Chapter 59

Immediately upon entering the Wrath Dungeon, the unusual notifications that he skimmed through generated an appalled expression to dress his face.

Zone of [Spatial Magic Interference]? [Causality Cataclysm]??

The first thing to pop into Jae’s head was the second part of the「Wrath」skill―the「Causality Interference」System. More specifically, the word ‘causality’ was the same, so he presumed it had something to do with Wrath.

Confirming the effects of the two Zones, it was a rather disastrous outcome.

‘All Magic Skills have been disabled.’

Upon seeing this line, Jae opened his Status.

Magic Skills : 「Mana Sense [Lv.MAX]」「Mana Manipulation [Lv.MAX]」「Wind Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Earth Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Fire Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Water Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Ice Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Lightning Magic (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Light Magic (ALL) [Lv.7]」「Dark Magic (ALL) [Lv.7]」「Barrier Magic (ALL) [Lv.6]」「Enchantment Sensing [Lv.MAX]」「Remove Enchant [Lv.MAX]」「Enchanting (ALL) [Lv.MAX]」「Healing Magic (ALL) [Lv.9]」「Buff Magic (ALL) [Lv.6]」「Debuff Magic (ALL) [Lv.5]」

―His main weapon, magic, was rendered utterly useless.

Ordinarily, having his magic-type skills restricted wouldn’t have been a problem since he could still use the unbound ‘Dragon Magic’, but now even that wasn’t an option.

「Mana Manipulation」is disabled too...

The sole reason Jae was able to use a Dragon’s form of magic in the first place was due to the skill「Mana Manipulation」reaching [MAX] level. Now that it was not usable, it meant that neither was his Dragon’s Magic.

Not only that, but「Mana Sense」was gone too, meaning that Jae could no longer even recognise the existence of magic or mana.

Shit! I need a weapon...

Realising that he was powerless without「Mana Manipulation」, Jae was about to open the Inventory to equip the greatsword when―

“...Huh?”

―Nothing happened. Trying a second time, the result was the same.

What...? Oi, oi, don’t tell me...

‘All magic-related abilities have been disabled.’

“...This fucking...”

Under his breath, he muttered.

Was it because the Inventory required mana to use? No, it couldn’t be; otherwise, there was no point in having the line that declared ‘The cost of all skills and abilities that require mana has been increased by 200%’. This means that using mana-powered skills was certainly possible. Nonetheless, the Inventory could not be opened.

Thinking hard about why it might be the case, Jae simultaneously examined his surroundings to get a grasp of the situation.

It wasn’t possible to back out through the entrance of the Wrath Dungeon, as the portal disappeared upon entry. He also had the confused Bailey with him, so they needed a safe place to hide and gather an understanding.

...Hm? Isn’t this place...?

Speaking of which, the place they found themselves in was familiar.

―It was none other than the island in which Nazar’s hometown was located. Currently, they appeared to be on the edge of the island facing inward, but it was obvious when they simply turned around to see the ocean and Laquadan mainland spread out behind them. With「Aura Sense」, Jae noticed quite a significant number of presences further inland.

A theory popping up in his mind, Jae first deduced that where they were right now was probably the safest place on the island. He began testing which of his skills worked and which were useless.

「Sloth」- Useless

「Envy」- Useless

「Pride」- Usable

「Wrath」- Usable

「Gluttony」- Not Testable (Probably usable)

「Greed」-「Perfect Imitation」- Unusable,「Mark of Death」- Not Testable

These were the results of the five-minute test. Surprisingly, more was available than he first thought there would be.

Merely by looking at the results, Jae realised that the skills classed as ‘useless’ were those he could attribute to a specific magic type.

For「Sloth」, both the Spatial Warping and Inventory could go under Space or Dimension Magic. Both abilities used a substantial amount of mana to work as well, so it made sense.

For「Envy」... Well, it could be classified as simple Soul Magic. He heard such a thing was used by Spirits, so it would only make sense if it existed.

And for「Greed」, it could come under Transformation or Illusion Magic. This also required a lot of mana depending on the ability used. The second ability,「Mark of Death」, hasn’t been tested yet, however, so it can’t be ruled out. On the other hand, it could be classified as Death Magic if that even existed, but as Jae didn't know, he couldn't say.

Of course, there were some things that didn’t quite seem right to Jae, such as「Wrath」being a simple burst of flames from his body―hence the high possibility of it coming under Fire Magic―and「Pride」, as far as he knew, being an enhancement-type technique, but since both of them were usable anyway, he had no intention of arguing.

That was all Jae could say on the matter for now. It wasn’t all that important anyway, and he certainly wasn’t going to complain about being able to use them.

“...Alright, it’s all sorted. Bailey, let’s go.”

“Ok. What did all that from before mean, Master? I can’t use or feel any magic...”

As they trepidatiously made their way inland, Bailey asked about the System messages. Jae responded in a serious tone as he watched out for any sign of dangerous presences.

“Magic won’t be possible until we leave this place, it seems, so don’t attempt it. Although it said our magical resistances decreased, I don’t think there will be any kinds of magic here, so it should be fine. That said, all you need to do is ensure you don’t take a hit and we will walk away unscathed, so stay behind me at all times.”

There were still some unsolved mysteries about the Zones. Specifically, the Zone of [Causality Cataclysm]. Put simply, it had declared that all kinds of healing or regeneration were impossible.

Of course, this may or may not include the resurrection effect of「Apostle of Sin」. Just in case it was, Jae was now required to not die in this Dungeon.

Not only that, but everyone within the zone was likely to be [Cursed], meaning that even healing potions wouldn’t work. Natural recovery was also slowed by three times the normal amount.

Wrath, you motherfucker... You really made this place as lethal as you could, huh? Were you targeting me or something?

No matter how many times he swore or asked questions, there was no reply. Whether he was being ignored or something else was questionable since normally Wrath would reply to anyone who cussed him out.

Drawing closer and closer to the auras he felt, Jae halted his movements and crouched down after crossing the summit of a hill. Copying his movements, Bailey waddled next to him and peeked over the sands.

“...Ah...! Master, those are people!”

“...”

Wordlessly, Jae’s eyes narrowed. An unusual sight was before him.

“Asik! Hey!”

They watched behind cover as a man ran over to another, shouting as if in distress. The perturbed man―whose features looked similar to Nazar―wasn’t what caught Jae’s attention, however.

What he was more concerned about―was the fact that there were real people.

Normally, it shouldn’t have been possible unless they were people who had entered the Dungeon before him, but he knew that wasn’t possible.

...Are they imitations?

Just like how Sloth created an imitation of himself as the boss, Wrath could have brought back a certain number of the Evil Eye tribe as imitations in this Dungeon.

Eavesdropping on the man’s urgent report, Jae and Bailey paid utmost attention to each and every word that exited his mouth.

“―The Forsaken has launched an attack! We need to alert everyone quickly. Where is everyone?”

“The Devil has...? Wh-what about Kanta, and the seal? I thought she was--”

“Kanta is missing, and the seal is beginning to falter! We need to find her quickly!”

“What?! Since when has she been missing!?”

Forsaken Devil? Isn’t that...

〔Ever since the ‘Forsaken Devil’s Rampage’ that occurred just over a millennia ago, I am the last survivor of my kind, the Aram tribe.〕

Nazar’s words echoed in Jae’s mind as he recognised the term.

〔It’s because the Gods never intervened when my people were slaughtered one after the other by the Forsaken Devil.〕

They were words spoken a few months ago at this point, but Jae remembered them clearly.

Does this mean...

Reading between the lines, he could verify his theory through inference.

“―We’re in the past?”

Under his breath, he muttered his thoughts.

“Master, it looks like there’s an emergency? Should we help them?”

“Hm... Bailey. Do you want to help them? If we do, it’s going to be very dangerous.”

“Uhhhmm... They are ‘his’ family, aren’t they? Then of course we should help them.”

“Right. Well, if I’m right, then the boss is the Forsaken Devil. And the Forsaken Devil... is probably Wrath.”

That was the conclusion he came up with.

“Since Nazar was the one to survive in the end, I think our chances shouldn’t be bad if we help them. Still, Bailey, you need to ensure your own survival first and foremost.”

“Yes, Master.”

The only problem is how we can assist them. In this situation, there’s not much I can do without a weapon... No, hold on. Since Nazar survived, that should mean the Aram were able to use their eyes, right?

Jae clearly remembered seeing one or two ‘Evil Eye’ skills when looking through Greed’s list, so that indicated they were classed as Unique Skills. However, they were not classified as ‘magic-related abilities’ by the System.

Since, if the Aram were forbidden from using their Evil Eyes, the possibility of them being able to win against Wrath with physical power alone was very minimal. With that in mind, then, the chance of Wrath also being in possession of one or two Evil Eyes was high.

Especially when you consider his title―Forsaken Devil.

An idea popped into his head. Everything seemed to fall into place. Now, there was only one thing left to consider.

The power to disrupt the Evil Eyes... Just in case it's necessary, I wonder what it is?

The Scylla was one of the rare enemies to possess this ability, but even after he killed it, Jae couldn’t figure out what it was that prevented Nazar’s Eyes from working.

Perhaps, a racial characteristic? Or maybe, because there was a magnitude difference in Level or Status between the two?

He asked Nazar about it, but it seemed like he had no clue either, so it obviously isn’t common. Either way, thanks to that, it means that problem probably won’t be something to worry about in this Dungeon.

Concluding his thoughts, Jae and Bailey walked over to the two Aram men.

From what he gathered earlier, Jae wondered if Wrath―the so-called Forsaken Devil―was kept in a seal all this time, but due to the recent disappearance of this ‘Kanta’ person, the seal was breaking, and Wrath escaped. Now, he was launching a revenge-fueled attack.

―That seemed to be the plotline here, anyway.

Simple, but interesting.

“Wha--Who are you?!”

Being immediately questioned by an agitated voice upon his arrival, Jae introduced himself.

“My name’s Jae. I know the situation is quite urgent, and my appearance is rather abrupt, but I’m here to kill the Forsaken Devil. Can you help me?”

This should suffice, right...?

“Kill the... No, how do you know about...? ...You. You obviously aren’t from around here. What the hell are you doing here with this suspicious timing?”

They were obviously thinking that Jae could've been the one behind this 'Kanta' person's sudden disappearance. One of the men accused the two of them with a penetrative glare. Before Jae could respond, however, one of the others intervened.

“--Anes, wait. He’s telling the truth.”

Jae glanced at him curiously. It was the man previously called Asik, and the irises of his eyes appeared to shimmer with a lustrous gold sheen as he looked at Jae.

This guy is a lie detector or something?

Normally, one would be wary if he knew the truth couldn’t be hidden. However, for Jae, he was thankful for it in this situation, as it meant things could proceed much more smoothly.

“R-... Really? That means you’re truly here to help us?”

“Yes, I am only here to kill the Forsaken Devil.”

“...Thank God. Honestly, we need all the help we can get right now. Jae, was it? Just tell us how you seem to know everything later after it’s finished. We don’t have the time right now.”

“Sure.”

‘Thank God’, huh... Perhaps this is why Nazar hates the Gods so much. He said they never once helped them in this fight. It’s good news for me though.

Sorting out plans, Jae’s primary focus was on acquiring much-needed information.

‘Where is the Forsaken Devil located?’; ‘How strong is the Forsaken Devil?’; ‘What abilities does he have?’―things of that nature.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for him to get that information. The Aram men seemed very willing to cooperate in any manner so long as it meant a secured victory for them against the Forsaken Devil.

The most alarming pieces of information were his abilities―his Evil Eyes. Jae was told that every member of the Aram tribe has one or two Evil Eyes, with one being the standard and two being exceedingly rare.

Not only that, but some Evil Eyes are generally better or worse than others, and as such, are ranked from tiers A+ (highest) to D (lowest) when the abilities of the Eyes are discovered at birth.

The rarity of Nazar’s [Temporal Evil Eye], for example, is A+. Incidentally, his second Evil Eye, the [Evil Eye of Soul-seeing], is ranked as an A-. He truly was an exceptional person in this regard.

In any case, Wrath, who was also born to the Aram tribe, was called the Forsaken Devil by his people and shunned as an outcast for some reason. No, they even went as far as to seal him with an A-tier [Evil Eye of Sealing].

But why? The reasoning behind his incarceration is what Jae wanted to know.

“The Forsaken Devil...”

Upon asking Asik for an answer, he surprisingly responded with the truth of Wrath’s backstory, his voice containing a slight trembling all the while.

“At first, his birth was merely rejoiced as an anomaly―someone born with two Evil Eyes is a blessing, after all... However, it was soon discovered by another member of our people that he would be the one to annihilate us, his family, the Aram, with his two, unparalleled eyes―the [Evil Eye of Causality] and the [Evil Eye of Soulfire]. Because of that, he was sealed in an isolated prison.”

Causality and Soulfire... It certainly fits the descriptions of「Wrath」alright. ‘Soulfire’ is probably why it still works even in this magic-disabling zone, as it's not related to Fire Magic. But does that mean I’ve been using it wrong the whole time...? I’ll figure it out after this. Causality, on the other hand, is still completely unknown territory.

“But, if he was going to be the one to eradicate your people... Why was he sealed instead of killed?”

“Ah... It was his Causality Evil Eye―whenever anybody tried to execute him, the person’s old wounds would all reopen and they would quickly collapse from blood loss... The wounds were unable to heal no matter the method we used, and in the end, everyone who volunteered for the role died.”

Asik spoke with a solemn tone to his voice; his downcast face invoking a sense of sympathy within those who saw it.

“How did you know he was going to annihilate the Aram?”

“Oh, that. It’s because of the [Evil Eye of Foresight]. The owner of the Eye, Y’rim, prophesized the Forsaken's uprising and warned everyone. Unfortunately, even with that knowledge, it seems that a determined fate is unpreventable. If Kanta isn’t found soon, I fear for the future of our people.”

Huh? No, isn’t it possible that this future only occurred because Wrath was designated as such a threat in the first place? If he was never treated like an enemy and locked away for so long, there would be no need for revenge or to kill anyone...

It turned out to be rather pitiful. Whatever the case, it was true that Wrath needed to be stopped now. To that end, Jae needed the power of the Aram’s Evil Eyes.

He already asked Asik just in case, but there was no one with an Evil Eye to prevent or obstruct other Evil Eyes. It would’ve been perfect if there was, but then again, he didn’t expect things to be that easy.

“I see. Well, let’s not waste any time. I’ll take him down when the time comes, so please make any preparations necessary to assist.”

“Yes, alright. Good luck.”

“Good luck as well. Bailey, will you help them?”

“...Okay. Please survive, Master.” the boy reluctantly answered.

Jae smirked and patted his head.

“―I always do.”

With that, Jae separated from the group and went solo. It would be easier like this, as there was no one else he needed to protect. Bailey would be infinitely safer in the care of the Evil Eyes, too.

He sneaked out of the area and made his way to where Wrath was said to have been sealed in isolation. Just before he arrived, however, Jae sensed something was amiss.

...Is there no one here? Surely they would keep someone on guard, right? I don’t feel any presence...

A bad premonition welling up inside him, Jae’s「Instinct」suddenly kicked in. He swiftly moved behind the cover of a sizeable rock and watched the entrance of the small prison, which looked both ancient and abandoned.

*Rumbleeee~!*

A low tremor sounded out as the earth beneath him lightly shook. Keeping his gaze glued to the prison, it soon began to crumble and cave in. It only took a dozen seconds or so before the tremors subsided. By that time, the prison was turned into mere rubble.

It wasn’t a natural earthquake, and the true cause wasn’t late to present itself.

An unfamiliar man rose from within the rubble. He wore nought but filthy rags, and his body was covered from head to toe with dirt, scratches and all sorts of minor wounds most likely caused by the pouring bricks and stones that previously fell on him.

Contrary to his dishevelled appearance, he had ashen white hair that couldn’t be obscured by the dirt.

He couldn’t use「Envy」to verify it, but Jae intuitively knew.

This was Wrath in the flesh.

Fortunately,「Sneak [Lv.MAX]」and「Concealment [Lv.MAX]」were already activated, so Jae’s presence was perfectly hidden. Not wasting any time, Jae activated a certain skill to enhance his mind to the limit.

Skill「Pride」has activated Skill「Pride」has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2] Overlord Potential has been partially unlocked

He was confused at the ambiguous message, but there wasn’t time to find out what it meant.

Activating「Power Burst [Lv.MAX]」, Jae’s Strength and Agility increased massively for a short time.

With all this Agility enhancement bringing the stat up from 644 to a whopping 1,069, he dashed towards Wrath at a speed blurry to even the trained eye.

Using his momentum, he activated another skill,「Gutted」, before thrusting his tightly clenched fist into Wrath’s stomach before he had the chance to react.

“Ku-hahk!?”

Wrath violently coughed blood before he could even clock what had hit him, but Jae just didn’t stop there.

Skill「Wrath」has been activated

*FWOOOOSH!*

―A fountain of flames erupted from Jae’s hand embedded in Wrath’s stomach.

It wasn’t an ordinary fire, however.

As the flames poured continuously, they began to transform. The flames gained an azure tint to them, turning them blue, and as if acting in accordance with that, Wrath’s body began to emit an unnatural blue glow.

This blue glow indicated the ‘burning’ of Wrath’s mana.

It was evident to Jae that this is what Soulfire really is. He simply never knew until now because there wasn’t enough time for it to activate, and he was never told about it.

Glancing to his already-opened Status, Jae carefully managed his MP level. Because of the Zone of [Spatial Magic Interference], mana drained incredibly quickly, but he luckily had a substantial enough mana capacity that it somewhat balanced it out.

Sensing that it wasn’t quite enough to take him out, Jae heightened the output of the flames. On top of that, he stretched his head out to Wrath’s exposed shoulder and chomped down with sharp teeth.

Skill「Poison Fangs」has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2] Skill「Poison Fangs」has levelled up [Lv.2]→[Lv.3]

As he injected more and more poison and waited for his mana pool to dry out, Jae stared Wrath in the eyes, who could only glare back with a look full of hatred.

This one-sided domination didn’t last forever, though.

Suddenly, the blue Soulfire spread to Jae. Noticing it, he immediately jumped back to gain distance. Ensuring the flames dissipated, he clicked his tongue.

“Tch.”

Shit. Just because you’re Wrath, you’ve got better control over it than I do? Fucking hell.

Wrath swayed side-to-side as he stood on two feet, his abdomen still dripping wet with blood. Then, an evil grin arose on his face as he sneered at Jae.

“Hahah! Jae, you dirty bastard, using underhanded tricks like that! I knew you’d side with those fuckers. I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you here, understand?”

“You... are here in person? Wrath?”

“That’s right, heh! Finally, you’ve come! You’ve pissed me off right from the beginnin’, Jae. I placed all these Zones down just to kill you, y’know? I’m gonna fuck you up real good before I kill you!”

“...”

Jae, not knowing how to respond, eventually just smirked.

“...Thanks for the opportunity, asshole. I’ve always wanted to give you a beating too. Well, in the end, I own you, so we both already know how things are going to go.”

“You...! I swear; you’re gonna die by my hands!”

With a ferocious battle cry, Wrath leapt forward with his right hand outstretched, smothered in blue flames.

Easily evading his attack Jae kept his distance as he analysed Wrath’s movements―overall, they were quite straightforward and simple, but at the same time, incredibly intimidating.

For insurance, Jae activated a skill called「Bolster Defence」and, as he ran around, he tapped the ground in various places, activating a skill called「Sand Trap」.

They were all skills acquired from his journey of devouring through「Gluttony」, and although he always neglected them until now, they were finally coming in handy.

“You bastard!! Stop running like a pussy and fight me!”

But Jae couldn’t keep dodging forever. As he continued keeping his distance, it felt like Wrath did something strange.

―And then, Jae tripped.

What? I tripped and fell? But how? That shouldn’t happen. Just what...?

As his super-enhanced mind processed what was happening at absurd speeds, it didn’t take long to come to the answer.

Causality Interference! Shit!

He doesn’t know how it works or the limitations for it, but what Jae did know was that Wrath had a power related to Causality―in other words, cause and effect.

Glancing back at Wrath, he wore an expression fitting of the phrase ‘devilish grin’. It was as easy as a book to read, especially for Jae who knew his personality well.

If Wrath were to express what he felt in words, it would be along the lines of―

“I’ve got you now, you bastard!”

Reaching out with his flame-encased hand, Wrath grabbed Jae by the throat. In that instant, Jae activated a skill he never thought he would ever use.

Skill「Lubrication」has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2] Skill「Slippery Escape」has levelled up [Lv.1]→[Lv.2]

Upon using the skill, he effortlessly slipped out of Wrath’s iron grip and leapt away, leaving the man himself behind and flustered.

“Wha--?! You slimy little shit! Get back here!”

He spewed more curses as he followed Jae around―the two of them danced around the desert in an endless chase of cat and mouse.

Wrath could never quite catch up thanks to the difference in Agility, but even when he used his Evil Eye of Causality to create an opportunity, Jae always slipped out of his grasp using「Slippery Escape」.

Finally, he made a move.

Baiting Wrath in by standing still for a split-second, Jae side-stepped his outstretched hand and activated a skill.

Option 2 -「Mark of Death [Upgraded]」has activated Target has been [Marked by Death] - 1 / 6

A silent black mist enveloped Wrath’s body before solidifying into cold, steel-like chains.

As soon as the chains tightened around his body and he let out a painful cry―

“AAAAARRRGHHHHH...!!! Y-Youuu bastaaard...!!!

―Jae knew it was his victory.