Regret washed over .
‘I shouldn’t have done the Floor Lord raid…’
If I had just accepted the compensation based on contribution… or if I hadn’t touched the Chaos Lord…
Or if…
‘I hadn’t played that ga.’
If I hadn’t co here…
‘None of this would have happened.’
Clench. I balled my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
But there was sothing I had to do before wallowing in regret.
Or rather…
‘It’s not ti for regrets yet.’
After realizing how the stat boosts worked, a new possibility had erged.
Therefore…
Swoosh.
I looked down the corpse-filled passage.
Step, step.
He was slowly approaching.
“This is convenient. I was wondering how to find you.”
The mont he appeared…
I charged at him, roaring.
Dash!
It was a speed I had never experienced before, even with my Strength and Resistance-focused build.
It felt like I had teleported.
And…
Thud!
I didn’t need a weapon anymore.
My body itself was a weapon.
Harder than any tal.
Thud!
I punched him in the face.
Whoosh!
He retaliated with his Aura-enhanced sword, but his movents seed sluggish to .
Swoosh.
I dodged his attack and closed the distance, landing a series of punches.
It felt like I was using a cheat code.
I didn’t have any skills, but my base stats were much higher than when I was using [Gigantification] at full power.
‘I don’t think I would even be injured by his Aura attacks now…’
But there was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
I kept my distance and continued my one-sided assault.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
It didn’t take long.
Maybe ten hits in total?
He collapsed to the ground, unable to fight back.
Thud! Thud!
He was in a much worse state than when we had cornered him before.
But he didn’t regenerate.
It seed like my theory was correct.
‘There’s a chance that his regeneration skill has a limited number of uses…’
But if he was a boss monster that could only be killed when he was alone…
‘Maybe…’
It wasn’t too late.
I punched him one more ti.
Crack!
His head caved in like a waterlon.
And at the sa ti…
「Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror, has been slain. EXP 100」
「Floor Lord Kill Bonus. EXP 15」
I felt a surge of experience points as his body dissolved into particles of light.
‘…Is it… over?’
Was it all for nothing?
As I stood there, frozen in place…
「You have passed the trial perfectly.」
「The Naless Pilgrim accepts defeat.」
…the cave started to collapse.
「Fragnts of distorted mories begin to converge.」
I was surprised, but I just watched.
There was nothing I could do. Running away wouldn’t change anything.
Rumble!
The cave walls crumbled, the ceiling cracked, and even the forest outside began to distort.
Everything was collapsing, like a dying monster.
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
The world shattered into a kaleidoscope of colors.
And then…
Darkness.
It wasn’t just darkness, but a void where nothing existed.
Whoosh!
I heard the sound of a fire igniting, and the darkness receded.
“…….”
I was in a cave.
Dozens of torches flickered on the walls, illuminating a stone altar with a book on top.
‘What’s this now?’
I approached the altar and opened the book.
It was written in ancient language, but I could read it without any problems.
[If I had to depict terror, I would paint his face on a blank canvas. Centurion Dreadfear. The one who taught the true aning of fear…]
As I focused on the words, the letters blurred, and a strange sensation washed over .
[I t him at the mont of my greatest triumph.]
mories flooded my mind.
______________________
I wasn’t afraid of death.
I would die a glorious death.
That’s what I had always told myself.
But reality was different.
“I, Dreadfear, promise you this. Those who prove their loyalty by slaying a fellow pilgrim will be absolved of all their sins.”
He had made a cunning offer to us, who had failed our mission.
Of course, none of us believed him.
We closed our eyes, ready to accept our fate. A noble silence filled the cave.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
But my heart pounded in my chest, yearning for life.
Was this really the end?
I didn’t want to die.
But betraying my comrades…
“Believe .”
It was strange.
Why did those words sound so… true?
“…….”
I opened my eyes.
The woman I had journeyed with was also looking around nervously.
“…….”
Our eyes t, and I knew instinctively.
Thump!
She was about to give in.
I didn’t have any proof, but I was sure of it. We had been through so much together.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
My mind raced.
I couldn’t breathe, and my vision blurred.
Smirk.
She smiled at awkwardly.
I felt a surge of unease.
The seed of doubt had been planted, and it was growing, fueled by fear.
[…If I have to kill soone… it should be her…]
I heard her thoughts.
It wasn’t just a hallucination.
We hadn’t gotten along. We had even argued during our last drinking session.
And this was the Earth Mother’s sanctuary.
A revelation… it had to be a divine revelation.
The Earth Mother had revealed her wicked thoughts to .
I was convinced that she was planning to betray us, to sacrifice .
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
When I ca to, I was holding a dagger.
The woman’s eyes widened as she saw .
“Y-You… you were thinking… about killing … weren’t you…?”
“N-No! I wasn’t!”
“D-Don’t lie! I can hear your thoughts…!”
I stabbed her.
My comrades shouted at , but I couldn’t stop.
If I hadn’t done it, she would have done it to .
“Haha! Hahaha!”
Centurion Dreadfear.
He laughed, looking at with a delighted expression.
“Well done. Who’s next?”
I asked, my body trembling,
“J-Just one… you said… if I killed just one…”
“I won’t kill you. But… are you sure? If you put down the dagger, I’ll let them go too.”
My mind went blank.
I had been tricked.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
My heart pounded in my chest. My comrades shouted at , urging to resist.
To regain my senses and die with honor.
But I couldn’t hear them.
I kept seeing ominous visions of the future.
It had started as a delusion, but it had quickly beco my reality.
Clench.
I couldn’t let go of the dagger.
Puk-!
When I ca to, all my comrades were dead. I asked him if I could live now, and he said yes.
He told to leave.
He would spare my life.
I ran, not daring to look back. I ran for hours, until I reached the entrance of the cave.
And then I realized what I had done.
“N-No… I… I’m not…”
A new fear consud .
And there was only one way to escape it.
Puk-!
I stabbed myself with the sa dagger I had used to kill my comrades.
As my consciousness faded, I saw the Centurion’s face in the distance.
“I knew it from the mont I saw you. You would be a valuable asset.”
He looked at with a serious expression and then called for a mage. The mage sprinkled a strange liquid on my dying body.
Sizzle!
A searing pain shot through , as if my soul was being torn apart.
And then a warm energy embraced . But it couldn’t heal my shattered soul.
“It’s done.”
I shed my human form and was reborn as a new being.
A being with infinite power and authority, but devoid of emotions and desires.
An empty shell.
“…This is unusual. He still seems to have so semblance of sanity.”
“That’s impossible.”
The mage’s words made him approach cautiously.
“Tell . What is your na?”
I answered,
“Dreadfear.”
“…What? That’s my na—”
Crunch.
I felt no fear anymore.
______________________
「Character has received a fragnt of the Naless Pilgrim’s mory.」
「Can now freely read and write ancient language.」
______________________
A fragnted mory, like a dream.
But the emotions and sensations were vivid.
Whoosh!
The book, having reached its final page, burst into flas and turned to ashes.
I felt a presence and turned around.
He was standing about ten steps away, staring at .
“Dreadfear.”
Or should I call him the Naless Pilgrim?
He had absorbed the Centurion and taken his na.
‘…What the hell is going on?’
I was confused.
The raid was over.
I had clearly felt the surge of experience points.
Then who was this guy?
“I have a question.”
He spoke, his voice echoing through the cave.
“Why… weren’t you afraid?”
I understood his question.
I knew how he had been born.
He must be curious.
We hadn't been driven by fear or hallucinations.
We had the [Prophet of Misfortune], who could see the future.
And we had the ability to read each other's emotions.
And that wasn't all.
The Centurion had used a skill to make us believe his words, and he had regenerated his HP when we were about to defeat him.
But...
"Because none of us are as weak as you."
I answered bluntly, and he nodded silently.
"I see..."
It was a strange experience, having a conversation with a boss monster.
But there was sothing I had to confirm.
"Now tell ."
A possibility that had erged after everyone else had died.
"They're all still alive, aren't they?"
"Before I answer that, I have a question. Why do you think so?"
"Because this raid is designed to be cleared solo."
It was too strange.
I had been playing [Dungeon and Stone] for almost ten years, and I had never encountered a boss that was impossible to defeat with a full party.
And Dreadfear's concept itself was a clue.
Fear, hatred... but his title was 'Lord of Terror'. He was testing our faith.
"...That's surprising."
He looked at with a strange expression.
"You understand the laws of this world."
Laws?
It was just big data based on experience.
"Anyway, what's the answer?"
He finally answered.
"It depends on your choice."
It wasn't the answer I had expected, but it sent shivers down my spine.
So they weren't really dead.
"...What do you an by 'choice'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
He extended his hand, and two stone doors appeared.
「The Naless Pilgrim offers you a choice.」
He had given two options.
"If you go through that door, you will regain everything you have lost here. As if awakening from a long nightmare."
"And if I go through the other door?"
"Everything will beco reality. But you will gain sothing even greater than what you have lost."
Damn it, he was still playing his role.
I looked at him and asked,
"What if I just crush your head?"
It was a question any player would ask.
He stared at for a mont and then answered.
"You will gain even more."
"..."
"That is also a rule of this world."
I see.
I made my decision.
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