Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 101: Making Gold (5)

Our steps ascending the dungeon were lighter than ever before.

First of all, escaping the ruler of the 30th floor was significant. There were no creatures on this level that threatened our lives, and we felt confident that we could gradually grow stronger.

Thanks to the control I had over the dungeon, even the luggage needed for traveling back and forth felt light.

“Let’s go.”

Since we couldn’t show this to others, we opened the passage directly to the 30th floor from the elevator going up to the 10th floor. The elevator doors opened, and we found ourselves on the 30th floor.

“…Really, no matter how many times I see it, I can’t believe it.”

Raize, who had just witnessed the spatial transportation technique, commented with a calm expression. Though she seemed composed now, when I first demonstrated my authority, her eyes had sparkled wildly as she practically lit up with excitement.

‘It was a bit tough back then.’

The price of piquing a mage’s curiosity was high. I had to reveal all the secrets of my power to her, and even that wasn’t enough; I had to assist her with various experiments to satisfy her curiosity.

When she realized that this ability was an unidentified power related to dungeon control, something no one had ever explained, she nearly flipped out in excitement.

“By the way, how’s the research going?”

“Huh?”

“You know, the stuff you took from me.”

“Ah… yeah. At my own pace.”

Recalling that she had taken memories related to the gods from me, I asked Raize about the progress of her research.

However, she hesitated to speak with a reluctant expression, much like when I stood before my father as a child, having not finished my homework.

She was refusing to speak at all.

“…Don’t tell me you didn’t study it?”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that, well, your memories aren’t that useful…”

“…What?”

“Memories are ultimately based on what you see and feel, right?”

“That’s right.”

Memories are essentially a collection of sensations recorded by the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.

Without the five senses, you can’t remember anything. How could you remember something you haven’t seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt?

“That’s how your memories are, Dojin.”

And so were my memories of meeting with God. They were directly imprinted on my soul, but they weren’t the kind of memories that would remain in the brain.

I nodded as I listened to Raize’s explanation.

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It would be nice to have them, but it’s not particularly problematic if they’re not there.”

“Really?”

Raize said that and pointed at the dungeon she was standing on.

“Right now, there’s a dungeon that exists more concretely, isn’t there? We can study this.”

“…Right.”

Indeed, with my help, researching the dungeon wouldn’t be that difficult. Perhaps she could be the first to create the teleportation magic that no one had managed to make so far.

“If you need my help, just let me know anytime.”

“Your help?”

Raize tilted her head and looked at me, then let out a chuckle.

“If I needed help from someone who’s not even a mage, I might as well give up the title of mage.”

“Oh… really?”

“If you want to be of help, why not learn some simple magic? Then I’ll take you on as my assistant.”

Hearing those words, I felt a tingling sensation all over my body. Being told to learn magic, when I had the necklace around my neck, I could use almost all the magic she could use…

However, even though she was my companion and close to me, I hesitated to reveal this. Wasn’t she also a mage? I had no idea what choice she, who had lived her whole life as a mage, would make.

“I should learn it if I ever get the chance.”

“Hmph, with that attitude, you won’t even be able to light a simple fire in your lifetime.”

Saying that, Raize moved forward. I followed her, chuckling to myself.

Little by little, I was becoming able to control my emotions. This meant that I was getting used to controlling my abilities.

‘The more emotional turmoil there is… the easier it becomes to control.’

As I moved forward in the dungeon, I felt the need to interact more with the others. I realized that the way to break an unwavering statue is to shake it even more.

Dojin thought he wouldn’t let the mages discover the artifact. However, the world was quite unkind, and things often didn’t go as planned.

“Dojin!”

At Eunha’s shout, he lifted his head. A werewolf jumped down from the ceiling. He had been focusing his attention elsewhere, so he noticed it late.

However, he swung his sword without any worry. Even if he noticed a bit late, it wasn’t enough to be a threat in the face of his extraordinary reflexes and physical abilities.

‘A little faster.’

And stronger.

The artifact clinging to his body seized the bioelectric currents sent by his muscles and realized his will.

Haste.

Strength.

Swoosh!

“…Huh?”

Dojin was momentarily startled by his own sudden acceleration and let out a gasp. His body moved more than 1.5 times faster than he had anticipated.

However, there was no time to be flustered. Hunting the monsters even faster with his increased speed, he beheaded the last werewolf and returned to his party.

“Dojin, are you okay?”

“Leader, are you alright?”

While Eunha and Orion were worried about the fact that Dojin almost missed the monster, Raize glared at him with sharp eyes.

Dojin instinctively hid his necklace and turned his head.

“…You… just now… that.”

“U-uh? What?”

“How did you do it?”

“Raize? Why are you suddenly… to the leader…?”

“You two—can’t you see? He used magic! Just now!”

At those words, Eunha and Orion also looked at Dojin. Did he use magic? His movements were fast enough to think so.

However, he was a pure swordsman who didn’t know the first thing about magic, and the party knew that best.

Especially Eunha, who came from the same world as him, knew how absurd that was.

“Dojin using magic…? That can’t be.”

“Can’t you see it?”

“A scroll… could it be something like that? Because… Dojin didn’t know how to use magic until a few months ago.”

“…What?”

The most surprised by that statement was Raize. As a mage, she knew how arduous it was to learn magic.

Considering that she had dedicated her life to magic and was only now a mid-level mage, and even then, she was considered somewhat of a genius.

It was truly an unbelievable thing.

“…You, explain. What on earth happened here?”

“I used a scroll.”

“Do you think that excuse will work in front of a mage like me? I didn’t even see you tear a scroll.”

“…Actually, I’ve been learning magic for a few months now. I’ve only practiced these two.”

“Wow, that’s really impressive. To learn magic to the point of skipping incantations in just a few months. Who taught you? If there’s a mage who teaches that well, I should quit learning from my master and learn from them.”

But no matter what method was used, there was no escaping the suspicion of Raize. Dojin let out a small sigh and finally took out his necklace.

“…Raize, you’re my comrade, right?”

“What are you suddenly talking about…? If you think you can get away with that kind of talk—”

“Light.”

Dojin shouted while holding his necklace.

Let there be light and there was light.

“What is this…?”

It was as if a religious person had witnessed the creation of the world by God.

The shock Raize felt upon seeing the necklace manifest magic on its own was similar to that.

A shock as if the world was reborn and then collapsed.

Whether a strong mage or not, it was an unbearable shock.

In the end, Raize couldn’t believe what she saw and collapsed.

“Raize?!”

Seeing Raize collapse, Dojin took her and escaped the dungeon.

In the early dawn, when nocturnal animals opened their eyes and filled the silent night with their cries, Raize slowly opened her eyes.

‘…Where is this?’

Looking around, she realized she was at Dojin’s mansion. Well, there was no other place to take her after she suddenly collapsed in the dungeon.

“Did you sleep the whole day away?”

Raize looked at the moon rising outside the window and let out a sigh of frustration. Yes, it was true that she had been lacking sleep recently due to various matters and research.

Thanks to that, her condition was now at its peak. If she lay down on the bed and woke up in the morning, everything would be perfectly normal, but… Raize forced herself to get up.

“I have to ask.”

She needed to find out what the item she saw in the dungeon earlier was, and whether it was indeed ‘that kind of tool’ she was thinking of.

As a mage, she had a duty to know. And if it was the tool she thought it was…

“…I’ll have to destroy it.”

It can’t be hidden forever anyway. Hadn’t she already caught it herself? A high-ranking mage from the Magic Tower might be able to notice it the moment they see it.

And if the elder figures of the Magic Tower saw such an item, they would try to kill not only Dojin but also the one who made it.

Dojin wouldn’t be able to withstand the Magic Tower, the ruling power of this world.

Raize thought it was better for a new history to disappear than for Dojin to die. Even if future generations would describe her as the villain who delayed the progress of magic by a thousand years, she intended to protect Dojin.

“Dojin…”

Raize stepped out of the room and encountered someone walking down the hallway. It was a face she had never seen before. Was it a newly hired maid?

But their attire was too casual for that. Besides, this wasn’t even a mansion where maids lived.

“Oh? Who…?”

“And who might you be…?”

Noah tilted her head as she looked at Raize, who had appeared before her. A child… she wondered if Dojin had reached out to yet another new girl.

However, Noah, firmly believing that he wouldn’t stoop to reaching out to such a young child, cleared her throat a few times and began her introduction.

“Um, I’m Noah, an alchemist employed by Dojin.”

“…An alchemist?”

“Yes. And you are… who?”

“An alchemist, you say.”

An alchemist. It was a profession not particularly close to a mage. They were audacious enough to try to replicate sacred magic through alchemy.

Rumor had it that alchemists dedicated their lives to turning lead into gold, and she thought the woman before her was of that kind.

‘…Gold?’

And then, in Raize’s mind, the necklace that Dojin possessed came to mind.

It was undoubtedly solid gold.