Chapter 39

“I never imagined such a space existed.”

Annette said, still with a look of disbelief as she looked around.

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Camian agreed. The underground known to the people of the holy city is just a subway with sewage treatment facilities. It’s never as deep as this place. The people of the holy city would never have even thought that such a vast underground space could exist at this depth.

“We may have discovered a secret we shouldn’t have.”

I uttered a seemingly profound statement.

“What do we do then?”

Annette’s face turned fearful.

“Calm down. We haven’t really found out anything yet.”

Camian said. The protagonist seems to be in good shape today. Maybe it’s because I fed him well and filled his stomach? I had such a silly thought, but in fact, I know. Although users treat him as a ‘ hopeless protagonist ’ this guy certainly has the temperament of a well-balanced protagonist. It’s just that the environment he has to navigate is too messed up, and it’s a small hexagon, so it doesn’t stand out properly.

“That’s right. There’s no need to worry prematurely.”

I also calmed Annette down. My words continued.

“But it’s not that we haven’t found out anything.”

“What is it?”

Camian asked.

“The place we fell is only used as an entrance.”

“That’s… that makes sense.”

Camian agreed after looking back at the entrance. The considerable height we felt when we fell. However, there were no tools like ladders around the entrance that could take us back up to that height. Unless we had wings, it meant it was impossible to climb back up.

“Right. There must be an exit somewhere. We have to find it.”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the large door in front of us. It was the only place that seemed to lead somewhere else. Camian approached the door. He tried pushing and pulling the doorknob. But the door didn’t budge. Then he tried sliding it to the side, but again, the door remained immovable.

“Tch, it won’t move at all.”

Of course. The door is locked right now. It can only be opened by unlocking a hidden mechanism. And of course, I knew where that mechanism was.

“I feel a sense of discord.”

Again, I played the card of discord. It’s much easier than making up reasons every time, so why wouldn’t I use it?

“Is it that sense of discord again?”

Camian spoke as if it was ridiculous.

“Your ability to feel discord is amazing, senior.”

Annette admired sincerely. It seems that my character has taken on a certain trait. Not bad.

“There must be some mechanism.”

“I was thinking the same.”

Since it wouldn’t open normally, thinking of a mechanism wasn’t difficult. The important thing was where that mechanism was.

“Well, let’s split up and look for it…”

Before Camian could finish his sentence, I moved. The fifth from the front. The third from the left. A pillar engraved with a crescent moon. The information stored in my head surfaced smoothly. I pressed the picture. Click, The wall with the picture turned, revealing a small empty space. The lock mechanism inside. Click. I unlocked the mechanism to the left. At that moment. Rumble! A sound like a machine operating came from the door.

“My, my goodness…”

Annette’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How did you find that so easily?”

Camian seemed quite shocked as well. Finding a secret mechanism in such a large space at once. Even I think it doesn’t make sense. It’s something that could only happen with a coincidence upon a coincidence. But I have a master key.

“I told you I felt a sense of discord.”

Discord. Once could be a coincidence. Twice could be a coincidence. But from the third time, it’s a completely different story. I’ve already demonstrated my ability to them more than three times. In such a situation, people have no choice but to believe it’s a ‘real ability.’

“It’s the ability that has saved my life several times.”

I spiced up the last part with a bit of flair.

“Senior, you’re really something.”

Camian said with a complex expression. His ‘really something’ must have meant more than just my abilities. That’s how I felt.

“So thoroughly deceiving the eyes of the world…”

I could tell from Camian ’s muttering that my thoughts were correct. How could someone deceive the world so thoroughly and live like that? What a remarkable person.

“Se, senior must have his own circumstances. If you say it like that…”

Annette interjected, flustered. But I gestured to her that it was okay. Then I smirked at Camian .

“You know nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

Camian frowned.

“I didn’t deceive the world’s eyes; I just lived that way. Spending money like crazy, eating only delicious food, drinking expensive alcohol, and having fun with women was all very fun and enjoyable…”

“Are you saying that something is different now?”

“Yes. It’s become boring. No matter how fun the entertainment is, if it continues, it becomes boring and numb. That’s human nature.”

I continued with an expression of someone who had seen it all.

“So I’ve decided to live differently from now on. No exaggeration, no understatement, that’s all there is to it.”

He didn’t look convinced. But he didn’t look like he didn’t understand either. At least he seemed to get the general flow of my psychology. That should be enough.

“I see.”

No, childhood friend, why are you getting so solemn? Don’t get solemn every time you hear such talk. It’s embarrassing.

“Let’s go in.”

I deliberately ignored their reactions and walked towards the open door first.

“Wa, wait, let’s go together, senior!”

The two followed me. As soon as we stepped out of the door, we were greeted by a corridor stretching straight ahead. A tunnel extending so far that it was hard to tell where it ended.

“Let’s go.”

I walked ahead. They hesitated for a moment, then followed me. It seemed they realized there was no other way anyway. Step by step, Only the sound of footsteps echoed. How long had we walked?

“Who made this space, and with what intention?”

Annette suddenly spoke up. It was a natural question. Such a massive underground space couldn’t have been made by one or two people. A construction requiring a vast workforce and capital. If there was such a large-scale construction, it would naturally be known to people. Even if it was a thing of the past, it would have been recorded or passed down orally.

But the people of the holy city don’t know? That in itself is a mystery. ‘I’m curious about that too, but… Of course, I know some of the mysteries of this underground space. But not everything. I’m one of the very few users who have progressed to what seems like the latter part, but I’m not a user who has cleared it. After all, no user has ever successfully cleared it. Anyway, I’ve never reached the end of this underground. The 14th floor underground was the last I reached.

“Who would know that here?”

Camian said. An obvious answer. But I know a bit, man. There was no need to say that now, but

“Wait.”

I felt something and alerted everyone.

“Yes?”

“Turn off the light.”

“Oh, okay.”

Annette immediately turned off the light magic at my serious face. Suddenly, it got dark around us. But…

“A light…?”

Camian muttered reflexively as he looked into the distance. He was right. There was a flickering light in the distance. Whether it was artificial light or sunlight, there was definitely light.

“There seems to be something over there.”

Hope shone in Annette’s voice. The hope that, even if it wasn’t an exit, we might find a clue to one. That hope was not wrong. However.

“There might be someone there. Maybe even a dangerous entity like a monster.”

My realistic words tensed their expressions. They knew my words had a possibility because it hadn’t been long since they had suffered from monsters in the dungeon underground.

“Follow me.”

Camian sent Annette, who was in the middle, behind him. It must have meant he wanted to protect his precious friend as much as possible.

“Uh, okay.”

Annette’s face turned red. It seemed his kindness had touched her heart. A typical reaction for a heroine with a difficulty level of zero stars. But that blockhead seemed to know nothing. ‘Yes, that’s better.’ I feel sorry for Annette, but in the game, there are many more helpful heroines than Annette. I don’t know who the protagonist’s luck in love will turn to, but at this point, only in chapter 2, being purely single might be the best in terms of possibilities.

“Then let’s move with caution.”

I spoke up. They nodded. And so, we started walking towards the place where the light existed. ‘I wonder what will come out.’ As I walked, I imagined various situations in my head. The feature of this quest. The fact that the situation can change randomly each time you proceed. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s infinite. There were about a dozen situations to face. And I knew all of them. The important thing is quick judgment of the situation. The response that fits that judgment. That’s all it takes.

“Slow down.”

I murmured in a quiet voice. Before we knew it, we were close to the light. We slowed down and approached the place more cautiously. Even if it’s a quest that knows everything, complacency is forbidden. I’m not the protagonist, and one wrong decision could lead to an irreversible end.

“…I hear something like a sound.”

Suddenly, Camian whispered softly to his ear. The protagonist, sharper in senses than I am now, must have felt it.

“Keep focusing.”

I instructed Camian . Because it was a sound that could be an important clue for judgment. But then…

“…It’s gone. I’m sure I heard it.”

Camian tilted his head and whispered again. My eyes changed when I heard that. Because I realized what it meant. The sound suddenly disappeared? That means the creatures over there noticed our presence and hid their own.

“It’s not a mistake. The creatures over there noticed us and killed the sound.”

I explained. The two became tense at that explanation.

“Be ready to attack at any time.”

I advised them lastly. And finally, we reached the place with the light. Whoosh. The view brightened. A wide circular plaza unfolded before us. The tense expressions of the two, who had been holding their breath, relaxed. They realized there was no one in the plaza.

“Phew, there’s no one here.”

“…Was it a mistake? But I’m sure…”

Camian looked puzzled.

“No.”

I didn’t let my guard down.

“Someone will come out.”

Before I could finish my sentence,

“Kyaaak!”

A woman’s shrill scream echoed from the other side. Camian and Annette looked startled.

“What…?”

“A human scream?”

The situation soon became clear.

“Grrr!”

“Grrrrr!”

A chilling moan as if flowing from the depths. Everyone realized it was the moan of zombies, the typical undead. A group of zombies, easily a dozen, appeared. The zombies were chasing a human. It was the woman who had screamed earlier. Wearing old and torn clothes, she was desperately fleeing, gasping for breath.

“There are undead here…”

Camian frowned and reached for his sword.

“Aaah, it’s dangerous like this! We have to help now!”

Annette, being the good person she is, immediately thought of helping. I didn’t say anything to them. I just walked forward. Meanwhile, the woman seemed to have spotted us and shouted with a mix of hope, desperation, and urgency.

“Ah… Pe, people! Please, save me! Help me!”

She ran towards us with all her might. I also walked towards her. Thinking it was a movement to save her, a sense of relief appeared on her face. As the distance between her and me narrowed,

“Ah, th, thank you! Thank you!”

The woman, even shedding tears, thanked me.

“Yes. Now you can relax.”

I smiled back at her. A warm moment in the midst of crisis. And then, Thwack! Suddenly, my drawn sword pierced through her chest. Her eyes filled with horror.

“Se, se, se, se, senior?! Wh, wh, wh, what are you doing?!”

Annette’s face also filled with horror.

“Ugh, are you crazy?!”

Camian looked shocked as well. But only I was calm. I opened my mouth with a sly grin.

“Who do you think you are, you wretched woman.”