Chapter 136 – District 2 (15)
16. District 2 (15)
[Relationship diagram]
Kaya: 5.5*
Shay: 5*
Illumina: 4*
‘What. What?’
At first, after the relationship was created, it went up very quickly, but it wasn’t much bigger than I thought, so I turned off my attention. But apart from the * next to all three numbers, Kaya’s relationship was strange. Obviously, the number of relationships is written up to 5, but what does 5.5 mean? I couldn’t easily guess why this came to mind here. If I can only guess, it’s about the depth and mindset of the relationship… Could it be that the moment he briefly disappeared for farming had such a big impact?
‘I don’t know.’
The important thing was what kind of result it would bring, but nothing had changed even after examining their profiles and skills. Are you changing unnoticed?
‘I hope there is nothing bad. It’s not even negative.’
It’s the first item I’ve come across here, but I thought that something out of the ordinary would happen as long as it was part of the system.
‘Even with Shay and Illumina… I’ll keep an eye on Kaya.’
He stroked Kaya’s twitching ear and closed her eyes again.
**
[You have figured out the secret of the last refuge.]
[You have defeated the last gatekeeper.]
[All warriors’ physical strength and mentality are partially restored.]
[The Last Refuge is closed.]
After a fairly embarrassing reorganization, we got out of the secret room. Then, with a few lines of messages, the door we came out of gurgled and disappeared as if it were buried in the wall. Seeing that, I felt embarrassed that we had erased the last remaining traces of the four survivors.
[Health]
Shay: 17/24
Kaya: 19/20
Eugene: 9/20
Illumina: 12/15
[Mentality]
Shay: -24
Kaya: -5
Eugene: -13
Illumina: -37
I checked my stamina and mentality. Thanks to the unexpected recovery effect, the physical strength of everyone except me was restored to a compliant level. It wasn’t as good as a resting place, but I thought it was fortunate. In addition, if I encounter a normal monster in the next battle, I thought of using a trick to offset Illumina’s extreme penalty through stalling and raise my physical strength with a melody of vitality.
“Hey…”
“What’s the matter.”
“Bafa… I’ve corrected it to some extent, but it’s still too much to come up with a proper melody.”
“Are you okay. There is no hurry.”
Anyway, the extreme penalty lasted 4 turns. I didn’t expect that it would be fixed no matter how I touched it now. So there was no disappointment. I’m sorry for Illumina, who was depressed, but it was a problem that could be solved if even a normal monster popped out and stalled. Even if that was impossible, I wondered how I could survive 4 rounds without buffs, unless it was a boss.
Apart from the marked physical condition, the sensory physical condition was good. It might have been because he had relieved the sexual desire and long-time fatigue that had accumulated inside him at once. There’s only one thing I want right now. It was just that the elite monster room did not appear.
“Hey, Hendrick.”
“Uh?”
“Speaking of yesterday, that…”
Jiing-!
“Kuk!”
“Hendrick!?”
He knelt down on one knee in pain that stabbed his head. She held out her palm toward Illumina, who was about to approach in surprise. Likewise, Kaya and Shay, who were approaching me, seemed to understand the reason after seeing me, and took off their restless Illumina and were wary of their surroundings.
‘Scouting is something to be welcomed unconditionally, but how can I not suffer like this dog?’
Should I say it feels like being pricked with an awl or cutter? It was accompanied by considerable dizziness, so it tasted like death. However, as the unidentified area gradually became clearer, the breakthrough success rate increased even slightly. I couldn’t bear the pain of the moment so I couldn’t ruin it.
‘There is a fork in the road ahead. Seeing that the road on the left is slightly darker than the road on the right, I think it would be better to go the right road… For a moment.’
Wait wait wait
How, is this for real?
“… Oh my god.”
“Leader?”
“Oh my god!”
“Captain?”
“Awesome!”
He jumped up and hugged the person closest to him. It was Shay. She hugged me face to face without knowing why. Looking back, Kaya and Illumina were making strange faces. It must have been because he sat down holding her head and suddenly shouted, “Jackpot.” Whoops, I laughed.
“Leader…”
“Look Carefully.”
Pulled out her paper. On the spot, we drew the road our warriors had passed.
From 2-0 to 2-3, and from the secret room to the fork in the road and the two rooms. When the map was completed, the expressions of the colleagues also changed dramatically.
“It’s really great.”
“This is really great!”
“Is it great?”
“Then!”
I skipped two rooms, but what’s not a jackpot?
We, who vaguely thought we were headed for 2-4, were actually headed for 2-6.
‘Thank you, the secret room!’
Half portal and half resting place.
If it was a pure portal, there were even four or five, but at the point of obtaining the artifacts, I didn’t even want a portal…
What if you gave up on entering the crossroads at that time?
What if you hadn’t left the choice of the crossroads to Shay?
For reference, the fork in the road I was trying to choose at that time was the right one.
I got goosebumps.
“Ruler. Let’s go again.”
“Yes, chief.”
High risk, high return.
Gambling success has reaped great rewards, so continue this uptrend, but don’t be vigilant. Remembering that, I moved on.
**
‘This is the first time this has happened… Maybe.’
The warm sunlight and air, the babbling river, and the calm and clean lake like a mirror. A place where grass and flower petals fluttering in the breeze gave off a subtle scent, and in the middle of it, a woman was lying on her face, contemplating something of hers.
‘It’s not right to favor one child, but it keeps bothering me.’
The woman held something like a round orb in her hand and peered into it, inside which was her gray-haired nun, dressed in her combat uniform, holding a mace.
-La Ella, please give strength to her daughter who is lacking.
“Yes… What should I do… ?”
The woman is in trouble. Giving strength to that child wasn’t difficult, but it wasn’t easy either. Because the place where that child was was not on the ground, but inside the dungeon. It was also one level deeper than before, and I had to apply more power than usual. But the woman’s power was not infinite. She may seem omniscient to those who believe in her and follow her, but the woman did not think so.
If you let that child down as much as he wants, at least three other children will have no choice but to stand by.
‘But, if you think about the difficulty and the destination of the road that child is walking…’
Compared to the other three children, wouldn’t it be much more important.
I was confused. She opened and closed her hand. It could be said that worrying like this itself is far from omniscience.
– Keugh… I’m sorry, boss.
“Ah…”
Eventually I missed the timing. The child’s mace, hoping for her own strength, bounced off the monster’s armor without much power.
“Even now.”
“Not now.”
“Not now… Huh? TT? What is it?”
Right next to the woman lying on her stomach, a ray of intense light fell, and a tall woman exuding sharp energy stepped out of it. A woman named Titi glanced at her marbles and sat on her ass as she lay on her stomach.
“T-T-T!”
“Raella you stupid bitch. Do you think that if that child gives her power in chunks like that every time she wants it, she will be able to reach it all the way?”
“Still… Seeing you suffer like that.”
“Among the children who are determined to walk our path, where are those who do not suffer?”
“Then you also told a child named Shay a while ago.”
“It was above ground then. And that’s how much the kid worked so hard. But now it’s different. It’s not in the dungeon. She is his domain.”
“Yes…”
“Ha… Besides, don’t you know? If she gave her great power, she said that if the child dies or turns away, she will deal a significant blow to us as much as she does.”
“Of course I know. But.”
Raella still couldn’t take her eyes off her orb.
“If it’s this kid with that rambunctious kid, she really thinks she might be able to drive him out.”
“Under. Are you referring to the girl we often call mother-in-law?”
“Huh. If it is that alien child.”
The field of vision of her orb, which had been consistently illuminating the gray-haired nun, widened slightly. Then, behind her nun, I saw a dark-haired man cheering her nun.
“Even when I saw the energy of the two of us, I wasn’t afraid at all. On top of that, you sincerely care for my child, and you are sincere in trying to break through the dungeon to the end.”
“Joy. I only pray in times of emergency, but what?”
“You are sincere, though. Besides, mother-in-law, when are we going to hear that? He’s a funny kid.”
“Joy…”
Titi didn’t really deny it.
“TT.”
“Anyway, no. You’re the one who’s putting a lot of effort into it even now.”
“It’s a different story than that.”
“What.”
“This child… The heart that believes in me and follows me is the same. But, there seems to be a strange aura mixed with that child. What is this? I don’t think I’m betraying. I care.”
“Take a look.”
Titi got down on Raella and snatched the marble. La Ella struggled to get down, but Titi, who skillfully held her seat, stared at the gray-haired nun in the reflection of her marbles.
“…”
“How is it? What do you see? Do you think you know?”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t hesitate and tell me quickly. Or kick it out?”
“Since when did this happen?”
“Huh? Ah, it’s been a while.”
“That strange aura you mentioned seems to be visible to my child as well. Although I am weak compared to your child.”
“What? Really? So?”
Titi frowned. As soon as she noticed the strange aura that Raella mentioned, she had an idea that came to her mind. But it was hard for her to accept that she was right and she was not. She wondered if this was really a story, even if it was possible, and if this was true, how should she interpret and accept it from the standpoint of displaying divinity?
“Is there anything that comes to mind? Right?”
“There are.”
“Tell me.”
“This is true.”
“Quickly!”
Titi sighed and returned her marble. The field of vision of her orb widened a little, revealing her golden-haired crusader.
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps?”
“Your child and my child, I think the two of them have new faith.”
“Huh?”
“Since they are serving us as they are, it is not apostasy. But the strange aura you said. It’s really subtle, but… I’m connected to that wild stranger. Take a closer look too.”
“… It’s real.”
“The word is called trust, but it may simply be a comradeship as a colleague or something between a man and a woman. But I do understand that it’s not normal co-workers or between men and women.”
Titi woke up.
“Are you going?”
“I also want to take a closer look at my house. We’ll have to see what the impact will be. Take a good look at yourself too.”
“Okay… Thanks Titi.”
“Ehh.”
Titi disappeared with the light. Alone again, Raela focused her orb on the dark-haired man rather than the gray-haired nun. She had sunken green eyes looking at him.
