Chapter 537: Dungeons and Chaos 3

Haah…

With a small sigh, Emilia pulled her knees close, wrapping her arms around them as she sat near the modest bonfire crackling in the center of their temporary camp.

The fire’s warmth was comforting, but it barely eased the fatigue in her body.

The shadows of the forest beyond the clearing seemed to press in, their edges softened by the flicker of orange light.

She had known—of course she had—that dungeon clearing would be exhausting. But she hadn’t expected it to feel so… surreal.

It wasn’t just the constant threat of monsters, their snarls echoing in the dark.

It was the way the air itself seemed to change from one step to the next, the abrupt shifts in temperature and atmosphere—like walking through a string of miniature worlds stitched together, each obeying its own strange rules.

The dungeon was alive in its own way, and it seemed to take a quiet pleasure in testing them.

Her mind wandered back to before they entered.

“Saintess, please let us come with you…!”

“It is our duty to protect you—please, reconsider!”

“B-But the great mother—”

“It is precisely because the goddess asked this of you that our presence must be nearby!”

Emilia could still see their faces—Amon and Anna—her two loyal personal guards, practically pleading with her in the gilded halls of the Saintess’s chambers.

“Sorry, Amon, Anna, but I really must do this alone!” she’d insisted, forcing a bright smile she didn’t quite feel. “D-don’t worry, hehe… it’s not like I’m really alone. I’ve already asked Senior Lucas to cooperate, and Vanny’s by my side. My friends will be there too—you know how strong they are. You don’t need to worry so much.”

“At least let us assign a paladin near you,” Amon had pressed.

“You can’t!” she’d said, more sharply than she intended.

It had taken far more persuasion than she’d expected to convince them, and even then, their reluctance had lingered in their eyes as they finally stepped aside.

She still felt a pang of guilt for leaving them behind… but this was something she had to do.

Not for herself, not for glory or recognition—but for the sake of the world.

“I really got spoiled by them…”

Emilia murmured the words almost to herself, her voice barely louder than the whisper of the fire.

The thought warmed her chest and ached at the same time.

Ever since childhood, she had been surrounded by care—shielded, guided, protected at every turn.

It wasn’t that she was ignorant of how the real world worked; she understood it, at least in part.

But living it, standing here in a dungeon where one wrong step could mean death… was something else entirely.

Purify the tainted story, deep inside an endless pit of incarceration.

The goddess’s words returned to her—a single sentence, delivered in a voice that was neither gentle nor harsh, but absolute.

She still couldn’t fully grasp their meaning.

An “endless pit” could mean anything… and yet, the one part she could understand was clear enough: if something needed purifying, it was her duty—her responsibility as the Saintess of this world—to see it done.

“Can’t sleep?”

The low, even voice pulled her from her thoughts. She turned, startled, to see a familiar figure.

“Ah—Senior Lucas.”

He was sitting on a flat boulder opposite her, the campfire between them painting his features in shades of gold and shadow.

His eyes—already sharp—caught the light like molten metal.

“You should go ahead and sleep, Sain—” He paused mid-word, correcting himself with a faint smile. “—I mean, junior Enna.”

“Hehe… it’s fine, Senior. I just woke up a short while ago.”

“Is that so?” He shifted slightly, leaning his forearms on his knees. “Since time flows differently in every dungeon, it would be best if you stayed well-rested—unless you want to get dungeon sickness.”

“I appreciate the concern, but you don’t need to worry, Senior,” Emilia replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. “My body’s been trained to wake at this hour no matter what—it’s when I pray. Maybe you should go rest. There’s still plenty of time before the next guard shift, and I may not be that useful in combat, but my danger sense is top-notch, you know!”

Lucas’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m your party’s guardian right now,” he said simply. “Sleep isn’t something I can afford in a place like this.”

The fire cracked softly between them, filling the silence that followed.

For a short while, they stayed like that—neither speaking, only listening to the quiet pop and crackle of the fire while lost in their own private thoughts.

Lucas’s gaze eventually drifted from Emilia to the rest of their party. Stacia, Vanessa, Flamme, and Reina all lay scattered near the camp perimeter, sleeping soundly, their breathing slow and even.

A faint ripple of mana stirred the air.

Lucas raised his hand slightly, and a dome of golden light shimmered into existence around them—thin and translucent, yet dense enough to muffle sound beyond its boundaries.

The warmth it radiated felt different from the fire; it was cleaner, almost sacred.

Reaching down, Lucas rested his fingers on the hilt of his pristine white sword, his expression hardening. His golden eyes locked onto Emilia’s.

“Saintess…”

“Hn?” she responded, tilting her head.

“We can speak freely now.”

“Ah…” Emilia murmured, noticing the faint hum of the divine barrier. “You really didn’t need to, you know, Senior. Everyone in this group already knows my true identity…” She hesitated, then added softly, “…except for Stacia. But honestly, I think she’s already guessed.”

“Even if that’s the case,” Lucas said, his voice low but firm, “I don’t think this topic is for all ears to hear. Right?”

“…Yes.”

His gaze sharpened further. “Did the goddess give you the same warning as well?”

“Yes,” Emilia admitted. “Though I’m still… having trouble interpreting it. What about you, Senior?”

Lucas’s hand tightened slightly around his sword’s hilt. “The holy sword is guiding me toward the source of evil. But it’s also warning me—very clearly—to proceed with caution… and to escape the impossible.”

“I see…” Emilia’s brow furrowed, her mind turning over the meaning.

“Do you think it’s the demonic worshippers again?” Lucas asked, his tone clipped.

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “The chances aren’t slim… but I don’t think they’d move this fast after what happened at the academy. Their failure would have set them back years—maybe decades—from ever summoning another high-ranked demon.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“And if it were demonic worshippers… you and I would’ve noticed their stench by now. It’s impossible to hide.”

…

Deep inside a lightless cave, the air itself seemed to rot.

Thick, writhing streams of black energy slithered along the jagged walls—coiling, uncoiling, and twitching like colossal centipedes.

At times they split into wriggling tendrils, each one quivering with a hunger that felt almost alive.

At the cave’s heart, a sickly red glow pulsed.

It came from a knot of darkness where the black energy was thickest, swirling around a pale, two-meter-tall humanoid figure.

Its body was grotesquely long-limbed—six limbs in total, each joint bending too far in one direction, then too far in the other.

In its upper right hand, it clutched a crimson-stained book, its pages covered in jagged runes that seemed to squirm when glanced at for too long.

The thing’s smile stretched unnaturally from ear to ear, revealing teeth far too sharp and far too many.

Bloodshot eyes, wide and unblinking, scanned the cave as though savoring every shadow.

Floating lazily at its side was a small, spherical orb of deep red. Inside that orb, shifting images flickered—like a living mirror.

The vision inside was crystal clear: a certain group of young students resting around a modest bonfire, their voices faint but audible.

The creature’s smile twitched. Its gaze sharpened on the two figures who spoke quietly together, their presence radiating a light nearly equal to its own oppressive power.

“…CHILDREN… OF THE GODDESSSSS…?”

it rasped, each syllable drawn out, wet, and heavy, as though its throat was coated with blood. The sound wasn’t so much spoken as it was leaked into the air.

Its clown-like features creased in something between suspicion and delight… before the mouth split into a wild grin again.

“…FINEEEEEE… FUN!!!”

Whether they posed a threat or not was irrelevant. Its father’s orders were absolute. And the orders were clear.

“NOW~ NOW~ NOW~… PLAY~ PLAY~ PLAY~…”

The orb shifted, its view panning across the sleeping group until it settled on a beautiful young girl lying in the fire’s glow, her breathing calm, her expression unguarded.

The creature’s grin trembled with anticipation. She was weakened here—her power slumbering, vulnerable. Easy prey. The kind of prey he could savor.

“…Stacia… Alger… Del Luna… she’s one of Riley’s many lovers…. I-I think?” it hissed, drawing out her name like a caress.

The memory of his followers’ earlier report echoed in his skull.

Since its target was known to share his heart with many lovers… the clown had many options to choose from….

But directly going after the most cherished bait would be boring….

Step by step.

It wanted to enjoy the ladder of tragedy it was about to release….

Snow… Rose…. Alice…. Seo…. Reina…..Krista….

There were still many names it can pluck and play with.

It’s play was just the start.

STORRRYYYY…

UNFOLD.

And with that, the black energy around him writhed faster, as though eager for the curtain to rise.

[Domain of Stories activated!]

…..

Inside a cramped cave high above the jagged cliffside of the Rocken region, the air was thin and dry, laced with the faint metallic tang of dust and wind-borne grit.

From my perch, I could see the six figures below—tiny from this height—resting in the open space near their campfire, unaware of the eyes on them.

“Master…” a low voice called from behind me, careful not to let the sound carry down the cliff. “It’s making its move…”

I didn’t take my eyes off the group.

“It’s fine.”

Lavine’s voice rose a fraction, strained with disbelief.

“Huh? Are you serious? I don’t know if you’re reckless or just plain dense, but that thing—is practically on the same level as a Demon King.”

“Yes,” I said flatly. “But that’s not our priority right now. With Lucas and Emilia there, it can’t act too boldly. Not yet.”

“Even if we stepped in, it would be pointless. Worse—if I intervened now, I’d only slow Stacia’s growth.”

“For now,” I said, turning back to the cliff’s edge, “we stick to the plan.”

“…What plan do you mean, Master?”

I rose to my feet, the cave’s dim light casting long shadows against the rock.

As I reached into my cloak, my fingers brushed cold leather.

Slowly, I pulled out my black mask and fitted it over my face.

A faint chime echoed in my head—no sound in the air, only inside my mind.

[Note: Blessing User — Blessing change in progress…]

[User confirmation required for Blessing change.]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

Yes.

[Note: Blessing of Change — temporarily disabled.]

[Second Blessing within User — Awakened.]

[— “Blessing of Death”—Partially Activated!]

[Blessing sequence interrupted. Progress halting.]

[Divine Title and Authority updating…]

[Warning: It is advised not to alter Blessing sequence during current Soul Sequence progression.]

[Current Soul Sequence progress: 15%]

My actions tonight might seem cruel to them.

But with Erenil’s presence already stirring in the distance… I realized one thing I can’t beat her alone.

That restrained feeling of helplessness in front of her never ceases.

She was literally the end.

And….

The dear protagonist of this world—Lucas—needed to be ready.

Ready to face a god.

For the happy ending I seek for everyone.

I needed to get stronger… and what better way to get stronger than EXP farming right?

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