LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 57
Chapter 57
[A stroke of luck graces your loot acquisition.]
[The dungeon defense mission has concluded.]
[Mission Outcome: Manan and four others (deceased).]
[As a reward for the dungeon defense mission, you acquire the intruder’s belongings.]
[Fortune smiles upon you. You’ve obtained 3,000 magic stones from the intruder’s possessions.]
[From the intruder’s belongings, you’ve acquired the secret manual (Blood Shadow Martial Arts).]
[From the intruder’s belongings, you’ve acquired the remnants of a serum.]
[From the intruder’s belongings, you’ve acquired a large amount of gold coins.]
[The death of the intruders may have altered their fates.]
[Tip: The rewards for the defense mission may vary depending on the origin and circumstances of the intruders.]
The premature invasion of the Blood Cult didn’t even reach the depths of my heart; it was thwarted right at my feet.
Compassion or regret for them? Not in the slightest.
It was merely… curious.
‘Manan, a character that’s revealed only after the story progresses considerably. To think such a figure would perish here so vainly…’
Could it be that the rotten root dungeon has grown stronger without my noticing?
‘Well… Amon did most of the work, after all.’
In mobile gaming, there are occasionally characters that disrupt the balance. They might perform far beyond their given rank, or they’re designed with high returns to compensate for their risks but end up operating without any.
Amon was one such character.
A grand demon, the symbol and the pride of the Lemegeton gacha. It’s understandable that a character of his caliber would be astonishing.
‘I never realized how formidable this guy was in the early game… He’s truly immense.’
Apart from anything else, arming Amon with magical engineering weapons should display the might befitting a grand demon!
However, such magical engineering weapons have only appeared once in all my gacha attempts. And with that single item destroyed, it’s unlikely he’ll show such presence again anytime soon.
‘Well… Even without the mechanical option, his base skill set is monstrous.’
Activating Amon’s mechanical affinity is truly a last resort in a desperate fight, but usually, his thunderous magical power is enough to handle everything.
“Hmm…”
“I’ll prepare the tea.”
“…Please do.”
Such leisure.
Was it really okay to be this relaxed when my life had been in danger?
In my view, even if it’s a ragtag bunch, this territory is your creation, and you are its rightful ruler. If the ruler trembles with anxiety, the soldiers won’t be able to fight properly.
Amon’s words suddenly came to mind.
‘Right… This is how a sovereign should behave.’
Unwavering in any situation…
‘But speaking of rewards, the magic stones I received are a bit meager.’
3,000 magic stones equate to ten consecutive draws.
Considering the notorious difficulty of Lemegeton’s gacha, it’s hardly satisfying.
They’d probably just give me a few weak familiars and a pile of trash weapons and call it a day.
‘The gold is good, and the serum remnants and the secret manual?’
Bosses from the final chapters of each episode tend to give special rewards. Last time, after beheading Karl Kurso, I received a repentance stone. This time, it seems to be serum remnants and a secret manual.
The serum remnants are materials used in an update that comes much later.
This trashy game is legendary for not including major systems at launch, only to add them in updates later. And the materials for those systems drop in the un-updated version, confusing players… They deserved all the criticism they got.
‘Anyway, it’s not something to worry about right now.’
And this secret manual is a peculiar item; it’s one of the few advantages of this game, influencing the diverse skills.
‘Training with the secret manual adds new skills to a character’s extra skill set.’
Well, that’s the gist of it.
Of course, the players have thoroughly tested it, so any item not worth using remains unused from start to finish.
The same goes for this Blood Shadow Martial Arts manual.
It’s inefficient despite its conditions.
Still, in this world, the martial arts of the Blood Cult might fetch a high price in the black market.
Sip…
As I sipped the tea Lucifer prepared, I reflected on the recent battle.
It was a second act graced by fortune. Starting with meeting Romwell in the black market…
‘Wait? If I hadn’t met Romwell in the black market, how would I have encountered that unpleasant trio?’
To dismiss it as fate seems… unsettling. It’s a matter to ponder over time.
Anyway, after that, with Ruby’s addition, we shattered one pillar of the trio… And Manan, in his haste, followed me into the dungeon and crumbled on his own. Could there be a better outcome?
I received the dungeon’s reward and fulfilled the trade conditions with Romwell. And… another achievement I designed was waiting.
Swish…
As I rose from my chair, Lucifer promptly stood by my side.
“Your counsel…”
Would it be good to have Lucifer tag along?
Well, it might not be too bad.
“Alright.”
* * *
Trudge…
Trudge…
In the desolate field,
Lucifer and I set forth to the second gate,
The Lava Caves, leading to the rotten core.
The cooled sulfur’s scent is not my favorite,
But to the master of this place, it’s a scent of home.
Now, we’ve come to meet this master.
“…No one’s here.”
Phenex won’t rise from the Garden of Resurrection this time.
Why, you ask?
She slaughtered Manan and two Blood Shadow Zombies, unscathed.
It was her indomitable spirit that turned her to flames,
Accepting a defeat that was destined.
“…”
“…I’ll look for her.”
“No, I think I know where she might be.”
Even in the barren Lava Caves, it’s not entirely empty.
– Kihihihihi!
Approaching the tent of the wandering troupe,
A ticket seller, seemingly a part of Santo, stood there.
I say ‘part’ because Santo can split into many within the tent,
A peculiar being, but aren’t all who dwell in my dungeon?
– Kihi!
No ticket, but Santo gestures me in, knowing I’m the master here.
The grand tent could house a tower of elephants,
Vastly more spacious inside than it appears outside,
Another of Santo’s strange powers, it seems.
‘Had they been foes, not allies, what secrets would remain hidden…’
It would have been a headache, for sure.
– Kihihihihi!
A figure stands on a large ball, balancing on one foot,
Spinning plates atop a long pole.
I’ve seen this act before; the plate-spinning is always lengthy,
Adding more poles between their fingers as they go.
“…”
Finding a spot in the audience, I settle down.
– Kihi! Kihihi!
Calm and… silent atmosphere.
In the tent of the wandering troupe, silence fills where laughter should be.
– Kihyoooot!
As Santo bites a rod and spins a plate,
The audience finally reacts.
“Ha… Haha…”
A laugh, if you can call it that, half-hearted and incomplete.
“Uh-huh… Uh… Uhuuu…”
Of course, it’s more of a sob,
The feeling of wanting to cry is unmistakable.
“…”
“My lord, you see…”
Phenex is there in the audience,
Staring blankly at the stage with hollow eyes.
“I tried to do well this time… I really did…”
Following her lackluster performance in Episode 1 with Karl Kurso,
She falters again in Episode 2 against the altered Blood Cult.
Her indomitable spirit, now her shackles.
“Really. If there’s a next time…”
“…Phenex.”
“Don’t… don’t abandon me.”
She looks at me, tears welling up.
“I’ll do better, I promise… next time, I’ll surely win… so…”
Bound by her indomitable spirit, perhaps she’s been sinking,
Into an abyss without end,
A deep where no light of stability shines.
“Phenex.”
“I… I…”
“What do you fear?”
“…I want to be acknowledged, to prove my worth.”
She bows her head deeply.
“Only then… I won’t be abandoned.”
“I’ll have a place… to belong.”
She closes her eyes quietly.
“What do you think I expect from you?”
“That is…”
Phenex seemed desperate to find an answer.
But that was where she was wrong.
“Nothing. Not a thing.”
“…What?”
Phenex’s eyes hollowed in an instant.
“I expect nothing, not anything at all. No… I don’t expect anything from anyone to begin with.”
“Such…”
“So be free.”
“…!”
“My expectations are but your fears. So I cast them aside. Exist as you are.”
She stared at me, dumbfounded.
“I merely need you, Phenex.”
“My lord…”
“There’s no need nor reason for you to be a sword for me. Just be a sword.”
I declared, turning towards her.
“Do not forget that it was I, Faust, who took you in. Whatever form of sword you may be, the one to wield it…”
Swish…
I stand and turn away.
“Will be me.”
Phenex’s lips quivered, as she tried to hold back her tears.
“Waaaaah, my lord!”
Of course, Lucifer was there between us, brought along for such times.
“Calm yourself, Phenex. Your snot is… ugh, it’s… no, stop…”
“Waaaaah!”
Instead of the cold me, Lucifer would soothe her cries.
Unable to hold back her tears, Phenex clung stickily, and Lucifer had no choice but to embrace her.
“Sigh…”
[The affinity towards Faust of the resurrected demon Phenex rises.]
[Current Affinity: ♥♥♡♡♡♡]
The increase in affinity.
Was it because I comforted her?
No, that’s not it.
It was only after she experienced great instability and was freed from it that her affinity rose.
This is the fastest way to raise Phenex’s affinity, a condition quite demanding compared to other demons, where kindness alone would only increase it much later.
She is always compelled to prove herself.
But she did not know that there was no need to prove anything. It was by shocking her that she was made to realize this.
“Waaaaah… sob…”
Manan handled Phenex’s strike far better than I expected, and though he’s already dead, I offer my idle thanks.
Someone’s death.
Someone’s heart.
All were as I intended.
Muttering to myself as I exit the tent alone.
“…What remains is Romwell.”
From him too, there’s something to be gained.