◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (31)

Chapter 7. Entering my Own Dungeon (2)

After dealing with one, Flame Ghosts began to appear more frequently. According to Lucy, these ghosts are clusters of flame magic. Does their abundance indicate the spirit's immense power?

"Contractor, there's more appearing behind us!"

"Hostage, hide quickly! Wait, are these things actually appearing in real time?"

"Be careful!"

Whether by luck or thanks to KiJun's provocation skill, the ghosts, seemingly ignoring the boy, focused on attacking KiJun.

"Be careful not to kill them in one hit!"

It would have been a good hunting ground if KiJun's race rank was lower, but regrettably, the Flame Ghosts were only of uncommon rank.

Fighting them felt increasingly foolish to KiJun. He had to carefully control his power, meticulously cutting them to leave only the core intact.

"Does it really have to be this way? Can't I just extract the core directly from the body?"

Having figured it out, KiJun adjusted his shield for attack.

Before mastering shield combat, KiJun used his shield in a straightforward manner, blocking attacks easily and striking directly or from above. However, after learning offensive techniques, he held his shield with the sharp end towards the opponent, deflecting attacks and immediately counterattacking.

When he activated his skill, it seemed as though giant claws grew from his hand.

KiJun secretly referred to this as "Zergling form."

"Look at this."

KiJun, steadying his breath, aimed at the core of a fluttering Flame Ghost and swiftly thrust his shield forward like firing a shell.

The cruel, blood-tinged claws pierced the ghost's core. Despite the ghost's horrifying scream and twisting body, KiJun skillfully twisted and extracted it.

Encased in his shield was a flawless red orb.

"Success!"

—The Butchery (R) skill level is now 2!

KiJun, like scooping ice cream, used his shield, wrapped in light, to precisely scoop out the core from the ghosts.

It seemed less like battle or hunting and more like scooping ice cream.

—Level 2 achieved. Dexterity (L), Light Magic (L), and Spirit Power (L) increased by 1.

As he progressed through the dungeon, his level finally increased by 1, a welcome boost to his legendary stats.

However, this dungeon didn't quite provide the thrilling exploration experience KiJun expected.

A straight line with no traps.

The Flame Ghosts relentlessly attacked from the front, devoid of tactics.

The interior heat increased deeper in, and without his unique mana circulation technique, Salutaris, maintaining Adamant would have been challenging.

"I hoped for a more exciting adventure when I discovered this dungeon."

—Maybe, Contractor, this might be thrilling in a different sense.

Lucy said with a pained expression.

KiJun, too, had a hunch and frowned.

"Should we turn back?"

—Leaving won't be pleasant either. Better to see for ourselves.

Their eyes simultaneously turned to the boy quietly following them. He tensely licked his lips.

"You right there, wait."

Even as KiJun, using Adamant, had sweat on his forehead, the boy remained sweat-free.

"It's fine. Keep following."

"Yes..."

KiJun clicked his tongue at the boy's unawareness of his oddity.

This is why spirit quests should be avoided.

The long corridor eventually ended, leading to a vast hall, entirely engulfed in flames.

Or rather, everything was turned to flames by something at its center.

"A cat...?"

In the center of this fiery nest lay a cat, small enough to climb on KiJun's shoulder, its body entirely made of flames, flickering like a mirage.

—It's a spirit... Once as mighty as me, but now weakened and deeply asleep after suffering a fatal wound.

Lucy murmured, her voice laden with emotion.

Then the boy, transfixed by the cat, let out an exclamation.

"Ah..."

His face showed resignation, as if expecting this.

He slowly approached it.

"So it was true... I am."

He sighed deeply and knelt.

Ghosts that had emerged surrounded the boy, closing in gently.

The boy did not burn despite contact with the ghosts, perhaps because they did not attack with hostile intent.

Of course, that made sense – the boy was a ghost too.

His fear and rejection before entering the dungeon, his resignation once inside, his calm demeanor in the intolerable heat of the dungeon where even KiJun, with his unique class and at least unique grade stats, had to activate Adamant to survive – all these were because he was a ghost.

—This changes things.

Lucy added to KiJun's soft murmur.

"Then, all the villagers who claimed to offer him as a sacrifice must have been ghosts too. No wonder their behavior was odd."

Recalling their actions, some aspects didn't quite fit. Apart from calling the rampaging spirit 'Lord', they showed a primal fear of 'Master' as KiJun and Lucy approached the dungeon. Initially, they thought the Lord and Master were the same, but they weren't.

"Did they all not know?"

—Of course. Those aware of being ghosts wouldn't perform sacrificial offerings. They probably didn't know until they faced the spirit directly.

If KiJun had waited for the villagers, would he have been invited to a ghost-only village? It would have been futile.

If he hadn't discovered the dungeon beforehand, he might have completed the quest without knowing what he was doing.

—Really... The spirit must have been asleep for a long time. So many ghosts developed their own consciousness and forgot they were ghosts.

"Not that long," the boy, realizing his identity after seeing the spirit, said, still attached to his burning body.

"A being artificially induced us to live like this, making us believe we were humans, not ghosts... So, I, without knowing my existence was in such a vain illusion—"

"The worst!"

A giant feline-like beast appeared, blocking between the spirit and KiJun. Its form was not as distinct as a spirit, resembling an imitation of the flame cat spirit.

"Ruined my nurtured offering meant for my master!"

—Indeed, a ghost aiming to evolve into a spirit.

"It tried to grow by consuming the consciousness of other ghosts. A convoluted but certain way to fully ripen the offering's consciousness."

KiJun felt a headache coming on.

So, the villagers afraid of the spirit, the boy offered as a sacrifice, the flames attacking the boy, and the spirit ordering them were all ghosts. The real spirit was unconscious, wounded, while the ghosts staged a well-crafted play.

"Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?"

As KiJun sighed, the beast screamed out its resentment.

"You ruined my chance to eat it and become a spirit! You've made me wait years!"

"Can't you eat it now?"

"In our master's domain, how can we attack each other? You ruined it!"

KiJun finally understood the quest's entire story.

Had he met the boy without knowing the dungeon, without spirit power, he might have failed to kill the beast, allowing it to consume the offering and become a spirit or a terrible boss monster. Killing it would have released the villagers from its control, slowly realizing their identity and returning to the spirit.

What a hopeless situation.

He was lucky to have discovered the dungeon and uncovered its true nature.

"But you made a foolish choice by entering our master's sanctuary!"

The beast, focusing on Lucy's radiant light, roared.

"Maybe if I consume a spirit, I can become one! I can't consume the master, but other spirits should be fine!"

—Pitiful, self-destructive talk.

Lucy's voice carried a mix of pity and sadness.

—Contractor, once it harbored ill will towards the spirit, nature, it could no longer become a spirit... Finish it quickly.

"I can become a spirit! I will live eternally like my master—"

The beast charged at KiJun, who, spotting its core glowing within, swiftly caught it with the King of the Well, now imbued with his spirit power and light magic.

"Ah, my eternal life..."

No need to listen to its nonsense anymore. KiJun was well beyond the dungeon's level.

—Rare boss monster Semifáctus defeated. Gained experience. Received 500 points for defeating the dungeon boss!

—Level 3 achieved. Strength (U) 1, Dexterity (L) 1, Spirit Power (L) 1 increased.

—Butchery (R) skill reached level 3, Moonlight Blood Fangs (L) reached level 2.

KiJun stored the rare-grade core in his inventory and approached the real spirit. The Flame Ghosts, including the boy, blocked his way.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go any further."

With a flick of his finger, chains of light sprung from the ground, walls, and ceiling, immobilizing the ghosts. His unique spirit magic, now named after his contract spirit, Lucy, had that much power.

"I'll handle this."

As the ghosts struggled in vain, KiJun passed them and placed his hand on the small, wounded cat's forehead.

—Can you do it, Contractor?

"Absolutely."

KiJun extended his spirit power towards the Flame Spirit, initiating a communion.

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