[14th Everdusk 2103], CGA Branch, Dyna Crest Country – Test Dungeon
"Kid, aren't you thinking too much right now?"
A voice echoed behind me, making me flinch instinctively. I recognized it instantly. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget that voice—even after leaving the dungeon.
As I turned around, my eyes widened to the point of nearly popping out of their sockets.
"What the heeeelll~~~~~~~!"
Standing in front of me was someone who looked eerily similar to the dungeon boss—except... human.
His armor, his sword—everything was identical to the skeletal knight whose body lay cold and lifeless on the ground. Without hesitation, I grabbed my sword from beside me and prepared for a battle that hadn't even started yet.
"Whoa there! Easy, kid!" He raised his hands, a smirk forming on his face. "I'm not here to fight. If I wanted to kill you, I could've done it like this."
He raised his transparent sword—now glowing with pure Wind energy. Even from a distance, I could feel the pressure from it. My instincts screamed at me: one touch from that thing, and I'm dead.
He slashed.
A gleaming arc of wind shot toward the mountain above us—and in the very next second, the entire mountain summit was gone. No debris. No dust. Just... erased from existence.
My jaw hung open as my eyeballs nearly followed the mountain into oblivion.
I knew immediately—I couldn't win against him. Not now. Not even close.
Trying to stall, I glanced around, hoping for the familiar system message that marked dungeon completion. Nothing appeared.
"Still waiting for the dungeon-clear notification, huh?" he asked, casually dragging his sword along the ground. "Don't bother. It won't appear unless I let it."
Only now did I get a clear look at him.
The cave's ceiling had been blasted away, allowing sunlight to pour down. And with that light came the truth: he wasn't alive. The man standing before me was transparent—his body glowing faintly.
A soul.
The skeletal corpse behind him remained unmoving. This guy… he was the lingering will of the boss I'd just defeated.
"Listen, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. I only came to speak." His tone was calm, but I didn't answer. I kept a poker face, pretending I couldn't see him.
"Hmm. Maybe I really do need to kill you," he said, raising his ethereal blade.
"W-Wait! I'm listening! Don't attack!" I shouted, stepping back.
He chuckled. "Good. Like I said, I won't harm you. I can't. I'm just a soul now. But before I disappear, I want to tell you something... and maybe offer a little apology gift for what I did back there."
Gift?
My mood perked up slightly. "What kind of gift? C'mon, hand it over."
He raised a brow. "Impatient, aren't we? I will give you the gift... after you promise to help me."
"...Help you?" My curiosity was officially piqued. "What kind of help?"
He gave a slow nod and began his tale.
"I was once a knight who served the Baron of an Empire. Twelve years of loyalty. I was proud... until everything fell apart.
One day, as we were returning from a visit to the viscount's estate, an evil god worshipper ambushed us. He claimed to be a successor of divine power. Our guards fell one by one. I was the last one standing, defending my lord.
Then... he used dark arts. My fallen comrades rose again—mindless puppets under his control. They slaughtered our lord's wife and son. My lord and I fought to the end, trying to save his daughter, but... it was hopeless.
The bastard used the girl to force our surrender. And then, he murdered my lord and raised him too. He wanted the daughter for her 'special constitution'—something that would grant him favor from his god.
I escaped with her, barely alive. But cursed energy remained within us. He sent countless minions to hunt us down. Eventually, I was mortally wounded and had to hide in this cave. I died here, forgotten."
He finished with a sigh, expecting tears or sympathy.
Instead, I gave him a blank stare.
"...So, what do you want me to do exactly?" I asked. "No offense, but I'm a Tier 0 weakling. You were way stronger and still failed. Also, I'm not even from your world. I won't jump into a death mission without a real reason."
"I-I can give you treasure!" he said, panic rising in his voice.
"And how? You're dead. Plus, we're locked in this dungeon. Can't leave unless the system allows it." I crossed my arms.
"B-B-But..."
"Huh? What?"
"...Then I won't let you leave this dungeon ever!" he suddenly shouted, like a moody child throwing a tantrum.
"You what?"
"You heard me. This place won't collapse until I fade completely. You beat my ego form, but unless my soul disappears... you're stuck here."
"...So I don't have a choice?"
He grinned like a kid who got his way. I sighed.
"Fine. I'll help you. But I'm not going to search the world for this guy. Give me something to help me find him—or better, teleport to him."
"Of course! I was going to give you that anyway!" he said cheerfully, then waved his hand.
A faint glimmer appeared in the air. An old, cracked ring floated toward me.
[Item Acquired: Broken Ring of Loyalty]
Type: N/A
Grade: N/A
Requirement: Tier 2 (Low)
Attributes:
+15% Wind Element Damage (Several other effects have been lost due to damage.)
Description:
The personal ring of a loyal knight. It houses a lingering trace of his soul and contains a cursed coordinate-binding ability. Once Evan reaches Tier 2, it can be used to locate the evil being who ended the knight's life.
Non-tradable. Bound to Evan. If touched by another, the ring will shatter permanently.
I examined the ring briefly before placing it into my inventory.
"Alright, deal's a deal. I'll help you. Now—gift?"
He nodded, extending his flickering hand. I reached out.
As our hands touched, a strange surge of energy jolted through my body. Sparks of unfamiliar power coursed through my veins, and system notifications began to flood my vision.
The knight smiled faintly, his form beginning to fade.
"I hope you like my gift. And please... avenge me, warrior who bested my ego."
With those final words, his soul scattered like dust in the wind.
I stood there in silence, watching the last remnants of his will disappear.
"...Yeah. I'll make it count. I won't let your sacrifice go to waste."
Turning back to the boss's body, I walked forward.
After all, I still had to claim my loot... and maybe get double rewards from this unexpected bonus.
Because I'm generous like that.
Or maybe just the King of Greedy People.
– To be continued –