"…This place is?"
"The Altar, Yoo Mia."
Yoo Mia walking towards the altar with a thud, thud- sound at his brief remark.
For Yoo Joonghyuk who always told her to hide behind him, to put Yoo Mia in front for once….
Don't know about others, but he seemed to cherish his sister quite a bit…. If so, is this his own strategy.
[You have offered all 'Proofs of a Demon'.]
[A demon gatekeeper suitable to test you is summoned!]
"Kang Yuhyeon."
"What."
"When you arrive at the 2nd floor, there will be a place called Paradise."
"…Paradise?"
In a perished world, and in such an ominous place called Dark Castle, 'Paradise'. A naming sense that isn't even funny.
I wanted to ask the lord of the castle what he was thinking naming it that if he were in front of me.
However, unlike my ridicule, Yoo Joonghyuk's face speaking about Paradise was quite hardened.
"Be careful of that place."
"…What?"
[A demon suitable for the level of the party is summoned on the Hexagram!]
[Demon Baron 'Dorgan' has descended!]
Before I could even hear the answer to his incomprehensible words, the Hexagram began to spew ominous dark red sparks repeatedly.
Turning my gaze from Yoo Joonghyuk to that place, a demon was standing crookedly on the Hexagram, looking at me and them and sneering.
…However.
"I, Dorgan. Will not let you bastards go up to the 2nd flooooor—!?"
"Shut up."
Nothing much happened because Yoo Joonghyuk swung his sword and cut him down immediately, and seizing that opportunity, I used Cursed Spirit Manipulation to tame him.
Boring, these things called Barons. Surely the ranks are Baron, Viscount, Earl (Count), Marquess, Duke, so…. Maybe it will be fun around Earl.
"More than that, I want to hear a detailed explanation of what you just said. Be careful of Paradise? What does that mean?"
"If you're curious, find out with your own strength."
"…Ha."
Yoo Joonghyuk taking Yoo Mia and going up on the Hexagram, maintaining silence as if no further conversation is needed.
Looking at him briefly, I swallow the bead that was the guy called Dorgan or whatever and go up on the Hexagram like him.
Then, just like when the demon appeared just now, short dark red sparks occurred again this time…, and me and them were standing on a magnificent plain with no end in sight, not inside the castle that gave off an ominous feeling.
-Whooosh….
"…."
Cool and ominous wind.
However, for some reason, strangely that wind feels somewhat familiar.
Even though it was definitely a scenery I had never seen before, even though it was a scent of wind I had never smelled before. All the senses of my body were familiar with this place.
At the same time.
-Throb, throb…!!
My whole body even warning me of an unknown ominous feeling.
What on earth…, is this place?
[To think there are Incarnations who reached the 2nd floor already…, truly marvelous beyond measure.]
Was I frowning at this unpleasant feeling with all my nerves sharpened….
A Dokkaebi revealing itself perhaps to announce a new Main Scenario.
At the appearance of that Dokkaebi, I quickly shake off that unpleasant sensation and listen to his voice.
[Oh…, looking now, the two Incarnations were the ones who attended the Banquet of Constellations. Then I can understand.]
"Shut up, just talk about the scenario and get lost."
[Fiery personality. Well, good. I shall do so.]
-Ring!
At his words, a blue window unfolding before my eyes saying the scenario was updated.
But reading down that blue window was brief; I had no choice but to frown immediately.
[Main Scenario #9 - '???']
Category: Main
Difficulty: ???
Clear Condition: ???
Time Limit: —
Reward: None
Failure: —
"…Tch."
Let alone rewards, difficulty and clear conditions are all question marks, and a strange scenario with no time limit or failure conditions either.
I stare blankly at such a scenario window, then withdraw my gaze soon.
[…Mm? Why do you not express doubt? There should be nothing including clear conditions.]
"Whatever the conditions, if a scenario exists, it means it can be cleared. Because scenarios are never designed to be uncleared."
[…Sharp Incarnation indeed. That is correct. Although no conditions are presented for this scenario, it can definitely be cleared. However, there are few Incarnations capable of that. Only an existence who desires a story by themselves can do it. But, it is questionable whether that existence is you. I pray that you do not sleep in this 'Grave'.]
With those words, the Dokkaebi disappeared emitting sparks.
Me and Yoo Joonghyuk also look at the spot where he was, then slowly move our steps.
"What do you intend to do now."
"Heading west."
"West?"
"There is a useful guy there."
"…."
Endlessly spreading horizon.
I couldn't know how far the destination he intends to head to is…, but even spreading Cursed Energy as much as possible, I can't find the guy who looks like the 'useful guy' Yoo Joonghyuk mentioned.
If so….
"Great Serpent. Toad."
No need to waste time walking, we can go straight riding this guy.
But….
"…? Is something wrong?"
Yoo Mia, this child was the problem.
Me or Yoo Joonghyuk have various stats including Physique, Strength, and Agility maxed out to the limit, so we can easily endure Great Serpent's speed…, but Yoo Mia didn't look like that at a glance.
And, seeing that I never perceived the existence called Yoo Mia from the first scenario until now, Yoo Joonghyuk must have taken measures so that child couldn't fight until now.
Therefore, Yoo Mia is currently baggage, an existence neither more nor less. But it's obvious that missing or leaving this guy behind would make the situation troublesome again….
"Toad…, I mean. Enter inside this toad."
"…Inside this toad?"
"Yeah. It has storage space enough to swallow Great Serpent too, so there won't be a problem."
Yoo Mia looking alternately at the toad, me, and Yoo Joonghyuk at my words.
After repeating that, when Yoo Joonghyuk spat out a brief word to enter, only then did Yoo Mia nod and enter the toad immediately.
"Oh, cozy. So being stored feels like this…."
Yoo Mia, perhaps liking the feeling inside Toad's mouth quite a bit, raised the corners of her mouth slightly and looked around with curious eyes.
Is she fearless? Of course, since it's my Shikigami, such a thing won't happen, but Toad is strictly a creature with self-awareness.
If she gets on his nerves and he spits her out….
-Croaaak~♬
"Oh, you can sing too? Mm? But, how do you sing when I am inside?"
-Croaaak♪
"…."
"…Let's go."
"…Right."
Climbing on Great Serpent's head, I glance back.
What's so good, Toad playing with Yoo Mia while laughing.
Used only when needed and not otherwise…, didn't know he had such a side.
"By the way, who is that useful guy?"
"…Dark Castle Ranking 6th. Demon of Glaciers Sephiroth."
"Demon of Glaciers?"
Asked again at the insufficient explanation, but no more answers returned.
At Yoo Joonghyuk maintaining silence, I sighed faintly but soon moved Great Serpent.
"This is…, how did this happen."
"Get the idea just by looking? Not many guys would do such a thing."
As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the Dark Castle with difficulty, the party members couldn't hide their astonishment already.
The part they were shocked by was not the internal state of the Dark Castle, but the Proofs of a Demon scattered messily on the floor.
Picking them all up, it was enough for a whopping 4 people to go to the 2nd floor immediately…, so they could know how many Demon Species were ground up here even though it had only been two days since the Dark Castle scenario started.
'Ha, truly a monster. That crazy guy….'
Yoo Joonghyuk probably found his sister he cherished somewhere first and arrived here, so this scene right now is a disaster created solely by Kang Yuhyeon.
But the strange thing is…, the fact that these large quantities of Proofs of a Demon were gathered in one place, and also that in the place where these Proofs were found, neither corpses of Demon Species nor their blood or traces could be found at all.
Even if his technique 'Shrine' focuses on 'cutting', so assuming no corpses remained somehow, can even bloodstains be like that?
No, no matter how much she thought, that was impossible.
'Then did this bastard obtain another skill besides Shrine too….'
The skill called Shrine itself, simply speaking, is no different from cooking, but due to innate Cursed Energy sense, monster-like Cursed Energy amount, and skill reaching the extreme, that skill became a preposterously crazy skill….
But what if, he obtained a skill with good original ability itself? And if the result of that skill is this scene right now?
'…Just imagining it gives me chills. Really.'
Han Sooyoung trembled brrr- and then slapped her cheeks a couple of times and glanced at Kim Dokja.
Considering the current situation, it's not that good, but him sleeping soundly with a warm back.
Looking at him detestably, she flicked his forehead once…, and began to lead the party members in earnest.
Kim Dokja.
Since he is the only reader who knows the Conclusion of this world, Han Sooyoung doesn't have leadership superior to him or comparable to him yet, but….
[You have obtained the possibility of a new Stigma.]
Her trivial actions one by one were steadily becoming her story in a place unbeknownst to her.
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