Spending My Retirement In A Game

"Right, that's what that lady earlier said too. But what's the long game here. So the people will find out, and... what then? What's the issue with people not knowing the truth behind the statue? What does it actually change?"

The supporter was about to let out an instinctive retort, but that was before he actually thought about the old man's question a bit more, "Well... don't you feel bad for him? Shouldn't we try and release him from that?" he tried to suggest, "He's actively being sacrificed to help the city! Once people know, they'll want to do something about that... right?"

Eisen looked back at the man with an expression that could only be described with disbelief, "So you're not just claiming that he used to be alive, but that he is currently still alive? And what, just trapped in some kind of spell? If anything, then that's the curse of the giants. We all know what happens to giants who are taken over like that."

It didn't seem like the supporter was able to say much in response to that. Luckily, not only him, but the other two were put under so much much pressure by Eisen that they weren't able to just angrily yell at him about this situation. They actually had to put some thought and intent into what they were trying to tell him. This also gave Eisen the opportunity to think that claim through a bit.

He had actually slowly been convinced himself that there was something to their theory, of the 'God of the Mountain' having been an actual man; but this was a step too far. That just wasn't possible in any way. Eisen had met multiple giants while traveling through this country that had been befallen by the curse.

And he had also seen a place a few hours' travel away from here, which was called the Giants' Graveyard. It was a place where some giants travelled to as they were dying from the curse, and their corpses were still standing tall right there, in a valley, surrounded by their peers.

There was nothing they were able to do. And most importantly, their mana flow was completely gone. They didn't have any energy anymore whatsoever. They had truly become stone or wood. There was nothing else for them. And when looking at the God of the Mountain, he felt the exact same 'nothingness' from it, as though it was a statue completely made of nothing but stone.

Though, that still didn't explain one thing, "Then what about the blood?" Caria finally asked, trying to follow along with the conversation herself, and Eisen looked at the Myconid girl with a nod, "Right. That's what I was thinking too," he replied. That was the only thing that was making Eisen feel unsure right now.

During this group's attack of the statue, they had broken part of it, causing it to 'bleed'. That was something that couldn't happen to other giants that were affected by the curse. So what if... the curse was still incomplete, or not perfected, by the time the curse came into effect within him. Could he just have been trapped there? Could he really still be alive?

Seeing and hearing that Eisen wasn't sure anymore, those three quickly took the opportunity. The pugilist straightened his back and looked up at the old man with a broad grin, "Can't say anything to that in the end, huh? It's not like we're just saying this all for no reason. We have proof!"

"What kind of proof would that be?" Eisen replied, and the sorceress replied smugly.

"A heartbeat."

---

The old man was led down into a tunnel. It had been dug from the group's camp, deep into the mountain. Basically, as far as they could get without the threat of being found out by the guards or knights. Eisen was actively trying to keep an eye out to make sure that they weren't being led into a trap, but he had heard the voice of the Sorceress. She was telling the truth, Eisen knew that for sure.

And the Pugilist and Supporter so energetically agreeing made it clear that there was at least something to this claim. Though, from the muttering that was shared between those three, that wasn't something supposed to be known to all too many people. Information was key in this kind of thing, and they didn't want the fact that there was a heartbeat to leak to the 'enemy'.

If they knew, then they would be able to manipulate that information well before this group was able to reveal that fact, and twist it to their own advantage. Or worst, just make the people believe some random excuse so that this group wouldn't be able to use this information to their advantage anymore.

That was why they were apparently trying to keep that information within the inner circle of the group, but realizing that they might be able to bring Eisen to their side, they quickly made the decision to forgo this.

Soon, the supporter, who was leading the group down the path of the interwoven and complicated tunnels, came to a stop, "Alright, take a step back now," the supporter warned, as he placed his hand onto the dead end's wall in front of him. Eisen watched the flow of mana as the supporter poured magic into the wall, and soon, it gave way into a fairly large hall beyond.

And right in the center of the room was a vein. It was a thick, crystal-like tube large enough for Eisen's whole body to fit into multiple times over, even when he wasn't in his human size.

Within it was a dense, pulsating flow of mana. It seemed like part of it was being syphoned off to create a particularly powerful barrier around this chamber, one that even Eisen hadn't been able to see through properly. He noticed that there was more mana here, but he simply thought it was just because the circuits for the barrier above-ground was placed here. But no, that wasn't it at all.

This was a highly complex pattern that must have been expanded upon for decades, if not more, stretching up along the walls. There were bookshelves upon bookshelves set up, and multiple people were here in this room, as though they were trying to figure out more about what this whole thing really was. It really did look like they were scientist trying to decypher a secret of reality.

All of those researchers jumped from their seats, confused at these new people that suddenly came into the room.

"What's going on here?" one of them asked in a loud voice, but the Supporter just smiled at him and shook his head, "Nothing to worry about. We've got this under control. Just stay quiet for a while, alright?" he asked, making sure that everyone in the room could hear the request.

And it seemed like these people really did have as much influence as Eisen thought, since the researchers quickly stayed absolutely silent.

"This is our proof. This is the heartbeat. That's not something 'natural'. It's proof that the God of the Mountain is alive, and trying to break out of that prison of stone. We don't know how far these have spread out, but we have already proven that this flow of mana is strongest within the God of the Mountain's body.

That was one of our objectives during our latest 'attempt', to break through the barriers and allow us to view the flow of mana within the God of the Mountain."

"That..." Eisen approached the vein. He didn't know what to say. Rather, he didn't understand any of this. This amount of mana was just... ridiculous. He had never seen anything like this before, but his chest ached strongly.

His head was pulsing as though his eyes were about to pop right out of their sockets, and he felt hot. Hotter than he had in a while.

"Alright, alright, my turn," a deep, but youthful voice laughed out, "This is something that I learned while travelling."

With a curious smile, Eisen looked at the stretched-out palm of the man in front of him. Crystal-like strands were starting to grow from it, like branches off a tree, "It's a technique I learned from a Mountain Gobbler. They hibernate for some hundreds of years sometimes, and bury themselves deep inside of mountains.

They then use this technique to feed themselves with the mountain's mana during their hibernation, so that they can not only survive for basically however long they need, but actually scout out the surrounding area.

They know everything that's going on around them, and the moment that there's some danger to them, like an earthquake or another monster, they wake up and go somewhere else to continue sleeping. Ain't that crazy?" the man said with a broad, smug grin, "What do you say, oh so great 'Legendary Craftsman'? Got anything to top that?"

"Well, maybe I do," Eisen replied with a playful yawn, starting to unrwap the item that had been laying next to him this whole time. It was a sword, an incredibly powerful one, "Do you think my first tenth rank item would compare, or...?"

"...Tenth?"

"Yeah, something I managed to figure out while I was gone. Nothing major, really."

"Oh you little- fine, you win this time! But the next time we meet back up, I'll have something even greater than that to show you."

Eisen scoffed, wrapping the sword back up as he placed it down next to a young, sleeping earth-dragon with small crystal formations growing on his back. He threw the wrapped sword into the arms of the man across from him, and smiled, "Well, good luck with that. Maybe you can use this until then?"

The man raised his brows confused, "Seriously? But it's the first-"

"Yes, seriously. I made it for you in the first place," Eisen grinned, looking at the face of the man who would, though still quite far in the future, become the 'God of the Mountain', "What else did you expect? How do you think I would look as the 'Legendary Craftsman', if my little brother walked around with a shabby, cracked sword?"