“Ah… I see who you are. You were the one who stopped me. You let me die as a human, while I was committing sins and withering in pain.”
The speed at which my body crumbled started to increase gradually. My legs below the waist had long melted away, and my left arm was in the same dire state.
Only my right shoulder, as if to signify it was not yet dead, kept twitching ominously, showing signs of something sprouting from the severed edge.
I could probably find peace before a new right arm emerged, so it wouldn’t matter if I left it as is. I quietly listened to Lucia’s words.
“Oh, kind person. Please, grant me mercy just one more time, and listen to the lamentations of this sinner who cannot be saved?”
Lucia asked with a trembling voice. If this were a game, options to listen or not would have appeared here.
If I chose not to listen, the event would end there, but if I chose to listen, the conversation would proceed a bit further. However, there was no reason to choose not to listen after coming this far.
“I will listen. Please, go ahead.”
“You are very kind. Thank you for your deep kindness.”
Lucia smiled faintly, but black liquid bubbled and overflowed through her smile. It felt more like a face close to crying rather than laughing.
“I was a priest summoned to subjugate this dungeon in the past. Dozens of faithful priests set foot here.”
Her voice became more wistful.
“But this place was not something we could overcome with just our strength… After countless sacrifices, we ultimately failed.”
Cough, cough, Lucia had a small fit. Black liquid poured out violently through her parted lips. I could hear a gurgling sound as the liquid bubbled up in her throat.
Lucia seemed to vomit the black liquid a few more times, and only after spitting everything out was she able to speak again, her voice much more hoarse than before.
“I was one of their victims. When I tried to give up on breaking through the Rune Dungeon and return to the surface, suddenly, a monster attacked and I fell beneath the bridge.”
Lucia, who fell beneath the bridge, regrettably did not die but survived.
If only she had died from the impact of the fall, it could have been seen as martyrdom as a priest, but now surviving in such a state was a fate worse than death.
“I should have died for sure, but for some reason, I opened my eyes again. And when I opened them… it was already too late to turn back.”
Sadness gradually welled up in her voice. Her half-rotten face contorted in pain.
“At first, I prayed fervently to the gods. Please save me from this torment… I prayed for mercy and kindness to be bestowed upon your believer…”
Sadness turned into gloom.
It was hard to bear to recall all the things she had done in the past, the blasphemies committed in half-mad pain. Now, having returned as a priest, she could hardly bring those memories to mind.
“But the gods never answered my prayers. How blasphemous, I started to resent such gods. I cursed and blasphemed, committing actions too horrific to even speak of.”
As if to prove the fact that Lucia’s heart was shaking, the severed edge of her right shoulder began to twitch more violently.
Recognizing the strange atmosphere, Lucia stopped her words and took deep breaths, huu, huu. After a bit of time, once the twitching at the severed edge calmed down, she reopened her mouth.
“My resentment lasted for a very long time. It continued until you, kind stranger, came and made me aware of my suffering. I committed an unpardonable sin.”
Her lips, smeared with black liquid, trembled visibly.
“But you prevented me from further insulting the gods. In my final moments, you led me back to being human, guiding me to die as a priest serving the gods. I don’t know how someone like me, with my life about to extinguish, can repay this grace you’ve given me…”
Her head completely turned towards me. Although her eyes were covered in black liquid and could barely function, for some reason, I felt like she was looking straight at me.
“Oh, kind person, you surely came from the Holy Kingdom. Since you so freely used the Sacred Catalyst, you must be a very pious person…”
Lucia mistaken me for someone from the Holy Kingdom.
This was why the event required the Sacred Catalyst in the Boss Room to be used three times or more for it to proceed. Only then would Lucia, under the misconception of me being from the Holy Kingdom, voicing her next request.
If one were to use something other than the Sacred Catalyst in the Boss Room, the event would not progress. I didn’t know the detailed reason. Probably it was because it wasn’t Lucia’s own item, so I could only guess.
Of course, Lucia had no idea that the Sacred Catalyst she dropped had been contaminated, and therefore was usable even if she didn’t believe in the gods.
“Oh, faithful and kind person.”
Her voice became soaked. While she stuttered, struggling to hold back tears, she finally continued.
“Can I… return to the gods?”
Her words were thick with emotion. If her face had been intact, it would surely have been a question hurled out in a grand wail.
“Even though I have insulted the gods, cursed them, and resented them… can I return as a priest once more, and lie in the embrace of the gods?”
After finishing those words, Lucia kept her mouth tightly shut, waiting for my answer. It was time for the second choice to appear in the event.
Yes, or No.
If I picked “No” here, she would of course cry out in sorrow, saying how could a sinner who couldn’t even endure this pain expect salvation.
And depending on the player’s choice, Lucia could either be left to suffer forever or be granted rest by my own hands as we left the Rune Dungeon.
There were also additional lines for each case. If left alone, she would plead not to be abandoned like this, and if killed, she would be glad to find rest while worrying about falling into hell.
“Yes.”
However, I had no intention of picking that option.
“The gods will surely welcome you back more for having returned to them than for the fact that you have sinned.”
I had never denied Lucia’s words even in the game, so there was no way I would do so now after coming this far.
For the record, whether Lucia truly returned to the gods remains uncertain. That matter was not even mentioned in the item descriptions in the game.
So, depending on the perspective, both options could be seen as lies.
But most people wouldn’t worry about such things and chose “Yes” to allow Lucia to rest peacefully. According to the 10th anniversary statistics, the “Yes” ratio for the first clear users was 93%.
“Ah… I’m glad. To think that even a sinner like me would be warmly welcomed, the gods… truly are gracious.”
The smile that surfaced at her lips was much thicker. It was a smile that conveyed immense satisfaction, feeling nothing but sadness.
“Oh, kind person… I am deeply grateful for that favor you have bestowed upon me. Though all I can offer is mere words of gratitude… may that sincerity be delivered…”
The sorrow and lamentation that had wrapped around every word had completely vanished. Her voice had almost dwindled to a whisper, yet her breath was much more relaxed than before.
Lucia flicked her lips for the last time.
“Gracious sun… merciful moon… this sinner… shall return to your side…”
Upon finishing those words, her flickering lips ceased. The chest that should rise and fall with each breath no longer moved.
I gently closed her wide-open eyes, covered in black liquid, with my fingertips. Such actions weren’t possible in the game, but it didn’t matter now.
This was the best I could do. There was no mention of how to revert Lucia back to a human in the game, nor did I have the power to do so.
After closing her eyes, I picked up the Sacred Catalyst that fell nearby. It was an item I would later hand over to the Inquisitor. The event wasn’t over yet.
Leaving behind Lucia’s corpse, which began to dissolve into black liquid, I made my way towards the Rune Stele.
The thing that would appear above would be sorted out well by the Knight Commanders and the Inquisitor.
“Are you not worried about the safety of your distinguished guest?”
“Hmm? What about it?”
Selene asked in disbelief while gazing at the Knight Commanders standing around calmly, without any vigilance. They were so at ease, despite knowing that something could pop up at any moment.
“Your guest jumped right into the Rune Dungeon alone. How could—”
“Oh, you meant Delta?”
Lize chuckled.
“At first, I thought that too. But then I realized that we’ve already explained everything in the morning. The ‘jumping down’ was not metaphorical, so I was a bit surprised… but isn’t it a bit late to be shocked considering how many crazy feats he’s pulled off? We should be used to it by now.”
“… It sounds like you’re implying he has a history of such actions.”
“He’s done it a lot. We’ve surely lost about ten years off our lives from being startled by him. I’m going to bill him for that later.”
“…”
“I know what you’re thinking, but you really don’t have to worry about Delta.”
Lize continued in a nonchalant tone.
“He’s never failed to keep his word. The things he claims, which sound like they are utterly impossible, somehow, he always manages to pull off and return without a hitch. Worrying is just a loss for you.”
“You may think it sounds absurd, but he has more than enough ability to keep his word. He said he’d subjugate the Rune Dungeon in under 30 minutes, so he should be showing up soon.”
Erica added to Lize’s statement. After hearing that explanation, Selene decided she needed to revise her assessment of Delta.
They did call him a newbie knight, didn’t they? Just what kind of trouble had he been causing that the Knight Commanders would react this way in such a short period?
… Actually, she felt like she could somewhat understand. After all, he had overwhelmingly defeated the Inquisitor in their sparring session. At least, he certainly had skill.
As for his actions, that remained to be seen.
“We might not be in a position to suggest this to you, but right now, it’s fine to take a break. The monsters beginning to appear signals that the landscape is changing…”
At that moment, the ground shook with a rumble. Claudia’s words were momentarily halted due to the tremor.
“… That just happened.”
The black liquid that had enveloped the surroundings began to gather somewhere. The plants and sky regained their original colors. The sunlight streaming down became much more dazzling.
Claudia gripped the hilt of her greatsword, which she had set on the ground. Lize and Erica unsheathed their weapons, and Iris aimed the tip of her longsword at the spot where the black liquid was gathering.
“So this is the change Delta was talking about. Everyone, get into battle formation. It’s time to fight.”
“Is it that black liquid?”
“Rather, it’d be more strange if it isn’t. It’s clearly an ominous presence.”
The black liquid gathered at one spot began to morph into the shape of a strange monster. It had six legs, two heads, and six beastly limbs with flail-like weights at the end of its tail.
Dozens of tentacles emerged along its spine, writhing grotesquely. It was clearly announcing, “I’m a monster!” just by its appearance.
“Everyone. Prepare for battle.”
Selene issued a short and concise order. The battle nuns raised their rapiers in unison.
The monster inspected its surroundings with its two heads, smacking its lips in anticipation. Its tongue stretched out, licking the area nearby.
“Heaven is for the faithful.”
The thinnest and sharpest silvery rapier glowed with divine power. Its purple eyes burned coldly.
“Let those who do not believe be shown hell.”
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