After some probing, the old man eventually gave in and went on to explain how roughly two or three lifetimes before he became Kevin Karstark, due to the commotion he caused back then, he was approached by a man who harbored doubt about his identity as an Authority-wielder. While he was Valerian’s first encounter with a fellow reincarnate, he wasn’t the first for the man. Even without direct means to locate authorities, he already knew what to look for to locate one.
“He was a strange man,” he said. “While we were both reincarnate, there was very little I can think of that we had in common. He was one of those reincarnates that were born far later than the others, but even back then he was born roughly two lifetimes before the 'myself' from back then was even born, meaning that he was at least a hundred years old by the time we met, but since he had the longevity skill, he looked much much younger than he truly was.”
“Anyway, as I said, he didn’t try to kill me. But he was actively looking for all reincarnate like us. Before me, he’d already met two others, but their encounters ended on a more hostile note.”0
_____________________________
Echo-13: Hostile note?
_____________________________
“Yes,” she nodded before not even elaborating on it. “I wasn’t sure how… he was much younger than I was back then, but he seemed very familiar with what happened to us. He had a word for it. He called what happened to us, Issekai.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: I-sekai? E-sekai?
_____________________________
“Yes. He told me that in his past life he’d often seen scenarios similar to what happened to us in… I’m not sure what words he used to call it, but he described it as a popular form of entertainment.”
A popular form of entertainment?
Right now hearing that, the only thing I could think of right now was movies or perhaps video games. I was never really a fantasy-movie guy and was even less into video games, but I did play some of them on my phone. While I never played games that could be similar to our current situation, I knew that some video games—online video games, along with books, movies, and much more featured elements of this world—elements that I quickly became familiar with. Elves, dwarves, and some other races were one of these—those were things I’ve already heard about in my old world. How they correlated to this one, I didn’t know, but I knew for a fact that there was some link between them.
“He said that Issekai is when someone from one world is taken to another by either a deity or some higher power. He said that it’s often for the purpose of saving the new world they arrive in.”
Saving the new world they arrive in, huh? For some reason, I was very skeptical about that one.
“Are you familiar with it?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: No.
_____________________________
—I honestly replied. But that thing, being taken to another world to save a world, he described that E-sekai sounded awfully like what a fantasy hero’s journey would be like. It really sounded like the plot for a game or a movie.
“I see,” he replied. “I guess it wasn’t just me alone. Back then, from the way he voiced it out to me, it sounded like there was something very wrong about not knowing about it.”
What was with that dude? Was he a nerd or something?
"Anyway, the reason he was looking for other reincarnates—the reason he sought me out was that he wanted me to hand over my authority to him."
Huh?
Hand the authority out? Didn’t you just say that he didn’t even try?
Perhaps sensing my confusion, the old man said, “I guess I have to explain that as well,” heaving a sigh, before explaining what happened in even deeper detail.
It seemed that, in the relatively short time since his reincarnation, the man who approached the back-then-not-yet-Kevin Karstark had successfully established a connection with several prominent figures of this world. Through this association, he uncovered not so much a secret but rather a forgotten truth about this world, its creators, and, most notably, the entity predating even the creation of this world against which the former found themselves in conflict. Known under the mighty title of Outer God of Corruption, it was an entity all of us reincarnates had most likely at least heard of.
For reasons unknown, the creators were in conflict with the Outer God of Corruption, a title Mighty K.R.U.L once mentioned the Goddess A42675, which is the entity “He” was created to serve. And while the reason was unknown, a battle was fought between those creators and the Outer God of Corruption—a battle that is said to have lasted eons—a battle that is said to have had for its final outcome the death of most creators in an attempt to seal off the Outer God of Corruption. For that was the only thing they were able to do, unable to take her down, all they were able to do was seal her in a way she can use her corrupting influence onto anything.
The existence of the current plane of existence is a direct result of that very battle, with all the various and different races being created to adapt themselves to the remnants of the creators but also the remaining corruption left behind by the Goddess’s presence and power, which can still be felt to this very day, and will most likely continue to be part of this world to the very end of time—or the day the Outer God of Corruption breaks free of her seal and takes back what’s hers.
“What he thinks—I mean what he and the powerful individual he allied himself with believe—no, they were more certain than just believing, is that the day of the Outer God of Corruption is the day that’ll be the end of this plane of existence along with everything living in it.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but internally frown. I didn’t like where it was going. I wanted to ask something right, but seeing that he was about to continue his explanation, I refrained from doing so.
“He believed that the reason Lord K.R.U.L saved us from that place is so that we unseal the Outer God of Corruption's seal or, at the very least, work toward it.”
From his initial explanation about the Goddess’s sealing, I could’ve figured something like that.
“He seemed very sure that the authorities Lord K.R.U.L granted us and wanted us all to act upon are the ultimate catalyst toward that unshackling of the Goddess from her seal.”
As I listened to his explanation, I, who more or less already figured it out, couldn’t help but sigh. Internally, since that fellow reincarnate seemed to have thrived so well on his own, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt; innocent until proven guilty, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, it turned out that after proper ruling he was truly guilty.
_____________________________
Echo-13: So that’s what he wanted your Authority for? So that it won’t be used toward that goal of freeing the Goddess from her seal?
_____________________________
The old man stared at Dungeon Master 07’s guardian as if trying to decipher my emotion, then nodded.
Sigh. So that’s how it was. We got ourselves traitors already. Isn’t this too early for shit like that to be pulled off.
Ruminating over that new piece of information, I couldn’t help but feel annoyance, if not outright irritation, swelling up into something else in my metaphorical heart.
While I only just now got confirmation of what’s most likely the reason for which we were brought to this world, it already took a very important place in my heart—after all, how couldn’t it, if helping A42675, the Outer God of Corruption, is the reason for which Mighty K.R.U.L saved me from that place, then unsealing A42675 would be what I would dedicate every second of my existence to. The idea that one of us—one that knew exactly what was expected of us and yet decided to go against Mighty K.R.U.L was a concept that simply eluded me—and to add to it, the more I thought about it the more it pissed me off.
“What’s the silence for?” the man asked, noting the silence I sank in ruminating over the information he just served. “Are you angry?” he eventually ventured; the way we communicated through Dungeon Master 07’s guardian was done in a way that due to its voiceless or expressionless nature, allowed countless interpretations for emotion, so it was natural for him to ask.
_____________________________
Echo-13: Angry, no. Disappointed, yes. I expected more from a fellow reincarnate.
_____________________________
Having heard that one of my fellow reincarnatees did great out there in this new and strange world, I felt something similar to pride. But now you’re telling me that the same fellow turned his back on what made us fellow in the first place, disappointed me.
I didn’t know him personally, but I certainly felt, to a certain extent, like I’ve been betrayed by someone I trusted.
What’s wrong with these people? Did they forget about that place? Did they forget what Mighty K.R.U.L saved them from, a fate of eternal torment? Did they forget? If yes, then how? If no, then just how ungrateful do they have to be? Actually, never mind what I just said; I’m not just disappointed, I’m angry and disappointed.
“I see…” he mumbled in response to my answer. “I guess this is to be expected coming from someone like you.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: And you?
_____________________________
I asked, in spite of feeling that he, and especially he, had also begun veering off from the right path.
“Me?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: Weren’t you also disappointed?
_____________________________
He remained silent for a moment, then replied, “I guess I was but…”
_____________________________
Echo-13: But?
_____________________________
“But I guess I can understand the desire to see this world not be destroyed.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: This isn’t your world. We are here for a purpose, and if destroying this world is a direct consequence of that purpose, then so be it.
_____________________________
“...”
_____________________________
Echo-13: Did you forget? Did you forget that place—that searing light burning into your soul? You might have forgotten what Mighty K.R.U.L did for you, but I have not.
_____________________________
“Neither have we.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: Then how else would you describe this other than ingratitude?
_____________________________
“We’re grateful, but we—Erm, I am grateful, and so is he, but anyone—anyone sane would be hesitating toward a task that we understand will bring about the end of the world; you’re obviously, not that you would qualify as sane.”
Hm?
“I doubt you can understand that but, out there, there’s people living, breathing, full of life; you earlier said that this isn’t our world, you’re right, this isn’t, and most likely never will be, but there is nothing different between this world and the one we left behind at our death.”
As I listened to the monologue that I guess should’ve turned me to a new leaf, I came to realize something.
These bastards, don’t tell me it’s that?
_____________________________
Echo-13: Is the reason that traitor turned his back to Mighty K.R.U.L and the Goddess, a woman?
_____________________________
—I asked apprehensively.
He didn’t even need to answer; the look of surprise on his face told me plenty enough.
What’s wrong with these guys?
At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder why Mighty K.R.U.L decided to give these two lads an authority; it was simply beyond me. But since I didn’t want to step into blasphemy territory, I decided to steer away from these thoughts. But even so, I couldn’t help but wonder, “heck, is hell filled with easily smitten kittens? Or is it being sent to hell that leads them to be like that? It could be? Then does that mean that the other as well?
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
No, that can’t be true. I can’t generalize. He did say that he ended his discussion with the other with hostility, surely because they refused to betray what they were brought into this world for. It’s that, it has to be that. These two are the only two deviants—and if there are others, I doubt there would be more than two or three; I’m sure they’d be taken care of by the others. I wish I could do that myself, but I’m a dungeon, I can’t move, I can’t influence anything beyond the bounds of my domain, but even if, in truth, I could influence beyond my control around my domain. Right now, as a Dungeon Core, the only thing I could do was hope that that traitor along with his co-conspirator ventures into my domain—they'll do what I know I was brought to this world for—make sure my domain becomes my invaders' burial ground. But I was realistic enough to know that the likelihood of that happening, just like that, was very close to none. Even so, considering that the likelihood was absolutely none, there was something I could at least do.
_____________________________
Echo-13: Tell me about his authority? What does it do?
_____________________________
Staring at Dungeon Master’s Guardian, the old man asked, “Why do you ask? What do you plan on doing?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: What I might have to do.
_____________________________
“You plan on killing him.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: If I get the opportunity to.
_____________________________
—I boldly declared without hiding my intent. I didn’t feel like there was any reason for me to conceal the truth.
Sitting on his chair, he stared blankly at Dungeon Master 07’s Sentient Echo, then said, with a strange smirk on his face, “You do realize that instead of letting you know what his authority is, I could just *poof*, reincarnate into a new body out there, find him and share with him what you are and what you want to do. Sure, it will take me some years to grow up to an adequate age and even more time to find him, but eventually I will. You do realize that, don't you?” He grinned like a madman, standing from his makeshift chair, as if he had cornered me to a perfect pre-checkmate corner.
_____________________________
Echo-13: I do. But do you think that he and you together are strong enough to defeat me?
_____________________________
—I ventured, trying to probe into how strong he gauged the other party would be. From the momentary hesitation he displayed, he seemed not too confident. Getting more confident, I stepped forward to add,
_____________________________
Echo-13: You might think together you would be, but there’s something that I would like to bring to your attention, something that you obviously didn’t realize.
_____________________________
“What?” He asked, apprehensive.
_____________________________
Echo-13: Fifteen times, you’ve invaded. Fourteen times, you’ve died at our spawns' very hands. What do you think is different about this fifteenth time compared to all the others?
_____________________________
“The fact that I’m still alive?” he ventured with an unsure and apprehensive frown. Then, most likely understanding where I’m getting at, his eyes widened, “You talked to me? You never did that before… You knew I would be back, so you prepared yourselves for our next encounter.”
____________________________
Echo-13: Yes, I did. But do you think what I would’ve done was just prepare myself to talk to you? Because to tell you the truth I didn’t expect this conversation to last beyond five exchanged sentences.
_____________________________
"So, what you’re trying to tell me is that you’ve found a way to defeat me?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: No, I haven’t, or at the very least, not exactly. I’ve been invaded enough times to know that I —can’t defeat you—have gone through enough of the same charade to know that each time I kill you, you’ll just come back. I realized that I won’t be able to kill you, that I won’t get that authority from you, that I simply can’t defeat you. I have accepted that, but as I did, I came to realize that while I couldn’t defeat you, I could simply make sure you won’t be a problem anymore. Sure, it’ll cost me acquiring your authority, but it’s fine since it’ll remove you from the equation in a way that you won’t ever be a problem.
_____________________________
I was hoping to, to some extent, shake him to the core, ready to act should he come to act rash, sealing him the moment he would. But at that moment, he simply stared silently, a blank expression on his face.
_____________________________
Echo-13: What do you think? Do you want to take a guess at what it is, or are you thinking I’m bluffing?
_____________________________
Once again, I was met with nothing but a silence that felt long even for me, an apparently millennial-old Dungeon Core. Eventually, he decided to break the silence.
“You enjoy torturing people, don’t you?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: I don’t think I do.
_____________________________
“Then don’t think,” he said, sinking back into his chair. “You do. And you really enjoy it.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: Is that so?
_____________________________
But what about my answer, though?
“It is. Now then,” he sighed again, “I think I’ve got to know you enough to know that this isn’t a bluff, unless it is. But I really think it is the former, so what will it be? What is it that you thought about? Illusion? Petrification? Or outright time-manipulation.”
Him casually guessing what I came up with took me by surprise, but then as I thought about it, I realized that having a power like his, he most likely also went over what could potentially be its greatest nemesis—those being what he just named.
“Or is it something else entirely? You know what? I don’t even want to know anymore,” then he proceeded to, reaching for his face with both hands, groan, as if to muffle a scream, before, as he finally calmed down, “I’m so tired, tell me, Hassan—” he asked, using my old name for the first time.
_____________________________
Echo-13: Hassan is dead. I am not Hassan.
_____________________________
—I immediately corrected. As to why I corrected that, I just felt like that name was no longer something for me to be called by.
“Then what name do I call you?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: I have no name.
_____________________________
—I said, for it was the truth. It’s been since I became a Dungeon Core, and while I could’ve always adopted one I’ve always left the section of the interface representing my name empty. Why? For the simple reason that I believed that since it changed, then it meant that I was no longer Hassan. But also, since it was changed, left empty by Mighty K.R.U.L who brought me upon this world, it meant that it was important—at least for me, that I find the right one to put there, and so far, I’ve yet to feel like anything was right enough for me to put there.
Also, one other reason I haven’t taken a proper name is the existence of the other Dungeon Masters. If I were to pick a name, they would jump onto it, voicing out all the suppressed opinions I would have over that name—because I know I will, and hell, this is going to be a mess. That's why I decided that until the day I find a name for which none of us will voice an objection, I would go as I currently do, nameless.
“Tsk, if you have no name, then why are you complaining?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: …
_____________________________
"Could you at least reply when I'm talking? Sigh. Anyway... Say, Entity behind the Voidborne Catacomb Dungeon, answer me this seriously: there really is no way for me to defeat you, is there?"
_____________________________
Echo-13: Do I even have to answer this? Stand up.
_____________________________
—I said, and as he obeyed with a confused look on his face, I had the Dungeon Masters manifest their guardians and domains one after another, each one of us manifested theirs except Dungeon Master 06, 07, and I. Once we were in that display that spanned over barely 10 seconds, the Domain reverted back to Dungeon Master 07’s.
Standing there with an agape expression, the man wanted to sit back into his chair only to notice it gone, so he said, “If you feel like you didn’t even have to answer my question, then you should’ve also felt like you didn’t even need to show me… You really enjoy tormenting people, don’t you?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: Perhaps.
_____________________________
“Say, entity behind the Dungeon, why wouldn’t you let me go?”
Let you go?!
_____________________________
Echo-13: Why would I do that?
_____________________________
“I don’t know, because of mercy perhaps? Mph, but I know that you don’t do that, so why not doing that in exchange for my &%$#@.”
Huh?
_____________________________
Echo-13: What?
_____________________________
“I said, why not exchange my life for &%$#@ or authority as you call it.”
_____________________________
Echo-13: I heard that part. What I meant is what do you mean by that?
_____________________________
“I guess you really didn’t know; though since you’re not human, I’m not sure how this is going to work,” At that moment, he looked at his hand and since, “It was him who told me about me about this; as strange as this is, authorities while being shards of Lord K.R.U.L other than being taken from the dead body of its wielder could be acquired by just having its current wielder give it away.”
Right there and then, as he explained it, a notification came to me. Before us stood, ready for harvest, the authority we killed the old man 15 times—the ever-elusive Greed and Resurgence authority.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Greed and Resurgence
Harvest [0.4 GP]
『Expand』
Harvest All Now [0.4 GP]
Harvest Later [0.4 GP]
_____________________________
I looked in confusion at the old man having his hand held onto Dungeon Master 07’s guardian. My confusion wasn’t in the regard of how, after all, I knew or at least understood how it happened.
While before today I’ve always assumed the only way one was to acquire an authority was the way I did it thus far, “the hard way,” as he mentioned the detail about the man not having killed or even tried, and the detail of him wanting the old man to nonetheless hand over his authority, I understood that there were other ways than that “hard way” I was so familiar with. So, my confusion wasn’t in the regard of how; instead, it was in the regard of—
_____________________________
Echo-13: Why?
_____________________________
“Why? You won’t take it?” He asked, as if in an attempt to reverse psychology me, dare me to take it. For a moment, I considered the possibility that this was a trap in one way or another—there was only one I could think of, but considering the authority in my possession, I wasn’t too scared. What I was wary of was that the trap was in some other unexpected form. For a moment, I ruminated over this, but then as I thought about the past hundred years I’ve spent trying to acquire that damn authority, I thought to myself, screw this if this is a trap or not I’m taking this. With a single mental command, Greed and Resurgence was finally mine.
“So you wanted it, after all,” he smiled bitterly, before stretching his back, “so this is what it feels to be authority-less, I feel so light.” Still confused about his motive, I went ahead and asked again,
_____________________________
Echo-13: Why? Why did you do that?
_____________________________
“What did I do that, huh? Good question, as for the answer to that,” he paused as if to find the right answer, “I guess I was just tired. Do you still remember what it feels like to be tired? I’ve lived for so long, died too many times, always coming back and, in the process, snuff everything away from little soul that had yet to do anything to deserved what happened to them, can you imagine how tiring that sight is—being cradled by a woman firmly believing that you’re his son while truth you’re just some random old man trying to avenge friends and lover of a past life whose faces are starting to get blurry in his own memories, can you imagine that?”
Is that a rhetorical question or?
Before I voiced out my answer, he continued. “It is tiring. And to be frank with you, I don’t feel like continuing anymore. Holding onto that authority means that I would have to keep moving forward, which eventually will take me back to the same place I’ve once already stood at.”
I stared, listening, trying to understand but as I stared at him silently, after roughly one or perhaps ten minutes of silence, I guess he was expecting some sort of feedback from me, and to be honest I really didn’t know what to tell him.
“You don’t get it at all, do you? Mph? I guess I can’t even blame you. So let me put it in a word you can understand, that which I gave you is my single and last contribution to our cause as reincarnates; anything from here on out, I’m no longer part of.”
For a moment I was at a loss for words as to what to say, so I asked,
_____________________________
Echo-13: What will become of you?
_____________________________
He looked surprised. “What will become of me? As in you not killing me but instead allow me to leave this place?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: I never said that.
_____________________________
We’re definitely not sparing him, right, guys?
Guys?
We’re killing him, right?
I mean, he could the moment he leaves our domain head straight for the enemy, warns them, allowing them to be prepared to come after us.
We definitely should kill him here and now.
Yes, you guys are right, we should, but at the same time…
_____________________________
Echo-13: I never said that, but assuming I did, what would be your answer?
_____________________________
He paused as if to think about it over, “I guess I’ll be out there living the years I have left to live. It might not look like it, but I feel like I might live at least 10 more years with this body; I might as well not waste those ten years. I’ll buy a farm, raise sheep or something. What do you think, that prospect for the future of mine should allow me to leave this place in one piece, right?”
Guys, what do we do?
A deliberating silence settled into the room as I considered what to do with the old man. It took me a while, but eventually, I came up with a decision.
_____________________________
Echo-13: No.
_____________________________
“No?” At that moment, his expression shifted onto one that I’ve seen him fourteen times before being annihilated by the other Dungeon Masters’ guardians, “If you want to do it, then do it fast; I don’t think I feel like being tortured today.”
Watching as he drew his sword, ready to make a last stand, I intervened.
_____________________________
Echo-13: No, that was not enough reason; you haven’t yet answered my question as to what his authority is.
_____________________________
It took him a while to understand, but eventually he did. Putting his blade down, he said, “He never told me about his authority’s name; I just know that his authority is rather potent since he told me that it was his own authority that allowed him to understand that authorities were a vessel for the destruction of this world.”
That’s vague.
Very vague.
“That’s everything I know about his authority.”
But I guess it’s at least better than just nothing.
“His name—his old name, I believe it was a weird name, like the one that used to be yours… Shun Nagumo, as for the name he presently goes by… back then he went by Jason.”
Shun Nagumo.
Jason.
“That is all I know. Is that enough reason for me to leave now?”
To that question, I chose not to answer.
“If you’re not speaking, I’ll take that silence as a yes,” he declared before promptly turning his back, and walking toward the exit, leaving his sword behind. But then a few steps in, he stopped and turned around, asking, “you plan on using Greed and Resurgence, aren’t you?”
_____________________________
Echo-13: What if I am?
_____________________________
“What if you are, huh? Nothing,” he chuckled, “I’m no longer that authority’s wielder; you are. Make sure to use that curse better than I did. Actually, I have the feeling that with how little to no humanity you have in you, you will be the best ever wielder to that authority. However, just take this as advice from a senior, ‘make sure to never ever care for anyone from this world because if you do, you’ll end up like him and I—people that this current version of you looks down upon. But most importantly you’ll be someone miserable.”
Talk about being self-aware.
_____________________________
Echo-13: I’ll never be like you.
_____________________________
“Mmh, if you say so, Entity behind the Voïdborne Catacombs. If you say so.” On these words, he advanced toward the exit. As he did, Dungeon Master 07 gave the control back to Dungeon Master 06. We watched as his back slowly shrank away before disappearing from the hologram-like interface and appearing as a red dot on the map interface, before also disappearing from the latter.