The night sky silently enveloped the Debir Desert. The desert wind was no longer hot, but cold and damp. There was something strange in the air—something not of this world.
Verchiel stood before a giant rock, his robes tattered by his long journey. In his hand, a crystal fragment from the former ruins trembled, as if seeking direction. A faint light emanated from a narrow gap between two stone slabs, hidden by ancient illusion magic.
"This is the place… the City of Aldegral. The city lost from all maps."
He touched the twin moons engraved faintly on the stone's surface. Blue light flowed like a small river across the carving. The stone began to shift, revealing a spiral staircase that descended deep underground.
---
[System Active – Secret Mode]
> Zone Discovered: Forbidden City of Aldegral
Recommended Level: 40+
Your Current Level: 17
Status: Stealth – System Presence Undetectable to the Outside World
Area of Effect: Anti-Light Pressure – Light Skill -40%
---
Verchiel glanced at the notification. No one could see his system screen—no one knew he had it. Not even a single person in this world knew he was the God of Light who had fallen 10,000 years ago.
> "Level forty…" he muttered softly. "As usual, numbers never favor me."
The stairs led Verchiel into the bowels of the world. The air here underground was different—not dead, but ancient. Each step felt like entering a living past, harboring an unquenchable anger.
After nearly half an hour, the passage opened onto a massive stone ceiling, overlooking an ancient city slumbering beneath the world.
---
Aldegral — The Buried City of Magic
Stone buildings rose silently, covered in glowing moss. Massive pillars supported the cave ceiling, and in the center of the city stood a crumbling tower, the former center of ancient magical power.
Yet even without an opponent, Verchiel's body felt a powerful pressure. The mana within his body felt suppressed, especially the light
[System: Light Detected as Forbidden Energy in This Zone]
> Your Elemental Status: Rejected by the World Structure
Negative Effect: -40% Light Elemental Power
Stealth Mode Still Active — Your Identity Undetected
---
> "Even in a dead place like this... light is still considered a threat," he muttered.
He began walking down the stone path, observing the ancient carvings depicting battles between wizards. None depicted light as a hero. Even in the wall murals, the white light was depicted as a destructive fire that devoured cities.
> "So they blame me... even after thousands of years have passed."
But beneath the desolation and silence of the ancient stones, there was movement. Someone was watching.
From behind the ruins, the figure of an old man in a long robe emerged. His face was half-covered, and a long, glowing blue wand was in his hand.
> "I never thought another intruder would be foolish enough to come to this place," he said flatly.
Verchiel stopped in his tracks. The old man's eyes were fixed on him sharply—not suspiciously, but warily, as if recognizing something... that even Verchiel himself hadn't revealed.
> "You… are a user of the light element?"
Verchiel paused. He could have been lying, but the man seemed to have already seen through it.
> "Yes. But I didn't come to fight," he replied.
> "That's a shame. Because light isn't welcome in this city. In this place… light means judgment. And judgment never discriminates against those who are wrong."
System: S-Rank Entity Discovered]
> Name: Haldeon the Eternal
Level: 73
Dominant Power: Dimensional and Time Magic
Status: Bound to Aldegral City – Cannot Leave Territory
Mood: Neutral – Not Hostile, But Not Friendly
"WHAT THE FU*K, HOW CAN I MEET SOMEONE LIKE THIS HERE? LEVEL 73 THE FU*K"
---
> "My name is Haldeon," the man said. "I was once a high-ranking mage of the human kingdom. I saved this city from destruction… only for it to die in isolation."
> "Then why are you still here?" Verchiel asked.
> "Guarding. Waiting. And sealing." He glared. "You came because of Luxcidrael, didn't you?"
Verchiel's body tensed.
> "How do you know—"
> "The fragments of the light weapon were broken into three, and scattered across the three inner districts of this city. You might think this was simply a search for the weapon. But you'd be wrong."
Haldeon lowered his staff. A magic formation appeared on the ground, forming a glowing circle.
> "Aldegral didn't just curse the light. He tested whether it was worthy to shine again."
[Secret Quest Begins: Third Fragment – The Divided Legacy]
> Fragment Status: Split into three parts
1. District of Illusion
2. Timeless Library
3. City of the Exiles
Requirements: Survive, Survive, and Do Not Judge
Note: Verchiel's Divine Identity Unknown to NPCs
---
> "If you want the fragment, go ahead."
"But don't think you can get it with power alone. This place will reveal who you are… even if you try to hide it."
Haldeon disappeared in a burst of blue light.
Verchiel stared at the first portal that had now opened in the ground. The air inside was different—cold, like an old memory he didn't want to recall.
> "No one knows who I am now."
"And maybe… that's for the better."
With steady steps, he entered the first district: the District of Illusion.