LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 71
Chapter 71
The sound of rain intensified as they traveled further north. The season was in full swing, bringing hail on some days and sleet on others.
A single carriage, with a cart in tow, arrived at a small village in the kingdom of Roxitel, carrying three individuals.
“Stop right there.”
“……”
“We weren’t informed of any merchants coming.”
“It’s a funeral procession.”
“Is that a corpse in the cart? Let me see.”
“……Yes.”
Though they called it a funeral procession, it was a pitiful sight, with the body covered only in cloth and leather, without even a proper coffin.
“Tsk, so you had money to rent a carriage but not for a coffin.”
“…That’s correct.”
With a swift motion, the guard pulled back the cloth to inspect the body.
“It is indeed a corpse.”
After a closer look,
“Strange, has it been embalmed?”
“We had help from an undertaker.”
“Quite curious. It’s a corpse, but I’ve never seen one so well-preserved. Where are you headed?”
“To the cemetery in the city.”
“Why there?”
“It’s a place of significance.”
“Hmm… Alright, get out of the rain and warm up inside.”
“We need to buy some provisions. We can’t afford to stay here.”
“Well… alright then.”
With a nod, the guard allowed the carriage into the village.
After stopping the carriage briefly, Bill spoke to Phenex.
“Phenex, could you watch over the carriage here? I’ll go with Lucifer to get supplies.”
“…Sure, I’ll do that.”
“Thank you.”
Orcs and goblins aren’t used to enduring hunger. Apart from mixing food with water to increase its volume, it’s hard to keep them well-fed.
Thus, they had to stop by remote villages like this one to replenish their supplies.
Phenex approached the body in the cart.
With a gentle motion, she pulled back the cloth, revealing Faust’s face.
A face devoid of any color, looking as if he were merely asleep.
– It is indeed a corpse.
But to others, it was just a lifeless body.
“Let’s go.”
Bill and Lucifer returned, loading the cart with provisions.
Creak…
Rattle…
The rain-soaked robes repelled some of the raindrops, but not all, gradually soaking the person beneath. Phenex felt her mood being slowly consumed by the damp and unpleasant humidity.
Creak…
“Ah…”
Thud-!
The cart hit a hidden rock in the mud, causing it to jolt.
Splash…
Faust’s body fell into a puddle.
Once clean, it was now covered in mud, making it hard to claim it wasn’t just a corpse.
The lifelessness, the indifference, suddenly brought a strange emotion.
Drip…
Not rain, but a tear rolled down Phenex’s cheek. She quickly wiped it away and lifted Faust’s body back onto the cart.
“Phenex, are you alright?”
“…Yes! Let’s go!”
Rattle…
* * *
“In the vicinity, there’s an abandoned slash-and-burn village. How about we stay there for the night?”
“That’s a good idea. When Lucifer arrives… Ah, there she is.”
Rattle…
The carriage arrived at the ambush site, where Amon and her minions were waiting.
“Any surveillance?”
“None. We’re far enough away that they seem unaware of the Great Forest’s news.”
“I see… Let’s go. Ariel has found a good spot.”
“That’s good news.”
…
Squeak, squeak…
Rats, the new inhabitants of the abandoned houses, scurried around.
It was unpleasant and unsanitary, but life in the dungeon wasn’t much different, so they spread out into a few houses without much hesitation.
Crackle…
They lit fires in the hearths and fireplaces and ate their meals.
There was no conversation during the meal, as if they were truly holding a funeral.
The minions fell asleep early, exhausted from the continuous march, needing to conserve their strength for the next day.
Only Phenex remained awake, sitting by the fireplace. Soon, three demons joined her.
Phenex looked at Amon.
When they first met, Amon was a terrifying and unfamiliar archdemon, but after months together, she had become someone Phenex could rely on, especially after what happened to Faust.
“Amon…”
“What is it?”
“Is Faust dead?”
It was a question she often asked, but Amon never grew tired of answering.
“He’s half-dead. I put him in a state of suspended animation.”
“…”
“His core is unstable. He has a unique constitution with the purest magic, which caused this.”
He could rule the greatest dungeon, but he couldn’t survive without it.
This imperfection would improve over time, but the path was still long.
Flicker… Flicker…
The core, connected to the rotten root, flickered like a dying light bulb. When this flickering stops, Faust will meet his eternal rest.
“We went to the village today… Faust fell from the cart.”
“…”
“He fell, but he didn’t feel pain… he didn’t move, and it scared me.”
“He’s in a state no different from the dead, so it’s natural.”
“It’s natural, but… it scared me.”
Amon finally looked at Phenex.
-Hey kid, you took on a disciple?
-Hahaha! Only you and Baal call me kid. A disciple? Yes… I have someone promising.
-Isn’t it cumbersome? For someone as strong as you…
-It’s cumbersome and inconvenient. But… she’s my disciple.
-…
-My power must be given to the purest. Only then can they one day bear my name.
The previous Phenex’s disciple, whom he had never met, was more like a granddaughter.
After watching her for a short time, she understood why it had to be her.
Phenex was pure.
Unlike other demons of Hell, she didn’t yet know this world. Perhaps that would be the key for her.
“…Yes, it’s a frightening thing. We must synchronize his core with the dungeon before more time passes.”
“…Yes.”
Amon then turned to Lucifer, who had been silent.
“Lucifer, did you not know the rotten root would collapse?”
“If I had known… I would have warned you.”
“Hmm…”
“It was I who saved Faust from the guillotine. Why would I harm him?”
She wasn’t wrong.
But…
“…I see. I’ll go to sleep now. We have to face those stinking creatures again tomorrow.”
* * *
“This is the place.”
“…Is this the best we can do?”
“If we want to reach our destination without crossing the Kingdoms’ Union border, we have no choice. We don’t have time to find another way.”
“…Understood.”
The group arrived at the location marked on Faust’s map. It wasn’t just remote; it was completely untouched by human presence.
They entered a hidden cave, concealed in a secluded spot.
Squeak…
Sniff… Squeak…
The cave echoed with the sounds of strange beasts. It was wide and well-maintained, almost like a mine shaft.
Crackle…
As they lit their torches and walked further, they encountered a kobold standing with its arms crossed. It looked like a mix between a mole and a humanoid.
“Sniff… Who… squeak… are you?”
“We need to borrow your path.”
“We don’t… sniff… lend it to humans… sniff…”
Kobolds also harbored a deep hatred for humans.
“We are not humans.”
Sniff sniff… Sniff…
The kobold sniffed the air, contemplating.
Thud-
Bill placed some of their prepared provisions on the ground.
“Let us pass.”
“…Sniff… Where are you going?”
“To the Frozen Lands.”
“Sniff sniff! The Witch’s Land! Sniff… squeak… Alright, go ahead.”
If the kobold had denied them passage, the events that would have unfolded flashed through their minds.
Sniff… Squeak…
It would take a full day to traverse this long tunnel.
Step…
Step…
Sniff… Sniff… Squeak…
After about half a day, the atmosphere changed.
Whoosh…
Squeak squeak squeak squeak…
Sniff… Sniff…
All the nearby torches went out, plunging the tunnel into darkness.
“Looks tasty… sniff…”
“Squeak… Human meat… tastes good.”
Bill spoke up from the front.
“We paid a fair price for the right to pass. Why are you threatening us?”
“Price? Sniff… We never received it.”
“No, we definitely handed it over.”
“Sniff! You must have… sniff! Been scammed!”
Squeak squeak squeak…
The kobolds gathered, blocking the tunnel completely.
A tense standoff.
“Sniff! In that case… sniff! Give us the corpse!”
“…What?”
“Give us the corpse, and you can pass.”
Crackle…
Phenex stepped forward, furious.
“Shall I kill you all?”
Surprisingly, that single outburst changed the atmosphere dramatically.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
“This power… sniff… It’s a demon! A demon!”
“A demon! Kneel!”
The kobolds knelt, trembling.
“Forgive us, demon… squeak…”
“This one… sniff… said we could get more food this way…”
“Let go! Let go… sniff…”
The kobold they had seen at the entrance was dragged forward by the others.
“Forgive me…”
Slash-
Phenex decapitated the kobold, who had planned to rob them of Faust’s body.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
“Sniff!”
Chomp chomp…
The kobolds tore into the dead kobold’s body, clearing the path.
“…Disgusting. Let’s move on.”
Ignoring the kobolds swarming like sewer rats, the group continued towards the Frozen Lands.
Whoosh…
As they exited the kobold’s tunnel, they were met with cold winds and hail.
Thud thud thud…
The procession moved on silently.
Frozen rivers and lakes.
Snow-covered land.
The orcs and goblins, accustomed to the southern regions, struggled with the cold. They relied on animal pelts to keep the chill at bay.
After about two weeks, the weather reached its harshest point.
Whoosh…
“Ugh…”
“We’re almost there…”
They arrived at the marked destination on the map.
At the spot marked with an X, a cave entrance appeared.
“…Phenex.”
Amon called out to Phenex, who was eager to see Faust again.
She held the core and spoke.
“The core’s life force is fading.”
“…What?”
“The core might be affected by the cold. You should keep it close.”
“Why me…?”
Phenex, known as the demon of resurrection with strong vitality, thought it might be why she was entrusted with the core. She held it close, protectively.
“We’re starting the dungeon exploration. Judging by its state, this dungeon was abandoned long ago. Move forward and place the core in the heart of the dungeon.”
Huff…
Huff…
Faust’s minions, now reduced to mere skeletons, still had their last spark of life.
“Enter.”
Step…
Step…
Their shadows reflected on the transparent ice formations around them.
Growl…
A pack of frost wolves approached, exhaling cold air.
“We don’t have time. The core’s life is almost gone.”
Fwoosh-!
Roar!
Under Amon’s command, they pressed on through the dungeon. Despite this, Phenex was anxious.
The core’s flickering had significantly decreased. Even the light it emitted was faint.
Time was running out.
Faust was dying.
He was dying in her hands.
“No! You can’t die!”
She had never wished for this outcome. He was the first contractor who had truly cared for her.
Crackle…
Swinging her sword, she advanced towards the heart of the dungeon, her determination burning despite the cold.
Fwoosh!
Fwoosh…
The faint life force from the core felt like Faust’s heartbeat, struggling to survive.
“Open it!”
Phenex and Ruby pushed open the frozen doors of the heart chamber.
Rumble…
Hoo… Grrr…
A massive yeti emerged from the heart chamber, one of the dungeon’s apex predators.
Shing…
Phenex swung her sword with all her might.
With this single strike, she aimed to bring down the foe blocking her path.
[Phenex uses Scorching Slash.]
[Deals explosive slashing damage to a single target.]
Fwoosh-!
Slash-!
In an instant, the yeti’s torso was severed, and the wound charred black.
Grr… Grr…
The yeti died without even a proper scream. Beyond it, the heart of the dungeon revealed another core.
“Bring the core closer! Hurry!”
At Amon’s command, Phenex, her hands trembling, brought Faust’s core next to the dungeon’s core.
Whooo…
The light from Faust’s core seeped into the dungeon’s core.
However, nothing seemed to change.
Crack…
Except for the fact that Faust’s core, once a glowing orb, disintegrated into dust.
Faust’s complexion remained pale. Phenex gently laid his body on the ground.
“W-What do we do… Faust isn’t waking up.”
“…”
“Is he… dead? Or…”
“Phenex, stop… Amon is thinking of a solution.”
Lucifer cut off Phenex’s questions.
Phenex knelt quietly, lowering her forehead to touch Faust’s.
Cold.
“Wake up…”
If Faust died, what would happen next? What would become of them…
“…I see.”
As Phenex turned, Amon removed his hand from the dungeon core.
“Phenex, infuse the core with heat.”
“…Heat?”
“The path from the heart chamber to the dungeon’s levels is frozen. You need to melt it with heat…”
Phenex stumbled as she rushed to place her hands on the core. Her burning life force flowed into it.
Crack…
The sound of the core cracking made Phenex burst into tears.
“Aaah!”
“Focus!”
“Sob…”
Whooo…
For a moment, it felt as if she was one with Faust’s heart. She melted the ice blocking his heartbeat with her life force.
Sizzle…
The cracked core ignited with flames.
Fwoosh-!
And simultaneously… the dungeon shook, shedding its icy cover.
Rumble…
[You activate the dungeon core with your magic.]
[Dungeon: Frost Nest is now open.]
…
Slowly, color returned to Faust’s body.
“…Let go.”
Phenex removed her hands from the core and rushed to Faust.
“Please…”
All the minions wished for their master’s revival in this moment…
Gasp…
“Ugh…”
Faust exhaled a rough breath and opened his eyes.
“Aaah! My lord! I thought you were dead!”
As Phenex tried to hug Faust tightly, he gently pushed her away with his palm.
“…Cold.”
“Hehe…”
The stormy autumn had passed, and winter had come to the dungeon.
[Soon, Episode 3 Act Finale: The Autumn War will conclude.]
[A large amount of mana stones has been discovered in the newly established dungeon.]
…