Chapter 15 : A Punishment Rather Than A Reward?

The Mid-Level Gargoyle Cave of Mount Presia.

In the game, this dungeon was of medium difficulty, and strangely enough, the only monsters that appeared were gargoyles.

Since the cave had very few places to take cover and was densely populated with monsters, getting surrounded could be a real nightmare.

However, if one handled it well, the high monster density made it an ideal spot for farming.

Normally, this place should have been filled with the sounds of gargoyle footsteps, the flapping of their wings, and the scraping noise of their claws against the rocks.

But…

“Why is it so quiet?”

Less than a minute after entering the cave, Ravi muttered.

As a member of the Bunny Tribe, she had exceptional hearing—able to pick up sounds that even I and

Elfin couldn’t hear.

Yet, even her sharp ears could detect nothing.

Coincidentally, Ravi and I had recently encountered a dungeon with almost no monster activity, just like this.

Both of us seemed to have the same thought, as we exchanged glances and silently prepared for battle.

“What’s going on? Did you sense something? I don’t feel anything at all,” Elfin asked in confusion.

Although not as sharp as the Bunny Tribe, Elfin, being an elf, also had keen hearing.

However, unlike us, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

“Elfin, remember when Alvis and I told you about the strange phenomenon at the Goblin Camp? The atmosphere there felt exactly like this. A place that should have been crawling with monsters, yet was eerily silent… This situation keeps reminding me of that. We don’t know what might happen, so you should prepare for battle, too.”

“The Goblin Camp where that cursed ritual was performed? But didn’t Alvis get rid of that weird dark spirit back then? Isn’t this situation actually better? I mean, rather than fighting a whole swarm of gargoyles in this cramped space, wouldn’t it be easier if Alvis just eliminates another dark spirit like last time?”

“No, that won’t work. It’s not something I can just do whenever I want.”

If the same thing happened as before, the circumstances would be very different this time.

Back then, the moment I laid eyes on the dark spirit with my ‘Eyes of Truth,’ its existence was instantly erased.

However, now I had already used up all three chances I had for the day.

Wasting my second use of the ability earlier without gaining any useful information had been a painful mistake.

I still didn’t fully understand the power of that dark spirit-like entity, so if something similar appeared again, the only viable option would be to escape.

But recalling what happened last time, attempting to run away might cause another backlash damage…

‘Damn, this feels like a checkmate situation.’

Discovering this hidden Gargoyle Cave had been a great find, but I was now regretting my reckless use of my ability.

Still, regrets could come later—first, we needed to get through this cave.

As we ventured deeper and turned a corner, we saw various statues standing silently in place.

“Gasp…!”

“G-Gargoyles!”

Ravi and Elfin instinctively prepared for battle, but soon lowered their weapons.

“They’re not alive. They’re still in statue form,” I murmured, observing the motionless gargoyle statues.

Gargoyles only came to life when infused with dark energy, transforming from mere statues into active monsters.

But the ones here hadn’t reached that stage yet.

At the same time, I broke into a wide grin.

“Heavens have blessed us! Guys, smash them all!”

“Huh?”

“Is that really okay? What if they suddenly wake up? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not smashing them is even more dangerous! Just trust me and hurry up!”

This was a special gimmick that occasionally occurred in the Gargoyle Cave.

Normally, one would have to fight against hundreds of gargoyles, but when they were in this statue state, they neither retaliated nor moved—they simply took every attack without resistance.

Of course, they were much tougher in this form, and since they were still statues, they wouldn’t drop any materials.

However, the trade-off was worth it—defeating them granted the same amount of experience points as if they were fully active monsters, but with zero risk.

When this phenomenon occurred, the key was to eliminate as many as possible before they activated.

If we were going to face dark spirits like the one from before without relying on my Eyes of Truth, I needed to grow stronger.

And now that Ravi and Elfin were on the same team as me, they had to become stronger as well.

In other words, this was the best level-up event for all three of us.

Seeing my urgency, Ravi and Elfin, still unsure of the situation, decided to follow my lead.

They began breaking the gargoyle statues one by one, reducing the potential risk before it could arise.

Ravi used her powerful strength and leg force, befitting a martial-arts-focused Bunny Tribe member, while Elfin summoned vines from the ground and hardened soil and rocks to destroy the gargoyle statues.

Since the statues were even tougher in their petrified state than when they were alive, Ravi and Elfin gradually grew exhausted, panting as they continued smashing them.

“Ugh… My arms… and legs… hurt…”

“Hah… hah… Hey, Alvis. Do we really have to destroy all of these? There are still so many left! I’m too exhausted to keep going!”

“Are you both worn out already? Then I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Huh? If the two of us together can’t finish the job, how do you expect to clear out the rest on your own? Just because you found a hidden place, don’t get too cocky—”

“Just watch.”

The two had already destroyed well over a hundred gargoyle statues.

Since my Eyes of Truth were still on cooldown, I couldn’t check their exact conditions, but judging by the amount they’d taken down, they must have leveled up significantly.

Now, it was time for me to handle the rest.

I grabbed the old iron sword hanging at my waist, extended my arm forward, and focused my mind for a brief moment.

Soon, a white glow enveloped the blade.

“L-Light…?”

“That’s not aura! What the hell is that?!”

Oh, right. I hadn’t shown this to Ravi yet, had I?

The only time I had used this while traveling with her was when I subdued a group of bandits disguised as merchants.

But at that time, she had been inside the wagon’s cargo hold.

“I never planned to just sit back and suck my thumb while you two did all the work.”

As I swung my lightsaber toward the gargoyle statues, they crumbled into dust as if their durability meant nothing.

Even though they were still lifeless statues, their essence remained that of gargoyles.

In the game, even inactive gargoyle statues were treated the same as regular gargoyles—meaning they were considered dark creatures.

And dark creatures were extremely weak against light-based techniques stronger than themselves.

Fsssssh!

As the last gargoyle statue in the cave turned to ashes, there was no sign of any cursed ritual or unidentified monster appearing this time—unlike what had happened at the Goblin Camp.

Hundreds of gargoyle statues had been sliced apart and obliterated like tofu.

Ravi’s rabbit ears shot straight up in surprise, her eyes widening.

“Alvis… what was that?! Were you hiding your true abilities this whole time?! You never showed anything like this back at the Academy—”

Elfin was even more shocked than Ravi, pointing at the radiant sword in my hand.

“T-That light… Don’t tell me… That’s the Goddess’s Light?! Only holy knights are supposed to have that! Are you secretly a holy knight?!”

“That’s ridiculous. It’s just a technique. Nothing to do with the Goddess.”

“But the light you just used wasn’t mana-formed aura—it was pure light itself! I’ve never heard of anyone wielding that kind of power unless they were chosen by the Goddess as a holy knight or a saint…”

“Who said only holy knights or saints can wield light? If that were true, then would every dark mage, cultist, and witch automatically be apostles of the Death King? There are exceptions, you know. Maybe you should’ve spent more time outside Arbones instead of staying cooped up there.”

“What?!”

Elfin looked like she was about to argue, but Ravi gave her a disapproving look.

Clicking her tongue, Elfin turned her head aside, pouting.

“I was just messing with you. No matter how much I hate what he did back then, I don’t actually want him to get assassinated. Fine, fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“I knew I could trust you two. As a token of my gratitude, can I give you both a hug?”

“No.”

“Nope.”

▶ You have cleared the Level 40 Dungeon: Gargoyle Cave.

• As one who defies fate, you have uncovered a portion of the hidden darkness within this dungeon.
• You may claim a partial reward from the dungeon’s deepest chamber.

Thankfully, unlike last time, there was no sudden appearance of a dark spirit or anything worse.

This dungeon had been cleared easily and smoothly.

The fact that I had only uncovered part of the hidden truth nagged at me a little, but I could always return once my cooldown had reset…

“For now, let’s divide up the dungeon loot. There should be a chest or something deeper inside. Take whatever you need, and let’s get out—”

At that moment, another message appeared before my eyes.

The more you fulfill your destiny as one who defies fate, the more you will attract the attention of those who scheme within destiny.

By clearing this dungeon, you have set yourself on a path toward even greater hardships ahead.

“…Why the hell am I being punished instead of rewarded for clearing the dungeon?”

To be continued…