Chapter 68

Imprisoned in darkness, Jae could only think that what he was experiencing was a familiar, albeit unexpected occurrence.

Although, it had to be said―that just because something was familiar didn’t mean it was welcome.

Sometimes, in fact, it is that very familiarity that gives rise to hatred or discomfort; because repetition allows one to recognise the essence. In a sense, this could be taken as one of the many meanings of the phrase, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.

In a word.

This ‘familiarity-bred discomfort’ was precisely what Jae was feeling at this moment.

And the cause of it all? Why, is there a need to ask?

《Hiii~》

A hazy, silhouette-like black figure waved its hand as it gave a strangely cheerful greeting to Jae. As if it were seeing an old friend for the first time in years.

It seemed that from the other party’s perspective, however, the feeling was not mutual.

This bastard. Why on earth did you summon me now?

His thoughts were full of spite, but despite the fact they were merely thoughts, they were thought in such a way that it was as if he knew the other person could read his mind.

And, of course, that is exactly what was happening.

《Oh, Jae. Now that isn’t a very nice thing to say, is it? What? Did you not want to see this friend’s face again?》

What the hell are you doing? Pretending to be offended? As if there’s a face to even look at... Well, I certainly didn’t expect it, that’s for sure.

He was not wrong by any means, as the haze didn’t have much of a face spare for the three creepy and twisted holes in its walnut-shaped head. From his overly-exaggerated tone, it was clear as day that the haze―Sinful God Reius―was only saying it as a joke, small talk at most.

In any case, it was understandable that Jae, who was summoned to this void place involuntarily after he only wanted a simple night’s rest, wished to leave as soon as possible. However, before that, he was on edge.

There were many reasons to be on edge in front of Reius―especially with Jae’s current plans and stance. He needed to be exceptionally mindful of his words and actions, and doubly cautious while he was here.

At least until the situation is well-grasped.

The god and the man had two contrasting expressions―one wore a grin of joy, and the other, a frown of urgency.

《So, I only really called you because I felt like it. There’s nothing special.》

―However, with those words alone, it felt like Jae’s reality shattered.

...What?

《Yeah, no, that’s it. Say, do you want to hang out?》

...I never knew...

《Hm?》

I never knew you were such a whimsical bastard?

《Well, you know what they say, right? An old man is twice a child.》

Fuck me, you were a Jester God too? No, perhaps simply calling you a clown is better. And, calling yourself both an old man and a child simultaneously... What’s wrong with you?

Hearing Jae’s venomous reply being spat out like a cobra, Reius could only guffaw.

《Ahahaha! No, no, I’m kidding. Of course, I wouldn’t do something so wasteful.》

Maintaining a relaxed―and somewhat happy-looking―smile on his face, Reius began to get down to business.

《Anyway, I think we should not waste any more time here. You would prefer that as well, I’m sure.》

Get on with it.

《Such unwarranted cruelty... Well. The reason I called you for a meeting is that something... quite unexpected, even by my standards, occurred...》

As he was saying this, the god’s smile faltered slightly. Seemingly wanting a response, he probed Jae’s curiosity.

《...Do you want to know what it is?》

Stop stalling. What was it?

《Heh. Ah, well, you see... In all actuality, it turns out that... In truth...》

If you keep--

《--Right, so anyway. Someone has found the entrance to the Pride Dungeon, you know? And, not only that, but they entered it.》

Hearing the totally abrupt and unrelated news, Jae instinctively frowned.

Well? Where is it?

Reius stared at him for a moment before replying.

《Hm. You don’t care about who entered it?》

It doesn’t really matter, does it? There isn’t a human on this planet that would be able to do anything there anyway, and it’s not like someone else going there affects me. I can still go there and clear the Dungeon, and as long as I do that before they do, then it’s fine.

《Hmm... Really. But, Jae, I think your attitude would change in an instant if you knew who it was.》

I doubt it. Unless it was someone I knew personally, but what are the chances of that? Again, it doesn’t really matter who goes there since Dragons are unkillable anyway. It’s not like anyone weaker than me can clear the Dungeon. Even those stronger than me would have a hell of a time, so I have nothing to worry about in regards to that.

《...Did you assume that it was a human who entered the Pride Dungeon?》

Jae raised an eyebrow.

Are you telling me it’s not? Well, either way, it doesn’t make a difference.

《To be precise, it was four humans and a Demon. Calculating the time difference, it should be about... Seventeen days in the Pride Dungeon, more or less.》

Oh, so they entered less than a day ago in real-time? Still. If it’s seventeen days, then it doesn’t matter who it is since they’d be dead for sure.

Following a period of quiet, as if the god was deliberating on something, he decided to shift the subject’s focus a little. For some unknown reason that Jae couldn’t discern, though, Reius’ smile was already gone by this point.

《...Well then. I suppose if you’re not interested in the ‘who’, you may be more inclined to hear about the ‘where’?》

That was only for a short time, as he quickly regained a smile just as mysterious as before.

‘Where’? As in, the location of the entrance to the Pride Dungeon? Do you know it?

And this returned smile seemed to grow a tad after Jae admitted a clear interest.

《Why, of course! Would you like to hear about it?》

If it’s the truth, then say it.

《Sheesh. Why so distrusting of me? From what I recall, haven’t I only done you good things?》

It’s good to be cautious of everything.

《Hah... I’ll concede that one to you; being cautious is always good. However, being overly cautious is very rude, you know? If you don’t believe me, then how do you expect me to bring you benefits?》

I don’t expect it. But, if you are going to be useful to me, then I’ll accept it.

《Right... Truth be told, I already knew about the location before, but of course, I said nothing as it wasn’t the right time for it. The entrance to the Pride Dungeon is within the Land of Beasts, adjacent to Asphal.》

So you’re saying that now is the right time?

《Eh, it’s not really the perfect time, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. It’s not too bad of a time, anyway. The best course of action right now is for you to go to the Pride Dungeon. Asap.》

Is it because of those guys you said entered the Dungeon? I thought I already told you that humans are hopeless existences there. They’d be dead if they truly went into that place. If they started out in the Inner Zone, they might be able to survive for a while, but it certainly wouldn’t last very long.

Reius quickly realised that Jae wouldn’t change his mind about the matter, and so had the smile wiped completely off his face.

《No, Jae, you would definitely change your mind if you knew who it was. I think you are being immature about this.》

He tried once more to convince his apostle, but of course, it didn’t work out as he wished.

I’m not being immature, I’m telling the facts. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. With no way to exit the Dungeon prematurely like how I did, there’s no way to stay alive outside the Inner Zone without Aphy’s help. Well, whatever, I’ll listen to what you have to say.

Reius sighed, seemingly resigned at Jae’s stubbornness, but well, he was glad that he at least was going to listen to what he had been waiting to say.

So, who was it that entered the Dungeon?

It took but a single sentence for Jae’s fiery and argumentative attitude to cease.

《So. First of all, there was your one and only prideful daughter, Rena Illujhin.》

All actions and thoughts paused simultaneously as his face turned blank.

“.........What...?”

Without even realising it, Jae had muttered aloud. The sly god, however, paid him no heed and continued.

《Secondly, she had entered alongside a group of four humans, as I said previously.》

Jae vehemently denied the brutal truth he was faced with.

“N-N-No, wait, what...?”

Immediately, a wave of guilt and regret washed his face clean of any previous positive emotion that may have been there, replacing it instead with anguish and distress.

《I think you know them? I saw their appearances, so if I dive into your memories then I can probably figure out their names...》

“...No...”

Unable to let go in his mind of the things he had said, Jae did not know what to think any longer. He was confused all the while about how the situation even came to be in the first place, and alongside that, an insurmountable rush of anxiety.

The realisation had hit him, and it hit him hard.

《Ah, here we go. Their names are, Ryan Kashiko...》

His mind quickly began to feel faint, causing Reius’ voice to be drained out.

《...Nicolas Baum...》

Then, a peculiar feeling swamped his body―like a fever, as if he was becoming too hot and yet too cold at the same time.

But that was only the beginning.

《......Kaitlyn Winter...》

Alongside a terrible feeling of nausea swirling around within his stomach, Jae’s eyes began to tremble wildly.

His heartbeat―racing endlessly―rose to an almost lethal degree pounding inside of his chest like it never has.

“Haah, haah, haah, haah, haah--”

Fiercely sweating, it seemed the uncontrollable hyperventilation was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Perhaps it was a combination of the nausea, the ceaselessly thumping, savage heartbeat, and the wobbly legs that felt fragile and like no more than jelly beneath his accursed body.

An amalgamation of all the terrible feelings that viciously attacked his body all of a sudden, ruthlessly, and one after the other.

Both Jae’s body and mind, quite simply, couldn’t stand it.

And before long―

《...And finally―》

―Without ever hearing the final words that came out of Reius’ creepily smiling mouth―

《―Amelia Rannuel.》

――He collapsed.

“...ster...!”

A faint voice, high in pitch―proving that it belonged to a youth.

“M...ster...! Are...okay...?!”

As it called to him, the voice became louder and clearer. Eventually, his heavy, sleep-ridden eyes managed to open too, revealing a very white and extravagant room. Although there wasn’t a single object in the room that didn’t give off a dangerous feeling, Jae knew that it was the safest place he could be right now.

Having fully woken up, he propped himself to lean on the bed’s headboard. For some reason, his body felt strange.

“Master!”

*thud*

Suddenly, a boy slammed into his chest, wrapping his arms around Jae’s torso and squeezing him tight. Taken aback by the suddenness of the situation, he patted the boy’s head and asked.

“Bailey, what’s wrong? Did something happen while I was asleep?”

He had a bad feeling about it―ever since Jae woke up, his body has been feeling sore. And, judging by his sticky body, as well as the soaked mattress and duvet, he seemed to have been sweating an abnormally high amount.

Just what the hell happened?

He didn’t remember anything being wrong with him yesterday, so it must’ve been something that occurred after he had already fallen asleep.

...Don’t tell me...

Belatedly realising what exactly happened, Jae abruptly went to cover his mouth with his hand.

Fuck. I feel sick.

Of course, it wasn’t something like a disease or illness―he had Resistance Skills for those―and it was not a stomach bug or virus either.

To put it simply, the mere thought of Rena being stuck in the Pride Dungeon while he was in a totally different country made him terribly nauseous. It was also for that reason that he was in such an awful state when he woke up.

Thankfully, because of the「Sickness Resistance [Lv.MAX]」skill, he never actually ended up being sick, but the bad feeling still terrorised his body nevertheless.

Now that he had calmed down and grasped the situation, he removed his hand from his mouth and gathered himself. He immediately jolted, though, at the sudden voice that spoke up.

“You appear to be feeling better now. I am relieved.”

Staring bewilderedly at the expressionless angel who had spoken, Jae asked.

“Samael...? Why are you here?”

She gestured to Bailey, “The boy called me here as soon as dawn broke, claiming that something was wrong with you. I could not have healed you no matter the case because of the incompatibility of your body and Holy Magic, however, I did wait here for your recovery.”

“...You waited?”

It didn’t erase the unpleasant feeling from his body, but the fact Samael was waiting for Jae to get better surprised him enough.

“Yes. We did make a contract, did we not?”

A contract? What?

“Although it was merely a verbal one, I do not believe you have the type of character to intentionally violate your promises.”

“Excuse me... What promise might we be talking about?”

“Do you not recall it? So long as you are staying as my guest in this country, you will be under my full protection, and in return for that, you will identify the cause behind the power of defying death and ensure it is forever sealed.”

“Ah... Right.”

She stayed here just for that? Even though she knows I can’t die? ...Well, I guess it isn’t a bad thing to have her protection while I’m here. I shouldn’t complain about this.

Separating Bailey from himself, Jae convinced the worried boy that he was okay. Then, after retrieving some clean and tougher clothes from the Inventory―much different in style to what they were wearing as adventurers―they both got fully equipped.

As they prepared themselves for the day ahead that was very likely to be another long one, Jae informed everyone, including Samael, of his plans.

“―We’re going back to the castle?”, Bailey asked in a curious yet puzzled tone. He was confused about Jae’s decision, since, although he knew they were in a very precarious situation, he thought they were supposed to be finding the next Dungeon.

“Yes, we’re heading back. But before that; Samael, is there a Dungeon in this monastery or the main cathedral anywhere? Or, just anywhere in the country at all that you know of?”

That’s why, instead of going through the effort of trying to find it himself, Jae asked the one who knows the most about where they are.

In response, she tilted her head, “A dungeon? You don’t mean the type of place where people are kept against their will, do you?”

“No, not that. It’s like a big magic portal that takes you to another world.”

Jae corrected her, and she quickly understood what he was asking.

“I see.”

Anxiously waiting for her answer, Jae was desperately hoping that she could give at least a clue to where there might be a Dungeon nearby. And fortunately...

“Certainly, there is something that fits the description. It is a confidential secret amongst the clergy’s top brass, so I assume you have seen others of its kind in the world before? Why do you ask?”

Alright, there is one here? So Gluttony’s plan worked after all. I wonder which one it is, Envy or Lust... Either way, it will have to wait until next time―I need to find Rena, so going to the Pride Dungeon is the top priority.

“It’s something important and related to my death-defying ability. Since we’re going to be leaving, can you make sure no one touches it? Wait, what does it look like?”

Yeah, it’s probably fine to leave this one for now. This Dungeon has probably been here for many years just like the others, so it’d be safe to assume that nothing out of the ordinary would happen. I can always come back to it afterwards, so there’s no real rush. I have no idea where I’ll end up if I clear it either, so it could just end up wasting my time.

“It is a large, crimson mass of swirling magic that emits a strange pressure. From what little information we have about it, it functions as a transportation gate. You may be correct in suggesting that it connects to another world, but it has not yet been confirmed.”

Crimson... It’s red, so it’s the Lust Dungeon, huh. Even more of a reason for me to leave it alone―I’m terrified of what I might do after I clear it because of the side effect...

With that information, it was enough for Jae to unhesitatingly decide to leave the church’s Dungeon for later.

“Anyway, how come it hasn’t been confirmed? Hasn’t it been here for a long time?”

This was something that didn’t make sense to Jae; after all, if they had been researching the Dungeon for years, how would they not know it leads to another world when all one has to do is enter it?

“Yes, you are right. Dozens of elite teams have been sent into the gate to investigate it and discover its origins. We know it is a transportation gate from that alone.”

“Then why...?”

“The reason no one knows where the gate leads to is that, although hundreds of elite scouts and combatants have entered the gate―”

When Samael gave him the answer, it became rather simple.

“―Not a single one of those soldiers have returned.”

...What?

She continued.

“To this day, that ‘zero per cent chance of survival’ statistic remains the same. For this reason, the gate’s housing has been labelled as a ‘forbidden area’ and sealed away within many powerful Holy Magic barriers and seals.”

Shit... I know that nobody would’ve been able to exit without clearing the Dungeon first, but seriously? Even hundreds of the well-trained elite couldn’t clear the Dungeon? Just how tough is it...?

“I see... Wait, surely one of you guys, the Seraphim, must’ve entered it at some point? Is it really that bad that even a Seraphim couldn’t get out?”

If an angel couldn’t clear the Dungeon, then I might have been underestimating it. Could it truly be such a ruthless place?

As one might have expected, Samael’s stone-cold face shifted to don a slightly complicated expression in response to Jae’s question.

“That... Many years ago, two of my brothers entered the gate to try and erase it ‘once and for all’... They were once known as two of the strongest virtues, so there was not a single person that doubted their success. Of course, as you guessed, they never returned.”

It wasn’t one, but two angels? Fucking hell... Well, I should be fine since I can’t die, but just how damn brutal is it...?

“Ah... I apologise.”

Scratching the back of his head, Jae now felt awkward and a bit guilty after asking the question, but after Samael said it was fine since it was so long ago, they moved on.

“Anyway, it’s about breakfast time, isn’t it? That means there shouldn’t be many people outside yet, so we should get going before people notice.”

“I understand. Then, I shall show you to a hidden pathway out of the monastery.”

“Oh, if you don’t mind, please do.”

Then, the three of them walked down a few narrow corridors and outside into a pleasant garden area, Jae and Bailey followed Samael as they trudged through the thick layers of snow that coated the ground during the night and early evening.

As they walked, they talked about this and that―various topics that are not mundane, but at the same time, not too exhilarating.

Noticing the slight shivers beside him and the white mist leaving his mouth every time he exhaled, Jae reminded Bailey to use the magic armour technique he seemed to have forgotten to use.

Soon, they arrived outside the grounds of the monastery and cathedral and arrived in an empty clearing of a small forest. Jae took note of the path they took so that he could use it when he eventually came back and realised that it was not far from the capital city―if they took a short detour they would arrive at the cathedral’s main entrance within ten minutes.

Halting, Samael turned around and spoke to the two.

“From here onwards, there will be no security. You should be able to leave without much effort.”

“I see. Thank you very much for everything.”

Jae meant it sincerely. If he didn’t have Samael’s help, then things would have gone vastly different to how it turned out. Not to mention getting a nice room to sleep in without having to worry about other people, he was even guaranteed protection by one of the country’s highest authorities.

With her going to such lengths and even showing him a safe way to exit the country, it is no wonder that he would be thankful.

“It is no problem. From now on, I shall check this location twice every day―at noon and at midnight―in case of your arrival. That would be the safest way to ensure your protection for when you return.”

“Alright. Then, I’ll wait here for you when I come back. Ah, by the way―”

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

Jae suddenly used Greed to transform into a Wyvern. Like this, he planned to fly away with Bailey towards Asphal, which he heard from Samael was southwest from Theosse.

[―This is probably how I’ll return, so please don’t kill Wyverns on sight if you see one. Anyway, I’ll see you next time.]

“Wyvern...? Oh. Yes. Farewell.”

After making sure Bailey seated himself securely atop his back, Jae took flight and began to fly towards the Demon Country, Asphal.

Now that we’re out of that damn place, it’s nice being able to sense around with magic again. Hmm. There’s only an hour left on the transformation, so I should probably go as far as I can before landing away from any civilization. There’s a mountain range in the distance, so is Asphal on the other side of that? It shouldn’t take more than a day so long as there’s no trouble.

Jae was feeling good as he finally left the dreaded Holy Country, filled with the cursed Holy Magic. But, did he speak too soon? In the next few seconds, Bailey called out to him in a concerned voice.

“Uh...! Ma-master...!”

[What’s wrong?]

“Below! Something’s heading towards us!”

...Huh?

Spreading his magic out, Jae didn’t even have to look to find the powerful presence that was approaching them at ridiculous speeds.

Quickly becoming nervous at the mysterious incoming ‘thing’ overflowing with incredibly strong Holy Magic, Jae reflexively turned to look and identified the missile-like entity.

An angel?

―What he saw was the menacing face of a Seraphim he had never seen before.

Was this going to be his first-ever death battle with one of the God of Light’s Messengers?

Fuck.

Jae was convinced so.