"AAAAAAAGH!"
Rodcorte felt a greater, deeper pain than he had ever felt before. His instincts told him: At this rate, fatal damage would be inflicted upon his body.
"C-cancel! Cancel the disconnection from the system!" he shouted, hastily canceling the disconnection of Lambda from his circle of transmigration system.
In the next moment, the violent pain vanished as if it had never been there at all.
"Kahah… What just… happened to my body?" Rodcorte murmured, relieved at the pain's disappearance.
He looked around in bewilderment to see whether anything had changed.
But as far as he could tell, nothing was different from before the violent pain and his scream.
"Could it be that I was attacked by someone?!"
Startled, Rodcorte checked the inside of his Divine Realm, but the only ones in it were himself and his three familiar spirits. And his familiar spirits, under his command, were completely still and unable to move.
"Just to let you know, we haven't done anything," said Shimada Izumi, realizing that Rodcorte's gaze was turned towards them. "And we didn't see anything, either."
"The only thing we saw is you suddenly screaming and then canceling your task," said Endou Kouya.
There was bewilderment on all three familiar spirits' faces.
"Then why was I assaulted by that volume of pain…?" Rodcorte wondered.
"Is there any chance Vandalieu attacked you?" asked Endou Kouya.
Rodcorte had tried to cut Lambda away from his circle of transmigration system. Perhaps Vandalieu had somehow sensed this and attacked Rodcorte.
If Lambda was cut away from the circle of transmigration system, the reincarnated individuals would not be reincarnated in Lambda, and the souls of the believers of Alda and those who served him would no longer be reborn, causing the extinction of humans within a hundred years.
The only ones left would be Vida's races and the humans under Vandalieu's influence, who would be reincarnated through Vida's circle of transmigration system. That, and the monsters that belonged to the Demon King's circle of transmigration system.
The world would belong to Vandalieu and those of Vida's faction.
Considering that, it could be assumed that Vandalieu would not attack Rodcorte and interrupt his task. But Vandalieu's actions often ignored his own interests.
And Kouya couldn't think of anyone other than Vandalieu who could possibly attack Rodcorte, a god, in his own Divine Realm.
"Kouya, is that an answer you heard from Oracle?" asked Aran.
"No, I know it would be pointless so I haven't bothered asking it. There aren't any humans that know about the circumstances of the gods, after all," said Kouya.
There would be no point in asking the Oracle, which used the human souls belonging to Rodcorte's circle of transmigration system as a database, about matters relating to gods and Divine Realms.
"Then I don't think that's right," said Aran. "It's true that he broke Death Scythe's soul while he was in this Divine Realm, but that was because Death Scythe himself was attacking him through Tendou's Clairvoyance."
"I suppose you're right. I just got the feeling that he'd be able to do it," said Kouya.
"You're overthinking things," said Izumi.
This conclusion… guess, based on nothing but a feeling that Vandalieu might be able to do it, was incorrect.
So then, Rodcorte asked himself the reason once more and thought of the possibility that the task that he had been trying to carry out was the cause of his intense pain.
"To think that trying to cut Lambda away from the circle of transmigration system would be the cause," he murmured.
He considered the possibility, but it was a difficult conclusion to believe.
"See, there were malfunctions after all! That's why we told you to stop, that there's got to be a better way!" said Aran.
"There is no chance that this is a mere malfunction," said Rodcorte.
As Aran said, Rodcorte had predicted that the entire system would suffer malfunctions and damage when Lambda was disconnected from it. But he had not expected to suffer in violent pain.
To begin with, even though Rodcorte shared his fate with the circle of transmigration system, it was not a part of him. As a god who governed the circle of transmigration, the system was something that he needed. But even if serious problems were to occur within the system, Rodcorte would not receive immediate damage.
"But if you can't think of anything else, that has to be the cause," said Izumi. "I'm sure you've overlooked something."
"That's why you should stop being so hasty and take a calmer approach to things," said Kouya.
Paying no attention to his familiar spirits who were trying to prevent the separation of Lambda and the other two worlds from the circle of transmigration system, Rodcorte examined the system carefully.
But he found nothing abnormal as a result. There were no signs of any unexpected damage that would cause damage to Rodcorte himself.
So then could the violent pain Rodcorte had felt been unrelated to him attempting to cut Lambda away? Was there some other cause?
As Rodcorte asked himself these questions, Rodcorte recalled an event that had been buried inside his memory.
He remembered when the 'Clairvoyance' Tendou Tatsuya had shown him through an image of Lambda. Back then, he had felt like something was out of place, as it had been easier to project an image of Lambda than usual.
Realizing this, Rodcorte felt a chill that caused him to shudder.
"But… No, it cannot be…"
The familiar spirits took some distance from Rodcorte as they noticed his behavior changing once more. Ignoring them, Rodcorte examined the records from those who were in Talosheim but just barely were not being guided by Vandalieu yet.
And then he became certain that his terrifying hunch was on the mark.
"How, how could this happen…!"
Rodcorte shuddered and trembled in fear, just like a human would. He had realized that situation that was even more serious than when he had realized Vandalieu's true identity, one that would lead to even more catastrophic results, had progressed beyond the point that he could do something about it.
"I have been acknowledged in Lambda?! Already to the point that I am unable to separate myself from it!"
The reason Rodcorte had been able to remain calm up until now was because he had thought that no matter how problematic Vandalieu became and how much hostility Zuruwarn and the other gods of Lambda showed towards him, he would always be able to separate himself from Lambda at any time.
If he cut Lambda away from the system, the system would not suffer any burdens no matter how many human souls Vandalieu destroyed.
No matter what schemes the gods of Lambda came up with, he would be able to deal with them easily if he was not connected with their world. The only one who was able to cross the boundary of the world was the 'invader' Zuruwarn, the great god of the space attribute, and he lacked the power to confront Rodcorte on his own.
Even when the Demon King Guduranis invaded Lambda, Rodcorte had never thought to directly expose himself to danger. Though Lambda being invaded was a serious blow to Rodcorte, he was a god who governed the circle of transmigration of numerous worlds; it wasn't something that he couldn't endure.
And unexpectedly, though this was likely due to a lack of necessity rather than pity, the Demon King had not broken the souls of ordinary humans; he had only broken those of the champions and some heroes. As a result, the burden on the system hadn't been too heavy.
And even when the Demon King Guduranis broke human souls and destroyed gods, Rodcorte had believed that he, who did not exist in Lambda, would not be destroyed.
When the time came, he could simply cut Lambda from the system and abandon it, saving himself in the process. Rodcorte had secured himself this escape route.
"But Vandalieu has spread my name, the news of my existence, to Talosheim and the region within the Boundary Mountain Range! Because I am a god who does not belong to or exist in any world, this has caused me to become a god who belongs to Lambda!"
That escape route was now sealed.
Rodcorte was able to cut away and isolate any world from his system, but that was under the assumption that he was unknown to that world.
The requirement was that he did not have any followers, his existence unrecorded in any myths or legends, unknown to any intelligent life.
"I mean, we know about your existence, and there are quite a few people other than Vandalieu who have been reincarnated in Lambda, aren't there?" said Aran.
"A hundred or even a thousand would be a negligible amount! There should have been no problems as long as no more than that became aware of my existence!" Rodcorte shouted.
As Aran said, the reincarnated individuals knew of Rodcorte, but a hundred or so people knowing of his existence shouldn't have made any difference.
And Rodcorte had assumed that the reincarnated individuals would not go around spreading news of Rodcorte's existence. He had assumed that they would decide that nobody would believe them, that they would not go around and tell others that they had been reincarnated from another world by a god named Rodcorte.
Indeed, that was how it was in Origin. Aran, Amemiya Hiroto and Vandalieu back then had never revealed Rodcorte's existence to anyone.
Rodcorte had naïvely assumed that the same would be the case in Lambda. That Vandalieu would never create believers of Rodcorte.
Ever since the age of the gods, the gods of Lambda, whether in Alda's faction or Vida's, had never revealed Rodcorte's existence to the humans. They had never seen any meaning in doing so.
The gods had been angry at Rodcorte for looking the other way during the battle against the Demon King Guduranis, but they did not have the time to be spreading news of Rodcorte's existence… and once the Demon King was defeated, there was no longer any benefit in making it so that Rodcorte could not escape Lambda.
Even if Rodcorte had become acknowledged in Lambda and unable to escape, his personality and the role he played would not change greatly. In the end, he would not do anything that was unrelated to the circle of transmigration, nor would he stop giving the gods orders.
Thus, the gods of Alda's faction had decided that it was better to maintain things as they were, that there was no reason for them to go out of their way to create believers of Rodcorte.
Meanwhile, for the gods of Vida's faction, there was no purpose to doing this. The reason Vida had created her own circle of transmigration system in the first place was so that the gods of Lambda could manage the circle of transmigration of their own world.
Thus, her final objective had been to separate Rodcorte's system from Lambda. Cutting off Rodcorte's escape route would go against that objective.
That was why Rodcorte had been left to do as he pleased up until now.
Even the gods wouldn't have imagined the god of reincarnation to voluntarily abandon his duty… to place the world on the brink of destruction in an even more vicious, irresponsible way than the Demon King.
But Vandalieu had told the people of Talosheim everything about Rodcorte, including the fact that Vandalieu himself was a reincarnated individual.
A large number of people had already learned of this information before the gods… Ricklent and Zuruwarn realized it. Deciding that it was pointless to try and stop it at that point, they had left Vandalieu alone as he spread news of Rodcorte's existence. This was what Rodcorte had failed to notice.
"And so, you've been acknowledged as one of the gods of Lambda. So then, does that mean you can't cut the system away anymore?" Endou Kouya asked Rodcorte, who was still shaken by this realization.
"… That is right. Gods who belong to a world cannot separate themselves from that world. It can be done with elaborate preparation, but even if done very hastily, it would take at least a thousand years," said Rodcorte. "It could also be done if one's believers fall to a negligible number like when the Demon King and his subordinates came, or if one brings the believers with him."
In other words, Rodcorte had to reduce… or rather, kill, those that believed in him, including those in Talosheim and the members of Vida's races within the Boundary Mountain Range, until there were only a few hundred left. Either that, or bring all of them with him outside of Lambda.
"As far as my Oracle and Aran's Calculation can tell, that's impossible," said Kouya.
That was only natural. It was difficult just to kill Vandalieu, a single person. Killing the millions of people within the Boundary Mountain Range… the likes of Budarion and the Majin king Godwin, with foes like the 'Divine Spear of Ice' Mikhail standing in the way, would be impossible.
That would be the case even if all of the Bravers joined forces to do so.
As for bringing all of them outside of Lambda with him, it didn't even need to be said.
"In other words, even if you make elaborate preparations, things will be fine for at least another thousand years. Phew, that's a relief. With that much time, we might be able to do something about Earth and Origin, and everyone's third lives will have ended long before then," said Aran, relieved at the fact that his first and second home worlds wouldn't be destroyed for some time.
But Izumi still looked tense. "I don't think things will go that well," she said, knowing that it was still too early to be relieved. "There's probably still some exception, anyway."
As she said, there were gods that were capable of moving between worlds. Gods who trespassed boundaries, like Zuruwarn.
But for better or worse, Rodcorte was not one of those gods. There was no way that a god that governed something as important as the circle of transmigration for numerous worlds would have the authority to move about so freely. Ordinarily, anyway.
"And I think everything depends on him," Izumi continued. "He might give into self-despair and try to cut Lambda and the other worlds away from the system with the resolve to commit suicide, or he might tamper with the system to stop reincarnation in just Lambda."
"Th-that would certainly be problematic. The desperate are always the most troublesome…" Aran muttered.
"If you're talking about the Eighth Guidance… Well, never mind. It's true that those in desperation are the most troublesome," Kouya agreed.
Though the three of them were worried that Rodcorte would give into self-despair and do something unthinkable, he intended to do nothing of the sort.
It was possible to forcibly perform the task of separating Lambda and the other two worlds away from the system. But that would involve enduring violent pain similar to having one's arms twisted and torn off, and there was only about a thirty percent chance that Rodcorte would still exist by the end of it.
As Izumi said, it was something that could not be done without the resolve to face the possibility of suicide.
It was also possible to tamper with the system and stop reincarnation from occurring in only Lambda. If he did that, the system would not suffer any problems no matter how many souls Vandalieu destroyed, just like if he were to separate Lambda from the system.
But unlike cutting the world away from the system, this would be very unsafe.
There was the possibility that Alda and the other gods would attack Rodcorte and seize his authority over the circle of transmigration once they realized that their believers were on the brink of extinction.
As the system would still be linked to the world despite not functioning in it, this wouldn't be impossible. And this would be an easier choice for Alda and his followers than asking for the help of Vida's faction.
Unlike the weakened Zuruwarn, Alda's influence and power posed a threat to Rodcorte, who had no experience or authority when it came to battle.
"Don't stop the system and then threaten the entire world of Lambda by telling them to kill Vandalieu if they want you to restart it… because that would have the opposite effect," Aran warned the silent Rodcorte.
This would be an even more extreme method than just stopping the system.
"I know that much. At this stage, Alda and his followers should already be trying to kill Vandalieu, a Dhampir who goes against their teachings. It is difficult to think that threatening them will produce any dramatic results," said Rodcorte. "The human society and the gods of Alda's faction all concentrating to fight Vandalieu's forces will never happen. If they did concentrate their strength, it would be aimed at me."
From Alda's point of view, it would simply appear as if Rodcorte had lost his mind, and there would be no guarantee that Rodcorte wouldn't keep repeating this threat in the future even if he accepted his demands. Thus, by threatening the world in this way, Rodcorte would become an even greater threat to the world than Vandalieu in Alda's eyes.
"I'm glad you understand. So then, it's fine for all of us to get back to our usual work, right?" said Aran.
Rodcorte remained silent.
Unable to think of any effective method to protect himself, he removed the restrictions on his familiar spirits' freedom.
It would likely take Rodcorte some time to recover from this mental damage and come to some kind of decision.
Aran and the others decided that they would use this time to deepen their understanding of the circle of transmigration system as much as they could, so that they could support their allies and do something the next time Earth and Origin came under threat of being cut away and discarded.
We need the help of the other gods for that, the three of them thought, deciding to make their preparations to betray Rodcorte.
Rodcorte read those thoughts, but he had never believed that his familiar spirits would be loyal to him in the first place. Thus, this wasn't a significant thing to worry about compared to the problem that had just occurred to him.
Having overcome the extremely cold ice-field floor, Vandalieu's party headed from the middle floors to the lower floors, passing through an ocean floor with countless whirlpools and a precipitous mountain range floor.
And now, they were resting on a floor that was in an everlasting summer.
"This is part of the Dungeon, right?" said Zandia, giving a suspicious look at the clear blue sky.
"That's… right," said Rapiéçage, sharing her thoughts.
There was a white, sandy beach and a cobalt-blue sea in front of them, and behind them was a grass-covered plain with palm trees that looked perfect for a walk.
The air temperature and water temperature were perfect for a dip in the sea, and there wasn't a single monster to be seen. The only creatures there were the crabs crawling across the beach, the gentle, multi-colored fish swimming in the water and the gulls flying quietly across the sky.
"Come to think of it, it's summer outside the Dungeon right about now, isn't it?" said Darcia, gazing at the summer sea as she enjoyed the sound of waves breaking on the sand.
"You two, you should eat while you can. There's plenty of fruit and stuff for us to take," said Jeena.
"Yeah, the coconuts are filled with alcohol instead of water, so it's all-you-can-drink!" said Borkus.
Indeed, the party could obtain as many food supplies as they wanted. Southern fruits were hanging from the trees, and the coconuts were filled with a delicious alcoholic drink.
They were able to acquire all of these with ease. There wasn't a single dangerous trap or difficult riddle.
It was almost as if they had somehow arrived in a safe sightseeing spot.
"It would be a waste to not enjoy it while you can, you two," said Vandalieu's clone, which he had made to handle conversation because he himself was busy eating as much fruit as he could, like a squirrel before hibernation.
"Your-Majesty-kun… you're really enjoying it," said Zandia, looking at Vandalieu with stiff cheeks.
To be more precise, though, it was more of a feast for the monsters that had spread out behind him.
Buzz-buzz-buzz.
"Gishaaaah!"
"BUOOOOOH!"
Behind Vandalieu, the insectoid monsters were greedily devouring the fruit, flower nectar and plants. Pete and the Huge Gluttony Worm looked as if they intended to make the entire field bare.
"Let's eat…" said Eisen, who was adding the southern fruits to her own fruit from time to time.
… Other than her, the plant-type monsters were sitting in the distance, peacefully bathing in the sunlight.
"I thought it would be best to eat up as much as possible while we can," said Vandalieu's clone. "If we do that, Pete and the rest will last for quite a while. I get the feeling that we're being watched from time to time, but I've already gotten used to it."
"Being watched, you say. Could it be Gufadgarn-san…sama?" said Darcia.
"Probably? Now that I think about it, I don't know what Gufadgarn's face looks like," said Vandalieu.
He couldn't tell who was watching them even when he gazed back with the Abyss Skill.
He had seen the statue of Gufadgarn that stood in the Dark Elf nation, but his appearance had been simplified so much that it wasn't much of a reference.
In many cases, statues and illustrations that accurately depicted evil gods would have mental effects on those who looked at them, so this was a necessary measure.
"Well, it's staring at us but it's not saying anything, so it's probably fine," said Vandalieu. "For now, I've got to stock up on all kinds of nutrients."
"Umm, you don't have to be in such a rush, do you?" said Darcia.
"No, apparently a huge tsunami floods the entire floor after about half a day," said Vandalieu.
The truth was that this entire floor, which resembled a sightseeing spot, was a trap for challengers.
It was a floor that tempted challengers that had just managed to overcome difficult challenges and defeated those who lost their will to continue the harsh trial.
"And all of the food here spoils easily, including the alcohol. Not that it matters with my Preservation spell," said Vandalieu.
The supplies were better than nothing, but the fact that it only lasted a short time was something that needed to be considered.
"… When Father and his party faced the trial for the first time, they apparently retired here. They were defeated by the tsunami," said Iris, remembering Godwin's party of the past.
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped," said Eleanora. "Gizan and the others must have been absolutely exhausted, both mentally and physically, from having cleared this far into the Dungeon with no prior information."
The two of them were collecting shells on the sandy beach rather than swimming in the water.
"Also, Your Majesty, Father wanted the alcoholic coconuts as a souvenir, or for you to ask Gufadgarn how to cultivate the coconuts, but… I do not mind if you ignore that request," said Iris.
"No, I think they are an interesting plant so I'm going to take them back with us, but… I wonder if they can be cultivated here?" said Vandalieu, who was poking at one of the alcoholic coconuts.
He was looking at Isla and Bellmond, who were fishing from a rocky area. It seemed that even fishing from the shore was possible on this beach.
"KYAAAAH!" Bellmond screamed.
"Wait! Calm down! Don't swing your tail around!" shouted Isla.
It seemed that while Bellmond was focused on fishing, a large crab had pinched her tail with its pincers. She continued to let out a piercing scream and swing her tail around wildly, dealing severe damage to the crab and the rocky area around her.
Isla was hastily using her collar's chain, which was now more flexible due to Vandalieu's work on it, to hold Bellmond down.
"It's so peaceful," said Darcia.
"… Won't this floor be destroyed before the tsunami happens?" said Eleanora.
"It might not last half a day," said Vandalieu, narrowing his eyes as he listened to the sound of rock being smashed in front of him and Pete and the others eating behind him.
"Van, we're finished changing Jobs! I'm a Dark Armor Heavy Club User now!" Pauvina declared loudly, emerging from within Sam's carriage.
"Congratulations," said Vandalieu. "But you mustn't shout out your own Job, Pauvina."
"I see. I've become a Dark Armor Heavy Club User," Pauvina said, putting her hands over her mouth. This did little to suppress her voice, however.
But then her smile faded and her shoulders dropped as disappointment appeared on her face.
"There was no Magical Girl Job…"
It seemed that Pauvina, who had received a transformation staff prototype from Vandalieu, had been aiming to become the second magical girl after Zadiris.
"You can't use magic yet, after all," said Vandalieu.
Pauvina couldn't use magic. Even if she transformed, she could only physically hit things, so it probably couldn't be helped that the option hadn't appeared for her.
Thus, it could be assumed that the system had picked up on her being a 'heavy club-user that fought while wearing Dark Copper armor,' giving birth to the Dark Armor Heavy Club User Job.
"Boy, even my Job has become Wizard Princess!" Zadiris declared proudly, puffing her chest out as she emerged from Sam's carriage after Pauvina.
It seemed that even the god of Jobs had acknowledged her as a magical girl.
"With this, my next Rank increase will no doubt be to 'queen,' will it not?!" said Zadiris.
"Yeah, that's right!" said Zandia.
"Yes…" said Vandalieu.
"Eh… I'll be cheering for you," said Eleanora.
"Zadiris-san… I think it's important to believe," said Iris.
Only Zandia, the Zombie Princess, had given an enthusiastic response. Vandalieu and Eleanora's were lukewarm, and even Iris was giving Zadiris a pained look.
"W-why are you responding in that way?! Even if you are joking, you should stop! It makes me feel a little uncertain!" Zadiris exclaimed.
"… Only a little, huh," said Iris.
"Well then, I'm going to change Jobs now as well," said Vandalieu.
"I-indeed," said Zadiris.
Putting a stop to his meal, Vandalieu headed for Sam's carriage.
"Bocchan, why don't we create more Job-changing rooms once we get out of this place?" suggested Sam. "It seems rather inconvenient to have only a single room."
The reason for his suggestion was likely because Zadiris had been forced to wait for her turn while Pauvina chose her Job.
Normally, there would be plenty of Job-changing rooms, with the government and every Guild each having one. There would sometimes be periods where lines formed outside them, but periods where they were not used at all would be more common.
It was likely that everyone hated to have to spend costs in building a room that couldn't be used for anything other than Job-changes just to get rid of the lines that formed once in a while.
"I don't think there will be any instances of multiple people needing to change Jobs at once after we leave the Trial of Zakkart, but… maybe it would be better to have one more," Vandalieu said as he entered the Job-changing room and touched the crystal ball. "Now then, the Jobs are –"
"Jobs that can be selected:[Disease Demon],[Spirit Warrior],[Whip Tongue Calamity], [Vengeful Berserker],[Dead Spirit Mage],[Dark Healer],[Magic Cannoneer],[Dark King Mage],[Divine Enemy],[Creation Guider],[Fallen Warrior],[Insect Nin],[Destruction Guider],[Bestower],[Dungeon Master],[Demon King],[Chaos Guider]"
"… Never mind the other two, why is 'Demon King' there?"
He could understand Dungeon Master. His current Job was Labyrinth Creator, so Dungeon Master was probably its superior version.
He could somewhat understand Chaos Guider. It probably allowed him to guide others into chaos. It was the fifth Guider-type Job, but four or five of them were similar to each other.
But what about Demon King? Would it be good as a Job?
"I'll pass on Demon King for now," Vandalieu whispered, despite the fact that Sam could hear sounds inside the Job-changing room.
He pondered his next Job.
Was Dungeon Master appropriate? But at this point in time, his party weren't experiencing any inconveniences other than being unable to Teleport outside. There was no guarantee that this Job would immediately allow him to do so, so perhaps it was best to choose one of the other Jobs.
With that being the case, let's choose the Job with the name that seems like it would be the most useful for challenging the lower floors.
"I choose Creation Guider."
"The Levels of the Venom Secretion (Claws, Fangs, Tongue), Enhanced Body Part (Hair, Claws, Fangs, Tongue), Thread Refining, Cooking, Golem Creation, Alchemy and Abyss Skills have increased!"
"You have acquired the Guidance: Creation Path and Creation Path Enticement Skills!"
"Guidance: Creation Path has combined with Guidance: Dark Demon Path and transformed into Guidance: Dark Demon Creation Path!"
"Creation Path Enticement has combined with Dark Demon Path Enticement and transformed into Dark Demon Creation Path Enticement!"
"The Labyrinth Construction Skill has awakened into the Labyrinth Creation Skill!"
.
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Gufadgarn, the evil god of labyrinths, sat in the deepest part of the Trial of Zakkart, simply watching Vandalieu's actions in silence.
Secluded inside the Dungeon that he had created himself, he was unaware that Rodcorte had tried and failed to cast this world away.
But his body was trembling.
"All of the trials that I put in place are being cleared in ways that I never intended. The monsters created by the Dungeon are slaughtered helplessly, and all of the traps are being crushed underfoot…!"
Vandalieu was restraining himself, but it seemed that he was making plenty of noise from Gufadgarn's point of view.
Because Gufadgarn had allowed challengers from within the Boundary Mountain Range to return from the Dungeon alive, from a very early stage, all of the challengers that followed knew all the perfect answers to the riddles of the upper floors.
Several decades ago, challengers started getting past the harsh environments of the middle floors and the beach floor that was peaceful upon first entering it but contained a timed trap.
But there were none who cleared the floors with methods like taming the Bone Walls that were supposed to be labyrinths in the upper floors or destroying nature to the point that the monsters had no work to do.
Even the harsh middle floors were being cleared at a pace of over one floor per day. On an average year, even a party from within the Boundary Mountain Range would have some members dropping out around this point, but that hadn't happened either.
What made this possible was likely the effects of Skills and Jobs that even Gufadgarn didn't know of, the Demon King's fragments and the Undead carriage.
The availability of pleasant conditions that took no notice of the harsh environments and the incredible acts of using not only monster materials but materials generated by the Demon King's fragments. The extraordinary ability to tame Undead.
Above all, a seemingly unlimited, powerful fighting force.
Unless the use of all of these things was prevented, it would be impossible to clear the Dungeon like an ordinary challenger. To begin with, Vandalieu was not a suitable target for the trial.
It was like trying to trap a shark swimming in the ocean with a trap on the shore. He was simply far too different.
Though Gufadgarn could not help but admit this, he was stirred by Vandalieu's actions.
"Masterful! This is Zakkart, the one who made fools of even the gods with his actions that went beyond the limits of the imagination!" he shouted.
If Gufadgarn possessed a body, his cheeks would be flushed and tears of joy would be flowing from his eyes. That was how much he was moved by Vandalieu's actions, the actions that were so much like those of Zakkart.
It wasn't that he had always expected someone who would clear each floor of the Trial of Zakkart with secret answers.
The one who could overcome this trial was worthy of being Zakkart's successor. It was with this thought that he had created the Dungeon. Thus, he had always intended to acknowledge the one who made it to the deepest part of the Dungeon as Zakkart's successor, even if they used the intended correct answers.
This was true even if that person was a servant of Alda, the one who called himself the god of law and fate, and the gods who served him. Gufadgarn had intended to tell them the truth and persuade them to change sides. If he didn't do this, he would not be worthy of calling himself a disciple of Zakkart, the champion who had called out to those in the Demon King's army and given them a chance.
… Though Gufadgarn would have been left with no choice but to eliminate such a challenger if they tried to harm Gufadgarn or, more importantly, Zakkart's precious relics.
But a hundred years had passed since he created the Trial of Zakkart. Many challengers were defeated on the upper floors, and even challengers from within the Boundary Mountain Range had not overcome the lower floors.
Gufadgarn had received a Divine Message from Ricklent that he had interpreted as a prophecy saying, "Zakkart's successor will appear." But he had often thought that this was some kind of mistake.
During that time, there had been two groups that he saw potential in. One of them was a group of four that had faced the trial recently, just a short while ago to a god. It was the group known as the 'Five-colored Blades.'
At first, Gufadgarn had simply thought that they were yet another group of challengers that misunderstood the purpose of the trial and offered their prayers to Alda. But seeing them making mistakes in every trial and overcoming them with strength alone was surprising in a way.
Even including challengers from within the Boundary Mountain Range who possessed exceptional fighting strength, there had been none who had continued through the trial without using their heads at all or using incorrect methods like the Five-colored Blades had. Among the challengers from outside the Boundary Mountain Range that believed in Alda, they were the ones who had made it the furthest into the Dungeon; they were worthy of admiration.
Their fighting strength… only their fighting strength, was certain.
But in the end, they had turned back in the middle floors and fled the Dungeon after losing one member on the snowy mountain floor. But as they were the first challengers from outside the Boundary Mountain Range who had made it back out alive from the trial, Gufadgarn remembered them vividly.
But Gufadgarn had more hope in the second group – Vandalieu's group – than in the Five-colored Blades.
"Compared to this group, the Five-colored Blades are nothing but a pebble. Ah… Zakkart," Gufadgarn murmured.
To him, the fact that Vandalieu commanded Undead and made free use of the Demon King's fragments was not a problem.
It was possible that he was Zakkart. That fact alone rendered everything else insignificant.
Gufadgarn wanted to go to him right this instant. But it was still too early. In Zakkart's words, "You must test your creation carefully until the very end." As Gufadgarn had created the Trial of Zakkart, he had to test its challengers fully and carefully.
But Vandalieu and his companions would soon reach the lower floors. The floors containing challenges regarding Zakkart and the other champions' abilities that they had received from the gods, their thoughts and their achievements.
Perhaps the supply area before the lower floors was unnecessary for Vandalieu's party, but if he truly was Zakkart's successor, he would certainly make some use of the things there.
"Oh, Zakkart, please grant this foolish disciple everything…"
At what was assumed to be the entrance to the lower floors, Vandalieu was groaning to himself with his arms folded.
"Hmm, according to our information, this was supposed to be a 'supply area,' wasn't it?" he said.
"That should be right, but… what is this?" said Iris.
She was holding the written documents of the information that they had heard from previous challengers, but her head and her tail were tilted in puzzlement now. She couldn't make the connection between the sight in front of her and the words, 'supply area.'
"It's just like a market city with no shopkeepers, isn't it?" said Eleanora.
"And it's like all the good bargains have already been sold," said Kimberley.
Indeed, the things available in the supply area were disappointing.
At first glance, the supply area looked like a marketplace with no shopkeepers, displaying damaged armor and Magic Items that clearly looked like secondhand goods.
There were also things like partially-filled water flasks, half-eaten strips of dried meat and bread stained with blood, though it wasn't clear whose blood it was.
"It seems that this is the equipment and materials that were lost by previous challengers and possessed by challengers who died here," said Sam, looking around the marketplace.
Dungeons generated all kinds of materials in addition to monsters and traps. This included natural resources needed for Dungeons to take the form of mountains, forests and lakes, as well as equipment and treasures inside treasure chests.
But even though items held by the monsters guarding the Dungeon would become secondhand goods in the end when the challengers acquired them, the Dungeons did not generate secondhand items themselves.
Thus, secondhand goods obtained in Dungeons were always the belongings of previous challengers.
"The Trial of Zakkart has moved from place to place around the world for a hundred years, and those from outside the Boundary Mountain Range generally die, so I guess that means that there is a lot of items left behind. But it seems that there is almost nothing that would be of any use," said Bellmond, taking one of the swords laid out in rows and inspecting it.
It was a thick, visibly heavy blade, but it was apparently made of Damascus steel, which had exceptional flexibility. It was as heavy as it looked, but it was possible that it was a magic sword that extended when it was swung.
… About half of the blade was missing, so it didn't seem like it would be able to demonstrate this ability. And since the missing half of the blade was nowhere to be seen, even Vandalieu wouldn't be able to repair it.
The previous owners of these secondhand goods were those who had fought fiercely against the challenges of the Trial of Zakkart and lost their lives while trying to achieve their dreams. The damaged state of the equipment and goods reflected that.
The sword in Bellmond's hand that had half of its blade missing was still one of the items in better condition; there were other items like daggers with no blade at all, spearheads with no handles and the ruined fragments of shields and suits of armor.
"And perhaps previous challengers took other things with them; there is almost nothing of any value," said Tarea, looking around at the secondhand items and junk.
This was the equipment worn by challengers who had faced the Trial of Zakkart that was renowned to be a dangerous, difficult challenge, even if they had fallen in the Dungeon. There was no small number of high-class Magic Items made using precious materials and exceptional techniques.
But such valuable items had been taken by the numerous previous challengers that had reached this point. There were few even from within the Boundary Mountain Range that were capable of passing the middle floors, but there were no valuable items left.
"Come to think of it, I think that several people told me that even though they were damaged, there were some Magic Items in the supply area that had been made with techniques they'd never seen before, so they decided to bring them out…" Iris murmured.
It seemed that this supply area had been useful for learning techniques from outside the Boundary Mountain Range, though it was unclear whether this was Gufadgarn's deliberate intention.
"Then won't there be some things that we can take with us?" said Darcia.
"Let's see, we don't need makeshift equipment and we have enough of the other materials. As for the food… it doesn't seem to be particularly tasty," said Basdia.
The bread, which had been baked to be hard so that it would stay preserved, tasted exactly like hard bread would taste.
"Y-you ate some? We don't know how old it is; it might be decades old!" said Tarea.
"Yeah. It wasn't moldy, so I'm sure it had some preservation magic on it, though it's probably different from Van's," said Basdia. "Its smell and taste are normal… Hmm? This bread is the only delicious one?"
"… Basdia-dono, I believe that is the taste of the blood," said Myuze.
In any case, the food just seemed to be ordinary preserved goods. It was unnecessary for Vandalieu and his companions, who were carrying fresh food with them.
"Well, it's a waste but I suppose we should just move on… Hmm? Vandalieu?" said Darcia, calling out to Vandalieu as he went to pick something up.
"Mom, everyone, there are quite some lucky finds here," said Vandalieu, holding a piece of leather armor with a large hole in the torso area.
"Vandalieu-sama, to me, that appears to be the ruins of a piece of cheap leather armor that a new adventurer might wear," said Eleanora.
The armor simply looked like a piece of junk to her, but that wasn't the case in Vandalieu's eyes.
"No, Eleanora," he said. "This leather armor contains the residual thoughts of its previous owner, in the form of a powerful hatred. I'm sure it's because whatever is keeping the items in this supply area preserved also worked on the residual thoughts. They haven't faded away over the years and decades; the hatred, the sadness, the resentment, the despair… there's so much that this would become a completed cursed item if I just passed some Mana through it."
As Vandalieu finished speaking, everyone took a step away from the items lined up around the supply area. The Undead Saria, Rita and Isla seemed unfazed, however.
"In other words, they will be useful as catalysts for creating death-attribute Magic Items, won't they?" said Isla.
"I see. Then let's take them with us," said Rita.
"Yes, let's choose the ones that have been destroyed in the most gruesome ways, especially the ones with blood on them, and take them with us," said Vandalieu.
"Van, is this bread okay?" Basdia asked.
"It's fine; there isn't any mold," Vandalieu replied.
And so, Vandalieu gathered several items that would make good materials and equipped his companions with them as best as he could before moving on… because the next trial was one that became easier the fewer the party's numbers were.
The lower floors had riddles, similar to the ones on the upper floors. They were ones based on the powers given to Zakkart and his companions by the gods, as well as their achievements and their thoughts.
They were highly difficult, and even the powerful fighters who had made it through the middle floors had dropped out one after another on these floors.
The first trial, on the other side of the door at the back of the supply area, was known to be a particularly difficult obstacle.
In a room where everything was made of mirrors, Vandalieu faced a false image of himself.
"Nice to meet you, me."
"Nice to meet you too, me."
The first trial was a confrontation with oneself.
This was a trial based on Zakkart's words of "Life is a battle against oneself" and Hillwillow's words of "Inside every person, there is an angel form and a devil form of that person."
Challengers had to converse with a false image of themselves and then win a battle against the image.
As the false image was something with the challengers' copied personalities, the challengers' minds would be mercilessly chipped down, and the more mental damage the challenger took, the stronger the images became.
If the challengers showed the mental fortitude to overcome the conversation with themselves, the false images would lose power and likely be defeated immediately in the subsequent battle. But if the challengers' minds broke, the images would stand before them as their most powerful adversaries.
"Pardon me for getting started right away, but don't you think that you should have a more proper plan to deal with Demon Eyes? You haven't forgotten the time when Gubamon used his Demon Eyes of Destruction against you," said Vandalieu's false image.
"Hmm, I've been trying to gain resistance using Eleanora's Charming Demon Eyes and the Petrifying Demon Eye I transplanted into Bellmond, but it's not going very well. It seems that their effects are nullified by Grotesque Mind and Status Effect Resistance," said Vandalieu. "If you're me, you should know that."
"Well, I do indeed know that. Also, no matter what horrible experiences it went through, you didn't have to tame the Huge Gluttony Worm, did you? This Dungeon has become harder to clear because of that, hasn't it?"
"Muh, do you think I could ignore the things it went through, me?"
"Well, that's probably impossible. It's me, after all."
The calm conversation between Vandalieu's false image and Vandalieu continued, as if it was taking place in a sunny area between two old acquaintances trying to deepen their bond.
In many cases, this trial would turn into a fierce verbal argument, or the challenger would continuously deny and reject the false image, or the challenger would begin crying and forgive and accept themselves. Normally, no matter how calm the challenger was, the emotions hidden within them would run rampant, but…
"By the way, don't you feel any uneasiness about your plan after reviving Mom, me?" asked the false image.
"Well, I intend to meet up with Schneider-san and his companions, then go to the Demon Continent and meet Zantark and voice my complaints to Farmaun Gold; is there anything missing?" said Vandalieu.
"There isn't anything missing, but what will you do about Heinz? He believes in Alda, whom I don't imagine will accept the resurrection of the dead. He'll be like, 'That's disrupting the world's order.'"
"You're right. There were a lot of people like that on Earth, too. As long as I don't accept Alda, I probably won't accept Heinz and his companions, either; I'll have to kill him after all. If possible, by assassination or a well-planned murder."
"That is desirable. By the way, should we get to fighting?" the false image suggested.
"Already? I thought there would be a Zen-dialogue-like* conversation that the previous challengers had," said Vandalieu.
TLN*: I think this means something like philosophical/moral questioning.
"That isn't necessary, isn't it? Nothing will change, no matter what I say."
The false image had abandoned its duty. It understood that there was no point in this.
Even if it asked Vandalieu whether killing people was right or wrong, Vandalieu would simply reply, "It depends on the situation and who it is." If it asked him what justice was, he would simply reply, "It's an ambiguous thing." And no matter what the false image said, he would just say, "There are cases where that's true."
As for whether revenge was right or wrong, even the false image accepted it. By destroying those who took from Vandalieu, he reduced the chance of more being taken from him to zero. It was a productive act that was necessary to lead a happy life.
Even turning the dead into Undead, which Machida Aran, Shimada Izumi and the rest of the reincarnated individuals saw as problematic, wasn't strange to Vandalieu. The dead were Vandalieu's allies, and he was simply making more allies for himself.
And even Vida and the other gods he believed in had assured him that there was nothing wrong with it, so there was no need to worry.
"But, well, I suppose we should do at least one," said the false image, seeming to have thought of a question worth asking. "What is death?"
It was a question regarding the attribute that Vandalieu himself used. It was a fitting topic for a conversation with himself.
Vandalieu thought for a moment. "It's the change from the living to the dead. It is considered to be irreversible. It's a phenomenon that I rule over, and one that I should overturn. In other words, I'll do what I want with it."
To Vandalieu, death was not an absolute or sacred thing. It was just a phenomenon.
That was why he did not question his desire to resurrect Darcia.
"So, it was pointless after all. Well then, shall we get started?" the false image said, silently emerging from within the mirrors, still looking identical to Vandalieu. "But your mind did not falter during our conversation, and there are so many things that I can't copy… To be honest, as I am now, I'm nothing but small fry."
"You can't use death-attribute magic or the Demon King's fragments?" Vandalieu asked.
"It's impossible. To elaborate, Group Binding Technique and Dead Spirit Magic are also impossible. The only things I can copy is the me reflected in the mirror, so my companions that aren't reflected… just like tamed monsters, they aren't seen by the Dungeon as challengers, so I can't copy them."
The false image's copying ability seemed all-powerful, but it was still something created by Gufadgarn's power. It had its limits.
Of course, these limits weren't normally tested, but… this showed just how abnormal Vandalieu was.
"So, please go ahead and finish me. Please do your best to resurrect Mom," the false image said, beckoning Vandalieu towards it.
Vandalieu extended his claws towards it, but stopped. "I can't bring myself to do it," he said. "Maybe because it's me? Normally, I think if I met another version of myself, we would hate each other, though."
"I might have unexpectedly been a narcissist," said the false image. "But what will I do? Even if I'm me, I can't go forward as long as I exist."
"This is problematic; me being me, I find it unpleasant to attack myself."
Vandalieu and the false image stared at each other for a while as Vandalieu pondered the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to attack the image and move on.
"I suppose it really is because it's myself… I'm me. Because I have my memories and personality, I'm me," he said.
"I also have my memories and personality. But I'm not me; I'm a false image," said the false image.
"With my memories and personality, you can be called me. Your appearance is the same, too. Is there a meaning behind the difference between reality and falsehood?" said Vandalieu.
"Reality is a false image, and a false image is reality? It's not impossible. I'm me, and I'm me," said the false image.
"I'm me –" the two said in unison.
"And I'm me," said Vandalieu, becoming one with the false image.
A door silently appeared, and Vandalieu walked through it to see the staircase to the next floor.
"The Levels of Dark Demon Creation Path Enticement, Guidance: Dark Demon Creation Path, Long-distance Control, Materialization, Parallel Thought Processing, High-speed Thought Processing, Grotesque Mind and Mental Encroachment have increased!"
"It's over," said Vandalieu, having left the room of mirrors and arriving at the landing of the staircase.
Those equipped inside his body with Group Binding Technique emerged from within him.
"Was it alright, Vandalieu" Darcia asked.
"There were no problems, Mom," Vandalieu replied.
"Really? Even Queen Donaneris and the others said that they struggled with that trial, so I was worried, you know?"
"But even Queen Donaneris said, 'His Majesty will be fine,' didn't she?"
Queen Donaneris's instinct had told her that Vandalieu would be able to clear this challenge with ease due to his mental structure that was different from that of ordinary people. And she had been right.
"But was it really fine for us to not face the challenge?" murmured Iris, who looked unhappy with the fact that she had cheated the trial by being infested by a parasitic insect and equipped inside Vandalieu.
It seemed that with her serious personality, she felt guilty over using such a dishonest method.
"It can't be helped, can it? There's no guarantee that we would be able to overcome a conversation and a battle with ourselves," said Basdia, who had cheated the trial in the same way but seemed unfazed by it.
Incidentally, it wasn't just these two; almost everyone had cheated the trial.
After passing through the supply area, he had equipped everyone inside his body with the exception of Legion, who couldn't be infested by parasitic insects, and proceeded with only the Ghosts following him.
The trial was one that only those with bodies that could be reflected in the mirrors could face. Thus, those equipped inside Vandalieu did not face the trial.
"… I think you'd be able to clear it without a problem, Basdia," said Iris.
"That's not true; I have my own worries and insecurities. Like wondering whether Jadal is missing me," said Basdia.
"That's… I wonder."
A conversation with one's own false image about their child-raising, and then a battle with that false image. Was this really a good trial for determining the successor to a champion?
"But it's true that it's dangerous. During the trial, each challenger is isolated in their own space, so nobody can help them," said Vigaro. "If we weren't in the middle of clearing a Dungeon, I'd be interested in fighting myself, but…"
Even the battle-crazed Vigaro had taken the safe route and cheated the trial.
"We can't face the trial to begin with, so it was easy for us, though," said the Zombie Titan Borkus.
"Gishaaah," hissed the centipede monster Pete.
This trial was only for races of people including those of Vida's races, and the few races of monsters that ruled nations inside the Boundary Mountain Range, such as the Noble Orcs and High Kobolds.
Other races of monsters and Undead didn't face the trial, even if their images were reflected in the mirrors.
Of course, there had been several previous challengers that had brought tamed monsters with them, but this Dungeon's purpose was to find Zakkart's successor. This was the presumed reason why this false image trial did not test such monsters.
"… I'm finished," said Legion, rolling into view after having finished the trial. They looked to be in unusually low spirits, but they didn't look like they had faced a difficult battle.
"Well done," said Vandalieu. "What happened?"
"The trial was more boring than we imagined."
"The image looked just like us, but it didn't speak any words that meant anything. We're not that strange."
"It was rude. Even Pluto when she's drunk isn't that strange, is she?"
"You're the one who mixed alcohol into my drink, aren't you, Baba Yaga…!"
"Izanami, don't bring up things from the past!"
It seemed that Legion's appearance had caused a bug with the false image.
There was no way that a trial intended for humans could cope with a being like Legion, which had multiple souls fused together within one body. It hadn't functioned entirely correctly with Vandalieu, either.
"Well, we defeated it easily so it was fine, though," Legion concluded.
"I see. When we meet Gufadgarn, maybe we should tell him that it needs to be more versatile," said Vandalieu. "Now then, let's move on."
And so, Vandalieu and his companions cleared the first trial of the lower floors.