Chapter 58

Jae, Nazar, and Bailey all sat in a secluded room. There was no one in the surrounding area, and therefore no chance of the upcoming conversation being overheard or leaked.

Taking a single glance at Bailey’s face―one of apprehension and suspense―Jae felt a tinge of fear deep within him.

It was by no means a logical fear. He thought, ‘What if he resents me for hiding the truth all this time? What if he becomes afraid of me, something that will never wilt?’.

After all, in a world like this, who wouldn’t be uneasy around someone that can never die?

Of course, logically, he knew the reaction would not be like that. There was no way Bailey would hate Jae, or become fearful of him. He especially realised this after seeing his earlier reaction.

Nonetheless, feelings are not rational. Anxiety is not a logical process, and Jae knew that, until he revealed everything to the two of them, the group would not be able to function smoothly.

If a deep secret has only been partially revealed by someone close, it will forever be on your mind. Until it is fully disclosed, there is increased friction between people and more distraction.

Revealing the secret erases tension for both parties and deepens trust. This is even more valuable in a world where utmost trust is required for a group to work as efficiently as possible.

With a deep breath, Jae spoke briefly to not make things seem too complex.

“My Title,「Apostle of Sin」, resurrects me every time I die. This is primarily why I was able to beat the Scylla.”

At his words, looks of astonishment arose on Nazar and Bailey’s faces.

“Automatic revival, huh... I knew your Title was strange, but I didn’t think it did something like that...”, Nazar said lightly. Then, he spoke as if realising something.

“Wait, so you beat it?”

“Yes. Thanks to one of my Unique Skills. That, the transformation, the teleportation, the Inventory, and the soul-gazing technique―it’s all derived from「Apostle of Sin」.”

“I see... It’s certainly diverse, isn’t it?”

Nazar calmly leant back in his seat. He never imagined the Title he saw on Jae’s Soul State to be this profound.

“Cool!”

Bailey suddenly shouted with an expression of awe. Jae asked him.

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Master killed that huge monster!? And without the Dragon!”

“Well, yes.”

“Are you gonna teach me how to do that?!”

“Oh... You won’t be able to do what I did.”

“Whaaaaaat? That’s not fair.”

“―However. Depending on your growth potential, it may be possible for you to kill such a thing in the future.”

“Oh!? Really?!”

“Jae, hold on a second.”, Nazar interjected with furrowed brows. He leaned into Jae’s side and whispered in his ear.

“You can’t tell him that! Trying to kill something like that monster is pure insanity. Even for someone like me, let alone a human kid. What are you thinking?”

Jae replied with a meaningful smile, “It’s alright; only some good motivation. And what, you don’t really think he’ll ever see another one of those things in his lifetime, do you?”

“...”

Nazar couldn’t argue with that, and even then, it wasn’t his place to intervene, so he easily gave up.

“Anyway, now you guys don’t have to worry about leaving me behind somewhere if there’s trouble, okay? I will always return without fail, so as long as you survive, we’ll all be fine.”

Reluctantly, Bailey nodded. Nazar only stared at Jae with a vacant gaze.

After that, they stayed in the city for a single day before leaving.

Although it was a pretty city with nice people and a decently-sized marketplace, there was nothing special about the place. Jae decided to get a move on since the other two already wasted a few days waiting for him.

He informed everyone of the destination and everything he knew of it, which wasn’t much.

Since they had no leads on where to go to search for the Wrath Dungeon, they settled on having Nazar lead them around the continent. As they travelled, Jae would use his magic sensing to examine the whole area around them. Like this, it shouldn’t take too long to find.

There was only one problem.

―The Southern Continent, Laquada, is extremely vast. Its overall landmass is larger than that of the entirety of the Northern Continent (Main Continent).

It would take more than just a few years to search for the Wrath Dungeon if they merely wandered around aimlessly, so, with a map purchased from the marketplace, they devised an efficient route that would take them around all accessible parts of the continent in one round trip.

Additionally, they used the whole remainder of their funds (even after selling a couple of Scylla scales) to purchase a black SUV-like vehicle that was designed to drive off-road. Since the only people that know how to manufacture cars in this world are Demons, they were extremely fortunate to be able to buy one.

Although it came at a tremendous monetary price, the cost was worth it. Since there was no time limit and a much smaller mana cost on using it, unlike Greed's imitation ability, it was a considerably more efficient method of travel.

With this, the time required to travel across the Southern Continent would be drastically reduced.

The first location would then be to get to Laquada’s mainland, as the city of white where the Demons’ merchant ships travel to, is in fact situated on an island.

The three of them travelled for a few days before reaching the port town on the opposite side of the island. It probably would’ve taken more than twice or even thrice the time if they didn’t have such a decent vehicle, so the effects were immediately felt. It also meant that they could rest or do other things while travelling.

Certainly, it was a purchase fitting of the exorbitant price.

Incidentally, Jae was the one driving, and although there were no skills related to driving, it didn’t take long for him to get the hang of it. Soon, he found it to be quite an enjoyable experience.

...This is quite fun.

Perhaps the experience of playing various racing games with a steering wheel in the past helped, as well as the fact that the vehicles in this world are easier to drive anyway compared to most of the ones on Earth, as all you need is to know how to accelerate, brake, and steer―similar to an automatic car.

Since the climate of the Southern Continent is almost too blisteringly hot for an ordinary person, Jae had a cool breeze of Wind Magic circulating through the car at regular intervals, like a makeshift air conditioning. It wasn’t a problem for Jae, of course, since he had both「Heat Tolerance [Lv.MAX]」and「Heat Resistance [Lv.MAX]」, and Nazar was also used to it because he was born here, so it was mostly for Bailey’s sake.

Upon arriving at the port town at dawn, Jae put the vehicle in the Inventory and the three of them boarded a ship travelling between the island and the mainland. It seemed to be a passenger ship that frequented between the island and mainland every three to four days, so it was a complete coincidence that they were able to get on as soon as they arrived.

The ship departed for the mainland that noon, and the group spent the majority of their time resting until they arrived at the mainland port city in just over a day.

There was nothing noteworthy about the journey so far. Mainly, Jae and Bailey were taught by Nazar the basics of the language used in the Southern Continent; thanks to that, they were both quickly able to acquire the「Laquadan Langauge Comprehension」skill and level it up to Level 3 and Level 2, respectively.

Furthermore, Jae had the pleasure(?) of eating all sorts of new monsters he had never seen before, though he was informed about many of the creatures they may encounter by Nazar on the way.

Since an exceptionally large portion of Laquada is mere sand, rocks, and hills, with bare minimum shrubbery and greenery, there were a lot of monsters that fit this type of dry, semi-arid and arid landscape. This also meant that Jae would have the opportunity to gain a plethora of new skills. Then again, it’s not like he would use most of them.

When they landed at the mainland’s port town, Jae immediately noticed the difference between it and the previous city. Compared to the city of pure white, this one was much more golden. Even when compared to the second port town on the island which copied the first city’s look, the buildings here were all carved from huge, orange rocks.

The group disembarked the ship and took a walk through the city, with Nazar in the lead.

Speaking of which, the residents here resembled him in many ways, such as skin colour and clothing―their unblemished, bronze skin proved the harshness of the constantly glaring sun, and the local fashion appeared to be a mix of Roman and Middle Eastern sense; perhaps because they were light, easy to wear and move around in, and yet guarded them against the sun’s penetrative UV rays.

Overall, the Laquadans appeared to be a beautiful people with a distinct sense of style. Jae then noticed another common denominator of the residents after walking around the town for a short while.

Their magic... is almost nonexistent?

Excluding Nazar, virtually every resident’s mana capacity seemed to be frighteningly low. This was a customary trait of the Laquadan people, and it meant that they were unable to use almost any kind of magic.

In return, however, they were blessed with robust and powerful bodies that compensated for their lack of magical abilities. Seeing these muscular folks walking around without a single care in the world for the merciless sun rays that poured down on them, Jae realised something.

―Even with the transcendental existence of the System, none of the races that existed in this world were standing on equal playing fields.

They all had their own advantages and disadvantages, and even the System couldn’t entirely resolve the problems they each had. For example, most humans wouldn't survive a day in the Southern Continent due to the heat and weather, but on the contrary, Laquadans wouldn't be able to last long in places with a cold climate.

On one side, there were the Demons, who excelled in magic and magical technology, but were lacking or average when it came to the physical side of things. Their genius in combining tech and magic is unparalleled.

On the other end of the spectrum, there were the Laquadans, who, although unable to use magic, were overpowering foes with pure might and brawn. Their stamina and power were unmatched.

In the middle of the two, there were the Humans; a race average in all aspects, but with a vastly superior quantity. They dominated a lot of the Northern Continent and thrived in places where numbers make a big difference, such as with weaker monsters.

Of course, there were outliers such as Reon Midas, a Human with tremendous strength, and Nazar, a Laquadan with an immense mana capacity, however, people like them are anomalies―just like how Nazar is from the Evil Eye tribe, it wouldn’t at all be strange if Reon Midas also had a hidden secret to his extraordinary strength.

“Hm...”

Jae pondered for a moment, gazing around at all the attractive buff people reflected in his eyes. Both the men and the women had attained exceptional physical strength; even the children were strong.

He thought of a possibility.

‘Are there more people like this in the world?’

People who, aside from the Demons, Laquadans, and Humans, had their own inherent advantages and disadvantages.

There was an extremely high chance that it could be the case. After all, he had already met races like the Devils of the Evil Eye tribe and the Angels of the Seraphim.

Recalling memories from a distant past, he remembered the existence of other fantasy races.

Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Beastmen...

Did any of these kinds of people exist in this world? Suddenly, Jae became curious.

......Well, whatever. I have all the time in the world to do those kinds of things, so it’ll just have to wait until I’m free of all this...

The desire to clear the Sin Dungeons once again refreshed itself in Jae’s mind.

Once I’ve cleared them all, I’ll definitely be strong enough to protect everyone. At that point, I can start figuring out a way to... No, I promised myself before that I wouldn’t involve her in this mess of a world... But...

The gently smiling image of Amelia seemed to flash in front of him when he closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Although he had not seen her for many years, he still retained a crystal clear image of her in his mind.

Despite claiming to have moved on, it seemed she still had a place in his heart.

He didn’t want to ruin her life on Earth, just in the case that there was no way back, so he resolved himself in the fact they wouldn’t ever see each other again.

After all, it pained him to imagine her losing something precious just because he wanted her to be with him in this world. That would be selfish.

...Argh, there’s no point in thinking about it. I shouldn’t do anything at all until I have the necessary power anyway, so it’s not a discussion for right now. I can think about it when the time comes.

Pushing such a dilemma to the back of his mind, Jae focused on what was in front of him.

Leaning his head outside the window of the vehicle, Jae glanced back at the map of the Southern Continent placed on the dashboard.

“...There should be a village somewhere in this area, right?”

3 nights have passed since the group left the mainland’s port town.

So far, there has been no sign of the Wrath Dungeon, and they were about to enter their first village.

The settlements in the Southern Continent were all separated widely apart thanks to the vast landscape and dull terrain. Since it was mostly desert, there were also no roads, so they could only travel around by relying on Nazar’s knowledge and the map they bought.

After quickly stocking up supplies in the village which seemed to be decently sized, they didn’t waste any time in heading back out to the dry wilderness.

Jae had but one thought in his mind as they drove off.

This shit is really gonna take a long time, huh...

He had severely underestimated how rigorous the search for the Wrath Dungeon would be.

...

......

【5 days since leaving the port town.】

The group arrived at the second village, but as they already had sufficient supplies, they simply went right past it and continued onward.

...

......

【7 days since leaving the port town.】

They passed by some Laquadan travellers in the middle of a fight with some monsters.

Assisting them, they subsequently gave their gratitude and said that they were on a journey all around the continent.

With broken speech, Jae offered to give them a lift since they, too, were going around the continent, but the travellers rejected it.

As thanks for helping them out with the monsters, they gifted Jae some jewellery unique to the Southern Continent.

After that, each party continued on their respective way.

...

......

【9 days since leaving the port town.】

The group arrived at the third village.

Stockpiling some more supplies, they sold a large quantity of magic stones acquired from having Bailey vanquish monsters as part of his training.

They then left the village in the morning, after a peaceful night’s rest.

...

......

【15 days since leaving the port town.】

The fourth village seemed to be quite a distance away, so Jae wondered if they missed one somewhere, before realising that he was simply overthinking it.

At the fourth village, they traded for some more supplies before continuing.

...

......

【18 days since leaving the port town.】

They arrived at another village, but this one was a fishing village at the seaside.

After travelling South-East for about two-and-a-half weeks, they reached the eastern edge of the continent’s mainland.

Up until this point, quite a number of travellers have been met, but none of them wanted an ‘easy’ ride, it seemed.

They decided to stay in this village for a few days, as eating the monsters of the desert was quickly becoming incredibly dull and tiresome.

There also seemed to be an island just off the eastern coast as well, so Jae thought it would be a good idea to check that out afterwards.

...

......

【21 days since leaving the port town.】

After contemplating for a few days in the village, Jae came up with an idea.

―‘Ignore everything else and head to Nazar’s hometown.’

It was rather simple, but a tremendous gamble.

After all, it could either shave down the time spent before finding the Wrath Dungeon considerably, or on the contrary, it could increase the time spent searching.

Consulting Bailey and Nazar about it, Jae gave his opinion on why he thought it might be worth it.

“The entrances for the previous Dungeons, aside from the Pride Dungeon, have all been in places relevant to the owner of the Dungeon. For example, Sloth’s Dungeon was located in a cave that used to be an actual dungeon for adventurers to explore, right? And for Greed―someone who used to be a human king―it was in the centre of another human king’s castle.”

They listened closely.

“I don’t think this is a coincidence at all, do you?”

After a moment of deliberation, Nazar responded.

“...Indeed, what you’re saying makes complete sense... However, there are two things about that. First of all, why would this ‘Wrath’ have something to do with me or my home?

“Well, it’s obvious that he at least knows who you are since he constantly goes on and on about it inside my head. Because of that, as well as that all the other Dungeons have had their entrances be located in areas that are related to the individual, I thought there was a fairly high chance that perhaps your hometown has something to do with him.”

“I see... It’s certainly possible. But...”

“What was that about the second thing?”

“Right. Didn’t you also say that there was a third Dungeon you have been to? What about that one? Even then, we can’t be sure that all Dungeons are the same, with the same rules. It’s just like what you warned us about before, with the exit locations; we can never know for certain since there simply isn’t a large enough sample size.”

“Oh, the Pride Dungeon... I’ve already got a theory for that one, but as you know, I can’t know for sure until I go there again.”

The Pride Dungeon. There were a few theories Jae came up with about it, but the one he most strongly believes in goes as follows:

“When I entered the Pride Dungeon for the first time, I never saw any System notification telling me that. Of course, it could have been because I was dead or unconscious, but usually, the notifications will stick around for a while even after I die and come back. I know this because I’ve seen notifications that appeared from when I was dead after I wake up.”

That wasn’t all, however.

“I know that the owner of the Pride Dungeon probably has the power to open up exits and entrances wherever and whenever she wants. Thinking about it now, it’s probably related to how much authority the Dungeon owners have when designing them, or maybe it’s just the fact she, the owner, is still alive.”

“...”

“Also, the entrance to the Pride Dungeon definitely wouldn’t be in a shitty goblin cave. If I go by my theory that the entrances are only in places relevant to the owner, then there’s no way that could be the case. I’ve even heard it from Pride himself that he started with the land of the Dragons―a cave doesn’t fit that description in the slightest.”

Though I still have no idea what relationship Aphy has with that Goblin Lord...

Hearing Jae’s theory, Nazar was relatively convinced. Bailey couldn’t even comprehend what the two were talking about, to begin with. So, he just listened closely to Jae’s explanation with a befuddled expression.

Eventually, Nazar nodded.

“Alright. I’ll mark on the map where my hometown was, so we can check there first and foremost. I haven’t been there in a long time, but... Who knows, there could be something there.”

As he walked over to the map to place a marker down, Jae only stared silently at his face.

He couldn’t mistake the quiet, almost imperceptible loneliness hidden within his smiling expression.

...

......

【30 days since leaving the port town.】

They made a few stops every couple of days at different villages on their way to Nazar’s hometown.

It would still be a while yet until they arrived, as the destination was on the other side of the continent.

The group continued travelling west.

...

......

【37 days since leaving the port town.】

A disastrous sandstorm struck.

Unable to progress any further in these catastrophic weather conditions, Jae was forced to create a makeshift shelter out of Earth Magic and protect it with a magic barrier to deflect the sand.

Fortunately, they had enough supplies to last them a long time.

...

......

【39 days since leaving the port town.】

The sandstorm dissipated in roughly two days.

It lasted a lot longer than the ones on Earth do, probably as a side effect of mana in the atmosphere.

In fact, Nazar told Jae that some really severe sandstorms can last up to multiple months. He dreaded the thought.

During this time, however, Jae succeeded in crafting a new, enchanted item.

He used the jewellery―an amulet embedded with a sapphire―given to him by the native travellers a month ago as the base, and he was quite happy with the product in the end.

The effect was a substantial boost in「Heat Tolerance」and「Heat Resistance」, and was worn by Bailey, who was having a hard time dealing with the severe heat.

Withdrawing from the shelter, the three continued on their way to Nazar’s hometown.

...

......

【45 days since leaving the port town.】

The monsters being encountered were now too strong for Bailey to defeat solo, and he required the assistance of Jae or Nazar.

Despite his immense growth since coming to Laquada, it seemed the monsters that lived near the centre of the continent were truly atrocious.

The number of travellers they met was also becoming less frequent.

The deeper they travelled into the endless desert, the more treacherous the environment became.

...

......

【51 days since leaving the port town.】

Nothing occurred.

The sands were eerily quiet.

For the past few days, it was as if the world was frozen.

Nothing occurred, but Jae was tense.

As far as the eye could see, as far as the ear could hear, and as far as mana or presences could be detected, there were no monsters.

If he concentrated, he could notice something ‘different’ about the mana in the area, but he didn’t know what it was.

It was that subtle.

Something didn’t seem right, but to Jae, it wasn’t his problem.

Nothing occurred, but there was a strange atmosphere within the vehicle for a period.

...

......

【53 days since leaving the port town.】

Monsters began appearing again.

They were the regular sort that had been encountered a while ago.

When Jae checked, it seemed that the world’s mana had returned to normal. Or was it just because they had left the area they were in?

He didn’t care to figure it out.

Unknowingly, a small sigh of relief escaped from his lips as the tension-filled air relaxed.

...

......

【59 days since leaving the port town.】

Travellers were beginning to be met again, and quite frequently at that.

This time, they had happened across a party of natives with injured members among them. As expected, it was a monster’s doing.

‘What kind of monster was it to injure these macho guys?’, he thought but refrained from asking.

Jae healed them with magic, to which they thanked him by giving him more jewellery.

By this point, it had happened to him several times, so he already knew it was one of their customs.

Stopping at a village, they stockpiled enough supplies to last them two months before heading out once again.

...

......

【77 days since leaving the port town.】

Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

There was another sandstorm, more travellers, and more monsters, but that was it.

However, they were nearing the place Nazar’s hometown was marked on the map.

It shouldn’t be long now.

...

......

【83 days since leaving the port town.】

On the horizon, the sea entered Jae’s sight. Beyond that, though, was a large island.

That island belonged to Nazar’s people―the Evil Eye tribe.

Peering at his face as they neared the coast, Jae couldn’t tell what his expression was.

Silently, the vehicle approached the edge of the mainland. Storing it in the Inventory, they noticed there was no way onto the island itself.

“...Master, how do we get across?”, Bailey asked. It was his birthday the other day, so Jae crafted another enchanted accessory for him―a ring. This one gave a slight increase to his mana regeneration rate.

Jae looked at him and spoke without worry.

“I’ll just turn into a wyvern again and fly us over. Are you guys ready?”

With a nod of confirmation from the two, Jae transformed.

Imitation target confirmed Imitating target「Cloud Wyvern」 Time Remaining - 1h : 00m : 00s

Ensuring the security of Nazar and Bailey on his back, Jae took off. He flew so fast that, by the time he landed on the island, there was still a few minutes of imitation time remaining.

However, the first thing for Jae to notice upon setting foot on the island was the presence of a prominent magic force. A satisfied grin arose on his face.

The Dungeon... I was right...!

Quietly clenching his fists, Jae was glad to have finally found the Wrath Dungeon.

But, he couldn’t get too careless now, even if he was almost there. No, it was because he was so close to achieving what he had spent so long working towards that he had to be particularly cautious.

Hmm...

He gazed around at the surroundings, but other than there being a slight uniqueness to the island’s mana, there wasn’t much.

For some reason, the island was also desert. Since it was surrounded by water on all sides, Jae certainly thought it odd, but then simply summed it up to the world being a wacky place for environments in general, thanks to the existence of mana and all.

Nazar then started to walk by himself in a direction―the direction of the Wrath Dungeon. He didn’t say anything, so Jae assumed he was leading them to the location of his hometown.

By the time the three of them arrived at an ancient and dilapidated village―all broken down and in ruins―the transformation wore off.

To Jae, they looked like something straight out of B.C., so he was honestly surprised that they were still recognisable. If something like this was discovered on Earth, he had no doubt that it would become something even more treasured than Stonehenge.

On the other hand, that slight indication that something was once here, but no longer is, gave a sorrowful impression to all who witnessed it.

“...”

Nazar solemnly stood in the middle of a group of these empty, devastated buildings.

“...Jae.”, he called out in a low voice after a few minutes of silence.

“Yes?”

“Sorry. I know this is going directly against what you said before about going in together, because of the possible difference in exit location. But...”

He seemed to deliberate on his next words for a moment before making up his mind.

“...I’m going to stay here.”, Nazar declared.

At his words, Wrath, who had stayed silent for the majority of the trip, exploded in rage.

[This spineless coward...! He can’t even stand to face the consequences of his repulsive people’s actions!]

“...”

Jae turned his gaze towards the swirling mass of flames that floated just above the ground in the centre of all the ruins.

It wasn’t hot. No, it wasn’t even fire at all.

It was the entrance to the Wrath Dungeon.

“―You should go and clear it quickly.”

Suddenly, Nazar’s words, who stood beside him, entered his ears. Jae looked at him and was about to ask ‘why’, but he continued.

“There’s a time difference between here and in there, right? Every time you’ve been in one before, time has flowed slower in the Dungeons than in this world, but we don’t know if it’s going to be the same in this one. Just in case, you should finish up before too long. Don’t worry, I’ll stand by here to ensure that nothing happens to it.”

Jae stared wordlessly at him, not knowing what to say.

...He’s right. I didn’t even think of that. We should clear it as soon as possible.

“Well then.”, Jae spoke, “Just in case the exit leads us to somewhere else in the world, I’ll say this now. Thank you.”

Nazar’s eyes widened slightly. Apparently, he didn’t expect words of gratitude.

“You’ve been a great help for us until now, and I hope we can stay on friendly terms for the future. Isn’t that right, Bailey?”

“Yes!”

The two of them smiled as Jae patted Bailey’s head. They turned away from Nazar and walked up to the portal.

“...Jae, wait.”

[Holy shit, just enter the fucking thing already...]

―Just before they could enter it, however, they heard a voice calling out from behind them. Turning around, they spotted a smile on Nazar’s face, and could immediately tell that it was genuine.

“Thank you, as well, for the amusing times. And good luck.”

Saying nothing in return, the Master-Pupil duo walked through the frenzied portal by themselves.

You have entered the『Wrath Dungeon』 Current Dungeon Clear Status:【0%】

Immediately upon entering the Dungeon, Jae scowled at the flurry of never-before-seen notifications.

You have entered a zone of [Spatial Magic Interference] All Magic Skills have been disabled All magic-related abilities have been disabled The effect of all magic-related resistances have been reduced by 90% The cost of all skills and abilities that require mana has been increased by 200% The rate of Natural Mana Regeneration has been decreased by 200% For each second that passes, MP is drained by 0.01% You have entered a zone of [Causality Cataclysm] All healing and regeneration-type skills have been disabled All healing and regeneration-type abilities have been disabled The rate of Natural Health Regeneration has been decreased by 300% The [Cursed] Abnormal Status Condition has been applied

“...What the fuck is this?”