Ch.302The Future of Those Left Behind

After defeating the Omnipotent Demon Lord and stepping outside, I found residents who had awakened from the midnight commotion surrounding the building.

Seeing them each holding weapons like swords, spears, hammers, and kitchen knives, it seemed unlikely that we would get through this peacefully, but…

“Everyone, calm down and lower your weapons. There’s no need to fight them.”

When Shun, wearing the “Leader” mask from those displayed inside the building, spoke those words, the Third Eye tribe residents obediently lowered their weapons and backed away.

“They really do listen when it’s the leader speaking.”

“It seems the power and authority of the mask are still valid. Fortunate that we can avoid unnecessary conflict.”

“Ah, let’s quickly meet up with Ancestor and get out of here.”

We had agreed to inform the residents about the death of the Omnipotent Demon Lord and the truth about the Third Eye tribe after we left the island.

The scale and shock of the incident were enormous, and we were already perceived as “harbingers of doom who would destroy the Third Eye tribe.”

If we handled this poorly, we could end up clashing with all the residents of the Third Eye tribe in a riot.

‘It feels a bit wrong to dump the aftermath of our actions on Shun… but given the circumstances, we have no choice.’

With that thought, as we followed Shun out of the plaza, the Prophet and several other Third Eye tribe members blocked our path.

“Halt your steps.”

“Prophet, Kin=Ra=Dol…”

“You who has been granted the Leader’s mask. Who are you? There were no children scheduled to become adults today.”

Though both parties wore masks, making it impossible to read expressions, the atmosphere clearly conveyed the Prophet’s suspicion about Shun’s identity.

Shun removed his mask before the Prophet, revealing his bare face, and spoke in a calm voice.

“My name is E=Pe=Shun. Until yesterday, I was a ‘Non-existent Child,’ but I awakened to the talent of ‘Warrior’ and was able to become an adult.”

“You’re saying you awakened to your talent this late? This is unprecedented.”

“But it’s true. My adult body is the most definitive proof.”

“Then is letting these outsiders leave your judgment as a ‘Warrior,’ or a decision as the ‘Leader’?”

“Both. As a Warrior, I must speak about the great changes the Third Eye tribe will face. And as a Leader, I’ve determined that outsiders should not be present for this.”

As Shun spoke and adjusted the Leader’s mask, the Prophet fell into thought before slowly nodding.

“I concede. While the role of Warrior is news to me, I will follow the Leader’s judgment.”

“Then gather the residents in the plaza. It will be a long story.”

“Understood.”

With that response, Prophet Kin=Ra=Dol departed to carry out Shun’s instructions without even glancing at us.

Afterward, we reunited with Ancestor who had been waiting in the prison, sent the guards at the prison entrance to the plaza, and walked to the gate location while listening to the gentle sound of waves.

“This is farewell for now. I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”

“Could you keep the dungeon outside a secret for the time being?”

“Of course, that’s my plan. It would be troublesome if adventurers wandered in and demolished the dungeon.”

When Jessica readily agreed, Shun’s expression of relief seemed visible behind his mask.

The dungeon is too far from the Western City for other adventurers to approach anyway, so the possibility is close to zero.

As long as we don’t accidentally reveal information about this dungeon, I expect the Third Eye tribe will have sufficient time to prepare for the coming changes.

“We’ll likely be busy with other matters for a while, but if you ever need help, look for Jessica Walter or William J. Kim through the Adventurers’ Guild in the Western City. We’ll come running as soon as we get your message.”

“Ul=Ga=Han had established an independent communication network with outlaws from the pioneer settlements. I believe we could use a similar method to contact you.”

“Understood. We’ll try to manage on our own first, but if we really need help, we’ll find a way to contact you.”

“Stay strong.”

With Seti’s farewell, we said goodbye to Shun and entered the glowing blue gate.

The other side of the gate was, of course, the core storage room in the dungeon’s deepest part. After the five of us and Ancestor exited, the gate disappeared, leaving only the multicolored dungeon core floating in the air.

“Well… now all that’s left is to escape the dungeon and rush to the Wellord Mine.”

“We’ve been exposed to the black mana for too long because of the time wasted in prison. We should hurry.”

“Mina, do you remember the way back from here?”

“Of course! I even took notes secretly from the Gentleman.”

Mina flashed a grin and gave a thumbs up.

Although it was our first time going back up from the boss room, it seemed we wouldn’t waste time finding our way.

~~~ The next afternoon, Third Eye Tribe Island ~~~

Around the time Will’s party left Wellord Mine for Moon Lake after resting following their dungeon escape,

The Third Eye tribe society was in great shock after learning the truth about the Creator from E=Pe=Shun.

Having lived faithfully according to the Creator’s will and the roles assigned to them, the shock and sense of betrayal upon learning the truth was immense.

“I heard they’ve scrapped the plan to capture Svart?”

“What happens to the ‘Curse Caster’ then? Will they return their mask and receive a different role?”

“Leader E=Pe=Shun said so. He’s discussing specific plans with the Administrator, Prophet, and others.”

The sight of the entire population—no, the entire tribe—abandoning their roles and gathering in small groups to worry about the future was unprecedented in the centuries-long history of the Third Eye tribe.

Fortunately, there were sufficient food and resource reserves, and one advantage of this island was that they didn’t need to worry about monster invasions from outside even if the shocked warriors weren’t performing dungeon activities.

Rather than forcing residents back to work, Shun chose to give them a few days of rest.

Meanwhile, someone was sneaking onto this beautiful island amid the quiet chaos.

With white hair reaching her waist, a voluptuous body exuding femininity, and dressed in provocative lingerie-like clothing, the Queen of the Succubus tribe had secretly arrived on the island.

‘White Demon Lord’ Anastasia had secretly descended upon the Third Eye tribe’s island.

‘Oh…? I wondered how they were managing on this remote island, but it seems they’ve raised quite useful servants.’

Why and how did Anastasia, who should be at Archmage Deidric Asmard’s villa, come here?

The answer lay in the “Book of Adventure” she managed at the Riverside mansion.

When Will’s party, in cooperation with Shun, defeated the Omnipotent Demon Lord, the second sentence that had appeared in the Book of Adventure finally gained its complete form and power.

A space completely isolated from the world through some method, prepared solely to contain the Demon Lord’s true form.

The means to open a direct gate to that place was the essence of the “Book of Adventure.”

‘Even so, to think they would defeat the Demon Lord… those children truly always exceed my expectations.’

Even Anastasia hadn’t expected the Omnipotent Demon Lord’s death.

A Demon Lord is a mystical entity that transcends concepts like life and death.

Even her husband Deidric Asmard’s ultimate magic couldn’t end its life, so the best they could do was confine it to a remote island isolated from the world, with Armedia’s cooperation.

After many years, Anastasia had hoped that by following her husband’s traces with Will’s party, they might discover a way to destroy the Demon Lord.

But instead of merely discovering the method, they had actually accomplished it.

No wonder Anastasia fell out of bed in shock when she sensed the Demon Lord’s annihilation in the middle of the night.

‘That monster’s dwelling is… over there.’

Anastasia flew toward the black cross-shaped building in the center of the Third Eye tribe village, hidden by illusion barriers, where she clearly sensed fragments of the Demon Lord’s power.

Several Third Eye tribe members were walking around the building, but it was impossible for them to perceive another Demon Lord’s presence since they couldn’t transcend Armedia’s taboos.

Thus, Anastasia reached the place where the Omnipotent Demon Lord met its end without any interference.

‘What is this… the pathetic result of desperately struggling for the hollow dream of omnipotence.’

Looking at the hundreds of masks decorating the interior, Anastasia clicked her tongue in disbelief.

These masks were magical tools created by the self-proclaimed Omnipotent Demon Lord to control the Third Eye tribe.

Instead of sharing its own power, it merely took what they cultivated, consumed it, and spat it back out—no better than vomit, a base remnant.

No wonder it made no progress as a Demon Lord for hundreds of years, merely treading water.

In the end, it was just a monster harboring dreams beyond its station.

‘However, I’ve benefited from this as a result, so I cannot say our encounter was meaningless.’

With a slight smile, Anastasia stood at the exact spot where the Omnipotent Demon Lord had died.

Suddenly, mirage-like light began rising from the empty floor around her, and these lights were sucked between Anastasia’s slightly parted, seductive lips.

It was a mysterious and alien sight, as if she were consuming the very “death” of the Demon Lord as nourishment.

‘Whew…’

After the “meal” that lasted about a minute, Anastasia exhaled a heated sigh with an ecstatic face, like a woman who had just finished lovemaking.

The White Demon Lord Anastasia had successfully stolen the Meteor Shower ability from the Omnipotent Demon Lord, raising her rank as a Demon Lord.

Additionally, she had learned his true name, which no one—not even the Omnipotent Demon Lord himself—remembered anymore.

‘Je=Goz=Kein… similar to the Third Eye tribe’s naming convention. A name that now no one will remember.’

Did he give the Third Eye tribe a naming system similar to his own because he acknowledged the creator-creation, parent-child relationship in his own way?

With the Omnipotent Demon Lord, Je=Goz=Kein, now gone, no one will ever know.

In any case, her business on this island was finished.

While Anastasia didn’t care what would happen to the Omnipotent Demon Lord’s creations left behind, Will’s party seemed to have small expectations about how they would live from now on.

If so, she thought it wouldn’t be bad to leave a small gift to clean up the former irresponsible Creator’s misdeeds.

‘I don’t mind other things, but I dislike that they were created to gain no pleasure from intercourse between men and women. I shall at least resolve this before I leave.’

Whether her very succubus-like “gift” was truly necessary for the Third Eye tribe’s future remains somewhat questionable.