Ethan, his heart pierced by Kaleido’s cane.
Just before Ethan breathed his last, the Death Knight stabbed his heart once more with a sword.
“Grrrk.”
A moment later, Ethan rose from his place, transformed into a ghoul.
The Death Knight pressed a pickaxe into the hands of Ethan, who had become a new member of the household.
If they wanted to shorten the construction period, procuring manpower on-site was indeed the right answer.
The Death Knight left with a satisfied smile.
“…….”
Kaleido silently watched the Death Knight’s figure.
And then Nekros approached.
“Clack.”
“You have come, Lord Nekros.”
Nekros, the true master who managed this dungeon, the ‘Nest of Corruption.’
Kaleido looked at Nekros with eyes of respect.
A living legend who had received the Master’s recognition and a rapid promotion due to his incredible competence.
‘Ah, I suppose not living, though.’
In any case, Nekros was an object of respect for Kaleido.
He had no doubt that if he worked hard, he too would rise high someday.
“As you can see, all preparations are complete.”
Raymond, who was exploring the illusion.
From now on, they would intervene in the world Raymond was exploring.
Nekros nodded.
“Clack, clack, clack?”
“Of course. It is proceeding without a hitch. Even when that man returns from the illusion, he will confuse it with reality.”
Raymond smiled an unpleasant smile.
With this, all preparations were complete.
From now on, they only needed to slowly expand their power.
This was Nekros himself, who ruled the underworld.
And further, Celia, the true ruler of the Sail Kingdom.
And even further, it was a plan that would aid the great one who reigned above them all.
“Clack.”
Now, it began.
* * *
Raymond blinked his eyes in confusion at the changed surroundings and muttered.
“Where on earth is this?”
Looking around, a beautiful landscape unfolded as if he had entered a fairy tale.
An emerald meadow swayed in the gentle breeze, and a clear stream flowed briskly.
In the distance, he could also see a cozy village.
At the peaceful and wondrous sight, Raymond held his breath.
“A dream?”
He had been drinking with Ethan until moments ago.
After drinking heavily, he had wandered the night streets.
Now that he thought about it, he remembered Ethan saying he would show him the arena, and they had entered a building together.
Yes, and he had looked for a bathroom, hadn’t he?
Before properly watching the arena matches, he had looked for a bathroom first.
‘I went in thinking that place was a bathroom, but…’
The place they had entered was not a bathroom.
A place he could not understand.
And then…
‘Ah, Kaleido…!’
A being who studied illusion magic had appeared.
His name was Kaleido. He was a scholar.
For a moment, Kaleido’s words flashed through his mind.
— Now, from this moment, you shall explore the illusion I have created.
Could it be that the place he was in now was inside the illusion?
“That’s absurd… is something like this even possible?”
It was unbelievable, but the scenery before his eyes felt far too vivid.
The warm sunlight, even the fragrant scent of flowers.
Not only that, but his hand felt the soft texture of dirt as well.
“Ha.”
He was definitely not seeing things because he was drunk.
Though he did not know why, ever since coming here, the headache and nausea he had felt from being drunk had completely disappeared.
At the unbelievable sight, Raymond pinched his own cheek with a trembling hand.
As expected, he felt pain.
Meaning it was not a dream.
‘Come to think of it, didn’t he say he would give gold coins if I explored the illusion?’
When he thought about it, he hadn’t accepted the other party’s proposal recklessly.
He had agreed only because they said they would give him gold coins if he explored the entire illusion.
If so, what was he supposed to do now?
Raymond fell into worry about how to begin the exploration.
As he was wandering for a moment, a semi-transparent window suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Welcome to the world of illusion.]
[Mr. Raymond, you shall explore this world of illusion here.]
The floating text made it certain.
This place was indeed inside the illusion.
The window continued to appear.
[If you complete all missions given during the exploration, a reward will be granted.]
[But please be careful not to be devoured by the illusion. The boundary between illusion and reality is more ambiguous than you think.]
[The first mission is given.]
[Mission 1: Head to the village.]
“So this is what he meant by exploration.”
Fortunately, a mission had been given.
It was better than having no information at all since there was a guidepost of sorts.
“Let’s just go for now.”
The village visible in the distance.
Since that was the only village around, wouldn’t he be able to find some clues if he went there?
Raymond looked around with eyes sparkling with curiosity.
And slowly, he took a step forward.
“…….”
The trail crossing the meadow was like a picture in a fairy tale. Wildflowers of various colors bloomed on both sides, and butterflies tumbled through the air.
It was truly a beautiful sight.
As he kept walking, before he knew it, he had entered a small forest.
In the distance, a sparkling watery glint was visible between the trees.
“…A lake?”
Since he had kept walking, he was quite thirsty now.
Raymond slowly passed between the trees.
“Oh….”
What met his eyes was a beautiful lake sparkling in the sunlight.
Even though it was a world of illusion, the scenery was too beautiful.
He even felt that he would like to stay here forever.
“I can’t. Get a hold of yourself.”
But Raymond shook his head and came to his senses.
Hadn’t there been a warning just now?
That he shouldn’t be devoured by the illusion.
This was probably what it had warned him about.
Raymond pulled himself together and tried to walk toward the lake, but stopped his steps.
“…….”
Someone had arrived before him.
‘A little girl?’
A little girl on one side of the lakeshore.
But the girl was not alone.
Beside her was a monster in the shape of a horse made of water.
‘…A monster!’
Raymond was not an adventurer, but he knew well enough that monsters were dangerous.
But the monster before his eyes did no harm to the girl.
Rather, they looked like they were playing and fooling around together.
Was that even possible?
He slowly approached the girl and opened his mouth.
“Hey, little girl—”
At Raymond’s voice, the girl made a surprised expression.
“……!”
After a brief silence, the girl began running into the forest.
“Hey—!”
At the same time, the horse-shaped monster that had been beside the girl blocked Raymond’s path.
As if to protect the fleeing girl.
“Eek!”
Raymond stepped back in surprise.
The girl’s figure had already disappeared.
Only then did the monster disappear into the lake as well.
“…What on earth was that?”
Don’t monsters usually harm people?
But that one just now had instead acted to protect the girl.
“Is this possible because it’s an illusion too.”
Yes, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense.
He recalled once more that this was inside an illusion.
“Huh?”
As Raymond tried to walk past the lake, something sparkling caught his eye.
‘A necklace?’
On the beautifully crafted pendant, an unknown flower pattern was engraved.
Raymond picked up the necklace.
He was currently on his way to the village.
Perhaps the girl also lived in the village.
“I’ll have to return it if we meet.”
Raymond carefully put the necklace in his pocket and quickened his steps.
“Shall I get going again?”
If he went just a little further, the village would appear.
Other distracting thoughts were unnecessary for now.
He should focus only on completing the missions and exploring the illusion. And he only needed to care about the gold he would obtain.
How long had he walked?
He finally arrived at the village.
The village’s size was smaller than he had thought.
Even so, as he arrived at the village, the window from earlier appeared again.
[Mission 1 completed.]
[Mission 2: Find the village square.]
“It’s not such a big deal, is it?”
The new mission wasn’t difficult either.
If things kept going like this, the exploration would end quickly.
‘And all that gold will be mine.’
At the thought of countless gold coins coming into his hands, Raymond’s expression brightened.
With a joyful heart, he passed the village entrance and went to find the square.
But the village streets were deathly silent.
‘What the.’
Feeling something strange, Raymond slowly moved his feet.
Though it was his first time in the village, finding the square wasn’t difficult.
Because as the streets were empty, people were gathered in one place.
‘Is that the square?’
Raymond quickly moved his feet.
Soon, as he entered the square…
‘What. Why is the atmosphere like this?’
But something about the atmosphere was unusual. People were whispering with dark expressions, stealing glances toward the center of the square.
[Mission 2 completed.]
[Mission 3: Speak with the village chief.]
Raymond ignored the rising window.
And he squeezed between people and looked toward the center of the square.
And he couldn’t hide his shock at the sight before his eyes.
In the middle of the square, a pyre was stacked, and a woman was tied atop it.
The woman’s clothes were soiled with dirt and mud, and dry, brittle hair covered her face.
He did not know who that woman was, but he could tell at a glance that it was a dangerous situation.
Then, an old man with a white beard walked out before the crowd.
The old man shouted at the crowd with a solemn face.
“For such a thing to happen in our village, I am ashamed as the chief.”
The identity of the old man was the village chief.
“Everyone, this woman has bewitched the innocent men of the village. She is no doubt a witch in league with a succubus!”
What was this nonsense?
Raymond was dumbfounded by the chief’s words.
Above all, the villagers’ actions were more of a spectacle.
“That’s right! That wench is definitely a witch! She seduced me!”
Starting with one man’s words, others joined in.
“That filthy wench deserves to die! How dare she lay her hands on my husband!”
“The blood of a succubus surely flows in that lewd witch’s body!”
The square was filled with criticism, insults, and curses.
Those associated with the woman seemed to be trying to alleviate their own guilt by punishing her, screaming with even louder voices.
Under the threat to her life, the woman gasped as if screaming.
She looked like she wanted to say something, but with a gag in her mouth, she could do nothing but let out groans.
She at least appeared to be begging for help by darting her eyes back and forth, but none of the villagers stepped forward to defend her.
“…….”
Raymond simply watched the current situation blankly.
This wasn’t reality to begin with.
It was merely a story inside an illusion.
That was why he did not step forward.
He only wanted to complete the mission quickly and take the gold.
To do that, he needed to talk with the old man who was the village chief, but the atmosphere was not permitting.
He inwardly wished for this disgusting and irritating situation to pass quickly.
Even while Raymond was thinking to himself, people were howling and spewing curses at the woman.
Then, as the chief opened his mouth, everyone fell silent as if they had made a promise.
“A witch in league with monsters is our enemy! I believe that trying to save such an immoral witch is no different from planting the seeds of calamity! Therefore, in the name of God, and as the chief who protects the village, I shall pass judgment!”
“Exactly!”
“The chief’s words are absolutely correct!”
The atmosphere gradually heightened.
Soon, the chief’s command fell.
“Witch, I sentence you to death!”
Along with the chief’s shout, the woman who had been sentenced to death raised her head with effort and looked at the crowd.
Her eyes were filled with fear, despair, and resentment.
At that moment, fire was put to the torch, and the pyre began to burn.
The woman’s soundless screams were soon buried by the burning firewood and the crowd’s shouts.
Raymond, who witnessed the execution, couldn’t contain his shock.
His heart pounded, and cold sweat seeped into his hands.
Even though it was an illusion, enduring such cruelty was not easy.
Words would not come out.
Raymond was also a man wanted for fraud and one who frequented the underworld.
Though the underworld was also a cruel place where he had witnessed many atrocities, the madness here was on a different dimension altogether.
He had no choice but to remain silent amid the chilling atmosphere that made gooseflesh rise on his skin.
Just then, someone suddenly poked Raymond lightly in the side.
When he turned his head, an old woman was staring intently at him.
The old woman glanced around, then drew close to Raymond and whispered in a low voice.
“Pity that woman, don’t you? In this village, it’s as good as everyday life. Tsk.”
At the old woman’s words, Raymond looked around in surprise.
Fortunately, amid the surrounding cheers, he was the only one who had heard her.
“…….”
But Raymond pondered how he should respond to the old woman’s words, then soon closed his mouth.
The old woman who had spoken to him first was, strictly speaking, a person who belonged to this village.
If he opened his mouth carelessly, he might end up drawing fire upon himself.
Though Raymond gave no response at all, the old woman continued speaking.
“That woman did nothing wrong. It is merely a tragic thing that a powerless woman became the object of men’s desires….”
“Pardon? What do you mean…?”
Raymond’s eyes widened.
If the old woman’s words were truly the truth, then there was no other way to describe this village but rotten to the core.
“You should be careful too. Just because you’re an outsider doesn’t mean you’re safe. Kihihi.”
The old woman said only what she wanted to say, then disappeared into the crowd.
‘…So it wasn’t that simple.’
He had dismissed it as nothing more than an illusion and thought about it far too simply.
But everything he felt here was far too vivid.
A world no different from reality.
‘Perhaps….’
The thought occurred to him that this illusion itself might be a trap that gnawed away at people’s emotions.
‘Get a hold of yourself.’
If he became too immersed, he would be devoured by the illusion.
‘This place is absolutely not reality.’
Raymond gritted his teeth and steeled his mind.
And just as the execution was drawing to an end, his eyes met those of the village chief approaching him.
“You’re an unfamiliar face. What brings you here?”
The village chief asked with a curious gaze.
Unlike the atmosphere from earlier, his manner was polite.
As it happened, Raymond had also been wondering how he should make contact with the village chief because of his mission, and now the opportunity had come.
In order to lower the other party’s guard, he hesitated briefly before answering calmly.
“I am Raymond, an adventurer who explores the world.”
Since he was exploring within an illusion, it was not entirely wrong.
“Oh, an adventurer… How interesting.”
The village chief nodded and continued.
“As an adventurer, you must know well that monsters are no different from the natural enemies of us humans.”
Raymond roughly went along with the village chief’s words.
“Have you perhaps been to that forest over there?”
The forest the village chief pointed to with his hand was the place Raymond had passed through.
It was the place with the beautiful scenery, and also where he had encountered the nameless girl.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
At the village chief’s words, Raymond felt a bad premonition in that instant. The words the old woman had said earlier kept weighing on his mind.
And his unease became reality.
“There is a little girl in that forest. I would like you, Adventurer, to kill that child.”
[You have completed Mission 3.]
[Mission 4: Accept the village chief’s request and kill the girl.]