Chapter 61

BOOOOM.

[The city gates have closed.]

▶ The walls and gates will hold back the waves for a short time.]

▶ The time limit has increased.

▶ Time Limit: 25 minutes

“W-we made it...!!”

The gates had closed on their own once they entered the city. The waves that had threatened to swallow them crashed against the walls with a thunderous roar, as though they might smash through the gates at any moment.

“It’s too early to relax. We’ve only bought ourselves five minutes.”

“Still, it’s a relief. At least we weren’t swept away.”

Ruen had a point. Had they lingered even a little longer in the collapsed earth, the waves would have carried them away in an instant.

“True. It nearly turned into game over before we even started. Is everyone all right?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about me.”

-Me too!

“Chason, what about you?”

He nodded at Woojin’s question, but his pale face suggested the waves had frightened him.

‘I suppose that’s understandable.’

He must have roamed the sea as freely as his own front yard since childhood.

‘Naturally, he’s probably never been afraid of waves before.’

Now, for the first time, those waves had terrified him. Terrified him with the possibility of death.

‘Having your trust shattered is more frightening than you’d think.’

It was certainly a lot for a boy not yet twenty to bear.

“... Let’s rest a moment.”

“Can we afford to?” Ruen asked worriedly.

There was a time limit, but he couldn’t simply drag a panicking party member along.

“Just three minutes.”

Woojin took some food out of his inventory.

“Whew...”

It was nothing more than preserved food, but stuffing something into his mouth seemed to calm his pounding heart a little.

“Don’t be afraid. The blood flowing through your veins is unmistakably Bolton blood.”

Even Woojin thought it sounded absurd, but this sort of reassurance was all he could offer.

“Do you happen to know anything about this city?”

“No, sir. Honestly, I didn’t even know a place like this existed.”

As if reflecting his fear, Chason’s speech had turned polite.

“Think carefully. Your father must have told you something.”

His father, Harterwin, had reportedly set out to sea as though possessed. Why had he returned to the black fog? Simply because of the curse?

‘That can’t be all. There’s still one last piece I haven’t uncovered.’

Woojin looked at Chason.

‘You must be the most important key to clearing this dungeon.’

Not merely a key to entering the black fog. Chason’s joining the party, and the presence of his family’s weapon in the lighthouse, must mean he too was meant to take part in clearing the dungeon.

‘Hmph. What do you mean, it’s fine to kill him...? If I’d killed him, I’d never have conquered the black fog.’

Recalling Kerga’s Message, Woojin let out a hollow laugh.

‘Surely he didn’t know all this and deliberately write that.’

If he had, it was a truly petty act of sabotage.

“Ruen. Scout the route for us.”

“Yes.”

While Chason rested, Ruen summoned her spirits. Lesser water spirits sprang out of the puddles scattered around them—three in all. It seemed leveling up after killing Taikan had increased the number she could summon. She was currently level 40.

‘It’s about time to get her a spirit tome.’

She had said that reaching level 40 allowed her to contract a second spirit. Finding a spirit tome wouldn’t be difficult; lesser spirit tomes were available at the marketplace. However, despite being an elf, she had a low affinity for spirits, so they needed to choose her next spirit’s element carefully.

‘Since she’s an archer, wind seems best. It doesn’t conflict with water, either...’

For some reason, though, Ruen seemed unable to decide on her next element.

WHOOOOSH!!

The water spirits began flying swiftly through the dungeon.

“Master, this city... Something’s strange.”

“Why?”

“The alleyways are clearly open, but I can’t enter them,” Ruen said as she controlled the spirits.

‘Is it designed to let us follow only a set route?’

That was actually a good thing. They wouldn’t have to wander all over this vast city.

“Ruen, check only the paths your spirits can enter and guide us along them.”

“Understood.”

The party began walking through the city, following Ruen.

[Hawk Eyes activates.]

“There’s no one here. Could this place have only a boss, like the Ice Cave?”

“That would be nice... but it would be a little strange for somewhere this big to have only one boss.”

“That’s true.”

At Woojin’s words, Ruen tightened her grip on her bow and stayed alert.

“Master, this way. Over here.”

Beyond the alley stood an enormous bridge leading to the mansion. A moat surrounded the grounds beneath the bridge, as though marking a boundary, and rows of statues lined both sides of the crossing.

‘This feels ominous...’

The Gargoyle statues all around made Woojin suspicious.

“Ruen. Try breaking that statue.”

“Yes.”

CREAAAK.

Ruen drew her bow.

WHOOOSH!!

The arrow flew with a sharp whistle and struck the statue squarely in the head.

[SKREEEEE!]

At that moment, the statue awoke. With the arrow embedded in its head, the Gargoyle began to roar.

“Just as I thought! Everyone, get ready to fight!”

As the Gargoyle roared, every other statue on the bridge began to awaken.

WHOOSH!!!

Woojin darted into the awakening Gargoyles and planted a hand on the ground.

[Using Cold Wave.]

CRACK...! CRACKLE...!!

Several of the Gargoyles froze solid just as they were waking.

“Ruen!!”

[Using Rapid Fire.]

CRACK! CRACK-CRACK!!!!

Ruen’s arrows shattered the frozen Gargoyles in an instant.

“Setsuna!!”

-On it!!!

[Using Mist Step.]

Woojin’s body blurred, then shot forward once more.

[Using Sprint.]

The remaining Gargoyles lunged at him.

CLANG! CLANG-CLANG!!

As their claws struck Woojin—

[Using Blazing Flames.]

[SKREEEE!!!]

Flames burst from him and engulfed them instead.

“Hup.”

Woojin set his stance before a struggling Gargoyle.

[Trait: Grounded Legs activates.]

Tightening his grip on his sword, he swung it down with all his strength.

[Using Mighty Strike.]

BOOM!!

A single blow split the Gargoyle in half from head to toe. The power was tremendous. Its corpse was mangled as though it had been smashed with a blunt weapon rather than cut with a sword.

“Whew!”

This was Woojin’s first proper use of the skill since upgrading it. Looking at the Gargoyle’s ruined corpse, he whistled in satisfaction.

[SKREEE!]

BANG...! BANG-BANG-BANG!!!

Apparently, one had remained. A Gargoyle launched itself at Woojin, only to be struck by brilliant white balls of light and tumble off the bridge. It was Setsuna’s Phantasmal Barrage.

-Ahem!

“Well done.”

Setsuna folded her arms and tilted her head back, and Woojin stroked her head.

RUMBLE...

Once all the Gargoyles on the bridge had fallen, the doors on the other side opened on their own.

They swallowed nervously, their faces tense. Woojin, standing at the front, was no exception.

‘After Gargoyles... what kind of monster will be next?’

Then it happened.

“... Huh?”

The scene beyond the doors was nothing like what they had imagined.

“Greetings. Welcome to the Bolton family’s home.”

Brilliant lights shone through the open doorway. Instead of clammy air, a comforting warmth greeted them. The mansion was so full of life that it was hard to believe it stood in a dead city.

And...

“People?”

What astonished them was none other than the people inside the mansion welcoming them.

“Your journey here must have been difficult. You’ve endured so much. Please, come inside.”

A man who appeared to be a butler extended a hand to Woojin, while the women behind him ushered Ruen and Chason forward with hands at their backs.

“... Huh?”

“W-wait a moment!”

Before they knew it, the two had been swept into the mansion.

“Here, now. Have some of this.”

“It must have been exhausting coming through the black fog.”

“The fog makes the city air so damp. Come warm yourselves.”

As though competing with one another, the people brought the party all sorts of things.

“Oh... Th-thank you.”

With people crowding around her nonstop, Ruen soon found herself seated in a chair, wrapped in a blanket and holding a teacup they had handed her, nodding in a daze.

“Now, now. Put your weapons down. It’s safe here.”

“Huh? Oh, yes...”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Just as the butler reached for the bow slung over Ruen’s shoulder, Woojin spoke to her.

“This is a dungeon. Your weapon is your lifeline. Who do you think you’re handing it over to?”

“I’m sorry!!”

The people murmured as Ruen jumped at his reprimand.

“... So that’s how it is. Not a particularly pleasant dungeon.”

Woojin surveyed the people in the mansion.

“Now I know why the sword has holy power.”

Then he poured the tea they had given him onto the floor.

“Wh-what...?!”

Startled by his actions, Ruen stared at him.

“Don’t drink it. Even if it isn’t poisoned, at the very least, it’ll have been brewed with foul water.”

“... What?”

[Using Pilgrim’s Cross.]

▶ Purification activates.

WHOOOOSH!!!

Light burst out around Woojin.

“... Aaargh!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

The mansion’s people screamed in the pouring light.

“...!!!”

But more than their screams, it was the sight revealed when the light faded that left the party aghast.

[GRR... GRRRGH...]

[“D... a... mn... it...”]

[“M... ea... t...”]

The people who had welcomed them so warmly were gone. All that stood before them were undead with rotting skin and a foul stench.

“Eeeek?!”

Ruen screamed and flung away the teacup in her hands.

CRASH!!

Instead of fragrant tea, centipedes crawled out of the cup that had fallen to the floor.

“The Bolton family fell ages ago... There’s no way people could still be alive here.”

[GRRRR...!!]

[“D... die...!!!”]

The dead members of the Bolton household lunged at them all at once.

BANG!!!

Woojin kicked the chair in front of him with all his strength.

THUD!!

The flying chair struck the undead butler, crushing his head and sending him sprawling flat on his back.

“It would’ve been nice if we’d brought holy water.”

“Then what do we do?”

“What else?”

FWOOSH!!

[Using Element.]

▶ Imbuing the sword with the fire element.

“We burn them.”