Chapter 81

Time Remaining - 0h : 03m : 01s Time Remaining - 0h : 03m : 00s Time Remaining - 0h : 02m : 59s

Uriel eventually returned after wandering around for the better half of an hour, sourly scratching the top of his head.

“I have looked around and there doesn’t seem to be anything suspicious...”

“I said it was a waste of time. Get going then.”

“It is regrettable, but nothing can be done about it. Then, we shall lea--”

Before he could even finish his words, Uriel froze as if shocked by something. There was still a little bit of time before the transformation was up, so both were confused with what the problem was.

[...Shit.]

―At least, until they heard Astrantia’s strained voice ring in their heads.

Aphy growled, What did you do?, but there was no reply. They quickly realised the plan had gone awry somehow.

And then, with impeccably bad timing, the duration of「Perfect Imitation」ended, and Jae began to revert.

[We’re out of time! Just go for it!]

Quickly putting Jae on the floor as he transformed, Aphy wasted no time in attacking the unmoving Seraphim.

Starting by locking his limbs in place with various types of barriers, she cut off his air flow to prevent the use of Skills by surrounding his head with boiling water.

“Mmmphff-grrllglgl...!?”

Struggling with every ounce of his body, Uriel flailed to the best of his ability―no matter how he tried, breaking through a Dragon’s barrier with force was impossible.

Just as she was about to finish him off, a golden light emanated from his body like a miniature sun.

It wasn’t a Skill, and it definitely wasn’t the effect of magic.

The light only lasted for a split-second, and after that, it vanished, along with Uriel.

“......”

Aphy was speechless, having no idea what just happened. Meanwhile, Jae had returned to his human form and stared at the place Uriel had disappeared, noticing and picking up a white feather from the ground.

This is...

He recalled his first meeting with the Seraphim―his encounter with Ariel. After he was saved by Nazar, didn’t she leave in a similar way?

“...An authority.”

Crossing off the possibility of it being a Unique Skill from not seeing it in Greed’s catalogue of Skills, the last thing he could think of was that it was an ability originating from his authority as an Apostle of Virtue.

If that were the case, it would explain how he used it while unable to talk. It also made sense if all Virtue Rulers had a similar ability.

But then, where did Uriel go?

――The answer to that question was revealed not before long.

All of a sudden, as Jae and Aphy were still pondering on what to do after Uriel’s escape, they sensed something in the distance.

*Woong~--wooooosh!!*

A calm yet powerful tsunami of concentrated golden Holy Magic swept over the sky from the direction of the Oceanic Layers, followed by a much more violent secondary wave.

Aphy rushed to shield Jae from the shockwave as he summoned a few barriers himself, bracing himself for the painful impact.

Thanks to Aphy, he didn’t receive too much damage despite the tremendous power of the Holy attack. Jae didn’t have much time to recuperate, however, when a notification appeared in his eyes.

The boss of the『Pride Dungeon』has been defeated Dungeon exit has opened

Jae paused.

“......What?”

Wide-eyed, he hurriedly turned his head to see Aphy, fine and healthy, resulting in a wave of relief washing over him and pulling him back to the matter at hand.

The Dungeon was cleared but Aphy, the boss, was still alive.

He realised in an instant what had happened.

Astrantia! Are you there?!

Inevitably, there was no response.

Her previous mention of Uriel’s allies. His last-second escape. The overwhelming attack from before.

There was no need to explain what probably happened.

To add to that, the notification even differed from usual, saying that the boss had been defeated instead of that he defeated the boss.

Your connection with the designated Dungeon Boss has ended

Glancing at Aphy’s face, her expression told him plainly that she also was aware of what happened.

After that, they waited with bated breaths for Uriel to appear once again, but this time with his comrades. Fortunately, for reasons unknown, that never happened.

Not even a full ten minutes came to pass before the cracks covering the sky like a spider web and the golden glow that seeped through slowly rewound and faded away, reverting the sky to its original state and leaving it as if nothing had ever happened.

Of course, that doesn’t mean what happened has been fixed.

Turning his gaze slightly, Jae laid his eyes steadily upon the Dungeon Exit in the distance.

For a moment, there was a frightening look on his face that went unnoticed, but he soon moved his feet and walked alongside Aphy to inform the others about the situation.

“Dad!”

Everyone’s heads flicking to their direction as they entered the cabin, Jae smoothly picked up the girl who ran into his arms when Ryan asked with a grave look.

“The fuck’s goin’ on? Seein’ as you’re both here, it’s over, right?”

In response, Aphy spoke briefly, “The exit has opened, so you all can leave as you wish.”

There was an extended silence after her words; although the content was something to be celebrated, for some reason the atmosphere felt detached. The rest of the group could tell from Jae’s aloof attitude that something happened.

Aphy informed them of what occurred; about the intrusion of the God of Light’s lackeys and about the opening of the Dungeon exit after one of them escaped to the others and killed the Dungeon’s second boss.

She talked to Jae as they walked together to the magnificent portal.

“What’s wrong with you? Did something happen?”

He looked at her with strange eyes.

“It’s just... About Astrantia...”

“Huh? What are you talking about so suddenly? We were going off to kill her anyway, wasn’t it the plan? You can’t be sad now that she’s dead.”

“No, it’s not that I’m sad, really... I just feel a bit weird. I didn’t expect... it all to end so quickly, y’know? That, and, it’s kinda sad to have to leave this place so soon after returning for the first time in so long.”

“Right. No one can predict how things will go, especially when the Gods are involved. Try not to get so hung up about it, Jae. And, you know, that little monster isn’t one to go down without a fight. I’d bet that that’s the reason they left immediately instead of coming back to get the two of us.”

“Right...”

“Mhm. And, about the latter... Hm, well, I understand how you feel, but it’s only a temporary feeling. Your real home was never here in the first place, was it?”

“...”

He was speechless, a lump stuck in his throat.

Though, even without that, it was doubtful as to whether he could think of anything to say.

He couldn’t explain or even grasp what exactly it was, but in those words, he felt something.

As if a rope that bound his heart was tugged, he felt his chest tighten in pain.

His heart was hurt by those words as if they wielded a knife against him.

He could only listen to her words, incapable of summoning a single word to speak.

“Anyway, you’ll be fine once you get back to a normal routine. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to visit after the current ordeal is over, so don’t worry too much about something like not being able to see me, please.”

Hm? Something about those words was not right. Instinctively, he knew, and so spurted out a question without thinking.

“Are you leaving?”

“No, I’m staying. You are the one leaving.”, she calmly replied.

“Why?”

“Because I still have responsibilities here. As much as it would be wonderful, I cannot simply follow you and abandon this place.”

“But won’t the Dungeon collapse after I leave? If you stay, you’ll--!”

“That won’t happen.”

“...How can you be so sure?”

“Because I remain as a [Ruler of Pride] even after the death of my sister. The fact there are two won’t change. It’s just that one of the titles will be transferred to you.”

“...”

“So, nothing changes about my duties. Actually, it means I have even more to do than before since now I have to take over the work she was doing. Either way, because I, one of the original title owners, am still alive, it means the Dungeon will not collapse.”

Silently, Jae bit the inside of his lips, but soon resigned that this was how it was going to be.

He wanted to not let his actions leave them on a sour note, so instead, he suppressed the crappy emotions he felt and put on a smile. Aphy seemed relieved at this.

“That’s more like it. There’s no need to feel so down; it’s not like we’ll never see each other again, right? Chin up, boy, come on.”

She went on, doing things like slapping him lightly on the back and shoulders or touching his face. It embarrassed him a little to have her like that, but he was ashamed to admit that it worked in cheering him up.

At the end of it all, the whole group was gathered by the exit portal, with Aphy watching over them from a short distance away.

“I don’t know where it’ll take us―it could be anywhere in the world or it could be where we started on the top of that mountain. So, regardless, be prepared.”

They all took mental notes while listening to Jae’s instructive and serious tone. They had all relied on him significantly up until now, and it seemed like a pattern that would continue. Despite that they would have liked to be able to do things themselves, they knew well just how insufficient their skills were even after all the training in the Dungeon.

“Finally, there’s a warning I must give. And this is extremely important, so please everyone pay attention and remember this seriously.”

Some gulped at these ominous words, wondering just what he was about to say that was such a big deal.

“Due to my... situation, there is a penalty I receive upon clearing a Dungeon.”

He slowly explained to everyone about the side-effect that changed his personality whenever he cleared and exited a Dungeon according to what Dungeon it was.

“And since this is the Pride Dungeon, there is a good chance that it will be a much stronger shift than normal. Anyway, it might not be that bad in reality if it's nothing more than an increase in my ego, but still be careful.”

I don’t have anything that can counteract it this time either, so it could be dangerous.

He looked over to Aphy, who shrugged, and he nodded.

She doesn’t know anything about it, huh.

He thought that, because the [Ruler of Pride] title was still technically split in half, the effect might be lessened or that it may not even happen at all, but it was naive and wishful thinking to assume that, so he was cautious.

All right... I don’t think there’s anything left, right...?

He couldn’t think of anything he might have been forgetting, so it was finally time to depart.

Signalling that he was finished, everyone quickly dissolved to briefly check their conditions. Meanwhile, Aphy approached and pulled him into her embrace before he could react.

“Oof...!”

Of course, since she was much stronger than he was, there was no way he could’ve resisted. Though, even without that, he wouldn’t have wanted to.

Staying like that for around a couple dozen seconds, they separated without a word. Aphy smiled sweetly at Jae before leaning closer, kissing him gently on the forehead.

“Be a good boy for me.”, she said faintly, “Don’t worry those who care for you and make sure everyone is okay. Most importantly, succeed. Though, I’m sure you will do just fine.”

He felt like he was being seduced.

It was strange, but all he could do was nod in acceptance.

After that, the group was as prepared as could be. They finished checking their conditions and equipment, and thanks to the ‘torture training’ Jae subjected them to in the Dungeon, they were ready for any opponent they might face―no matter where the portal spits them out, they were confident that they could make it back alive.

The Dungeon itself really wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be...

―And so, after a rollercoaster of events, the 5th Dungeon had been cleared.

You have exited the『Pride Dungeon』 Dungeon Clear Status: 【1.78%】 The designated Dungeon Boss has been defeated,『Pride Dungeon』will not experience collapse (1/2) The designated Dungeon Boss has been defeated, rewards will be given Reward: Functions of skill「Pride」will be fully unlocked Skill「Pride [Lv.3]」has risen to [Lv.MAX] Overlord potential has been fully unlocked Due to reaching [MAX] with a【Sin】-grade skill, Level Limit increased by 50

They stepped through the portal all together, but before Jae could even begin to get a grasp on the surroundings, notifications flooded his view.

Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated Initiating assimilating with「Pride」

For a moment, they stopped as he confirmed that the Dungeon really wouldn’t collapse until Aphy’s death, causing him to reflexively sigh out in relief.

Of course, it didn’t last long, however, because he soon began to sense a change in his emotions.

He was shifting from thinking about whether his companions arrived safely to whether the mud on the ground was staining his boots.

No matter how he attempted to resist these conflictions in his mind, it was impossible to overpower these feelings.

It was as if there was something within him, like a demon, was taking over.

And soon―

Assimilation with「Pride」complete Title「Ruler of Pride」has been acquired 「Pride」has activated

Hm?

Suddenly, Jae noticed a man standing a short distance away. He somehow looked familiar with his otherworldly looks and long, white hair, though he was not sure where from.

Glaring with folded arms at the face of the man who was no more than a stranger, Jae quickly stopped and instead decided to check his clothes.

There are no wrinkles? Good. No dirt? Of course.

He then moved his hands to his hair whilst summoning a small wall of water in the air to act as a kind of mirror.

No, no, it should be like this. Ah. There we go. Perfect.

Satisfied with his looks after tidying his hair, Jae erased the water and took a long look at the world around him with a frown.

―Around him was naught but endless desert, after all.

What is this? Who dares to welcome my sacred return to this world with such trash?

He thought the cause of it might have been the man who appeared to be waiting for something by the portal’s exit, so Jae turned to him and called out.

“You. Explain.”

“Excuse me?”, the man politely replied. In response, Jae’s frown simply deepened, along with his tone.

“I don’t like to repeat myself.”

“It’s been a while, though... Oh, yes, pardon me. What would you like me to explain? In fact, there are a few things I need to tell you.”

“Do not open your mouth more than necessary. Tell me only what I asked and your identity.”

“Yes, of course.”

The man with a natural smile on his face acted obsequious and courteous as if this were the natural order of things. Meanwhile, the rest of the group had reorientated themselves from the dizzying portal and listened in, paying close attention.

“Although I am rather surprised that you forgot about me, I suppose it may be natural considering your current circumstances. In any case, my name is Azariah Menashe Ceczalet Iosueue Ruhn. Of course, I know the name is a bit long, so you may call me as you wish.”

His friendly smile captivated the group when combined with his peerless appearance, or at least most of them, and in the meantime Jae remembered who the guy was.

It’s that bastard who came out of a weird portal at the lake, south of the Empire.

“We are currently in the middle of the Laquadan continent, stranded within the most dangerous region of the Kabar Desert.”, he continued.

Except for Jae, Rena and Bailey, the rest of the group reacted to this information.

“The Kabar Desert? Isn’t it considered one of the deadliest places to venture in the world? And what, we’re in the ‘most dangerous region’ of it?”

“I can see why... If it weren’t for our training, the heat would’ve already killed me...”

Kaitlyn and Amelia were already beginning to regret leaving the Pride Dungeon, but conversely, Bailey was rather indifferent about it.

“Master, haven’t we been here before?”

He was right.

“Indeed. With Nazar. Hah. This place isn’t dangerous.”

Jae laughed, but no one else could. They completely forgot that he had gone on an expedition to the Southern Continent just before they arrived in Onyxia due to what happened in the Pride Dungeon.

Still, although he had been through here before without a problem, it didn’t stop them from being concerned about their own lives.

It was the place in the centre of the continent where resources like food and water were the most scarce and where the atmosphere of the whole place, which was always silent, felt overbearingly creepy. Not to mention the abnormalities of the place’s natural mana.

Everyone knew that the best course of action would be to get out of here quickly, but before they could even get around to that, something unexpected happened.

“Ah! Rena, it’s been so long...! How have you be--?”

Before Azariah could finish his sentence, his hand moved at an undetectable speed to catch the fist that flew right in front of his face.

Azariah, a look of genuine consideration on his face, looked at the person who tried to punch him with a gaze that asked if he did something wrong.

The perpetrator, Jae, growled like never before with wild, wide-open eyes and a bone-chilling glower.

“Heeey now, buddy.”, his voice trembled madly as he spoke, holding within an indescribable level of something like wrath that could barely be contained.

Azariah stared back at him, confused and not knowing what to say. But he didn’t need to know what to say, because Jae would progress the situation even without him.

“Now, you better tell me what the fuck you think you’re doing or I’ll fucking end you, hear me?”

Looking closely, one could see that his eyes were glowing an abnormal, vivid purple.

“―And, like I said before, I’m not really feeling like repeating myself.”

Everyone else stood on the sidelines, unable to interfere due to the extreme sense of danger emitted by Jae during this moment.

It wasn’t like they didn’t know what was happening.

He had warned them about this prior, after all.

They knew he was going to change after leaving the Dungeon.

But if there was one thing, it was that they sure as hell didn’t expect him to become like this.

If it was him right now, no one here doubted that he would really kill them were they to interfere.

“Tell ya what. I’ll count down from 3. You know what happens when I reach zero... Right?”

At this moment, Azariah seemed to make an expression similar to fear for the first time. Jae, oddly enough, found it somehow familiar, as if he had seen such a thing before.

Was it because of his unique appearance? Jae only knew of one person who looked comparable

“Three...”

He began the countdown with a voice that resounded frightfully throughout the surrounding area.

“I... haven’t seen her in so long that I just--I-I’m sorry if I offended you...”

Jae’s scowl grew even stronger as he grabbed Azariah by the collar.

“You speak as if you know my daughter personally? Fucking bastard. For something like that, I should just have you killed right here. So, how do you wanna go about it, huh?”

This clearly confused Azariah for some reason. He tried to clear up what he thought was a misunderstanding with a voice quivering from nervousness.

“Wh-what could you mean...? Are you talking about Rena...?”

Ah, Jae thought, I know why this pushover bastard is making me sick.

“Don’t speak her name with your inferior bastard mouth. You already make me feel disgusted with the way you look like her.”

His hair, white like the snow on a crisp winter’s morning that reflected the sun’s rays beautifully.

His eyes, red like crimson ruby gemstones that wouldn’t be out of place even encrusted on a royal’s crown.

And his unfairly attractive facial structure that would catch even a goblin’s eye.

―It all caused him to suddenly realise what was going on, and that’s what made him sick to his stomach.

“What.......?”

Just as Jae was about to say something about not making him repeat himself, Azariah, with tears beginning to pool at the edges of his eyes, said the one thing Jae didn’t want to hear.

“But she’s... my daughter...”

At his pitiful mutter like that of a dog who got denied his dinner, Jae froze like a statue.

Looking at him, one could only see a scarily blank, expressionless face.