Chapter 489: Pilgrim (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 489: Pilgrim (7)
Regret washed over me.
I shouldn't have ever attempted... a raid against a Lord of the Floor.
If I had just paid Sawtooth their fair share of the essence we took, then I wouldn't have even thought about fighting a Lord of the Floor in the first place.
No, before that...
I wish I had never played this game.
If I had just stayed away from it, then I would have never been brought here.
And nothing like this would have ever happened.
I clenched my fists so hard that blood began to drip down my knuckles and forced myself to stand. This wasn't the time for regrets—there was work to be done.
No, rather, there'd be time to wallow in regret later.
When my stats rose, a new option opened up before me.
Thud.
I stared past the countless corpses littering the cave.
Step, step.
There, beyond them, he slowly approached. "This is great. I was just starting to worry about being able to find you."
The moment he appeared, I roared and ran at him. Since my usual build focused on muscle strength and various types of resistance, I never imagined I could move so quickly. The moment between me kicking off the ground and me reaching him was practically instantaneous.
Slam!
I no longer needed a weapon because my body itself had become a weapon. My skin alone was as hard as any iron mace or sword.
Slam!
He met my attack with his aura-covered sword. Yet as I tracked his movements now, he seemed ridiculously slow.
Step.
I easily avoided his attack and closed in once more, delivering another round of punches. It felt like I'd just used a cheat code. Even though I didn't have any skills active, my base stats alone made me feel several times stronger than I usually did in Giantization mode.
I don't think he can even hurt me with his aura at this point...
Still, there was no reason to risk getting hit by a sword that could easily be dodged. I continued to completely decimate him instead, careful to move in and out of his reach to avoid his blade.
Slam, slam, slam!
I didn't even have to punch him all that much. Maybe about ten times in total? That was all it took for him to drop to the ground, unable to stand up to me.
Slam, slam!
He was in much worse condition now than he was when we cornered him before, yet he wasn't recovering. Which meant my hypothesis was correct.
That healing skill must be a one-time-use ability...
And he might be the type of boss monster that could only be killed once he was alone and you faced him one-on-one.
Maybe...
Then maybe it wasn't too late.
Squash!
I put all my determination into one last punch, completely crushing his skull like a watermelon.
[You have defeated the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear. EXP +100]
[Lord of the Floor Kill Bonus. EXP +15]
As the experience points flooded in, his body turned into flecks of light and began to float away.
...Is that it? Did I get my hopes up in vain?
Just as that horrifying thought began to fester in my mind, the cave began to cave in around me.
[You have passed the test more perfectly than anyone else. The Nameless Pilgrim admits defeat.]
[The fragments of a distorted memory have begun to piece themselves back together.]
Although I was flummoxed, I decided to watch the spectacle unfold for now. To be honest, there actually wasn't anything else I could do. It wasn't like I could run away when the entire cave was collapsing around me.
Rumble!
Plus, even outside the cave, I could see the bright sky and green bushes in the distance falling away. Everything had begun to dissipate into thin air, just like when a monster died.
Shaaaaaa.
The world itself started to collapse, dissolving into colorful particles of light. And once everything was gone, I was left alone in utter darkness. It wasn't simply that I couldn't see anything in front of me. It felt like "in front of me" didn't exist.
Fwoosh!
Then, suddenly, there was a crackle of fire and my surroundings lit up. I was in a dark cave. Dozens of torches hung on walls that were crumbling to pieces just moments ago. In the center of the cave was a stone altar with a book laid out on top of it.
What does it want me to do now?
I didn't know, but I walked over to it anyway. As I did, the book opened to its first chapter. It was written in an ancient language, but for some reason, I was able to read the text without issue.
If I were asked to draw a representation of terror, I wouldn't hesitate to sketch his face on that white sheet of paper. The White Captain, Dreadfear. The one who taught me what true terror was...
As I concentrated on the words in front of me, the letters began to blur together as flashes of color and sound flooded my senses. I had never experienced anything like this before.
I met him moments before I was about to accomplish a great feat.
The memories of a stranger began to flood my mind.
***
I'm not afraid to die. In my final moments, I know I will die a greater person than any other.
Although I had lived my life with this conviction, such a delusion and reality were completely and utterly different.
"I swear on my name, Dreadfear, that whichever of you kills the other filthy pilgrims will have proven their innocence and shall thus be absolved of all sins."
After our mission had failed, he offered us a devious proposition. No one believed him at first, of course. All five of us closed our eyes in unison, rejecting his offer. The cave was utterly silent as we awaited our demise, honorable to the very end.
Ba-dump, ba-dump!
Yet in that silence, our hearts pounded with the desperate longing to live. Were we really going to die like this? No matter what I had said in the past, I didn't want to die. Still, betraying my own comrades would be...
"Believe me."
How strange. It was just two words, but why did they not sound like a lie?
I gently opened my closed eyes. Next to me was a woman who had been tasked with the same quest as I. Her eyes were frantically darting around, looking just as frightened as I was sure mine did.
[Lord of the Floor Kill Bonus. EXP +15]
As the experience points flooded in, his body turned into flecks of light and began to float away.
...Is that it? Did I get my hopes up in vain?
Just as that horrifying thought began to fester in my mind, the cave began to cave in around me.
[You have passed the test more perfectly than anyone else. The Nameless Pilgrim admits defeat.]
[The fragments of a distorted memory have begun to piece themselves back together.]
Although I was flummoxed, I decided to watch the spectacle unfold for now. To be honest, there actually wasn't anything else I could do. It wasn't like I could run away when the entire cave was collapsing around me.
Rumble!
Plus, even outside the cave, I could see the bright sky and green bushes in the distance falling away. Everything had begun to dissipate into thin air, just like when a monster died.
Shaaaaaa.
The world itself started to collapse, dissolving into colorful particles of light. And once everything was gone, I was left alone in utter darkness. It wasn't simply that I couldn't see anything in front of me. It felt like "in front of me" didn't exist.
Fwoosh!
Then, suddenly, there was a crackle of fire and my surroundings lit up. I was in a dark cave. Dozens of torches hung on walls that were crumbling to pieces just moments ago. In the center of the cave was a stone altar with a book laid out on top of it.
What does it want me to do now?
I didn't know, but I walked over to it anyway. As I did, the book opened to its first chapter. It was written in an ancient language, but for some reason, I was able to read the text without issue.
If I were asked to draw a representation of terror, I wouldn't hesitate to sketch his face on that white sheet of paper. The White Captain, Dreadfear. The one who taught me what true terror was...
As I concentrated on the words in front of me, the letters began to blur together as flashes of color and sound flooded my senses. I had never experienced anything like this before.
I met him moments before I was about to accomplish a great feat.
The memories of a stranger began to flood my mind.
***
I'm not afraid to die. In my final moments, I know I will die a greater person than any other.
Although I had lived my life with this conviction, such a delusion and reality were completely and utterly different.
"I swear on my name, Dreadfear, that whichever of you kills the other filthy pilgrims will have proven their innocence and shall thus be absolved of all sins."
After our mission had failed, he offered us a devious proposition. No one believed him at first, of course. All five of us closed our eyes in unison, rejecting his offer. The cave was utterly silent as we awaited our demise, honorable to the very end.
Ba-dump, ba-dump!
Yet in that silence, our hearts pounded with the desperate longing to live. Were we really going to die like this? No matter what I had said in the past, I didn't want to die. Still, betraying my own comrades would be...
"Believe me."
How strange. It was just two words, but why did they not sound like a lie?
I gently opened my closed eyes. Next to me was a woman who had been tasked with the same quest as I. Her eyes were frantically darting around, looking just as frightened as I was sure mine did.
And the moment our eyes met, I knew it in my gut.
Ba-dump!
She was on the verge of succumbing to temptation. I didn't have any proof, but I knew it to be true. After all, how long had we all known each other?
Ba-dump, ba-dump.
Blood rushed to my head. My breath caught in my throat and my vision began to blur.
Heh.
The woman flashed me an awkward smile. For some reason, the sight sent an ominous chill through me. As those budding doubts blossomed, fear began to gnaw away at my roots.
"Yeah... If I have to kill someone, I should kill him..."
All of a sudden, I heard the woman's inner thoughts. The words were too vivid to dismiss as a mere auditory hallucination. Come to think of it, we never got along well. We'd even argued the last time we were drinking. On top of that, look where we were now—in the place where the Mother Goddess's spirit dwelled.
A divine revelation... Yes, it must have been a revelation from Mother Goddess herself. She must have exposed that woman's malicious intent toward me to save her vulnerable child.
Before I knew it, I'd accepted it as a fact that she was planning to betray and kill me to survive. Was that why?
Huff, huff, huff...
I let out a breath, and when I came to my senses, I was already picking up the dagger. I turned toward the woman, whose eyes were wide open in shock.
"Y-You... You thought about it, didn't you...? You planned to kill me..."
"N-No, I didn't. I didn't!"
"D-Don't lie! I-I already know the truth! I definitely heard it—!"
I thrust the dagger into her. My comrades swore and screamed at me, but I ignored them. It couldn't be helped. If I didn't do it now, she would have done it first.
"Pfft—hahaha!" The White Captain, Dreadfear, laughed in genuine joy at the sight. When he next spoke, his voice was light. "Well done. Now, who are you going to stab next?"
Filled with adrenaline, my body trembled as I stammered, "B-But I thought... You just said I had to stab one... And you would let me live..."
"Of course I'm not going to kill you anymore. But... are you sure you'll be safe? If you put down the dagger, I plan on freeing all of your friends here as well. What do you think will happen then?"
My vision was tunneling. I knew that I was being deceived, but I was past the point of no return.
Ba-dump, ba-dump.
My heart drummed a vicious beat in my chest, more violent than ever before. My comrades continued to shout at me, begging me to not fall for his tricks. Yelling that I needed to come back to my senses and die with honor. Of course, I didn't listen to any of it. At first, he'd tricked me with his words. Now, he didn't even need to trick me into believing him.
Thud.
In the end, I couldn't let go of the dagger now that it was in my hands.
Stab!
When I came to my senses, all of my comrades were dead except for me. Still in a daze, I asked him if he was going to let me live now, and in response, he told me to go. He told me that he would let me leave with my life.
I ran without ever looking back. I could feel him watching me go with the eyes of someone playing with an amusing toy. When I finally arrived at the entrance of the cave after hours of nonstop running, the reality of what I had done finally hit me. "N-No... I-I... No..."
And the moment our eyes met, I knew it in my gut.
Ba-dump!
She was on the verge of succumbing to temptation. I didn't have any proof, but I knew it to be true. After all, how long had we all known each other?
Ba-dump, ba-dump.
Blood rushed to my head. My breath caught in my throat and my vision began to blur.
Heh.
The woman flashed me an awkward smile. For some reason, the sight sent an ominous chill through me. As those budding doubts blossomed, fear began to gnaw away at my roots.
"Yeah... If I have to kill someone, I should kill him..."
All of a sudden, I heard the woman's inner thoughts. The words were too vivid to dismiss as a mere auditory hallucination. Come to think of it, we never got along well. We'd even argued the last time we were drinking. On top of that, look where we were now—in the place where the Mother Goddess's spirit dwelled.
A divine revelation... Yes, it must have been a revelation from Mother Goddess herself. She must have exposed that woman's malicious intent toward me to save her vulnerable child.
Before I knew it, I'd accepted it as a fact that she was planning to betray and kill me to survive. Was that why?
Huff, huff, huff...
I let out a breath, and when I came to my senses, I was already picking up the dagger. I turned toward the woman, whose eyes were wide open in shock.
"Y-You... You thought about it, didn't you...? You planned to kill me..."
"N-No, I didn't. I didn't!"
"D-Don't lie! I-I already know the truth! I definitely heard it—!"
I thrust the dagger into her. My comrades swore and screamed at me, but I ignored them. It couldn't be helped. If I didn't do it now, she would have done it first.
"Pfft—hahaha!" The White Captain, Dreadfear, laughed in genuine joy at the sight. When he next spoke, his voice was light. "Well done. Now, who are you going to stab next?"
Filled with adrenaline, my body trembled as I stammered, "B-But I thought... You just said I had to stab one... And you would let me live..."
"Of course I'm not going to kill you anymore. But... are you sure you'll be safe? If you put down the dagger, I plan on freeing all of your friends here as well. What do you think will happen then?"
My vision was tunneling. I knew that I was being deceived, but I was past the point of no return.
Ba-dump, ba-dump.
My heart drummed a vicious beat in my chest, more violent than ever before. My comrades continued to shout at me, begging me to not fall for his tricks. Yelling that I needed to come back to my senses and die with honor. Of course, I didn't listen to any of it. At first, he'd tricked me with his words. Now, he didn't even need to trick me into believing him.
Thud.
In the end, I couldn't let go of the dagger now that it was in my hands.
Stab!
When I came to my senses, all of my comrades were dead except for me. Still in a daze, I asked him if he was going to let me live now, and in response, he told me to go. He told me that he would let me leave with my life.
I ran without ever looking back. I could feel him watching me go with the eyes of someone playing with an amusing toy. When I finally arrived at the entrance of the cave after hours of nonstop running, the reality of what I had done finally hit me. "N-No... I-I... No..."
A new fear began to sprout inside of me. And there was only one way to escape it.
Stab!
I stabbed myself with the same dagger I used to kill my comrades.
As I started to lose consciousness, I saw the White Captain's blurry form appear in the distance, an appraising look on his face. "I knew it the moment I saw him. He's going to be a good ingredient." He called over a wizard, who approached my dying form and sprinkled a mysterious potion over the length of me.
Sizzle!
An unbearable pain consumed me like my fallen soul was being torn apart entirely. Then, in the middle of that endless agony, a sudden warmth caressed my tattered spirit. However, the warm energy was merely soothing the pain, incapable of piecing back together my now shattered soul.
"Phew... It's done."
I had abandoned my pathetic human body and been transformed into a new being—a creature imbued with infinite power and abilities that far surpassed those of a mere mortal, yet an empty shell capable of only the basest of desires and pure hatred.
"...What a peculiar case. It seems he still has some sense of reason left?"
"You're right."
At the wizard's response, he approached, trying to hide his fear. "Tell me, what is your name?"
I answered.
"Dreadfear."
"...What? But that's my—"
Gulp.
I was no longer afraid.
***
[You have taken the Memory Fragments of a Nameless Pilgrim. You can now freely read and write in the ancient language.]
***
Fragmented memories filled my mind like a fleeting dream. However, the emotions and sensations I felt lingered, all too vivid.
Fwoosh!
As the book reached its last page, it was engulfed in flames. Soon, it was nothing but ashes.
Step.
I stepped back only to sense a presence behind me. I whipped around to see a man staring at me from about ten steps away.
"Dreadfear."
Though I guess I should call him the Nameless Pilgrim instead.
This wasn't Dreadfear but the man who, when given the power to do so, swallowed Dreadfear whole and stole his name from him.
...What the hell is going on?
I was a little—no, I was extremely confused. The raid was already over. I had definitely felt the experience points filling me. So why the hell was this guy standing in front of me now?
"I want to ask you something," he said as if reading my mind. "You... Why weren't you afraid?"
I sort of had a feeling he would ask me that. Now that I knew how he was born, I also had a grasp of what sorts of questions would drive him. We had experienced the very same doubt, terror, and hallucinations that he and his comrades had, after all. The Prophet of Misfortune allowed us to see foreboding futures, and one of us could sense other people's emotions. It was the perfect setup to encourage betrayal. And that wasn't all, either. On top of all that, the White Captain also used a skill to make us believe everything he said, and just when it looked like we might be able to take him in a fight, he suddenly whipped out ridiculously overpowered abilities.
"Because none of us were as weak as you."
Yet, in the end, none of us had betrayed each other.
He nodded quietly despite my rude response. "I see..."
Since I'd never had a conversation with a boss monster in a game or real life, this was pretty weird for me. However, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. There was something far more important to discuss.
"Enough of that. Tell me..." This lone possibility had been pervading my every thought since my comrades all died. "They're all alive, right?"
"Before I answer that, I want to ask you something first: why do you think that?"
"Because this test was designed so that someone would definitely be left alone in the end, and it was impossible to change that."
The design of this level had felt strange to me from the beginning. I'd played Dungeon and Stone for nearly a decade, but I'd never encountered a boss fight where survival was virtually impossible. Not only that, this guy's entire theme was a major clue. Terror and hatred. In hindsight, it was clear that this was all designed to test our loyalty.
"...How surprising," he exclaimed. "To think that someone like you understands the laws of this world."
What laws? This was just raw data gathered through experience.
"Anyway, what's your answer?" I demanded.
"...It's up to you to choose."
The moment those unexpected words left his mouth, my whole body shuddered. Still, at least I was right in assuming that my team hadn't been unfairly killed off. "...What do you mean by that?"
"It's as it sounds." He reached out a pale hand and two stone gates appeared in front of us.
[The Nameless Pilgrim has made you an offer.]
He presented me with two options. "Go through that door and you'll recover everything that you've lost here. Like awakening from a long nightmare."
"And if I choose the other door?"
"Everything you experienced here will become reality. But in return, you will gain something far greater than what you have lost."
Man, doesn't he get tired of playing this game? I get that it's his whole shtick, but why is he keeping it up 'til the very end?
"Then," I asked, staring at him unblinkingly, "What about if I crack open your skull instead?"
It was only natural that a gamer with a wealth of experience beating hidden events would start to wonder about hidden possibilities, right?
He peered at me for a moment before finally replying. "You will receive an even bigger reward because that is another law of this world."
Yeah, that's right.
It didn't take long for me to make a decision.
A new fear began to sprout inside of me. And there was only one way to escape it.
Stab!
I stabbed myself with the same dagger I used to kill my comrades.
As I started to lose consciousness, I saw the White Captain's blurry form appear in the distance, an appraising look on his face. "I knew it the moment I saw him. He's going to be a good ingredient." He called over a wizard, who approached my dying form and sprinkled a mysterious potion over the length of me.
Sizzle!
An unbearable pain consumed me like my fallen soul was being torn apart entirely. Then, in the middle of that endless agony, a sudden warmth caressed my tattered spirit. However, the warm energy was merely soothing the pain, incapable of piecing back together my now shattered soul.
"Phew... It's done."
I had abandoned my pathetic human body and been transformed into a new being—a creature imbued with infinite power and abilities that far surpassed those of a mere mortal, yet an empty shell capable of only the basest of desires and pure hatred.
"...What a peculiar case. It seems he still has some sense of reason left?"
"You're right."
At the wizard's response, he approached, trying to hide his fear. "Tell me, what is your name?"
I answered.
"Dreadfear."
"...What? But that's my—"
Gulp.
I was no longer afraid.
***
[You have taken the Memory Fragments of a Nameless Pilgrim. You can now freely read and write in the ancient language.]
***
Fragmented memories filled my mind like a fleeting dream. However, the emotions and sensations I felt lingered, all too vivid.
Fwoosh!
As the book reached its last page, it was engulfed in flames. Soon, it was nothing but ashes.
Step.
I stepped back only to sense a presence behind me. I whipped around to see a man staring at me from about ten steps away.
"Dreadfear."
Though I guess I should call him the Nameless Pilgrim instead.
This wasn't Dreadfear but the man who, when given the power to do so, swallowed Dreadfear whole and stole his name from him.
...What the hell is going on?
I was a little—no, I was extremely confused. The raid was already over. I had definitely felt the experience points filling me. So why the hell was this guy standing in front of me now?
"I want to ask you something," he said as if reading my mind. "You... Why weren't you afraid?"
I sort of had a feeling he would ask me that. Now that I knew how he was born, I also had a grasp of what sorts of questions would drive him. We had experienced the very same doubt, terror, and hallucinations that he and his comrades had, after all. The Prophet of Misfortune allowed us to see foreboding futures, and one of us could sense other people's emotions. It was the perfect setup to encourage betrayal. And that wasn't all, either. On top of all that, the White Captain also used a skill to make us believe everything he said, and just when it looked like we might be able to take him in a fight, he suddenly whipped out ridiculously overpowered abilities.
"Because none of us were as weak as you."
Yet, in the end, none of us had betrayed each other.
He nodded quietly despite my rude response. "I see..."
Since I'd never had a conversation with a boss monster in a game or real life, this was pretty weird for me. However, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. There was something far more important to discuss.
"Enough of that. Tell me..." This lone possibility had been pervading my every thought since my comrades all died. "They're all alive, right?"
"Before I answer that, I want to ask you something first: why do you think that?"
"Because this test was designed so that someone would definitely be left alone in the end, and it was impossible to change that."
The design of this level had felt strange to me from the beginning. I'd played Dungeon and Stone for nearly a decade, but I'd never encountered a boss fight where survival was virtually impossible. Not only that, this guy's entire theme was a major clue. Terror and hatred. In hindsight, it was clear that this was all designed to test our loyalty.
"...How surprising," he exclaimed. "To think that someone like you understands the laws of this world."
What laws? This was just raw data gathered through experience.
"Anyway, what's your answer?" I demanded.
"...It's up to you to choose."
The moment those unexpected words left his mouth, my whole body shuddered. Still, at least I was right in assuming that my team hadn't been unfairly killed off. "...What do you mean by that?"
"It's as it sounds." He reached out a pale hand and two stone gates appeared in front of us.
[The Nameless Pilgrim has made you an offer.]
He presented me with two options. "Go through that door and you'll recover everything that you've lost here. Like awakening from a long nightmare."
"And if I choose the other door?"
"Everything you experienced here will become reality. But in return, you will gain something far greater than what you have lost."
Man, doesn't he get tired of playing this game? I get that it's his whole shtick, but why is he keeping it up 'til the very end?
"Then," I asked, staring at him unblinkingly, "What about if I crack open your skull instead?"
It was only natural that a gamer with a wealth of experience beating hidden events would start to wonder about hidden possibilities, right?
He peered at me for a moment before finally replying. "You will receive an even bigger reward because that is another law of this world."
Yeah, that's right.
It didn't take long for me to make a decision.