Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 511: Voices Of The Past [Part 1]

"Are you sure there’s a hidden path here?" Finn asked, watching Alex tap the wall in front of them.

"I’m sure," Alex replied. "But I think I first need to find some sort of hidden mechanism to open it."

The young man double-checked his map. After he zoomed to his current location, he confirmed that the hidden path was located behind the wall before him.

Fran also approached the wall and pressed her hand over it. Suddenly, all of them heard a distinct click before the wall opened sideways.

Alex blinked before glancing at Fran. He was pretty sure the young lady only touched the wall and didn’t do anything special.

Fran was also surprised, not expecting that the wall would suddenly open up the moment she touched it.

"Ah! That must be it!" Alex finally connected the dots when he remembered that some events in the game could only be triggered by certain characters.

The hint was right under his nose. Earlier, Fran had mentioned hearing something calling out to her, prompting her to travel to the Whispering Valley with her brother.

Since that was the case, it was highly likely that the hidden entrance, as well as some hidden events in the Whispering Dungeon, would only react to Fran.

"Are you okay, Alex?" Fran asked after seeing the young man nodding his head as if he finally understood something.

"I’m fine," Alex replied. "Fran, can you lead the way?"

Fran nodded. "Yes."

The young lady then entered the hidden path, stepping into the darkness.

Since she could perfectly see even without a light source, this wasn’t a problem for her.

Finn hurriedly followed his sister and Alex followed behind him.

As usual, the last to enter was Lex since he had to guard their rear just in case something unexpected happened.

While descending the staircase leading to the lower floors, Alex took out his Mimic Lantern to check for any traps around them.

Fortunately, the path wasn’t booby-trapped. Aside from the seemingly long staircase, nothing else seemed out of place.

The only sound they could hear was their footsteps, which were faintly echoed by the walls surrounding them.

After nearly thirty minutes of walking, they finally found themselves in another spacious cavern.

A good distance away from them was a silver gate at least ten meters tall.

It was still lightless, and Alex only spotted it right away because the gate faintly glowed in the darkness.

The young man didn’t lower his guard and checked the map for anything suspicious. Seeing that the map was clear, Alex focused once more on the gate.

"The thing calling out to me is past that gate," Fran said confidently. "I can still hear its call."

The young lady walked toward the silver gate to better understand what was happening.

Finn followed closely, ready to defend his sister if anything suddenly attacked them.

Alex and Lex also approached the silver gate to get a better understanding of what it signified.

"It’s not the gate of the Floor Boss that’s for sure," Lex commented. "It has a mysterious feel to it that I can’t explain."

When Fran stood a meter away from the gate, several runic words appeared on its surface.

It was written in Fae Language, which Alex could perfectly read and understand for some reason.

They shifted, aligning into a coherent prophecy, one that felt less spoken and more remembered.

———

"To the One who left something precious behind.

Your soul bears the weight of an unfinished dawn.

In ages forgotten, a vow was shattered,

And a thread left frayed between life and silence.

Through rebirth you return,

Drawn to the echo of what you once abandoned.

The past you fled now reaches for you,

Stirring in the hollow between heartbeats.

Beyond this Gate lies the remnant of your former self,

Awaiting judgment, completion, or release.

Only by facing what you were

May you become what you are meant to be.

Remember this...

A soul cannot outrun its own shadow.

Loose ends are the chains of eternity...

And only the bearer may break them."

———

A sigh escaped Fran’s lips as she finished reading the words out loud. It was as if something resonated from deep inside of her, and she felt like the one calling out to her was patiently waiting at the other side of the gate.

But just as she was about to press her palm on the gate to open it, Alex grabbed her hand, stopping her completely.

"Wait, Fran," Alex said. "The words written on this gate may be a warning to those who want to enter it. There is also a possibility that we might get separated when we enter, so I suggest that we hold hands as we walk through the gate."

"... What you say makes sense," Fran replied softly, as if still in a trance. "Very well, I’ll hold your hand."

She then reached out to hold Alex’s right hand, which had stopped her from opening the gate earlier.

Suddenly, her right hand was held by someone, prompting her to look at her brother, Finn.

"You might get lost inside, so I’m holding your hand as well," Finn stated.

But with both her hands being held by someone, Fran wouldn’t be able to open the door.

"Don’t worry, we will open the door for you," Alex said. "I’ll open this side, and your brother will open that side."

Having come to an agreement, Alex and Finn pressed their palms on the gate.

Lex reached out to place his hand on Alex’s shoulder, as if making sure that they wouldn’t get separated as well.

With one final push, the two teenagers opened the gate.

The massive gate didn’t offer any resistance and opened itself up to its first visitors in hundreds of years.

A silver portal flickered to life in the darkness within the gate, ready to accept those who wished to challenge their fates.

"Let’s go," Fran said. "The voice calling out to me is getting stronger."

Without waiting for anyone’s reply, Fran stepped forward.

Alex and Finn moved alongside her. The two teenagers made sure to match Fran’s step as she lifted her foot to enter the silver portal.

A second later, they all disappeared, leaving nothing behind.