Pretending Not to Hurt, But It Seems Painful

Vampires feed on humans.

In that sense, the mountain of bones and corpses behind the garden—it’s not hard to imagine that this is a dumping ground used by ‘vampires.’

And right now, Liberas is illuminating that rubbish heap with light.

“The light is following us!!”

“Calm down, Barkal.”

Startled by the phenomenon, Barkal shouted into the air, but I calmed him down.

After that, I spoke to Serena.

“What you seek is here.”

The reason Serena came to the Rozelia region.

When she heard me, her eyes wavered slightly. But soon, she regained her composure.

A mountain of skulls right before her.

With ‘Liberas’ shining down on it, she had to suspect what sort of end had befallen the person she was looking for.

She slowly stepped forward.

As Serena took her first step onto the pile of skulls, the sound of a dry branch snapping split the silence.

Click, clatter.

With each step, the sounds changed.

There was a ringing like a hollow bell, and a crumbling sound as well.

“What are you trying to say?”

However, there was a problem.

Who Serena was looking for likely died some time ago.

Even if they were buried in this mountain of skulls, it’s uncertain whether they could be identified.

“What is it you want from me, Lord Liberas!”

Serena cried into the air, as if in prayer.

No answer came back.

Or perhaps, Liberas was answering, but we just couldn’t hear it.

― Master.”

While I was silently watching Serena, chunsik approached me.

What is it?

Looking at him, wondering that, I saw Chunsik gazing at the coffin that held the Vampire Lord.

― I can feel it inside. A familiar energy, I mean.”

A familiar energy?

Ah.

At his words, I thought of the ‘Rune of the Abyss’.

I momentarily left the pile of skulls and walked over to the coffin. Withered roses were crushed under my feet, but I didn’t care and looked inside the coffin.

Inside lay a heap of ashes that seemed to be the former Vampire Lord.

“This is…”

And among them, something like a human wrist was visible.

Ugh.

It’s really a human wrist.

I frowned, but didn’t feel much beyond that.

What mattered was the feeling of the ‘Rune of the Abyss’ I sensed from the wrist.

Bzzzz.

As if to confirm my suspicion, the tattoo on my left wrist began to emit a faint light.

Without a doubt.

The thing carved into this wrist is a tattoo that, like mine, can store the ‘Rune of the Abyss’.

Which means.

This ‘wrist’ belonged to someone like me—a ‘player’.

― Perhaps the vampires noticed the energy in that wrist, as I would, and acted first.”

Listening to Chunsik’s added words, I turned my attention back to the wrist.

It’s odd.

I had thought there might be another 《Dungeon God》 player, but I didn’t expect to find a clue like this.

“Our first meeting is with a wrist, huh.”

― Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

At any rate, I’ve found a clue. Just having that made something inside my chest stir with excitement.

Naming the adventurer party ‘Dungeon God’ hadn’t been for nothing after all.

* 〈The Rune of the Abyss has been inscribed.〉

While I was distracted, the wrist with the tattoo began to give off a faint light.

That light turned to dust and seeped into my own tattoo, and soon, familiar text appeared.

* 〈Rune Progress: Stage 4〉

* 〈Rune of the Abyss Stage 4〉

– Elevates all faith levels by 1 stage.

– You can possess all types of faith.

– You can interact with other gods.

A new power unlocked upon reaching stage 4 of the Rune of the Abyss.

Interact with other gods? What does that mean?

It didn’t take long to clear up the mystery.

*〈Liberas’ eyes are brimming with tears.〉

A god whom I hadn’t even once met or spoken to.

I began to see what Serena’s god, ‘Liberas of Goodness and Love,’ was doing.

So that’s what it means to interact with other gods. Even if one isn’t a ‘follower’, I can communicate with them.

“Liberas!”

Then my next move was simple.

If I can see, then surely, they can hear.

“Where is the remains of the person Serena is searching for?!”

I asked Liberas. Serena, flustered, looked at me, but I disregarded it and asked again.

“It’s difficult to find who she seeks in this place!”

“Brother Dmihtan.”

Serena slowly spoke up.

“Li-Lord Liberas loves all followers equally. Even getting this much help… I…”

“Gods are to be used, Serena.”

Her pupils widened. I added more.

“As you say, all followers are equal.”

But.

“Some followers may be just a little more equal.”

There’s a reason for the word ‘Apostle’. You are someone who receives Liberas’s love.

So it’s fine to wish for a little more help from Liberas. It seems Liberas wants that as well.

“But…”

Just as Serena’s lips were about to form words, a beam of light from the sky started to gather at a single spot.

The center of the mountain of skulls.

“You must go.”

“What?”

“This is your role.”

At my words, Serena’s pupils shook, but soon she strode forward.

She began to part the skulls.

She could have wrinkled her nose at the mountain of skulls, but she carefully moved them aside instead.

Before long, the ground was revealed. There, the remains of what appeared to be an adult man lay.

Liberas’s light was shining down upon that spot.

“This is…”

Serena cautiously spoke.

“This is my…”

Her only blood relative.

Father.

Serena did not say the words aloud.

Her eyes were immeasurably calm. There was no sign of tears.

“As I thought, it’s not as sad as I imagined.”

Serena spoke in a calm tone.

“Still, I wish there was some marker to show he lived.”

“How about making a grave?”

Barkal interrupted.

“That sounds good.”

Serena nodded serenely.

* * *

After finding the remains Serena sought, we left the dungeon.

Of course, we weren’t the only ones who escaped. Rozenkranz, who had been bound in the rose vines, also came out with us.

Honestly, if he had died, it would have been a big headache.

Think about it.

The ‘Dungeon God’ adventurer party suddenly attacks the ‘Rose of Blood’ merchant guild.

The guildmaster of ‘Rose of Blood’ ends up dead.

It’s obvious who would be suspected as the culprit.

Upon returning to the mansion, we immediately woke Rozenkranz.

Not a pretty guy. No need to wait for him to get up on his own.

At my words, Barkal straight up threw Rozenkranz into the fountain.

“U-uaaagh!”

Before long, rozenkranz splashed out of the fountain.

He looked at us with terror—as if he’d come back from the dead; then, excitement began to fill his eyes.

“Am—I alive?”

“That’s right.”

“Thank heavens… Hurrah!”

He really is glad.

“I have something to ask you.”

“Eeek!”

I grabbed him by the collar and asked.

“Why was there a human wrist in the Vampire Lord’s coffin?”

The real person I should ask is dead, so what choice do I have?

If you can’t catch the chicken, ask the sparrow.

Rozenkranz, darting his eyes and coughing, was visibly startled by my question.

“A-a wrist… don’t tell me, did you kill the Vampire Lord?”

“My brother drove a silver stake through his heart!”

At Barkal’s words, rozenkranz clutched his face.

“Then… what about Bloody Rose? What about my roses!?”

That’s what you care about right now?

“It’s your fault! If you hadn’t come to Odheim…!”

Smack!

As Rozenkranz’s voice grew louder, Barkal’s huge slap landed on him.

“Eek!”

“It’s night. Keep your voice down.”

At Barkal’s words, rozenkranz nodded, trembling.

Barbarian-style volume control—very effective.

“I’ll ask again. Why was there a wrist in the Vampire Lord’s coffin?”

Why would just a wrist be lying there? Were they cheating at cards or something?

“T-that person… I don’t know all the details either, but someone named Luminari is said to have put the Vampire Lord in that state.”

Rozenkranz, a bit calmer, continued fluently.

But in that state?

Wasn’t the Vampire Lord just sleeping?

“They said he went into a long slumber to heal wounds inflicted by that adventurer…”

“What happened to the adventurer?”

“I—I don’t know. I heard he was from 300 years ago…”

Three hundred years ago.

Rune of the Abyss.

Now I understand.

That was the adventurer who stopped the White Knight in Silver Wood.

“Rozenkranz.”

This time, Serena addressed him.

At her gentle, kind voice, rozenkranz froze up.

“S-Serebrina?”

“I will not blame you for driving my blood relative, garbidal, to his death while investigating ‘Bloody Rose.'”

Just slightly.

Serena’s voice trembled, but she continued.

“But for colluding with the vampires and making ‘Bloody Rose,’ I will see you held accountable.”

“N-no…! I—I was threatened, I had no choice!”

“In the name of Liberas, Goddess of Love and Virtue, I swear it shall be so.”

Has Serena ever spoken so forcefully before?

There was even a hint of anger in her tone.

“Please listen, lady Serebrina! I…!”

“Barkal, it seems Rozenkranz is sleepy. Help him get some rest.”

As Rozenkranz babbled incoherently, I spoke, and Barkal closed his fist above Rozenkranz’s head.

“This is the ‘Rapid Sleep Technique’ passed down through our family. The fastest way to fall asleep!”

Thud.

With a loud smack, rozenkranz went silent.

***

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