Chapter: 255
The influence of the Evil God Tariki is a type of dungeon I’m very familiar with.
It’s not because there are many dungeons of Tariki in the main story of the Soul Academy. Tariki only shows up at the very end of the game. How many dungeons could be related to that guy anyway?
So why am I so familiar with this guy’s dungeon?
It’s because about 40% of the dungeons created by users as mods were related to Tariki.
Like I mentioned earlier, the characteristic of the dungeons created by Tariki is “If you don’t know, you die.”
There’s no better characteristic for messing with newbies trying to clear a dungeon. Because of this, Tariki’s dungeons were adored by many trolls.
Not everyone who creates mods is like this, but there are definitely people who enjoy smashing keyboards and cursing.
Those who are totally focused on making things difficult and annoying for others.
Usually, these people don’t care about the fun of the game.
They don’t think about their own originality.
They don’t care for the sense of accomplishment of those challenging the dungeons.
They just want to create a dungeon that’s as hard and frustrating as possible and laugh at the people who curse and throw a fit after playing their mods.
Such mods proliferate quickly because they disregard the various foundational elements, hoping only for fish to bite the bait.
As a rotten fish in the Soul Academy’s murky water obsessed with new content, I was, more than anyone, a passionate fish that bit the bait.
I mean, it can’t be helped!
Every time I encountered trashy items, I could just shake them off saying, “I’m not dealing with trashy nonsense anymore,” but sometimes a mode emerges that makes me go, “Wow!” like some twisted hope torture situation!
How can I give up on the challenge!?
If hope exists at the end of countless misfortunes, then I will gladly break through those misfortunes!
Well, the trolls making those mods probably didn’t like me much.
The people they adore are the ones who try their luck easily, get mad, curse, and then leave. The nasty types who are thrilled when they get praised in the community for making a really shitty mode.
But I was a different kind of person than those folks.
Unless they made it impossible to clear, I was the kind of person who would clear it by any means and leave a scathing review along with the strategy.
They were lacking in creativity, or they might have left out mechanisms from elsewhere, or they might be an idiot who can’t even make a troll mode properly.
My evaluations were so harsh that the mod creators sometimes came by to curse at me when they saw it? Those times were the best.
“If I were you, I would have done this and that. Tsk, tsk, such a creativity level of a gaming loser,” responding to them would always have them going bonkers, which was hilarious.
Well, all of this was back when the Soul Academy came out, and this was still less than two years ago. As the game’s popularity faded, the number of people making good mods, whether troll or not, gradually decreased.
Eventually, I came to the point where I’d have to be grateful for any mod that came out.
I didn’t download the Mesugaki mod for nothing! At that time, user mods were rare!
Thinking back, I wasn’t even careless at that time! I checked the ratings of others and downloaded that mod, but suddenly got possessed!
What is this?!
Why only me!
Why am I the onnnly one?!
…Anyway, back to the point, having cleared hundreds of dungeons related to Tariki, I know perfectly well how to deal with the “If you don’t know, you die.”
If you die because you don’t know, then if you know, you won’t die, right?
So to put it simply.
If I memorize all the variables that can be generated by Tariki’s powers and prepare, I can deal with it.
“You two just have to quietly follow me, okay?”
“You two sloppy idiots are just gonna get in the way if you try to act up, right? So just stay behind me.”
After noticing that Tariki had taken control of the dungeon, the first thing I said to Karl and Luca was for them to do nothing.
No matter how good their intentions, all they would do is add variables to the dungeon that would give me a headache.
It’s better for them to just follow along quietly and be meat shields when facing dangerous monsters.
“That’s impossible! Young lady!”
Upon my words, Luca quietly nodded, but Karl did not.
He raised his voice saying standing at the front means facing danger before anyone else. He couldn’t let the precious young lady take on such a role.
Karl’s loyalty that he would gladly sacrifice his life for me was so touching that it made me chuckle, but right now it was a hindrance.
I don’t know what variables might arise in this dungeon.
So I couldn’t issue commands in advance like I did in other dungeons.
If I judged by report and conveyed it in words, it would already be too late to respond; how could I let him be in the front?
And, you know.
You have something else to do.
What did that Sloppy Fox do? Considering she went near Karl and then came back, she must have conveyed my words to him; why is Karl still acting like this?
[Soul Lady.]
I frowned at Karl, who shook his head even after I said he was a hindrance, when the grandpa chimed in.
[Lina has conveyed a message, it seems.]
“Then why is he acting like this?”
[Thinking about how he usually behaves, he must be clinging to this situation so as not to seem odd to Luca.]
So this is all an act, huh?
Kneeling in front of the girl, begging to change her mind?
It looks like 100% his true feelings, doesn’t it?
[Just give a rough refusal.]
‘Okay, I get it.’
I don’t really know, but I guess acting mad would work? That’s easy.
“Why can’t you understand what I’m saying?♡ Is it because you’re a beast and not human?♡ Should I call you ‘king’ for it to make sense?♡”
“No, young lady!”
“Nope. Even a puppy can understand ‘sit and wait,’ but you can’t?♡ So you’re saying you’re trash lower than a beast?♡ How can this be my knight?♡”
“I’m sorry! But…”
“Shut up♡ Why is a beast talking like a human?♡ If you’re a beast, then act like one and crawl on the ground while barking♡ You sloppy dog!♡”
“…King!”
As I watched Karl hesitatingly bark like a fool, a suspicion arose in my mind.
Did he really cling to me just to avoid Luca’s suspicion? Or was he just looking for an excuse to be bashful with me?
Most people wouldn’t think like this, but in this case, it’s Karl.
Considering his perverted nature, it’s a reasonable suspicion, but unfortunately, I can’t read his mind.
So I’d leave this as a suspicion. There’s no point in pursuing it further; it’ll only worsen my mood.
Having successfully stripped him of his voice by degrading his essence from human to beast, I left the boss room with the two of them behind me.
As the Shoddy Lord mentioned in the quest, the dungeon devoured by Tariki was filled with blackness.
I slowly moved my feet while dispelling that darkness with the light of Ankir.
First, I could confirm, as in the game, that the traps disappeared upon overcoming the trials.
And despite being engulfed in darkness, the paths in the dungeon had not changed.
This is definitely good news. It means I can use the shortcuts that open up after clearing the trials.
And then.
Following my instinct that warned of danger, I paused my thoughts and expanded my senses.
Through the intense training I had undergone bordering on abuse, my sharpened senses detected faint magical energy.
In the still darkness, that magical energy was rushing forward by itself.
Thunk! As I instinctively raised my shield, an arrow ricocheted off it.
Seeing the arrowhead strewn about, the energy of the Evil God was surging within it; there must be a curse contained inside.
Gripping my mace, I stepped forward as the darkness receded to reveal the opponent’s form.
The ones who had been obstructing our path in the maze. Puppets of the Great Wizard Karon, mimicking knights, were moving under the influence of the darkness.
Base type: Skeleton.
Unit types: One with a bow, two wielding spears, one with a shield and sword.
Their movements were similar to what I had seen while traversing the maze, but they looked strangely clumsy.
Hmm. I’m not sure, but I guess I need to test it out first?
“Just watch.”
“Sloppies, stay back and just watch.”
Issuing commands to Karl and Luca while sketching out a basic combat plan, I moved my feet as I saw the skeleton with the bow draw its bowstring.
Beyond the countless hardships I’ve surpassed, my physical abilities had already transcended the realm of ordinary humans.
Because of that, I could close a distance that would typically take 20 steps into just two steps.
Perhaps startled by the sudden closing distance, the skeleton with the shield hastily raised its arm.
But it was too slow.
Smashing my shield into the skeleton’s head with a rush of momentum.
Using my mace, I finished off one spear-wearing skeleton before it could even raise its spear.
Dodging an arrow aimed at my face by twisting my neck and then striking the archer with my mace.
Lastly, I aimed to jab my shield at the remaining skeleton’s head.
Just as I was about to do that, I pulled back.
Not long after, the skeleton I had intended to deal with exploded, scattering concentrated dark energy.
The energy that had maintained those four skeletons merged into one and created an explosion.
The concentrated energy lingered like mist, but it wasn’t long before it faded.
Ultimately, it was unclean energy. It couldn’t hold up against Ankir’s light.
Hmm. Is this it? I guess I was right about my assumption.
Compared to the first time I came to challenge those skeletons, they are weaker now.
I can guess the reason for this weakening.
The energy that had controlled those skeletons until now belonged to Karon, but with the trial over, Karon’s magic had disappeared.
Thus, the only force now animating these skeletons can only be the energy of the Evil God.
However, the Evil God of darkness still has a long way to go before resurrection. Even if he has taken control of the dungeon, it’s impossible for him to threaten me as if he were at full power.
To put it simply, without the characteristics of the Evil God of darkness, this dungeon has turned out sloppier than before.
Since Tariki’s abilities are insufficient to perfectly control the magic contained within those skeletons.
But really, the very characteristics that should pose a threat to me feel trivial from my perspective.
Partly because Ankir is in my hand, but also because Tariki is just too weak right now.
I mean. I’m someone who has been clearing dungeons based on when that guy had all his strength.
There’s no way I’d fall for traps made with this pathetic level of power, right?
[At this level, breaking through should be easy.]
Nodding at grandpa’s words from when he faced Tariki in the past.
As he said, breaking through shouldn’t be too hard.
However, escaping from the dungeon is an entirely different story.
Just think about it. The fact that Tariki has taken control of the skeletons existing in this dungeon means.
The skeleton at the end of this place has existed to guard the end for a long time, right?
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