Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Sense of Dissonance, Rising Suspicion
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The ferocious flames that had blazed with terrifying intensity died down.
The adventurer who had offered himself as a sacrifice vanished, leaving only ashes behind.
Celia watched the altar quietly.
Ku-uh.
Before she knew it, Denver had approached her side.
Ever since falling under Celia's charm and being turned into a ghoul by the Death Knight, he had always circled around her.
Celia, who had been watching the altar, turned her head toward Denver.
"It's a shame, Denver."
"Ku-uh?"
What was there to regret?
Denver tilted his head slightly.
"If you hadn't become a ghoul, you could have taken that glorious spot too."
Celia flashed a bright smile.
"Ku-uuuh."
As soon as she finished speaking, Denver let out a sound and began circling in the other direction.
Celia turned her eyes away from Denver and looked back at the altar.
"At last, I've offered a sacrifice worthy of The Exalted One."
This adventurer she had offered to The Exalted One this time had some real ability.
Originally, she had wanted to offer everyone who invaded the dungeon, but all but one had already died.
It was a sacred altar.
She couldn't dare offer The Exalted One the charred bodies struck by lightning or those with pierced hearts.
Their corpses had been tossed to the goblins, just like the adventurer killed by arrows before.
The goblins needed meat anyway, so it was an excellent way to dispose of bodies.
"By the way, my guess was right."
Celia, who had been staring at the altar for a long time, opened her mouth. She had felt it while offering the sacrifice just now—her hypothesis was confirmed.
"The restrictions are gone."
The Exalted One had taken her into this dungeon.
But for some reason, she hadn't been able to leave the dungeon.
That was a thing of the past now.
Offering the sacrifice this time had lifted the restrictions.
However, just because the restrictions were gone didn't mean she could venture out to some distant place.
Her power was still insufficient. But even this was tremendous progress.
"Now I can finally show The Exalted One results he'll be satisfied with."
Celia vaguely sensed it too.
For some reason, The Exalted One couldn't fully intervene in this world right now.
And she had realized that the more sacrifices she offered, the stronger The Exalted One's power became.
Offering the sacrifice today had solidified her suspicions, allowing her to set her future direction.
Just being able to leave the dungeon opened up all sorts of options.
If needed, she could go outside now—no more waiting inside the dungeon.
"Someday, I'll be able to behold The Exalted One's noble form."
Celia turned her head back.
There stood the Death Knight and the Goblin Lord.
"We need more sacrifices. Until the day our noble Master regains his strength, we must pave the way first."
That was the duty of a subordinate.
"Let us welcome the day The Exalted One descends."
Celia's heart raced.
On the day The Exalted One descended, this continent would find salvation.
Until then, there would be mountains of work to do.
First, the initial plan was set.
"Search the surroundings thoroughly in shifts."
For now, they needed to minimize any variables.
"We'll start by clearing the nearby dungeons. Spread The Exalted One's will."
At Celia's command, the Death Knight and Goblin Lord moved simultaneously.
"Kang-hyun, you seem awfully happy today. What's the good news? You've been smiling non-stop."
Was I showing it too much?
One of the porter uncles I worked with spoke to me.
"Oh, it's nothing. Haha."
"You're no fun."
I gave an awkward laugh, and he left.
Left alone, I kept smiling.
Why was I smiling?
How could I not?
When I woke up this morning, I had gained a trait.
Getting a status window was huge, but this time it was a trait.
An A-rank one, no less.
'Mana Sensitivity.'
It was a trait that greatly boosted mana affinity.
With high affinity, I could sense and read mana better than anyone.
'So this is what feeling mana is like.'
When I first woke up, I felt something off.
I thought it was just fatigue at first.
But I realized it was the mana in the air.
I, who had been called a half-baked hunter without a status window.
I, who graduated at the bottom of Hunter Academy and was ignored by my peers.
Now I was a hunter with an A-rank trait.
Of course, this alone didn't mean success.
It let me sense mana well, but using it was another matter.
Still, having a different starting point from others was undeniable.
'But saying that, I'm still way behind.'
Strictly speaking, I was far behind the starting line.
But not anymore.
Now I had the potential to soar.
The ability to catch up to those who had raced ahead.
"Alright, that's it for today. Anyone staying for overtime, gather here. Hurry up!"
Lost in thought, I heard a manager shout to the remaining porters.
'Overtime.'
I planned to quit portering soon anyway.
For now, I was heading to a nearby cafe to think about it.
'Time to go.'
I turned toward the exit.
"Huh?"
On the way out, I saw a bulletin board with wanted posters for villains.
These were the so-called villain hunters.
Villains came in all types.
The most common were those who committed murders inside dungeons.
Dungeons were isolated from the outside world.
That let villains run wild.
What surprised me wasn't that.
Among the many villains, one name stood out.
Not someone I knew, but the name caught my eye.
"Kim Min-jun...?"
I'd heard it somewhere.
I rummaged through my memories briefly.
"Ah!"
The game.
He was the one who invaded my dungeon in the game.
It was a game set on the Eldorado Continent, and a Korean name popped up, so it stuck.
"They even added a summoning setting...?"
It was detailed— not just Eldorado natives, but Earthlings too.
"Come to think of it, he was offered as a sacrifice, right?"
The in-game alert said Kim Min-jun had been sacrificed.
Of course, game was game, and the wanted poster was just a villain.
"That villain has the Mana Sensitivity trait too."
The poster said villain Kim Min-jun had Mana Sensitivity, like me.
"What a coincidence."
At that moment, an inexplicable feeling washed over me.
"Huh?"
What was it? A sense of dissonance?
My heart pounded, and the surrounding mana trembled.
'What's this all of a sudden?'
It felt weird, but I decided to ignore it for now.
I turned and headed to the nearby cafe.
At the cafe, I ordered coffee and pondered a few things.
Why had these abilities appeared for me?
I got the status window.
It made sense as a late bloomer.
But the trait was too sudden.
Especially an A-rank one—you either got it innately upon awakening or acquired it later via skill books or fortuitous encounters.
Not just A-rank; most traits and skills were obtained that way.
That's why skill books were expensive, and trait books were priceless rarities.
"No idea."
I hadn't had any encounters.
'Whatever. I have the trait now. That's what matters.'
I pondered briefly, then let it go.
No point overthinking—it wouldn't lead anywhere.
Reflexively, I launched the game.
Things had been going well since I started it.
"What was this again?"
I checked the morning alert.
The alert ended there.
Last time, it absorbed someone's abilities too.
Nothing changed then, and nothing now.
"What's the point of this system?"
Absorbing abilities didn't affect the game.
Was there something I didn't know?
No matter how much I clicked, nothing new appeared.
"......"
Thump.
My heart pounded again.
The dissonance from earlier enveloped me once more.
The surrounding mana trembled as if some force was at work.
'How do I describe this?'
Ah, right.
It felt like the Mana Sensitivity trait wasn't truly mine?
'Just not used to it yet?'
An unfamiliar trait.
Feeling like it wasn't mine.
"......"
Then, a sudden thought about one possibility crossed my mind.
"No way...?"
Nah, probably not.
I shook my head.
Maybe my subconscious rejecting a fleeting worst-case scenario.
A small hunch I wanted to deny.
"No worries on a happy day like this. Time for the game."
Today, I gained a trait.
An A-rank one.
The kind every hunter dreams of.
I had it.
No agonizing over other thoughts on a day like this.
To shake off needless worries, I focused on the game.
Touching the screen, one feature caught my eye.
[Dungeon Support & Dispatch]
Basically, sending supplies or monsters to aid other dungeons.
I ignored it before due to lack of monsters, but now it was different.
Even removing one from my dungeon left two 5-star-or-higher monsters.
I clicked [Dungeon Support & Dispatch] right away.
The Eldorado Continent map appeared.
Red text listed dungeons requesting aid.
"Let's check this one."
I clicked the top one—highest reward.
But.
"?"
Something familiar popped up.
'Baalcherit...?'
5-star vampire.
An unforgettable combo and name.
'Oh, this one!'
When I first set my lieutenant. Drew a 5-star and was thrilled, but she rejected me.
Started with 3-star instead.
Am I crazy?
I hit 'No' immediately.
No matter how good my mood, I won't help you.
Rejected, I looked for others.
This time, closer to my dungeon, even if rewards were lower.
"Goblin Dungeon?"
This seemed fine.
Details said the owner was a Goblin Shaman.
2-star boss—not too tough.
I hit 'Yes' this time.
'Troops over supplies, maybe.'
2-star owner—supplies would be wasted.
Who to send?
I pondered, then glanced aside.
'Same goblin, so him.'
Selected the Goblin Lord.
Suddenly, a warning popped up.
The alert was about the Goblin Lord's penalties.
'What? Drops 3 ranks here?'
Goblin Lord was 5-star now.
Minus 3 ranks? Straight to 2-star equivalent.
'Damn...'
This Goblin Lord.
Such a gimmick?
Performance worse than expected.
"The Goblin Lord's weakness is removing surrounding goblins."
I blurted it out in disbelief.
Without a pack, it was nothing.
No choice—put the Goblin Lord back.
"Hmm."
Pondered a bit.
Yeah, you're all I can trust.
Selected Celia.
Lieutenant, but a whopping 6-star monster.
Her absence nagged a bit, but no big issue.
'Death Knight and Goblin Lord can handle things.'
I dispatched Celia to the requesting dungeon right away.
Celia was in the lieutenant's quarters, reviewing tasks.
Thinking about future plans.
Then, a strange sensation hit.
Her body felt like it was floating in empty air.
The surrounding space warped.
"This is..."
Teleportation magic.
"You always surprise me, Exalted One."
She had felt this power when sealed underground by the church.
So she entrusted her body to the space.
The lieutenant's quarters scenery changed in an instant.
A different dungeon from The Exalted One's.
She instantly knew her mission.
"I shall carry out The Exalted One's command."
The Exalted One had ordered it.
Support this dungeon.
Celia slowly scanned the surroundings.
The dungeon core, and a goblin sitting there.
This goblin held a wooden staff topped with a skull, unlike the others.
Obviously the dungeon lord.
The Goblin Shaman lord spotted Celia and brightened.
"Kuhk, you've come to help us, kuhk. I am the lord of this dungeon, the Goblin Shaman..., huh?"
The Goblin Shaman stopped mid-sentence.
Something was off.
"Kuhk?"
This couldn't be.
The Goblin Shaman jumped from its chair and prostrated on the ground.
"Such a great being, kuhk, what brings you here...?"
The Goblin Shaman had requested reinforcements via the Demon Realm Merchant Guild.
Short on funds, it expected cheap undead like skeletons.
That's what it thought...
"An incredible being has arrived! Kuhk."
The Goblin Shaman fell into confusion.