CHAPTER 253: POWER CORRUPTS, AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY

Fran glanced at Dim Dim, who was happily humming a tune while helping her plant lettuce seeds in her personal garden.

The little bun was in an unusually good mood, which made the dwarf girl wonder why.

"You’re in a good mood today, Dim Dim," Fran commented with a smile.

"Dim Dim!" Dim Dim nodded.

"Did anything happen?" Fran inquired.

"Dim Dim!"

"You and your club are going on a trip this Friday?"

"Dim Dim!"

"And you’re going to the Heracle Mountains?"

The Dim Sum God nodded before continuing to hum as it planted seeds. It turned away, a few seconds shy of seeing Fran frown a little after hearing its answer.

’They can’t possibly go to that place, right?’ Fran thought. ’It’s not a site that can be easily accessed using normal means after all.’

When she and her brother had been traveling the Kingdom, they had stumbled upon ruins in the Heracle Mountains.

It was a Dwarven Ruin, dating back nearly two thousand years.

According to the Dwarven Glyphs written on its ancient walls, it was once a place of worship and also the gateway to a mystical Archive that granted special rewards to those who were worthy enough to find it.

Fran and Finn both loved adventures, so they had decided to embark on a journey to find this mystical place.

And after several months, they had finally found it. There, they obtained special skills they had kept hidden to this day.

The only time they had used those skills was when their lives were truly in danger.

And that only happened twice in their short lifetime.

No one alive had witnessed these abilities, for those who had were already six feet under.

Wanting to know more, Fran decided to pry for more answers from the little bun, who had already covered half her garden while planting lettuce seeds.

"Dim Dim, are you guys just going to do some hiking or something?" Fran inquired.

Dim Dim shook its head. "Dim Dim!"

"... You’re going to explore an ancient ruin?" Fran’s hand, which was holding her little shovel, trembled a bit.

Dim Dim nodded. "Dim!"

Fran’s face became solemn after hearing the little bun’s confirmation.

"I see. Just be careful, okay? Exploring ancient ruins is dangerous after all."

"Dim Dim~"

After their conversation ended, Dim Dim continued to plant while Fran was lost in thought.

She and her brother had had quite a smooth experience when exploring the Dwarven Ruin since they were protected by their Dwarven Bloodline.

None of the traps had activated, and the layers of Dwarven Magic hadn’t harmed them.

However, for other races, the ruin was akin to a deadly labyrinth, preventing those who wished to know its secrets from succeeding.

Two hours later, the Dim Sum God bade Fran goodbye. She then went to look for her brother, rushing to tell him about Endless Horizon’s intention to scale the Heracle Mountains.

"I see..." Finn furrowed his brows as he paused his task of chopping wood. "But Fran, this is not something we should intervene with. You already saw the message left by our ancestors, right? Only those who are worthy will be able to find the Tower of the Hermit."

"Can we at least warn them of the dangers?" Fran asked.

Finn pondered for a while before reluctantly nodding his head. "But only tell Alex. However, do not tell him everything. This is a trial. If they are found unworthy due to our intervention, their efforts will be in vain."

"I understand," Fran replied. "I’ll only tell Alex what I can."

After the discussion, Fran went to the Ironheart Dormitory to look for Alex.

Finn watched his sister’s back until she disappeared before heaving a sigh.

"I just hope none of them will die on this trip," Finn muttered.

He could still remember the countless human and demihuman skeletons they had passed in the inner regions of the ruin.

Clearly, there had been other hopeful explorers seeking to unravel the ruin’s secrets but had failed to leave the place alive.

Also, those who had succeeded would definitely keep this secret among themselves. Even if they did share this secret, they would only share it with trusted family members and friends.

"Power corrupts," Finn said softly. "And absolute power corrupts absolutely."

He didn’t know if Alex and his club members would even be able to clear the first stage, which was just the starting point of an epic adventure.

Finn just wished that at the end of their journey, they would become wise enough to make the right choice.

That way, the world they lived in would become a better place, just as the Hermit had intended when he collaborated with the Tower, who was also a Deity that governed the world of Arcana.

———

Ironheart Dormitory...

"... Fran, did you and your brother manage to clear the ruin in the Heracle Mountain?" Alex asked in a serious tone after hearing her warning.

"Yes," Fran answered. "We cleared it two years ago."

"Then, did you find the location of the Tower of the Hermit?"

"... How did you know about the Tower of the Hermit?"

The young lady’s answer was enough to confirm Alex’s suspicion.

In the game, Fran had this overpowered ability that didn’t match her cute and petite appearance.

She was a Dwarven Berserker, which Alex had found quite surprising after meeting her character for the first time.

But after adding her to his main party, he had realized that she possessed a Legendary Grade Skill so powerful that it made people question if she was really a dwarf or not.

’I see, so that’s how she got that skill,’ Alex realized. ’A dwarf can’t possibly have such a broken skill. If she went to the Tower of the Hermit, then I can now understand why she has it.’

Seeing that Alex seemed to be deep in thought, Fran assumed that the young man took her words seriously, which made her feel relieved.

"Thank you, Fran," Alex said after a few minutes of silence. "I promise you that we will be careful and prioritize our safety. But we still need to go. As you may already know, my end goal is to reach the Tower of the Hermit."

Fran desperately wanted to ask Alex how he knew about the Tower of the Hermit. However, since the young man did not seem forthcoming, she decided to respect his privacy.

"Be very careful of the traps, both physical and magical," Fran reminded in a serious tone. "Bring enough food, water, medical supplies, and anything that you might need during an emergency. Tackle the ruin as if you are tackling a high-level Dungeon."

"I understand," Alex replied. "We will do everything in our power to ensure our safety. Thank you, Fran."

The two looked at each other with a smile before a loud cough caught their attention.

"Um, can you even see me?" Chuck, who had been ignored all this time, asked. "I wanted to say a few things too, but it’s rather difficult to insert myself in the discussion!"

"Calm down, Chuck," Alex said. "We haven’t forgotten about you. In fact, I will now assign you to an important mission!"

Alex lightly tapped the bracelet on his wrist, which stored the academy points that he had received from the Crest Clubs and the Nobles that he had blackmailed.

He then passed two hundred thousand academy points to Chuck, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"Buy the necessary supplies that we will need for our expedition from the Merchant Alliance," Alex ordered. "Also, take this Platinum Card with you so that you can get discounts. If someone asks why we are hoarding things, tell them that we are planning a dungeon expedition."

"Yes, Sir!" Chuck saluted and headed towards the door. You could practically hear the "ka-ching" in his mind.

But just as he was passing Alex, the troublemaker patted his roommate’s shoulder and gave him a wink that said, "I’ll give the two of you some private time, so make sure to use it wisely!"

Of course, Alex had no idea what that wink was for. He simply assumed that Chuck was assuring him that he would carry out this "mission" properly.

Fran also bade Alex goodbye since she was already done with what she had come here for.

Although she was still worried, she also understood that everyone had their own destiny to fulfill.

If Alex and his club members were fated to find the Tower of the Hermit even without her warning, then they would be able to clear the trial and make it back to the academy.

But the Dwarven Ruin was simply the first step.

They had to take several more steps until they arrived at their final destination, which would grant them the power that resonated with them the most.