Chapter 6 — Is It You?
Chapter 6 — Is It You?
I stood quietly by the window, facing the wind as I looked up at the moon.
《S-Rank Labyrinth — Nightmare Dungeon》
A labyrinth of nightmarish difficulty—the very name used for the game itself.
Clearing that place led to the ending.
Whether that would still be true now that this was reality instead of a mere game, I did not know. But one fact remained unchanged.
Someday, I would have to enter it.
If it remained uncleared, it would eventually bring about the destruction of the world.
In the end, my long-term goal is the same as it was in the game.
I had to gain fame through steady labyrinth exploration and gather Mysteries, equipment, and artifacts to grow stronger.
But I had no intention of pursuing a balanced build that consumed every type of growth resource.
The only growth factor I intended to collect would be those related to vitality.
Cultists possessed frail physical stats. They struggled to dodge attacks and could hardly defend themselves.
So there existed a build based on a simple idea: instead of avoiding damage, simply endure it.
The so-called Immortal Cultist.
Not “immortal” in the sense of worshipping a fire god, but literally meaning one who does not die.
There’s no reason to use any other build.
Foreign players had admired it once, even becoming fascinated by the flavor of the so-called K-Cultist build. There was little left to improve.
If I gathered the necessary Mysteries and artifacts according to plan, I would eventually gain a tenacity that would make even zombies click their tongues in disbelief.
That part was the same as in the game.
But there were differences as well.
Maybe I should form an expedition party.
Active talent development.
Since I could now enter a field previously forbidden to cultists, I planned to work as a sort of explorer trainer.
The first talents I intended to nurture were a pair of tiger beastman siblings whose potential ceiling could break through the sky if properly raised.
《Your body is frail enough that exposure to cold wind may give you a cold. Unless you possess a peculiar disposition that finds pleasure in the suffering caused by fever, coughing, and runny nose, I recommend moving away from the window.》
Obediently closing the window, I rubbed the area around my right eye.
Marlin quietly approached me.
“Mister.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you for saving Abel and me. I don’t know how we could ever repay this kindness…”
“It’s fine. I’m satisfied just protecting the dreams and hopes of children.”
“…Could you at least smile when you make jokes like that? It’s scary otherwise.”
“That wasn’t a joke.”
“I figured.”
The tiger beastman girl tapped the floor with her tail and tilted her head.
“By the way, what’s your name? We can’t keep calling you ‘mister.’”
“That’s true. What is my name?”
“Oh, come on!”
“I’m not joking this time. Most of my memories are gone. I can’t even remember my parents’ faces anymore.”
“…Really?”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
Cultist player characters were canonically amnesiacs anyway, and I genuinely didn’t know what my parents looked like.
“If you don’t even know your name, how do you know so much about labyrinths?”
“I told you. Lidni knows everything.”
“So the Evil God told you everything?”
“Something like that.”
In reality, the Evil God had only grumbled after receiving the offering…
But invoking their name was a convenient way to explain my game knowledge.
Marlin finally seemed convinced and looked at me with sympathy.
“Then until you recover your memories, should I give you a temporary name?”
“Do you have one in mind?”
“Hmmm… How about Gold Eye? Your golden eyes are the most striking thing about you!”
I placed a hand on Marlin’s shoulder and smiled.
“Whatever career you pursue in the future, never open a naming shop.”
“……”
“Wait. I should have an identity plate.”
From my pocket I pulled out a round metal plate resembling a medal.
At the bottom was the sacred shield emblem issued by the Harmony Church, and in the center was a name.
[Kar]
[Cultist of the Twisted Truth]
“Kar….”
Marlin quietly repeated the two characters engraved on the plate.
When we returned to the table, the staff member who had been sleeping had awakened.
“Welcome back, explorer. I’m glad you returned safely.”
A man wearing ceremonial robes of black and white bowed with his hands clasped.
《Ordinary Priest Lucius (Human, 23), member of the Harmony Church priesthood “Inquiring Lantern.” Though quite lazy, he is extremely devout toward the hypocritical goddess. His personality is mild, making him an easy target to get close to and exploit.》
A priest of the Harmony Church who served Arteine, the Goddess of Protection and Wisdom.
Whatever his faith, his professional spirit clearly lacked discipline. Even during working hours, his face was heavy with sleepiness.
“But where are Sir Tunrak and Sir Vans?”
A solemn question.
I rubbed my chest and answered.
“The strong orc warrior Tunrak and the veteran mercenary Vans have departed on a journey from which they will never return. Priest, could you offer a prayer for their souls?”
“……”
“Why are you staring at me like that, Marlin?”
Marlin whispered incredulously.
“Why are you suddenly speaking so normally? When you talk to me you sound completely insane…”
“Marlin, do you perhaps have a hobby of slandering your savior?”
“……”
Marlin made a sour face and stepped back quietly.
“We had to flee in a hurry and couldn’t watch until the end, but those two stood their ground against the ghouls and bought time for us. It was a truly noble sacrifice.”
“Arteine…”
Priest Lucius murmured softly while fixing the hair on one side of his head.
He looked us over with curiosity.
“But how did you manage to hide from the ghoul pack?”
A reasonable question.
A cultist and two children.
Compared purely in combat ability, we were weaker even than the novice orc Tunrak who died first. Yet we survived in a labyrinth where ghouls chased anything that breathed.
“If you discovered a hidden clear condition, please tell me. We would be willing to purchase the information for an appropriate price.”
《Labyrinth conquest begins with information and ends with information.》
《Your method of clearing the [Nest of the Sneaking Ghoul Pack] has never appeared before in this world. If you sell the information to that priest of the hypocritical goddess, you should receive suitable compensation.》
Selling exploration information.
A profitable method usually used when discovering a Hidden Piece.
“I was planning to sell it anyway.”
I explained in detail the hidden clear condition—rendering all ghouls combat-incapable.
However, I deliberately left out any mention of the Mystery Tome, the hidden reward.
It only appeared the first time anyway, so mentioning it would be pointless.
“Thank you for the report.”
After carefully writing everything in his notebook, Lucius stepped into a room beside the kitchen and returned.
In his hand was a heavy money pouch.
Even at a glance, it was heavy enough that the siblings’ eyes widened.
“Fifty gold in advance. Once verification is complete, the rest of the reward will be paid. It should be finalized within a few days. However, since this is a low-rank labyrinth, please do not expect too much.”
“Honestly, having ghouls appear in an E-rank labyrinth seems unreasonable.”
“Well… the clear condition is easy…”
At that, Marlin’s tail shot upright.
“Easy? That’s easy?”
“You only had to survive for eight hours. That’s extremely simple.”
“Then what counts as difficult?”
“There’s a labyrinth where you must survive drifting on the open sea for a year.”
“……”
The tiger beastman girl opened her mouth wide, stunned by the absurd scale of labyrinths.
But that was actually only an A-Rank labyrinth, not even the highest tier.
I decided not to mention that part.
“Do you require anything else?”
“I’d like a meal, if possible.”
“Of course. Since it’s late, the only options are hardened bread and cold stew.”
“That alone feels like the grace of Arteine to me.”
My mental energy and stamina were depleted.
I wanted to eat anything.
The siblings’ ears perked up at the same moment.
Seeing their hopeful expressions, I stopped the priest and ordered food for them as well.
“Thank you again….”
“So you do know how to be grateful.”
“Abel, say thank you.”
The boy reluctantly bowed his head slightly.
Marlin tried to scold him, but I stopped her.
Kids that age were naturally rude.
“Your meal is ready.”
Bread hard enough to resemble bricks and lukewarm stew.
It didn’t taste good, but it disappeared quickly.
The old saying hunger is the best seasoning proved itself true.
After finishing the meal, I spoke to Lucius.
“I’d like to stay for one night. Are there any rooms?”
“Two rooms remain.”
“Then one for me and one for the siblings. Also, we’d appreciate some fresh clothes.”
Marlin tried to protest but I ignored it.
If left alone, they would probably sleep on the streets.
As an adult, I couldn’t just ignore that.
That they were promising tiger beastmen worth befriending—or talents worth raising—was merely a secondary reason.
After paying three gold coins covering food, lodging, clothes, and even a tip, we went upstairs.
My room was at the end of the corridor.
The siblings were given the room next door.
“Thank you for everything… Good night, Kar.”
“Sleep well. You too, Abel.”
Creak.
I entered my room and collapsed onto the bed.
Fatigue and drowsiness swirled around me.
Sleep seemed inevitable.
《Proper sleep will restore your depleted mental energy. I permit you to become a sleepyhead for one day!》
But there was something I wanted to check first.
Now that I finally had a moment of peace, questions I hadn’t thought about inside the labyrinth began surfacing.
The most fundamental one was simple.
Who am I?
Rather than dive into endless philosophical speculation, I looked into the small mirror beside the bed.
Not bad.
Golden hair and eyes shone like melted gold.
My skin was pale.
A race that inherited the weaknesses of both humans and elves—yet possessed exceptional Charm.
The message from the Eye That Perceives Truth confirmed it.
《Cultist of the Twisted Truth — Kar ??? (Half-Elf, 22)》
Cultist players’ surnames always appeared as question marks.
But the important thing wasn’t my name.
A Half-Elf Cultist.
One of the most difficult ways to play Nightmare Dungeon had become reality.
Even normal play with this combination would create endless trouble.
And now I would experience it in my own body.
“…Who made me like this?”
Thankfully.
— Seeker who walks the path toward the Twisted Truth. The Wise One has been moved by your devotion.
Considering the message that appeared on my monitor before I lost consciousness, it wasn’t hard to guess who brought me here.
“Lord Lidni… was it you?”
Our Evil God had summoned me into this world.