Chapter: 105
“Young Lady Alrn. What about the others?”
Standing alone at the entrance of the dungeon, Visi looked at me with a puzzled expression.
She probably thought I would be asking Karl or someone else for help.
‘I’m sufficient on my own.’
“What? You think I can’t handle this pathetic dungeon by myself? How presumptuous of you, my attendant!”
I had no choice but to enter alone, but I pretended to be confident on purpose.
Whining to Visi would only amplify her anxiety.
It’s better to instill faith that I’ll sort it out on my own.
Sure enough, when it comes to hiding my expressions, my mesugaki skills are top-notch.
I always manage to create a cocky and self-assured face.
No one can detect the anxiety or hesitation lying within me.
“Very well.”
Visi didn’t doubt my words.
Having explored dungeons with me before, she wouldn’t think I’d say something baseless.
Looking at it this way, my reputation has certainly improved.
Back when I first possessed Lucy’s body, I would have sounded utterly ridiculous saying this.
Actually, she probably wouldn’t have even come to me back then!
[Are you really okay?]
‘Of course!’
As long as Lady Armadi does her job, there won’t be any problems.
As long as that petty evil god Agra doesn’t interfere, I could conquer it like usual.
And if he does interfere, as long as I can handle it, I can just deal with it.
Even if it gets dangerous, I can just escape.
There’s nothing to lose.
So, there’s no reason to hesitate.
I can do whatever I want.
Once I stated this firmly, Grandpa didn’t try to hold me back anymore.
‘But Visi…’
“Forget that. You have the key I gave you last time, right? Hand it over. I need it to conquer this useless little dungeon.”
“Ah. Yes! Here you go.”
I took the key Visi pulled from her pocket and gazed at the dungeon entrance.
It looked just like any ordinary dungeon, yet the atmosphere felt different.
While Agra’s dungeons give an intimidating vibe, this one felt gloomy and grimy.
Just the way a middle-schooler-emo-dark-god’s dungeon should!
‘I’ll be back soon.’
“Wait here like an attendant. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
As I stepped into the dungeon, the scenery around me changed.
It transformed into a dark mansion, void of moonlight.
If the outside manor looked worn and teetering on the edge of collapse, this place looked brand new, as if it had just opened.
“Visitors have arrived?”
In the center of the mansion, on the staircase, a woman appeared.
Her black hair contrasted with a pure white dress, and her semi-transparent body allowed me to see the family portrait hanging behind her.
“Hi there! I’m Adri. Adri Velvet, the eldest daughter of the great Velvet family. Nice to meet you!”
“Hello, Adri.”
“Well, if it isn’t a lonely ghost! Are you happy to get a visitor?”
“Lonely? Me?”
I could see the wrinkles forming on her gloomy face.
My mesugaki skills are sailing smoothly today.
Just by introducing myself, I pulled the aggro from the dungeon boss.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to provoke her a bit in advance.
After all, I must eventually fight Adri.
If I can make her mad, that should make it easier to get a stat buff by the end.
“I’ve been lonely for decades, crying ‘lonely’ without end, and yet, you say I’m not lonely? That’s quite amusing! Do you have any friends?”
Adri’s smile, which had been round, quickly turned straight before sinking down.
The sound of non-existent teeth clacking echoed in the empty mansion.
“I’m not… alone.”
With every word Adri spoke, the mansion’s temperature dropped slightly.
Not just a feeling; it was a physical change.
Since the environment is created by her, it’s influenced by her mood.
Still, it wasn’t cold.
The more her mood soured, the more a sense of accomplishment bloomed in my chest.
“Besides you, who else is in this mansion? Any more lonely ghosts?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Having said that, Adri turned to ascend the staircase, glancing back midway.
“Come find me, if you can.”
With her final words, Adri’s form dispersed, and silence enveloped the empty mansion.
Her disappearance should have taken away my sense of accomplishment, but strangely, the buff from my mesugaki skills remained intact.
Since the dungeon itself is created around Adri, if she hates me, shouldn’t the buff continue endlessly?
That works to my advantage.
It means I can move while enjoying constant buffs.
Good thing I provoked Adri in advance.
[This place is unusual. It doesn’t feel like a dungeon at all.]
‘It’s because of Adri’s lingering thoughts.’
Dungeons created by evil gods other than Agra usually feel this way.
They create dungeons by using something as a catalyst, leading the dungeons to reflect the feelings or grudges attached to that catalyst, making them appear different from typical dungeons.
Adri’s dungeon is just like that.
While normal dungeons require moving downward to reach the boss room, this one works differently.
Here, I’ll roam through various locations in the mansion searching for Adri to defeat her.
[But hey Young Lady.]
‘What?’
[Why are you just standing still?]
When Adri vanished, Grandpa expressed puzzlement at my stillness, frozen in place.
It seemed strange that I, who usually tackles dungeons with maximum efficiency, was just lazing about.
‘Because this is the proper way to conquer it.’
If I were in it merely for speed, I’d have no reason to stand still, but right now my goal isn’t conquering the dungeon; it’s saving Adri, isn’t it?
To rescue her, keeping the right order is essential.
I stood still for several minutes.
And then shapes began to materialize on the formerly vacant carpeted floor.
They took the form of knights.
Worn armors stained with blood.
Faces twisted in pain.
Yet their eyes showed determination as they gazed at me.
If Karl were here, she’d probably be wailing and rolling on the floor like a little girl.
What a bummer.
It would’ve been hilarious to see Karl trembling at the sight of those ghosts.
– Leave this place.
– You cannot pass!
– We will protect our master with our lives.
Ignoring their buzzing voices in my ears, I gripped my mace tightly.
Then, channeling the techniques I learned from using sacred magic, I infused my mace with holy energy, and light emanated from its tip.
A light that could rival a sun amidst the darkened mansion was born.
The ghostly knights hesitated one by one, retreating at the sight.
Though I often get insulted as weak and incompetent, the power of Armadi is undeniably real.
The majesty of the sacred god standing in opposition to evil deities is a catastrophe for those who defy the world’s regulations.
No matter how great those knights were in life, they couldn’t stand against me.
“What’s this? Scaredy-cats running away from the light? Pathetic! Disqualified as knights! If it were me, I’d be so embarrassed I’d hang myself!”
Those ghost knights were not particularly patient souls.
Before my laughter even escaped, one of the knights at the forefront charged at me.
With their sword raised in a two-handed grip, it was obvious they had abandoned reason to be swept along by their emotions.
Not a chance.
Despite looking like a soft kid, I’m not about to fall for such a sorry attack!
Before they could touch me, my instincts kicked in.
No need for any skill-related summons.
All the combat experience I’ve amassed alerted me to the perfect move.
I thrust my shield forward, deflecting their descending sword.
Since their emotional attack carried their full strength, their follow-through left them wide open.
I lifted my mace and completely shattered the helmet they wore.
Overwhelmed by the holy-infused mace, the knight turned to ash before scattering, allowing me to advance forward.
“What’s the hold-up? Pathetic knights?!”
They trembled in fear of Armadi’s light.
Seeing a companion incinerated without being able to react sent them into a panic.
“Will you surrender? Are you going to whine in front of a girl begging for your lives? Go ahead! It’d be amusing enough for me!”
However, the rage they felt towards me consumed the fear buried within.
Despite knowing they were destined to perish helplessly, they charged me.
It was both courage and foolishness.
Even with death as their goal, the knights’ uselessness didn’t change.
Their onslaught led to nothing but their return to ashes.
As the ghost knights perished and tranquility returned to the mansion, the environment changed.
The mansion, which had looked pristine as if it could welcome guests at any time, became a wreck as if bandits had crashed the place.
The carpet was torn.
The wallpaper was shredded.
The tables were overturned, and the vases were shattered.
[What’s going on here?]
‘Don’t be surprised, Grandpa. This will keep happening.’
The change in the mansion’s appearance is proof I’m tackling the dungeon correctly.
After lightly responding to Grandpa, I moved onward.
Next, I entered the mansion’s reception room.
As I opened the door, several ghosts emerged in the empty room.
A woman dressed in torn maid attire.
A butler with blood dripping from his eyes.
And a robed ghost skilled in manipulating other spirits.
These were the ones who would, under normal circumstances, welcome guests with smiling faces, but now their expressions were filled only with hatred and hostility.
– Leave!
– This place is not meant for light!
– Do not disturb the grievances of the dead!
As I let their mindless ramblings pass through one ear, I stepped forward, and the ghostly maid let out a scream.
A sound loud enough to shatter the quiet mansion’s windows.
A curse-laden scream.
Normally, hearing such voices unprepared would inflict fear, confusion, weakness, and curses upon me, yet here I stood unfazed.
It wasn’t just because I was Armadi’s apostle.
The reason I could remain unharmed was that I had been gifted a skill from Adri, the one in this mansion who despised me the most.
[Now, with no grudges left.]
The skill granted by the ghost protected me.
Regaining the tranquility after crushing the head of the screeching maid, I laughed as I watched the others retreat in terror.
– Why!
– How can you remain unscathed?
“What’s this? Scared because it didn’t go according to plan? Haha! You guys are utterly hopeless!”
If they want to rant, they should curse their master instead.
If it weren’t for the skill that master gifted me, I wouldn’t have been so recklessly fearless.
“Come at me, insectoids!”
I ain’t got time to waste on you!
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