31 – Entering My Own Dungeon – 2

After dealing with one of them, the Flame Ghosts began to appear frequently.

According to Lucy’s explanation, a Ghost was a condensation of flame mana, so did having so many of them mean that the spirit was that powerful?

―Contractor, one appeared behind you too!

“Hostage, hide quickly! No, wait, are these guys getting reinforced in real-time?”

“Be careful!”

Whether it was out of good luck, or thanks to Gi-jun’s excellent provocation skill, Gi-jun passed by the boy, who was ignored and not attacked even by the Ghost that appeared from behind, and struck the Ghost.

Carefully, so they would not die in a single blow!

If Gi-jun’s race grade had been low, this place would have been a good hunting ground, but unfortunately, the Flame Ghost was only of the Uncommon grade.

Gi-jun began to feel increasingly foolish that he had to control his strength against such creatures, turning and shaving their bodies diligently just to leave only their cores beautifully intact.

Since Lucy had said so, they had to be needed somewhere, but…

‘Do I really have to do it this way? Isn’t it enough to just pull the core out of the body properly?’

After finishing his calculations, Gi-jun gripped his shield in an offensive posture.

Before learning offensive techniques using a shield, he had held a shield with a flat top and a pointed bottom like a kite shield in a standard upright position to easily block enemy attacks, and when attacking, he had frequently used a pattern of striking straight ahead or slamming it down from top to bottom.

However, after learning the offensive techniques, when he had to actively attack enemies, he would grip the shield so that its sharp bottom edge was positioned where his hand ended.

This was to make it easier to deflect the enemy’s attacks and immediately launch threatening counterattacks rather than just defending.

When he activated a skill by wrapping it in light, it truly looked as if a giant claw had grown from his hand.

Gi-jun had secretly called this the Zealot Form to himself.

―Contractor?

“Watch.”

Gi-jun, catching his breath, stared at the heart of the flickering and writhing Flame Ghost where the core was located, then rapidly thrust his shield forward as if firing a cannonball.

As the blood-red, cruel claw penetrated the inside of the Flame Ghost in an instant, the Ghost shrieked horribly, spewing flames and writhing—but Gi-jun remained unfazed, twisting and pulling it out at the perfect moment.

A red bead was perfectly caught within his shield.

It was a huge success.

―The Slaughter (R) skill has reached level 2!

―The Slaughter (R) skill has reached level 2!

As if scooping ice cream from a tub with an ice cream scoop, Gi-jun lifted the core he had scooped out from the Flame Ghost’s body with the sharp tip of his shield wrapped in light, showing it to Lucy with a boastful look.

“Did you see that?”

―How… is this possible? Even the quality is much better…!

“This is the true essence of the Slaughter skill.”

This was possible due to the harmony between Gi-jun’s high-level combat techniques, which could directly strike spiritual bodies, and the Slaughter skill, which specialized in butchering living enemies.

Once he got the hang of pulling out the cores, Gi-jun was unstoppable.

With skilled hand movements that made one wonder if he had been the ace of an ice cream parlor back on Earth, his skill in stabbing the body of every Ghost he met to accurately scoop out only the core was truly remarkable.

By now, it was neither combat nor hunting, but merely scooping ice cream.

―Level has increased to 2. Dexterity (L) has increased by 1, Light Mana (L) by 1, and Spiritual Power (L) by 1.

―Level has increased to 2. Dexterity (L) has increased by 1, Light Mana (L) by 1, and Spiritual Power (L) by 1.

After advancing through the ruins for some time, his level had finally risen by 1.

It was also a very joyful thing that only his Legendary-grade stats rose evenly.

However, apart from that, this ruin was not one that gave much of a feeling of exploration.

A straight line without a single trap.

Flame Ghosts that did nothing but rush blindly from the front, without even a trace of tactics.

An interior where the temperature rose steadily the further they went inside.

If not for Salutaris, which constantly drew in and circulated the surrounding mana, Gi-jun might have found it difficult to maintain Adamant.

“When we discovered the ruins, I thought it would be a more exciting exploration.”

―Perhaps, Contractor. In a slightly different sense, your heart might race.

Lucy said with a troubled expression.

By then, Gi-jun, who was relatively quick-witted, had also caught on, so he was frowning quite a bit, though.

“What should we do? Should we just go back?”

―Even if we go out, it won’t be very pleasant. It’s better to confirm it with our own eyes.

As both of their gazes landed on the boy quietly following behind them, he grew slightly tense and parted his lips.

“Um…?”

“Right now, you—no.”

While even Gi-jun, who was using Adamant, had beads of sweat on his forehead, the boy still did not show a single drop of sweat.

“Never mind. Just keep up.”

“Yes…”

Seeing the boy who did not even know what was strange about himself, Gi-jun clicked his tongue.

This was why one shouldn’t accept spirit-related quests.

Because you never knew where or how a landmine would pop up.

“Let’s go.”

―Yeah.

The long, long hallway soon came to an end.

At its end was a massive hall, and everything inside was made of flames.

Or rather, would it be more appropriate to say that what had ‘leaked’ from something in the center had dyed everything in flames?

“A cat…?”

A space that deserved to be called a nest of flames.

Lying in the center was a cat so small that it could easily fit on Gi-jun’s shoulder.

Perhaps the difference from a normal cat was that its body was entirely composed of flames, flickering like a heat haze even now.

―It’s a spirit. …It was once as powerful as I was, but it’s sleeping deeply in a weakened state after suffering a fatal wound.

Perhaps because it didn’t feel like someone else’s affair, Lucy muttered in a voice filled with emotion.

At that moment.

The boy, who had been staring intently at the cat, suddenly let out an exclamation.

“Ah.”

As if he had expected it somehow.

With a look of resignation.

The boy slowly walked forward before it.

“So that was indeed the case… I…”

And sighing deeply, he fell to his knees.

Before they knew it, the Ghosts that had appeared around them slowly approached and enveloped the boy.

Perhaps because they did not attack with hostility, the boy was not burned even while in contact with the Ghosts.

Well, of course, because the boy was also a Ghost.

The way he had shown fear and rejection before entering the ruins, as if he knew something.

The way he had become completely quiet and resigned once they actually entered the ruins.

The way he had walked with a calm face inside the ruins where even Gi-jun, who had a Rare-grade race, Unique-grade class, and at least Unique-grade stats, could not endure without activating Adamant.

The way the Ghosts that appeared inside the ruins did not attack the boy.

It was all because the boy was a Ghost.

“If it’s like this…”

Lucy added her words to Gi-jun’s soft murmur as he sighed quietly.

―All the villagers who said they sacrificed the boy must have been Ghosts as well. No wonder their attitudes were strange.

Thinking back, there was also something that was oddly out of focus.

Aside from calling the rampaging spirit ‘Lord Spirit,’ when Gi-jun and Lucy approached the ruins, they had shown signs of instinctive fear while mentioning the word ‘Master.’

Since the situation was so urgent when they entered the ruins, they had thought the two entities were the same, but they were not.

The Lord Spirit and the Master were separate entities.

Though even the villagers involved must have been confused.

“Did none of them know?”

―Of course. There is no way those who recognize themselves as Ghosts would do something like sacrificing a tribute. Probably… they won’t know until they face the spirit directly.

If they had waited until the villagers appeared, would Gi-jun have been invited to a village full of nothing but Ghosts who didn’t even know they were Ghosts?

Whatever he did there, in the end, it would have been a pointless effort.

If he had not discovered the ruins beforehand, there was even a possibility that he would have finished the quest without even knowing what he was doing.

―The spirit must have been asleep for a really… really long time. To the point where so many Ghosts gained self-awareness and even forgot that they were originally Ghosts.

“It wasn’t… that long.”

The boy, who had finally realized his true identity upon seeing the spirit that created him, parted his lips, which were still clinging to his body that was slowly being covered in flames.

“There is an existence that artificially induced us to live like this. An existence that made us believe we were living as humans, forgetting that we were Ghosts… So we, I, without even dreaming that I was such a futile, illusory existence—!”

―This is the worst!

Along with a shouting voice, as if trying to prevent the boy’s words from continuing.

A giant feline beast lightly revealed itself, landing as if to block the way between the spirit and Gi-jun.

It was making the same vicious voice he had heard before entering the ruins, but its form was not distinct enough to be called a spirit.

It looked as if it were forcing itself to imitate the flame cat spirit.

The moment Gi-jun thought, ‘As expected,’ the beast growled and shouted at him.

―To think you would return the sacrifice I painstakingly raised back to the master like this!

―As expected, you were a Ghost aiming for sublimation into a spirit.

Lucy seemed to have the same thought as Gi-jun.

―You tried to artificially grow the consciousness of other Ghosts and devour them to raise your own status. A sacrificial offering, you certainly came up with a tedious yet sure method.

―Because only then could I perfectly mature the sacrifice’s consciousness!

Gi-jun felt a headache coming on, listening to those words.

So right now.

The villagers who sacrificed the boy out of fear of the spirit were also Ghosts.

The boy who was sacrificed was also a Ghost.

The flames that attacked the boy before entering the ruins were also Ghosts.

The spirit that ordered them to attack the boy was also actually a Ghost.

While the spirit that had actually created them lay unconscious and unable to move due to its severe wounds, did this mean the Ghosts had been performing a well-scripted play among themselves?

“Is this a hidden camera prank?”

Watching Gi-jun lament, the beast shouted again with deep resentment.

―If I had only devoured that one, I could have become a spirit as well! You guys ruined everything! To think you would make me wait for another few years!

“Can’t you eat it now?”

―This ruin is our master’s domain, how could we attack each other within it! You ruined it, you ruined it!

Sure enough, Gi-jun could finally see the whole picture of this quest.

What if he had proceeded with the quest without knowing about the ruins and without any spiritual power, simply meeting the boy?

If he had failed to kill the beast, the beast would have eventually devoured the sacrifice and either become a spirit or a horrible boss monster.

If he had succeeded in killing the beast, the villagers, freed from the beast’s control, would have gradually realized their true identities and turned back into Ghosts, returning to the spirit’s embrace.

Seriously, there was no way out.

How nice of them to make him experience such an uncomfortable quest as soon as he dropped into Leta!

It was a relief that he had at least discovered the ruins and uncovered the full story.

―But you made a foolish choice. Because you set foot on your own in this place where I can grow stronger under the protection of the master!

The beast bared its teeth and shouted like a madman once again.

Its gaze was fixed on Lucy, who was emitting a bright light.

―Maybe if I devour a spirit, I can become a spirit too? Yes, I cannot devour the master, but there is no problem in devouring another spirit!

―You speak words that destroy yourself. How pitiful.

Lucy, confronting the beast—the Ghost—seemed to feel pity for it.

―Contractor, from the moment that child harbored ill intent toward spirits and nature, it could no longer become a spirit. …Please end it quickly.

―What do you mean, I can become a spirit! I will become a spirit and live eternally like my master――!

The beast charged, screaming.

For an instant, the creature swelled in size and looked like a storm of fire, but Gi-jun’s eyes did not miss the core glowing inside it, just like those of the other Flame Ghosts.

The King of the Well held in his hand, the red-dyed fangs of light.

Laden with his spiritual power and Light Mana, it extended sharply—biting it in a single breath.

And tore it out.

―Ka, kugh… I, also eternal… life…

There was no reason to listen to any more nonsense.

He had already long surpassed the appropriate level to conquer this ruin.

―You have defeated the Rare-grade boss monster Semifactus (semifáctus) in a single blow. You obtain experience points. You have obtained 500 points as a reward for defeating the ruin boss!

―Level has increased to 3. Strength (U) has increased by 1, Dexterity (L) by 1, and Spiritual Power (L) by 1.

―The Slaughter (R) skill has reached level 3, and the Moonlight Blood Fangs (L) skill has reached level 2.

―You have defeated the Rare-grade boss monster Semifactus (semifáctus) in a single blow. You obtain experience points. You have obtained 500 points as a reward for defeating the ruin boss!

―Level has increased to 3. Strength (U) has increased by 1, Dexterity (L) by 1, and Spiritual Power (L) by 1.

―The Slaughter (R) skill has reached level 3, and the Moonlight Blood Fangs (L) skill has reached level 2.

Gi-jun quietly looked down at the Rare-grade core in his hand, then put it into his inventory.

As he approached the ‘real’ spirit, the Flame Ghosts, including the boy who had realized his true nature, stood in his way.

“I’m sorry, but… you cannot go any further.”

It was a pained voice.

Perhaps he could not overcome his instinct; Gi-jun nodded in understanding, but he did not step back.

“I’m trying to heal the spirit. Even if I say this, you will still try to stop me, right?”

He snapped his fingers.

Chains of light shot out from the floor, the ceiling, and the walls in all directions, seizing and holding every Flame Ghost, including the boy.

The unique spirit arts, which had become Legendary-grade and named after his contracted spirit ‘Lucy’ instead of ‘Light Spirit Arts,’ possessed that much power.

“So I’ll just take care of it on my own.”

“Kugh, krgh――?!”

While the Ghosts were unable to budge, Gi-jun leisurely walked past them and placed his hand on the forehead of the small, wounded cat sleeping there.

―Can you do it, Contractor?

“Easily.”

He extended his spiritual power, which had reached the Legendary grade, toward the being before him.

Gi-jun began to commune with the flame spirit.