WeTried Translations

Translator: Goku

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became a Villain Perfect for Leveling Up

Chapter 010

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A Curse to Someone (3)

A Curse to Someone (3)

I felt the musty, characteristic scent of the Altar of Lamentation in the air and got up.

I had vowed never to return here and fled, but returning now, I felt only a sense of emptiness rather than anger.

“....”

As I stared blankly at the tiny dust motes glowing in the light, thoughts of Eirene suddenly crossed my mind.

She, consumed by the monster of guilt, had become another monster herself.

The life of the 1st Playthrough, ruined by me, was identically ruined by me even in the 2nd Playthrough.

“Eirene….”

I had successfully escaped from Eirene, but the look in her eyes as she watched my suicide still seemed to linger before my eyes.

That expression, as if she wanted forgiveness from me for the sins she had committed….

“…Let’s not worry about it.”

…Whatever it was, my current goal was Freud’s Fang, nothing to do with Eirene or anything else.

Because to avoid being caught by the NPCs who would eventually come for revenge, I needed at least one self-defense item.

To forcefully forget my thoughts, I got up abruptly, left the altar, and began moving toward the Labyrinth of Fissures where Freud’s Fang was located.

Unlike in the past, when I ran blindly forward out of fear of being chased by Carmen, now I moved with a clear destination.

A vague unease arose, wondering if I might encounter Eirene or Carmen, but I tried to reassure myself that nothing would happen and walked on.

‘…I should find a pair of shoes too.’

My soles were blistered from scraping and bumping against stones and tree roots, and all my toenails, except for my big toes, had come off.

Gritting my teeth to endure the excruciating pain with every step, I reached the entrance to the Labyrinth of Fissures faster than expected.

《 Checkpoint designated ▶ Labyrinth of Fissures 》

“Good….”

As the checkpoint designation window appeared, the tension I had been suppressing eased, and a smile naturally formed.

There would be no need to return to the Altar of Lamentation, so I wouldn't have to meet Eirene, who might be lurking around there, ever again.

Apart from my relieved mind, sweat beaded on me as I gazed at the massive stone walls, towering so high they seemed endless.

The Labyrinth of Fissures, a setting said to have been created to imprison demon beasts that defiled the world's order.

…Within that labyrinth, existing since before the destruction, lay Freud’s Fang, which I needed.

“Ugh….”

The moment I, holding my breath, tried to take a step, a severe burning pain struck, as if my worn-out soles had reached their limit, and I lost my balance and tumbled to the floor.

Thud-!!

My head hit the hard stone floor, and for an instant, my vision went white, and the world spun.

I had clearly hit the back of my head, but a stinging pain rose from my nose. When I immediately put my finger to it, I saw a slightly blood-tinged, translucent liquid flowing from my nose.

“Cough…!”

When I neglected the liquid continuously flowing from my nose, it wasn’t long before I felt a pain as if a giant needle was piercing my brain.

It seemed my brain had been damaged from falling hard headfirst onto the floor.

…Come to think of it, it was about time I died again.

My soles were completely raw from walking too long, and my stamina had reached its limit to continue walking through the Labyrinth of Fissures.

I spread out on the floor, accepting death, and looked up at the unpleasantly blue sky.

How many deaths was this for me?

The number of times I had died to Eirene and Carmen alone exceeded fifty, making counting meaningless now. A silent, hollow laugh escaped me at this death.

《 Perk ‘Addicted to Defeat’ activation failed!

- Target not found. 》

《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》

“…Shall we go.”

As my life was once again connected to this world by an inexplicable force, I lay on the floor, catching my breath and summarizing the labyrinth's information.

As its name suggested, true to its labyrinth structure, all that met my eye were towering, massive walls.

If I didn't focus on my location, I would quickly lose my way while navigating the labyrinth.

My heart pounded at the thought that I might not be able to get out until I died once I entered, but in the end, that place was also a conquerable dungeon.

If I navigated the path correctly without straying, I would be able to face Freud, the giant serpent and boss of the labyrinth.

My only concern was how to confront the creature, which I had crushed with overwhelming power in the 1st Playthrough, with a mere Level 10.

“…Now isn’t the time to worry about that.”

Irresponsibly thinking that if I just met the boss, I could somehow deal with it using my infinite lives, I stepped into the labyrinth.

I didn't remember it perfectly, but the labyrinth's structure was somewhat familiar, so fortunately, I didn't get lost.

Straight then left, then right in the middle.

If a fork appeared, right….

If I go that way, a giant spider will appear, so I need to turn left and make a big circle….

“Hiss-.”

Just then, I saw a giant spider crawling on a distant wall and hastily hid myself.

Because these giant spiders called Arachne crawled on the walls, monitoring the labyrinth, I couldn't relax my guard for a moment.

Hiding my body as much as possible to avoid being discovered, I carefully passed the last pathway and saw two Arachne stubbornly guarding the boss room entrance.

“…There were indeed creatures blocking the way like this.”

As expected of a Souls-like game, rage welled up at the vicious level design of the developers placing two Arachne in front of the boss room.

To enter the boss room as it was, I absolutely had to defeat both Arachne.

But the only weapon I had was my bare fists, so recklessly charging in would mean becoming a giant spider’s meal.

“Hiss-?”

Just then, the Arachne, having heard a faint noise, grotesquely rolled their eyeballs and simultaneously fixed them perfectly on me.

“…!”

As dozens of horrifying, vein-filled eyeballs fixated on me, I was momentarily overwhelmed by fear, unable to flee, and my body completely froze.

Thud-thud-thud-!

“Aaaaargh!!”

As the Arachne slowly began to move its massive body, crawling on the wall, I belatedly came to my senses and started to run away.

Sizzle!!

“Cough! My leg!! My leg!!! Aaaargh!!”

Not long after I started running, my leg was hit by the venomous liquid the Arachne fired. I lost my balance and rolled on the floor.

“Kuaaak!!!”

The entire leg was engulfed in horrific, searing pain, as if on fire, and the smell of cooking meat dominated my sense of smell.

Eventually, my leg, unable to withstand the venomous liquid, completely melted away, vanishing entirely from the world.

“Aargh…! Help…! Please, save me!!!”

The Arachne, who had no reason to understand my pleas, wrapped me in webs, as I bled and oozed from my melted leg, then dragged me somewhere and fixed me in place, like a cocoon.

“Hmph… Kuheup!!”

My face was completely sealed by the sticky webs, and with every inhale, the thin passage for breathing narrowed.

With those three breaths as my last, I died of shock from losing too much blood.

《 Perk ‘Addicted to Defeat’ activated!

- Target ‘Gatekeeper Arachne’s’ level increases by 10. 》

《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》

The lesson given to one who entered the dungeon naked and unprepared, only to die, was truly shocking.

“…What?”

As I resurrected as usual, my gaze was fixed on the floating perk notification window.

Something I thought would never happen, happened.

《 Perk ‘Addicted to Defeat’ activated!

- Target ‘Gatekeeper Arachne’s’ level increases by 10. 》

The level of the Arachne that killed me…, increased.

It would be one thing if the perk activated only when killed by an NPC, but monsters are also included as targets that can raise their level by killing me?

“…Ha, hahahaha…. This is truly fucked….”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn't even get angry, and just chuckled, stifling laughter.

I had naturally assumed that Addicted to Defeat would only apply to NPCs.

But reality was that it unconditionally raised the level of all targets who killed me by 10.

I thought I could manage somehow if I just conquered the Labyrinth of Fissures, defeated the boss, and obtained Freud’s Fang. But despairing at the fact that an even greater wall existed, I fell to my knees.

From extreme stress, I furiously clawed at the floor with my fingernails. Soon, my nails broke, my fingers scraped, and fresh blood was vividly etched.

“....”

My mind, which had felt like it was going mad from the stinging pain, calmed down a little.

Just as despair settled upon me at the reality that the methods I could attempt were impossible, a single thought suddenly came to mind.

What if I recruited companions?

What if I could share my 1st Playthrough knowledge with them and grow stronger together?

Wouldn’t we be able to help each other and raise our levels?

And if a companion’s level was insufficient…, I could just die a few times for them….

“…That’s ridiculous!!!”

Thud!! I slammed my fist into the floor.

How would a companion react if they knew that their level increased by 10 when I died?

Far from shedding tears of emotion and deeming my sacrifice noble, they would clearly find my resurrection checkpoint and kill me repeatedly to raise their own level.

I tried to actively change my passive reality somehow, but my weakness did not allow for such a future.

With tears unconsciously flowing, I listlessly got up.

Since obtaining Freud’s Fang was now impossible, I might as well just pray not to meet any NPCs who had inherited memories.

If I meet them…, should I beg them to become my companions, promising to die for them repeatedly?

But now, I didn’t want to worry about anything like that at all.

I blankly got up from my spot, left the Labyrinth of Fissures behind, and began to trudge along.

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