Macrocosmic Mage

Necklace of Alva

Angelica slowly rose to her feet, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks. Although her monstrous frame remained unchanged, something in her expression had softened. The sharp, theatrical grin she usually wore had vanished, replaced by quiet reverence. She stood before the largest sarcophagus and placed both hands against its weathered lid.

“This belonged to my grandmother,” she said softly. “Lady Alva... the strongest archmage our clan ever produced.”

I stepped beside her, examining the intricate carvings decorating the tomb. Vines intertwined with stars, spiraling toward a central inlay where a single emerald gemstone was embedded.

“It looks completely undisturbed,” I observed.

“It should be.” Angelica nodded. “Only members of the royal bloodline could bypass the barrier into this inner crypt.”

Silence settled over the chamber. I folded my arms, glancing at the multi-ton stone slab. “Think you can lift it?”

Angelica raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a proud smirk. “Oppa... you’re asking a princess who can punch through mountain bedrock.”

“Right. Dumb question. Stand back, then.”

Angelica planted her feet firmly against the ancient tiles. Her dark skin tautened over dense muscle as she slid her clawed fingers beneath the seam of the massive lid.

HHNNGH!

The chamber vibrated with a deep, grinding rumble. Stone scraped against stone as the seal—undisturbed for two thousand years—finally gave way. Cascades of ancient dust poured from the seam. I stepped back, shielding my eyes as she gave one final, powerful heave.

BOOM!

The enormous lid crashed onto the floor, shaking the cavern.

“Ugh... smells like old dirt,” Angelica muttered, fanning the air.

“That’s because it is old dirt,” I replied, stepping through the clearing dust.

Inside rested a preserved skeleton. Elegant golden robes embroidered with silver thread still draped over the bones, depicting stylized constellations and sacred trees. A delicate golden circlet rested upon the skull, tilted slightly to one side.

But what caught my eye was the pendant around the skeleton’s neck. Its central emerald glowed with a faint, pulse-like radiance, bathing the interior of the tomb in soft green light. The magical energy radiating from it wasn't harsh or oppressive—it felt soothing, like warm sunlight cutting through cold rain.

“Grandmother wore that necklace every single day,” Angelica murmured.

I crouched beside the coffin edge, looking up at her. “You don't mind if I take it?”

She shook her head softly. “If Grandmother truly believed in the prophecy, she’d want you to have it. Besides... she’s dead, Oppa. She can't scold me for giving away her jewelry anymore.” A quiet, lonely smile touched her lips. “Though she was terrifying when she was alive.”

I chuckled softly. “So that’s where you inherited your temperament.”

“My 'beauty' is inherited.”

“I wasn't talking about beauty.”

“Rude.”

Reaching into the sarcophagus, my fingers closed around the cool metal chain. The moment I lifted it clear of the remains—

Ding!

A brilliant amber notification flared across my vision.

===================================================

LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED: Necklace of Alva

===================================================

Passive Effect 1: Nullifies 50% of magical curses and

status ailments.

Passive Effect 2: Increases Magic Attack Output by +10%.

Special Effect: Grants single-use Archmage Blessing.

Requirement: Soul-Bound Equippable.

===================================================

I blinked at the golden text. A Legendary-grade artifact.

“What does it do?” Angelica asked, leaning over my shoulder.

“It cuts incoming curse effects in half and boosts spell output,” I said, fastening the clasp around my neck.

The moment the emerald rested against my chest, a gentle warmth spread through my torso. The lingering fatigue from running through the rainforest dissolved, and my mana channels settled into a smooth, efficient flow.

Angelica inspected me with a satisfied nod. “It suits you. Not as much as it would suit me, obviously... but you make a decent second.”

“I’ll accept second place,” I said with a faint smile.

For a quiet moment, we both looked down at Lady Alva’s remains. Angelica slowly bowed her head, her hands clasped together. “Thank you, Grandmother. I promise... I’ll help Oppa lift the curse.”

The emerald gem against my chest shimmered softly, almost as if acknowledging the vow.

I pulled up the active quest log to verify our progress.

===================================================

ACTIVE QUEST TIMERS:

---------------------------------------------------

Mission 1: Don't Die!

Time Remaining: 06:00:58

---------------------------------------------------

Hidden Mission: Cursed Elven Tunnel

Relics Collected:

[✓] Last Bone of Hero Riq

[✓] Necklace of Alva

[ ] Bracelet of Dryad Frosy

Time Remaining: 06:00:02

===================================================

Angelica’s playful demeanor evaporated as she looked at the floating timers. “Half our time is gone.”

“And we still have one relic left,” I noted, reading the final location marker. My eyebrows knitted together as I processed the coordinates. “You’ve got to be kidding me...”

“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head.

“The last relic is at the bottom of the central rainforest lake,” I sighed, turning toward the crypt's archway.

“That’s it?” She blinked. “What’s the issue?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, rubbing the back of my neck as I started walking. “I’ll explain when we get up there.”

Angelica narrowed her eyes, marching right behind me. “You’re making that face again, Oppa.”

“I don't have a face.”

“Yes, you do. You're hiding something.”

“Just keep moving, Princess.”

We made our bow to the royal crypt before exiting, allowing the heavy stone mechanism to rumble shut behind us.

We ascended through winding subterranean staircases carved directly into the bedrock, stepping over thick, ancient tree roots that broke through the walls like structural pillars. As we climbed, the ambient air shifted from cold, stagnant tomb dust to crisp, humid mountain drafts.

Twenty minutes later, the tunnel expanded into a massive stone archway opening directly onto the surface world.

Night had fully settled over the Akhoi Rainforest. Silver moonlight filtered through the dense canopy above, painting the forest floor in shimmering pale hues. Mist drifted across the damp soil, and the distant, territorial roars of nocturnal predators echoed through the trees.

===================================================

[ SURVIVAL COUNTDOWN: 05:41:36 REMAINING ]

===================================================

“We’re burning time,” I said, checking the map display. “The lake is half a kilometer north.”

With Angelica guiding us around hidden danger zones—like patches of disguised Thorn Spiders that looked deceptively like glowing flora—we cleared the forest line in under fifteen minutes.

The trees parted to reveal a massive, glass-like body of water. The lake stretched wide beneath the open sky, its clear surface reflecting the stars like a massive, uninterrupted mirror. Towering ancient trees arched over the shoreline, their weeping branches trailing into the water. It looked entirely peaceful—which, in a 100% difficulty quest zone, meant it was exceptionally dangerous.

Angelica walked down to the water’s edge, looking out over the moonlit surface. “So... where’s the final relic?”

“At the bottom,” I said, standing three paces back from the shoreline.

“Great. So we swim down.” She turned to face me, but I didn't move an inch. “...Oppa?”

I stared intently at the water, my hands tucked into my coat pockets.

“...Oppa?” she repeated, her brow furrowed.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, looking off toward the tree line.

“There’s a slight tactical complication.”

“What complication?”

“Can you swim?” I asked neutrally.

“Of course,” she said, looking utterly bewildered. “Who can't swim?”

Slowly, I raised a single finger pointing at my own chest. A heavy, agonizing silence hung in the humid air. Angelica stared at me without blinking, her jaw slowly dropping.

“You're serious?” she asked flatly. “The chosen intruder? The guy holding Mythical-tier magic?”

“I sink like a concrete block,” I admitted, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I spent my entire youth in science labs, not public pools.”

For three full seconds, she remained completely motionless. Then—

“PFFFFFT!”

She doubled over, clutching her stomach as deafening, booming laughter echoed across the serene lake.

“HA-HA-HA-HA! No way! The mighty Oppa! Defeated by a body of water!” She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes with a clawed hand. “I thought there was a terrifying aquatic curse! I didn't think you just never learned how to doggy-paddle!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing heavily. “Are you quite finished, Princess?”

“No!” she wheezed, pointing a claw at me. “Ugly face... zero athletic talent... and now a hopeless landlubber!”

I let out a long breath, a faint, mischievous smirk playing at the corner of my mouth. “Laugh all you want, Angelica. Because you’re about to help me build a solution.”

Angelica stopped laughing, her smirk faltering slightly as she looked at me. “...Help you build what?”