My joy at obtaining the new ability didn't last long. "True Attention" was undoubtedly a splendid and promising bonus. But I needed to stay alive long enough to make full use of it, and that was the tricky part. Especially after I "learned my lesson," that is, I figured out that the first path of obtaining a motto, the path of the request, was closed for me. I was sure that if I hadn't come to this realization, I would have met my end after overcoming all difficulties, managing to somehow escape from Gnur, and getting an audience with a royal person. As soon as I voiced my request, I would have dropped dead with my heart being burned through.

This scene unfolded in all its details in my imagination. I shrugged and shook off these thoughts.

I still had no other way than the first one. Regardless of my wishes, I couldn't reach Opal rank within a month. And no matter how much I desired, I couldn't swim from Gnur to the mainland in the four days left before the start of the tournament. It turned out that the first option was the only one left for me. However, I was going to modify it a bit. There would be no requests or pleadings! I would make a deal. It would contain the same things: knighthood for me, glory for the king from my future feats. But it would be a contract, not a request. Essentially it's the same thing - yes, but formally - no. Formally, I would not violate the "lesson." I understood that this was sophistry and that changing words and formal meanings might not save me from a hole in my chest. I understood - yes, but I had no other choice.

Damn Sidhe bastard! Everything would have been so much easier if Larindel hadn't betrayed me!

By the way, I still don't understand why he did it. All my theories on this matter clash with the elf's character. He just couldn't leave a Story unfinished. More precisely, he could, but only under a severe threat either to his own life or to the "Defector."

Having completed another round of the island, I gathered a dozen crabs hiding in the coastal rocks, fried their meat using a "Discharge," and sat down on a rock, dangling my legs, thinking about the elf's actions. Slowly eating the half-raw, but nonetheless pretty tasty due to my hunger, crab meat, I tried to sort out what had happened.

There could only be two reasons why the "Defector" sailed away from Gnur. First, Larindel was sure that I was dead, and further waiting made no sense. Second, the elf sensed a real threat to his life. So real that he even disregarded the unfinished Story.

Let's consider the first option. After I destroyed the altar of Nulgle, the island was shaken. Undoubtedly, the elf understood what caused the earthquake. In other words, he knew that I had accomplished the task. The question is, I don't know how long I was unconscious. What if it was hours? Suppose, as soon as the earthquake started, Larindel moved the "Defector" away from the shore, but then he would have returned anyway. He probably did just that and then, after waiting for some time, decided that waiting was pointless.

Could it have happened that way? Yes, easily! Moreover, when I showed the elf the Sign of the "Pure Palm of Five Empty Fingers," I didn't reveal to him the bonus it provides. That is, Larindel doesn't know about my immunity to diseases. I intentionally hid this nuance from him so that, when I returned to the ship, the half-blood would be really surprised, and as a result, I would have an excuse to squeeze an additional reward out of him. So it turns out, not knowing about my immunity, the elf, after a few hours, decided that I was dead. But! This logic would have worked with any other captain but not with Larindel. This half-blood would not have taken the ship away until twelve hours had passed since my entry into the dungeon. He would have believed in the Story to the end and would not have left it untold so as not to torment himself with the question for the rest of his life: "What if he survived?"

Another option is that I was simply ditched. Used and dumped to avoid paying the reward. And again, this logic doesn't work with the elf. For him, the Story is more important than any reward. But why? Why did he abandon me then?!!

Another realization flickers in my long-suffering head, and the last uneaten crab flies into the ocean waves.

"Why am I so stupid?!" I shout into the boundless ocean, not hoping for an answer.

This question is rhetorical. I'm shouting because it finally dawned on me why Larindel sailed away. And the one to blame for this departure is not him, but me! Or rather, my greed! Now I clearly understand the reason why the elf left me here.

Firstly, Larindel, seeing two Signs of adamantium achievements, could not dismiss the fact that I claimed I could destroy the "Echo of the True Altar." Since I had already twice managed to do something that was beyond the reach of mere mortals, why wouldn't it work the third time? For this reason, the elf didn't skimp on my equipment. Because the losses he incurs, arriving at the island of Gnur once a month for so many years, are most likely counted in thousands of gold. And for the illusionary, but still, a chance to shrug off this duty, he didn't spare the rare ingredients.

Secondly, this Sidhe bastard knew for sure what curse the one who destroys the altar of the God of Plague would get. Why do I think so? Because the "Defector" is not near the island's shore! Most likely, Larindel assumed that I could somehow resist the disease spread by the corrupted mushrooms. But knowing that the Curse of Nulgle turns any disease into a deadly one, the elf was sure that if I ever left the dungeon, I would be terminally ill. Or rather, a terminally ill potential spreader of the Mithril Plague. Of course, he could have burned me, simply killed me. Yes, he is a Ruby mage, and I am a Bronze warrior. He would not have a problem getting rid of me. But, there is a nuance.

Now killing me is dangerous. Extremely dangerous. I carry within me the Seed of the Plague Apocalypse. Meaning, dying, I will rise as a zombie - a carrier of the Divine Plague. And this is a mithril level. So, dying, I will rise as a unique Mithril Zombie, Blessed by the God of Plague Nulgle. And even a dozen Ruby mages would not stand a chance against such a monster. If such a Mithril Zombie sneezed at the "Defector," everyone on board would immediately sneeze in response and die a few minutes after this, only to soon rise as the undead.

In essence, I am now, one could say, a hidden monster of the World Threat level. On par with mythical dragons, which have not been seen for two thousand years, or the bosses of the Lower Floors.

By the way, could my corpse handle the demons? As far as I can judge, looking at the Sign of the Curse, the level of Power of "me undead" is about on par with the legates of the demonic legions! That's even stronger than "the past me" in his prime. But it's still immeasurably small to handle the Invasion. Demon Princes are two steps higher on the power ladder than legates.

Arien destroyed one of the Five Invasion Armies but didn't cope with such an opponent as a Demon Prince. Nate killed one but died himself. Dice... Well, he's always been the exception, so you can discount him. Whether Katashi won his fight during the Last Battle, I don't know, as I died before the future God of Labor clashed with his opponent.

I'm thinking about the wrong thing. If I survive, the Curse will be lifted a bit earlier than the Invasion begins.

And it still doesn't add up! Even such a risk Larindel would have considered acceptable! He would simply keep the "Defector" a couple of hundred meters away from the shore. And here there are two options. First, if he had seen my death and transformation into a Mithril Zombie, then he would have hoisted all sails and got away as quickly and as far from Gnur as possible. And the main thing in this is that he would have seen the end of my Story.

The second option - in it, I would have come out of the dungeon alive, albeit sick, but alive. Then he would have made a deal with me. I tell the end of the Story, and he listens to it from the board of the "Defector" at a distance of about fifty meters from the shore, not risking inviting me infected on board. And at the end of the story, he would have left a boat. I would have had to go for such a deal.

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Such an act is totally in line with Larindel's character. It fits perfectly into his mad persona. So why didn't he just do that and sail away without waiting for me to emerge from the dungeon, regardless of whether I was alive or dead?

And again, the answer is obvious. Because I can destroy the "Defector," anchored in the raid, even without turning into a Mithril Zombie. Larindel himself gave me this opportunity. The one-time spell "Fire Tornado" of the Itildine circle, recorded on the shell of my Core, is capable of burning the "Defector" to ashes within line of sight. I could simply threaten to destroy his ship if he didn't let me aboard. But this option, as the elf knew the essence of the Curse, was certainly unacceptable to Larindel in the slightest. So it turns out that as soon as the island shook, the half-blood realized that the altar was destroyed and, instantly calculating the situation, hoisted the sails and got as far away as possible.

As for the Story, one's life is more precious.

And the culprit for everything that happened is my own greed!

If I had immediately shown my immunity, Larindel wouldn't have run away anywhere! He would have calmly waited for me and let me onboard, understanding that I was dangerous to him and his ship only in my undead form. And if everything happened just like that, then it seems I'm in much deeper trouble than I thought!

It's good if the elf, now free from his monthly vow to burn Gnur, is currently racing across the ocean towards the West at full sail, forgetting about the Bastarga archipelago as if it were a horrible dream. That would suit me. But what if the half-blood has a conscience? In this case, everything becomes much worse for me. Because if so, the elf is now hurrying to the city of Kyato, the archipelago's capital, where he will tell this whole Story. And the local authorities will be up in arms! They'll scurry around like scalded cats, seeking help and offering any amount of money just to get rid of the Zombie Plague.

If I'm right, a purge crew from some True Order will soon arrive at the island of Gnur. A full dozen Mithril heroes! Likely, the Hand of the Light-bearing Antares. Those guys are total lunatics, as my "past self" remembered. Lunatics and specialists precisely in dealing with Dark Gods and their Echoes. How much time do I have to get off Gnur and avoid getting caught? Ten days at the worst, two weeks at the best.

I sincerely hope that one run through the local dungeon will yield enough wood for me to construct the simplest raft! Otherwise, I'll have to drop everything and try to swim somewhere. I'll have to - because negotiating with the Order of Paladins of Antares is fundamentally impossible. They are non-negotiable when it comes to Darkness. Absolutely. It's a matter of principle! They are lunatics to the core. I "remembered" this. That's why I didn't like Sun City, where the main fortress of the Order of the Light-bearing Antares was located, appearing there very rarely.

Memories from a distant future, which, according to the quester, has already changed, momentarily distracted me from heavy thoughts. Sun City, named in honor of Antares, the God of Light, was the second most populous city in all of Ain, only smaller in size than Deytran, the trading capital of the world. The architecture of the cities of Pentapolis reminded me of Rome at the height of its glory: wide avenues, shady alleys, many fountains, and houses with facades of white marble. Beautiful.

These memories were so vivid that I wanted to see all of this in person rather than digging through the somewhat faded memory slides of "my past self." But to personally see the Five Great Cities of Ain, I first need to get off this uninhabited island. And to do it alive, not as a Mithril Zombie.

This simple thought prompted me to action. Yes, I could not yet build a raft or boat simply because I lacked the necessary resources. But the preparation for the sea journey could be started right now.

The first thing I did was find places in the rocks where rainwater accumulates. Yes, I know that a person can drink seawater for a long time without irreversible harm to health, up to two or three months, but it tastes bad, and its prolonged consumption weakens the body[1]. Therefore, I collected clean water in my travel flask and even in the used vials from healing potions. The supply, of course, was not very large, only enough for a couple of days, but it's better to have this than nothing at all.

Then, I spent half a day hunting for crabs. The hunt itself turned out to be easy, as the shores of Gnur were simply teeming with these creatures. Lift any rock, and you're sure to find one underneath. Perhaps this is because people are afraid to approach this island; they don't hunt in its waters or even fish nearby. After catching about thirty of the larger specimens, I butchered them, separating the tastiest parts, and used the rest as bait. Since there were indeed an enormous number of crabs here, I could afford to choose which part of them I wanted to eat.

Estimating the distance to the mainland and taking into account the current charts I saw in Larindel's cabin, I figured it would take two to three days to reach, assuming I could build a raft and the wind didn't change direction. Today, it was blowing toward the continent. Of course, such forecasts are all as reliable as writing on water.

I don't have the resources for a raft, and even if it was built, it could fall apart at any moment since I'm not a professional shipbuilder. Plus, the weather could turn nasty. A storm could hit when I'm halfway there, and I'd be swept into the open ocean, where I would drift for a month. A month after which a quester would appear and erase me off the face of the world, as there's no one in the open sea to entitle me to a personal motto.

As I was butchering the crabs, I wondered what motto I should choose for myself in this Cycle. I thought for a long time, sorting through dozens and hundreds of famous phrases and sayings. But I couldn't decide on anything. For some unknown reason, the catchphrase from "Darkwing Duck," modified in various ways, seemed funny and meaningful to me even now. I also liked the idea of stealing Dice's future motto and taking it for myself. Why not? It sounds pretty good, and the locals wouldn't understand, so "Hakuna Matata!" would sound very mysterious to them.

Is it such a twist of consciousness, or maybe the conversation with the quester affected me, who knows? However, I have plenty of time to choose a motto. And most importantly, it's completely unclear how I'll receive it and whether I'll be able to escape from Gnur before the Hand of Antares arrives in full force.

Of course, I didn't know what decision Larindel had made. Had he fled from the archipelago, or was he now sailing to Kyato with a report on the destruction of the Nulgle's altar and a story about a potential World Threat level danger? But when you plan something, you have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. So, I accepted the version that the elf had gone to the archipelago's capital city as the primary one.

When Seguna appeared over the horizon, I wondered if I should try to make something like a beacon. I don't have wood for a fire, but if I climb the highest rock on the island and signal from there using "Discharge," it would be visible from afar at night. The only question is whether anyone would approach Gnur, even if they saw my signals. As if the captains, who often sail in these waters, seeing strange flashes on the Cursed Island, wouldn't instead hastily change their route and bypass Gnur on an even larger arc than usual.

Nonetheless, based on the logic of "you won't know until you try," I got into practical rock climbing. For this, I had to take off my chainmail and gambeson and stay in a shirt. As soon as I stripped down, I took a deep breath, and for a moment, it seemed that if I gently pushed off with my toes, I would fly. Of course, this was just a muscular illusion.

Back on Earth, when I was considering giving up gymnastics, I was contemplating various alternatives to pursue next, and one of those options was free climbing. It was a rather extreme activity, and I only engaged in it for a short time, just three months, after which, when I almost fell from the height of a five-story building onto sharp rocks, I decided it wasn't for me. But I acquired some skills.

I used these abilities to climb an almost vertical rock, rising above the rest of the island like a spire - to a height of several tens of meters. I wouldn't dare to climb an unknown "route" in the dark on Earth. But my physical abilities now far exceed even the capabilities of my best form on Earth. Having a Bronze Core is not just more mana and prana, not just new available spells and skills. Each new rank strengthens a person, sharpens their reactions, increases endurance. And now I'm more than one and a half times stronger than I was at the peak of my athletic form, and my reaction has improved by about a third. It was because of these enhancements that I wasn't particularly worried about climbing an unfamiliar rock without safety gear.

I climbed up and realized that Murphy's Law remains valid even on Ain. Because just as I settled at the top, the rain began. Not a swift shower that you could wait out, but an annoying monotonous rain that could pour not only the whole night but several days in a row.

Using "Discharge" in such weather - you have to be a masochist, and anyway, nobody would see it because of the rain. At first, I planned to wait out the bad weather, but after an hour spent on the peak, buffeted by all winds, under continuous rain, I got cold and changed my mind.

Descending from the mountain has always been more difficult for me than climbing it. And here the weather is awful. But, thanks to the Auras of Perception and Enhancement, I managed to reach land without slipping off. Although I have to admit to myself, I was on the verge of tumbling down a couple of times, and I don't know if my "Enhanced Body" would have saved me from the lethal outcomes of such a fall.

Having descended, I put on my armor, found a small crevice with something resembling a natural canopy, tucked myself deeper into it to avoid the rain, and closed my eyes. I thought that in such weather and in armor, I wouldn't be able to sleep, but as soon as I warmed up, I yawned sweetly, curled up, and fell asleep.

[1] TLN: Don't take this as real advice. The author found this fact somewhere, but some readers argued about its credibility in the comments.