Chapter 42 - Can It Be Called A Reward?

 

Sloth’s pool of magic energy was vast―vast enough that perhaps the word ‘pool’ could be considered lacklustre, in fact.

In any case, because the Mana Burn property of the Malignant Flames could only, well, 'burn away' at a fixed rate, it gave Jae a long while to contemplate various things; specifically, he found speculation and nostalgia to be effective in keeping his mind distracted and helping to lighten his mood.

Also, perhaps most notably, topics regarding magic.

Back in the Pride Dungeon, see, there were many kinds of magic Aphy did not teach Jae. Of course, she went over the different types of magic that existed, but never actually dove as deep as to explain the basics, leaving Jae clueless as to how to actually use them. For better or worse, Aphy didn’t want to teach Jae half-heartedly when it came to magic, and the very root-level fundamentals took so long for him to grasp that there simply wasn’t the time to learn anything more, after all.

“Still, you could’ve at least shown me how to heal a broken rib or something...”

Rubbing his chest which was still sore from the earlier Minotaur’s punch, he wore a sour look as he watched the unmoving treasure chest slowly lose its energy.

Hm... On the topic of healing magic, wouldn’t my title count?

Jae’s very first and without a doubt most suspicious title, Apostle of Sin. It couldn't be argued that the overpowered effect of bringing him back to life whenever he died was the sole reason he was still alive, and although he heard a few things from Aphy, he still had no idea how it worked.

“Oh, wait. If I’m already dead, it’s not healing magic, right? Then, could it be necromancy? Or, is it more like restoration magic―or time magic...?”

According to Aphy, healing magic couldn’t bring back people who had already died, so it probably wasn’t that. Restoration magic, a sub-type of time magic focused on the reversal of time to restore objects or living beings to a former state, could also be more or less ruled out.

If it was related to restoring my body through reversing time, then wouldn’t it work more like a save-state kind of ability rather than classic revival? If my body or soul were being repeatedly restored whenever I die, then I also don't think I would retain any of the skills I gained after dying... Well, it might not work like that, but I don't know.

Naturally, the most obvious assumption was something along the lines of necromancy―magic whose purpose was to raise the dead. Ultimately, considering Jae’s Race had changed to Undead, it felt the most fitting answer of the three.

Still, some things wouldn't make sense if that were the case.

For starters, Jae wasn’t actually a zombie or anything like that; he still resembled a "flawless" human on the outside, which, as far as Aphy said, isn’t something ordinary necromancy should be able to accomplish. Further, he still remembered the first few times he died―specifically before he died for the tenth time, his Race was always displayed as either ‘Human’ or ‘Humanoid’.

If I remember correctly, Aphy mentioned that the System will sometimes fill in the gaps if it doesn’t entirely understand something. I don’t know for sure, but if there’s a chance that the System didn’t know what it was that revived me, then it’s possible that...

Normally, human beings do not come back to life unless necromancy was used or some other, powerful force intervened. However, Jae came back to life after dying, defying all preconceived laws of nature and all recorded magic―And the System had to somehow explain why.

If the System didn’t detect necromancy to be the reason, it makes sense why it would be too unsure to call him an Undead and instead display something more vague like Humanoid. After all, even if the System didn’t know what exactly he was, it did know that some rare humanoid races existed could recover from a fatal experience once or twice. Then, when he died for the second time, came back to life, and continued this cycle over and over again, it knew something was wrong.

Once Jae had died enough times that he couldn’t be called anything except some kind of bizarre Undead, the System corrected its previous mistake and changed his Status.

"...Hm. Is it just a System fault, then...?"

It’s gotta be something like that, right?

He knew nothing for certain, but he had an inkling that he was on the right track. Of course, it still didn’t explain exactly what kind of power the title borrowed to bring him back in the first place, but it definitely wasn’t something he should be abusing.

Well, Aphy drilled that into me a long time ago. Though, even if it looks suspicious, I don’t think anything that bad would really happen if it keeps happening. Besides, I feel fine... But, I’ll keep my promise to not rely on it.

Although, considering how careless he’s been recently, maybe it was too late for that.

“Mm, anyway... If it’s not one of those three, I wonder if it’s something else... Or, maybe a combination?”

Other kinds of magic could be related, such as death magic, but it was unlikely. As far as Jae knew, that was a power with only the ability to take life away, not bestow it, so he didn’t consider it for more than a moment. Then, was it a combination of the above?

Necromancy to bring me back to life, then restoration or healing magic to restore my body to a healthier state? I remember Aphy saying that healing magic works even on the Undead since it isn't related to holy magic, so it doesn't seem too farfetched...

“Hmm... Whatever.”

Just like Aphy had told him a million times before, he’d “find out when the time came”, right? Putting any further thought into it was a fruitless endeavour, and judging by the Soul State in front of him, it was about time to move on anyway, so he shoved such thoughts to the side for now.

“Ohh, are you ready!? Here it comes!”

“Heeeeey...! We breached one thousand!”

“Almost there now! Keep going!”

“Come on...! Minus 43. Minus 43. Minus 43. Minus 43--”

“--Minus 43. Minus 43. Minus 43. Minus--”

“Oh, one hundred! Just two more ticks...!”

“Yeeeeesss...!!!”

“Oh! So, that’s what it’s normally like...”

The instant the last notification appeared, a portal identical to that which served as the Dungeon’s entrance appeared in the centre of the boss room. Before encountering the imitation of Sloth, Jae was anxious about how long the Dungeon might be, but after reading the emergent notifications, he released a small sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed that the size of the other Dungeons wouldn’t be comparable to the Pride Dungeon, perhaps due to the inherent nature of the sin to be the most impressive.

Now that I think about it, does this Dungeon only have two floors because Sloth was lazy when designing it? Well, that’s assuming Sloth is the one who designed it in the first place. Aphy wasn’t the one who designed the Pride Dungeon after all, despite being the Ruler of Pride, so maybe it’s just a characteristic thing.

Either way, the Sloth Dungeon had been cleared, but that didn’t mean Jae’s business here had come to an end.

“Hehe, there’s still one thing left, right?”

Glancing over to the end of the boss room, where a portion of the wall had opened up following the boss’ death, a grin crept up on Jae’s face.

Loot time.

Before that exciting event, however, there was one thing he was curious to try first. Approaching the ‘corpse’ of the Sloth Imitation, which had disfigured into a melted shape, Jae snapped off one of the white thorns with a bit of effort. Making sure to reinforce his teeth with magic beforehand, he bit down.

Is it gonna give me one of the original Sloth’s skills...? Come on...

Gulp.

“......”

Nothing.

“...Hm. Damn. Is it because it was only an imitation? Tsk, I knew something like this would happen.”

From Jae’s experience, despite normally only having a chance to activate, Gluttony’s success rate is always 100% whenever eating a new creature for the first time. Since the imitation was an ‘Origin Mimic’, which Jae had never seen before, Gluttony should have worked without fail; since it didn’t, that means it wasn’t possible.

It was a shame, but it wasn’t a big loss, especially considering everything else he was going to gain from clearing the Dungeon.

I assume it’ll just be the Sloth skill, right? I can’t think of any other rewards it would give me... Well, I guess we’ll find out when I leave.

Walking over to the revealed passage in the wall, Jae found it led to a strange, black door―Immediately, he paused.

“This...”

Where have I seen this door before...? It wasn't on the first floor...

There were few doors Jae had seen since coming to this new world, let alone notable ones. Thus, if, he recognised it from somewhere, and recently at that, it wouldn't take long to recall.

“...Ah. It’s the same as what Gadeun had in the basement. And, I think the palace had one too?”

An entirely black door that seemed to absorb light, not made of metal but some other strange material. This was the third time Jae had come across this kind of door, though the one at the palace had some additional security measures plastered over it.

“This is what prevented the relic from leaking magic energy, isn’t it? I guess it has the kind of property that absorbs that stuff... Then, just like Gadeun and the relic, that must mean this door here and the one over at the palace are in place to hide something. Although...”

Who would hide something in a Dungeon like this? Sloth? I can’t imagine there are many people other than me who would be able to clear the Dungeon and get this far, so was it left by Sloth as a surprise meant for me or something...?

“......”

He thought about it for a short while, but no matter how much effort he put into contemplating, it was impossible to discern whether his thinking was too self-centred or not. And then, even if it was for him, what was even the point of it being hidden when no one else would be able to make it this far?

Not to mention that anyone who could happen to make it this far probably wouldn't be the kind of person who would be fooled by this door...

“...Well, whatever.”

He decided to just open it. There was no point in stressing about an unknown reason, after all, and the door had nothing like a lock or seal in place, so it should be safe enough. And so, with a light push, the door that had the texture of something rigid yet somewhat flexible grated against the stone floor and opened.

“!!”

Instantly, Jae was struck by a deluge of ominous energy.

What the hell...?

What should have been a room full of treasure, just like the first floor, instead contained only one item.

Floating atop a raised platform and shrouded in a whirling cloud of thick, black smoke; a scythe that could only be described as 'evil' sat.

“What...”

This magic energy... It's as much as a damned newborn dragon. It isn’t regular magic energy, either, but something weird... What the hell kind of absurd weapon is that?

Was it even a weapon? It bore the appearance of one, but whatever it was, it definitely should not ever be used with the intent of causing harm―Jae could tell that much in a single glance.

“......”

Gazing at the scythe that was bigger than even the baby dragon’s tooth on his back, he knew instinctively that it wasn’t a weapon meant for human hands. It should also probably stay out of human sight, for everyone's sake.

Which is probably why it’s here in the first place... Right?

Jae gulped. The black and red scythe―as if forged through death and blood―was so obviously sketchy that it would be plain stupid to take it. He knew that much... And yet, he also knew how much regret he would feel if he just left the Dungeon empty-handed. He considered it for just a moment.

How strong would I be if I could wield something like this?

The main thing on his mind was using it to defeat Wrath, that bastard, but even outside of that, wouldn’t he be unstoppable?

And, I mean... I’m pretty sure I could handle it. At the end of the day, it’s not like I’m going to die, and if it tries to do something typical like take over my mind, then I’ve got Mental Abnormal Status Nullification to prevent it.

The only thing holding him back from taking it right away was just how painfully suspicious it looked. No one in their right mind would ever claim that it looked safe, and even a toddler could tell you that it was dangerous.

Most of all, he knew one person in particular who would be simply appalled if he decided to take it.

Right... Aphy would slap the shit out of me for being so stupid. Common sense not to go anywhere near it.

Right, right. Everything about that was correct...

But.

This was the Sloth Dungeon.

The Sloth Dungeon meant for him.

Therefore, wouldn’t this scythe be here for a very specific reason? It would have a purpose for being here, and since the Dungeons were said to be purposed for his "consumption", Jae didn’t think it wrong to assume that this scythe's purpose would also be related to him in some way.

...Envy.

“Of course...”

He used it just in case, but just as it was within the Pride Dungeon, the gap was too large despite Envy having grown to Level 6 in the Sloth Dungeon. However, even this gave Jae a hint.

It’s a weapon, but I can use Envy on it?

It failed, of course, but the fact that a notification appeared meant that it was possible. Why? It wasn’t normal to be able to view the souls of objects―unless they had souls, that is.

So, it has a soul? What do they usually call this kind of thing, an ‘Ego Weapon’?

Whatever the case, the fact the weapon had a soul gave Jae the vibe of a quest. Declining it now would just be completely out of order, and besides...

“...If I leave now, the Dungeon will collapse. I don’t think I’ll be able to come back if that happens.”

He recalled the notifications that appeared when he exited the Pride Dungeon. Specifically, the message that said the Dungeon would ‘experience collapse’ when the boss has been defeated.

If this truly is my one and only chance, I can’t just pass that up, now can I?

“Even if it ends badly... Well, it’s a gamble I’m willing to take.”

In the centre of where the blade met the snath, there was a gap, and betwixt that gap, a crimson orb hovered silently. Speaking in terms of science and the laws of physics, an object of three completely separate parts like that shouldn’t be able to function together as if nothing was wrong, but those were concepts Jae discarded a long time ago.

“...Well.”

Slowly, Jae stretched his arm towards the weapon, piercing through the dark cloud that veiled it.

“Just don’t cause trouble and be mine, alright?”

He gripped the handle, and the moment he did―

Thud!

―Jae fell to his knees.

Immediately feeling the regret begin to sink in, his heart grew heavy like the rest of his body, and he donned an embarrassed smile.

“Hah, shit...”

What’s wrong with my legs? Stand up, come on...

Even as he put strength into his lower body, he was unable to move. Still, he refused to let go of the weapon, seeing such an action as no less than giving up.

Then, something spoke to him.

[Hello? Hello? Hello.]

A deep, distorted voice he had never heard before and that sounded like it couldn’t have come from anywhere but the abyss; its tone was strangely immature, but at this point, Jae was so used to bizarre and unknown voices intruding on his mind that he barely noticed it.

“Woah. That’s a new one. What’s with me and all these voices, huh?”

It's really a good thing that I have that nullification skill...

[Apostle? Apostle. God? Sin? Sin. Name? Jae? Jae.]

“...Uh-huh. Listen, I’ve dealt with a lot of cheeky guys like you-- Hm?”

It was subtle, but all of a sudden, he could feel the magic energy within the scythe slowly increasing.

“This... What are you doing?”

Why is it's...?

[Jae. Jae. Jae.]

“Uh... Oh, no. Wait. Hold on, hold on for a second.”

Disregarding him completely, the intense magic energy continued to swell and rise, and alongside it, the pressure bearing down on Jae’s body only followed suit.

“Tsk, I said hold on!”

[Jae. Jae. Jae--]

“Shut! It! And! Wait...!”

He could only grit his teeth and protect his body with his own mana as the ramping pressure and energy grew increasingly worrisome. Tightening his grip on the scythe until it felt like his fingers would break, Jae belatedly realised the black smoke had enveloped him like a shroud.

Isn’t this more magic energy than me...!? Seriously, just what is this thing?!

With the thought that this was deserved for bragging about his amount of mana, Jae's cheeks flushed red with shame and fluster. Then, that shame quickly transformed into bitterness.

Glaring harshly at the scythe through the brief gaps in the swirling, vortex-like darkness, he noticed the red orb had opened to reveal a dragon-like eye with a golden iris and black pupil in the shape of a jagged slit.

[Jae. Jae. Jae.]

Jae and the eye stared at each other as it only called his name like a child. It felt like his eyes were being pierced and his soul looked into, but a weapon couldn’t have that kind of ability, could it?

“Tch... What do you want?”

[Jae. Help? Help? Please.]

...What?

The sudden request made him hesitate for a moment; perhaps it sensed that moment, as the scythe immediately used the opportunity to drive the message home.

[Please. Jae. Jae. Help.]

Jae looked at the raging storm of magic energy and darkness all around him, causing even the extremely magic energy-absorbent material to shake violently. The sheer amount of it that this scythe held and poured out endlessly, like a broken dam, was way more than he could have ever predicted.

And even now, it only continues to ramp up, more and more.

Jesus Christ... Forget baby dragon, this thing might be on par with the magic energy of a full-grown one of those lizards...!

Mustering all the strength he could to open his mouth without biting his tongue, Jae managed to spit something out even amid a magical tempest like this.

“Hey! If I agree to help, are you gonna calm down?!”

As if the darkness itself was swallowing the sound waves as they travelled through the air, he could barely make out his own voice, but he knew his words had some kind of positive effect as the severity of the storm seemed to lessen slightly.

[Jae. Help? Please?]

It’s working...!

“Yes, yes! I’ll help you, okay, so just calm down!”

Staring at Jae, the eye blinked and the storm dissipated in an instant. With all the magic energy being absorbed back into the scythe faster than it was generated, it gave the impression that the scythe pulled this scheme to get what it wanted from the beginning. Before he realised it, Jae was holding the weapon of mass destruction like nothing was wrong.

“...Oh? Wow. Fuh, it does feel different, doesn’t it?”

[Jae. Jae. When help? When help? Please.]

“......”

Glancing at the eye of the weapon that looked only at him, only one thought came to mind.

This thing really acts like a kid, huh? Throws a tantrum, then as soon as it calms down, only keeps bugging me for what it wants... Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

Either way, it was too late now, and to be honest, Jae thought it would be infinitely more relieving to carry something as dangerous as this with him than risk something unknown happening to it when the Dungeon collapses.

Since I don’t know what happens when it collapses, it could be that everything inside ends up outside, and if something like this ended up outside without some kind of guardian, things would get out of hand real fast.

In the end, he couldn’t regret it, even if he wanted to.

[Jae. Please.]

“Yes, yes. What help do you want?”

[Master. In trouble. Help. Please]

“What? Master...? Eugh.”

...Do I have to? The owner of a weapon like this can’t be anything good, right? But, how did it end up in the Sloth Dungeon to begin with...?

“Okay. Who’s your master?”

[...Master. Help.]

“Mhm. Well. That’s not very helpful, is it?”

[Jae. Help.]

“I know, stop asking. Do you know where your Master is?”

[Master. Master. Before leaving. “Stupid god”. “Must kill”. Master said.]

“...Ah. Right.”

Whoever this guy is, he went to try and kill a god but ended up going missing? So... What do you want me to do about that?

“Uh, for starters, why would he not just take you along with him? You seem like you would be able to get the job done pretty easily. And secondly, do I look like someone capable enough to help out? What exactly am I supposed to do here? It’s just not very realistic, is it?”

[No. Jae. Jae. Help. Please. Help. Help. Jae.]

As it spoke, the scythe’s magic energy suddenly began to whirl into action once more. Sensing the impending disaster, Jae hurriedly spoke up.

“W-wait! Haha, I never said I wouldn’t help, now did I? It’s just, uh... Going to take a little while. You understand, right?”

[You will? Help? You will? Thanks. Jae.]

“...Yeah. Yeah, I'll help. No problem.”

He couldn’t help but sigh.

Now that that’s finally over, that should be all there is here. Then, shall we get going?

“By the way, do you have a name?”

[Name? Name?]

“No? Well, that’s fine; I’ll just call you whatever.”

Maybe it’s for the best. Now that I think about it, I should really find a way to store this thing as soon as possible. Carrying it around with me is... Well, it wouldn't be a very good idea. Besides, it's way too damn big to use comfortably, anyway.

Making his way back to the boss room, disaster scythe in hand, Jae approached the blue exit portal.

“Let’s see where this one takes us then.”

Out of anywhere in the entire world the other side of the portal could drop him, Jae wished for a place close to wherever Asphal, the so-called Demon Country was. And out of every notable location in the world, there was but one place Jae didn’t want to go.

Seronia.

Just, please. Work out this one time.

Stepping through the portal with a silent prayer in mind, a feeling similar to the last time briefly washed over him. Opening his eyes, Jae found himself back in the ‘normal world’... And, as soon as he saw his surroundings, he frowned.

“...Oh, fuck off.”

A bleak environment full of dead trees―it wasn’t quite the same, but seeing as the species of tree was just the kind he knew exceptionally well by now, as well as the familiar consistency of the mud beneath his feet and the quality of magic energy in the air, Jae had more than just an inkling of where he wound up.

This damned forest again. But, something's weird...

“Hm. The magic energy around here is... Awful. Has this place been cursed?”

Sensing traces of dark magic energy, he thought it would explain the endless backdrop of barren trees, but why could he smell a faint smell of something pungent persisting throughout the forest, like iron? Looking up, he noticed a magic veil covering the entire sky.

“Oh, this... It’s a barrier? I’m inside a barrier?”

The type of magic used to create it couldn’t quite be discerned from down there, but judging by its pure, golden lustre, there weren’t many valid options for what it could be.

“Well, whatever. I can’t be bothered figuring out every little thing. It doesn't matter.”

Finally, having left the best for last, he turned to the stream of notifications that had appeared.

“Oh, my goodness... There sure is a lot. Let’s see...”

“Oh damn, max level? Hm...? Level limit increase? What, this is insane, isn’t it...?”

Jae predicted that Sloth as a skill would be acquired, but he didn’t think he would be given it at max level, and not only that, but he had his maximum level limit increased by a whopping fifty as well.

“It's fantastic. But, what’s this last thing...“

Somehow, he couldn’t help but get a bad feeling from the word ‘assimilation’. Regardless, he didn’t have long to worry about it, as his thoughts were interrupted.

Ba-dump-!

As soon as the notification appeared, Jae felt something like a switch flip inside him as he began to hear his own heartbeat.

Overcome by an abrupt surge of lethargy, he felt his eyes begin to close, and his body swayed.

“......”

Thud!

He collapsed powerlessly on the ground, his foggy mind only clouding over more and more.

Before he even had a chance to process it, Jae fell into a bottomless slumber.