Nacrad was beside Duke Barrow as usual. The task of shrouding the duke's mind in darkness had already been completed.
It wasn’t particularly difficult. Although Duke Barrow was a man of formidable strength, he was different in mind.
How strong could a father’s mind be when he still harbored the memory of his son, who had died ten years ago, and dreamed nightmares every day?
The phrase "like father, like son" suited them too well. Thanks to that foolish boy, everything had unfolded so easily.
Though I still couldn't control this man at will, it was fine. The mere fact that the ruler of the territory was passive opened up many opportunities.
With the priests of Tariki gathering in the territory, I could use them to inform the ignorant of Tariki's greatness.
Thus, by enhancing Tariki’s prestige, I would gain power.
Ah, and I must also bestow the blessing of Tariki upon the foolish Barrow’s heir, who remains trapped in the shadow of his deceased kin.
All this was made possible by that man's foolishness.
At the end of all the plans, the demon would fulfill the desire of the great evil god by toppling that massive academy.
“Yes, great Tariki.”
Though the voice was sudden, Nacrad's reaction was swift. It was as if he had been waiting, and he knelt on one knee, ready to hear the voice of the god.
The moment he heard those words, the image of the damn saint’s apostle flashed through Nacrad’s mind.
It was that girl.
There was no one else.
None of the other stragglers would have discovered what had been concealed by Tariki’s power.
Indeed, I should have killed her back then. I should have watched her scream for mercy under my feet.
The old man hidden within the weapon should have made her shed tears of blood.
Even if it meant pushing the limits, I should have.
“Merciful Tariki, what should I do?”
“Ooh, understood. I will trust you and do my work!”
Dungeons created by evil gods typically possess characteristics that align with their power.
Of course, the dungeon created by the evil god of darkness also bore appropriate characteristics, and if one did not know them, they would suffer.
Traps that could never be discovered by conventional means.
Paths hidden by the power of darkness.
Unique mechanisms that could not be found in other dungeons.
Various monsters lurking in the shadows, targeting the user.
In addition, the dungeons under that god's influence possess dark and sinister traits akin to darkness itself.
It is no wonder that users of the community advise against entering dungeons associated with the evil god of darkness. If one must enter, they suggest watching various guides posted on the community or XTube.
Guides, you say? The best approach is to try it with bare hands! The moment you enter the dungeon, you’ll end up breaking something, whether it’s your monitor, mouse, or keyboard.
When I first entered the evil god’s dungeon, I must have cursed multiple times, wondering what kind of trash this dungeon was.
However, that was when I was still unaccustomed to the Soul Academy.
Years later, having turned into a rotting fish, I became someone who could conquer even the most treacherous dungeon on the first try. After tackling dungeons created by users, I had become like that.
Ah, thinking back to those days is just awful.
The malice of humanity is truly vile.
Compared to humans, the evil god of darkness is nothing.
At the very least, that creature wouldn’t lock someone in a coffin and yell, “Kill yourself, you rookie!” just because they misstepped once.
Well, in comparison to humanity’s endless malice, it’s not much, but the dungeons created by the evil god of darkness have high difficulty levels.
It’s not a place that I can treat lightly.
I can’t think that if I fail, I’ll just die like I did in the game.
Death in this place is real death.
A horrific experience of struggling amidst extreme fear and pain.
To avoid this, thorough preparation is essential for a perfect strategy.
The beginning of that thorough preparation is the semi-endgame shield, ‘Ankir.’
Finding clues through a slab with an extremely low drop rate.
Entering hidden locations via one of those slabs.
Passing through mazes using one of those slabs.
Ankir is an item that can only be acquired after conquering a dungeon called ‘Trial,’ making it a difficult item to obtain, and it possesses significant performance.
Infinite durability and automatic repair are basic options, and it also has considerable shock resistance and various additional effects.
Among these useful features, the one I currently consider important is its ability to dispel negativity.
This shield, which an angel from the distant past directly imparted to a hero, drives away all unclean forces.
In other words, it allows me to detect various traps hidden by Tariki’s power.
I didn’t just decide to seek out the shield the moment I noticed my opponent was the evil god of darkness.
“It’s quite late. What brings you here, Lady?”
Having successfully met Isabel and obtained the slab, I chose to find Luca instead of returning to the dormitory.
To use this slab, I needed his cooperation. I was also looking for someone to bear the brunt when we tackled the dungeon.
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“Are you referring to the old building of the academy?”
“Yes, that’s right. Can we go right now?”
“Sure. It’s the place we used even when this shabby academy was just a decrepit old building. Can we go now?”
“Of course, but why are we going there?”
“If you follow me, you’ll find out.”
“Are you telling me that a pedophile professor like you can help a cute girl like me? Isn’t that a bit too kind? Oh, don’t tell me you want to be ridiculed for that? Ugh, disgusting.”
“...Yes. I’ll keep my mouth shut and guide you.”
The Soul Academy has both a main building and an old building.
The old building is the place that was created when the Soul Academy was established and is currently used by those conducting research within the academy.
In modern terms, it could be described as a prison for graduate students.
Even during a time when the sun used the ground as its blanket to sleep, the building still emitted bright light, indicating that graduate students were treated no differently here.
No, people in this world generally possess superior physical abilities compared to those from the original world, so they might be treated even more harshly.
“Please hold on for a moment.”
The old building is a place where the research results of various scholars belonging to the Soul Academy are stored, thus unauthorized access is strictly prohibited.
Even with a professor like Kal present, the same rule applies. He hasn’t been in the academy for even a year, so he has limited rights.
“It’s me, Luca.”
“Oh, Professor Luca! My apologies. Please, go ahead.”
However, Luca is different. Having worked at the Soul Academy for a long time and built up a record, he can do anything he wants in here.
Typically, Luca uses this authority for his own selfish purposes, but it can certainly be useful if utilized well.
Thanks to that, I easily entered the old building, and the place I moved to was the archive room.
“Do you have business in this old place?”
Luca tilted his head, looking at the worn door of the archive room.
Although this place holds the history of the Soul Academy, which has historical significance, it contains nothing particularly useful.
That was the case in the game, too. There were small items and various Easter eggs, but nothing of great importance.
However, that was when I entered the door. To see the true nature of this archive, one must prepare a special item outside the door.
As I took the slab from my inventory and held it forward, the door of the archive room changed its appearance.
From an old wooden door to a grand marble door.
“...What on earth is this?”
Luca blinked, seemingly unable to believe that such a thing was hidden in the archive room he had seen many times before.
Observing that scene quietly, Kal patted Luca’s shoulder and spoke.
“Pathetic junior. You shouldn’t be surprised by things like this one by one. The path walked by the lady is always filled with such things.”
Is that a jab? Is he trying to assert dominance over his pathetic junior?
Look at that prideful expression.
Why is he so proud of the fact that he was called pathetic first?
I truly cannot understand Prete and him. Why do they grin when they’re being insulted?
Leaving them be would only make them act even more ridiculous, so I promptly opened the door.
“Kal, let’s hurry up.”
“Hey, pathetic one. I want to return before morning, you know? Everyone knows you’re a perverted child, so don’t brag about it and just follow me.”
“Ha ha. I apologize. Even if everyone knows, I still want to brag once more.”
Despite the ridicule from the mesugaki skill, seeing Kal shrug away made me sigh involuntarily.
...This is why I can’t give him the present I prepared. He always acts like this, so who knows what kind of trouble he’d cause if I give him a gift?
I thought that further conversation would only give me a headache, so I simply moved my feet into the archive room.
As soon as I entered, Kal and Luca naturally followed behind me, and the moment all three of us entered, the door closed on its own.
Huh? Did this door close automatically?
Surely.
“I can’t believe such a place existed. What you said about your pathetic senior was indeed correct. It would be quite challenging if one doesn’t get accustomed to it.”
“To realize that already. Truly, it’s Professor Luca.”
...No.
Hey. No matter how I think about it, aren’t you mocking me? You’re being sarcastic!
Why are you grinning at the title of ‘pathetic senior’?
Haa. Where did it all go wrong?
Among the knights of the territory, my reputation is good.
If I hear from Zoyna or Arthur, they say I’m a cool and kind person among the academy students.
Why do I turn into such a regrettable person only when I’m by your side?
Now that I think about it, it’s not just him.
Benedict is like that too.
The dumb fox is the same.
Faybi too.
Even Isabel, whom I met not long ago...
Oh?
Could it be that I’m the problem?
Is that it?!