A Terrifying Misunderstanding

The universe is playing a sick game of push-and-pull with me.

A majestic opening cutscene plays, a grand soundtrack swells, and the boss of the Abyss Palace strides forward. Newbies of the 72 Dungeon Strategy Record used to say that the entrance cutscenes for the bosses of the Abyss Palaces made their palms sweat. I could guarantee that the tension I was feeling right now was far worse. This wasn't a game; it was reality. And to make matters worse, there were five Abyss Palace Lords waiting inside.

The doors slammed shut, and I took in the view. The assembly hall was far vaster than I had anticipated, its ceiling soaring to an immeasurable height. Numerous Lords sat around a massive circular table in the center, their respective companions standing solemnly behind them on either side. Among them were seats that were far from ordinary chairs, closely resembling imperial thrones. Seven seats in total. These were the high seats reserved specifically for the Lords of the Abyss Palaces.

Naturally, my gaze drifted to each of those high seats. There was the Succubus Queen, Rosesha, waving her hand playfully at me. The Lich King, Calandas, glaring at me silently with eyes that burned like ghostly fire. Passing over those all-too-familiar faces, I turned my gaze further.

Thud. A giant whose slightest movement sent tremors through the room filled my vision. There is a concept known as cosmic horror—the primal dread that grips you when confronted with a scale beyond human comprehension. I was experiencing exactly what that meant with every fiber of my being. I was seized by a profound sense of helplessness, feeling utterly insignificant before him.

Standing easily twenty meters tall, he occupied most of the space on his own. In a way, it was a miracle they had managed to craft a custom throne of that size. Rank 4 Lord of the Abyss Palaces, ruler of the Underground Tomb of Thousand-Year Permafrost: Dalon, the Giant King. His level glowed a faint green, indicating a slight friendliness toward me. I felt a small wave of relief.

"Is that him? The new Rank 7?"

"Yeah, yeah! That's him!"

Beside the Giant King sat a pair of young boy and girl who stood in stark contrast to him. Not only in physical size, but their attitude was also incredibly lighthearted. Though they giggled and clung to each other with apparent innocence, the seats they occupied were high thrones.

Rank 3 Lords of the Abyss Palaces, rulers of the Twin Star Towers where Time Reverses: the twin homunculi, Ren and Rin. Just as I had seen in the game, they strangely shared a single level.

Though they weren't even half my height, their true power was bound to be even more immense than the Giant King's. From my perspective, the twins, Ren and Rin, were the most troublesome opponents to antagonize. Their ability to discern truth from falsehood could easily expose my lack of actual strength. Fortunately, seeing a deeper shade of green than Dalon's, I swallowed my sigh of relief.

Feeling a sharp glare, my head turned to the right. There sat a woman staring at me with piercing eyes. She wore a charcoal-black dress that blended seamlessly with the shadows, and her black hair cascaded down to her waist. The two horns protruding from her head were similar to a demon's, yet distinctly different.

Though she currently took a human form through Polymorph, her true nature and original form were far vaster than even the Giant King's.

Rank 2 Lord of the Abyss Palaces, ruler of the Ten-Tier Abyss: the Dragon Lord, Roxanne Dietrich.

My eyes lingered on her level for a moment. Undeniably the strongest entity present, her level glowed a faint red. Not just wary, but hostile. Having Roxanne as an adversary felt like an immense, suffocating pressure.

'...There goes my chance at the lair's treasury.'

The boss room of the Ten-Tier Abyss was a literal dragon's lair, overflowing with treasure. Setting aside her sheer power, getting on her good side would have surely yielded some sweet leftovers. Since she probably treated them as useless antiques anyway, I had hoped to butter her up and somehow acquire a Holy Relic... but I had tripped at the very first hurdle. Well, it was a hopeless greed to begin with. I should just be glad she didn't harbor actual murderous intent.

Aside from the Lords, the companions they brought along ranged from Level 80 to as high as Level 89. Needless to say, every single eye in the hall was fixed on me. Feigning composure, I strode toward the high seats of the round table. Bearing the weight of their uncomfortable stares, I leaned back into an empty throne. Charlotte and Balutak immediately took their positions behind me.

"Hello, darling~"

Rosesha waved playfully from diagonally across to my right. I gave her a nod, maintaining my mask of indifference. Once again, the reality hit me: a completely unremarkable guy like me was now sitting on equal footing with the absolute strongest beings in the world.

"It seems everyone has arrived, save for the proxy."

A quiet yet magnificent voice rumbled through the air. The deep, cavernous resonance belonged to Dalon. Because of his colossal size, my eyes naturally drifted to him whenever he made the slightest movement.

"Shall we begin the meeting now?"

"Not yet."

Roxanne crossed her arms with a bored expression. Sitting with her legs crossed, she seemed to be flaunting her authority rather than just acting arrogant. Since she held the highest rank among those present, no one dared to question her.

"We have not gathered in a century. Should we not adhere to the protocols?"

"Mmm... What do the other comrades think?"

"I am of the same mind as the elder."

"I agree as well."

"How rare for us to be in such agreement."

Calandas and Rosesha expressed their agreement in turn. While the Lords of the Abyss Palaces conversed, the other Lords of the 72 Dungeons silently watched, walking on eggshells. From what I had seen at the assembly grounds, they could only speak when granted permission. Their throats must have been dry, their breath caught in their chests. Sitting in one of the high seats, I felt exactly the same way. I had no idea where to look. I was an undead who didn't even need to breathe, yet I felt utterly suffocated.

"I would like to converse a bit before the proxy arrives."

As he spoke, the Giant King's golden eyes locked onto me. Not only his, but every single eye around the round table turned in my direction. An indescribable, silent pressure weighed down on me.

"Why? Are you going to make my darling Bargore introduce himself?"

Rosesha giggled at the end of her sentence. I appreciate her helping me out earlier, but I really wish she would just shut up right now. It's hard enough trying to maintain a heavy, silent presence when I'm shaking like a leaf inside.

"First, I welcome the birth of our newest Rank 7 Lord of the Abyss Palaces. I am sure everyone at this table shares my sentiment. I am truly moved that we have a new comrade to fulfill our sacred duty."

"...."

Silence added weight to my authority, and it was also a preemptive defense against any truth-detection. The saying 'silence is golden' was practically made for moments like this.

"I never expected our newest Abyss Palace Lord to be a solo entity. Is it true that you slew Valmonk in a single blow without even laying a hand on him?"

"This queen could easily do the same."

Roxanne suddenly interjected, glaring at me as if she wanted to rip me apart. From my perspective, having done absolutely nothing, it felt incredibly unfair. Knowing her personality, the source of her hostility was simple and one-dimensional: she just couldn't stand a rising powerhouse.

Ahem. Dalon cleared his throat and asked, "Lord Bargore. Would you be open to a light Q&A before the proxy arrives? Everyone here is quite curious about you."

Dalon rolled his golden eyes, seeking agreement from the others. Roxanne gave a slight nod of her chin, while the twins, Ren and Rin, nodded their heads so vigorously their necks looked ready to snap. Calandas and Rosesha watched me silently without a word. Turning his gaze back to me, Dalon smiled with satisfaction.

"I have been curious for a long time. Just how strong is a solo Abyss Palace Lord? I would like to hear your candid thoughts. Assuming we were to duel one-on-one, which rank do you believe you could challenge?"

What kind of bullshit question is that?

The completely unexpected question made me doubt my own hearing. Suddenly, a terrible nightmare from my military days flashed through my mind. Back when I was a raw recruit, a sergeant on the verge of discharge had asked me to pick just one guy in the barracks I thought I could beat in a fistfight. To think a similar question would be asked here, and from the mouth of an Abyss Palace Lord, no less. Absurdity aside, the eyes of everyone in the high seats were locked onto me.

When you thought about it, these were the Lords of the Abyss Palaces, the absolute strongest beings in the world. They were bound to be incredibly prideful when it came to their strength. Whatever I said was sure to cause a massive uproar, but if I backed down now, I would be voluntarily surrendering the psychological upper hand.

"I heard you are already acquainted with Rosesha and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Lich King. Do you believe you can defeat them? Or perhaps you could even surpass this old man, the twins, and even Lady Roxanne—"

"Silence."

Roxanne's eyes narrowed into razor-sharp slits. Her gaze wasn't directed at Dalon, who was speaking, but straight at me. Fuck, why does she keep picking on me when I'm just sitting here doing nothing?

"That creature is merely Rank 7. Have you forgotten this queen's rank?"

"But Lady Roxanne, he is a solo dungeon, is he not? He claimed one of the seven seats of the Abyss entirely on his own."

"And?"

Roxanne pushed herself up from her seat. Click, clack. The sharp tap of her heels echoed through the dead silence. Stopping her advance, Roxanne stood tall right in front of me.

"Shall we test it right here, right now?"

"...."

A single flick of Roxanne's wrist and I'd be burned to ashes, not even leaving a trace behind. So please, spare me. With those desperate thoughts screaming inside, I looked around the room, but everyone was just watching with intense amusement, showing absolutely no intention ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of intervening. Even Rosesha kept her bright, cheerful smile. Someone stop her, for fuck's sake!

Rumbleeee— Right on cue, the stone doors ground open. The attention that had been concentrated on me naturally shifted to the silhouette approaching from the entrance.

'I almost died...'

A single sneeze from Roxanne would have vaporized my body without leaving a single bone fragment behind. Swallowing a wave of immense relief, I stared straight at the approaching silhouette.

He wore a neat, well-tailored suit. However, the moment ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠saw his face, an instinctive wave of revulsion washed over me. His elongated face was reminiscent of an octopus, with five pairs of eyes stacked vertically. Sticky mucus dripped constantly from a dozen or so writhing tentacles.

"I greet the Lords of the Abyss Palaces."

That octopus-head was the lieutenant of the Rank 1 Lord, the Old One. In terms of level alone, he was certainly on par with the other Abyss Palace Lords. I was about to turn my eyes away, unable to bear looking at his grotesque appearance any longer, when—

At first, I was bewildered, thinking the window had popped up for an item the lieutenant was carrying. But no matter how hard I looked, he wasn't wearing any equipment. The notification was rising from the lieutenant himself. Now that I looked closer, even his name was displayed as 'Old One's Ancient Relic'. Circumstantially, this window was targeting the lieutenant himself.

Why would this appear for a lieutenant who wasn't even an item? On top of that, the success rate was 0%, and instead of a grade, there was a cryptic 'No. 3' clearly written. No... I knew exactly what that meant. 'It's a Holy Relic.'

The Holy Relics I knew of were No. 5 and No. 4, which I had seen in the Ten-Tier Abyss and the Imperial Papacy. One of the remaining, veiled Holy Relics was right before my eyes. And it was a living being, none other than the Old One's lieutenant.

In truth, I had guessed that the Old One would possess a Holy Relic. There were countless rumors, and it would be stranger for the Old One to lack what even Roxanne possessed. However, I had never dreamed I would see it in a living form, under the guise of a lieutenant.

Most shocking of all was that with a single 'click' of my Enhancement skill, the Old One's lieutenant would vanish without a trace. Of course, I had no intention of using my enhancement skill like that in this place. Regardless, the information I had gained through my skill had to be kept a strict secret. If I let slip even a single word, nothing good would come of it.

While I shook off my bewilderment, the lieutenant sat in the empty high seat. Roxanne, who had returned to her seat in the meantime, spoke to him.

"It has been a while, Bliz."

"I greet your noble presence. My master sends his regards."

"Tell him I am always well."

The lieutenant, called Bliz, exchanged greetings in order of rank. Watching this from right next to him, I felt incredibly awkward. Still, thanks to Bliz, my confrontation with Roxanne was swept under the rug. It had almost been a disaster. I had done nothing but stare blankly into space with an expressionless face, yet Roxanne had gotten triggered all on her own and picked a fight. At this rate, was I not even allowed to breathe?

'Ah, I really shouldn't have come.' I should have skipped this meeting entirely.

"So you are the new Lord of the Abyss Palace."

Having finished exchanging greetings with Rosesha, Bliz turned to me.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Bliz, lieutenant to the Old One."

"A pleasure. I am Bargore."

"Please, speak comfortably."

After a brief handshake, Bliz returned to his seat.

My gaze unconsciously locked onto the level hovering above Bliz's head. The level, which had been a pure white just moments ago, had dyed itself a deep, pitch black.

...What did I even do just now? Is it a bug? Yeah, it has to be a bug. I didn't do a single thing, so why on earth is he terrified of me? A light gray would be one thing, but a black that deep was something I had rarely seen. Yet, looking at his outward demeanor, he seemed perfectly calm and composed. No matter how I thought about it, it had to be a bug.

"Bliz, you..."

Roxanne stared at Bliz with pupils dilated to the size of saucers. Though her eyes were fixed on Bliz, her finger was somehow pointing directly at me.

"Why are you afraid of that creature?"

My bewilderment lasted only a moment before Roxanne's unique insight flashed through my mind. The unique perception of the Rank 2 Lord, Roxanne, was the detection of fear. She could accurately pierce through not just its presence, but its exact intensity. While I could only see emotions directed toward myself through the level colors, Roxanne's fear-detection allowed her to see who feared whom. In other words, Bliz's level color wasn't a bug. He was truly, utterly terrified of me.

An inquisitive silence settled over the assembly hall. As time ticked by, no one spoke. Amidst the suffocating atmosphere demanding an answer, Bliz finally opened his mouth with great difficulty.

"As expected of a solo Abyss Palace Lord."

Roxanne looked back and forth between Bliz and me. I, too, had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"Just as Lady Roxanne possesses her unique insight, the Lords of the Abyss Palaces hold absolute perception abilities. I, too, possess such an insight."

This was news to me. I had assumed those abilities were exclusive to the Dungeon Lords.

"In my case, I do not see emotions, but numerical values. Specifically, the probability of a target being able to kill me."

It wasn't a detection of murderous intent like mine, nor was it a simple sense of mortal danger. It was something far more profound: the mathematical probability of dying by the opponent's hand. If I were to use my Enhancement skill, Bliz would die without even realizing what hit him. With a 100% certainty, far surpassing what happened to Valmonk.

"Based on my previous readings, Lady Roxanne was the most threatening. No matter what measures I took, there was an eighty percent chance of my death. However..."

Pausing, Bliz locked eyes with me.

"If Lord Bargore wishes to kill me, I will die instantly on the spot. No matter what methods I employ, it is absolute."

The emotion he felt toward me wasn't simple fear, but a terror born of absolute, guaranteed death. My Enhancement skill was, for Bliz alone, an absolute instant-death skill. Because he was a Holy Relic, the enhancement system applied to him, and the success rate was a flat 0%. To the other Lords who had no idea of my actual tricks, this was bound to be interpreted as a measure of my overwhelming strength. The gazes currently drilling into me made that crystal clear.

"Does that mean Lord Bargore is the strongest among us?"

"At least, from what I can see..."

Bliz carefully added to Dalon's question.

"I believe there is no Lord here who can defeat him in a one-on-one duel."

Ah. This atmosphere is seriously uncomfortable.