Chapter 18 — Dark Clouds Rumble
Chapter 18 — Dark Clouds Rumble
Metherd, the God of Nature and Abundance.
A deity roughly ranked third among the camp of good gods.
Originally a god with the authority of a chief deity, but his position had declined somewhat.
The reason was his petty temperament. The curse placed on elves who serve Evil Gods—Fertilizer Sprout—was the most representative example.
【Pretty one, I can’t see clearly. Could you lift it a little higher?】
Without a word I raised my shirt completely. Sue’je laughed heartily for a moment before speaking again with interest.
【Fertilizer Sprout. The curse the God of Nature places on elves who serve Evil Gods. You want a Mystery that bypasses the side effects, correct?】
I had not yet explained anything, yet the answer flowed out smoothly.
Because I had experienced this sort of thing many times.
【Honestly, Metherd is incredibly narrow-minded. When preaching doctrine he talks about embracing everyone with the vast bosom of nature, but when something like this happens he punishes people without hesitation.】
“You are absolutely correct.”
《The Wise One nods, agreeing that even the most wretched Evil God has spoken the truth for once.》
For once, the Evil Gods had achieved miraculous unity.
Their teamwork only appeared when insulting the good gods.
【That’s why all the beastfolk abandoned their faith and left! I’d love to scorch his mouth with lightning!】
Even while speaking boldly with resentment, Sue’je lowered their voice to a whisper.
The behavior of an Evil God who had swallowed their pride and accepted reality.
【…Shall we stop gossiping? If Metherd overhears us, my few remaining followers might end up on the Inquisition’s list.】
“You are right. Considering the difference in scale, it would be wise to be cautious.”
【Scale? The difference in believers is at least tens of thousands!】
Chuckling bitterly at that unfortunate fact, Sue’je finally spoke with a serious tone.
【Pretty one, I will withdraw before ‘that petty god’ overhears us. I will also grant the Mystery you wanted. You know how to use it, right?】
“Of course. I am your cultist, after all.”
【You adorable thing!】
Crackle.
Another small tattoo appeared beneath the lightning mark.
《Second-Tier Mystery — Dark Clouds Rumble》
《Strengthens another attribute by half the amount of a stat reduced for various reasons.》
A passive skill that converts half of a reduced stat into another stat.
Because Fertilizer Sprout permanently reduced Strength and Agility to 1, this Mystery allowed the penalty to be exploited.
As a Second-Tier Mystery it could only apply to one stat—Strength or Agility—but even so it was a core component of the Immortal Cultist build.
【Even if the sky is perfectly blue, it’s meaningless if dark clouds cover it!】
Sue’je’s laughter echoed once more before their presence vanished.
“Looks like it’s over.”
Marlin immediately noticed the ritual had ended and began cleaning the altar.
“What Mystery did you receive this time?”
“Sue’je, the Lord of the Polluted Sky, granted a very useful Mystery.”
I concentrated according to the method of Dark Clouds Rumble.
Crackle!
Lightning flickered in both hands.
When I pressed my palms together, the strange current flowed through my veins and was absorbed into the tattoo.
Did it work?
It was time to confirm.
I cleared my throat.
“Status window.”
“Pardon?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
After a brief delay, text appeared.
《Kar ??? (Level 1), Cultist of the Twisted Truth》
《Mysteries — Eye That Perceives Truth, Web That Binds All Things, Ghoul Mobility, Membrane That Defers Wounds, and two shabby Mysteries from Sue’je》
Better than before, though still imperfect.
“Eighty points. Try harder.”
《:-/》
《If you abandon faith in Sue’je, I will try harder. Otherwise I will continue slacking.》
I ignored the ridiculous threat and examined the stats.
Because of Fertilizer Sprout, Strength and Agility had collapsed completely.
Thanks to Dark Clouds Rumble, half of the lost Agility was converted into Vitality.
The increase was small now, but this Mystery was a late bloomer.
And I still have Ghoul Mobility.
Satisfied, I dismissed the window and returned upstairs with the siblings.
Abel brought tea from the kitchen.
“Patron, are we simply waiting for them to contact us?”
“Contact? That young master from the library?”
“Yes. Patron agreed to explore a labyrinth with him. A powerful assassin will join.”
Marlin, who had been chewing leftover meat from yesterday, widened her eyes.
“An assassin? Kar, isn’t that the same rogue class as mine?”
“Your studying was not in vain.”
“Wait… are you abandoning me and forming an expedition with that assassin?”
“How did you guess?”
I answered calmly while sipping tea.
After a moment Marlin’s trembling pupils returned to normal.
“So it wasn’t true.”
“It is true.”
“…Of course.”
“How can you mock your patron so openly?”
“If you want respect, explain properly.”
“I don’t want respect, so stay quiet.”
“……”
After letting her glare for a while, I explained briefly.
“Simply put, a thief handles miscellaneous tasks, while an assassin secures victory by eliminating key enemies at crucial moments.”
“Why do you describe my class so poorly?”
“And the young master’s aide we met yesterday is an elf with extraordinary talent as an assassin.”
Assassin Rosalia ranked firmly among the top rogue companions.
High potential, excellent starting stats, and efficient growth.
However, her extreme silence made forming bonds almost impossible.
“So in teamwork and cooperation I’m clearly the better explorer!”
Marlin puffed her chest proudly.
I ruffled her hair.
“She follows her master’s orders perfectly. If we build trust with Young Master Odilon, we can eventually build trust with her too.”
“That young master… doesn’t seem easy to get along with.”
Abel frowned.
“It won’t be easy. He views relationships only as ‘future betrayals’ or ‘temporary alliances.’”
Odilon lacked basic interpersonal skills.
Fortunately, I had a method.
One expedition is enough.
A single labyrinth exploration would break his distrust.
The next morning.
“….”
I woke earlier than usual and found myself staring at a pair of red eyes.
Rosalia stood silently by the window of the second-floor room.
“When did you arrive?”
No response.
“At least close the window. It’s cold.”
She obediently closed it and returned to staring at me.
What was she thinking?
No one knew.
“Did the young master send you?”
She nodded.
That small response strangely moved me.
“So you do respond after all.”
“……”
“May I sleep a little longer?”
No answer.
“Fine. Let’s go downstairs. The children are sleeping.”
Rosalia quietly followed me past the bed where the siblings slept.
Her trait Rapid Judgment, which made her immediately follow reasonable orders, was what distinguished her from other assassins.
That was why I had chosen her.
Stubborn companions eventually destroyed expedition teams.
“Please have some tea.”
Rosalia lowered her mask slightly and took a sip.
“How is it?”
“……”
Her eyes curved slightly.
That probably meant she liked it.
“Most elves would enjoy it, wouldn’t they?”
Instead of replying, Rosalia took something from her pocket and placed it on the table.
A smooth blue metal half-disc.
《Artifact — Twin Link Fragment》
《An artifact pair that allows communication over distance.》
I did not ask how to use it.
After waiting, my right eye explained.
《Project your will into it to connect.》
Thanks to that explanation I managed to activate it.
A message appeared.
Straight to the point.
Exactly the labyrinth I expected.
There was no need to think about the answer.
“Coincidentally, our opinions align.”
It was time to enter the labyrinth where another Hidden Piece slept.