Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 4 - E-Rank Labyrinth – Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls (3)

Chapter 4 — E-Rank Labyrinth – Hideout of the Lurker Ghouls (3)

 

Cawww!

The moment I finished the prayer, my right eyeball plopped out of its socket.

Without any warning, the eye detached from its owner, wriggled across the floor, and transformed into a single crow. It immediately began greedily pecking at the headless body.

Crunch. Crunch.

Bones cracked between its beak as chunks of flesh flew through the air and fresh blood splattered across the floor.

Its table manners were enough to make anyone frown.

But then again, this was merely an extension of an evil god.

It was directly connected to the Forerunner of the Twisted Truth, the being capable of driving every intelligent race into madness.

You couldn’t very well expect such an existence to observe human etiquette.

 

【Seeker who has only just stepped onto the road toward Immaculate Truth.】

As I silently watched the blind crow eat, a sinister voice suddenly seeped directly into my mind.

Lidni.

The Evil God of Perverse Knowledge and Grotesque Sorcery.

The Cunning Magician who devoured the World Tree and seized infinite wisdom!

The bizarre voice felt as though it were grabbing my brain with invisible hands, kneading and stabbing it at the same time.

For a brief moment, my consciousness nearly blurred.

Someone weak-minded would likely descend into madness simply by conversing with Him.

Since I was still a newcomer who needed to make a good impression, I knelt on one knee and lowered my head.

“I am listening, Lord Lidni.”

【It’s tasty enough, but I’m terribly dissatisfied.】

Lidni continued His divine message, occasionally smacking His lips as He ate.

【The aftertaste is especially unpleasant. This is why humans are always such a disappointment. Don’t offer humans anymore from now on.】

Here it was.

The infamous segment, even veteran players referred to as… Hell’s Response Time.

Choose the wrong dialogue option, and you’d earn the evil god’s displeasure.

On the other hand, if you tried too hard to flatter Him, your body and mind would be consumed by His power, reducing you to something less than human.

It was a conversation that required perfect balance.

“Lord Lidni.”

Like an experienced Cultist, I calmly chose the correct answer.

“We are hardly in a position to be selective with our offerings. Hasn’t every evil cult… including the Church of the Twisted Truth, already fallen into decline long ago?”

【Then at least remove all the tendons before offering them.】

“That takes too long.”

【How troublesome you are!】

The gloomy voice shouting in annoyance somehow managed to sound petulant as well.

【Why can’t you simply do as you’re told like all the other Cultists? They’d immediately bow their heads, shout, ‘Your command shall be obeyed!’ and then start writhing around while revealing their madness! That’s how everyone used to do it! Honestly, kids these days!】

To survive as a modern-generation Cultist, blindly obeying one’s evil god wasn’t enough.

Sometimes, you had to offer bitter advice as well.

So I politely shrugged.

“And where are all those senior Cultists who followed orders so obediently? They’re probably burning in those righteous gods’ hells right about now.”

【…Hmm.】

“If you don’t want to lose even the handful of believers you have left and disappear entirely, then you’ll simply have to eat what’s served.”

【You insolent little wretch!】

With an irritated shout, Lidni’s wicked presence, which had filled both my mind and consciousness, suddenly vanished.

He was clearly sulking.

Moments like this weren’t a problem.

You simply called Him back.

“Have you forgotten something?”

The moment I spoke respectfully, the sinister presence returned.

【Very well. Although I am not particularly pleased with the offering, I shall grant you my blessing as a special exception. Admirable young seeker, what is it that you desire? The truth that will shake the foundations of the world? Or perhaps sorcery capable of slaying every king? Whatever you wish shall become reality!】

“I have one question first.”

【The desire to resolve one’s doubts is the fundamental mindset required of anyone who seeks understanding and truth. Ask whatever you wish!】

“I’ve heard you only have a two-digit number of followers left. Can you really grant any wish?”

【…….】

The blazing evil presence inside my mind rapidly shrank.

Perhaps I’d sounded too accusatory.

Reflecting deeply upon my own rudeness, I spoke again.

“I’m asking purely out of curiosity. If your number of followers is only in the double digits, then the influence you can exert upon the mortal world shouldn’t amount to much more than a bucketful. So how can you grant every wish?”

Even after making my tone and expression as pleasant as possible, nothing changed.

【…So. What is it that you desire?】

Lidni muttered in an obviously sulking voice.

This happened all the time in the game.

There was no need to worry.

If I soothed Him later, He’d perk right back up.

As a dessert, the crow diligently consumed the scattered teeth from the floor.

Helping its body squeeze back into my right eye socket, I said,

“Grant me a Mystery.”

A miraculous power that functioned as skills in the game… Mysteries.

Normally, gods bestowed them upon believers as rewards for their faith.

Cultists, however, could only obtain them after completing the rather troublesome ritual of human sacrifice.

【Very well. In consideration of the exceptional sincerity shown in your offering, I shall bestow My blessing upon you despite your insolence. Specifically… which Mystery do you seek?】

Respectfully, I spoke the name of the Mystery that was central to clearing this Labyrinth.

【Are you certain that’s all you want?】

Apparently, it had been an unexpected choice.

Lidni’s voice suddenly brimmed with pure curiosity, as though He hadn’t been dissatisfied just moments ago.

“I am.”

【Very well. A Mystery of that level is something even I, with ‘only a two-digit number of followers,’ can grant!】

Unable to resist slipping in one last jab, Lidni nevertheless bestowed His grace upon one of His precious few followers.

Crackle.

The skin on my right index finger began burning away, accompanied by a faint pain.

In the game, this process had merely been represented as a small loss of health.

A moment later, an eyeball-shaped tattoo appeared upon my index finger, featuring a sharply slit pupil.

[The Mystery, [Spiderweb That Binds All Things], has taken root within your body. Praise the Wise One’s benevolence!]

“Lord Lidni. My thanks.”

【Show a little more sincerity.】

“Waaah, I thank You most humbly, my Lord!”

【…Next time, if you don’t prepare a special meal, I’ll twist your body into knots!】

“Yes.”

Giving a brief reply, I stood up and examined myself.

My clothes were practically dyed crimson.

Even now, blood dripped steadily from the ritual dagger in my hand.

To anyone else, I’d look exactly like a serial killer.

‘Am I really going to have to keep performing human sacrifices from now on?’

It had been my first time carving up a human body.

It was much harder than I’d expected.

Still…

I was relieved it had gone smoothly.

Now that I’d done it once, perhaps it’d be a little easier next time.

“…Good work.”

“Thank you.”

Marlin cautiously approached and handed me a handkerchief.

Judging from the look of utter disgust on her face, it clearly hadn’t become a fond memory for her.

Then again, even I felt uneasy after cutting apart countless pieces of meat in my previous life.

For an ordinary person, it had to be far worse.

“We’re done here. Let’s go.”

After gathering up the ritual items, I led the siblings out of the building and back into the forest.

There was a perfect location for the final stage of the operation.

“Here.”

Avoiding the ghouls while heading north, we eventually reached an area where the trees grew exceptionally close together.

Forcing ourselves through the dense growth revealed a tiny hollow barely large enough to fit inside if we curled our bodies tightly.

“You two wait here for a while. If you’re sleepy, you can sleep.”

“How are we supposed to sleep somewhere this dangerous…?”

“If you close your eyes, you’ll fall asleep whether you want to or not.”

Ignoring Abel’s whining, I forcibly laid him down before leaving the hiding place alone.

Now only the final step of the strategy remained.

It was time to awaken the artist sleeping deep within my soul.

First, I inspected the eyeball tattoo on my right index finger.

 

[Spiderweb That Binds All Things: First-Tier Mystery. Produces thin threads from your finger. Their thickness and strength are determined by the amount of Mental Power consumed.]

 

Exactly as I remembered.

The method of using it had naturally settled into my mind the moment Lidni granted me the Mystery.

Sssss…

When I tried it myself, a thread somewhere between spider silk and fishing line emerged from my fingertip.

Focusing harder, I adjusted it until it became as sharp as possible.

The resulting thread was frighteningly keen.

When I pulled it taut and lightly touched it with my left hand, it sliced my skin.

‘My head already hurts.’

In Nightmare Dungeon, every class used a different resource for its skills.

Cultists consumed Mental Power.

Unlike a mage’s Mana, which had a clearly defined limit, Mental Power could theoretically be drawn upon without end.

However, consuming too much meant enjoying the complete package of status ailments… Madness, Delirium, Depression, Hallucinations, and much more.

At my current stage, careful control was essential.

[Your remaining Mental Power capacity, displayed for your convenience: 85/100]

“Nice.”

Could it even do this?

Now that it existed in reality, Eyes That Perceive the Truth, already an exceptionally versatile Mystery, had become even more useful.

As expected…

A Cultist of the Twisted Truth truly was the strongest class.

“Keep telling me things like this.”

[:)]

Now that I even had a way to prevent excessive Mental Power consumption, there was nothing left to hesitate over.

I began creating my installation artwork using Spiderweb That Binds All Things.

‘Carefully.’

Reality offered no second chances.

If my design failed… I would die.

Not just me.

The young siblings would also become cold corpses, eventually stored away inside the ghouls’ food warehouse.

I couldn’t allow children to die in a place like this.

So I poured my heart into constructing a natural bunker for survival.

[Remaining Mental Power capacity: 10/100]

I was getting close to the limit.

An unbearable headache pounded through my skull, making the world spin before my eyes.

‘…Done.’

The work wasn’t finished until my Mental Power had dropped below five.

Fatigue and drowsiness weighed heavily upon every part of my body.

Still, I forced my eyes open.

There was one last thing to do.

“Marlin.”

Leaving Abel asleep, I woke the slightly older child instead.

“When did I fall asleep…?”

Marlin sat up immediately.

The moment she saw my face, she flinched.

“You don’t look well.”

“That’s just because I’m ugly.”

“…Please don’t joke around in a situation like this.”

“The ghouls should be arriving soon.”

“Are you planning to stay here until the Labyrinth’s completion condition is met?”

“You think I’m staying that long? Have I grown attached to the ghouls or something?”

“…”

Marlin glared at me for a moment before speaking.

“Just tell me what you’re planning. What am I supposed to do?”

We hadn’t even known each other for a full day.

Yet she’d already learned enough about me to skip straight to the important part.

Kids these days really did grow up frighteningly fast.

If I kept stalling, she might actually punch me.

So I answered immediately.

“Just stay still. Then we’ll be out of here within an hour.”