Chapter 45: C-Rank Labyrinth — Nightmare World (3)
Chapter 45: C-Rank Labyrinth — Nightmare World (3)
【I knew you would ask for that!】
Sue’je burst into hearty laughter and slowly brushed my cheek with a faint spark of lightning.
【I gathered up divine power in advance just in case! Didn’t I do well?】
Such considerate care deserved gratitude, so I offered a bright smile as a courtesy.
“Thank you.”
【…….】
For a brief moment, Sue’je’s presence vanished amid a distant scream, then returned.
【You—don’t smile like that again. Unless you want this god to be annihilated!】
Crackle!
Violent lightning suddenly surged through my entire body and burned away the ragged cheap clothes I had been wearing.
The lightning ran slowly across every inch of my body, then a transformation occurred.
【Ta-da!】
When I opened my eyes again, I was wearing a new outfit.
A completely black priestly robe.
Unlike the pitch-black darkness of Nightmare World, this was a brighter shade of jet black—like Sue’je’s lightning.
《Sacred Relic — Sky Invader》
《A wretched black garment bestowed by the disgusting Sue’je. Allows the wearer to instinctively sense the location of noble, sacred, or pure things.》
The King of the Polluted Sky symbolized foul authority.
He tolerated not even a single fragment of blue sky or white cloud.
Because of that, he was plagued by the urge to defile anything pure, sacred, or immaculate.
The relic Sky Invader, containing that desire of Sue’je, functioned almost like a uniform that every cultist of the Polluted Sky must wear.
【Alright, I’m leaving now. Ah—next time, could you perform the ritual half-naked?】
“Of course. My body is the private property of the exalted one.”
【Ahahahahaha!】
With that laughter, Sue’je’s oracle ended.
I stood quietly, examining my new clothing, then fastened Authority of Restoration at the collar before speaking.
“Everyone. The location of the white land we must find has been identified.”
It felt natural.
Somewhere far away, something faintly existed.
A pure white dream surrounded by nightmares.
“The second phase of the exploration plan—acquiring the sacred relic Sky Invader—has been completed successfully.”
—Kar?
“What is it?”
—Do cultists normally obtain sacred relics this easily…?
Of course not.
“If it were that easy, the cults of the Evil Gods would have conquered the world again long ago. Sue’je gathered divine power specifically to grant it. This is the lowest-tier sacred relic.”
The exalted one would probably suffer from a shortage of faith for a while.
I felt so grateful that for the next month I decided to move as slowly as possible whenever changing clothes.
“Now we proceed to the next step.”
Nightmare World exploration.
Phase three: locating the pure white land.
“From here onward things will become more dangerous. Please pay closer attention to my instructions.”
The randomly determined location of the white land was not extremely far away.
A place reachable after walking steadily for slightly less than two days.
It was neither particularly lucky nor unlucky.
Sometimes the distance could be so great that even running at full speed would fail to reach it within three days.
Compared to that, this was fortunate.
“…I’m getting tired.”
Because this was a dream world, sleep was unnecessary.
But continuous forced marching without rest gradually exhausted the expedition members.
And after one day passed, the gaze of the King of the Dead began watching us again.
—Pendrick…
“I’m fine. Probably.”
Pendrick, still only an explorer candidate, was already close to collapsing.
Rosalia showed no change in expression, but her pace had slowed slightly.
I’m reaching my limit too.
More than twenty curses from black mages covered my body.
All of them restricted physical movement, making even the simple act of walking feel burdensome.
“Stay strong.”
I could not show weakness now.
If I faltered, everyone would falter.
No matter how exhausted I was, the expedition leader had the duty to steady the team.
“You can do it. I believe in your talents. I trust both of your abilities and Mysteries completely.”
A labyrinth could never be cleared alone.
Every explorer needed companions who would face hardship together.
“If we unite our hearts and strength, no labyrinth is impossible to conquer.”
Even if it was not the highest rank, Nightmare World was merely a C-Rank labyrinth.
It was not suitable as the grave of our Moonlight Expedition.
“When this expedition ends, Lady Astrimia will be freed from the curse that forces her toward oblivion, and she will share joy with Pendrick.”
And the entire city of Pletika would learn that we had cleared an unexplored dungeon.
“…Just hearing that gives me strength.”
Pendrick smiled faintly.
“…….”
Rosalia also cast a favorable glance.
“Then we continue moving.”
The march through darkness resumed.
“There they are!”
About twenty hours after we resumed moving—
While adjusting our route carefully, we encountered another group of pursuing demons.
Before the battle began, a black mage shouted:
“There’s a shadow-becoming assassin and a swordsman wielding a shining blade! Priests of Lonely Silence focus on the mad half-elf! Black mages defend against the assassin and swordsman!”
The enemy had now fully analyzed our party composition.
My role became more important than ever.
“Nice to meet you.”
Crackle!
To draw aggro, I transformed my body into lightning and scattered bolts in every direction.
I also fired flames from the artifact Spark of Glory.
“I am Kar, a half-elf who reveres Lady Leria above all deities and dreams of becoming a priest of Lonely Silence. I also love black magic—curses, plagues, poison. Long live Leria. I love black mages.”
“…….”
Silence fell over the battlefield.
It had already been quiet, but now the atmosphere was even stranger.
“Why that reaction? Do you find my devotion to Lady Leria and love for black magic amusing?”
“…Be devoured by twilight!”
Apparently they did.
Fwoooosh!
A swirling mass of blazing fire suddenly split into hundreds of beetles that flew toward me.
At the same time, a towering pillar of flame erupted upward and began firing beams from its tip.
Grand Army and Annihilation Tower.
Not insignificant Mysteries.
Golden fire beetles—nearly the color of my hair and eyes—clung to my body and gnawed at my flesh.
Bzzzz—
A burning red beam pierced through my abdomen.
I glanced down at the clean hole through my stomach, then smiled.
“Haha. I’ve always wondered what life as a donut feels like. Thank you for showing me.”
Perhaps pleased by my gratitude, the priests hesitated briefly.
Crackle.
Using Black Lightning Bloom, I blasted away the beetles and quickly drank a vitality potion from my subspace.
My body recovered rapidly, but the headache had become unbearable.
This is the first time I’ve spent this much Mental Energy.
《Mental Energy: 0 / 100》
For the first time, my cultist resource had dropped to zero.
Mysteries could still be used even in that state.
One of the few advantages of the cultist class.
The downside was that every use now triggered severe mental symptoms—madness, hallucinations, depression, dissociation.
Fortunately I had consumed expensive mental barrier potions, which helped resist them.
《Recommendation: consume another potion immediately.》
Just as I drank another mental barrier potion—
Fwoooosh!
Astrimia, who had been gathering strength silently, suddenly unleashed brilliant starlight.
While the black mages panicked under the sudden light, Pendrick swung his aura-coated sword.
“Hell calls you!”
The black mages reacted instantly, unleashing a barrage of Mysteries.
Green thorns.
Spectral teeth.
Poisonous mist.
Massive tree roots.
Even packs of Demonic Watchdog were summoned.
“Stop the swordsman! Keep detecting the assassin!”
The same black mage who had shouted earlier commanded his allies.
A formidable enemy for Pendrick at his current level.
After being struck by a green orb, Pendrick staggered toward me, then used Body of Resistance to adapt his body to resist black magic before charging again.
Meanwhile, the priests continued pouring attacks toward me relentlessly.
I endured every attack with my body.
Until the right moment.
“…Ghk.”
At some point during the endless assault, several enemies suddenly coughed up blood.
First one.
Then ten.
Soon, everyone.
Even the watchdogs began collapsing.
“…What have you done?”
The leader black mage, still standing, asked.
Normally I would not bother explaining things to enemies.
But since he was about to die, I granted the courtesy.
“Assassination isn’t only done with blades.”
Poison.
Stabbing and slashing were only part of an assassin’s methods.
They did not know that assassins of the Brites Family became deadlier in darkness.
“…….”
Rosalia rose beside me from the shadows.
While hidden, she had spread poison through the darkness using the Crimson Death Rose.
The demons’ already blue skin turned darker as they vomited blood.
“…You will not survive.”
“Will we not?”
Pendrick cut down the black mage leader who had barely risen after suppressing the poison with black magic.
The other black mages could not escape Astrimia’s blade either.
Heads fell instantly.
Rosalia finished off the surviving priests.
Then she tapped my arm and raised six fingers.
“You leveled up? Congratulations.”
After killing so many enemies, it was only natural.
“You’ve reached the difficult stage now. After level six, Soul Rank rises painfully slowly.”
I wanted to celebrate, but the circumstances did not allow it.
So we focused on the mission.
Leading the team past the corpses of demons, we moved forward once more.
“We’re almost there.”
At last—
The white land was within sight.