Chapter 301: Evil Spirit (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 301: Evil Spirit (5)
"Bjon! I may have only stood back and watched this time, but this was a fun expedition! Let's meet again if we get the chance!"
"...Yeah."
After a brief farewell, Carlton's group exited the rift. It was time for us to get back to work as well.
"Now, let's go. There could be something more!"
"...Are you thinking of wandering around without a plan?"
No, I plan to pretend to wander around without a plan and get everything I want.
"Follow me. I know a few things."
Oh, if you say so.
I followed the experienced Amelia out of the boss room and traveled back through the other stages. At that point, we located two hidden items: the Fragment of Earth, which raised the user's Earth Resistance and Physical Resistance by one point each; and the Book of Souls, which gave the user three additional experience points. Amelia said she had already used them, so I took them for myself, thus ending our search for hidden items in the Hundred-Color Temple, as those were all the spirit-type items there were. The rest required distortion magic if you wanted to take them outside of the rift to sell.
Then since I've got everything I need...
"Amelia, why don't we stay a bit instead of leaving immediately?"
"Why?"
"To be honest, I am quite tired from sleeping only three hours every day. Why don't we get a good rest here?"
Amelia looked at me with disapproval. It was obvious what she was thinking. At a point when a lot of time had already elapsed and the labyrinth would close tomorrow, she must have been wondering if we really needed to rest now.
Tsk, we already achieved our goal days ago. Why is she so greedy?
But since whining wasn't my style, I gave her a reasonable excuse for a break. "My head is all jumbled up, so I need some time."
"Ah..." Amelia gave me an understanding look and yielded to my request. "Fine. We'll rest before we leave. Let me know when you're ready." After all was said and done, Amelia was rather kindhearted when it came to things like these.
"Thanks, Amelia."
"Just rest."
Amelia took out her sleeping bag and lay on the floor, and I made a spot for myself about ten feet away from her. Then I began the official count.
Let's see...
I'd obtained 156 experience points for first kills in the Hundred-Color Temple. When you added the one-point kill bonus for a high-rank mutant, a Guardian Kill Bonus of three, and three more for Book of Souls, that number went up to 163. Of course, even adding all that EXP up, I still had a long way to go to get to level seven.
If all goes well, I'll reach level seven in the mid-to-late portion of the sixth floor.
I couldn't deny that my character was getting closer and closer to completion. I'd also already gotten the Demon Grinder.
I need to figure out how to take this with me...
Just as I was thinking this, Amelia said, "Yandel, there's something I want to ask you."
"Ah! Is it about the numbered item? I-I don't know what it is either, but I liked the weight of it so I'm going to use—"
"It's a different question."
Oh, that's not it?
I had been worrying about what to do if she asked to split the hammer.
"You... don't want to change it?"
"What do you mean?"
"What happened to Yandel Jarku, your father."
Oh, that... Well, I was trying my best not to think about it.
"It's possible you might be able to save him."
"How can I, when I don't even know how and when exactly he died except that it happened when I was young?"
"If you want, after I finish up my work here, I can go back to Rafdonia and help—"
"No need." I cut her off, voice firm. "I don't want that."
"How come?" Amelia asked, sounding genuinely curious.
Well, this probably seemed strange from her perspective, since she didn't know that I was an evil spirit. "If the future could be changed by something as simple as that, the fact that we met here would have changed his fate as well."
The future couldn't change. Amelia seemed to be aware of that to some extent too. But since Auril Gavis had confirmed it for me and I had also confirmed it through Raven and Dwalkie myself, she was likely giving the idea less weight than I did.
Amelia jumped up. "Could be changed? What do you mean by that?"
I thought it over for a short moment before answering honestly, telling her about my attempts to change Dwalkie's and Raven's futures, and how they all ended up as failures.
After hearing my explanation, Amelia pursed her lips in denial. "Impossible..."
I decided to be blunt. "Amelia, didn't you kind of sense this too?"
"Sense what...?"
"If you didn't, then what was that about the other day? Why were you surprised when you saw the name Nivelles Enze, and what was with the strange look you gave me when I came downstairs wearing this helmet?"
"That's..."
"Didn't you already realize it yourself? No matter what we do, the past won't change. No, rather, all of these events flowed the way they did because of us."
Amelia said nothing. She just clenched her fists, clearly holding something back. There was a brief beat of silence before her lips parted again. "So, you're going to give up? Without even trying, when you may be able to save your father?" Her voice sounded the same as usual, but I picked up on a hint of aggression below the surface.
Maybe that was why I got a bit aggressive back. "I've never seen my father's face before, anyway."
"So, you don't care about him enough, is that what you're saying?"
"...Yeah."
"I see." But despite her supposed understanding, Amelia tutted. It seemed she was disappointed in me.
Ha... maybe I shouldn't have brought this topic up to begin with. It seemed like we'd gotten closer these past few days and now it's all ruined.
After that, we just took our break without saying a word. About five hours later, I got up after a restful sleep and proposed we leave, figuring that would be better than walking on eggshells like this in here.
"Wait, can we stop by there?" I asked.
"If you want."
Once we arrived back at the boss room to take the portal outside, I approached the hut located behind it out of simple curiosity. In the game, this hut was part of the terrain and couldn't be entered.
Oh, that's not it?
I had been worrying about what to do if she asked to split the hammer.
"You... don't want to change it?"
"What do you mean?"
"What happened to Yandel Jarku, your father."
Oh, that... Well, I was trying my best not to think about it.
"It's possible you might be able to save him."
"How can I, when I don't even know how and when exactly he died except that it happened when I was young?"
"If you want, after I finish up my work here, I can go back to Rafdonia and help—"
"No need." I cut her off, voice firm. "I don't want that."
"How come?" Amelia asked, sounding genuinely curious.
Well, this probably seemed strange from her perspective, since she didn't know that I was an evil spirit. "If the future could be changed by something as simple as that, the fact that we met here would have changed his fate as well."
The future couldn't change. Amelia seemed to be aware of that to some extent too. But since Auril Gavis had confirmed it for me and I had also confirmed it through Raven and Dwalkie myself, she was likely giving the idea less weight than I did.
Amelia jumped up. "Could be changed? What do you mean by that?"
I thought it over for a short moment before answering honestly, telling her about my attempts to change Dwalkie's and Raven's futures, and how they all ended up as failures.
After hearing my explanation, Amelia pursed her lips in denial. "Impossible..."
I decided to be blunt. "Amelia, didn't you kind of sense this too?"
"Sense what...?"
"If you didn't, then what was that about the other day? Why were you surprised when you saw the name Nivelles Enze, and what was with the strange look you gave me when I came downstairs wearing this helmet?"
"That's..."
"Didn't you already realize it yourself? No matter what we do, the past won't change. No, rather, all of these events flowed the way they did because of us."
Amelia said nothing. She just clenched her fists, clearly holding something back. There was a brief beat of silence before her lips parted again. "So, you're going to give up? Without even trying, when you may be able to save your father?" Her voice sounded the same as usual, but I picked up on a hint of aggression below the surface.
Maybe that was why I got a bit aggressive back. "I've never seen my father's face before, anyway."
"So, you don't care about him enough, is that what you're saying?"
"...Yeah."
"I see." But despite her supposed understanding, Amelia tutted. It seemed she was disappointed in me.
Ha... maybe I shouldn't have brought this topic up to begin with. It seemed like we'd gotten closer these past few days and now it's all ruined.
After that, we just took our break without saying a word. About five hours later, I got up after a restful sleep and proposed we leave, figuring that would be better than walking on eggshells like this in here.
"Wait, can we stop by there?" I asked.
"If you want."
Once we arrived back at the boss room to take the portal outside, I approached the hut located behind it out of simple curiosity. In the game, this hut was part of the terrain and couldn't be entered.
Oh, the door opens.
The hut opened with a creak, and I scanned the interior. I had a strange feeling of déjà vu. There was one bookshelf, a dining table, a carpet, and a stove. By all accounts, there was nothing special about the space. It was an ordinary, stereotypical hut. But the room's size, structure, and the layout of its furniture reminded me of somewhere else without my even needing to take a closer look.
It's almost exactly the same as there...?
The place I was referring to was the only safe zone in the Witch's Forest on the third floor: the Witch's Hut. The same place where Missha and I took a break and summoned the Lord of Chaos after offering up human firewood.
"You can choose to look around if you want to, but I didn't find an Achievement of Gabrielius when I searched the place last time I was here."
Since Amelia was urging me to hurry up, I just briefly checked the books on the bookshelf and came back out. The books were all blank, by the way, and the titles were all written in an ancient language so I couldn't read them either. Maybe if I brought Raven back later, she'd be able to find something.
"If you're done, let's go," said Amelia.
"Oh, I'll go out first, just in case."
We stood in front of the portal. Once we went through it, we would return to the same spot we were at when we first entered the rift.
Step.
As the tank, I set foot through the portal first.
Shaaa.
The light of the portal enveloped my body and the world around me went white. Then slowly, my sight returned. But what was this?
"Nice, you're finally here!" A group of adventurers was standing in front of the portal like they'd been waiting for us.
"So, did you get a Numbered Item—" The group and I made eye contact, and both sides flinched simultaneously. "Uh, what the heck? Iron Mask?" This was the team of adventurers from earlier that worked under the lord of Noark.
"Ha, what a coincidence! I never thought you were the one these three bastards ran into inside."
"Three bastards...?" Subconsciously following Beck's line of sight, I immediately froze.
Beep...
For some reason, my ears were ringing.
What is this?
My mind went momentarily blank, but my brain continued to perceive and analyze the incoming visual information in real-time. Carlton Drek, Eimbern Berta Garcia, and Yandel, the third son of Jarku... the bodies of the three men who'd exited through the portal several hours ago were lying on the floor. No, it wasn't just those three. There were two more bodies. I could guess who they belonged to.
"Oh no! Lemud and Hans didn't get in!"
Those must have been the two people who had been waiting outside. So, how did this happen?
"...Bjon." Amelia came out of the portal a moment later and gripped my wrist once she realized what was going on. Was she telling me to suppress any volatile urges? That seemed to be the case.
Beeep.
Ugh, so noisy.
I closed my eyes for a while, trying to somehow restore my usual calm. When I opened them again, everything in front of me remained the same.
"Since this is our second time running into each other during this quest, I guess we're meant to be!" Beck smiled good-naturedly and got up from the body he was sitting on like a chair.
Oh, the door opens.
The hut opened with a creak, and I scanned the interior. I had a strange feeling of déjà vu. There was one bookshelf, a dining table, a carpet, and a stove. By all accounts, there was nothing special about the space. It was an ordinary, stereotypical hut. But the room's size, structure, and the layout of its furniture reminded me of somewhere else without my even needing to take a closer look.
It's almost exactly the same as there...?
The place I was referring to was the only safe zone in the Witch's Forest on the third floor: the Witch's Hut. The same place where Missha and I took a break and summoned the Lord of Chaos after offering up human firewood.
"You can choose to look around if you want to, but I didn't find an Achievement of Gabrielius when I searched the place last time I was here."
Since Amelia was urging me to hurry up, I just briefly checked the books on the bookshelf and came back out. The books were all blank, by the way, and the titles were all written in an ancient language so I couldn't read them either. Maybe if I brought Raven back later, she'd be able to find something.
"If you're done, let's go," said Amelia.
"Oh, I'll go out first, just in case."
We stood in front of the portal. Once we went through it, we would return to the same spot we were at when we first entered the rift.
Step.
As the tank, I set foot through the portal first.
Shaaa.
The light of the portal enveloped my body and the world around me went white. Then slowly, my sight returned. But what was this?
"Nice, you're finally here!" A group of adventurers was standing in front of the portal like they'd been waiting for us.
"So, did you get a Numbered Item—" The group and I made eye contact, and both sides flinched simultaneously. "Uh, what the heck? Iron Mask?" This was the team of adventurers from earlier that worked under the lord of Noark.
"Ha, what a coincidence! I never thought you were the one these three bastards ran into inside."
"Three bastards...?" Subconsciously following Beck's line of sight, I immediately froze.
Beep...
For some reason, my ears were ringing.
What is this?
My mind went momentarily blank, but my brain continued to perceive and analyze the incoming visual information in real-time. Carlton Drek, Eimbern Berta Garcia, and Yandel, the third son of Jarku... the bodies of the three men who'd exited through the portal several hours ago were lying on the floor. No, it wasn't just those three. There were two more bodies. I could guess who they belonged to.
"Oh no! Lemud and Hans didn't get in!"
Those must have been the two people who had been waiting outside. So, how did this happen?
"...Bjon." Amelia came out of the portal a moment later and gripped my wrist once she realized what was going on. Was she telling me to suppress any volatile urges? That seemed to be the case.
Beeep.
Ugh, so noisy.
I closed my eyes for a while, trying to somehow restore my usual calm. When I opened them again, everything in front of me remained the same.
"Since this is our second time running into each other during this quest, I guess we're meant to be!" Beck smiled good-naturedly and got up from the body he was sitting on like a chair.
"What are you guys doing here?" Amelia asked Beck.
"Well, we started searching the area as soon as the rift opened and saw these two here." Beck poked what seemed to be Lemud and Hans' bodies with his foot. "I captured them and found out only three of their comrades made it inside. Then, after waiting a while, these three came out."
Beck then shrugged, omitting what happened next, and Amelia did not ask any further questions. It was obvious, anyway. They probably killed these three after getting the necessary information out of them, like the fact that the guardian had dropped a Numbers Item at the end. Things like that.
Beeeeeep...
Amelia and Beck conversed. This place was too noisy, though, making it hard for me to hear. All I could do was stand there blankly, remembering.
"Ah, is that a little too hard for humans? Just call me Yandel Jarku!"
I knew he was going to die, but... I didn't know it would be because of me.
If it weren't for me...
Yandel Jarku and his teammates would have all entered the rift together, meaning his other comrades would not have been found by these guys while waiting for the rest of their team. As a result, he... no, they wouldn't have died. They would have continued on their journey. And perhaps...
"Hehe, he's going to become a great warrior. A child of her blood and mine..."
Yandel Jarku would have seen his child grow up. It was even possible they could have entered the labyrinth together as adults.
If it weren't for me.
Then there would never have been an evil spirit dwelling in Bjorn Yandel's body.
Beeeeeeeeep...
The ringing in my ears grew worse. It was a kind of coping mechanism, a way of drowning out the voice echoing inside me, even if only just a little. An alarm system for a coward.
Squeeze.
Although I put all my strength into my balled-up fists, blood still rushed to my head.
Beeeeeep...
If only it weren't for me...
Dwalkie wouldn't have died. Even if he became an adventurer in the future, he never would have gone somewhere as dangerous as that place on the fourth floor.
Beeeeeeeeep...
If I hadn't come...
Dwalkie's love story may have come true. One day, the two of them might have met as teammates and naturally progressed into a relationship in which they healed each other's hurts.
Maybe.
Perhaps.
If I weren't here.
Beeeeeeeeep...
My ears—no, my head was numb.
"But why is Iron Mask so quiet?"
"Bjon."
It was like homework I had been putting off all this time, always saying feelings were nothing more than feelings instead of dealing with them head-on.
"Bjon, snap out of it."
Numerous emotions that I had been burying in a corner of my heart and ignoring came flooding back to me all at once. I had to do something. Knowing it would be hypocrisy to say this was for someone else, I knew I had to do this for myself.
I forced my lips to part. "Amelia." I said her real name, not the pseudonym "Emily." Was that enough for her to figure out what was about to happen?
"These are men who work under the lord of the castle. Restrain yourself," she hissed, her grip on my wrist getting stronger. Of course, it didn't make much of a difference.
You're an Agility character.
"Bjon..."
When I shook off Amelia and stepped forward, Beck smirked. "Haha, looks like Iron Mask is angry. I'm not asking you to give it to me for free. I'm just asking for a look at what you've got. We've been waiting here for a long time, after all."
Although I didn't really hear the conversation the two of them had, I could figure it out through context clues.
So, you're curious about this, huh?
Click.
I took out the hammer I was keeping in sub-space—No. 87: Kroul's Demon Grinder.
"A hammer? There's a numbered item like this..." Beck mumbled to himself before trailing off. Then his expression changed. "W-Wait. Can I take a closer look? I just want to see if it's the item that I'm thinking of."
"Go ahead." I took another step forward and Beck took a cautious step as well.
Just when the distance was perfect, he stopped and said, "I-It really is that item! Did that really appear in there?"
"Yes."
I'm glad that sated your curiosity.
Smack!
Now die.
"What are you guys doing here?" Amelia asked Beck.
"Well, we started searching the area as soon as the rift opened and saw these two here." Beck poked what seemed to be Lemud and Hans' bodies with his foot. "I captured them and found out only three of their comrades made it inside. Then, after waiting a while, these three came out."
Beck then shrugged, omitting what happened next, and Amelia did not ask any further questions. It was obvious, anyway. They probably killed these three after getting the necessary information out of them, like the fact that the guardian had dropped a Numbers Item at the end. Things like that.
Beeeeeep...
Amelia and Beck conversed. This place was too noisy, though, making it hard for me to hear. All I could do was stand there blankly, remembering.
"Ah, is that a little too hard for humans? Just call me Yandel Jarku!"
I knew he was going to die, but... I didn't know it would be because of me.
If it weren't for me...
Yandel Jarku and his teammates would have all entered the rift together, meaning his other comrades would not have been found by these guys while waiting for the rest of their team. As a result, he... no, they wouldn't have died. They would have continued on their journey. And perhaps...
"Hehe, he's going to become a great warrior. A child of her blood and mine..."
Yandel Jarku would have seen his child grow up. It was even possible they could have entered the labyrinth together as adults.
If it weren't for me.
Then there would never have been an evil spirit dwelling in Bjorn Yandel's body.
Beeeeeeeeep...
The ringing in my ears grew worse. It was a kind of coping mechanism, a way of drowning out the voice echoing inside me, even if only just a little. An alarm system for a coward.
Squeeze.
Although I put all my strength into my balled-up fists, blood still rushed to my head.
Beeeeeep...
If only it weren't for me...
Dwalkie wouldn't have died. Even if he became an adventurer in the future, he never would have gone somewhere as dangerous as that place on the fourth floor.
Beeeeeeeeep...
If I hadn't come...
Dwalkie's love story may have come true. One day, the two of them might have met as teammates and naturally progressed into a relationship in which they healed each other's hurts.
Maybe.
Perhaps.
If I weren't here.
Beeeeeeeeep...
My ears—no, my head was numb.
"But why is Iron Mask so quiet?"
"Bjon."
It was like homework I had been putting off all this time, always saying feelings were nothing more than feelings instead of dealing with them head-on.
"Bjon, snap out of it."
Numerous emotions that I had been burying in a corner of my heart and ignoring came flooding back to me all at once. I had to do something. Knowing it would be hypocrisy to say this was for someone else, I knew I had to do this for myself.
I forced my lips to part. "Amelia." I said her real name, not the pseudonym "Emily." Was that enough for her to figure out what was about to happen?
"These are men who work under the lord of the castle. Restrain yourself," she hissed, her grip on my wrist getting stronger. Of course, it didn't make much of a difference.
You're an Agility character.
"Bjon..."
When I shook off Amelia and stepped forward, Beck smirked. "Haha, looks like Iron Mask is angry. I'm not asking you to give it to me for free. I'm just asking for a look at what you've got. We've been waiting here for a long time, after all."
Although I didn't really hear the conversation the two of them had, I could figure it out through context clues.
So, you're curious about this, huh?
Click.
I took out the hammer I was keeping in sub-space—No. 87: Kroul's Demon Grinder.
"A hammer? There's a numbered item like this..." Beck mumbled to himself before trailing off. Then his expression changed. "W-Wait. Can I take a closer look? I just want to see if it's the item that I'm thinking of."
"Go ahead." I took another step forward and Beck took a cautious step as well.
Just when the distance was perfect, he stopped and said, "I-It really is that item! Did that really appear in there?"
"Yes."
I'm glad that sated your curiosity.
Smack!
Now die.