Chapter 213: A Glimpse of the Afterlife
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 213: A Glimpse of the Afterlife
Lutred gave a brief summary of everything that had happened over the past three weeks.
There had been an invasion from the 6th floor, and many adventurers had died. Furthermore, the second and third of the Three Villainesses had taken significant damage and fallen into a deep slumber. As for the fallen King of the Sewers, they had yet to decide how to handle his remains.
"So, the hunt was a success, but our side took a heavy hit as well."
"Indeed. More importantly, there are the remains the King of the Sewers left behind."
The dead Roa had been left abandoned on the 5th floor. Apparently, the area surrounding the remains was being contaminated in real-time.
"The poison leaking from the corpse is too thick. Originally, my sisters and I planned to divide and consume it, but the miasma was so potent we couldn't even get close."
"Wait, if you guys can't handle it, what are we supposed to do? We can't just leave it there. It's practically impossible for a human to even approach it, isn't it?"
"Correct. A normal human would begin to mutate just by standing near it. They would eventually melt away or fall and turn into a monster."
"That's insane..."
"However, I believe you might be able to dispose of the remains."
"Me? How?"
"With your Spiritual Eye and Spirit Chain, it might be possible."
She explained that the creature's remains were divided into a contaminated outer shell and a core hidden within. In short, if I could pierce through the shell—which the creature had donned to exert physical force on reality—and pull out the hidden core, the King of the Sewers could be safely dealt with.
"The creature likely intended to stall for time in that state to resurrect. Roas are, by nature, immortal."
"So he hid his true self to facilitate a resurrection."
"Precisely. He intended to make it so no one could approach, buying himself enough time to revive. It’s a predictable move."
The King of the Sewers possessed Authority strong enough to retire two of the Three Villainesses. It was only natural that he would have planned for a resurrection.
"For now, wake up from there. I will be waiting for you on the 5th floor."
"Understood."
As Lutred vanished, the Dream World began to crumble. It was time for me to wake up as well.
-Wait...
Just as I was about to manifest a blade and commit suicide to force myself awake, something appeared behind my back.
The sudden presence, combined with a girl's chilling voice, made me flinch. In that instant, my entire body stiffened, and I became unable to move, as if suffering from sleep paralysis.
-Hey... don't... keep... running away like that...
"Shit..."
Had the curse engraved on the Dream Ring finally fully activated? I suspected it was only able to crawl out like this because the Three Villainesses weren't in peak condition.
-You... with me... make a contract...
A contract? Wasn't this bitch an evil spirit that drove people mad with nightmares? Why was she suddenly babbling about a contract?
It seemed like everyone and their mother wanted to make a contract with me lately. She clearly wanted to gain something through me.
"What kind of contract? First, can you let me move my body?"
-No... you'll just... kill yourself immediately...
"Well, damn."
Caught red-handed.
Since I was caught, I might as well hear what the Evil Spirit of the Ring wanted.
"What do you want? Why do you want to contract with me?"
At my question, the squirming Evil Spirit of the Ring struggled to draw out an answer.
-Those women... you contracted with... they're too strong... Binding you... in my mansion... would be difficult... So... let's contract...
"Your mansion?"
-The Dream Mansion... my place... everyone... became my friend there...
This crazy bitch had apparently imprisoned everyone she killed in her dreams within a place called a mansion. But since she couldn't touch me because of the Villainesses, she had appeared like this to propose a contract.
"So I'm asking what you want. Why contract with me?"
-I'll give you... the right to enter my mansion... In exchange... you give me... toys... How about it...?
"You want me to offer you toys?"
-Yes... toys break... There are only two toys left... in my mansion now... They'll both break soon... I need new toys... sturdy ones...
Ever since Mabel sealed the Dream Ring, there had been no new victims. In the meantime, this evil spirit had consumed all the souls she had collected. Naturally, her power had waned, and she wanted to replenish her supply of souls through a contract with me.
"I'm right, aren't I? You need victims."
-No... I need friends... friends...
"Friends, my ass. You call your friends 'toys'?"
-...You... stop... making me angry...
"And what are you going to do if I make you angry, you pathetic brat?"
She was the one who couldn't do a damn thing because she was terrified of the Villainesses.
"If anything happens to me, you'll just be torn to shreds. Do you even know your place?"
-You... stop... getting on my nerves...
"Cut the crap. If you want a contract, we should be on equal footing, or you should offer a deal I can't refuse. You're failing from the start."
-I said... I'd let you... into my mansion...
"And I'm asking why the hell I'd want to go into your mansion."
-Ugh... you moron... If I open my mansion... the number of souls... you can collect... will increase... you idiot...
"What?"
-If I give you access... to my mansion... your soul capacity... will grow... You don't know anything...
"Wait a second. Really?"
-Yes... you struggle... when you have too many souls... I've seen it...
"That's..."
She was right. Because I was binding so many souls with the Spirit Chain, it did feel overwhelming at times. Furthermore, it was true that my soul's Rank—or rather, its available capacity—was lacking.
-I'll... fix that...
"Opening the mansion fixes all of that?"
-Yes... my mansion... was made for that purpose... originally...
"For that purpose?"
-Yes... Master... made it that way... I am the guardian... of the mansion... But... Master stopped coming... one day... I think he died... I'm lonely... all by myself...
So, this ring was originally an artifact created by someone who manipulated souls, and this girl, the essence of the curse, was the guardian of the ring. Over a vast amount of time, it had twisted into a curse.
"What kind of toys do I have to give you?"
-Roa's core... with that... I think I can play... for a very long time...
"If I give you that, you might do something bad. You're asking for a god's heart. How can I trust you?"
-That's why... let's contract... Since we don't trust each other... we bind our souls... with a contract... Are you stupid...?
It was a reasonable point. I didn't trust her, and she didn't trust me. Binding our existences through a contract would solve the problem cleanly.
'Lutred probably knows I'm meeting this thing right now. The fact that she isn't intervening means...'
It meant she would respect my decision.
"Let's contract. You open the mansion to me, and I give you Roa's core."
-Fine... If you betray me... you die. Both of us.
The girl sliced my palm with a blade, drawing blood, and then did the same to her own.
-Just shake hands... Our ectoplasm will mix... and we will be in a contract...
"Alright."
This was a blood pact. I had seen it a few times in the Labyrinth City. It was a way to seal a contract by sharing blood through a handshake after wounding each other's palms.
And just like that, I successfully formed a contract with the Evil Spirit of the Ring.
-How is it...? Feel better?
"I can definitely breathe easier now."
I had been feeling a bit suffocated because of the sheer number of souls bound by the Spirit Chain. It felt like I was constantly straining to pull on a series of taut chains. But the moment I contracted with the spirit, that feeling vanished. The pressure and burden from the souls bound to the Spirit Chain were resolved all at once.
-Because they... will now be bound... to our mansion... not your soul...
"So that's why I can breathe."
Originally, I had been the vessel containing the souls, enduring the pressure myself. Now, I could use the mansion as the vessel instead. I would be able to collect a much larger quantity of souls. It felt like my limit had increased exponentially.
-And... I'll give you... one more gift...
"Another one?"
-Yes... it belonged to Master... but since he's dead anyway... you take it...
She pulled a pitch-black bead from her pocket and handed it to me.
"This is..."
-The power... Master collected... Just swallow it...
"Will I get stronger if I swallow this?"
-Your Spiritual Eye... will reach a higher level... It won't compare to Master yet... but still...
She claimed that swallowing this black bead would further empower my Spiritual Eye. It was already sufficient, but if it grew even stronger, the power of my Spirit Chain would likely increase as well.
"Thanks."
-Roa's core... you must give it to me...
"I know. I promise."
I swallowed the pitch-black bead the girl gave me. I didn't particularly care what it was made of. To become stronger, I had to swallow it.
-Then... goodbye...
The moment I swallowed the bead, the Dream World completely shattered, and I was finally able to wake—
'What!?'
Just before waking, my Spiritual Eye, now further enhanced, allowed me to see beyond the crumbling dream. I saw things that shouldn't be seen. My head throbbed with a splitting pain.
'That's...'
An uncountable number of souls. Souls hidden within the shadows were heading somewhere.
'No way. There were this many souls?'
Souls I had never been able to see before were now coming into view. It occurred to me that these might not just be the souls of those who died in the Labyrinth. Until now, I could only see those wandering the Labyrinth, but these didn't seem like mere earthbound spirits.
'They look like they're standing in line... Where are they going?'
Could I be catching a glimpse of the afterlife? Was that the true netherworld? Then they might be standing in line to go to heaven or hell. I wasn't seeing the flip side of the Labyrinth, but the afterlife itself.
'If I could bring them here...'
What would happen if I could ask for help from those who had already passed on? If I could call upon and use those standing in line to be extinguished...
'If I could command an army made of souls, the entire landscape of battle would change.'
Before I fully regained consciousness, I shouted toward them.
"Hey!!! You guys!!! Is there anyone who wants to live again?"
Did my voice reach them? The souls standing in line began to look at me. They even reached out their hands toward me.
'Ah...'
However, the time allowed to me ended quickly, and their forms were swept away into the far side of the darkness.
I was fully awake now.
My Spiritual Eye had become significantly stronger, and the sensation of the Spirit Chain in my hand was much more vivid. Now, I felt as though I could rip the souls of the living right out of their bodies without any effort at all.