Several bodies lay scattered across the chamber.
An old man slowly approached the center and gently caressed the monument.
[In memory of Diflun Groundel Gavrilius, the Last Sage, and his first giant step.]
A stone tablet erected long ago to commemorate the achievements of a great hero.
“…We’re almost there…”
The old man muttered softly and then withdrew his hand from the monument.
He pulled a book from his pocket.
Whoosh!
The book floated in mid-air, its pages flipping open without any support.
The book flipped through its pages, reaching the final chapter.
[…The pilgrim, his heart gripped by fear, abandoned his convictions and fled for his life. But at the end of his escape, he found an even greater fear awaiting him.]
[The terror of being alone.]
[The fear of solitude consumed him. It was a terror he could not escape. Anger and hatred towards himself twisted his body and soul. Even the Earth Mother's care could not save him.]
[As the pilgrim's soul perished, a new power and authority was bestowed upon ———. And so, the insignificant human gained a cursed power.]
[One who sows terror and hates faith. The birth of Dreadfear, the Lord of Terror.]
Thud.
The book closed.
It was an old story, forgotten by time.
______________________
“Just… one person…?”
Bersil’s question made my breath catch in my throat.
I wanted to yell at her, to ask her what the hell she was talking about, but my body was frozen. I couldn’t do anything.
“Of course. Kill just one, and the Empire will welcome you back.”
He sounded almost… happy.
Bersil’s voice trembled as she spoke.
I thought she was going to apologize, to try and lessen her guilt… but her words were completely unexpected.
“I… I think I understand now. Yandel… you suspected me earlier… didn’t you?”
Suspect?
What was she talking about—?
“I have another ability. Besides hiding and healing…”
“…….”
“I don’t know which monster it’s from, but… I can feel your emotions clearly.”
Damn it.
I hadn’t anticipated this.
“Tersia too… you were thinking about killing me earlier. You didn’t do it, but it wasn’t because you trusted me.”
“…….”
“And Frenelin… she didn’t suspect me at all.”
My heart pounded as she continued.
This was bad.
There was no way to stop this.
I couldn’t even speak.
Thump!
I hadn’t felt this much despair, even when Dreadfear used his Aura and AoE stun.
“I understand. It’s hard to trust me. We’re not as close as you and the others.”
Bersil’s trembling hand, clutching the dagger, steadied.
“…So I’ll do it.”
“…….”
“If I don’t, someone else will.”
Damn it.
“…….”
I closed my eyes.
And I kept thinking.
What could I do? How could I stop this?
…There was no answer.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I had tried to stay positive, to believe that there was a way out, even when they had sealed my skills and stats and given me this ridiculous boss fight…
‘Fuck.’
This was unfair.
Too unfair.
I wasn’t dying because I was weak. I hadn’t made any mistakes. I hadn’t failed to complete the objective within the time limit.
“Stab, pilgrim. Cleanse the dagger with their filthy blood and prove your purity.”
And yet, one of us had to die?
Without even a chance to talk?
Swoosh.
Bersil stood up.
She approached me and bent down.
I could finally see her face clearly.
“Yandel…”
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“We’re going to fail… aren’t we?”
So she had chosen me.
She had decided to sacrifice herself so the others could survive.
I closed my eyes tightly.
“Don’t let them die in vain.”
A soft hand caressed my cheek.
‘…Huh?’
I opened my eyes.
Bersil was holding the dagger to her own throat, her back to Dreadfear.
“I’ve made a lot of wrong choices.”
Wait a minute.
“I thought it was the right thing to do. That anyone would have done the same. That I was being smart.”
I tried to speak, but I couldn't.
“But it always ended badly.”
She withdrew her hand from my cheek.
“I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”
No, you could have just waited.
Maybe that was the solution.
Why did you do this?
I didn't understand.
But…
“I told you. If I don’t do it, someone else will.”
That one sentence made me understand.
"And besides, I think this is a 'no betrayal' scenario."
Puk-!
We were the ones who pushed her.
______________________
「The first pilgrim has perished.」
「All stats of the surviving pilgrims increased by +400.」
______________________
Thud.
Her body collapsed to the ground.
The knight looked down at her and muttered,
"...What a fool."
My blood ran cold.
My mind went blank.
It felt like something inside me had snapped.
'She's... really...'
Dead...?
I felt a wave of nausea, as if I had drunk too much.
BEEEEEEEEP—
His voice echoed through the ringing in my ears.
"I'll give you another chance."
A black aura started emanating from his body.
「Centurion Dreadfear has cast [Hour of Execution].」
「Target's Fear greatly increases.」
It was similar to killing intent.
It clouded your mind and made it difficult to think rationally.
"..."
"..."
My body screamed in protest, and my mind was filled with the urge to run away.
[Run.]
A voice whispered in my ear.
But another thought surfaced.
"Pick it up."
What if Bersil had made a different choice?
Would we have been able to resist?
'Maybe...'
She had probably anticipated this situation.
Like a true [Dungeon and Stone] player, she had prioritized the developer's intentions.
Swoosh.
Blood pooled on the ground.
And...
Zzzzt-!
As the blood touched the statue...
「An unknown entity embraces the noble pilgrim's soul.」
「The altar has been activated.」
The entire cave shook, as if a rift was opening.
Rumble!
A bright light emanated from the statue.
「The light of trust dispels the darkness of fear.」
The power that had been binding me vanished.
Ttadat.
I grabbed the fallen dagger and stood up.
The knight looked annoyed, but not wary.
"Do you think that changes anything?"
Well, I didn't know yet.
But we had cleared one pattern.
'What a ridiculous skill...'
It was a disgusting ability.
To make people betray each other with a single word...
"There's still time. There's only one way for you to escape this cave alive. Prove your purity."
Who would believe him now?
"Mister, my strength has returned."
Oh, so I wasn't the only one who received a buff.
"Ainar, take care of Bersil."
"...Alright."
As Ainar collected Bersil's body...
The knight charged at us, his sword a blur.
Whiiiish.
It was much faster than the Imperial soldiers we had encountered before.
But thanks to the altar's activation, my reflexes had improved significantly. I could see the trajectory of his sword.
'He's aiming for my legs...'
He still wanted us to betray each other.
Thud!
Instead of blocking his attack with my shield, I jumped over it.
And then I swung my mace at his temple.
He didn't expect my agility and couldn't dodge in time.
Thud-!
But he was tough.
I wouldn't be able to defeat him in my current state.
I had only managed to land a hit because he was caught off guard.
'Not yet...'
I suppressed my desire to fight and shouted,
"Run!"
It wasn't the time to confront him yet.
Thanks to the stat boost, the Imperial soldiers surrounding the chamber were no longer a threat.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Ainar charged through them like a rhinoceros, scattering them like leaves.
We quickly escaped the chamber.
"Don't let them escape!"
The knight, who had been hit by my mace, quickly recovered and started chasing us.
His speed was...
'Slightly faster than ours.'
Which meant we would be caught eventually.
I had to find a way out.
I ran with all my might, my mind racing.
Why had our stats increased?
Was it just a buff from the altar?
Or was there another condition?
'What's the clear condition?'
Was it a game of tag?
Maybe our stats would increase as we ran away from him, and eventually we would be strong enough to defeat him.
I wasn't sure.
But I set a goal.
"...W-Where should we go...?"
"We're leaving the cave."
Maybe escaping the cave after activating the altar was the clear condition.
But it wouldn't be easy.
"...Mister, we can't keep running forever."
He would catch up to us eventually.
Ainar and Erwen each suggested a plan.
"Bjorn, let's fight him! We have to avenge the mage!"
"No, we can't win. I'll lure him away."
Fight, or flight.
They weren't bad ideas...
"...Alright. I'll be the bait."
"No, I should do it. I can move faster alone... And I have an ability."
"An ability?"
"I can sense where everyone is. I didn't know what it was until we reunited here..."
Was it like the Guide's ability to detect portals?
It would make regrouping easier.
"Trust me. I'm the best choice for this."
I hesitated.
What was the best option?
As always, I didn't have much time to think.
"...Don't get hurt."
Erwen didn't answer.
She just smiled and slowed down.
___________________
"Huff... Huff..."
I focused on my breathing as I ran.
It had been about two hours since I parted ways with Erwen.
'We're almost halfway there...'
I had covered more than half the distance in two hours. It had taken us almost eight hours to reach the central area from the entrance.
'My Physical stats are probably about a third of what they normally are...'
Of course, that was just based on my stats. I didn't have any skills, so I was still no match for him.
'But my stats aren't increasing anymore...'
Was it a one-time boost?
I didn't know, but I continued running towards the entrance with Ainar.
And after a while...
'When is Erwen coming back? I hope nothing happened...'
I was starting to get worried.
「The second pilgrim has perished.」
「All stats of the surviving pilgrims increased by +400.」
My stats increased again.