Chapter 585: Original (2)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 585: Original (2)

It was an absurdly long time ago in the past, but the memory was still clear.

After waking up in the body of a barbarian, I entered the first floor and stepped into its rift, the Bloody Citadel. There, I met Raven and Hikurod and then had to fight against the rank 5 monster and Guardian of the Rift, Vampire Duke Cambormere, when I didn't have even a single essence.

Naturally, I remember the conversation I had back then as well.

"Strange, very strange..."

Back then, he said something similar when he saw us, though what he said after was completely different.

"Looking at you all, I can't bear my thirst for blood. Would you happen to know the reason?"

He had intelligence and was capable of holding a conversation. It wasn't the strangest thing—there were quite a few high-ranking mutants who could talk. Not that I had ever known that Cambormere was able to talk like that, of course.

But I just ignored it back then.

At that time, the Bloody Citadel was not only my first rift, but also my first time killing Cambormere. I didn't think too hard about the questions I had because of it.

"I cannot lose. I cannot lose...!"

And yet, the Knight of the End I met in the shack of the White Temple was more desperate than any other monster I had ever seen.

"If it is...a lie...no one knows...is that...not the truth?"

The Guardian of the Rift on the fourth floor, Doppelganger, too. His final words were those of desperation.

"...How surprising. To think that someone like you understands the laws of this world."

Even the unknown entity I met in the reward room after finishing the raid on Dreadfear also said something ominous.

"Don't open the Gate of the Abyss."

That wasn't even mentioning the Earth Witch Elise Groundia.

The more floors I climbed, the more beings I met, and as I did, my questions only continued to stack.

What was the labyrinth?

What were the Guardians and the Lords of the Floors?

What was beyond the Gate of the Abyss?

Maybe... Maybe today, I have a chance to find an answer to those questions.

That feeling embedded itself into my mind as soon as I came face to face with the vampire.

"Hmm, do you not understand my words?" His voice sounded like it was filled more with curiosity rather than caution. I broke out of my silent observation and quickly spoke up before that curiosity could disappear.

"It's as you say. We've met in the Bloody Citadel before."

"The Bloody Citadel..." The vampire quietly repeated those words before mumbling again as he looked at me. "So that's why I don't remember. That is already after I ended up in this state."

His answer was frightening for some reason. My doubt had been bigger than my anticipation, but here I was, actually conversing normally with this entity.

And it doesn't seem like it's going to randomly attack me at any moment.

However, since I wasn't sure how long this state would last, I quickly continued the conversation with, "What do you mean, ended up in this state?"

"You should be able to see as well. This monstrous body."

He was probably simply talking about becoming a vampire. I was hoping he would talk about getting trapped in the labyrinth or getting dragged here by the witch.

Hmm, then was this old man a human in the past as well?

I wanted to confirm it before we continued, but the vampire was faster with his question. "So...where is this? Why am I here?"

To be honest, it was difficult for me to provide an answer to that question.

"I was certainly in the burning Cambormere Duchy after the ambush by the Three Gods Church..." he trailed off.

There was a large wall between me and this old man that was difficult to explain with words. It was the feeling of a person from the past meeting a person from the future, each trying to talk to the other while not knowing either person's situation.

Slowly, I explained, "This is the labyrinth. And I am an adventurer who is going through the labyrinth."

"What is...the labyrinth?"

Due to a misalignment in information, our conversion could only go in circles and never deeper.

Instead, I carefully asked him this question. "Before I explain...could I hear your story first?"

"My...story?"

"Anything you have to say is fine. I'm just curious what the last thing you remember is."

"Hmm..." The vampire seemed to think for a moment before slowly saying, "The army of the Three Gods Church came to subjugate me. I was defeated in that battle and closed my eyes while hoping for rest. And then I awoke here. I saw you as soon as I opened my eyes, and it felt as if I saw you somewhere before. Ah, also, the frenzy that had tortured me for so long isn't even present. How long has it been since I've felt clear of mind like this...?"

"...I see."

"Then could you tell me? Where am I...and what is this labyrinth you speak of?"

"Could I take some time to collect my thoughts?"

"As much as you want."

After receiving the vampire's permission, I quickly pieced together the clues I was given. Not just what this old man told me, but all the clues I had been holding onto.

"The Dark Continent is a real place."

The information Clown had given at the Round Table after he went outside the walls.

"The army of the Three Gods Church came to subjugate me."

The Three Gods Church also existed in our world and continued to wield great authority, and so on... It didn't take long for me to make a decision. Well, it was still just a guess in the end, but one that was on the whole built with the incidents and information that came from within the labyrinth as its basis.

"Cambormere, don't be surprised and listen."

"I am listening."

"...One thing I am sure of is that it's been thousands of years since you've died."

He paused to process. "What do you mean? Am I not alive right now?!"

All this was expected.

"No, you have already died. And the you of right now... You were likely created by someone else."

"...I cannot understand." Hostility flashed through the vampire's eyes for the first time.

It was the reaction I expected. I mean, if a stranger suddenly told you you died, who could accept that with a smile on their face?

...Still, this way of doing things really is difficult.

The fact of the matter was there was an easier method. I could have put the truth to the side and just deceived the vampire by telling him what he wanted to hear. If I had done that, I could have gotten information out of him much more easily. However, even while knowing that, I revealed my theory to him, and in a sense, the reasoning for this was very barbarian-like.

Hmm, then was this old man a human in the past as well?

I wanted to confirm it before we continued, but the vampire was faster with his question. "So...where is this? Why am I here?"

To be honest, it was difficult for me to provide an answer to that question.

"I was certainly in the burning Cambormere Duchy after the ambush by the Three Gods Church..." he trailed off.

There was a large wall between me and this old man that was difficult to explain with words. It was the feeling of a person from the past meeting a person from the future, each trying to talk to the other while not knowing either person's situation.

Slowly, I explained, "This is the labyrinth. And I am an adventurer who is going through the labyrinth."

"What is...the labyrinth?"

Due to a misalignment in information, our conversion could only go in circles and never deeper.

Instead, I carefully asked him this question. "Before I explain...could I hear your story first?"

"My...story?"

"Anything you have to say is fine. I'm just curious what the last thing you remember is."

"Hmm..." The vampire ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seemed to think for a moment before slowly saying, "The army of the Three Gods Church came to subjugate me. I was defeated in that battle and closed my eyes while hoping for rest. And then I awoke here. I saw you as soon as I opened my eyes, and it felt as if I saw you somewhere before. Ah, also, the frenzy that had tortured me for so long isn't even present. How long has it been since I've felt clear of mind like this...?"

"...I see."

"Then could you tell me? Where am I...and what is this labyrinth you speak of?"

"Could I take some time to collect my thoughts?"

"As much as you want."

After receiving the vampire's permission, I quickly pieced together the clues I was given. Not just what this old man told me, but all the clues I had been holding onto.

"The Dark Continent is a real place."

The information Clown had given at the Round Table after he went outside the walls.

"The army of the Three Gods Church came to subjugate me."

The Three Gods Church also existed in our world and continued to wield great authority, and so on... It didn't take long for me to make a decision. Well, it was still just a guess in the end, but one that was on the whole built with the incidents and information that came from within the labyrinth as its basis.

"Cambormere, don't be surprised and listen."

"I am listening."

"...One thing I am sure of is that it's been thousands of years since you've died."

He paused to process. "What do you mean? Am I not alive right now?!"

All this was expected.

"No, you have already died. And the you of right now... You were likely created by someone else."

"...I cannot understand." Hostility flashed through the vampire's eyes for the first time.

It was the reaction I expected. I mean, if a stranger suddenly told you you died, who could accept that with a smile on their face?

...Still, this way of doing things really is difficult.

The fact of the matter was there was an easier method. I could have put the truth to the side and just deceived the vampire by telling him what he wanted to hear. If I had done that, I could have gotten information out of him much more easily. However, even while knowing that, I revealed my theory to him, and in a sense, the reasoning for this was very barbarian-like.

Because I didn't want to lie to him.

It was time for me to graduate from underhanded methods like that if I wanted to have the right to get angry when I was wronged.

"Cambormere, calm down and listen. I will explain why I think this."

I needed to know to choose the difficult path sometimes.

***

I spent a long time explaining everything to this old vampire.

I explained what the labyrinth was, what the current state of the city was, and how the world had changed. What I saw by adventuring through the labyrinth, and what I experienced. And finally...about the situation of my first encounter with him.

Explaining everything was inconvenient beyond belief and required a lot of time. The vampire found it difficult to understand the shift in common knowledge of thousands of years, and there were moments when anger crept into his voice, and yet...

"...Stop there. I understand now. Why you said those words."

In the end, the vampire held up the white flag. Still, he seemed to have one last question.

"But there is one thing I don't understand."

"What is it?" I asked warily. "Speak. I will tell you as much as you need to understand—"

"Why are you explaining all this so earnestly to me? If it is as you said, I am just a creation, not an entity of my own. Maybe the memories of today will be erased from my mind. Just like how I forgot I met you on that day."

It wasn't a question I expected to hear, but I answered him honestly this time as well. "...Because if I were you, I would've wanted to know the truth as well. That is why I told you. If I told you the truth of everything, I thought maybe I could receive your help as well."

"I see..." The vampire fell into thought for a while before saying, "Then tell me. How do you want me to help you?"

The sentence I had looked forward to so much.

I took a deep breath. "Cambormere. I want to know about you."

"Know...about me?"

"Yes. How you lived, what the world you lived in was like, and what happened for you to end up in this state. Just like how I told you everything, I want to know everything about you."

The vampire seemed surprised at my request but soon nodded with a serious expression. "I will tell you. It is uncomfortable to tell a stranger my life story, but if what you told me is true, am I not a simple doll now? I would rather...someone remember me. Still, it does feel odd when suddenly asked to talk about my life. Alright, then where should I start...? Ah, as I thought, that might be the best."

I waited quietly, and then a moment later, he revealed, "I had a daughter."

And with that, the old vampire began to talk.

I presumed this was before the witch's curse consumed the world.

"It was a chaotic age. The servants who followed the witch and the army of the empire clashed every day and spilled blood."

The battle between the witch and the people was familiar history to me as well. However, the story that was told by his mouth was important to me in every way. No matter if it were a familiar story, the records of ancient history were all very precious.

"Our Cambormere Clan, a duchy of a small country on the frontier, was left relatively unaffected by the war. We didn't ally with either the witch or the empire, and quietly waited for the war to end."

Because I didn't want to lie to him.

It was time for me to graduate from underhanded methods like that if I wanted to have the right to get angry when I was wronged.

"Cambormere, calm down and listen. I will explain why I think this."

I needed to know to choose the difficult path sometimes.

***

I spent a long time explaining everything to this old vampire.

I explained what the labyrinth was, what the current state of the city was, and how the world had changed. What I saw by adventuring through the labyrinth, and what I experienced. And finally...about the situation of my first encounter with him.

Explaining everything was inconvenient beyond belief and required a lot of time. The vampire found it difficult to understand the shift in common knowledge of thousands of years, and there were moments when anger crept into his voice, and yet...

"...Stop there. I understand now. Why you said those words."

In the end, the vampire held up the white flag. Still, he seemed to have one last question.

"But there is one thing I don't understand."

"What is it?" I asked warily. "Speak. I will tell you as much as you need to understand—"

"Why are you explaining all this so earnestly to me? If it is as you said, I am just a creation, not an entity of my own. Maybe the memories of today will be erased from my mind. Just like how I forgot I met you on that day."

It wasn't a question I expected to hear, but I answered him honestly this time as well. "...Because if I were you, I would've wanted to know the truth as well. That is why I told you. If I told you the truth of everything, I thought maybe I could receive your help as well."

"I see..." The vampire fell into thought for a while before saying, "Then tell me. How do you want me to help you?"

The sentence I had looked forward to so much.

I took a deep breath. "Cambormere. I want to know about you."

"Know...about me?"

"Yes. How you lived, what the world you lived in was like, and what happened for you to end up in this state. Just like how I told you everything, I want to know everything about you."

The vampire seemed surprised at my request but soon nodded with a serious expression. "I will tell you. It is uncomfortable to tell a stranger my life story, but if what you told me is true, am I not a simple doll now? I would rather...someone remember me. Still, it does feel odd when suddenly asked to talk about my life. Alright, then where should I start...? Ah, as I thought, that might be the best."

I waited quietly, and then a moment later, he revealed, "I had a daughter."

And with that, the old vampire began to talk.

I presumed this was before the witch's curse consumed the world.

"It was a chaotic age. The servants who followed the witch and the army of the empire clashed every day and spilled blood."

The battle between the witch and the people was familiar history to me as well. However, the story that was told by his mouth was important to me in every way. No matter if it were a familiar story, the records of ancient history were all very precious.

"Our Cambormere Clan, a duchy of a small country on the frontier, was left relatively unaffected by the war. We didn't ally with either the witch or the empire, and quietly waited for the war to end."

But one day.

"My one and only daughter grew ill."

The illness ravaged the girl, incurable by potions or even the divine power of high-ranking priests. As each day passed, his daughter's life force continued to wane, and the duke couldn't just sit by and watch.

"I would give my life for her, my child."

After inquiring throughout the lands, the duke ended up making contact with the servants of the witch. They offered to him a possibility, a way to save his daughter.

"It was only later that I would come to realize this, but they weren't the servants of the witch. They were the worshippers of the evil god, Karui, who sought to drown the world in chaos."

However, not knowing this, the duke accepted their offer. The witch was renowned in the empire, and he had heard many stories of people who obtained salvation after becoming the witch's servants, though the duke himself was neutral about her.

"That was the beginning of all misfortune."

The priests of Karui cured his daughter through a strange method. The days when she was being cured, her room cried with the endless sound of screams. The daughter came to him begging one day to stop the treatment, but the duke turned her down, saying it was good for her.

"My daughter was cured of the illness."

With time, his daughter became healthy, and the priests of the evil god left as well. The duke was happy at first, believing his life had returned to normal, but it didn't take long for that happiness to be destroyed.

The duke's voice was calm as he spoke.

"She began to bloat."

The daughter started to balloon as if her entire body was filling with pus.

"If a wound was made on her body and her blood was spilled, it would corrode and melt everything it touched. She lost her mind and turned violent."

The duke locked her up in the underground prison. It couldn't be helped. If news got out that his daughter had taken on this form, she would not be safe—no one from the Cambormere Clan would be. He planned to hide her first and look for ways to cure her later.

"However, the problem was that she refused to eat."

No matter what delicious food was given to her, even if forced down her throat, his daughter didn't accept any food.

"I could feel her life fading by the day. She had lost all her energy and couldn't even open her eyes properly. When I felt her pulse, I could tell that her heart was dying."

There was nothing the duke could do.

And one day, while he had been watching powerlessly as his daughter faded...

"One of the knights who went to deliver food to her was attacked by her and died. And only then...did she eat."

I didn't need to ask what she ate.

"The child who was disgusted if a fly flew past her...was eating. Greedily, at that."

The duke fainted when he saw that, but his daughter found her energy again after that day. And then, to buy time to look for a different method, the duke brought in criminals to feed his daughter. However, the more she ate, the bigger she became. The underground prison wasn't enough to hold her, so she was moved to a storage unit used to store water.

With time, she ate so much that criminals alone weren't enough to sate her, so he began to frame innocent people to drag them to feed her.

"My usual self wouldn't have made such a foolish choice, but...it seems that the ones who followed the evil god had done something to me as well."

At the time, the duke couldn't think rationally. Aggression danced at the edge of his mind, and his sense of guilt faded away. He had intermittent bursts of mindlessness as well.

However, the changes weren't just mental but physical as well. His canines grew longer, and his sense of smell grew honed. Drool circulated in his mouth when he smelled blood. He became able to use black magic without being taught how to, and just like how a butterfly knew how to flap its wings, he was comfortable using his newly transformed body.

It became easier to bring food for his daughter.

With that, people went missing more frequently, and as his loyal servants left one by one because of his brutality, his home began to be called the Bloody Citadel. Naturally, news of this reached the empire, which was at war against the witch, and the Three Gods Church.

"After that is what I told you before. The army came in, and I was defeated."

After his personality was twisted into cruelty, he had prepared a secretive place deep under his castle for his secret hobbies. There, a paladin's sword pierced the duke's heart.

"It may be laughable, but I prayed."

Staring death in its eyes, the duke prayed. But since the gods of the Three Gods Church would never forgive him...

"I prayed to the witch who was called the enemy of humanity. I called her a goddess and asked her to save me, and if not me, at least for my daughter to be saved. And then I opened my eyes here."

It would take me more time to realize it, but in a sense, the events the duke described to me had just taken place for him. Yet somehow, he was able to tell me all that with such a calm expression.

When I asked him carefully about this, he shook his head, not knowing why himself.

"I don't know...but it does feel like a long time has passed. If what you said is true, then it truly has been a long time..."

I had nothing I could say and just listened to him speak, and as I did, he looked at me and asked, "Do you know? What you told me today was a brutal truth."

I understood.

Although I thought that, I didn't say it out loud. Because even then, there was no way I understood it enough.

After hearing his story, those thoughts only grew even clearer in my mind.

"However..."

The vampire spoke.

"Still, thank you. For telling me the truth."

I stayed silent.

"Thanks to that, I won't dream a useless dream."

It was a very strange feeling.

But one day.

"My one and only daughter grew ill."

The illness ravaged the girl, incurable by potions or even the divine power of high-ranking priests. As each day passed, his daughter's life force continued to wane, and the duke couldn't just sit by and watch.

"I would give my life for her, my child."

After inquiring throughout the lands, the duke ended up making contact with the servants of the witch. They offered to him a possibility, a way to save his daughter.

"It was only later that I would come to realize this, but they weren't the servants of the witch. They were the worshippers of the evil god, Karui, who sought to drown the world in chaos."

However, not knowing this, the duke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠accepted their offer. The witch was renowned in the empire, and he had heard many stories of people who obtained salvation after becoming the witch's servants, though the duke himself was neutral about her.

"That was the beginning of all misfortune."

The priests of Karui cured his daughter through a strange method. The days when she was being cured, her room cried with the endless sound of screams. The daughter came to him begging one day to stop the treatment, but the duke turned her down, saying it was good for her.

"My daughter was cured of the illness."

With time, his daughter became healthy, and the priests of the evil god left as well. The duke was happy at first, believing his life had returned to normal, but it didn't take long for that happiness to be destroyed.

The duke's voice was calm as he spoke.

"She began to bloat."

The daughter started to balloon as if her entire body was filling with pus.

"If a wound was made on her body and her blood was spilled, it would corrode and melt everything it touched. She lost her mind and turned violent."

The duke locked her up in the underground prison. It couldn't be helped. If news got out that his daughter had taken on this form, she would not be safe—no one from the Cambormere Clan would be. He planned to hide her first and look for ways to cure her later.

"However, the problem was that she refused to eat."

No matter what delicious food was given to her, even if forced down her throat, his daughter didn't accept any food.

"I could feel her life fading by the day. She had lost all her energy and couldn't even open her eyes properly. When I felt her pulse, I could tell that her heart was dying."

There was nothing the duke could do.

And one day, while he had been watching powerlessly as his daughter faded...

"One of the knights who went to deliver food to her was attacked by her and died. And only then...did she eat."

I didn't need to ask what she ate.

"The child who was disgusted if a fly flew past her...was eating. Greedily, at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that."

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠duke fainted when he saw that, but his daughter found her energy again after that day. And then, to buy time to look for a different method, the duke brought in criminals to feed his daughter. However, the more she ate, the bigger she became. The underground prison wasn't enough to hold her, so she was moved to a storage unit used to store water.

With time, she ate so much that criminals alone weren't enough to sate her, so he began to frame innocent people to drag them to feed her.

"My usual self wouldn't have made such a foolish choice, but...it seems that the ones who followed the evil god had done something to me as well."

At the time, the duke couldn't think rationally. Aggression danced at the edge of his mind, and his sense of guilt faded away. He had intermittent bursts of mindlessness as well.

However, the changes weren't just mental but physical as well. His canines grew longer, and his sense of smell grew honed. Drool circulated in his mouth when he smelled blood. He became able to use black magic without being taught how to, and just like how a butterfly knew how to flap its wings, he was comfortable using his newly transformed body.

It became easier to bring food for his daughter.

With that, people went missing more frequently, and as his loyal servants left one by one because of his brutality, his home began to be called the Bloody Citadel. Naturally, news of this reached the empire, which was at war against the witch, and the Three Gods Church.

"After that is what I told you before. The army came in, and I was defeated."

After his personality was twisted into cruelty, he had prepared a secretive place deep under his castle for his secret hobbies. There, a paladin's sword pierced the duke's heart.

"It may be laughable, but I prayed."

Staring death in its eyes, the duke prayed. But since the gods of the Three Gods Church would never forgive him...

"I prayed to the witch who was called the enemy of humanity. I called her a goddess and asked her to save me, and if not me, at least for my daughter to be saved. And then I opened my eyes here."

It would take me more time to realize it, but in a sense, the events the duke described to me had just taken place for him. Yet somehow, he was able to tell me all that with such a calm expression.

When I asked him carefully about this, he shook his head, not knowing why himself.

"I don't know...but it does feel like a long time has passed. If what you said is true, then it truly has been a long time..."

I had nothing I could say and just listened to him speak, and as I did, he looked at me and asked, "Do you know? What you told me today was a brutal truth."

I understood.

Although I thought that, I didn't say it out loud. Because even then, there was no way I understood it enough.

After hearing his story, those thoughts only grew even clearer in my mind.

"However..."

The vampire spoke.

"Still, thank you. For telling me the truth."

I stayed silent.

"Thanks to that, I won't dream a useless dream."

It was a very strange feeling.