Chapter 289: The Truth About Isaac
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: The Truth About Isaac
“She was a woman.”
- Th-that’s right, challengers.
Her expression was surprisingly composed. I had assumed a spirit would be something like a ghost, but I had to admit I was wrong. She had a much more solid form than I’d expected. Her legs were properly attached, she wasn’t floating in the air, and her body wasn’t a transparent green or blue. In terms of appearance, she was less like Choi Eunju or Jang Ye Ri and more in the vein of Mev or Baek Ahyeon.
Seeing her small frame, the glasses on her face, and the large book she held in one hand, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. In her other hand, she held a staff that was even taller than she was. No matter how I looked at her, she didn’t seem corrupted. As a strange standoff ensued, Goff nodded and spoke up.
“Archmage Isaac. So she was a small female warrior. No, I suppose I should call her a mage, not a warrior.”
“She must have died young. Hmm, a genius, perhaps.”
“We don’t have time for this. Let’s hurry and liberate Isaac. How do we liberate a spirit, Blood Dagger?”
The question was directed at me. I didn’t know the specifics, but the answer was obvious.
“She is a being that should not exist in this world. The best way would be to return her to where she belongs…”
I felt the entity before me flinch.
Archmage Isaac.
In the past, she was a powerhouse with no equal. Of course, she couldn’t be called weak now, either. A spirit is merely a downgrade of the original, but she could still manage this magic tower and use the spells she knew in life. She would undoubtedly display terrifying firepower.
If an average party of humans had entered, they might have followed a scenario where they all joined forces to defeat Isaac, but such a scenario was unnecessary now.
I acknowledged that she was strong in the past and is still strong now. However, the ones gathered here, myself included, were anything but ordinary. We were the powerful champions who represented the continent. The apex predators of the food chain. The Isaac of the past might have been a different story, but the Isaac of today stood no chance.
One of the chieftains alone might be cutting it close, but with two, we could handle her without taking much damage. At least, that was my assessment.
If Storm Shadow were to step forward, it wouldn’t take long to help her pass on. As the Green Skins all rose to their feet, Isaac’s nervousness became palpable.
“We will free you from your corruption, Isaac.”
“Hmm… You have suffered for a long time. But I wish you would have trusted in the humans of the future. Humans are stronger than you think.”
“Let’s all go at once.”
Just as everyone was about to charge with their full strength, Isaac’s voice cut through the air.
- I… I told you I’m not corrupted!
‘What nonsense.’
“There’s no need to listen to Isaac. She’ll just insist she’s not corrupted anyway. How vile, Isaac.”
- Y-you bastard! Didn’t I tell you I’m not corrupted? A spirit is not inherently corrupt. It simply moves according to the programming inputted during its life, so there’s no way it can be corrupted. You, the mage standing over there. You, of all people, should know this.
A wave of pity washed over me as I watched Isaac scream through gritted teeth while pointing at Choi Eunju. But there was no one here on Isaac’s side.
“N-no… S-spirits can be corrupted. For a high-level mage like you to not even realize that… A-are you out of your mind? O-o-or are you just in denial?”
Isaac’s face contorted as she listened to Choi Eunju, who was desperately avoiding eye contact. She must have felt betrayed by a fellow mage.
- You… you… you wicked woman!
“She’s overly agitated. That’s a textbook case of corruption.”
Seizing the opportunity, Choi Seulgi threw in a comment. To be honest, her appearance didn’t seem corrupted at all. Her eyes weren’t red, nor was she shrouded in some kind of demonic energy. Frankly, she just looked like a cute girl. But to the eyes of Green Skins, whose standards of beauty were a bit different, she probably didn’t look cute. For all I knew, she might look like a hideous witch to them. Isaac, pushed to her limit, screamed again.
- Anyone would be agitated! Th-this place is my home, my tomb, it contains everything I am! Not only did you vandalize my home, but you also destroyed my golems and magic soldiers, who are like my children, and you slaughtered all the chimeras I worked so hard to create! I’m not a saint! I’m allowed to get angry.
“Did you all hear that?”
“…………?”
At my words, everyone’s attention focused on me.
“She just referred to herself as a person… How absurd.”
A slip of the tongue like that had to be seized upon. Isaac’s eyes widened in panic.
- That’s not what I—!
“Isn’t that what you truly think, Isaac? You spoke your true feelings without even realizing it. That is the first piece of evidence that the spirit has been corrupted. You don’t see yourself as a spirit, but as a human. How pitiful…”
In truth, it wasn’t that big of a deal. If she had been programmed before the spirit was created, it was perfectly plausible for her to think that way. A thinking being that retains its past memories could arguably be considered alive. But that wasn’t what was important right now. The only thing that mattered was the fact that she was corrupted.
“Furthermore, she has been completely tainted by her greed for this dungeon… Weren’t the golems, magic soldiers, and chimeras created for the challengers who came to explore and adventure in this dungeon? Look closely into Isaac’s eyes. They are consumed by madness and greed. Has she… already lost her true purpose? She must have forgotten why she exists… why her past self created this spirit. In her eyes, there is no longer any goal of helping future generations. There is only a vile monster born of greed.”
- Wh-who are you calling a vile monster! Who! They were for the challengers! But not for challengers like you! They weren’t for the likes of you, who defile and destroy the dungeon!
“The defilement and destruction lie with you, who attacked innocent magical beasts to mass-produce chimeras. Isaac! Have you lost all respect for the sanctity of life?”
There was no such thing as an innocent magical beast. They were all creatures that would charge at humans or Green Skins on sight. It didn’t matter to me, but Storm Shadow nodded gravely. The idea of toying with life did not sit well with him.
“And! Who was it that sent their own ‘children’ into battle? If your soldiers, golems, and chimeras were so precious, I wonder why you kept explaining the rules to us, hoping we would ascend. You were the one who kept calling us upward, Isaac. Listen to the voice of your heart. The thing that led us to the next floor—that was your true, heartfelt desire. Listen to your inner voice, Isaac.”
- Th-that’s!
It must have been programmed. If she could have exerted her influence on each floor, she would have undoubtedly stopped us from coming up or at least not sent out her golems to be senselessly destroyed. The programming from her life was now shackling the current spirit of Isaac.
Seeing as she couldn’t explain it properly, she was probably forbidden from speaking about the programming as well. I couldn’t help but smile.
“There’s no need to listen to Isaac any longer. She’s completely corrupted. It pains my heart too much to hear any more. Goff, Black Spear, Broken Bow, let’s go.”
For Isaac, it was a moment of desperation. Since this was the end, I expected something troublesome to be waiting, so it was best to rush in all at once and finish it with a light heart. Just as I thought this would be the perfect ending…
- Ha… ha… hahahahahahaha! You’ve figured it out!
“……………………?”
I exchanged glances with Choi Seulgi and Choi Eunju. We were all taken aback by the sudden outburst. It was tantamount to admitting her own corruption. Just as I concluded that she must have truly gone berserk, I saw tears welling up in her eyes…
She was faking her corruption to avoid being attacked indiscriminately.
- You’re right. I… I am corrupted… But deep inside, the pure Isaac still remains. If you destroy me like this, the pure Isaac within me will disappear along with the corruption! Challengers! What say you! This is the final test!
‘Son of a bitch.’
“She’s quick on her feet. You realize how ridiculous this situation is, right?”
A battle of lies against lies. If I were a third-party observer, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back my laughter.
But I immediately nodded at Choi Seulgi’s murmur. Her quick thinking was astounding. She had claimed to be corrupted just to stop the Green Skins’ joint attack. Her hands were trembling with indignation, and tears pooled in her eyes. Her voice quivered slightly, but she was definitely acting the part of the corrupted Isaac.
But this was likely the only way she could save her own life.
‘This is getting annoying.’
It was true. I had planned to end this with a swift battle without going through any tests. Since she hadn’t explained any rules when we first came up, I assumed this final floor had no rules. If she presented some tedious conditions, the ending could become quite anticlimactic, and we might not even get the treasure in this dungeon.
What mattered now was public opinion. I subtly glanced around and saw the Green Skin chieftains wearing grave expressions.
“I see… So that’s why her voice sounded like it was overlapping. She must have been in such pain…”
“Blood Dagger was right. She really was corrupted.”
“To think the pure Isaac still remains within… I did not expect a situation like this. This test… will not be easy.”
Goff, Black Spear, and Broken Bow muttered among themselves.
- Pl-please help me, challengers… I can’t… I can’t take it anymore!
It was an absurdly terrible performance. But it was working.
“Oh, dear…”
Starting with the soft-hearted Minotaur, even the belligerent Werewolf swallowed hard. Park Ahjung and the 49 humans must have had purer hearts than I thought, as some of them were even shedding tears. Storm Shadow’s decision was crucial. I subtly looked his way, and he immediately spoke.
“Even among Green Skins, there were occasionally those consumed by their wild nature. With my own hands, I have laid to rest Green Skins who could not control their instincts and went completely mad. It was an honorable duty, but a painful one. What if they, too, had their inner selves remaining…”
The atmosphere began to shift in Isaac’s favor. This was not good. A smile of joy flickered across Isaac’s face as she once again showcased her awful acting.
- Pl-please help me, challengers! At this rate!
- Y-y-you see! Challengers. The pure Isaac still exists within me! What will you do! Will you accept the test!
It was a bewildering situation. We looked at each other and nodded, and in the end, the Great Tribe Leader nodded as well.
“Your test. We accept it. We will try to save you.”