Chapter 227: Administrator
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227: Administrator
I gazed at the cold corpse of the snake and drank the holy water.
It wasn't as effective as a potion, and I'd heard that drinking too much holy water wasn't good for you.
‘Well... I'm no ordinary person, so it probably doesn't matter.’
I sat down cross-legged and checked my condition.
My internal injuries were mostly healed, but my magic was still completely drained.
‘...Then again, it's no surprise. I cast several 5th Circle spells in a row and stacked support magic on top of that multiple times.’
A typical mage would have collapsed from mana exhaustion.
Above all, that dark purple flame was a monster that devoured magic.
If any other mage had tried to use it, they would have struggled to maintain it for even ten seconds.
Tiring-
[The proficiency of the 'Berserk' skill has reached its limit.]
[A special mission, 'Berserker,' is now available.]
[Berserker
Grade: Special
Defeat 10 B-rank or higher magical beasts bare-handed without using magic.
Reward: 'Berserk' skill grade increase]
“Oh.”
This was the second skill evolution mission I'd received, after the one for the Sex Expert skill. The one that told me to fuck a woman designated by the app and then went completely silent for weeks.
Fortunately, the mission didn't seem too difficult. I could just use my internal energy instead of magic.
I dismissed the screen and walked over to Lucifer.
I had things to say to her, and it looked like she had plenty to say to me, too.
“Should I thank you first?”
A dark purple flame flickered to life in my palm.
Twilight Extinction Flame (黃昏滅火), an ability I gained from my contract with her. Its power was immense, and it even enhanced my body and healed my wounds.
The magic consumption was absurd, but the ability to heal mid-battle was an undeniable advantage.
Though I wasn't sure if it would work on severed limbs.
“I don't need your thanks. It wasn't a selfless act.”
Her violet eyes, a shade deeper than the flower, turned to me.
I didn't know what had caused the change of heart, but behind her cold, settled gaze, I no longer saw any killing intent or hostility.
“What do you want?”
Clank. As if reacting to her slight movement, the chains instantly tightened around her body.
The pressure from the chains dug into her pale skin, clearly intended to inflict pain beyond mere restraint.
It was a question not even worth asking.
In her current situation, what else could she possibly want?
“I'm just asking, but do you know how to get these chains off?”
“...”
Instead of saying she didn't know, she chose silence.
“I appreciate your help, but I don't have all the time in the world. It'll be difficult for me to help with something so uncertain.”
Losing the chance to study the holy relic was a shame, but I wasn't foolish enough to cling to an impossible task. Besides, the only reason I wanted the relic was because of Iris's sealing device.
As long as I had a direct approach through the Santala Kingdom, there was no reason to obsess over the relic.
“...a lie.”
“What?”
“...Was your promise to help me a lie?”
Lucifer whispered, her voice as faint as a crawling ant. With her head bowed low, her neck looked flushed red.
Was she... embarrassed right now?
Her unexpected reaction brought an unconscious smile to my lips. If I'd been a moment slower in covering my mouth, I would have burst out laughing.
“It wasn't a lie.”
I stretched my stiff body and approached her.
I sat on the bare floor and looked at her. She was close enough to touch.
“But first, you have to answer my question.”
“Why on earth are you curious about that?”
“Because I can't just walk out of here with a criminal.”
“...A sound argument.”
Silence followed, along with a smile I'd never seen from her before.
It was a self-deprecating smile, but she was much prettier when she smiled than when she frowned.
“...This might be a long story. Is that okay?”
“I can't go anywhere until my body recovers anyway.”
From her reluctantly opened lips, a long-buried past spilled out.
Betrayal, false accusations, and revenge.
It was a story that could be called cliché, but for her, it was a past steeped in indelible hatred.
As the story went on, Lucifer's face contorted, and she bit her lip.
Her agitation made the story a bit disjointed, but I had no trouble grasping the main points.
‘Betrayed by her old comrades, framed, and thrown in prison...’
I was suddenly reminded of Iris. Their situations weren't identical, but there were similarities.
Of course, I didn't believe her words unconditionally.
But I had faith that the dating app wouldn't match me with a woman who would bring me harm at this point.
“You've been through a lot.”
My smile made Lucifer's brow furrow.
“I don't need a human's pity.”
“So prickly. Relax your face, you'll get wrinkles.”
“And whose fault is that—”
Flinch.
In that instant, both my and Lucifer's gazes snapped in the same direction.
There had only been the two of us in the prison. But at some point, 'something' had appeared near the snake's corpse.
Its face was hidden, covered by a tattered, patched-up cloth.
'It' seemed oblivious to our stares, engrossed in observing the corpse.
‘...I never let my guard down. How did it appear without me noticing?’
I used magic detection and my senses, but I couldn't feel anything.
Not even a hint of life. It was as if it wasn't a living being.
All I felt was a sense of unease.
Just as I was about to draw on my magic, thinking it might be a new enemy...
“...It's an Administrator. They are the ones who manage the Tower according to the System's command.”
Lucifer stopped me.
I could see blatant hostility in her contorted expression.
Suddenly, 'it,' which had been observing the corpse, turned its head.
I couldn't see its eyes through the rags, but I knew instinctively that our gazes had met.
A feeling of disgust and revulsion washed over me. It was similar to how I felt when I first encountered an undead magical beast.
“...It is an honor to meet a great Constellation of the heavens.”
A grotesque voice, like nails on a chalkboard, came out.
The thing bowed its head politely. To me, it looked like a puppet.
“I am Mor, the Administrator of the 6th Underground Floor...”
「You have encountered Mor, the Administrator of the 6th Underground Floor, the Abyss (無底坑).」
「A first-time player reward will be distributed.」
「...Error, error, error, error, error.」
「Player's qualification not confirmed.」
「Reward distribution has been delayed.」
「It is recommended that you acquire the Player's qualification as soon as possible.」
“Standing by while that snake rampaged, and now you show your face? You're as shameless as ever.”
Lucifer shouted, glaring at the Administrator.
Honestly, I wondered if it was okay to talk to an Administrator like that, but it was refreshing to hear her say what I was thinking.
“I am merely an agent of the System... If you wish, please file a formal complaint...”
There was no emotion in its voice. A text-to-speech program would have sounded more alive.
The thing, which had been bowing to Lucifer, suddenly turned its head toward me.
“I will deliver a message from the System, human...”
I let out a dry laugh, dumbfounded by its condescending tone.
“You couldn't even stop a Constellation's intervention, and now you show up late with a message? How am I supposed to react to that?”
“Your complaint is valid... However, the result is that you were victorious against the Constellation... That alone is the outcome and the proof of all things...”
Tiring-
At that moment, a new screen appeared before my eyes.
“In honor of your achievement in defeating the Constellation's avatar, I shall make a proposal...”
「A special mission has been generated.」
「Player's Qualification
You are an Irregular.
Neither a great Constellation, a resident of the Tower, nor a player from another world, you must clear the tutorial floor.
Success Reward: Acquisition of Player's Qualification」
“Become a Player...”
“I refuse.”
The only reward offered was the Player's Qualification.
What good would that do me?
As if expecting my reaction, the thing slowly nodded its head.
“A reasonable question... If you accept the proposal, the System will grant you what you desire, within the limits permitted by causality...”
Suddenly, I was tempted.
A wish granted by a transcendent being—it was a reward that would be hard for anyone to refuse.
“Then give me those chains.”
“Impossible... The ownership of Aitherswein belongs to 'Eden'...”
“You call yourself the System and you can't even grant that?”
“Ownership disputes are a highly sensitive matter...”
“...”
What an unnecessarily principled System.
Well, I wasn't too disappointed by the refusal. I'd made the request expecting to be turned down anyway.
“Then what about freeing her?”
I pointed a finger at Lucifer.
Her wide, startled eyes were quite a sight to see, as if she never expected to be singled out.
“If the 'Fallen Star' is liberated, Aitherswein will automatically be returned to Eden... If your request was aimed at gaining ownership, it is a futile effort. I advise you to amend it now...”
“I don't need the chains. Can you free her or not? Just answer that.”
“...”
「The 'Fallen Star' is astonished.」
「'Do you have any idea what you're saying?! The System granting a request within the scope of causality means you could obtain an SS-rank or higher trait or item—'」
'That's why I'm saying it.'
I sent a telepathic message to Lucifer.
「The 'Fallen Star' cannot hide her bewilderment.」
「'...What?'」
'You said the Constellations imprisoned you. It would take something on the level of the System to free you from here, wouldn't it?'
「The 'Fallen Star' is silent.」
「'...'」
Of course, if the System was a godlike entity, it would have been great to ask for a trait or a skill, just as she said.
But unless the source of the power was within me, it would just be a force that would disappear once I returned to Earth, like the World Tree's divine power.
More importantly, a man's word is his bond. There's nothing more pathetic than going back on a promise.
'Besides, who was the one... no, the angel... who was just begging to be freed?'
Of course, it would be a lie to say I wasn't a little disappointed, but it was a good trade since I got to see her true character.
Someone bent on revenge should be willing to do anything, yet she was worried about the loss a stranger would incur. That told me something about the kind of person she was.
“Very well... However, there is a condition...”
“A condition?”
“I will revoke the 'Fallen Star's' status... And she must follow you and acquire the Player's Qualification...”
I glanced at Lucifer. She looked troubled, but the fact that she wasn't angry suggested the Administrator's condition wasn't entirely unreasonable.
“What does revoking her status mean?”
“It means she will no longer be a Constellation... The Apostle Contract the Fallen Star made with you will persist, but she will no longer be able to bestow Authority or sponsor WP... Is that acceptable...”
It wasn't asking me.
“...I.”
Lucifer's lips trembled.
For a long while, she couldn't make a decision.
Although I didn't know the significance of being a Constellation, I could tell it wasn't a light matter she could decide on a whim.
But I could at least give her a little push to help her make the right choice.
“What are you hesitating for? You said you wanted revenge.”
At that moment, a strange light flickered in Lucifer's eyes.
Revenge is the greatest driving force in life.
After all, I myself had killed a high-ranking official and even a provincial governor for the sake of my own revenge.
For the record, revenge isn't empty.
It all depends on who is by your side after it's over.
“Don't worry. If any problems come up, I'll take responsibility.”
I brushed a speck of dust from her hair and looked at her.
Her amethyst-like eyes were trembling more intensely than ever before.
Instead of violets, red plum blossoms bloomed across her face.
“...Hic.”