A sawblade flew through the air at my head. But the moment it was about to connect, an arrow shot forth from the side, smacking the sawblade into the wall. Sparks flew, dust from the ground stone filled the air.

But I was fine. And also suddenly extremely thankful for the trait I had that basically gave me [Gamer's Mind] and prevented me from freaking out.

Because goddammit that was terrifying.

Freyr blinked, following close behind me and said, "You... are quite fearless, Vain."

I walked down the darkened hallway, carefully scanning the surroundings. "Not fearless. Just... You get used to it."

Or so I said.

I definitely *wasn't* used to it. But considering the harrowing experience that Freyr just went through, I figured she could use a bit of a morale boost.

...That, and I had the strange feeling that she had negative luck or something. A sort of gut intuition that we'd be triggering a lot more traps if she was in the lead.

Well, that's what I'd do in this situation anyway.

I didn't know her stats, but if I had to guess, I was fairly sure that Freyr was strong enough to no-sell every physical obstacle in her path.

Which was why the dungeon... or maybe the Administrators, would be chucking the 'other' things her way. The sort that would turn my life into an AO-rated game or X-rated film right away.

Well, that and Surtr seemed to really want to see Freyr in kinky situations considering the few traps that she *did* accidentally triggered were all H-game based.

Aphrodisiacs, squirming appendages, ropes... the usual.

Fortunately for the both of us, I had played a lot of-

...I had done enough research in the past to be aware of those traps.

Freyr tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear and said, "To get used to such perilous situations... Just what kind of life did you live before coming here, Vain?"

"A fairly ordinary one."

*click*

A faint silver flash in front of me. Eye level.

I raised Avalon in response.

*clang*

An arrow fell to the ground, bouncing off of Avalon.

And then I waited.

Immediately after, a flurry of spikes pierced the area in front of me before swiftly retracting.

Freyr's blue eyes grew wide.

I waited again and then smacked the wall on the right. It crumbled, revealing another passageway, lined with torches. And a bit further along, there was a crossroads in the passage, breaking out into three directions, left, right, and straight ahead from where the passageway led.

"You...?" Freyr shook her head and said, "How did you know there was a passage hidden there? [Analysis] showed that there was nothing ahead or in the surroundings..."

I started walking and said, "Don't rely on skills too much. At least, not unless you know how they work in and out. It's very easy to trick someone blindly believing in something they don't understand."

Like all those people who clicked on links that looked legitimate without checking the actual URL they led to. Or Apple users who thought there was no way for them to get a virus on their computer.

"Ah." Freyr looked at me and said, "Is that why I cannot read your status?"

I paused and raised an eyebrow.

She blushed and looked away. "M-My apologies. I could not resist."

I sighed and said, "I'll let it slide. I guess it's a good habit to get into... but you should be careful again. There are people who can hide from it, give false information, or even reflect it."

Freyr's eyes widened and then she looked at me with suspicion. "...Did you truly arrive here unaware? You seem to be quite experienced with this situation..."

"I did. But experience... Well, you can say that my world ran a lot of simulations to this sort of thing. A lot of us had way too much time on our hands, you see..."

Not to mention the dungeon was pretty basic. Anyone that played Dark Souls or those old dungeon crawlers would get a sense for what was going on.

...Though it was interesting. My luck stat seemed to cause most traps to malfunction or bring my awareness to them ahead of time to block.

The ones that did malfunction came out of the blue, but the ones where I had to defend against were predictable. Dead-ends, pitfalls, etc... the usual tricks that a dungeon crawler would have. The unpredictable ones were all insta-death sorts of deal or the awkward H-game ones.

Those instantly misfired whenever I ran across them... Which made me wonder if they weren't direct attempts to change my 'fate'. Like a predetermined outcome meant to kill me outright through direct divine interference.

And since I had maxed Luck, I was always able to defy Fate and Divine Machinations... Unlike Freyr who seemed to fall prey to them super easily.

I glanced back at her, frowning.

Freyr blinked. "What is it, Vain?" Her face grew serious and she said, "Is it a dangerous opponent? Another trap?"

I shook my head. "No. Just thinking that the bit about the heavens being jealous of beautiful women seems to be true."

"E-Eh? B-Beautiful?" Freyr blushed again and then shook her head, frowning. "A-Again with your words...!"

"And again, I'm being serious." I took the left intersection in the crossroads and then looked back again. "You know, if it wasn't for me being your partner here, I'm fairly sure you would have met a 'bad end' by now."

Freyr flinched. "T-That..."

"Hm?" I paused. "...What? Don't tell me that you really have insane bad luck or something." I frowned and then said, "Is it because you're an 'Aesir' like what Lucy said?"

Freyr blinked. "Lucy?"

"Ah." I coughed and said, "Force of habit."

From watching too many MegaTen speedruns where the runners got stalled on the big bad. I'd need to remember to not say that to his face.

The guy seemed like he'd get a kick out of it... but he also seemed like he might hit me with an almighty spell too. And while my luck was capped, I didn't like those odds.

Freyr sighed and said, "You really are..." She paused, as if unable to decide, and then said, "...different. You are different than most people. To speak of the Morning Star so dismissively... Well, I suppose it is your funeral."

I cleared my throat and said, "Anyway... About that bad luck?"

Freyr frowned and said, "...You discerned it correctly. Babel does not ordinarily allow Aesir to enter. As a result, while my combat powers are higher than most, my luck is... Let us say that the Fates have a higher command on my destiny than would otherwise be allowed."

"So... negative then. Around 100?"

Freyr's eyes widened and then she said, "Do you possess [Analyze] as well?"

"Pft, I wish. That'd make this a hell of a lot easier... But I just figured that was the most logical. Why else would you get paired with the weakest fighter here and randomly spring that trap?"

It was clearly rigged. If I was anyone else... Well, other than those MCs, Freyr would have died here. No, probably a fate worse than death. Maybe even turning into a big bad due to falling or something.

Either way, something was clearly out to get her.

Freyr frowned. "So you do not possess [Analyze]? But to perceive my Luck so accurately..."

"I just made a guess. You confirmed it."

Freyr stilled.

I sighed and kept walking. "You really need to be more careful... Or find someone to help you that can help you dodge all these pitfalls."

Freyr quickly followed after me and said, "Will you not?"

"Will I not what?"

Freyr grabbed my hand.

I blinked and looked up at her.

Freyr stared at me with her clear blue eyes and said, "Your keen intellect and perception have already saved me countless times. And you even..." She blushed and looked away, coughing. "I-In any case, you have helped me a great deal already. Would you continue to do so in the future? I may not be able to offer much in terms of rewards here, but I swear on my name that I will repay this debt."

A straightforward and clear offer.

Was this it? That recruitment phenomenon that the lords did in Fire Emblem?

I was tempted. I really was. But...

I shook my head. "You'll need to find someone else, Freyr. To begin with, I'm not a fighter, you know? Not only that, but I'll say right now that my stats are all pretty abysmal. Even by ordinary 'human' standards, they're pretty low."

Freyr shook her head. "It is fine! If that is your concern, we can find divine elixirs and do additional quests to give you bonus stats!"

A fairly desperate plea.

I frowned and said, "...Are you that lonely or something? You know, I might be a pretty bad person that's just taking advantage of you." I smirked and said, "What if I'm the person who ruined last stage by destroying the Dungeon Core?"

A test. Considering how upset she was back then, it would definitely give me a feel for her character. And from what I saw, she would definitely be upset and reject me-

"Then all the more so!" Freyr tightened her grasp and said, "I need someone like you at my side. So please, consider it!" She bowed her head.

I blinked and then let out a deep sigh. "Dammit. I raised the affection meter too high, didn't I?"

It seemed like I underestimated just how much of an impact I made on her heart with recent actions... Avoiding flags was hard.

Freyr looked up, tilting her head. "P-Pardon?"

I shook my head. "We can talk about this after we get out of here. It's bad luck to plan for the future when we're still in the depths of danger."

"A-Ah." Freyr slowly released my hand. "That... is true."

"Right. So first, let's find this Dungeon Guardian thing and take it out."

We continued forward in silence.

Another fork in the road. Left or right.

As per usual, I chose left.

Freyr noticed and frowned. "Vain. Is there a particular reason why we are going left and not right?"

"Yep." I nodded and said, "Unless the person in charge of this dungeon is an avid and adept game designer, they'll fall prey to the usual pitfall of making 'right' the designated path. And on the left side..."

Another fork turning left or right.

Again, I turned left. And when I did, there was a glittering treasure chest.

"...They'll hide the goodies."

Freyr smiled. "Wonderful!" She stepped forward. "Then let us see if-"

"Hold on." I grabbed her before she could reach it.

Freyr frowned. "What is the matter?" She pointed at the chest and said, "Surely you cannot believe that there will be a trap? It is a treasure chest."

"Did you get that from [Analyze]?"

Freyr shifted her gaze. "...Perhaps?"

I sighed and said, "Zap it."

Freyr blinked. "You wish for me to use my Azure Bolt to strike the treasure chest? But that will destroy-"

"Just do it."

Freyr frowned, hesitant.

"Look, if I'm wrong, we can still salvage the stuff inside. If I'm right though, you'll definitely be saved some humiliation and trouble."

"Me?"

"Freyr."

The beautiful silver-haired woman sighed and raised her sword. "Very well. I will trust you again, Vain. Then..." Lightning crackled around her sword.

I watched for a bit and then shifted my gaze to the chest, glaring at it. And just for good measure, I raised Avalon.

"Hah!" Freyr swung her sword. A bolt of blue lightning lashed out to strike the chest.

But instead of bursting into flames or falling apart, it shuddered and then sprang forward, suddenly growing in size and revealing a giant fleshy interior.

Freyr froze, caught off guard.

But I wasn't.

The moment the lightning struck, I moved. Pushing Freyr back, I held up Avalon and focused.

A tungsten wall, spread out from Avalon, appearing like the shield suddenly grew in size.

I stepped forward and then shoved, sending that tungsten wall forward and crashing against the mimic.

There was the sound of clattering wood and metal, something being crushed.

But I knew better than that.

"Freyr? Get ready for another blast... And please. Full power this time, alright? We don't need any more incidents."

Freyr blushed. "...My apologies." She raised her sword again, gathering lightning once more. But this time, it completely enveloped the blade, emitting a blinding blue light. "On your mark."

I nodded and then stepped back, dismissing the tungsten wall.

The mimic had been pressed against the wall, but mostly undamaged. Its wooden form was cracked, but it looked to be just superficial damage.

But it was dazed. And that was enough.

"HAH!"

Freyr shouted again and swung her sword.

This time, a giant surge of lightning, like what she used before in the battlefield swept out.

The darkness was filled with blue electricity, and the crackle of ozone filled the air.

At the same time, there was the sound of sizzling flesh... and then a soft 'snap'.

I squinted and carefully moved next to Freyr just in case. "You can stop now."

"Are you certain?"

"About... 90%."

"...Very well." Freyr stopped her attack. But at the same time, she quickly scrambled backward, hiding behind me.

I raised Avalon, staring at the wreckage. And then...

[Lustful Mimic has perished.]

[A Herald of the End rages.]
[A Trickster God laughs.]
[A Herald of the End challenges the Trickster God to a duel.]
[A Trickster God says he is wasting energy by announcing it to the world.]
[A Herald of the End has left the Channel.]
[A Trickster God smirks.]
[A Trickster God has left the Channel.]

[Your level has increased. Please confirm your status.]

...Well, that confirmed that the thing was dead. Though those messages...

I glanced at Freyr.

She stared back and then coughed before walking forward. "My apologies. It is just... my body moved before my mind could think when I saw that... thing's interior and I-"

I shook my head. "It's fine. But..." I glanced back at my messages and said, "Can you not see it?"

"Hm? You mean that the Lustful Mimic was defeated?"

"No, that- Actually, it's probably not too important."

Well, it was. But if Freyr couldn't read those messages, it was better to not tip my hand.

"Ah." Freyr nodded in understanding and said, "If you are worried about your status messages, I cannot see those."

"That's a relief." I smiled and said, "Not that I don't trust you, but..."

"I understand. Privacy is important... and I suppose it is fair considering how much I cannot tell you due to these constraints..."

Thank you again, [Man of a Thousand Faces] for letting me lie through my teeth like a natural.

"Anyway... Let's take a look at the loot." I turned my gaze forward towards the mimic's remains.

Within the ashes, something gold and glittering was hidden.

Freyr stared and then shifted. "...Should I step forward, or...?"

I laughed. "Don't worry. I'll grab it. Probably better for both of us."

If Freyr stepped forward, I had a feeling something ridiculous like a sudden pitfall would appear.

I walked towards the ashes and brushed them aside. When I did, I saw what the mimic dropped. A golden rosary around a platinum chain.

And the moment I picked it up...

[You have obtained Rosary of Purity.]

[Rosary of Purity is suitable material for A Different Path.]

[Would you like to create a conceptual weapon?]

...Eh?

-V-

[Status Screen]

-Biography-

Name: Vain Glory

Age: 20 (Adjusted)

Race: Human (Heaven Defying)

Current Condition: Healthy

-Racial Traits-

Divine Anathema - Those not only forsaken by their gods, but those who have killed their gods and constructed their own. Drastically reduces effectiveness of Divine Attacks. Minor probability of obtaining partial Divine Authority through analysis and perception. Greatly increased hostility by Divine Beings.

-Traits-

Man of a Thousand Faces (Can filter emotions and experience through personas)

Well-Read (Increased intelligence growth)

Self-Determined (Luck is treated as 100 for calculations)

-Titles-

World Creator (Minor) - Allows construction of non-magical items through one's will

Hero Creator (Minor) - Removes growth limitations on user and their allies

-Parameters-

Level: 5

Strength: 16

Agility: 18

Vitality: 13

Intelligence: 74

Mana: 70

Luck: 15 [100]

Bonus Stat Points: 15

-Skills-

No One's Story - A gambit that defies the gods through sacrificing one's identity and very memory. All attempts to scry your status are denied. Removes skill requirements. Memory and visualization abilities are enhanced.

A Different Path - Direct interference with a hero's fate, granting him a new path and divergent futures. Allows reproduction of 'conceptual weapons' provided the requisite materials. Allows reproduction of 'sword skills' provided the requisite understanding.

Flames of Muspell (Degraded) - A spark of the flames that will harken the end in Ragnarok. An authentic spark of the world-consuming flames that can burn even the divine. Immune to all but extreme temperature changes. Moderate resistance to Absolute Zero or Absolute Flame. Can summon a handful of Ragnarok's flames.

First Aid - A basic healing spell that stops bleeding and accelerates the body's natural regeneration.

Disengage - A skill that allows the user to immediately retreat from battle as well as return the user's condition to the state prior to engaging in combat. Can be used once per engagement per hostile opponent.

Loki's Blessing (Minor) - A blessing from the Trickster God, Loki. Can change and conceal one's appearance. Due to synergy with No One's Story, it is a flawless disguise, capable of fooling even Loki without intense scrutiny.

-Inventory-

Rosary of Purity x1