Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is the Villain
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Thinking about it, it was a simple story. This dungeon was designed to be clearable by Aei alone, so shoving Aei forward made most clears possible. Even for vague questions like "the brave one" or "the resilient one," putting Aei up front had the golems silently opening the doors.
It felt just like paying a toll and passing through a highway gate.
Aei seemed to enjoy the situation a bit, where doors opened whenever she stood in front of them. Erina, for whatever reason, was even more puffed up with pride than Aei herself. Her attitude seemed to say to me, "Look, our Aei is this amazing," which gave me a strange sense of discomfort.
Maybe I should just fuck her once more this time. Watch for an opportunity.
After passing through several such checkpoints like that, we reached the 7th floor in no time. Having seen doors open countless times just by having Aei stand in front, with zero tension, it felt less like dungeon exploration and more like a stroll. Erina openly yawned, and Karin shot her a quick glare before turning her head away.
She seemed to be holding back because she couldn't scold a neighboring kingdom's princess as a knight of the realm. I was actually hoping Karin would smack Erina in the gut right then. Then I could take her side.
Truth be told, even from my position, it felt a bit awkward to reprimand Erina, because I was extremely bored myself. I'd thought this dungeon would be incredibly tough too. But breezing through with a free pass like this was deflating. I'd expected it to be some bizarre place rigged against us with all sorts of penalties, but instead, it had turned into an overly easy one due to strange buffs.
"Whoa."
Aei, who entered the 7th floor first, let out a startled sound. Those of us who followed—me, Karin, Erina—all flinched involuntarily.
There stood a golem far larger than any we'd seen so far. Its head brushed the high ceiling, its body filling the room. A small head perched atop a massively crammed, immovable bulk. As we approached, light shone from its head, and it spoke.
"Hero who has received the mission to defeat the Demon King. Step forward now."
"As expected...!"
It was Aei again. Without much thought, I pushed her forward, and she stepped lightly ahead. To kill time, I checked the golem's status window.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: Mega Golem Race: Mega Golem (Mutated) ✨ Level: 78 ⚡ Strength: 250 💨 Agility: 40 🧠 Intelligence: 0 🍀 Luck: 0 Traits Sturdy Body
>Reduces physical damage taken by 80%. Cold sweat dripped down as I saw the stats. Was there something like this in the game's dungeon? Not just the level, but that damage reduction was ridiculously overpowered—it seemed unbreakable. While I was sweating bullets, the golem finished scanning Aei and spoke.
"You are qualified to open the door."
Then the golem's body split in two, revealing a door in the gap. Aei and I eyed the door warily. The golem's massive, threatening bulk beside it made it seem like we'd be pulverized if we slipped up.
Aei hesitated a moment before stepping forward. We followed her lead. Fortunately, the golem didn't budge as we passed. Only after we'd all gone through did it shift its heavy body to seal the entrance again. Wait, shit—how the hell do we get out now?
"Th-the door closed?"
Erina said in a voice full of fear. Karin responded indifferently.
"There'll be a way out. If it wanted us dead, it would've crushed us with that golem when we passed."
"Don't say such creepy things!"
"That's the truth, isn't it? There has to be an exit."
"What if there isn't? Our Aei..."
"If you have any awareness as the hero's companion, it would be nice to show a bit more composure. The hero is Aei, not you."
"Th-that..."
Karin tore into Erina with a firm, cold demeanor. Erina glanced at Aei, but even Aei just smiled awkwardly this time, unable to defend her. In truth, while the dungeon had been boring so far, it wasn't as dire as Erina was making it out to be. We hadn't even checked what lay below yet.
If Aei had sided with Erina here, I was ready to back Karin and rip into that pampered bitch mercilessly, but as expected, her character was solid. If she'd lived in modern times, she'd have been a doctor or lawyer, but bad timing made her a hero.
Erina puffed her cheeks in a sulky expression. She looked a bit anxious. Fair enough—having contributed nothing to the party so far, it was natural to feel on edge. She even seemed worried about showing an ugly side in front of Aei and losing favor. Aei appeared oblivious to it all.
At the end of the long staircase shimmered a bright light. It seemed we were finally about to face the holy sword. In the game, it was just a white glow, its shape unclear, but this time we'd get a proper look at its design.
Probably the final floor. In the center of the chamber floated a brilliant light, pulsing like a massive orb, emanating a sacred, noble aura. Aei said to me,
"Priest."
Right. The holy sword could only be wielded by men. No idea why that stupid rule existed, but only men could claim it. Aei was a woman now, so she couldn't. I cautiously stepped toward it. As I approached, the glow wavered faintly, then intensified its energy.
Even though I wasn't undead, my whole body tingled with intense pressure. Aei and the others wore pained expressions, feeling it too. I had to grab the holy sword quickly.
What the game summed up in a single line as “pulling out the holy sword” was, in reality, an agonizing and oppressive ordeal. I kept advancing toward it. The sword’s waves rippled ever more fiercely, as if rejecting me. Ignoring the light, I reached in and finally grasped a hard hilt within.
The hilt, embedded like it was fused to the floor, wouldn't budge easily. As I gripped it, the surrounding glow quieted, shrinking into a shape like a massive incandescent bulb.
At the same time, the oppressive aura vanished, and silence fell over the chamber. Erina collapsed to the floor, exhaling in relief. Karin barely caught her breath, watching the scene. Aei asked,
"Priest. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Sort of..."
I was fine. The pressure from moments ago had vanished like a dream. Gripping the hilt firmly, I yanked the sword free with force. Light flared once more, then faded, revealing the blade's true form.
"That's..."
"I've never seen a sword like that."
"What an unusual shape."
It was a katana.
Shit, right—this was a Japanese game. With a grim expression, I swung the katana around. The grip felt good, sure, but it wasn't practical for me. Someone like me, with no proper sword training, was better off with a mace—block and bash. I'd hand it to the king later. Thinking that, I called up its status window.
⚔ ITEM STATUS ⚔ Ancient Holy Sword An ancient weapon graspable only by men. Its user and purpose remain mysteries, yet it is called the holy sword.
Traits Just Reward
>Instantly kills foes stabbed from behind.
>Requires a wound 10cm deep or more. Applies only to humans.
Fair Duel
>Generates deadly poison from the blade. Shout "duel" to activate.
>Odorless and colorless; victim dies from unexplained fever after 30 minutes.
>Applies only to humans. Activates instantly if the owner is in mortal danger.
Firm Loyalty
>Deals 4x additional damage when striking the wielder's master, superior, friend, lover, family, or subordinate.
But seeing the effects changed my mind. This sword was mine. I loved the effects, and they were too dangerous for anyone else anyway—I had to keep it. At the same time, I wondered if this was really the holy sword. This? Instant-kill backstabs on my people? A holy sword?
No effects against demons or monsters either. In the original game, the holy sword was just a plain all-stat booster for the protagonist. Why did this thing pop out? As I eyed the blade puzzled, Aei asked,
"S-so, how does it feel holding the sword? Do you feel stronger?"
"No. Looks like I don't have the hero's talent after all."
"Really? That's a shame."
Aei looked genuinely disappointed. I was baffled too. I'd pulled the "holy sword," and out came a people-killing weapon. With a grim look, I stared at it before carefully tying it to my side. No scabbard, and the edge was razor-sharp, so I had to be cautious.
"But how do we get out now?"
Aei asked. Even after claiming the holy sword, the golem upstairs showed no sign of opening the door. Knocking did nothing. I pulled out my mace and asked,
"Shall we smash it?"
"No, let's wait a bit."
"That sounds best. We've spent quite some time conquering this dungeon anyway. Resting here and thinking it over seems wise."
Karin agreed with Aei. Unusually, Erina brightened at the idea.
"Good. How about resting in this chamber? I scouted with sylphs earlier—there are small rooms dotted around. We rest, check them out, then head down again... What do you think, Aei?"
"Sounds good."
"Then that's the plan."
"Agreed."
With that, we returned to the chamber where the holy sword had been. Now that I looked, this deepest floor had several small side rooms. For now, rest. And think.