Chapter 96
I leapt down into the darkness of the canyon.
With the sound of air tearing past me, gravity seized my body. In an instant, I plunged deep below, and my vision was swallowed by darkness.
“Radiance of Shattered Flame.”
Swoooosh!
Light poured downward toward the bottom.
But the darkness of the canyon had a predatory nature. Even the light of my ultimate skill was devoured by the pitch-black void.
“Hm, as expected.”
I couldn’t gauge the distance to the bottom with my eyes, but I wasn’t particularly flustered.
Because I had another method.
[<System> Warning. “Pandora’s Plague” has reached Stage 2.]
[<System> Warning. “Pandora’s Plague” has reached Stage 3.]
[<System> Warning. “Pandora’s Plague” has…]
The messages updated faster the further I fell.
The air I inhaled was gradually turning into something no different from deadly poison gas. Heat flared through my throat and lungs.
<Islette!>
I couldn’t answer—I had to hold my breath.
A little more. Just a bit more. Just a little!
[<System> Warning. “Pandora’s Plague” has reached Stage 9.]
Now!
CRACK! KRRRRRUNCH!
I pulled out Europa and drove it into the cliff face, using it as a brake. My arm muscles screamed as they resisted the terrifying speed of the fall.
Rrrrrrrk…!
Before I knew it, the fall had stopped. Estimating the height with my senses, I pulled Europa free and landed on the ground.
Tap.
“Whew… that was manageable.”
<…As expected of my disciple.>
[<System> Warning. “Pandora’s Plague” has reached its maximum level.]
Every breath felt like the plague’s energy was corroding my respiratory system.
If I didn’t continuously heal myself, I might end up coughing blood from every orifice like in some martial arts novel.
“Heal.”
Normally, divine power would emit a sacred white light, but the canyon’s darkness devoured even that.
It was completely pitch black. So dark I couldn’t even distinguish my own hand in front of me.
<You can avoid obstacles with your senses, but how are you going to find Tesilid in this darkness?>
“No need to worry about that.”
<Oh?>
“I already took precautions.”
I raised my left hand.
I couldn’t see it, but a wire was coiled around my fingers like thread.
The other end stretched far across the canyon.
“When Tesilid dived, I wrapped the Spirit King’s harp string around his wrist. We just follow this.”
<Wow, nicely done.>
[“The Architect of Worlds” praises your cleverness.]
[“The Scale That Judges Souls” admires how well you planned everything.]
I tugged on the wire and walked in the direction where it pulled tight.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
“Oh. Come to think of it.”
<What?>
“I’m connected to Tesilid with this wire right now, right? Then maybe this is possible too?”
<Like what?>
“Heal!”
I felt the healing power flow through the Spirit King’s harp string.
Is it working? Feels like it is… it must be, right?
[“The Architect of Worlds” confirms it’s flowing properly.]
[“The Eye That Observes All Chaos” says your skill level makes the transmission incredibly effective.]
[“The Cynic Who Balances All” insists this should be nerfed.]
“It worked. I healed Tesilid.”
<Ohhh, impressive! Clap clap!>
Agnes applauded with her mouth.
“I should’ve healed him from above.”
<Better late than never.>
“Right? It’s more appreciated when it’s done at the last second anyway.”
Relieved that Tesilid wouldn’t end up coughing blood from every orifice, I walked forward with a bit more ease.
Crossing the pitch-black darkness, I called out:
“Teri! If you can hear me, answer! Teri!”
Then—
A faint vibration traveled through the harp string to my fingertips.
“Islette…?”
“Teri!”
I ran toward the direction of his voice.
When I felt I was close enough, I stopped and reached out into the darkness.
“Islette…”
At about waist height, my hand touched soft hair.
He seemed to be kneeling on the ground.
I lowered myself to match him.
“Are you okay?”
In the darkness, only sound and touch confirmed his presence.
I didn’t pull my hand away as I waited for his response.
I traced my hands from his cheek down to his shoulder…
…Huh?
I flinched and pulled my hand back slightly.
<What’s wrong?>
Just now… it felt like I touched hair…
Puzzled, I reached for his face again.
His cheek felt smooth and cold.
…Was it my imagination?
The strange sensation quickly faded.
Tesilid tilted his head, pressing his left cheek deeper into my hand.
“Islette…”
His voice was hazy.
<He doesn’t look in great shape.>
“You said you could handle it alone.”
<Well, at least it seems he found the dungeon core.>
Only then did I notice the small metal box in his hands.
I lightly scolded him.
“If you found it, why didn’t you come back up right away? Why are you just sitting here?”
I already had a guess.
“Because it’s dark.”
“……”
“I couldn’t move.”
“……”
I had thought he just liked light, since he always slept with it on.
But now I realized—
He was afraid of the dark.
“So I thought… I’d just die here, coughing blood… But you came.”
“You’re grateful, right?”
“No.”
…What?
[“The Architect of Worlds” suggests abandoning him immediately.]
[“The Heavenly Inspector” approves of the protagonist’s coldness.]
“Plague. Death. Hope.”
Tesilid muttered the dungeon’s key themes.
“Yes… hope. False hope.”
“……”
“Islette, are you false hope?”
“……”
I didn’t know how to answer.
But one thing was certain.
“Get a grip, Teri.”
The darkness was eating away at his mind.
“We need to get out. Stand up.”
“…Ah.”
“Can’t walk? Want me to carry you?”
“I’ll decline.”
His firm tone reassured me—he sounded much clearer now.
“I showed an unsightly side. Forget it.”
“Sure.”
I heard him wipe his face in the dark, regaining composure. I waited quietly.
Soon, he spoke again, steady now.
“You came because I was late.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you.”
So that earlier “no” must’ve been part of his lapse. I generously let it go.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Islette, I’m sorry, but I need to get out of this canyon by my own strength. Otherwise, all this effort would be meaningless.”
“That’s frustrating.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be up in no time.”
“How?”
“May I borrow your wire for a moment?”
“Sure.”
I handed over the Spirit King’s harp string.
With his aura somewhat recovered, he handled it easily.
Whoosh!
The wire shot through the air.
After a moment, he spoke awkwardly.
“Excuse me, Islette.”
“Yeah, I know what you’re going to ask.”
I wrapped my arms tightly around the neck of the world’s most handsome, devout, conservative man.
“Let’s go up, Sir Tesilid.”
“…Alright.”
The wire retracted, pulling us upward against gravity.
At last, we emerged into the light.
On the surface, the barely-alive Holy Knights awaited us.
“…!”
Even with their mouths sealed, their eyes widened in shock upon seeing Tesilid.
“Mmph?!—cough!—!”
“Mmph… cough…!”
They were probably saying things like How are you alive?, Unbelievable, Just die already, Why won’t you die?
Thankfully, the silence debuff filtered it all out.
Looking over them, Tesilid spoke.
“Islette, I knew you’d do something, but not to this extent.”
“Hey, that’s unfair. It’s not my fault their immunity dropped from blood loss.”
“I meant Vice-Captain Recto.”
Recto, whose senses were heightened by Hispenril’s aura technique, was writhing on the ground with a grin—enjoying the pain.
I pretended not to notice and changed the subject.
“Anyway, Teri. Go close the dungeon.”
“Ah, right.”
“Go ahead. I’ll handle these guys.”
“Got it.”
Tesilid nodded and walked toward the black triumphal arch.
At its center was a small slot.
A puzzle piece slot—and the piece was the Pandora’s Box.
Once inserted, the dungeon would close. Simple, but slow.
He would be occupied for a few minutes.
Which left me with something to do.
I approached the eighteen barely-breathing Holy Knights.
With a flick of my hand, I removed their silence debuff.
Then I spoke in the coldest voice I could muster:
“Since Tesilid made it back alive, all that’s left is for you to stand trial.”
“Eek…!”
“A… a trial…!”
“You’ll confess how you falsely accused Tesilid and explain everything that happened in the dungeon. Got it?”
“N-no… we can’t…”
“Oh, right. Since this involves a dungeon, your trial will be handled by the Inquisition. You made a deal with a demon, after all.”
“Ghk…!”
“H-how did you…?!”
“Sh-shut up!”
Guild Master Gedville shouted, pale-faced.
“Shut up! W-we… cough! We never made any deal with a demon! That’s a lie!”
“Still denying it? There’s evidence.”
“…Evidence?”
“The gold you received for selling out Tesilid—did you know it can’t be discarded?”
“……!”
