READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 121
The Abyssal Canyon of Priapatanam.
A canyon formed entirely of black rocks surrounded like a castle wall, with a labyrinth in its center.
True to the name ‘Abyss,’ an unfathomable abyss stretches endlessly.
The grandeur of its scale vividly resonated with my memories of playing the game.
“Is this your first time? It’s the old man’s lair.”
“Yeah.”
They say the primitive fear of humans is rooted in darkness.
Just looking down made my heart shrink.
A darkness even more vague than the one in my dungeon, a darkness where not even a step ahead could be seen.
For the undead, darkness is a cozy shroud, but mentally, I was still human.
I knew that once I stepped inside, it wouldn’t matter.
The Abyssal 10th Layer consisted of ten layers, as the name suggests.
As I descended the spiraling labyrinth, the darkness thickened; the fact that this was the first layer said it all.
I spotted the raised ground on the corner, where Dragonian guards from the Beastman tribe stood watch.
[Lv. 71]
[Lv. 73]
[Lv. 77]
Not levels one could classify as mere mobs on the first layer.
Indeed, it was fitting for the second-ranked Abyssal 10th Layer.
‘Though I’m ranked seventh for now.’
As Roseha had said, the dungeon remained unchanged.
With the first layer still intact, it was unlikely any significant changes occurred in the deeper levels.
Seeing there were no intruders or any signs of damage, I felt reassured.
The rank fluctuation was evidently due to some incident involving Roxanne.
While I was lost in thought, I felt a soft touch in my hand.
Turning my gaze, I saw Roseha smiling gently while holding my hand.
“You’re a first-timer, right? You might get lost, so hold on tight.”
“…You have no ulterior motives, right?”
Roseha’s hand entwined with mine, and the sensual entanglement stirred a peculiar feeling.
“None?”
“…”
“If I were stronger than you, I’d have knocked you down ages ago. But hey, if you’re fine with it, it could happen anytime and anywhere… you know?”
That was the scariest thing I’d heard in a while.
One, two, three.
Roseha whispered briefly and then jumped down.
Since we were holding hands, my body followed without resistance.
I thought I’d freak out, but surprisingly, it was nothing.
Was this feeling of weightlessness due to training with Briyagon?
Upon landing on the first layer, spears were thrust at us from all directions.
But that only lasted a brief moment. They sheathed their weapons right away, perhaps recognizing us.
In the distance, I saw a large figure approaching.
A colossal frame that seemed to be at least five meters wide sent gusts of wind with each flap of its wings.
[Lv. 87]
The sentinel of the first layer, the gargoyle Balton.
Thud!
As it landed before us, it bowed its waist.
“I greet the Queen of the Night!”
With that, the surrounding guards performed a salute.
Roseha waved her hand dismissively, a look of disdain evident on her face.
“Long time no see, Balton.”
“I apologize for my rudeness. I hadn’t received notice of your visit.”
“I didn’t send word either.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, I could drop by unannounced. We’re that close, aren’t we?”
Suddenly, I recalled the setup of Roseha often visiting as a guest of the Abyssal 10th Layer.
She must have remembered the faces of the sentinels well enough to feel familiar with them.
“How is the old man doing?”
That could be a casual inquiry, but depending on the context, it could be sensitive.
Yet, Balton showed not the slightest hint of change in expression.
“The Lord is doing well without any issues.”
“Really, huh?”
“Yes.”
Even subordinates probably wouldn’t be aware of any rank changes.
Rank is an exclusive domain known only to Lords; it takes time for subordinates to find out.
The heads of the Mausoleum of Faith would still be unaware of rank fluctuations. If it weren’t for Hermit, I wouldn’t have known either.
Especially since Roxanne would undoubtedly keep such a fact hidden out of her pride.
“Is the Death Knight beside you a knightly guard?”
Both Roseha and I were slightly surprised.
Even though it was wielding a holy sword, one could easily deduce it was a Death Knight given that it was with Roseha.
Not a Dullahan, but a Death Knight nonetheless.
Just as I was about to say something, Roseha gestured to stop me.
Her lips curved into a crescent moon-like smile.
“My night friend.”
“…Huh?”
“I mean, the one I embrace, kiss, and do everything with every night; you know what I mean?”
Creeping, the head of Balton turned like a wooden puppet.
His eyes, containing me, trembled unsteadily as if there was an earthquake.
“F-Finally meeting you! Honorable Lord!”
Balton fumbled in a panic and bowed deeply.
Just the keyword “night friend” had revealed my identity.
…I could sense rumors spreading before long.
“See? The moment I say ‘night friend,’ he gets it right away. Everyone thinks of us that way, including me.”
Roseha poked me playfully with her elbow.
She even licked her lips in a sensual manner.
‘This is dizzying.’
***
We descended deeper under Balton’s guidance.
With every layer we passed, the mobs and officers welcomed us with all sorts of hubbub.
Honestly, it was rather overwhelming.
At this point, I understood why Roseha hated superficialities.
From the fifth layer, torches lined the paths and blue flames illuminated the darkness.
Even for an undead like me, seeing better with the surroundings well-lit was easier.
Thanks to that, our descent was much freer.
When we finally reached the eighth layer, however…
[Lv. 92]
A troubling high-level presence approached us from afar.
A Dragonian in a tuxedo.
There was only one Dragonian at level 92 in the Abyssal 10th Layer.
“I have the honor of meeting the Lord of the Unfathomable.”
Dmitrih, the mid-boss and my adjutant, bowed gracefully.
Before we could respond, he added quickly.
“I’m sorry, but the Lord has ordered that no one is allowed to enter.”
While I suspected this might happen, I didn’t expect him to say it so directly.
Roseha let out a sarcastic chuckle, understandably irritated.
“You mean I can’t just say hello?”
“I’m sorry. The command was explicit: no one is to enter, unless deemed necessary.”
“And the reason?”
“I wasn’t informed of that.”
“Hmm…”
“It may be improper to say, but it does seem fitting for a subordinate to comply with the Lord’s ranking.”
It sounded like even the adjutant didn’t know about the rank changes.
Unless Roxanne told him, it made sense that even an adjutant wouldn’t be updated in real-time.
Since she was hiding it, I had no intention of saying it myself.
It looked like Roseha shared the same sentiment.
Perhaps she understood Roxanne’s nature even better than I did.
“Still, if you wish to see them…”
Dmitrih’s gaze lingered on me.
“Only the rank 7 Lord may enter.”
“Just me?”
“Yes. The Lord allowed only the two of you to meet.”
For her, it seemed I took precedence over my bond with Roseha.
Was it that one couldn’t treat an ancestor coldly?
Unconsciously, I stole a glance at Roseha.
Worried she might be hurt or feeling jealous, I sensed something different in her demeanor.
Roseha, who had been looking at me, smiled nonchalantly.
“I’m glad. At least I can see you.”
“…Is it okay if I go alone?”
“Huh? Why do you need my permission? Do as you please.”
She let me go so easily?
That was quite unexpected, but that was that.
Even if I could see them alone, it felt awkward to go by myself.
If not for Roseha, I wouldn’t have made it this far.
‘But then again, turning back now feels off.’
“I got it. I’ll go, even if it’s just me.”
***
While Roseha waited on the eighth layer, I descended to the 10th layer under Dmitrih’s guidance.
Before long, I arrived at the Boss Room entrance, where Dmitrih deeply bowed again.
“Thank you for guiding me.”
“You’re too kind. The Lord is waiting inside.”
Dmitrih bowed once more and stepped aside.
The Boss Room of the Abyssal 10th Layer.
Suddenly, the Boss Room of the old castle came to mind, recalling my first meeting with the real body of Roxanne.
Curiously, I wasn’t as tense as I had been then.
Was it because I knew Roxanne’s rank had dropped to seventh? Or because she might mistake me for an ancestor?
Whatever it was, I opened the door without mental turmoil or delay.
‘As expected.’
Before me lay a dazzling treasure trove of gold and silver.
If I recalled correctly, the Boss Room of the Abyssal 10th Layer had always been filled with treasures.
It’s said habits formed at three would linger until eighty.
Roxanne had continued her treasure hoarding as if she were still a child.
“You’ve come…”
I turned my head to where the voice originated.
In a corner, Roxanne crouched, and as soon as I saw her, I gasped.
The noble and haughty gaze she once had had disappeared without a trace.
Seeing the dark shadows under her eyes and the tear marks made me doubt my sight. How could this be the same Roxanne?
More shocking than her appearance was her level.
[Lv. 86]
Not even the 90s, but 86.
…What in the world happened to her?
On one hand, I could somewhat guess why Roxanne looked like this.
She must have felt her own strength fell to a new low.
Considering her belief that power was everything, there couldn’t be a greater despair than this.
Roxanne was filled with pride and arrogance.
What kind of mindset did she have while allowing me to enter here?
In truth, I likely was exposing weaknesses she would rather keep hidden.
Struggling to swallow my confusion, I approached her.
“Roxanne. What happened?”
Roxanne blinked repeatedly, her eyes glistening with tears.
I was overwhelmed with the thought of ‘Why is she crying?’ which momentarily faded.
Looking at her level, I fully understood her sorrowful heart.
“Ancestor, I just…”
Suddenly, Roxanne began to pound her chest.
She was struggling to swallow back her anger.
At that moment, I noticed the choker around her neck, and instantly, a notification window popped up.
[Eternal Binding (EX)]
[Enhancement Probability: 1%]
[Warning! If enhancement fails, it will automatically be destroyed!]
[If enhancement fails, cooldown will reset.]
[Do you wish to enhance Eternal Binding (EX)?]
[YES/NO]
‘Eternal Binding?’
I wondered what that was for a moment, but suddenly a memory flashed through my mind.
Eternal Binding was an item I recognized.
Just like the soul binding of the undead and the sorcerer, this item also establishes a stark master-servant relationship.
The caster can constrain and suppress the bound party’s power, and can even kill the bound party with mere thought.
In other words, it held the authority over life and death.
At a glance, this was even more broken than sacred relics, but of course, there were limitations.
It required the user to be at least five levels higher than the bound party to apply these restrictions.
Because of this, it didn’t quite fit into the category of overpowered items, even though it was an EX-grade.
‘One level higher than Roxanne…’
That could only mean one thing: the Old One. Only one existed.
I managed to gather the outline of what had happened. I understood the Old One’s intentions as well.
However, for me, this felt like a blessing in disguise.
Perhaps, with this opportunity, I could burden Roxanne with an unrepayable debt.
[Enhancing Eternal Binding (EX).]
[Congratulations! You have succeeded in enhancing it with a 1% probability! Eternal Binding (EX) is enhanced!]
For a moment, I thought I had misread. No, it had to be a mistake.
Did it really enhance at the same 1% probability as the holy sword?
I was momentarily stunned, but then realized my surprise wasn’t necessary.
This wasn’t a single chance, and the situation wasn’t as dire as before.
I could just wait for an hour after the cooldown for enhancement and try again.
As I focused my sight on the choker to gauge its changes, another notification window obscured my vision.
[Eternal Binding (EX) +1 enhancement (Bound)]
[Enhancement Summary: Overall stats have slightly increased due to enhancement. Additionally, the item’s classification has changed to ‘Bound.’]
[Bound To: Enhancer]
…Bound?
Was this déjà vu?