Reverse Dungeon

She hesitated, though not for any trivial reason.

“But, brave heroes, the monster on this island is immensely powerful. Countless brave warriors of our kingdom have set out to slay it, and not one has returned.”

At some point, her form of address had shifted to “brave heroes.”

“Thanks to their sacrifice, we have been able to protect even this tiny kingdom, but the losses have been heartbreaking.”

Tears welled in her eyes.

Ian, knowing perfectly well that she would eventually give them the quest, thought, *This script is dragging on.* Keith, on the other hand, was thinking, *So... is she giving us the quest or not?*

“Even so... will you help us?”

“Leave it to us.”

Ian answered with easy confidence and nudged Keith in the ribs.

“...”

Keith answered as well, albeit reluctantly.

“Yes. We will solve this problem for you.”

“Thank you, thank you! May the heroes from afar be blessed!”

Ding!

[You have received the Fairy Queen’s Blessing.]

[Fairy Queen’s Blessing (A)]

A blessing bestowed by Fairy Queen Helena upon the heroes.

Movement Speed: +5%

Critical Hit Rate: +7%

Duration: 03:59:58

“And though it may be too small for you, please accept this sword, which we have forged with all our hearts.”

The fairy attendant who had been standing behind the Queen stepped forward and presented the sword with both hands.

Seen up close, it looked even smaller.

“How are ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) we supposed to use this?”

Ian accepted the sword, which was roughly the size of a toothpick.

Ding!

[Fairy Hero’s Sword (S)]

A sword forged by fairies from morning sunlight and dew to defeat demons.

Attack Power: +5%

Critical Hit Rate: +5%

Divine Power: +100%

Despite its size, the sword’s effects were incredible. Ian accepted it gladly. After all, rewards like this were the main reason he had come here.

Had they not been necessary, Ian would have dragged Keith straight to the demon on the Eastern Island. There was no way Ian, who had defeated that boss monster hundreds of times in the game, did not know its exact location.

“Be careful, heroes. Yura will guide you to the monster’s location.”

“I’ll show you the way!”

The fairy who had first guided them to the village fluttered onto Ian’s shoulder. Ian instinctively reached out to pat her head. The fairy’s swooping motion reminded him of Actus, and his hand moved on its own.

The fairy’s face turned bright red as she squeaked.

“Ah! Ahhh! What are you doing?! Human! Now I can’t get married!”

“What?! How does that stop you from getting married?”

“You’re already taken, and yet you shamelessly try to seduce me? How disgraceful! I didn’t know human heroes were so immoral!”

“What?!”

Ian had no idea how to respond to that sudden accusation.

Keith, looking displeased, interjected.

“We are not lovers, but... it is true that Lord Ian can be somewhat promiscuous.”

“What nonsense is that?!”

“Didn’t even the Fairy Queen look at you with sparkling eyes? If the two of you had been alone, wouldn’t you have patted her head as well?”

Keith’s tone was oddly accusatory, leaving Ian baffled as to why he was the one being cornered.

“Of course not! Wait, why are you even interrogating me about this?”

“Should someone who claims to be a Messenger of God be so... loose in matters of affection?”

*He’s still on about that?*

It was astonishing that Keith’s faith in Ian’s supposed divine role remained unshaken. Ian supposed that was not entirely a bad thing.

He tried to explain.

“Of course, such behavior would be inappropriate. I have left my old ways behind and am living a new life now. You do not need to worry.”

“I still worry.”

*This guy doesn’t even know anything about my past.*

Ian was starting to get annoyed.

“You have never once seen me behave even remotely improperly, so what exactly are you worried about?”

“How far do you intend to take ‘improper’?”

The two glared at each other in exasperation until the fairy cut in.

“You’re not lovers? Then what is your relationship? Why are you traveling together?”

“Stop being nosy.”

Having collected everything he needed, Ian dropped his polite facade.

He had been doting on her only moments ago, yet now he was treating her like a nuisance. The fairy stared at him in shock.

“Humans are so fickle!”

Keith offered the fairy a piece of advice.

“Lord Ian is certainly rare in his beauty, but what truly matters is a person’s character. You should not allow yourself to be swayed too easily.”

*Is he picking a fight?*

Ian could not tell whether Keith’s polite words were meant for the fairy or aimed at him.

“Don’t make me angry...”

“I am only stating the truth.”

“Your looks are just as misleading!”

“Do you think I am attractive?”

Keith sounded genuinely surprised.

“...!”

For once, Ian lost the argument.

The fairy muttered to herself.

“I heard human lovers fight all the time. So it’s true! You two want to be alone, and I’m just getting in the way, aren’t I? I know everything.”

Ian groaned in frustration.

“Could you just be quiet and walk?”

“Jeez... Don’t take it out on me. I’m not even walking. I’m flying. And anyway, we’re here!”

The fairy stopped beating her wings and pointed ahead, lowering her voice.

“There it is.”

Keith followed her gaze.

The place she indicated did not look much different from the rest of the island. Withered, decaying trees sprawled across the ground, their exposed roots twisting together like grotesque sculptures.

The atmosphere was eerie and desolate, but that was all. What could possibly be lurking here?

The ground looked inhospitable to any living thing. If something was here, it had nowhere to hide. The barren forest did not even have a single leaf.

“Where is the enemy?”

Keith kept his voice low. His hand was already on his sword.

The fairy shook her head.

“I don’t know. I can’t go any farther. The Queen ordered us not to. We’re forbidden to approach. But you human heroes need to be extra careful. The Queen said that even if you cannot defeat it, it will be enough as long as you return alive.”

“Leave now.”

Keith dismissed the fairy and stepped onto the deathly ground.

At first, nothing happened.

The silence was deafening.

“I will move a little farther in.”

“Alright.”

“Will you be all right climbing? The roots are large and rough. You may get hurt.”

“I’m fine. Just don’t—”

Snap!

“...”

“...”

Keith had already cut through a tree root before Ian could finish speaking.

They stared at each other in silence.

Then the ground shook.

The forest, which had been eerily still only moments before, erupted into chaos.

The dead tree roots, which they had thought lifeless, began to writhe and twist, trying to crush Keith and Ian.

Keith immediately hoisted Ian over his shoulder. Ian’s reflexes could not be trusted.

“Up!”

But Ian’s judgment could.

Keith obeyed without hesitation, leaping upward just as a massive root whipped past beneath them.

In that moment, Keith realized something.

He trusted Ian’s judgment completely.

As the leader of the Holy Knights, Keith had always been a dictator. When the Pope gave him orders, Keith was the one who decided how they would be carried out, and he allowed no dissent. His decisions in the field were final.

Sometimes he wondered whether that unyielding nature was what had driven his comrades to betray him.

Yet here he was, following Ian’s orders without question.

*Because he is the Messenger of God.*

Keith settled on the simplest answer.

The judgment of a Messenger of God could not possibly be wrong.

Even if Ian often seemed utterly careless in his personal life...

“Should we retreat?”

“No, we need to push forward! Run to the center of the forest!”

Keith obeyed.

Dodging roots that lashed like whips, cutting down branches that stabbed toward them, and crushing the dried leaves coiling around his legs, Keith pressed onward.

Then he realized something.

The forest itself was not alive.

Something was coiled around the roots, moving them.

“A centipede?”

That was what was controlling the forest and making it appear alive.

A chill ran through Keith.

“It’s a massive centipede! The thing moving the trees is—”

—Shaaaaaah!

The intelligent giant mamool screamed, shaking violently as if enraged that its true nature had been uncovered. As Keith ran across the tangled roots, the tremor nearly made him lose his balance. He drove his sword into a root to steady himself just as the centipede lashed out with five massive branches, aiming to impale him where he stood.

Crash!