Chapter 82
Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Lucia's Confession
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Ahh…… I know who you are. You protected me. You allowed me, who was withering away in pain while committing sins, to die as a human.”
The rate at which her body was crumbling began to speed up bit by bit. Her legs below the pelvis had long since melted away, and her left arm was in the same state.
Only her right shoulder kept writhing ominously, as if insisting she hadn’t died yet, showing signs of something sprouting from the stump.
She would find peace before a new right arm could grow, so there was no need to worry about it. I quietly listened to Lucia’s words.
“Kind one. Would you please grant mercy one more time and listen to the lament of this unforgivable sinner for a moment?”
Lucia asked in a trembling voice. If this were a game, options like “Listen” or “Don’t listen” would pop up here.
Choosing “Don’t listen” would end the event, while “Listen” would continue the conversation a bit more. But there was no reason to choose “Don’t listen” after coming this far.
“I’ll listen. Please speak.”
“How very kind of you. I thank you for your deep benevolence.”
Lucia gave a faint smile, but black liquid oozed out thickly between her lips. Because of that, it felt more like a sob than a smile.
“In the past, I was a priest conscripted to subjugate this dungeon. Dozens of faithful priests set foot here.”
Her voice grew more distant.
“But this place wasn’t something we could collapse with our power alone…… After countless sacrifices, we ultimately failed.”
*Cough*. Lucia let out a small cough. Black liquid spewed from between her parted lips. A gurgling sound like boiling liquid rose from her throat.
Lucia vomited up the black liquid several more times afterward, and only after spitting it all out did she manage to continue speaking in a voice far more cracked than before.
“I was one of those sacrifices too. When we gave up breaching the Rune Dungeon and tried to return to the surface, a monster suddenly attacked, and I fell below.”
Lucia, who had fallen below her legs, unfortunately survived instead of dying.
If she had died from the impact of the fall, it could have been seen as martyrdom for a priest, but surviving in this wretched state was worse than death.
“I, who should have clearly died, somehow opened my eyes again. And when I did…… everything was already too late to turn back.”
Sadness gradually welled up in her voice. Her half-rotted face twisted in pain.
“At first, I prayed desperately to the god. Please save me from this pain…… I prayed for mercy and compassion upon your faithful servant.”
The sadness turned to gloom.
The things she had done in the past, the blasphemies against the divine she had committed half-mad with pain. Now that she had returned to being a priest, it was hard to even recall them.
“But the god never answered my prayers, not even once. Most irreverently, I began to resent that god. I cursed and damned him, committing unspeakable atrocities.”
As if to prove that Lucia’s mind was shaking, the stump of her right shoulder began to writhe even more violently.
Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Lucia stopped speaking and took deep breaths, *huff, huff*. Her mouth only opened again after some time passed and the writhing subsided.
“My resentment continued for a very long time. Until you, kind one, came and allowed me to regain my senses through pain. I committed an utterly unforgivable sin.”
Her lips, smeared with black liquid, trembled faintly.
“But you stopped me from insulting the god any further. In my final moments, you guided me back to humanity, allowing me to die as a priest serving the god. I, who will soon have my life’s flame extinguished, have no idea how to repay these graces……”
Her head fully turned toward me. Though her two eyes were covered in black liquid and couldn’t function properly, it somehow felt like she was staring straight at me.
“Kind one, you must have come from the Holy Kingdom. You used holy catalysts so freely, so you must be a very faithful soul……”
Lucia mistook me for someone from the Holy Kingdom.
This was why you had to use the holy catalysts in the boss room three or more times for the event to progress. Only then would Lucia, mistaking the player for someone from the Holy Kingdom, make her next request.
Using anything other than the holy catalysts in the boss room wouldn’t advance it. The exact reason was unknown. Probably because they weren’t hers, or so the speculation went.
Of course, Lucia had no idea that the holy catalysts she dropped had become tainted, allowing them to be used even without faith in the god.
“Faithful and kind one.”
Her voice grew thick with emotion. It choked up, stumbling along before barely continuing.
“Can I…… return to the god?”
Her words were laced with sobs. If her face had been intact, it would surely have been a wail flung out in great tears.
“Even I, who defiled the god, cursed the god, and resented the god…… Can I return as a priest and be embraced in the god’s arms?”
With those words, Lucia clamped her mouth shut, waiting for my answer. Now it was time for the event’s second choice.
Yes. Or no.
Choosing “No” here would make her wail in sorrow, saying of course not, what salvation could a sinner expect who couldn’t endure this pain and committed blasphemy.
Then, depending on the player’s choice, they could either leave Lucia to suffer eternally or grant her peace themselves and leave the Rune Dungeon.
There were additional lines for each. If left alone, she would beg not to be abandoned like this; if killed, she would rejoice in finding peace while worrying about falling to hell.
“Yes.”
But I had no intention of choosing that.
“The god will surely welcome your return to his arms more than the fact that you committed sins.”
I had never denied Lucia’s words even in the game, so why would I do it now after coming this far.
For reference, whether Lucia truly returned to the god was unknown. It wasn’t mentioned anywhere, even after scouring all the item descriptions in the game.
So, depending on the perspective, both choices could be seen as lies.
But most people didn’t care about that and chose “Yes” to let Lucia rest in peace. According to the 10th anniversary stats, 93% of first-clear users chose “Yes,” I think.
“Ahh…… Thank goodness. To warmly welcome even a sinner like me, the god is…… truly magnanimous.”
The smile on her lips deepened further. It was a smile of deep satisfaction, without a trace of sorrow.
“Kind one…… From the bottom of my heart…… I thank you for your benevolence. Though all I can offer is words of gratitude…… Please, let my sincerity reach you……”
The grief and sighs that had soaked every word were gone. Her voice had shrunk to almost a whisper, but her breathing was far more at ease than before.
Lucia moved her lips one last time.
“Merciful sun…… Compassionate moon…… This sinner…… will return…… to your…… side……”
With those words, her moving lips stopped. The chest that should have risen and fallen with each breath no longer moved.
I gently closed her wide-open eyes, covered in black liquid, with two fingers. Such an action wasn’t possible in the game, but it didn’t matter now.
This was the best I could do. The game never mentioned a way to restore Lucia to full humanity, and I didn’t have that kind of power anyway.
After closing her eyes, I picked up Lucia’s holy catalyst that had fallen nearby. This was an item to hand over to the Heresy Inquisitor later. The event wasn’t over yet.
Leaving Lucia’s corpse, which was beginning to melt into a gooey black liquid, behind, I headed toward the rune stele.
The guy that would appear on top of it would be handled well by the knight captains and the Heresy Inquisitor.
“Aren’t you worried about the noble guest’s safety?”
“Huh? What?”
Selene asked in disbelief, looking at the knight captains standing relaxed without a hint of vigilance around them. Who knew when or where something might pop out, yet they were so nonchalant.
“The noble guest jumped into the Rune Dungeon alone. How can you—”
“Oh, you mean Delta?”
Lije snickered.
“At first I was, but then I realized it was all stuff he already explained this morning. I was a bit surprised that ‘jumping in’ was literal…… But it’s not like it’s the first or second time he’s pulled something eccentric like that. Time to get used to it.”
“……That sounds like he’s done things like this often before.”
“A ton. Our lifespans got shaved off by like 10 years from all the shocks because of him? I’ll bill him later.”
“……”
“I know what you’re thinking, but if it’s worry about Delta, don’t. He’s never once failed to keep his word.”
Lije continued in a casual tone.
“Everything he says sounds utterly impossible and ridiculous, but somehow he pulls it off casually and comes back. Worrying just puts you at a loss, you know?”
“It might sound absurd, but he has more than enough ability to follow through on his words. He said he’d subjugate the Rune Dungeon within 30 minutes this time too, so he’ll show up soon.”
Erica supplemented Lije’s words. Hearing that explanation, Selene decided she needed to revise her assessment of Delta a bit.
Wasn’t he supposed to be a new knight? She couldn’t understand at all what he must have been up to normally to make the knight captains react like this in such a short time.
……Actually, she could sort of understand a little. He was the one who had overwhelmingly crushed the Heresy Inquisitor in their spar. His skills were certainly real.
Setting aside his actions, at least.
“I’m not sure if we’re in a position to suggest this to you all, but you can rest now. Delta said the monster would appear when the scenery here changes obviously enough to see at a glance—”
Suddenly, the ground rumbled with a deep *groooan*. Because of that, Claudia’s words paused for a moment.
“……Like that.”
The black liquid that had covered everything began gathering somewhere. The vegetation and sky regained their original colors. The sunlight shining down grew even more brilliant.
Claudia gripped the handle of the greatsword she had set down on the ground again. Lije and Erica drew their weapons, and Iris aimed the tip of her longsword at where the dark liquid was converging.
“This must be the change Delta mentioned. Everyone, battle stations. It’s time to fight.”
“Is that black liquid……?”
“Would be weirder if it wasn’t. Doesn’t it look ominous just at a glance?”
The black liquid that had gathered in one place transformed into the shape of a bizarre monster. It had six legs, two heads, and six tails each ending in a mace-like weight.
Dozens of tentacles sprouted in a straight line along its spine, wriggling grotesquely. Its appearance screamed, “I’m a monster!”
“All units. Battle ready.”
Selene issued a short, concise command. The battle nuns raised their rapiers in unison.
The monster glanced left and right with its two heads, then smacked its lips with a *smack smack*. Its tongue lolled out long, licking nearby.
“Heaven is for the faithful.”
The thinnest, sharpest silver rapier gleamed with silver holy power. Those purple eyes burned coldly.
“Bestow hell upon the faithless.”