With the closing of the last leather strap, I finished putting on my equipment. The same was true for Madeleine and D'arce. With our bodies washed, healed, and rested, and our stomachs full, we left the chamber, heading towards our next objective.
In this case, to get everything useful before entering Ma'habre. I ordered Iron Shakespeare and Moonless to go ahead, with us following close behind.
"You've changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke."
The words appeared on the pages of the book in my hand. I couldn't tell if it was concern or just a statement, but either way, I replied.
"Cccertainly, although I can't sssay if it's for the better. I feel calmer, I can think and plan clearly, however, it's as if sssomething crucial has disappeared. I feel like I lossst something by being directly confronted by the God of the Depths."
"Or maybe you gained something, or unlocked something that was always there."
I remained silent as I read those words, deep in thought. Was Kitab right? Nosramus said my soul was different, is this related? Is all this because I'm from another world?
"So, the book is really magical?"
D'arc approached as we walked, watching the sentences appear on the paper.
"Cccertainly, Kitab is a chatterbox who tells jokesss and makes unnecessary commentsss at the most inconvenient timesss."
"I'M PROUD OF THAT! OUR ADVENTURE WOULD BE A BORE IF IT DEPENDED ON YOU!"
"Ourrr undertaking is anything but an adventure."
"A book with a name and personality. Considering everything I've seen, it's far from the worst."
"I have to agrrree, despite itsss attitude, Kitab has been a great companion."
"Oh, I love you too, my dear friend! After all, what would you be without me?"
"A sssane person."
"Right, you got me."
We set foot in the catacombs, but before heading to the right, I told Iron Shakespeare to light the torch on the wall with his flaming fist.
The same was done with all the torches we found along the way until we reached the room with the ritual circle where Enki would normally be. The braziers around it were lit, illuminating the cramped room with comforting warmth and light.
"We're going to increase our affinity with other gods, right?"
I nodded to D'arce's words, and with a mental command, I ordered my rats to bring Gro-goroth's studies from our hiding place. We knelt within the circle, and I outlined what would happen as I flipped through the pages.
"Gro-gorrroth has a maximum affinity of three, and his ssspells are mostly offensivesss, although of all the gods present, his arsenal is one of the most varied. Sssince I participated in the Wolf Masks' banquet, I already have one point, so I will probably reach maximum affinity while Madeleine and you reach the sssecond level."
The knight murmured a reply, but glancing at her face, I saw a fleeting expression of disgust, probably remembering the carnage in the mines and my participation in it.
Well, there's nothing I can do, that sort of thing doesn't bother me anymore. Madeleine seemed more determined; there was steel in her gaze after having the truth of the world and her destiny revealed.
Like me, I believe she wished to become as strong as possible, but unlike me, she will not participate in the disgusting rituals that this place has to offer. I would rather die before that.
Eventually, I found the page with Gro-goroth's prayer, reciting it aloud.
"Destroyer of men, aspect of destruction, hear the cry of this little being!"
"Just as everything has a beginning, so shall the end come! The cycle of existence from the beginning of all things and which shall remain until the end!"
"Grant this little being a fraction of your dominion! The power to extinguish forests and eliminate armies! To flatten mountains and dry up the seas! To destroy the stars and extinguish the constellations until nothing remains, neither light nor darkness!"
"In your name, I promise to paint the earth red, in your name, I promise to raise the dead and march eternally, in your name, I will tear down any and all fragile fortifications made by man, I promise to bring destruction to the world so that life may have a place to multiply!"
"I will become an avatar of your will and when all is done and my time comes, I will return to the earth so that my corpse may fertilize it, performing my function one last time."
It was as if a lightning bolt had struck me as soon as the last word left my mouth, so surprising that it almost made me forget that I had pronounced everything perfectly.
For a second, I found myself on a mountain of bloodied corpses with faces contorted in agony. Amidst the putrid smell, hidden in the darkness, several eyes watched me and as quickly as it came, the image disappeared.
"T-that was…"
D'arce rose, his voice trembling. Madeleine was in a different situation, trying to hold back her tears. I seemed to have suffered less, already accustomed to being confronted by entities beyond my comprehension.
"Gro-gorrroth is not a merciful god."
I crouched beside Madeleine, wiping her tears with a piece of cloth. She gripped my monstrous hand and refused to let go.
I returned the gesture, careful not to hurt her. With that done, we left the room, but not before picking up the Book of Enlightenment. Probably left behind because they didn't know its function.
From what I saw, the mechanics were slightly modified to adapt to the real world. In that case, what would be the effect of the item used to save the game?
Hm… More things to think about.
We continued to the right, lighting torches. Unfortunately, everything useful had already been looted, either by D'arce's group before we reunited or by Le'garde. The last one was based on the fact that the monsters killed along our way hadn't been slain by us or the other group.
Our assumptions were confirmed when we found the gate to the Tomb of the Gods open.
The darkness on the other side was as dense as a starless sky, divided by the massive, wide smile that appeared in its center. It called to me, but I refused.
"Not yet. We're not rrready."
My companions replied, though my words weren't for them.
At the end of the corridor, the chest inside a cell had been looted, so we returned the way we came, stopping when we found the remains of one of the hearts of the God of the Depths.
"Ragnvaldr destroyed it before we entered the mine."
D'arce poked the remains with her spear, recoiling as a gush of purple liquid spurted from the piece of flesh with unpleasant noises.
I couldn't help but feel relieved to have someone doing the work for me. With no other options, we climbed the spiral staircase, arriving at our hideout, now full of items recovered by the rats.
"Sssuit yourselves."
I put Sylvian and Alll-mer's studies, food, torches, tinderboxes, and various flasks and other items in my backpack; in my pockets, I kept several soul stones and silver coins.
I looked around, searching for the object I promised. I didn't take long to find the oversized morning star and offer it to D'arce, who stared at me silently for a second after equipping her new plate helmet.
Excellent protection, heavy, but offering resistance against confusion effects and probably blindness, considering the small space for something to hit the eyes.
"Accept thisss as compensation for the destruction of your sssword."
"Oh, thank you!"
I felt the corners of my mouth twitch slightly at the contradictory sight of someone so strong in heavy armor feeling so constrained. She fastened the weapon to her waist with a leather strap, keeping her spear and shield before returning what I had given her in the past.
"Here's your cleaver!"
I tucked my weapon into the inside pocket of my trench coat and went back to searching the items around us.
A pang of joy surged in my chest upon finding a chainmail hood, the best head protection for Madeleine. Now she only needed another coat and a charged soulstone to curse her dagger.
After that, training, spells, and skills will be the only things that will serve her. I knelt down, replacing the child's leather helmet with the new protection.
"Isss this heavy?"
She shook her head, making the chainmail too large for her head to swing and snap. Madeleine seemed to notice, puffing out her cheeks before readjusting the helmet.
Laden with items and with nothing else to do, we left the small room, climbing the stairs to the prisons and, after turning the corner, we encountered the expected creatures: Cave Gnomes, Ghouls, and Guards.
"Time to begin the mission given by Nodens."
Dead Creatures 0/100
"I couldn't agrrree more! Attack!"
Moonless and Iron Shakespeare closed the distance, the former biting the arm of a reanimated corpse and the latter exchanging blows with a guard.
I joined the conflict soon after, splitting a flying Gnome in two with a single blow.
1/100
-XXXXXX-
20/100
With a thrust of her spear, D'arce decapitated a Ghoul, letting out a war cry before delivering the final blow.
The rotting flesh and worn bones gave way easily and the monster tumbled backward, stumbling on the railing and falling into the caves below.
Madeleine stepped on the back of a Gnome that pathetically crawled across the ground, never getting far before its skull was pierced by the dagger.
She wiped the blood from her face before returning to my side for more compliments, which I had no problem giving while stroking her hair.
I did the same with Moonless next, but noticed the knight staring at us.
"What? You want a little pat too?"
"N-no!"
She stammered, looking away and kicking a severed leg away.
We lit all the torches in the prison, but before we left, I used the bone saw to get four arms from the dead Ghouls around us, tying them together with rope before sending the rats to take them to the hideout.
"Believe me, thisss will be useful!"
D'arce sighed dejectedly, shrugging before we made our way to the basement, stopping before the gate blocked by bars.
"Allow me."
The knight seemed to read my mind, for even before I could ask for her help, she approached the gate and gripped the two bars in its center.
There was a grunt of effort, and for a moment I thought nothing would happen, however, the mental creaked and cracked.
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open in disbelief. With a final tug and scream, she bent the bars in opposite directions, making room for someone to pass.
"Right, now what?"
I only realized her words and that I had spent too much time staring when I felt Kitab's tentacles tightening around my arm. I screamed in pain and surprise, looking around in confusion for a moment before quickly reading the pages.
"Shut your mouth, you're drooling."
I looked around again, realizing I was being stared at by everyone. Especially Madeleine, with half-closed eyes and a furrowed brow. I felt my face grow hot, so I coughed into my hand, failing miserably to regain my composure and dispel the awkwardness of the situation.
"Forrrgive me, I had a moment of dissstraction. Now, wait here, please."
I closed Kitab and placed it in one of the many pockets of my coat. I did the same with Shark Teeth, then crossed the gate, entering a dark, narrow, and dusty corridor.
What I was looking for was at the end of the path: a corpse with a gigantic pair of scissors stuck in its neck.
The Bone Shears a powerful two-handed weapon, but with terrible accuracy; however, considering this world, I believe the hit rate depends on the user and not on numbers.
I gripped its handles with both hands, easily pulling it from the rotting flesh, whose head rolled away.
Immediately, what I expected happened: ghosts emerged from the walls, but before they even understood what was happening, I was already at the exit.
"RRRUN!"
I didn't need to repeat myself for us to get out of there immediately.
-XXXXXX-
"GASP! T-those men we saw back there, were they Sir Seymour and Prince Buckman?"
D'arce asked through heavy breaths as we eluded the ghosts in the labyrinthine corridors of the basement.
"Exactly, they came here hoping to rrrescue Rudimer, the one responsible for thisss dungeon, and find out what happened, but just like usss, they had to face monstersss and madnesss, separating themselves. Unfortunately, their mission was in vain, Rudimer became one of the most powerful monstersss and the dungeon is beyond saving. And before you ask, no, we ssshouldn't talk to them, otherwise we'll be rewarded with sssilver and both will go deeper into this place, turning into a Failed Marriage of Flesh. We should only interact when Jeanne is sssaved."
She nodded, making a noise I understood as a mixture of understanding and disapproval.
We spent a few minutes catching our breath. I ordered the rats to take the Bone Shears away, and then we resumed our walk in tense silence.
Our footsteps reverberated through the passages, and the crackling of the fire mingled with the sounds of creatures lurking in the darkness, briefly drowned out by the flames of the great knight.
"Hm… Micolash?"
"Y-yesss?"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but some things about you have changed."
"You mean my ssshadow that doesn't mold itself to the light and doesn't follow my movementsss?"
"Oh, you noticed."
Strangely, she seemed disappointed.
"And your white hair?"
"White hairer?"
"Yes, on the back of your head. Your hair is white."
I hesitated for a moment, feeling a pang of worry before placing my hand on the indicated spot, seeing a few white hairs on my palm. Honestly, it wasn't the worst thing that could happen. I couldn't help but find it comical.
"Ha, I guesss I'm getting old!"
Despite my attempt at humor, no one laughed at my joke. Madeleine made a point of shaking her head negatively, worsening my mood even more.
"You shouldn't joke about that sort of thing. Who knows what's happening to your body?"
Despite the cold, heavy gauntlet on my shoulder, D'arce's voice held warm concern, something I appreciated, murmuring a thank you.
We stopped before the reinforced door adorned with the symbol of a crow. D'arce was about to try to force it open, but I stopped her, removing an explosive fvial from my bag.
The message was clear, and the rest of the group distanced themselves while I prepared myself. Instead of throwing the object, I made a fuse out of a piece of cloth, placing it on the ground near the door before lighting it with a torch.
As soon as the cloth burned, I ran away at full speed, hiding behind a pillar while covering my ears.
BOOM!
It was as if an earthquake were occurring. The ground trembled, accompanied by a cloud of dust and smoke that partially blocked my vision.
"COUGH! ARRRE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
"COUGH! YES!"
D'arce and Madeleine turned the corner, leaving the wall they were using as cover, as did Moonless and Iron Shakespeare.
I sighed in relief, searching for a skeleton for the next part of my plan. Corpses were plentiful, so it wasn't difficult to find and reanimate one with Necromancy.
We then passed through the destroyed door, finding ourselves in a large chamber with a mountain of corpses, and on top of it, the Miasma sword.
"Thisss is Miasma, a sword from another world, a generator of toxic and poisonous gasesss, possessing the strength of six men. A sword made to sssow chaos and sssuffering, capable of manipulating the minds of mortals to achieve its goal, except when wielded by a brainless ssskeleton."
With a command, the skeleton climbed the mountain of corpses and raised the sword of flesh and bone, whose single red eye moved frantically, probably revolted at not being able to control its wielder.
"HA!"
I shared D'arce's joy, such a powerful weapon deceived so easily. It should be humiliating.
However, our joy was short-lived, as the explosion drew the attention of the Manebas, and soon we found ourselves facing a multitude of floating jellyfish.
"Well, time to tessst my new weapon. ATTACK!"
The skeleton closed the distance, splitting the first Maneba in two with a swing.
-XXXXXX-
35/100
"At this rate, we'll complete the mission without problems."
"Don't pusssh our luck, Kitab. We're clearing the dungeon of weak creaturesss, the worst is yet to come."
"Wow, how pessimistic you are."
"That's ssstrange, I wonder why."
A little more and my sarcasm would become physical.
We returned to the prison and climbed the stairs to the upper levels where the torture chambers were located, still lighting the torches. There wasn't much to do here, the first stop was at the Alll-mer sacrificial altar where the other dark priests were gathered.
"This… This is what Alll-mer demands of us?"
The priests ignored our presence; as long as we didn't interact with them, we would escape unharmed.
"It'sss difficult to determine the will of the godsss, but it doesn't change the fact that our affinity will increase."
With a swift swing of Shark Teeth, I ripped the neck of the thin, naked, pale man. He gasped for air as the red liquid flowed in rivers, staining his body and the dark altar.
Immediately, a calming sensation washed over us all, and for an instant, there was a different person crucified on the altar, gazing at us with love.
D'arce was the last to step away, glancing at the display one last time before slamming her fist against a wall, cracking it slightly before continuing.
We traversed the open passage toward the dungeon entrance, the same path of hanged bodies and the well to the basement.
I couldn't have been more pleased to see the door to the Hexing Table room open, likely courtesy of the others. At the dungeon entrance, we lit the last torches, causing a crackling sound to echo through the dungeon.
"What was that?"
"The next ssstep in my plan."
The last thing of interest was the ritual circle present.
"D'arce, would you be ssso kind as to recite a prayer to Alll-mer? I believe that asss a devotee, your word is the mossst effective."
She stood still like a statue. Looking in any direction but ours. Her grip on her spear tightened, but finally, she knelt and began to pray.
"Our Lord Alll-mer, savior of humanity, he who granted us enlightenment and banished our blindness, undid our shackles and sacrificed himself for us in our ignorance, please hear the prayers of this humble servant."
"Grant us strength to face the challenges on our path, grant us peace of mind so that we do not succumb to temptation."
"Keep us from sin so that we may remain pure, guide us so that we do not stray from your path."
"So that one day, at the moment of our end, we may find ourselves by your side in paradise."
The feeling from before returned, like a pair of arms enveloping us.
"Are you alrrright?"
I held D'arce's arm as she silently pulled away. There was no answer, she simply slipped from my grip and continued on.
We returned the way we came, and the library was our next stop, where after a quick search, I found the second part of the spell to create the Demon Child.
I decided to look for scrolls when we return to use the table and unlock as many spells as possible. I was about to enter the dungeon backyard when I thought better of what I should do.
I approached Madeleine and, to her surprise, held her in my arms and sat her down in a comfortable, cushioned armchair, like the one in our hideout.
Then I knelt before her, removing my mask and observing her seriously.
"Madeleine, I'm about to do sssomething dangerous, so I need you to wait here and don't come after me, no matter what happensss. Only leave here when I return, underrrstand?"
She clearly wanted to go with me, but I wouldn't allow that under any circumstances. Finally, she nodded slowly, hugging her doll tightly.
"Grrreat, I promise I'll be back."
I offered a smile and patted her head before turning to D'arce.
"Take carrre of her, pleassse."
"I don't know what you intend to do, but be careful."
We exchanged a nod, then I stepped into the garden, going left and continuing on, past the Alll-mer statue.
"So, you're really going to do this?"
"Yesss."
"Anything to get stronger?"
"Anything to get ssstronger."
"Are you sure you're not doing this for another reason?"
"I'm not a perrrvert like you."
"Maybe you are, but you can hide it better than I can."
"Don't compare usss."
"I'm dying of envy, what I wouldn't give to have a body now!"
I closed the book, silencing its ramblings as soon as the moans of pleasure and the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh reached my ears.
Beyond the mist, in a secluded corner of the yard, surrounded by vegetation, the orgy of the bunny masks was taking place.
A masked and naked man and woman, both with bodies that would make any model envious, probably due to the number of blessings bestowed by Sylvian, approached laughing.
"Would you like to participate?" The woman asked.
"The first time is free." The man said next, both with seductive and lustful tones.
"Yes."
The words barely left my mouth before a pair of soft lips sealed to mine and a tongue danced with mine. The pair of soft mountains touching my chest also worked wonders.
I admit that, despite knowing what was coming, I was surprised by the speed and intensity. In the end, I found myself lost; there was only laughter, bodies, and pleasure.
END OF CHAPTER