Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 47 - C-Rank Dungeon: Nightmare World (5)

Chapter 47 – C-Rank Dungeon: Nightmare World (5)

 

[Time remaining until the hypocrite goddess’s divine beast finishes absorbing every nightmare: Approximately 3 minutes!]

 

There wasn’t much time left until the dungeon was cleared.

Just three minutes.

The exact amount of time it took for a cup of instant noodles to cook perfectly.

But when you were starving…

Even a mere few minutes could feel unbearably long.

“The time is moving way… too slowly!”

Pendrick, who was mowing through the undead horde like Lu Bu under Maku’s buff, said with a refreshing smile.

“And the undead are getting stronger and stronger!”

Just as he said, the later the corpses arrived from every direction…

The stronger they were.

Undead sturdy enough not to be cut down in a single blow. Undead capable of dodging attacks.

Some even displayed strategic movements.

If zombies like these had appeared in a zombie movie, the fans would’ve flooded it with furious criticism.

“Lady Astrimia!”

While spraying flames everywhere with Ember of Glory, I shouted.

“Now’s the time to light the second star!”

Astrimia of Joy.

Seven gemstones of different colors were embedded along the beautiful turquoise Ego Sword like stars.

Arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper… 

Each time its wielder reached the appropriate level… Another star would illuminate, unlocking a new ability.

“I understand! Pendrick!”

“…I’m ready!”

After barely finishing off a dark mage zombie stained a murky green…

Pendrick assumed his stance.

“O stars… Rise.“

Besides the star that was already shining brilliantly… Another blue star lit up.

The Second Star. Merak.

The star that weakened enemies and revealed their weak points.

Fwoooooosh

Blue light spread across the entire area centered on the White Land.

The movements of every undead caught within the radiance gradually slowed.

At the same time… Blue lines and dots appeared across various parts of their bodies, glowing brilliantly.

“Everyone! Aim for the lines and dots!”

Before Astrimia had even finished speaking…

Pendrick had already dashed forward, swinging his sword with tremendous force.

Swordsmanship that faithfully targeted only the weak points Astrimia revealed.

His stance and movements were still awkward.

But the power behind every strike was exceptional.

“……”

Rosalia, who had already disposed of nearly every living dark mage and priest…

Also began swiftly cutting down the undead one after another.

I couldn’t simply stand around either.

“Go peck them all.”

Cawww!

The Blind Crow burst out from my eye socket…

Darting gracefully among the zombies while piercing every glowing blue mark with its beak.

Even the radiance emitted by Artein’s divine beast blessed an evil god’s terminal equally.

Gooooo!

Apparently amused by our performance…

Maku happily danced in midair while continuing to devour nightmares.

I took the opportunity to rest for a moment.

Wrapping my arms around him…

I swayed him back and forth cheerfully.

“Thank you for all your hard work.”

Goo!

More than half of Nightmare World, which had once been nothing but darkness buried beneath dreadful silence…

Had transformed into a pure white world.

A dream so pure… That Sky Invader’s Noble Detection reacted violently.

The wicked nightmare faded away.

In its place… A refined dream world that let one gaze toward the future gradually took shape.

…Goo.

While dancing with his forelegs wrapped around my shoulders…

Maku suddenly looked somewhere with an unusual expression.

Just as expected.

‘About 150 seconds left. Then… It’s about time.’

Boom.

Heavy footsteps echoed from far away.

It’s coming.

The final phase of Nightmare World.

A monster that could not be defeated by any means at our current level.

Boom. Boom. BOOM.

A giant whose mere footsteps shook the earth like an earthquake.

The Corpse King.

Because the world’s distortion caused by the nightmares being absorbed had forcibly awakened him completely…

He was now approaching us.

With the darkness gone… His true appearance finally became visible.

Crackle.

A grotesque form that made the Exalted One recoil in disgust.

An enormous rotting body whose method of movement and support defied comprehension.

A face the size of a Rocky Mountain.

And embedded within it… A single lonely eye.

His terrifying appearance matched the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

For a brief instant… My mind nearly went blank.

“…Ah…”

Pendrick and Rosalia both staggered where they stood.

Without Maku’s radiance protecting us…

All three of us would’ve collapsed on the spot.

Of course… If there hadn’t been a gimmick allowing Maku to be summoned in this dream world… I never would’ve attempted this dungeon in the first place.

“Don’t be afraid!”

Still hugging Maku’s fluffy body…

I shouted once more.

“He won’t reach us before time runs out anyway!”

The final phase wasn’t about defeating the Corpse King.

It was about enduring the mental pressure generated as that enormous giant approached.

“Urgh….Has destiny finally arrived?”

The few remaining living dark mages and priests…

Were crushed beneath the Corpse King’s overwhelming presence and collapsed one after another.

With the beings who had resurrected them all dead…

The undead likewise sank limply to the ground.

Thud.

Only one thing remained.

Endure until the very end.

“Both of you, come here.”

I gathered my expedition members together.

Then all of us embraced Maku as one.

“We’re counting on you. Please finish before we collapse.”

Goo!

As if telling us to leave everything to him…

Artein’s divine beast cried out and accelerated the speed at which he absorbed the nightmares.

[Estimated time remaining until every nightmare has been absorbed: Approximately 80 seconds!]

Unlike usual…

The words displayed by Eyes That Perceive Truth, now returned to my eye socket, were filled with excitement.

I was excited too.

How could I not enjoy myself?

I was exploring while repeatedly standing at death’s doorstep.

BOOOOM!

As the Corpse King drew nearer…

The ground shook so violently that it became difficult even to stand upright.

The crushing mental pressure emanating from his eye intensified as well.

“Just a little longer! Everyone, hang in there!”

It happened while we clung tightly to Maku…

Staring directly into that gigantic eye.

…Goo?

The divine beast, busily inhaling nightmares through his trunk…

Suddenly flinched. My own eyes widened instinctively.

Fwoooosh!

Out of absolutely nowhere…

A shower of flames suddenly rained down, engulfing the Corpse King’s colossal body.

[Rain · of · Life].

A Ninth-Tier Mystery of Solitary Silence.

A Mystery that bestowed an overwhelming amount of vitality upon whatever it struck.

The Corpse King… Who had been slowly walking while glaring at us… Suddenly burst into motion.

Displaying astonishing vitality… 

He began charging toward us at incredible speed.

‘…He’s running?’

A brand-new pattern that should never have existed.

The unexpected variable made my heart pound.

[Just now, stability was added to that rotten body!]

Since I wasn’t in good condition… Eyes That Perceive Truth quickly analyzed the reason instead.

The cause turned out to be surprisingly simple.

[Lriria’s sinister Mystery has seeped into the Corpse King’s body! To be precise, the Evil God’s Chief Deity Lriria, from a thousand years in the future.]

The era of Nightmare World lay a thousand years in the future… Where demons ruled the world.

Unlike reality…

The Watcher of Solitary Silence had slaughtered the entire faction of benevolent gods and now reigned supreme.

She would’ve possessed unimaginable amounts of faith.

Spending enough divine power to bestow a Mystery upon a Level 9 undead…

Would’ve been an utterly insignificant expense.

[Originally, deities themselves weren’t recreated in this dungeon. This phenomenon most likely appeared only just now! I don’t know why, though!]

I had a rough idea.

Dungeon Enhancement.

A gimmick that only had a chance of appearing in B-Rank dungeons or higher.

Originally… Such a thing shouldn’t occur inside the C-Rank Nightmare World.

But… Had dungeons ever once been advantageous to explorers?

Just like the newly added content involving the siblings of House Le…

This was undoubtedly new content as well.

“T-This is a bit too much…”

“Pendrick!”

As the Corpse King rapidly closed the distance… Pendrick suddenly collapsed.

Having the least experience…

He could no longer endure the crushing pressure assaulting his mind.

Maku hurried down to cover his head… But it was merely a temporary measure.

“……”

Rosalia wasn’t much better.

Her face had turned deathly pale.

She staggered, forcing me to quickly support her.

The only one still standing… Was me.

Simply because I’d remained attached to Maku longer than the other two.

“…Hah.”

Though… I wasn’t exactly fine either.

My consciousness had become distant.

Every ounce of strength had left my body.

I stood on the verge of losing consciousness.

The moment I relaxed even slightly… I would collapse.

[30 seconds remaining.]

[There’s almost no time left! Endure somehow!]

Now wasn’t the time to enjoy this unexpected new pattern.

Grasping desperately at my fading consciousness…

I reached into my dimensional storage with trembling hands… And pulled out a small statue.

A cobra engulfed in flames.

An idol symbolizing the majesty and authority of the Watcher of Solitary Silence.

“Lriria..”

Wishing to honor the Silent One’s tranquil silence…

I quietly covered my eyes with my arm and offered a prayer.

Making liberal use of terminology that would surely please him.

“Momentary stillness. I yearn within my heart for the eternity of the night sky upon which Your gaze rests. Bearing the longing of the inescapable cycle of fate… I humbly beseech Your silent grace.”

Translation: ‘Please… look this way just once.’

“Please do not turn away from my cry piercing the abyss.”

Ordinarily…

Such a prayer wouldn’t have the slightest effect.

But mine would be heard.

Because I possessed [True Believer]… The trait that earned the unconditional affection of every evil god.

Perhaps my heartfelt prayer, perfectly tailored to his tastes… Had reached the depths below.

Fwoooooosh.

A moment later…

Rain of Life descended above us as well.

Flames of life.

Warm rather than hot.

【Watcher of Silence from the past.】

Then… A voice so quiet it stole one’s breath echoed inside my mind.

【By your fleeting insolence beyond all station, you have incurred eternity’s wrath. Yet, considering your humble plea and the spark of potential that shall one day bloom… I shall withdraw the flames of judgment.】

GOOOO!

Apparently displeased by the evil god’s presence…

Maku let out a loud cry…

Even while continuing to furiously devour the nightmares.

The Corpse King, now only a few steps away… Suddenly began staggering violently.

【Should you once again recklessly trespass upon the authority of Silence, remember this until time itself reaches twilight: both your body and soul shall burn beneath infernal flames.】

Naturally… I intended to remember those words deeply.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude for Your boundless mercy. O Watcher of Solitary Silence.”

Only after the Chief Deity of the Evil Gods departed, leaving behind that solemn warning…

Did I finally regain enough strength to raise my head.

GOOOOOOO!

The instant Maku absorbed the very last remnant of silent darkness…

A world covered in nothing but immaculate white came into being.

A realm of pure dreams.

A world filled only with bright, pristine light… And newly blossoming warmth.

In this noble world… One couldn’t help but smile.

There was no room whatsoever for impurity.

“The giant…! He’s disappearing!“

Bathed in pure white light… The Corpse King slowly began disintegrating from his head downward.

The remaining distance between us… Was only about five steps (for a giant).

Unable to crush us by the narrowest of margins…

The Corpse King glared at me with intense resentment.

“Yeah. I bet you’re frustrated.”

But… So was I.

A strategy that relied on praying for an evil god’s mercy.

A strategy that depended upon sheer luck.

This wasn’t the kind of exploration I wanted.

“…Next time. We’ll settle this properly in another dungeon.”

The Corpse King was a monster that had existed since the dawn of ancient times.

He appeared in more dungeons than just Nightmare World.

“And when we meet again… You’ll be the one praying desperately for death not to come.”

It would be a long time before that day arrived.

But someday… I would defeat him cleanly.

A flawless conquest.

One without luck.

One beyond dispute.

That… Was the kind of exploration I pursued.

“Farewell.”

The Corpse King stubbornly continued trying to advance until the very end…

Before finally scattering away into countless white flower petals.

The corpses of the demon priests and dark mages littering the area…

Were likewise purified into brilliant white.

Shiiing.

Then… A crimson gate leading outside rose before us.

Accompanied by a single pure white treasure chest.

 

[The formidable dungeon, Nightmare World, has been successfully conquered. The Pioneer of Twisted Truth applauds your achievements without reservation, showering you with praise!]

 

It had been the hardest expedition yet.

But also… The most rewarding one.