Jake had never been a big fan of killing humans, or any humanoid beings for that matter. However, he also wasn’t directly averse to it. It was more that if he had to choose between fighting a giant bear or a human to get levels, he would prefer the bear, even if both had the same level of intelligence.

What he definitely didn’t like and did feel averse to was killing low-level humans. That just felt wrong on a fundamental level… but… Jake did so anyway. The four others did too. Dina was reluctant, the Sword Saint seemed neutral, like it was just something that had to be done, and the Fallen King and Sylphie honestly didn’t sound like they gave two shits about doing a massacre.

Their reason for this purge of life was an experiment of sorts. A grisly one. They wanted to see the response of the Enlightened Republic and the rest of the world. Hopefully, they could even bait out some of the Otherworlders in charge. Because it was clear that only Otherworlders had anything to say in this world and that ”noble” was just a synonym for Otherworlder.

The killing proceeded smoothly as the big city didn’t have anyone above level 240, making it a quick and easy endeavor to wipe out, and their group met up once they were done. They proceeded to wait in the area for nearly half a day, with not a single person showing up, before they decided to travel more toward the capital as it became clear there would be no response. Throughout everything, the natives didn’t even fight back either but just stood there like mindless drones. Jake had the feeling that if he had just yelled for them to lay down and die, they would have done so without question.

To repeat, the place was fucked up.

Ultimately, one also had to remember that they were in a dungeon, and nothing was truly real. All the people there didn’t have any future, and their only fates were to be challenges on a Nevermore dungeon floor while potentially teaching the people doing the floor some kind of lesson. Which, if Jake had to be honest, was probably a very good thing, as he very much wouldn’t like this kind of place to exist in the multiverse outside, fully aware that such a place probably did exist somewhere. He just really hoped to not encounter it.

Flying toward the capital, Dina wasn’t in the best mood as she spoke.

”Will… will we need to kill everyone there too?”

”The Karmic Plague is so ingrained within their souls that getting rid of it would mean death. The choice we stand before is to either leave them be to their meaningless lives or end their existences. I care neither way,” the Fallen King said.

Dina already seemed to know, but Jake understood she wasn’t happy about it.

”We should scout out the place a bit first,” Jake said. ”Maybe even talk to some of the Otherworlders to discover what the hell is going on from people who display some level of independent thought. But I do think that our course of action will ultimately not be a peaceful one. No matter how friendly they are… well, you already know.”

On a side note, Jake hadn’t bothered speaking to the two nobles he saw in the other city after the shit they pulled with the native parents and kid. They had died without even knowing what had hit them.

”There is likely some kind of leader there,” the Sword Saint said. ”That it is called a Republic does strike me as odd, considering that usually indicates some kind of democratic process or elections, which makes no sense considering the state of the natives.”

”It is only the Otherworlders who can decide anything. It can also be because it is a merged faction of different races, each then having a representative, but who knows, it’s just a name,” Jake answered. ”Either way, we will have answers when we get there.”

Two weeks passed before they arrived at the Enlightened Capital, showing the sheer size of the planet. They passed by dozens of large settlements on the way, and while they did scout some of them out, it was just the same shit everywhere.

Every single place had one or more Otherworlders in charge of everything, and in many of the small towns, the one Otherworlder lived like a king surrounded by slaves. They did talk about it but decided not to wipe out these places immediately.

They did also see a lot of the natives and how they lived. For the most part, they seemed normal. They talked with each other, they lived their lives, and if not for the fact they couldn’t really decide things themselves, Jake couldn’t spot any differences. He even saw a party C-grades hunting down a large beast within a valley, working together, using skills, and being normal.

The mere fact they had even reached C-grade was astonishing, considering their shortcomings due to the Karmic Plague. But it did also show why experiments like this were performed. Making someone a slave would always harm their Path and limit any and all potential they had significantly. The Karmic Plague did too, but in a far less severe manner, plus it removed any need for contracts and such. It didn’t make it any less fucked up and insidious, but Jake could see how someone who didn’t care about other living beings outside of how useful they could be would perform this kind of experiment.

As the capital appeared in the distance, still a few hundred kilometers away, Jake scouted it out visually by squinting his eyes a bit. It was a large settlement with tall walls surrounding it, most of the buildings inside of the walls, but some outside. In the center of the city, a large tower soared higher than anything else, though he did spot a lot of large impressive buildings behind the walls. Especially this official-looking building with really impressive carvings on the pillars. The place was definitely bigger than any other settlement they had seen, but to confirm and get some information, they made use of the rules of Tri-World, even if it felt wrong.

Rather than enter the capital right away, they sought out a farm outside of the walls where a man was working the fields. He was only E-grade and instantly turned and looked when Jake and the others landed only a few meters from him.

”Who is the most powerful person in the Enlightened Capital?” Jake asked, knowing small talk was a waste of time.

”The Lord Protector of the Enlightened Republic,” the man answered with a smile.

”Are they also the most powerful person in the Enlightened Republic?” Jake followed up.

”Yes, I believe he is.”

”Where does this Lord Protector live?” Jake continued to question, not wanting to talk to the robot more than necessary.

”In the Grand Spire at the center of the capital. You can’t miss it,” the man explained.

”What level is he?” the Sword Saint asked curiously.

”I apologize, sir. I do not know. However, I can go ask others if they know, and if not, go see for myse-”

”No, you can just continue on with your day as if you never even spoke to us,” the Sword Saint interrupted him, knowing Jake was also very much done with the ”conversation.”

Jake was already looking at the capital wall as Sylphie let out a small screech, the farmer back at work, acting like they didn’t exist.

”Ree?”

”Yeah, no way in without being discovered,” Jake nodded. A large formation covered the entire city before them, and based on Jake’s quick scan, it was a dual-purpose defensive and detection formation. The defensive part was not active at all times, but the detection was.

As things were, they didn’t really care about being detected as they had gone there to talk with the most powerful person present anyway. Entering the city, Jake instantly felt a presence lock onto them as a voice echoed out from the spire towering over the capital.

”Newcomers, huh? I guess I can entertain you a bit,” a male voice said as a small opening appeared in the spire, giving Jake and the others access. Jake had already released a pulse and found a single man waiting for them inside the spatially expanded building. He looked humanoid but had longer ears than normal, making Jake guess he was a half-elf.

Entering the tower through the small portal, Jake and company found themselves in a large spacious living room with fancy decor. Sitting on a large couch was a middle-aged half-elf, and Jake naturally identified him, finding his level impressive.

[Lord Protector of the Enlightened Republic – lvl 291]

”Not very polite of you to come barging in like this… I take you five were also the ones who caused a ruckus in the outer regions of the Republic?” the man asked, looking relaxed.

”We were,” Jake answered, having already gone over the game plan with his party before coming. ”Hard not to after seeing the disgusting state of the place, and we knew purging them was the only cure.”

”Oh?” the Lord Protector smiled. ”You speak as if you know what the cause of this planet’s peculiarity is?”

”We do,” Jake confirmed. ”A Karmic Plague.”

”I did get the feeling you five were rather extraordinary the moment I felt you enter the city… you truly have proved me correct. Few have any knowledge of Karmic Plagues,” the Lord Protector said as he summoned a wine glass and took a drink.

Jake just looked at the man for a while before he sighed.

”I have lived here for more than two thousand years already… nothing has changed during all this time. For so long, I had no idea why Tri-World was so unique, and I, too, struggled with the thoughts I see you have now. Let me just clarify… there truly is no cure, as you say. But that doesn’t mean killing them is the only choice.”

”Do you know the origin of the Karmic Plague? Who caused it? Or… maybe how to get rid of it?” Jake questioned. He knew the last one wasn’t very likely unless there was some dungeon-fuckery going on, which was one of the reasons they wanted to check out a major faction.

”Hah, there are some theories, most of which stem from one person. A couple of centuries ago, an Otherworlder arrived who wasn’t a fan of how things were run and created her own faction. She was the very same one who informed us all that a Karmic Plague was the cause of Tri-Worlds peculiar nature. She was insistent that the Karmic Plague placed upon Tri-World could be stopped as long as we sought out the core of the planet. That we should unite and create an expedition down there, risking our own lives fighting monsters all the way down on some vain hope that we could change the status quo,” the middle-aged man said, shaking his head.

”Was she right? That the key to getting rid of the Karmic Plague lies at the planet’s core?” Dina asked.

”Who knows?” the Lord Protector shrugged. ” And who cares? Tri-World isn’t broken. No, this place has its perks and downsides both, but overall I would say the benefits outweigh the negatives.”

”Could you elaborate?” the Sword Saint asked diplomatically.

”The Karmic Plague has resulted in the populace indeed just being drones, but they still retain proper Truesouls and whatnot, making them prime subjects for experimentation. It also doesn’t mean they are less competent, at least not by much, and finding new assistants isn’t too difficult. As for downsides… well, it can get a bit lonely here. The natives are not exactly interesting conversational partners, and trying to settle down for a family is out of the question. The Karmic Plague means that even if two Otherworlders reproduce, the child will also be fully affected.”

”So it is the planet that is the source,” Dina said with certainty as she nodded thoughtfully.

”We will have to confirm that,” Jake sighed before turning back to the half-elf. ”I am curious… you didn’t mention being stuck here and the forced teleportation that brings the Otherworlders here as a downside?”

”True, that is a problem for some,” the Lord Protector smiled. ”At least it used to be. Having been stuck here for a while, we figured out a method to leave the same way we came in. Of course, things aren’t that simple, and I am one of the only ones who know the spell…”

The Lord Protector continued with what Jake felt pretty damn sure was, if not a practiced speech, then at least something scripted by the system, as he explained what they would have to do in order to pass the floor.

Bonus Objective Gained: Retrieve ten Beastcores from the mysterious space beasts. Then use them to create a portal, allowing you to travel to the next floor and any Otherworlder to leave Tri-World. WARNING: This will complete floor forty-one and forfeit any additional rewards.

The Bonus Objective that appeared very clearly outlined all they had to do, and Jake and company quickly understood that the other factions likely had similar objectives available. In fact, this was probably the way to speedrun the floor if you just wanted to pass it quickly. Of course… it wasn’t that simple with the plague.

”What happened to the woman who wanted to cure this world of the Karmic Plague?” Jake asked.

”Well, what do you think happened? We got rid of that damn witch. Things aren’t perfect here, but we make them work and use Tri-World’s nature to our advantage. I myself have had quite good progress while living here, and so have many others. Even if you want to leave, I would at least advise sticking around a bit,” the Lord Protector smiled. ”There are many things you can enjoy here not available elsewhere. You know, have some fun.”

Jake nodded slowly as he looked at his party members. He especially looked at the Fallen King, who had been busy scanning the Lord Protector during all this time. The Unique Lifeform made it clear one of their suspicions was confirmed as Jake looked at the Lord Protector.

”Do you know why it is called a Karmic Plague?” Jake questioned.

”Due to it spreading through karma. At least, that is how that witch explained it. That is also why we Otherworlders are unaffected, as we are not connected to the planet like the natives. Such is its design, which makes sense if you want it to create subservient citizens while maintaining a powerful ruling class,” the Lord Protector shook his head. ”Why the trivia?”

”It does spread through karma indeed,” Jake nodded. ”But, did you know it was a failed experiment? That it was too hard to control for anyone not with enough experience in both poisons and karma to handle. Too complicated. Too prone to freak mutations as it went through being after being. So, do you truly think you can escape from it? Whatever caused the Karmic Plague to take hold on this planet was the same thing that brought you here… because it needed you. You don’t see, and you don’t feel it, but you are a carrier. As long as any strain of the plague remains, there is no way to fully address it.”

The Lord Protector stared at Jake with confusion for a while before scoffing. ”What an absolutely ridiculous notion. I will have you know that I researched the effects of the Karmic Plague for over a thousand years before I even knew what it was called. It directly affects the Soul’s perception of choice and critical thinking. The mere fact I am able to tell you how ridiculous your accusation that we Otherworlders are affected is, should be proof enough it doesn’t work on us.”

Jake just sighed as he looked at the man. ”You say that you researched the Karmic Plague for so long… how many natives did you kill during this time?”

”I don’t keep count, but probably a few thousand only. I didn’t research it all the time,” the Lord Protector answered.

Dina looked angry as Jake raised a hand before she could say anything. ”By the way, I can’t see your level… which level are you?”

”291,” he said, a bit proudly. ”Which makes me one of the most powerful people on this planet, in case you were wondering.”

”Curious,” Jake said. ”Why would you just answer that?”

”Why would I have any need to not answer such a simple question?” the man questioned.

”Why would you?” Jake pressed.

”I saw no reason not to,” the Lord Protector kept arguing.

Jake sighed as he threw the Fallen King a glance. The Unique Lifeform confirmed what he already knew.

”Then tell me how to destroy the Karmic Plague. Tell me the method that witch had made up,” Jake questioned.

”Hmph, she thought that as long as the core was addressed, it would be possible to… to…” the Lord Protector’s words trailed off as he suddenly frowned deeply. ”Do you truly seek to get rid of the Karmic Plague?”

”Yes,” Jake merely answered.

”Can’t you just simply leave? I gave you a path. One you and any other Otherworlder who wishes to leave Tri-World can make use of. With the portal I can make, you would be able to go home and act like you never came here,” the Lord Protector said.

”I think we both know that isn’t going to happen,” Jake sighed, already knowing what was about to happen based on the nature of the Karmic Plague. ”The Karmic Plague must not be allowed to spread, so would you help us destroy it?”

”I would…. Wouldn’t…. I…” the Lord Protector said as he looked confused for a moment before suddenly sneering.

Bonus Objective failed: the Lord Protector has turned hostile.

”I will not allow you to disturb the balance of Tri-World!” the man yelled as he stood up, the entire space imploding as he collapsed the spatially expanded room in a fit of rage.