But that minute stretched on. I didn’t wake until I felt like I’d finally gathered enough strength to do so. When I lifted my heavy eyelids, the first thing I noticed was that I was laying face down, my cheek pressed against the cold, hard floor. I saw red and gray. Rubble? Blood? I wasn’t sure. My vision was blurry, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why. It took a moment to send out the mental command that activated my passive skill, [Eagle Vision], which is what allows me to see well despite my impaired vision which is why I always have it be on "on" but, right now, for some reason, had been turned off. As my vision returned to clarity, the scene became clear like day: I was laying in a pool of blood, my own blood, surrounded by rubble.
Summoning all the strength I could muster, I tried to lift myself out of the blood-soaked floor. My muscles screamed in protest, and I barely managed to shift my weight before collapsing back down, my body refusing to cooperate. Frustrated, I summoned my interface to figure out why I was in such a miserable state. The answer was right in front of me, my HP while for some reason recovering one digit at a time, was on the floor, and my fatigue percentage was nearly maxed out.
As I reviewed my status, a memory resurfaced: I had leveled up. A bunch of levels, actually. Remembering what I did after my battle against the one-eyed Frostfang serpent, desperate for any relief from my current predicament, I opened my interface and began allocating my newly acquired attribute points into Constitution. The more points I invested, the larger my HP grew, along with my SP, though the latter at a much slower rate. With each point I invested, I could feel my currently available HP increasing, and slowly, my fatigue began to decrease.
I wanted to keep going, to heal completely, but a nagging voice in the back of my mind warned me against pouring too much into one attribute. Begrudgingly, I limited myself to 15 attribute points, bringing my Constitution attribute to a total of 27. That granted me a total of 1,677 HP, though only a fourth of that was currently recovered with my stunt, meaning that I still felt miserable. Even more miserable in fact as in that moment what had been dulled by my exhaustion was now painfully clear. The pain in my head, my limbs, my chest, it was unbearable. But at that moment, I felt almost relieved to feel it. It meant I was still in one piece, even if that piece was battered and broken.
Ignoring the screams of my muscles and organs, I made yet another attempt to lift myself up. "Fuuuuuuck!" I groaned, summoning the energy to force my body upright. As I sat there, out of breath and aching, I finally began to take in my surroundings.
It was then that I heard a voice.
"Hey, you finally woke up. That’s great."
It was Dungeon Master 07. I turned toward the voice, even though every movement sent waves of pain through my body.
There he was, seated just a couple of meters away from me.
"I was starting to worry you wouldn’t catch me up. It would really be a shame to part ways without at least a goodbye, wouldn’t it?" he said, his tone off in a way that wasn’t like him.
"Dungeon Master 07…" I managed to say, my voice rough and strained.
My gaze fell on the reason he had spoken those words. He was seated against a chunk of a fallen pillar, looking far worse than I was. His once proud form was practically bare-chested, most of the hair on his face burnt to a crisp. His body was covered in burns, angry red welts where his skin had blistered and peeled away. But the worst sight was the sword lodged in his gut, his own sword.
"That thing got us good, didn’t she?" Dungeon Master 07 said with a self-deprecating chuckle. His laugh was hollow, tinged with the pain he was clearly enduring. "The worst part is easily how I could tell that the last attack wasn’t even meant to take us down. It was just a self-destruct protocol." He chuckled again, then winced as the pain from his injury surged through him. "Talk about a burn."
I was in no mood for that, and even if I was it didn't sound remotely funny.
I struggled to lift myself from the pool of my own blood, every movement sending sharp jolts of pain through my body. Determined, I managed to stand and began to walk toward him. As I reached out to grasp the sword lodged in his gut, he stopped me abruptly.
"Don’t... please don’t. That’ll only speed my death, and frankly, I wouldn’t want to die here, not after surviving this long with an injury like this."
"We have to remove it."
He chuckled. "You really want to see my guts spilled on the floor, don’t you?"
"You heal yourself as soon as I remove it." I replied, desperation edging my voice.
He winced, clutching his side where the sword pierced him. "That’s a decent plan, but unfortunately, I don’t have enough MP to use a healing skill capable of healing such potent injuries, and my fatigue percentage is too high to activate any of my healing abilities."
Silence enveloped us as my mind raced to find a solution. There was no way he was going to die here, not when we had managed to defeat that monstrosity against all odds. I remembered how we overcame the guardian, and as I did an idea sparked. "You have to have leveled up from defeating that monstrosity. Use your attributes to raise your HP, or even your MP and then cast healing."
He smiled gently, a hint of pride in his eyes. "That’s what you did just now, right? You were quick to come up with that idea. It took me over a minute to realize that I could do what you’re suggesting."
I skipped a beat, the realization dawning on me. "You’ve done it already?"
"How do you think I’ve survived ten minutes with a sword in my gut?"
I bit my lip, the reality of his survival sinking in. "Ten minutes..." I mumbled, then lamented, "You should have woken me up."
He didn’t answer immediately, and his silence hung heavily between us. Not giving up, I kicked my brain into high gear to figure out a solution. Then it hit me. I had recently unlocked an ability that could help.
I can use this. It was the perfect ability. With it, I could share my HP. I activated the ability, and he must have felt it because he asked, "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to heal you."
He seemed to have questions but remained silent as I used [Blood Oath] on him. Much like [Legacy of Agony], it couldn’t be used on high-level individuals without consent. However, unlike Legacy of Agony, Blood Oath had something extra, an ability that allowed me to target higher-level individuals as long as they were in a state of vulnerability, one that put them in a much more miserable state than I am. Right now, Dungeon Master 07 met that criteria. I began pouring HP into him, sending out 300, leaving me with less than 150. Normally, losing that much HP would be a huge blow, enough to send me to the ground. But since the HP was transferred, not taken through damage, I felt no particular pain. It was both a reassuring and grim sensation.
I couldn’t help but imagine how this would feel to an opponent, having all your HP siphoned without feeling it.
Anyway, with 300 invested, I expected him to get better. But no, there was no improvement at all. I puzzled for a moment before realizing what was happening. It was like the situation with that small crystal pendant that had healed him before, what was a lot of HP for me was only a small amount for a paladin like him.
"That’s a new skill," Dungeon Master 07 noted. "But personally, I think I’d be better off with that amount in MP, not HP. Earlier, when you did that, I raised my MP to—" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing: I couldn’t share my MP, only my HP.
"I’ll give you more HP," I declared.
"It’s alright, just…don’t," he said, stopping me.
"What do you mean, ‘don’t’? Do you want to die or something?"
"I don’t to die, but I don’t want you to waste your points on this. Not after surviving something like that. Especially when we both know that no matter how many attribute points you’re throwing at this, you won’t be able to stabilize me, not with my HP actively dropping."
"What are you…"
"I’m fine."
I wanted to argue, but my rationale kept me quiet. I knew he was right. Even if I poured all my HP into him, I wasn’t going to pull off a miracle, not with this sword. Ironically, it was probably the only thing keeping him somewhat stable for the time being. As I considered my options, Dungeon Master 07 suddenly looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. "you’re crying?"
"I’m…" I started to deny it, but it was pointless, tears were already streaming down my face.
"Hahaha—-ouch! This is awkward," he chuckled. "You do remember that even if I die here, it won’t be the end of me, right?"
Wiping away the tears, I nodded. "I remember…"
"Then," he began but I cut him.
"Death might not mean the end of Dungeon Master 07, but it will be the end of Vittorio."
He looked at me as if finally understanding the weight of his words. "That’s right. If I die here, it’ll be the end of Vittorio," he echoed, letting the realization sink in.
Stolen story; please report.
A moment passed before he spoke again. "That might be true, but I think that’s alright."
"Alright? How’s that alright?!" I protested.
He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine with a resolute calm. "It’s alright because it is a good ending for I, Vittorio, Golden Dove of the Seraphim of Love, Divine Emissary of the Byg'm?k faith. It is not exactly how I imagined it, I admit, but it’s still not a terrible outcome."
I frowned, not fully convinced by his reasoning. "Come on, Dungeon Master 08. Let's be pragmatic. This vessel, while having achieved a lot, has reached its limits, both in strength and time. I’m 73, I was a level 43 Paladin earlier today, now I’m a level 45 Paladin, and yet I haven’t acquired the longevity skill. In ten or fifteen years, I would be a useless husk. Hell, during the whole battle earlier, I already felt heavily restrained by my age."
He didn’t stop.
"Dying of old age? That sounds like a good prospect considering the lives I’ve lived thus far, but you and I know that I, as a Dungeon Master, can’t do that."
I understood all too well. We were in this world for a very simple reason, a mission that required of us thorough dedication. And he more than anyone was dedicated to that mission, so the idea of being idle for even a short decade was something he couldn’t even bring himself to consider.
"So, yes, while you may have a hard time believing it, this is alright. Please wipe those tears off. Seeing people crying like this is very awkward. Especially when it’s a fellow Dungeon Master. Besides, it’s way too early to mourn me."
I let out a chuckle, something I wasn’t meant to allow.
He smiled warmly. "Well, I hope you're ready to hear the final ramblings of a dying old man. You might want to grab a seat, it’s going to take a while. I was planning to keep it short, but hey, you’ve earned me a bit more time for some extra parting words."
Agreeing to his suggestion, I sat beside him, feeling the weight of the moment settle over us. He began to explain what he expected me to do, plans for once I left the dungeon, what actions to take in the future, whom to trust or be wary of, and how to get along with Aurelian, since that was something he expected of me. The more he spoke, the more I realized these weren’t just ideas he came up with on the spot but plans he had already established for me.
"Try getting along with Aurelian, so no more thought about plucking his angel feather away. Unless you give him a reason to, he is the last person you should have problems against," he advised.
I nodded, having listened attentively to his long monologue.
"Ideally, I would have joined the faith, you taking my place. It shouldn’t have been hard considering the fact that you’re a Highbreed, your age and level, but knowing your personality, I knew that was out of the window. Or is it?"
"I feel offended that you even thought that was an option," I responded.
"Well, that thought was before I got to learn that you were the one behind the butchery of Auroravia, before I got to know what kind of person you’ve grown up to be. So you can’t really blame me..." He sighed, a mixture of resignation and acceptance in his tone. "I guess I have to ask another Dungeon Master to assist me with that."
Part of me wanted to mention Dungeon Master 09, but I was objective enough to know it would be a bad suggestion, so I kept my silence. He continued, "What you ought to do is join, or as I’m sure you would prefer to say, "infiltrate" Jason’s organization. It’s not well known yet on this side of the continent, but I know that it will, it already has the support of the three faiths and even the emperor. Oh, and if you’re worried about restrictions they might impose on you, there are no restrictions. It is called the Adventurer Guild. They’re very much like handlers; however, it will be much more centralized and meticulously organized. While they don’t have restrictions placed on you, they do have requirements..."
"Let me guess, that I don’t have the Kinslayer title?"
He nodded. "You’ve guessed it. Even you, should be easily eligible. Join their guild, become an adventurer, and rise among their ranks. Considering your level, you won’t struggle much to do so."
He went quiet, lost in thought, probably checking if he’d forgotten something.
"O think... I believe, all I have to say about you. As for Dungeon Master 09," he paused, looking at me thoughtfully, "I pass the duty of leveling him up to you. You can have him join the guild with you if you wish, but if you get the opportunity to have him take over my postal company, that ought to be controlled by one of us. I wouldn’t want any random person to stumble upon the letters we will be exchanging after all. As to how you can do that, you can ask for Aurelian’s help, which is why it’s really for the best that you get along with him. He can easily help you when it comes to that. I was childless in this life; I have mentioned to him that you and Damian are the grandchildren I never had, so... you can easily take advantage of that."
I nodded slowly. "I see... I will arrange that."
"I’ll be counting on you two," he said, taking a deep breath and casting a glance at his injury, which he so far smoothly ignored. "That was everything I think... Oh, and one last thing; I failed to confirm it. What level are you now?"
I told him, "34."
"...34," he mumbled, processing the information. "That was a lot of level jumps, but I suppose that’s understandable considering the level difference. I’m in fact surprised you didn’t get more, but well... Let me confirm something else. Did you manage to acquire that skill?"
There could only be one skill he would refer to in such a way, the skill that he just mentioned failing to acquire: longevity.
I shook my head tragically.
"I see. I hope you will. I’d like to have this version of you around." He smiled, clearly pleased. "So make sure you put effort into acquiring it. Go after mythical beasts. From what I know, most of those who leveled that skill, aside from the few who gained it passively, did so by grinding experience from slaying mythical beasts, ideally ones far stronger than themselves."
I nodded.
"That method didn’t work for me," he continued, "but it’s still a lead worth pursuing, especially for someone who has at least a few decades ahead of her."
I nodded again.
"Do not take my words as encouragement to challenge dragons or anything beyond your level. The last thing I would want is for you to die a senseless death."
"Who do you take me for?"
"The person that insisted on following me into a guardian chamber, leading her to be locked in a battle to the death with a guardian who was at least 20 levels above her strength to handle." He paused, letting his words sink in.
I had nothing to defend myself against that argument, it was an instant checkmate.
Smiling, he added, "Just make sure you don’t die a stupid death, okay? Just like you’ve got to appreciate Vittorio, I really have gotten to appreciate Arianna, the pretending magician. So I would really like to see you around for at least several hundred years. Taking down the emperor was one of your two main goals, wasn’t it?"
"Yes."
"Then you’d need this skill to get to his level. As for your other goal which was to protect us Dungeon Masters from harm..."
I winced at the words. I immediately regretted confessing that to him back then in the woods.
He chuckled, the sound mingling with the noise he made because of the pain he endured. "Haha, what are you looking embarrassed for? That was what you said you wanted, right?"
"I didn’t voice it like that..." I denied.
"You’re sure? Well, regardless of how you voiced that, it is what you want. Nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a noble goal. So don’t go dying a stupid death out there when I’m not looking. Much more Dungeon Masters will reincarnate with me into Fiendfell. No doubt that they’ll be needing your help, just like Dungeon Master 09 and I did, so..."
Tired of hearing him repeating this, I said, "don’t worry, when we'll meet again, I’ll be there. Alive and strong."
"I see, that’s good to hear. Well, now I believe this is it..." His voice trailed off, and I didn’t feel like nodding, so I just kept my silence.
It was then in that prolonged moment of silence that Dungeon Master 07 asked, "Say, Dungeon Master 08, I have one last request for you. I’m not even sure if I should ask it since I have the feeling you won’t like it, but considering your ability, I will ask nevertheless."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes, even if just a little. "That's been a lot of last requests, you know," I muttered, half-expecting him to push back on that.
But instead, he surprised me with a soft smile, a smile that felt more like a resigned farewell than anything else. "You're right," he admitted, the corners of his mouth lifting just a bit more, "but think of this one as more of a gift. Albeit a rather cursed one."
***
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've been bestowed a Title!Title Name: KinSlayer
Description [Identification Lvl.10]:
Title’s Bestowed Enhancement:
I stared at the notification, disbelief and anger twisting inside me.
"Dungeon Master 07, you overthinking fool," I muttered, my voice trembling. "You’ve managed to give me your final moments to wield as a curse, but in doing so, you’ve made me a kinslayer."
I shot him a glare, but all I got in return was that same infuriating smile still plastered across his face.
My vision was growing blurrier by the second when another notification cut through my thoughts.
"What?!"
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've Acquired a New Skill!Skill Name: Longevity
Effect: Extends the wielder's lifespan while preserving physical vitality.
Description [Identification Lvl.10]: With Longevity, your lifespan is significantly extended. Although you will continue to age, the usual negative effects of aging, such as physical deterioration, frailty, and cognitive decline, are negated. This skill ensures you remain in peak condition despite the passage of time.
『Expand』
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've Acquired and Unlocked a New Ability.Ability Name: Echo of Agony
Ability Type: Curse
Effect: Allows you to unleash a powerful curse based on the suffering you have endured.
Description [Identification Lvl. 10]:
Under any other circumstance, I would’ve been thrilled, ecstatic, even. Unlocking a new ability? And not just any ability, but one that evolved from my Cursed Visionary title? That alone should’ve been a moment of triumph. A reward for everything I’ve endured. And yet, here I am, feeling nothing. No joy, no excitement. Just a bitter sense of irony, because this is the skill Dungeon Master 07 was so eager for me to have. He sure didn’t expect me to get it this way or did he? I couldn’t tell.
"Now how am I supposed to... tsk." I bit off the rest of the words, feeling the urge to rant, to scream at the sheer unfairness of it all. But something stopped me, a flicker of movement in the corner of my vision, tugging at my mind with an eerie familiarity.
I scanned the area, searching for whatever had caught my attention. Nothing. No sound, no presence I could sense, yet the feeling lingered, gnawing at the edges of my awareness. It wasn’t the guardian, I knew that much. The damn thing hadn’t returned, thank the Goddess. But what was it?
The longer I dwelled on it, the more my unease grew, until the realization hit me like a revelation. The true source of this nightmare we’d just woken from, the entity behind the dungeon, the one pulling all the strings, it had to be the Dungeon Core.