Kumodesu

After the commander's funeral, our group stayed here for a few more days to decide on the next steps.

That evening, I went to find the Vice Director , who was reading a book inside his tent.

"Vice Director ," I called out.

"What is it?" he responded, his eyes not leaving the book.

"I just wanted to check on how you're doing," I feigned innocence.

"Just speak your mind."

Seems like he knew I was pretending, so I got straight to the point.

"Vice Director , how did you know that the Scutigera King wouldn't be able to escape the valley?"

If he hadn't shouted at that moment, I wouldn't have dared to take such a risk.

The Vice Director put down the book and turned to look at me.

"This goes way back. I was fortunate enough to meet the 'Sage' Valltilas during my overseas studies. At that time, he was giving a lecture about a special type of energy known as 'Nihility.' I was unfamiliar with the name, so I signed up for the lecture."

"According to him, the energy called 'Nihility' has existed for a very long time, but to this day, no living creature has been able to fully harness it. Throughout history, there have been many experiments, but the most promising result humans achieved was infusing a minute fraction of this energy into a living organism. Initially, the creature would gain immense power, but its body would be gradually eroded and die after three days."

I listened attentively, not missing a single word. To me, this was something entirely new and fascinating.

"Did he say where this energy came from?" I asked.

"The Island of Death!"

I shuddered at the name.

No one doesn't know of the 'Island of Death'—one of humanity's two 'Special Forbidden Zones.' No one has ever returned alive from there—not even a corpse has ever been found.

"He went there himself?" I asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure, but according to him, the concentration of Nihility on the Island of Death is so dense that even entering within a hundred miles of it starts to corrode the body."

"Seriously? Not even the skill [Corrosion Resistance] can withstand it?" I asked in disbelief.

The Vice Director thought for a moment and continued, "According to the Sage, even someone with the highest level of [Corrosion Resistance] could only make it about fifty miles in. Any deeper, and they wouldn't survive."

An energy that could surpass high-level skills? This was beyond anything I'd ever imagined.

I waited silently for him to continue.

"The Curse Zone on both sides of the Black Continent also originates from this Nihility. He said that this energy is somehow slowly spreading, leading to areas becoming 'Cursed.' That's why I suspected the curse at Stage Three also came from this Nihility."

I took a deep breath.

"So, does that mean the Scutigera King managed to absorb this energy?"

"I don't think so," the Vice Director lit a cigarette and continued.

"Later on, the Sage also mentioned that any creature which absorbed Nihility would become bound by it in some mysterious way. As evidence, within a hundred miles around the Island of Death, there are still living creatures. Their strength is far beyond those found elsewhere, but they are unable to leave the area. If they could absorb the power and still escape, the world would've ended already"

"He speculated that only when a creature fully assimilates Nihility will it break free of the binding—but that has never happened. That creature now has only two paths: either completely accept the power and escape, or be eroded to death."

My mind was spinning with all this information.

The power of Nihility...

"Thank you for answering my question," I said and left, with a sense of unease rising in my chest.

Sage Valltilas...

According to the information I had, he was once appointed as the Prime Minister of Lubberia. He even married into the King family and changed his surname, but later left—and the two sides seem to hold a grudge.

This wasn't that long ago either—if I remember correctly, it was only around ten years ago.

Sage Valltilas is one of the seven Sages from the Murent Association, a mysterious sect that rarely shows itself to the world. Even Lubberia treads carefully around them, which says enough about their power.

In truth, the title 'Sage' is self-appointed, but each person who carries it possesses extraordinary power and knowledge, so the title has gradually gained public recognition.

Sage Valltilas was the most recent to emerge from the Murent Association. Within just a few years, he became widely known for his research and writings about the world.

Most recently, he served as a professor at Kamar Academy, but later vanished without a trace.

The more I learned about Sage Valltilas, the more fascinated I became. He was truly a remarkable individual.

As for the energy known as Nihility, I'll delve into it after finishing the Magic Tool project. Though I'm not sure I'll discover anything, my curiosity won't let me ignore it.

We're about to resume our journey, so I need to refocus.

Even though I'm officially a researcher, the death of the commander left us severely understaffed in combat, so I must be ready to fight at any time.

Finally, after four days of rest, we set off again.

According to our initial plan, we would have reached the Great Dungeon Ebrinat in 34 days. But due to various incidents, we were delayed here for more than 20 days. Now, we still need over 20 days to reach our destination, but we'll stop at nearby cities along the way to replenish manpower and supplies.

It may seem wasteful to keep replenishing after suffering losses, but there's no other choice. If this journey was dangerous, entering the Great Dungeon will be at least ten times more deadly, so we must prepare carefully.

Thankfully, the road ahead was free of major problems, and we reached the destination without further setbacks.

Over 40 days on the road—it was truly a memorable journey.

We set out with around 500 people, but now our numbers have grown to 600. Still, many of the original members have been replaced.

At the Great Dungeon, Lubberia has a stationed garrison of nearly a thousand troops, so with our current numbers, we felt somewhat reassured.

"We've arrived. Everyone rest for a day. After that, we'll discuss entering the dungeon," Charlot said.

Suddenly, a sense of nervous anticipation welled up in my chest, and I didn't know what to do with it...

Early the next morning, a meeting was held by the commanders of this expedition to decide on the roster and number of people who would enter the Dungeon—since it wasn't feasible to let several hundred people go in at once.

There were no surprises during the meeting, so it concluded quickly. The number of people entering was set at around 200.

I had already estimated it, but it was still more than I expected.

There were a total of eight researchers on this journey, including the Vice Director , but only four of us would go inside this time—naturally, that included Seryl and me.

As for Seryl, I had previously requested Charlot to allow her to join the expedition because I didn't feel comfortable leaving her outside alone.

I wasn't sure if this was the right decision. Sometimes humans can be far more ruthless than any creature. While doing this might expose her to danger, I would protect her no matter what.

Seryl agreed with the decision, so there was nothing more to discuss.

All the mining equipment had been prepared. The main goal of this expedition was Uranium and Ranturium, which only appear from the 13th floor onward, and are most abundant on the 25th floor. The materials dropped by monsters were also valuable, so I figured battles would be unavoidable.

I needed to prepare a few secret weapons for myself as well.

Remember the improvised bomb I used when escaping from the Scutigera King? Back then I rushed its construction, so it wasn't properly finished—the damage was unregulated, and the detonation timing wasn't precise. But this time, I would optimize it as much as I could.

It still couldn't be called a magic tool, since it was crude and limited in function. I had synthesized and created it myself during research, so it was more like a personal weapon than something taken from the lab.

I also needed to make it smaller.

The space inside the Dungeon was very different. A large explosion could lead to unpredictable consequences, so I had to adjust it to maximize damage while minimizing destructive force.

With limited time, I could only make around ten of them. The rest would depend on the situation.

Finally, it was time to depart. A large group stood at the entrance of the Dungeon and began moving in.

In the early floors, the creatures weren't particularly strong and mostly roamed alone, making them easy to deal with. However, stronger creatures from the lower floors sometimes surfaced to hunt, and I hoped we wouldn't run into any of them.

The Great Dungeon Ebrinat was unique in that the creatures here reproduced and evolved extremely quickly. Even if we cleared out the first floor completely, it would be repopulated within half a month.

This was convenient for material collection, but since the materials here weren't that critical, we just cleared it once before moving deeper.

Oh, and there was also a group of nobles in this expedition team.

At first, they objected to entering the Dungeon, but they were forced to comply by the combined pressure from the Vice Director and Charlot.

I wasn't too worried about the surroundings, but I didn't trust them at all.

Ever since they tried to make autonomous decisions back in the valley, I'd been wary of them. But since nothing happened on the way, they didn't dare stir trouble again.

Whatever. As long as they didn't cause problems for me, I had no reason to bother with them.

We reached the second floor after a day.

While the creatures on the first floor were weak, their numbers were absurd, forcing us to fight for several hours straight, which meant we needed more rest.

We were already exhausted just from the first floor. On the upside, the materials we gathered were worth it, so I considered it a fair trade.

I didn't engage in much fighting yesterday—mainly I focused on protecting Seryl from any harm. Occasionally, I threw out chains to assist others.

Before we entered, Charlot had reminded me that with powerhouses like us, it was better to conserve strength during the early floors and be ready for emergencies instead of fighting too much.

I agreed with her, so I followed that advice.

Not long after, someone suddenly shouted.

"It's a Snar Fle!" someone yelled.

I saw a man with a creature clinging to his head—its shape resembled a giant flea. These monsters usually hid on the ceiling and dropped down to attach to victims' heads, killing them by suffocation.

I aimed carefully and threw a knife, killing it instantly. The man gasped for air in panic, as if he had just returned from the dead.

They had already started showing up by the second floor, so we had to be more vigilant above our heads. To keep Seryl safe, I made a stone umbrella to shield her.

"Why not shield yourself too?" she asked.

"If I do, I won't be able to see what's going on outside," I replied with a smile.

"There's no need to be this cautious, you know."

"Why not? Your safety comes first, Miss Seryl."

"Why?" she asked with a smile.

I hesitated, then said, "Because you're a researcher."

"But so are you."

I coughed awkwardly. "I can defend myself, so I'll be fine."

"Then shouldn't you be protecting others too?" she continued.

She clearly knew why I was doing this but still pressed on.

"I'd like to, but the umbrella isn't big enough. I'll save them if needed."

That's about it.

Seryl finally let it go and turned her gaze forward.

Midway through the second floor, we encountered a large battle when we stumbled upon a Baboon Hawk nest. There were so many of them that they attacked us immediately. One of them was a mutated Baboon hiding among the group.

It looked just like the others, and it hid itself well, so we didn't detect it at first. But when it tried to ambush Charlot, the Vice Director noticed and stopped it in time.

He and Charlot then ganged up on it.

The smaller Baboons were a pain too—they liked to attack in groups and would flee if overwhelmed. Some even threw rocks from a distance, making things harder for us.

I maintained my position, doing everything I could to shield Seryl. Occasionally, rocks would fly my way, but they weren't a problem.

I killed a few monsters using my tools, but my primary role was to protect Seryl and watch for another mutant.

If there was one, there might be a second.

We had encountered this kind of situation before, so during battles I was assigned to observe and react quickly if another mutant appeared. This fight lasted over two hours and only settled once the mutant was slain, prompting the rest to scatter and flee.

This time, we lost 42 people and over a hundred were injured, so the entire group had to halt for treatment.

Seryl and I were probably the least harmed among them.

I glanced at the nobles.

During the battle, all they did was run around trying to hide. Some even used their servants as human shields in desperation, which cost those servants their lives.

I had deliberately herded them toward areas swarming with Baboons to force them to fight. They had skills, but lacked experience, so they fumbled around. Some were injured badly.

Charlot wasn't good at managing that bunch, and the Vice Director didn't care unless they caused a scene—so normally, they acted freely.

Still, I wasn't going to let it slide so easily.

During the previous mutiny, a few of them had tried to use researchers as hostages to threaten Alger, but thankfully, those researchers escaped in time.

Even if they didn't act on personal motives, the fact that such thoughts existed meant I wouldn't forgive them. They feared me because of what I'd done before, so as long as I was around, they wouldn't dare touch the researchers.

After half a day of rest, we continued on, though most weren't fully recovered. The longer we stayed here, the more time we gave the monsters to regroup—so it was best to push forward and get out quickly.

We arrived at the third floor.

The Snar Fle were showing up more frequently—every few steps, someone would have one latch onto their head. I had already killed quite a few, but their numbers kept rising.

Recently, one of the nobles got one stuck on his head, and everyone panicked, rushing to help because of his status. But the Snar Fle clung too tightly, and he ended up dying.

Truthfully, he could've been saved—but those who could have helped pretended not to notice.

I don't think I need to say who that was.

With the first noble dead, the rest exploded in outrage, going to Charlot and the Vice Director to complain about the lack of protection—but no one paid them any mind.

Charlot simply drew her sword, and they immediately cowered in silence.

For now, the situation calmed down, but I knew their rage was boiling inside. During past battles, I had "accidentally" steered them into dangerous spots, and with someone now dead, their frustration finally erupted.

After six exhausting days, we finally reached the fourth floor.

It wasn't particularly difficult, but it was incredibly annoying. Every time we made some progress, a group of monsters would appear to block our path. If we fought them off, they would just retreat and return later with reinforcements. Several people had already lost the ability to fight due to ambushes, but thankfully, no one had died.

Just one more floor and we'd arrive at the first strange zone—The Spirit Forest.

This floor was only inhabited by spirits, and since they were generally friendly, we planned to use this place as a resting base before continuing. Starting from the sixth floor, the monsters would live in packs and appear in more diverse forms, so any additional preparation would be essential.

And at last, after two more days, we made it through the fourth floor and reached the fifth. The terrain here was unique: instead of rocky caverns, we were surrounded by grass and trees. More surprisingly, the area was filled with light.

A mysterious source of light.

To this day, no one knows exactly where the light comes from. Some claim it's the power of the spirits, while others believe it's from a rare luminescent mineral. Either way, the brightness was welcome—it made things more convenient. The terrain was wide and flat, ideal for habitation. As long as you didn't go deeper, one could even live here permanently.

Even though the spirits were said to be friendly, we remained cautious. We couldn't be certain that some rogue beasts hadn't wandered into their territory.

Spirits were unique beings without physical forms like normal creatures. You couldn't normally see them unless you had vision-enhancing skills, or unless they chose to reveal themselves.

We set up a temporary camp to rest and inventory our collected materials. Thanks to Alger's item transfer skill, we didn't have to carry piles of loot ourselves.

That skill was incredibly useful, but Alger said it only worked up to the thirteenth floor. Beyond that, we'd need to find another solution.

Before long, the spirits really did show themselves.

Strangely, I felt a deep unease the moment I saw them.

One of them, a white spirit, had no distinguishable facial features besides a mouth. Its entire body was white, relatively small, and untouchable. It stood at a distance, watching us silently until someone noticed it and greeted it. Only then did it approach, making a few simple gestures in return.

These things were surprisingly intelligent.

Its mouth remained fixed in a smile the entire time. On the surface, it looked harmless—but to me, that smile felt... wrong.

I instinctively stepped back, only to feel a small hand tap me from behind, sending a chill down my spine.

I spun around to find another spirit.

It had only meant to startle me, but for a moment, I truly felt like death had brushed past. This one was yellow and shaped like a cute little girl, yet I couldn't see it that way at all.

More and more spirits gradually appeared.

They spread out and interacted with our people. All of them looked like children with a single common feature—their always-smiling mouths. Suddenly, someone cried out—not in pain or fear, but in excitement. They had just formed a contract with a spirit.

This wasn't unusual. Spirits often sought out humans to make contracts with. They needed MP from the contractor to grow stronger, and in return, they lent their elemental powers.

Each spirit specialized in a different element—fire, water, earth, wind, lightning… Some could even master two elements. The most exceptional of all was the Spirit Queen, said to command all elements.

I had only heard rumors of her. No one had seen her in person. The only clue was that she supposedly resided in the heart of the Ryokuya Forest—one of humanity's Forbidden Zones.

Back to the present, the person who had just made a contract with a spirit was one of the nobles—Muos Trabys, son of Viscount Trabys.

His status wasn't especially high among the nobles, but now he was practically soaring. The moment he received his new power, I noticed him glancing at Alger with malice.

Looks like trouble was on its way for Alger.

Suddenly, a wave of pain surged through my head, making me dizzy.

Strange...

I was in perfect health—no injuries—and had several body-enhancing skills active. There was no reason for a headache to hit me like this.

Something felt off ever since we entered this place.

It was like countless eyes were watching us—not just me, but the whole group. That gaze... it was like being stalked by a predator.

Feeling uneasy, I sat down under a nearby tree.

Seryl walked over and sat next to me.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Instead of answering, I asked, "Seryl, how do you feel right now?"

She looked down slightly. "I don't know why, but my heart has felt uneasy ever since we came in. I can't explain it."

So she had a similar reaction, though not exactly the same.

"What do you think of these spirits?"

"They're just like the ones described in books. This is the first time I've seen them myself, so I'm not sure what to think."

I looked up at the sky—or rather, the ceiling of the fifth floor—and muttered, "I hope I'm just being paranoid."

While talking to Seryl, Charlot and the Vice Director came over.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

Their expressions were serious—especially the Vice Director , who was usually indifferent. Now, even he looked grim.

"Do you feel anything strange?" Charlot asked.

So they felt it too.

I nodded.

"My eyes feel so tired for no reason," Charlot said. "And the Vice Director 's been constantly sleepy."

I glanced at Seryl, then at the others. The four of us looked at each other in silence before I said, "This isn't a good place to talk."

Everyone nodded in agreement and left quietly.

Meanwhile, more people successfully contracted with spirits—mostly soldiers or noble retainers.

Some of them, who had been humble and obedient before, now looked arrogant. Even the formerly loyal servants now had a glint of superiority when they looked at their masters.

At this rate, I wasn't sure who would get stabbed in the back first.

Regardless, Charlot's unease prompted us to move on the next day. Those who had formed contracts could bring their spirits with them.

And so, we headed into the sixth floor.

We hadn't gone far before we had to fight.

This time, it was a pack of Hounds—large, bipedal beasts with tough hides and twin horns on their heads. Their most dangerous trait was a bleeding effect in their attacks, causing anyone hit to bleed continuously. If the bleeding wasn't stopped in time, most would die before the final blow landed.

Luckily, we only encountered a pack of twenty-three, which we managed to eliminate. Still, the battle cost us several lives.

As usual, I stayed close to protect Seryl, but those who had contracted with spirits now fought with fierce enthusiasm. Just a few days ago, they had hidden behind others like cowards. Now they fought with sharp instincts and experience.

Once the battle ended, they were showered with praise from the others, and they began to act smug.

That unsettling feeling returned to me, along with a dull headache.

I shouldn't dwell on it too much.

We continued moving, but halfway through the sixth floor, we encountered another problem.

Before us was a massive lava lake, glowing red like a creature's breath. The heat distorted the air, and beneath the molten surface, fire lizards lurked in silence—making any attempt to cross extremely risky.

There was no natural path connecting both sides, so we had no choice but to make one ourselves.

I used my earth manipulation skills to form a stone bridge. But upon testing, I realized it wasn't stable—one small misstep could send us all plunging into fire. I had to dismantle it and start over.

After carefully examining the lake's structure and multiple trials, I finally built a path stable enough to support our group. However, the bridge was jagged and winding like a coiled serpent—not the straight route everyone expected.

The others were confused by the strange shape, even suspicious—but I couldn't be bothered to explain. The terrain underneath was extremely complex, with certain sections being hollow or too thin to support weight. A straight path would have been suicide.

Fire was our team's weakness. Few had the [Fire Resistance] skill, so the risk was immense.

And a lava lake this large almost guaranteed the presence of a mutant variant. Sensing the escalating danger, we paused our advance to hold a strategy meeting.

Great. Another meeting...

I sighed inwardly.