episode_0155

“So, to summarize, this is what it is. The dungeon core is connected to somewhere in the other world, and by interfering with the dungeon core through magic, you can apply the same magic to all dungeons, right?”

“Yes, yes…! Th-that’s right…”

“…”

“…”

Yerina’s summary made Yulia reflect.

It was a moment where the explanation she stumbled through for over 30 minutes was summarized in just 10 seconds.

Yerina took a deep breath and sat down, carefully examining the materials Yulia handed her one by one.

“It doesn’t seem like she’s lying…”

It was quite surprising that the witch of Petenbourg was researching magic, but she let that slide. (In fact, it seemed fitting for someone with the title of a witch)

The key point was whether magic could be transmitted through the network connecting the dungeon cores.

When it came to dungeon research, there were plenty of data available from the tower and various countries.

According to them, the network connected from the dungeon core could transmit information in both directions.

The dungeon would send energy to the other world.

And the other world would give simple commands (such as adjusting the strength of monsters) to the dungeon.

Therefore, theoretically, it was possible to connect to the network of the other world through the dungeon core.

Theoretically.

Since neither the method of interdimensional connection nor the structure of the dungeon core had been completely revealed, it seemed mysterious.

But the witch of Petenbourg had figured it out.

The answer lay not in magic, but in using magic with magi.

And Yulia revealed this fact to the saintess and the frost lord.

For free.

There was only one thing they hoped for.

Cooperation to help Eugene.

“W-w-we’ve already c-completed the t-test with a s-simple spell… B-but to h-have a s-significant impact on the entire dungeon… we need to use m-more magi… I-I can’t do it alone…”

A large amount of magi was needed to apply magic to the dungeon.

But there were no groups of wizards or sorcerers willing to participate in weakening the dungeon in this world.

In the end, they would have to gather enough magi and bribe the mercenaries.

But the three gathered here were different.

They loved Eugene and shared a common goal of wishing for his safe return.

That’s why they could join hands.

They didn’t trust each other completely.

Paradoxically, because of that, they could be sure of their love for Eugene.

Knowing that Eugene could be in danger if they were divided, they joined hands.

“Do we need to learn magic too?”

“Just knowing how to handle magi is enough… I’ll take care of the spellcasting…”

“Alright. Let’s learn it then.”

The frustratingly slow lesson began.

Not only was it difficult to practice while listening to Yulia’s vague explanations, but feeling magi itself was a strenuous task.

“M-magi… is… energy generated by consuming emotions… U-unlike magic that requires eliminating emotions… think of it as amplifying specific emotions… and storing them in magi… it’ll be easier…”

Emptying emotions and filling the mind solely with reason was difficult, but anyone could do it with practice.

That’s why magic, as the name suggests, was a miracle that anyone, regardless of age or gender, could use.

Depending on the amount of magical power and talent one possessed, their abilities would be determined. There was no one in this world who couldn’t even use simple magic.

But sorcery demanded the exact opposite of what magic required.

Erasing reason and filling the mind only with emotions.

The prerequisite was strong emotions.

Whether it was anger, love, hatred, as long as it was intense, the type didn’t matter.

With such passion, one could become a sorcerer whether awakened by chance or through training.

For those who have lived a smooth life, magic was something they could never feel no matter how hard they tried.

That’s why sorcerers were often called monsters for combining reason and logic.

There were many sorcerers who were true monsters in the sense that they were consumed by emotions and could no longer think rationally.

Those who lost their minds and went insane were prevalent.

Their responsibility for causing a global crackdown on sorcerers by committing numerous crimes using sorcery was undeniable.

“As a saint, this power is certainly daunting… But power itself is not wrong. It’s the person wielding that power.”

Sorcery is both magic and an evil force.

The Holy See prevented the spread of sorcery by using this logic.

Simply because it was difficult to standardize and understand.

However, in the eyes of experts, sorcery was undoubtedly a powerful force with high potential.

If research continued, sorcery might one day break free from its stigma and be recognized as equal to magic.

And for this elf, there was an inexplicable feeling that she would make it happen.

“Collecting mana is a reflection of one’s thoughts about Eugene…”

The three of them concentrated, each loading mana with emotions like doubt, affection, hatred, and suspicion.

Numerous thoughts intertwined, causing the mana to take on a dark hue.

This made Yulia shiver.

Even those with strong emotions would take at least three days to feel magic if they didn’t possess exceptional talent.

Yet these women effortlessly gathered mana at their fingertips in less than an hour.

They didn’t know how to use it yet, but it didn’t matter.

As long as they collected mana, Yulia would be in charge of its utilization.

“What… What should I do now? Huh?! I feel like I’m about to lose control…”

“I, I will gather it. Thank you for your hard work…”

The scattered mana was drawn to Yulia’s calculations, converging in one place.

An unknown force swiftly took control of the mana, containing it within a single space.

The three mana sources entwined, forming a single entity.

“Why… Why is this happening…?”

However, the smooth entity began to vibrate and deform.

It broke free from Yulia’s control and split apart.

Thinking it might explode, Yulia turned her head abruptly.

“…”

The lump of mana remained intact within her calculations.

Under perfect control within her calculations, three spheres orbited each other.

Although they were the same mana, why were they automatically divided?

Perplexed, Yulia tried to gather them in one place again.

“Huh…”

Once again, an unknown force acted, causing the three spheres to separate.

It was incomprehensible.

She had never seen such a phenomenon before.

There were records of creating a single entity from mana collected from hundreds or thousands of people.

So why couldn’t these three mana sources merge?

Even after a thorough investigation, she couldn’t find any differences between the three mana sources.

They were all energy lumps created from the same dark and negative emotions.

Yet these three mana sources refused to mix like water and oil.

“Is this normal, Pettenburg?”

“N-no… I’ve never seen this before either…”

Yulia had self-taught herself sorcery, but she was far from mastering it.

It was difficult to draw conclusions about a situation she had never encountered before.

“If… If there’s a way… There is…”

Of course, just because the mana wouldn’t merge didn’t mean their plan was ruined.

They could simply divide one large spell into three.

Efficiency might suffer a bit, but it shouldn’t be a major issue.

The three of them headed straight to a dungeon.

After killing all the monsters and the boss, the dungeon core, exposed to sunlight and magic after breaking the walls, could no longer generate monsters.

It was still not completely disabled.

“Th-then, I-I’ll st-start…”

Yuria crossed her hands and made a vow.

Soon, the first magic fragment began to settle on the totem she had prepared in advance.

The second fragment went to the cursed doll.

And the third formed a formation in space.

As the powerful magic of the three superhumans absorbed the magic, acting three times each.

The curse was applied, and with that shock, the dungeon core cracked open.

Then, the dungeon core lost its light and turned into an ordinary magic stone.

The connection with the network was cut off.

“D-did it work…?”

The three immediately used their information devices to check if the curse had been applied to dungeons in various locations, but…

-We couldn’t confirm that fact.

-The dungeon remains the same.

-No changes in the dungeon.

Disappointed responses were all they received.

It couldn’t be helped if it didn’t work.

They had no choice but to give up…

And so, the three, who had dramatically agreed to cooperate, were scattered in disarray.

[Monsters in the dungeon are strengthened by the blessing of the Saintess.]

[Monsters in the dungeon have a weak poison due to the curse of the Witch Yuria.]

[Coldness envelops the dungeon due to the grudge of the Frost Lord Yerina.]

“What is this…?”

As soon as I stepped into the dungeon, I was speechless.

It was a system window I had never seen before.

No, actually, it wasn’t the first time.

I had confirmed before that curses could be placed on dungeons.

But this was the first time someone other than me had been cursed.

And the culprits were none other than the three main heroines…

“Grrr?”

“Good grief.”

Even the goblin that met my eyes in front of me was completely covered in frost and turned white.

Rather than freezing and slowing down, the goblin moved even faster than before and attacked me.

Before it could approach, I slashed it with my magic sword.

The goblin’s blood that splattered on the floor and walls instantly corroded and melted the rocks it touched.

Poison…

And a strong poison at that.

“Haah…”

Moreover, this wasn’t just ordinary frost.

It was only at the level of breath coming out of my mouth for now.

But as time passed, the frost seeped into my body and froze my entire body.

Every debuff was deadly.

For me, it was difficult, but for ordinary mercenaries, it would be a disaster.

Their livelihoods would be ruined.

“What are you trying to do? Have you lost your mind?!”

The intention was completely incomprehensible.

What benefit could there be in enhancing the dungeon to do such a thing?

If this continued, it would greatly weaken the Mercenary Association and maximize the damage caused by monsters.

Although all three of them had lost their reason if it was something related to me, at least as a leader, I had not abandoned the people.

Something was off.

Surely the main heroines wouldn’t have intended to cut off the mercenaries’ livelihoods.

“Come to think of it, there haven’t been any issues regarding the dungeon, have there?”

I have been receiving news about the dungeon and mercenaries promptly.

Until just before entering the dungeon, I hadn’t heard any news about such a disaster happening in the dungeon.

Curious, I left the dungeon and went to a nearby tavern to find mercenaries.

“Huh? The dungeon is getting colder, the monsters are getting stronger, and their bodily fluids are highly toxic? Are you dreaming, brother?”

“I was just in the dungeon until a moment ago, and nothing like that happened.”

“…”

Was the Black Star Dungeon I entered unique in some way?

I decided to head to another Black Star Dungeon.

[Monsters in the dungeon are strengthened by the blessing of the Saintess.]

“The monsters in the dungeon have a weak poison due to the curse of Witch Yulia.”

“The cold aids the dungeon due to the grudge of Frost Lord Yerina.”

“······.”

Perhaps this is a common issue in the Black Star Dungeon.

This time, I decided to explore the Red Star Dungeon and the Yellow Star Dungeon.

“The monsters in the dungeon are strengthened by the blessing of Saint Jil.”

“The monsters in the dungeon have a weak poison due to the curse of Witch Yulia.”

“The cold aids the dungeon due to the grudge of Frost Lord Yerina.”

“You damn mutt······.”

After visiting different dungeons about five times each.

And only after sending Mijung in alone did I realize.

“······No problem. Just a normal dungeon.”

“But why do I turn into a Helnani as soon as I enter!”

This damn curse.

It only applies to me.