My Childhood Friend Turned Yandere in the Apocalypse

Chapter 230: Ch 230: Entering the Demon King’s Castle

"There are so many gates here. Which one are we supposed to enter?"

Shelly was the first one to notice the oddity in front of them, but even Rin noticed that there was more than one gate before him.

"There are five of us and five gates...which gate should we take? Or should we split up?"

Teressa questioned as she looked at the gates.

Somehow, Rin had a feeling that these gates had been split like this on purpose. Was it the demon king’s tactic to split them up?

"Whatever is happening here does not feel normal. We should choose a gate and enter as a team. That way, it would be easier for us to deal with any danger."

Reina, who had no combat skills, pointed out. She also stepped closer to Rin in an attempt to borrow his reassuring presence.

Rin did not mind her seeking him out, but he was not so sure about these gates. There had to be a purpose behind having so many entrances.

"Albus—"

"I know. I will enter first."

Since the gate was only big enough to fit one person inside at a time, Albus entered it first. His body disappeared behind the gate, and Reina followed next, but the gate disappeared before she could enter it.

"Hey, where did the gate go?"

she questioned, and a warning immediately appeared before their eyes.

[Warning: Only one person may enter a single gate. Destinations inside the palace will be selected at random.]

"Hey! This is not fair! How does the system expect us to survive inside on our own? There are some people with no offensive skills here!"

Reina pointed toward herself and Teressa, but there was no response from the system.

"Ugh, so what do we do now? Both Teressa and I will be sitting fodder if we wait out here."

Reina pointed out in an annoyed voice, and Teressa nodded in agreement. They both did not have any combat skills in their kits.

"Ideally, I would tell you that it would be best if you stayed behind, but I don’t think that’s such a good idea this time. I do believe it would be safer for you to enter the castle with us."

Rin pointed out, and the two females nodded with tired sighs.

Shelly walked over toward them both and wrapped her arms around their shoulders with a smile on her face.

"Hey, there is no need to look so gloomy. The worst that can happen to you both is that you die. Wouldn’t that be better than getting tortured at these monsters’ hands?"

Shelly asked, and even Rin felt the need to let out a sigh.

I really need to teach Shelly how to hold back her words. But that can wait until later.

The doors were flickering, and Rin had a feeling they would change soon. So he decided to call out to Shelly and tell her to hurry up.

"Shelly, enter the gate now. It’s your turn."

He called out to the pink-haired girl, and she nodded before heading toward the portal.

"Rin, I will try to find you as soon as possible. So wait for me and don’t get hurt."

The only one Shelly addressed was Rin, and then she vanished behind the portal.

It was Reina and Teressa’s turn next, and they looked visibly nervous.

"It’s going to be alright. There is no need to worry too much. Just try to find one of us inside and use the things you purchased from the store. If you need more money, then withdraw from the emergency funds."

Rin warned them both thoroughly. Since they were going to struggle no matter what, he at least wanted things to be a little more comfortable for them.

But his words had the opposite effect. Instead of calming the pair down, they only seemed to irritate them further.

"We get it! There is no need to lecture us, alright? We’ll be heading inside now."

Reina sighed as she walked toward the portal before disappearing beyond it. Teressa followed, but a second portal appeared for her to enter.

That only left Rin, and he had only one portal remaining.

He entered it and found himself in a fancy dining hall. He was alone in the castle, and he immediately opened his system to check for a map.

[Scanning for a map.]

[Map found in database. Normal users cannot access it.]

[Using Subject #00’s authority...Map accessed. Marking enemies and allies.]

[Positions marked.]

Rin took a deep breath as he looked at the map before making one last preparation.

"I would like to use Employee Benefits as well as Gluttony. The person I wish to copy the abilities from is Serena."

[Confirmed.]

[Skill: Employee Benefits will activate. Every employee will receive a 100% boost to their skills.]

[Ability: Gluttony has activated. User Serena’s skills will be copied and enhanced to the highest rank.]

[Your stamina consumption will be doubled. Ability duration: 23 hours.]

The messages felt daunting, but Rin had been prepared for an occasion like this. It was why he had stocked his inventory with stamina-recovery potions, and he did not hesitate to take the first one.

[Your stamina consumption has been reduced for 4 hours.]

Rin sighed before concentrating. He focused on the abilities humming beneath his skin before releasing the power he had built up inside him.

[You have used the exclusive skill ’Queen of Snow and Ice.’ Your attacks will gain the frost attribute. Your attacks will inflict the Frozen and Frostbite status effects on enemies.]

Serena had possessed a lot of hidden potential, but it was a pity that she had never gotten the chance to show it off.

And now, Rin was using her powers, but doing so left a bitter taste in his mouth.

’Now is not the time to be thinking about all this. Let’s hurry up and find my companions before it is too late.’

His map showed enemies moving toward him as small dots, and Rin took a deep breath before rushing out of the dining hall to face them.

Rin held a sword that emitted a freezing aura, and the monsters backed away as soon as they sensed its power. But unfortunately for them, it was already too late. Rin’s sword froze the enemies before killing them.

Then, he moved on to the next hallway in search of his next victims.