ââ¦â¦Why is no one here?â
After spending thirty grueling minutes swimming through the treacherous currents and successfully infiltrating the Grand Temple, Ihan blinked in confusion.
He supposed he should just be grateful that he made it inside. But considering the sheer level of security outside, the complete absence of guards inside was⦠odd.
"Did they cut down on internal patrols, relying entirely on the exterior forces?"
That made sense in theoryâbut was it really the best strategy?
Ihan tilted his head, puzzled.
But at the same time, he considered himself lucky.
His stamina had taken a serious hitâhaving to swim while maintaining Turtle Breath Technique, dealing with giant crocodiles and venomous water snakes without shedding a drop of bloodâ¦
Seriously, what kind of insane river had that many monsters?
He had to subdue them instead of killing them outright, which made it the most difficult battle he had faced in recent memory.
So, the lack of resistance upon entry?
Heâd take it as a small blessingâa chance to catch his breath, even if only for a moment.
That saidâ
"I donât have time to rest."
The night wouldnât last much longer, and every second counted.
There was, however, one minor issue.
ââ¦Where the hell am I?â
Once again, it had to be emphasizedâeven the royal family didnât know the full details of the Grand Templeâs interior.
Even the King himself was unaware of its exact layout.
Ihan had infiltrated successfullyâ¦
But finding his way inside would be a completely different challenge.
Now officially lost, the knight had to spend some time figuring out where he was.
It was important to noteâIhan hadnât infiltrated the temple to assassinate anyone.
As he had prayed to the Fairy of Springâ
This mission was all about "righteous theft."
His target?
â[A Sacred Relic].
More specifically, the very sacred relic meant to be granted to Ihan as part of his indulgence.
And the source of this information?