“Priest Andrew, how many Ten Evils have you got now?”
“······It went from 674 to 374. Seriously, what on earth have you been doing for your evil karma to be this—”
“So it gets purified by about 300 at a time, huh. I need two more sheets.”
He took out the Holy Grail, and washed Priest Andrew’s hands again.
Then.
“Keugh······!!”
Priest Andrew’s two eyes widened like oil lamps.
He could make one more indulgence.
Just as expected.
The smile at the corner of my mouth grew deeper.
Priest Andrew, became the perfect indulgence shuttle.
***
The evil karma was completely washed away.
Isaac couldn’t believe it.
Unless it was Kramdel, the decisive reason he couldn’t step into another human city, was precisely this evil karma.
Just by passing by, he gave off a sense of oppression.
People feared him, and their eyes naturally gathered on him.
In the worst cases, the royal guard would come, and even throw him into prison.
It had been like that in every human city except Kramdel.
‘No one is paying attention to me.’
With trembling feelings, Isaac cautiously stepped out into the city square.
Normally, just him standing there should draw attention.
Because evil karma is that kind of thing.
But, no one cared about him.
Not even a glance, they were just going about their own work.
“Mister! Why are you crying?”
“A······.”
A boy who looked about six walked up and spoke to Isaac.
At that moment Isaac’s two hands, his whole body, began to twitch and shake.
The most sensitive to evil karma are priests and children.
Especially children, instinctively detect evil karma.
Ever since his evil karma score rose, not once had a small child come near Isaac. If they ran away crying, that was the best outcome.
“Mom! This mister is an adult but he’s crying!”
“Kid, didn’t you pull some weird prank again?”
“No! I didn’t do anything!”
When was the last time he heard such a bright child’s voice?
Sure, he’d done a lot of bad things.
He’d toppled a city.
He’d interfered in wars, robbed city rulers, and killed more people than he could count.
Priests loathed him.
Instead of indulgences, they’d bring holy knights and try to kill him.
Someone who listened to his story? Someone who believed him?
There was none.
Not a single person.
He’d thought he would be stuck in Kramdel forever, mingling with monsters, and dying there.
Even that life hadn’t had a single comfortable day.
Outwardly he acted composed, but inside he was always anxious, fearing the day monsters would discover his true identity.
Did Isaac even want to live among monsters?
He’d always pictured a life rubbing shoulders with people.
—I believe everything about you, caw.
And then, suddenly, someone appeared who believed him.
For the first time.
Even if the other was a corpse crow, to believe everything without asking anything.
Honestly, he thought he was a Conman.
There had been countless people who tried to threaten him, or use him for something.
But he wasn’t a conman.
He was the real thing, not a fake.
And so he used indulgences without hesitation, erasing Isaac’s evil karma.
—Your sins are absolved, Isaac.
He placed a hand on his head, saying he would forgive his 죄.
He acted like it was nothing, but Isaac knew well how much courage and resolve that took.
This feeling was a first in his life.
To receive such blind trust from someone, was also a first.
Then, he must not betray this trust.
He had to be different from before.
Is this what it feels like to be reborn?
“Thank······ you······ th-thank you······ keuk······ keuheuk.”
Isaac raised both hands and wiped his face.
But tears kept falling, drop after drop, onto the ground.
Like a little child, the tears wouldn’t stop.
***
Preparation was over.
All that remained was the advance.
Main Quest 6.
‘Clear the Party Dungeon.’
A Party Dungeon doesn’t just mean a dungeon you tackle with multiple people.
Basically, a Party Dungeon proceeds on the basis of trust and faith among party members.
That’s why it boasted a hellish difficulty.
And among them, the most vicious of all, as everyone knew.
‘Demigod Trait Dungeon.’
All preparations to head there, were finally complete.
Heart of the Eternal Monarch
I climbed into Hydragon’s carriage, and left the ‘Garden of Knights’ behind.
Isabella, Isaac, Serengeti.
And me, making a total of four.
“Is your body okay?”
“Yes. I feel so light I could fly.”
When I asked Serengeti inside the carriage, she mimed walking with both legs and replied cheerfully.
As expected of a top-tier elixir.
The only real worry was the ‘Demon King’s Curse,’ but while it was temporarily lifted, it didn’t seem to cause much trouble.
Even so, it was only 56 hours.
‘Fastest clear time.’
We had to finish while Serengeti was awake.
The Demigod Trait Party Dungeon was an incomprehensible dungeon that everyone evaluated as not just ‘extreme,’ but ‘vicious.’
No one had ever cleared it perfectly.
Even the best record was only around 80% progress.
And I’m sure, because I was the one who achieved that record.
‘So I have to break my own record, huh.’
I rested my chin lightly.
Even as Wilhelm, I couldn’t conquer that dungeon completely.
Could we clear it now, with this party?
‘The entry condition for the Demigod Trait Party Dungeon is four people.’
Demigod Trait Party Dungeon.
“Demigod” is a term used for a dungeon made by a transcendent of unknown origin.
They were said to exist in the ancient creation myth, and like the Towers, they designed trials with various conditions.
One of those conditions was that you must enter with a party of ‘four.’
No more, no less, exactly four.
On top of that, every party member had to have no evil karma, and the ‘party leader’ needed honor of at least 500.
‘Only the honorable can enter. That must mean the demigod who made the dungeon was a sacred existence.’
Anyway.
The party composition when I challenged it as Wilhelm was honestly better than now.
There was a high priest, a guardian specialized in defense, and a thief skilled at scouting.
But this party now is······.
‘······It’s way too offensive.’
Two assassins, one knight, and me, a warrior who’s all offense too.
We’ve got zero defense.
A lineup that would break if we didn’t smash through first.
I’m worried, but what’s better than then is that we have a ‘trust-formed relationship.’
‘At least these party members won’t betray me.’
A Party Dungeon is the worst place, stained with betrayal and backstabbing.
No matter how good a party is, if one person betrays you, it’s over.
And when I played as Wilhelm, it was an endless feast of stabs in the back.
The mercenary I trusted, the knight I trusted, someone I trusted, betraying me every day.
‘All three were traitors.’
Even worse, everyone except me betrayed.
They fought like beasts to monopolize the rewards.
The fact we reached around 80% was a miracle.
In that sense, this party might be better.
At least they won’t betray me.
Or······ could they?
Back then too, I never thought they would betray me.
“Someone is following behind.”
Serengeti suddenly spoke up.
We’d used a warp to leave the city, heading toward the demigod dungeon.
······Huh. I had no idea.
Looks like Isaac and Isabella hadn’t noticed either.
“Would you like to see his face?”
“Do it.”
Serengeti nodded, then flicked her foot.
In that moment, Serengeti disappeared.
Like she’d teleported.
What was even more shocking was—
“Keok············?!”
In the spot where Serengeti had been, there was some man.
The man panicked in surprise, but he was familiar to me.
Position exchange.
Serengeti could swap positions with a chosen target.
It might look simple, but it was a star authority she gained by transcending.
I stared at the flustered man.
A man with shaggy hair.
【Lv. 10】
And his level was 10.
A level 10 powerhouse, had been tailing us.
The man quickly steadied himself, and rolled up his sleeves.
Thud.
With the sound of footsteps, Serengeti reappeared in his place.
“Did you see his face?”
“His hair was long, so I couldn’t see it. But, he had throwing weapons hidden in his sleeves. Looks like an assassin type.”
“What should we do?”
“Kill him.”
“Understood. While I’m at it, I should get a good look at his face too.”
Thud.
The man appeared again.
Still holding his sleeves the same way.
“What the hell is this—”
Thud.
Thud.
“What—”
Thud.
Thud.
“Stop—”
Thud.
Thud.
Every time footsteps sounded, the man was pushed farther away from the carriage.
Because Serengeti kept swapping positions and closing in.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thututtututhud.
At last, in the middle of the grassland, Serengeti and the man met.
“Pfft!”
After seeing his face, Serengeti gave a short verdict.
***
Massacre was sure of it.
To clear Main Quest 6, Randolph would definitely come here.
‘He comes to a place no one expects.’
He always had.
In the past five Main Quests, Randolph always surpassed everyone’s expectations.
This time too.
The Demigod Trait Dungeon.
To clear the Party Dungeon said to be absolutely impossible, he would show up.
‘The entry conditions are ridiculously strict, but Randolph will pull it off.’
A party of four with no evil karma.
And a party leader with honor of 500 or more!
The others say it’s already impossible to meet those conditions.
Putting party members aside, how could anyone reach honor 500 at this stage?
Since only a player can be party leader, they say it’s impossible for Randolph, who has no faction.
Massacre thought so too.
That’s why he’d tried to snipe him again and again at a ‘common-sense’ angle.
‘He breaks common sense. He will come here no matter what.’
The line everyone draws with common sense.
Only by breaking that line can you snipe Phantom, can you snipe Randolph.
He was certain.
Main Quest 6, clear the Party Dungeon.
He will surely appear here, at this ‘Demigod Trait Dungeon.’
This time, he will succeed in the snipe.
Succeed, and—
‘I will be remembered as the one who killed Phantom.’
Among the people who play Pangaenia, Phantom is the best. A god.
And the one who kills that god, becomes the Godslayer.
That was his only thought from the start.
After Wilhelm’s death judgment, Massacre had thought of nothing but chasing Phantom, who became a player, and killing him.
“············There.”
After waiting so long, he finally found Phantom.
A carriage riding on a horned Hydragon.
Judging by the direction, it was definitely heading for the ‘Demigod Trait Dungeon.’
And at this time, the only human who would go there was Randolph!
‘Finally!’
Massacre shouted victory inside his head.
How long had he searched and waited?
He’d missed him a few times through bad calls, but not today.
‘Your stubborn fate ends here, Phantom.’
The long wait was finally over.
After today, every player would know.
Massacre silently followed the Hydragon carriage.
And then.
“Keok············?!”
Suddenly his field of view changed.
Inside the carriage.
Two men and one woman in sight.
He instantly dug into his sleeves.