Chapter 56 - Greed Is Quite Generous Indeed
What Jae met on the portal's other side was not at all what he had initially expected.
Instead of a dark, dingy dungeon with diseased monsters and trapped chests, or a vast wasteland with scorching heat and roaming dragons, what was reflected in his eyes was in fact rather pleasant.
A prairie that stretched as far as the eye could see with lush greenery and a beautiful sunlit horizon.
It was a breathtaking environment, unlike anything Jae had ever seen, and it overwhelmed him with an atmosphere unlike anything he had ever experienced, like a named location out of a romance drama.
Still, it was a Dungeon. He had only experienced two thus far, but each of them was ruthless in their own right. There was no telling what might happen if he let down his guard, and with a new companion by his side, he couldn’t afford to make any careless mistakes.
...With that said, it did mention the Clear Rate being over 98%... It’s probably the king’s doing. If Greed is anything at all like the others, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone ordinary to be able to defeat the boss―after all, someone else clearing the Dungeon would defeat the entire purpose of me being the one who is supposed to do it.
Because of that, it would probably be safe to assume the only enemy remaining in this Dungeon was the final boss.
“Are you okay?”
Looking at Amy, who was hunched over on the ground, Jae realised how tough it must be to experience dimensional travel for the first time without any kind of Resistance Skills. Waiting for her to recover, he examined the surroundings more.
Well, I guess there’s only one place to go check out.
Behind where the two first appeared, a tremendous castle stood. Rather than being intimidating, however, it seemed more like a relic of the distant past; with cracks running through every visible surface, vines covering it all over, and weathered bricks as if the structure was abandoned centuries ago.
After Amy was feeling better, they made their way over to the castle entrance.
“There shouldn’t be any monsters or traps remaining, but keep an eye out just in case.”
An abandoned, desolate castle in this picturesque place.
With lacking context, Jae couldn’t see the full picture of the story. However, knowing that this place belonged to something given the title of an embodiment of greed, he could only imagine.
Just what kind of being would the incarnation of greed be?
‘Greed is not normal’... But, by whose standards are you claiming that?
Wandering in silence through the grand, yet utterly barren castle, Jae couldn’t help but passively ponder what Sloth had previously told him.
If you were to ask a population to name a creature that embodied the sin of greed, what would be the percentage of people who answer ‘human’?
A human castle, located in a place whose natural beauty only humans could appropriately appreciate, the entrance to which was located beneath a human palace.
With all these blatant signs, it was impossible to ignore the obvious.
“......”
“......”
A long time passed as Jae and Amy “ventured” through the old, empty castle.
Neither of them said a word all the while, but there was no need for it.
Quietly checking every nook and cranny, finding nothing, and moving on to the next.
There was no loot to be discovered.
No monsters to be slain.
Not even an ant or a gust of wind to make a sound.
Greed was the coveting of things. Be it money, objects, power; the desire to possess it all was what it meant to be full of greed.
And yet.
In this lonely place, which was the very home of a being called Greed... There was nothing.
...Well. This is it.
Eventually, the two arrived in front of the final room they had yet to investigate.
At the very top of the castle, the king’s bedchamber.
The place where the final boss should stand.
Creaaaaak...
Slowly pushing open the archaic door that wasn’t at all what you would expect to find a king using, the interior was revealed.
“Oh...”
Inside, stood a man.
“Finally. You have arrived.”
He looked young, and quite handsome, but his skin was transparent, like a ghost, and he wore extravagant clothing that didn’t fit the rest of the dull castle.
As if by muscle memory, Jae activated Envy―or well, he tried to.
Skill 「Envy」 has failed
Skill 「Envy」 has failed
Skill 「Envy」 has failed
A message that had never appeared before popped up, causing Jae to mutter under his breath. “What...?”
It failed...? It doesn’t say anything about not meeting the level requirements, so why...
“Ah, was that the ability of the Imitation Nightmare? That won’t work, I’m afraid. Because I have already died.”
With a calm, almost despondent look, the man explained.
“...You’re Greed, right?”
“I suppose that is what I am now, indeed. Of course, I was once a human.”
Like Jae presumed, Greed was human. Unlike Sloth, who was a Mimic, and Pride, who is a dragon, Greed was not a monster.
Or maybe that just depends on your definition of monster. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what he is. As long as I get what I need.
“You’re not hostile?”
“What would be the point? You have come here to claim what was once mine, and it is my role to provide that to you. In any event, even I believe that dead things should stay dead.”
Huh... That’s not very greedy, you know? Well, not like I’m going to complain.
“So, can I ask what kind of ability you’ll give me?”
Being so open and asking right in front of Amy was a little disconcerting, but since she would inevitably find out everything in the future either way, Jae decided to disregard it.
“Of course. When I was alive, I had a Unique Skill that allowed me to steal the Unique Skills of whatever I kill. Do I appear attractive to you? It’s because I once killed a succubus and stole its power.”
Hearing that, Jae’s mind turned blank for a moment.
...Oh, shit.
Immediately after, his heart began to race.
“You’re telling me I’ll get your Unique Skill?”
That’s broken, isn’t it? I could already steal ordinary skills with Gluttony and Envy, but if I can steal Unique Skills on top of that, won’t I be unstoppable...?
Unfortunately, Greed’s next words instantly killed his excitement.
“That’s wrong.”
“Huh? Oh... Then, what is it?”
“Apologies if I burst your bubble, boy. When I was alive, I came across a Unique Skill stolen from an Otherworlder. That skill was Adaptability, and it allowed me to ‘enhance’ my other Unique Skills in ways that are ordinarily impossible. Rather than receiving my skill, you will instead be able to choose any three of my stolen Unique Skills in their enhanced state.”
“Three?"
"One at Level 1, a second at Level 5, and a third at Level 10. It's the best deal I could offer. The only reason you get the enhanced versions is because the originals are mostly useless if you don't belong to the same race as the original skill owner."
"I see...”
In other words, instead of acquiring just one skill, Jae can pick up to three.
I'd rather have the original skill, but that’s not so bad... Actually, if I think about it, isn’t that quite good? No, it’s fantastic. If I can pick out anything I want from all the Unique Skills this guy obtained during his life, then I can just take exactly what I need...
It was only yesterday that Jae was agonising over a lack of lethality and strict combat power, but just like that, he had found a solution.
As I thought, the Dungeons were the answer.
“By the way, why is this castle so empty? You’re Greed, but there’s nothing here. Is that intentional?”
“Not in the slightest. The humans outside this place claimed most of everything I owned for themselves long ago. The bastards even took my favourite decorative pot gifted to me from the ruler of a tribe across the sea, and there was nothing I could do... Well, I could have easily prevented them, but in reality, it doesn’t matter when I’m dead. These days, they rarely come, and whenever they do it is only out of a need for supplementary magic energy.”
Uh-huh. Sure... Wait. Greed’s pot? Like, that kind...?
“Magic energy?”
“Yes. I heard he’s become quite famous in the modern years, so you might have heard of him, but I once had a friend, Avosa, who was rather talented in the magical arts. Apparently, the kings outside had discovered his old research notes. Well, they could probably barely comprehend even half of it, but they must have figured out a good portion to understand the Otherworlder summoning ritual.”
Avosa... Isn’t that the name of the Great Sage? So, he was friends with Greed. I wonder if there’s anything more to it than that.
“I’ve heard of him. I didn’t think you would know that much about Otherworlder summoning, though.”
“Of course I do. How else would I have effortlessly acquired so many exotic Unique Skills? It’s all those naive foreigners were good for, at least in my day.”
This guy... Anyway, that’s how they were able to support summoning so many people simultaneously, huh? So, they syphoned the Dungeon’s magic energy... Well, they won’t be able to do that any more now that I'm here.
As the thought of clearing the Dungeon crossed his mind, Jae suddenly remembered something.
Ah, wait, that’s right.
“Hey. When I leave the Dungeon, will I end up somewhere else? I still have business on the outside.”
I did promise that I’d kill the king. If I end up on the other side of the world and have to make it all the way back just to do that, I’ll be pissed... Actually, if I just killed the king first, we could've used the Dungeon exit portal to teleport back to the castle for free... Damn, I'm an idiot.
Fortunately, Greed shook his head.
“That shouldn’t pose a problem. I can leave the exit coordinates as they are if you so desire. There is no time distortion for this place, so keep that in mind. Incidentally, now that we are on the topic of you leaving, there is something I must give you.”
Reaching into his garment’s pocket, Greed pulled out a single gold coin and handed it over. Accepting it, Jae didn’t see anything wrong with it except that it contained some extremely dense magic energy.
“What’s this?”
“The entirety of the wealth of the Kingdom of Jaldkahz, compressed into a single coin. As well as the riches of the Ilgoth Principality, some various other minor nations’ pockets, every single penny I personally owned, and all of my most valuable assets.”
His mind blanking for a few seconds, Jae's gaze alternated between Greed and the coin a few times.
“...Why?”
“What can I say? I refused to part with any of my wealth, lest it be stolen by another just as it was stolen from its original owner by me. There was some random Otherworlder with a Unique Skill I used to transmute and compress it all into this one coin. From the time of my great reign until even now, long after death, I carry it with me. Since I'll be with you from now on, I want you to take it.”
Woah...
“And you’re giving it to me? Can I even turn it back into currency I can use?”
If I could do that, I’d definitely be the richest person in the wor--
“Not unless you choose that same Unique Skill. Though, it’s rather useless, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
...Right. Of course not. Well, it’s not like I need money, anyway.
“Regardless of the value of the item, you will require this “Greedy Coin” upon your exit from this domain. Didn’t you experience a similar affliction already?”
Affliction...?
"Ah!"
Recalling what happened when he left the Sloth Dungeon, Jae exclaimed.
Previously, his mind had become overwhelmed with a sudden intense surge of lethargy. This time, he could assume a similar incident to occur, but with greed. Something was needed to counter that malady of the mind, and for Greed, this coin was the answer.
“I completely forgot about that. Thank you.”
Gripping the coin tightly in his hand, Jae dreaded what might’ve occurred if he didn’t have it.
“Mm. Then, I believe that is all? Young apostle. I have long been waiting for you in this lonesome place. Will you allow me some rest after all this time? Even if you cannot use holy magic, I believe you know how to kill a ghost.”
That presumption was correct. Nodding his head, Jae knew there was no need for any further words or a farewell; Greed would soon be joining the merry band in his head anyway, after all.
So, to not waste any more time, Jae activated Wrath.
Flames gushed forth, swallowing the ghost of Greed, and in the blink of an eye, he evaporated.
You have defeated the boss of the 『Greed Dungeon』
Dungeon exit has opened
There was no experience gained, no hidden loot, and nothing extravagant.
The Dungeon entrance outside had never disappeared, which is perhaps how whoever previously came in to claim all the castle’s belongings left without defeating the boss. Nevertheless, a great yellow portal opened up in the middle of Greed’s bedchamber, identical to the one they had used to enter the Dungeon.
Now alone, Jae and Amy glanced at each other.
“This isn’t the normal experience, by the way.”
And he warned her.
“Next time, don’t expect it to be this easy. Because it won’t ever be like this again.”
Gazing at Jae’s face, she thought she could glimpse a hint of unease hidden in there.
“...We got lucky.”
That was all she said before turning her eyes towards the Dungeon exit. Jae followed her look and stepped forward, taking the lead.
Soon, the world around them crumbled and faded away.
Beyond Greed’s castle, that spectacular scene would never be graced again by human eyes.
----------------------------------------
You have exited the 『Greed Dungeon』
Dungeon Clear Status: 【100%】
The designated Dungeon Boss has been defeated: 『Greed Dungeon』 will now experience collapse
The designated Dungeon Boss has been defeated; rewards will be given
Reward: Functions of skill 「Greed」 will be fully unlocked
You have acquired the Unique Skill: 「Greed」
Skill 「Greed」 has levelled up [Lv.0]→[Lv.MAX]
Due to reaching [Lv.MAX] with a Sin-grade skill, Level Limit increased by 50
Title 「Apostle of Sin」 has activated
Initiating assimilation with 「Greed」
Finding themselves back in the underground chamber, that sickly yellow glow had disappeared, replaced with but the dim glow of the magic stones embedded in the wall.
Whilst Amy recovered from the nauseating effects of motion sickness, her mind spinning, Jae had something else entirely to be concerned about.
Assimilation with 「Greed」 complete
Ba-dump-!
Just like last time, the instant he scanned over the notification, his eyes glazed over as a sudden influx of desire surged through him.
You have acquired the Title: 「Ruler of Greed」
Skill 「Greed」 has activated
Forgetting everything he was supposed to do, Jae’s mind began to fill up with one thing.
Your soul has become forever tainted by sin
You have acquired a portion of Greed’s Authority
Gold...
Instinctively, he clenched the Greedy Coin in his hand. As he did, his body violently shuddered.
“Ah! Woah, damn...”
Good thing it worked; that was worse than I thought.
Shaking his head to rid himself of that sticky feeling, he breathed calmly and ensured that everything was normal.
I’ll check what skills are available once we’re in the clear. For now, all that’s left is... To kill the king.
Of course, the first thing to do was find the king first. So, after waiting for Amy to recover, which was quicker than last time, they made their way to the king’s chamber. Despite neither of them ever visiting that place in person, Amy knew the location thanks to her shadows’ infiltration, and she could even ‘see’ the king sitting in his room as they spoke.
“Nice job. Since there’s a lot of knights on the way, we don’t have to bother sneaking around this time. Let’s just take the shortest route.”
As he had already obtained everything he initially came for, it didn’t matter any more if he caused a bit of trouble.
Well, if what I’m going to do is kill the king, then it doesn’t really matter if a few knights are knocked out along the way, does it?
He didn’t intend to kill anyone other than the king, of course, unless there was a specific need to. So, as the pair walked brazenly through the halls of the palace, dispatching the patrolling knights with a single hit as they went, Jae’s Level did not increase.
Needless to say, acting in such a bold manner would not go unnoticed for long.
“I thought someone was causing a ruckus, but who’s this? A summoned hero of our own, tagging alongside an obvious hostile intruder, and trouncing every one of my men as they please? Answer me, what in god’s name is going on here, Shadow Master?”
“...I’d recommend surrendering.”
Listening to Amy’s blunt response from beside her, Jae almost facepalmed. There was no way the bear-like man in front of them would listen to such a thing.
“Hm. May I ask? The reason you propose a forfeit; it doesn’t happen to be that you think I would lose to this man, does it?”
To Jae’s surprise, rather than outright laughing at what many would think a ridiculous statement, the First Division Captain of the Seronian Royal Knight Order before them, Janlar Kench, sported an amused expression.
“How interesting. Now, where does such confidence stem from, I wonder?”
No one said a word after that, but it was clear from the atmosphere what was about to go down.
Going off of raw status values, Jae judged Janlar to be far stronger than any of his former classmates. Still, he was nowhere close to the level of Reon Midas.
Well, that makes sense. The Devil blood that runs through that guy’s veins is insane; I’ve yet to see anyone with a Level cap as high as his since coming to this city. The only exception to that was Chris, who didn’t seem to have a limit, but that’s most likely thanks to his ‘Hero’ Class.
In any case, with Janlar barely even reaching Level 80, there was nothing for Jae to worry about in the slightest. Whether the knight captain realised that or not, he unsheathed his abnormally large greatsword.
Hm...?
Seeing another person use that big of a weapon for the first time, an idea sprouted. Thinking of it as an opportunity, Jae stretched his hand out, and something white began to emerge from empty space.
“Hohoh... Spatial magic. How rare. And you are a user of my favourite weapon type, too. A shame.”
Raising a brow, Jae repeated. “A shame?”
“Indeed. ‘Tis a shame. For I have yet to face a man more capable of wielding these beasts than myself.”
“Really? Then, maybe you can teach me a thing or two.”
“Amusing. However, it certainly appears an interesting partner. May I inquire as to its origin before we duel?”
Certainly, Jae’s greatsword could barely be called a sword. Its shape was nothing like any weapon the knight captain had ever seen, and neither was the craftsmanship or material something he recognised.
“It’s a tooth.”
That was all the answer Jae gave before he pointed the weapon in front of him.
Nonetheless, or perhaps because it was such a curt response, Janlar was even more agitated.
“Really, how interesting indeed...”
After all, never had he heard of a creature bearing teeth larger than a man.
“Intruder.”
“...?”
In an instant, Janlar’s Fighting Spirit exploded from his body.
“Prepare yourself.”
Power Burst.
Just as Jae wondered how long the knight captain was going to stall for, he moved. Leaving a crater in the ground where he just stood, Janlar jumped towards Jae.
Hey, he’s pretty fast for his stature, isn’t he?
Of course, whilst rousing his own aura to equalise the difference, it was nothing Jae couldn’t react to at his leisure; side-stepping only slightly, he evaded the overhead assault, letting Janlar slam his sword into the palace floor.
Bang-!
Immediately after, Jae countered; swinging the tooth horizontally at the knight captain’s vulnerable body, the latter swiftly twisted his body behind the sword sticking out of the ground to block the counter.
Thud-!!
Witnessing the knight captain’s trunk-like greatsword not bend nor budge to his blow, Jae’s eyes widened.
If it can withstand a direct hit from a dragon’s tooth that should be able to crush anything... What’s that thing made of?
Not only that, but Janlar’s power itself was inhuman―at the very least, despite being just over half Jae's Level, his Strength must have been not far off equal.
Well... It’s not enough.
The opponent’s weapon and strength were indeed impressive, but that was all.
Preparing himself for another incoming swing, Jae took a step back. Then, Janlar came at him once again, this time with a horizontal sweep.
The scope of the attack was too wide; all he could do was plant the tooth firmly into the ground and block.
Thud-!!
An ear-splitting, blunt noise resounded, like whacking a great oak with a thick tree branch.
Immediately after the successful block, which left the knight captain in a bad position, Jae countered with a forward shoulder bash, knocking the recovering former to the ground and following up with a vertical slam.
Slam-!
Janlar, quick-witted, rolled to the side. Having easily dodged, he was in a position to counter Jae, who was unsteady in recovering swiftly, and he did so with another horizontal attack.
Like before, however, Jae managed to move the tooth between the two of them to defend.
Thud-!!
The duel between Jae and the knight captain continued for a while like so.
Of course, it was only such a stalemate because the two were relatively equal under the current conditions.
Whilst Janlar’s raw battle experience and Greatsword Mastery far exceeded Jae’s, the latter’s physical status values were indeed slightly higher. Furthermore, his weapon quality was higher, and the level of his Fighting Spirit and Power Burst were not inferior to the knight captain’s, though his expertise in utilising them was certainly green.
Most of all, Jae refrained from using any magic or any of his other skills that would make the fight unfair.
What he seeked to gain out of this was an increase in his own skill, his technique.
And, throughout this fight, that is most definitely what he acquired.
Jae realised, he learned, and gradually began to understand.
A greatsword was not a weapon where multiple consecutive hits were what secured a victory.
Rather, singular, powerful strikes were all you could attempt; if one didn’t land, or if it were somehow blocked or deflected, you had no choice but to go on the temporary defensive and wait for your next turn.
It was not a weapon only used for its attractive attack power, but also for protection and even utility.
It was not something you could use just to be mindlessly aggressive if you wanted to win.
That’s why, those who knew the greatsword well would be hard-pressed to call it a weapon at all, but rather a fighting style.
It was a fighting style of timing. Of patience. Of rhythm.
Your turn. Now mine. Then yours again.
Trading blows, blocking, dodging, moving into position, changing stance, whatever.
It didn’t matter what the opponent did, because the person with the greatsword only had four steps to follow. Steps that, as long as they were followed dutifully, no opponent within reasonable metrics could defeat.
Attack.
Observe.
Defend.
Retaliate.
The greatsword was the heaviest of weapons, and thus consumed the greatest amount of stamina to wield.
On the one hand, an inexperienced wielder would use up all their strength in one attack and wind up out of breath.
On the other hand, blocking even a single blow from one of these titans would leave the defender in a terribly weakened state.
Of course, things only worked this way in this fantasy world where humans were not bound by earthly constraints, but that was exactly why Jae had to learn how these things worked.
With a greatsword, all you needed to do, really, was hit the opponent very hard.
‘Attack’.
It didn’t matter if they blocked or defended, because even a single hit would drain considerable stamina from the enemy.
In general, people who didn’t use greatswords had worse stamina than those who did.
For that reason, the trade wasn’t equal, and it would be a net gain even if they managed to block.
After that, you watch for the opponent’s move. You aren’t going to be able to hit someone twice in a row with a greatsword, so it isn’t worth wasting the tremendous energy you would spend to try.
‘Observe’.
How much damage did the opponent sustain? How much are they struggling? Their recovery rate? Questions like these will tell you everything you need to know about your opponent in order to defeat them.
Because, when it comes to using a greatsword, ‘defeating the opponent’ is not necessarily the same as ‘slaying them with a sword’.
Once an opponent runs out of stamina, they automatically lose.
That leads into the next step; protecting yourself against the opponent's incoming move.
‘Defend’.
If you have trained even a little bit, and if your weapon quality is roughly equal to the opponents, you should never lose from taking a single hit when wielding a greatsword.
If you have completed the previous step, you would know what attack is coming if it’s anything ordinary, and if you are good, you should be able to block any ordinary strike with the greatsword itself, preventing any significant amount of damage.
A greatsword is not just a sword, but a shield too.
Hitting a greatsword with a normal weapon is not something healthy for the attacking weapon, of course, and in some cases it can heavily tank the attacker's durability. Other than that, the denseness of the greatsword will send a dull shock through the attacker’s arm, bones and body that can even deal some recoil damage.
After successfully defending against the weak attack of the normal weapon, the final step is to move quickly, before the enemy can recover after hitting your greatsword, and send them straight to the afterlife.
‘Retaliate’.
Of course, if they defend against the counter like they did the initial attack, all you have to do is repeat the process―because, again, defending against an attack is not the same as preventing damage when it comes to fighting a greatsword.
Four easily explainable steps.
Attack.
Observe.
Defend.
Retaliate.
The moment Jae realised this simple pattern, something extraordinary happened.
Skill 「Greatsword Mastery」 has levelled up [Lv.4]→[Lv.5]
Thud.
Skill 「Greatsword Mastery」 has levelled up [Lv.5]→[Lv.6]
Slam.
Skill 「Greatsword Mastery」 has levelled up [Lv.6]→[Lv.7]
Thud.
Skill 「Greatsword Mastery」 has levelled up [Lv.7]→[Lv.8]
Slam.
Of course, it didn’t just end there.
Thud.
Slam.
Thud.
Slam.
Thud.
Slam.
After an extended back and forth, endless amounts of thudding and slamming filling up and echoing throughout the empty palace halls, Jae finally realised there was nothing more to gain from single-mindedly trading useless strikes and blows like this.
Level 8 Exhaustion Resistance made it difficult to gasp for air even after all of this, but Jae certainly felt his breathing beginning to roughen up. He never once put a Distributable Point into Endurance, too, so he only had his natural points from levelling up to thank for lasting this long.
Well, I got what I wanted. It’s getting tiring, so let’s just end this.
‘Wrath.’
Fwooooarr...!!
Not expecting the sudden outburst of flames, the knight captain could only hurriedly defend himself by raising his sword. In that brief time where his entire world was filled with a blinding inferno, Jae activated Sloth and vanished down the palace hall.
“Ugh, jeez. That was rough... I guess I should’ve expected he was a mage who could cast other kinds of magic too, after that earlier display...”
Clutching the parts of his body scorched by the fire that felt abnormally hot on his insides, Janlar gazed at the spot in which Jae stood just a few seconds prior.
“But, hah, wow... I’ve never seen a mage with such talent for the greatsword before.”
Or anyone at all, for that matter. Really, he learned and adapted so quickly I would’ve thought him a prodigy.
Needless to say, the knight captain was not aware that Jae’s rapid improvement was only possible thanks to a combination of the Otherworlder Title significantly increasing his growth rate, and his status as an Undead removing his mortal limitations.
“It’ll be tough, but well... I’ve bought you more than enough time to prepare.”
Now alone in the long, ruined hallway, he prayed for the success of his colleagues guarding the king’s private chambers. No matter what, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Good luck, and stay strong...
Because a monster was on its way.