mouth as I thought about that guy, making me curse in my head.

I sent Hal some of the healing potions I had, either way.

“My friend sent me the schedules—”

Kaduna raised her eyebrows slightly. “Oh my, how resourceful my partner is. I was fortunate, indeed.”

I almost blushed from her comment, embarrassed, my following words stumbling out of my mouth. “Well, yes, so…we have three schedules. The Bride’s only starts once she gets here, but the Groom should be getting ready in his room for the next fifteen minutes. After that, he will take a stroll in the garden.”

“This garden, correct?”

I nodded.

Kaduna held her chin, thinking. “We should investigate the area prior to his arrival, then. Since we have much to cover, let’s separate and contact each other in case we find anything.”

Before I could ask for her full name so I could message her, the woman took something out of her inventory and handed it to me. It was something that resembled an earphone, yet more…rustic.

“Did you get this in the Store?”

She smiled with a nod while holding a similar piece. “You can place it on your ear and whenever you wish to talk with me, all you have to do is touch it.”

Huh, quite practical.

“Sounds good. How should we separate the areas?”

After discussing for a few minutes, we went our separate ways.

With my Swords status surpassing 20, I could notice things way more clearly. I could tell which statues had markings without even getting too close, and in some cases, I could tell if the markings had been done in a rush or patiently carved. The way they were written was different as well.

Which meant the markings had been done by a group—at least three people.

The more I saw them, the less the inscriptions felt like random drawings. There were a lot of symbols repeating themselves, and after seeing the same pattern of writing again and again, the more I was convinced those things were instructions.

I started to compare the symbols. Some of them would always appear in the same type of statues, like a star-crossed symbol which would always appear in humanoid statues, while spirals and arrows were marked on animal statues. I paid closer attention to the statues containing arrows.

There was something about them bothering me.

“Park Eun-Woo, I believe I have found something of value.”

Kaduna’s voice echoed in my ear. I touched my earpiece.

“Where are you now?”

I followed her directions, not taking long to spot her among the bushes, flowers, and statues. She was standing in front of a bush wall, some red and orange flowers sprouting and blooming from all directions.

Without saying anything, Kaduna pointed at her feet.

It took me three seconds to see the door hidden beneath the dirt and foliage. I knelt, pulling some vines and removing some of the dirt.

She spoke behind me.

“Did you find anything?”

“I saw more of those inscriptions in the statues. I think we are dealing with an organized group.”

“What makes you think that?” Her voice seemed amused.

“The markings feel like instructions, and they were written by different people. I’m still trying to get the meaning behind the symbols, though.”

Once I removed all the things on the way, I was able to see the trap door handle. It took me a couple of tries to open it, revealing a dark descent. There was a ladder that appeared to be only strong enough for one person to use it at a time.

I glanced at the timer, and then at the Groom’s schedule. Apparently, it would take at least twenty minutes for the Groom to reach the garden.

I had to use that time well.

“I will climb down and investigate. You can stay here and try to interpret the symbols and the writings…”

As I turned to face her, Kaduna’s gaze was so intense it made the words die in my throat, my voice leaving me completely. She did not look angry or disappointed.

It was simply…

Overwhelming.

“Do you like giving orders to people you barely know, Park Eun-Woo?” There was no animosity or ill feelings in her voice. I could tell her words carried nothing but genuine curiosity.

Still, it sent a chill down my spine.

“I…sorry. It was not my intention, I guess I wasn’t thinking when I—”

Kaduna raised her hand, the smile never leaving her lips, her eyes never losing their entertained glow.

“Apologize not, I took no offense by your actions. I only find it amusing.”

A part of me was afraid to ask, the other was too curious to ignore. “What is?”

“How you hide your true self to avoid attention, only to attract it all the same.” She chuckled at seeing my expression, closing her eyes briefly before waving her hand. “I will do as you asked. The range of the item I gave you is good, yet not perfect. If I need you, I will send you a message. You can do the same.”

I cleared my throat, the intensity of her eyes forcing me to look away.

“W-what is your full name? So that I can message you.”

She turned her back, already walking away.

“My only name is Kaduna. You will find me with ease.”

I stood still way after she was gone, my body trying to get back to motion as my mind processed all her words and stares.

This woman…

There is just something about her.

I wondered if she also had a passive skill like mine, something that worked similarly to ‘Foolish Aura’. It was very likely, in fact.

Which only made me more curious about who her Benefactor was.

Without any more delays, I glanced to the trap door, into the black abyss—

And made my way down.

----------------------------------------

Even by leaving the trap door open, it didn’t take long for my vision to be enveloped by complete darkness. I had equipped my chest armor and had checked all the cards and potions in my inventory twice.

It took me almost eight minutes to reach the end of the ladder.

At first, I worried about the light. I had no torches or anything alike. It would be quite the feat to investigate an area when I couldn’t even see my own hands. However, not five seconds after I stepped onto the ground, flames burst from the candles stuck in the walls from both sides.

I was standing in a corridor, a faint breeze coming from my left. The path on the right seemed to end abruptly, so I followed the breeze’s source.

The air was stale and dry, and even if I tried to ignore it, the messages kept forcing my eyes to read the sentences again and again.

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

[Do you wish to listen?]

Last time, the dog warned me about an impending death. And although I really wanted to know what the skill was going to warn me about, I could only use it once per day.

From what I could see, this trial would take a long time to clear. So how many more situations would make the Yappy Dog bark?

And which one did I need to listen to the most?

My instincts were telling me I should simply decline. It was too early on the trial, and I was certain things would only get worse as the trial progressed. Yet I still couldn’t press ‘No’.

After walking for a few minutes, I spotted a door with a small window by the end of the hallway. I immediately slowed down my pace, trying to move more quietly.

The small window allowed me to steal some glances into the room, confirming it was indeed empty. I opened the door slowly, the wind current getting stronger for a few seconds.

It seemed to be a sort of operations room. There was a table in the middle, with all kinds of documents spread out, while many kinds of weapons and tools hung from the walls.

On the other side of the room, there was an ascending staircase. More than the corridor, that room felt cold. All around me, I could feel this pressure—a tension building up in my muscles and body.

[Yappy Dog is barking]

Once again, I ignored the message, walking toward the table. Although I could not understand any of the writing, it was easy to spot the plants and maps. One, in particular, was a design I recognized—the West Plaza Garden.

Without thinking, I grabbed some of the maps, the ones I thought were more important, and put them in my inventory. It would be easier if I could take a picture of them with a phone, or at least make a copy. Yet since I couldn’t, I simply left the remaining documents and maps out in the open.

I tried to communicate with Kaduna, but as she had said earlier, there was no signal. I could only hear a low static. It would have to be a message. When typing her name, it brought one result. She really had no surname.

[Found an operations room of some sort. I’m bringing some of the maps with me—]

I glanced quickly at one of the walls, complementing my message.

[and some weapons.]

Although I was not sure if Kaduna had weapons or other armor, I couldn’t let a chance like that pass by.

Still, I didn’t want to be obvious.

I scanned the walls, searching for weapons that were as conspicuous as they seemed to be useful. There were bows, spears, maces, and polearms.

But amidst them, hanging from belts or left around in the corners, there were small bombs. Though I could not be certain what kind of bombs they were, I grabbed at least a dozen, from different spots.

It was at that moment that I received a reply from Kaduna.

And it was not a pleasant one.

[I need you

come with haste.]

I started rushing toward the door, my heart racing, when I heard footsteps and mumblings. Yet the sounds were not only coming from the corridor—

They were coming from the staircase as well.

[Yappy Dog is barking at you]

[Do you wish to listen?]

And that was the first time in my life I wished I could kill a dog.