Suna was careful of each crevice as he began climbing down with Jack in tow. The Tiefling insisted on carrying both Delia and Uzu’s bodies. Apparently, an Undead Flesh Soldier had attacked him much earlier, and Jack still felt guilty about Suna’s injuries. But he was recovering nicely thanks to Jack’s potion.

  His vision was no longer hazy. Drowfication had increased his immunity and neutralized the poison, but there was still an ache of tiredness in his body. Suna felt a cold pulse shuddering through him like constant ice down his limbs.

  A rock tumbled down, echoing as it bounced between ridges and fell upon where the Obelisk had been sleeping.

  “A mine, you think?” Jack asked as they crossed a bridge. Suna began to doubt the flimsy wooden bridge, which creaked the moment he stepped on it. Regardless, he crossed it with a light step, jumping onto the next ridge and signaling for Jack to follow.

  “Who knows?” Suna said, holding his Marrow Bow. Ledges of the downward path spiraled below. As they passed an opening into deep darkness, Suna peeked inside with his Eagle Eyes. Inside was a cage—a kennel. Undead Hounds were trapped behind a steel beam that blocked their escape. They barked and smashed against it, only for their bony bodies to give out beneath them.

  The barking continued and was soon taken up by countless openings within the mountain.

  “Each of them is a kennel?” Jack shouted over the hounds.

  Suna considered killing them later instead, but what was important was the Moon Altar.

  “Let's keep going,” Suna shouted back. The deeper they descended, the more obvious it became that there were not only hounds but also various undead animals. Especially the snakes, one kennel held a steel cage woven tightly enough that they couldn’t lunge. There were perhaps dozens of them, and they hissed.

  The memory of how one of these things had almost killed Suna made him want to burn the snakes immediately. But he kept going forward. Finally, as they crossed into the deepest part of the mountain’s abyss, it became clear they needed some source of light.

  Suna wove an Emberwind Arrow in his hand. As he summoned it, a bright orange light shone upon the dark cave floor, coloring it with a warm glow. He approached the huge opening—just wide enough for the Obelisk to fit its entire body.

  They were greeted by a slope leading further down into the mountain.

  Suna looked at Jack, who just shrugged.

  We’re going then.

  As they descended deeper, he wished there were torches lining the walls, before realizing he could just stick his Emberwind Arrows into cracks in the rocks. So Suna did, summoning three but unwilling to create more since his mana was still weak.

  They kept moving through the eerie passage, which grew narrower as they went. The air turned stale, and Suna started to wonder whether they should go deeper; they could wait until he was fully recovered. But just as he was about to voice his concern to Jack, they found something.

  They stepped into an open cavern.

  A waterfall rushed down inside, sending a stream of violent water, only for it to calm as it drifted around the room, forming a small lake that surrounded an island.

  Suna watched the island, which glowed with the reflection of the shimmering crystal lake. Atop it was an altar made of blue material unfamiliar to him. The altar formed a crescent, and a moon symbol was proudly carved in yellow.

  The waterfall cascaded over the crystal-like altar, polishing it until it gleamed like a jewel. Suna went closer; a stone bridge led to the blue island. He saw another slope that went deeper, still shrouded in darkness. But his attention was completely on the altar—they had made it.

  [MoonLite Altar][Legendary]---The moon breathed, and it would open its eye for those who offered. Offer something to the moon, and she shall answer you once—and once only. Do not waste your chance, for this will also be your last.

  “The Moon Altar… It exists!” Jack exclaimed. The Tiefling drew a sharp, gaping breath.

  “Calm down, Jack, don’t drop them!” Suna said, steadying Delia and Uzu’s corpses.

  “Sorry, but Suna. It’s a Moon Altar! The Sun Altar was a legend throughout my entire life. Every young Tiefling dreamed of slaying a Matriarch and offering their body to the altar. To think I’m here… and with the body of one of the Undead Sisters…” Tears glistened in Jack’s eyes, and he sniffled.

  “Can you lay them down, Jack?”

  “Sure,” Jack said, and he respectfully laid the sisters next to each other. Then he looked at the altar. “We just carry them there, right?” Jack asked, his eyes settling on a kind of sacrificial stone surface just below the crescent moon symbol, where water dripped, and Suna noticed a yellowish gleam bathing the stone.

  “Maybe?”

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  “Well, who goes first, Suna? And how does this work?”

  Lately, Suna noticed Jack had been asking him questions that he didn’t have the answers to, which was strange since he had made it clear to Jack that he, in fact, had not slain Delia or Uzu.

  This newfound respect was kind of nice, but he felt unworthy of it.

  “I will go first,” Suna said. He picked up Delia’s body with both hands, carefully lifting her. Her veil was soft, and her hair tickled his shoulder.

  He walked forward with the [Undead Witch]’s body and crossed the stone bridge, which was wet. He had to be careful of its slippery nature.

  As Suna approached the stone surface, he hesitated. Slowly, Suna wished for Delia’s reincarnation to be successful and that by now she would be with her sisters.

  Laying her down, Suna pressed her hands over her chest. “Good luck out there,” he whispered, and took a step back.

  The stone began glowing, and Suna’s heart quickened as he saw motes of light flow into Delia. A soft, luminescent blue light dissolved her body away, turning her into a veil of breath that clumped into the crescent moon etching.

  Sacrifice [Undead Witch Delia Body]

  [Yes/No]

  A prompt?

  Suna let out a soft smile, and a chuckle escaped from him.

  “Suna?” Jack called, his voice echoing and battling against the rushing water. “What is it?”

  “It's nothing,” Suna called back. “It just… This ruins the fantasy,” He muttered. “Yes.”

  [Item option]

  An option? He got to choose? Excitement swirled inside him. What would the option be? An item could affect his class upgrade, so this was very, very important.

  [Spirit Rabbit Cloak][Legendary] — The [Lunar Rabbit] nibbled on the blue grass of Elstnenn’s moon when something made her stop. She looked up and gazed upon a place that existed yet did not — a place where the Tutorial took place. She wondered why a piece of her was held by you; was this the Tutorial’s doing? Maybe it was. She was intrigued, watching you and your choice, not knowing whether she’d want you to take it or not. But she was curious, and lately, boredom had almost killed her.

  Woven from the skin of the [Lunar Rabbit], the Spirit Rabbit Cloak possesses a dark factor akin to shadows. The wearer shall be granted a piece of power that will slowly trickle to them from the [Lunar Rabbit] herself.

  The rabbit’s ears shall move when the wearer is threatened, giving the wearer a sense of where an attack comes from, as a rabbit must always be wary. It offers the wearer healing properties of darkness, allowing them to bathe in shadows while wearing the Spirit Rabbit Cloak to heal their injuries. All Stats +500. [Required Class: Archer or Beyond].

  This was just the first choice, and yet the effect of it…

  Suna almost instinctively chose it before holding himself back. There were still two other choices. And besides, this [Lunar Rabbit], what was it? A being?

  He read over the description and still wondered if this cloak would do as it described. It would heal him just by being in darkness? And this was an [Archer] exclusive item.

  “Let’s not get too excited,” Suna muttered to himself; his eyes moved to the next items.

  [Witch Whisper Tattoo][Mystic] — Delia, the [Undead Witch], was gone; her soul had left and been reborn. The [Undead Witch] no longer existed, but despite her fading life, the horror she had caused remained. The very purpose the System had given her would exist within you, inside this tattoo, allowing you to access the power of the undead.

  Witch Whisper Tattoo allows you to raise the undead by channeling the tattoo’s Undead Factor into your arrows. The after-spirit of the [Undead Witch] Delia will gleefully watch over and guide you. This reflection of Delia will be your one and only partner, slowly merging with you to fulfill the purpose the System meant for her. Arcanery +1000.

  Yeah, how about no?

  Suna would be immeasurably disappointed if this one were the only choice. Leaving her after-spirit? Not Delia herself, but just her evil manifestation? No, absolutely not. But at least this confirmed Delia had managed to resurrect. Good, that was good.

  Suna smiled, and the weight he hadn’t noticed on his shoulders was gone. This was good information to have, and honestly, he didn’t mind, since he could just pick another option.

  He read over the description again. This one would allow him to become a [Necromancer]---not just a [Necromancer], but probably something mixed with his [Flintwind Archer] class. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of power that would bring.

  His mind drifted, imagining it.

  But it was not a path he was willing to take.

  This sounded like the System was looking for a replacement for Delia. And Delia had told him she had a great desire to raise the undead for a [Necromancer] from the moment she was born. That would probably have happened to him too if he had selected this item.

  So Suna gladly skipped over this one.

  [Blood Lune Bow][Legendary] — The blood of the moon is bright black, with astral properties that can be shaped by the worthy. But alas, not many could — in fact, no one had so far. Which was why the Blood Lune Bow was created. An Integrator — those who finish their Tutorial — shall be allowed to keep their Blessing of Acting. Such beings might be able to wield the Blood Lune, for it has never been tamed before, not for millennia.

  It forms a dark-matter arrow that can only be fired through the Blood Lune Bow. The power of the Blood Lune will trickle into you, but it’s imperative to keep your entire being in sync with it; otherwise, the Blood Lune will take over and turn you into a dark statue — another among thousands of unworthy statues. All Stats +700. [Required Class: Archer or Beyond].

  What was with this “he will be doomed” scenario? Shackled to raise the undead? Turned into a statue?

  Suna massaged his forehead, almost laughing at the sheer ridiculousness.

  Was this because he had offered Delia’s corpses? Was she a being born to do evil? Or was it because of the altar? And it wasn’t like the Spirit Rabbit Cloak came freely either. There was also this [Lunar Rabbit] he needed to deal with, who knew what the hell it was?

  Suna took a deep breath, and his choices narrowed.

  He settled on one, but then another prompt appeared.

  Ah, I can’t stop him! What a shame. It would be much more entertaining to see him choose one of the others… Wait, I can communicate with you? Oh? What is this?

  Can you hear me? Or see this? My thoughts became writing — interesting. Ah, the System said our communication would only last until you finish choosing.

  Well, how useless. It’s not like I can do anything to stop you… Oh! But I can do this… yes, yes! Human, I might not be able to stop you from choosing this item, which somehow makes a cloak out of me. But I can do this: if you take this cloak, then I want you to do me a… favor.

  [Quest issued][Hungry Rabbit]—Deliver a bundle of Furloan’s grass to the [Lunar Rabbit]. If you decide to take the cloak without delivering it to her, you will draw the ire of the [Lunar Rabbit] and be hunted down by her Knight Order.

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