Chapter 581 – Venice (2)

Upon a single revolution around the earth’s axis, our plummeting bodies were transferred into a temple constructed of white bricks.

The temple was immense. A sprawling flower field unfurled beyond the entrance, where a pair of torches burned fiercely.

I amplified the senses that resonated beyond my skin to their utmost.

‘The magic is potent.’

The magical energy, pervading and saturating this vast expanse. This dungeon typically has a richer concentration of magical energy in its atmosphere than the outside world, to sustain the spirits. However, in this place, a far greater amount of magic lingered.

Do these flowers feed on mana? Imperfect species and forms of flowers quivered, tossed about by the wind.

“Hmm…”

Venice, her hand resting over her chest, was still grinning, her body tingling with the residual thrill of soaring the skies.

“Rise.”

“Lift me up.”

Venice, extending her arms wide, was acting like a child. If I uttered a single word in response, I’d be subjected to minutes of nagging, so I complied with her demand.

I seized Venice’s hand, and in a swift motion – whoosh!

Awakening abruptly, she clung to me and began to shower my cheek with kisses.

“Good grief.”

“Hehehe. So, what’s the final gateway?”

Venice, responding to my annoyance at her unexpected kiss, playfully swatted my buttocks, sauntered inside, and sighed.

“Wow~ This is beautiful.”

As she’d described, the environment was indeed mesmerising.

– Humm, humm!

The flowers, vibrating like droplets, illuminated the temple, their radiant glow compensating for the lack of sunlight.

They flashed in a myriad of colours, reminiscent of neon signs.
They even bobbed about, similar to deep-sea jellyfish.

“Is it symbiosis? Or… do such bio-luminous flowers exist?”

“I don’t know.”

This world has chronicled the rise and fall of civilizations on several occasions. Considering the variable of magic, it’s conceivable that these flowers might have existed when this dungeon was created.

– Thud.

We followed the floral path towards the heart of the temple. As we advanced, the flowers swayed in response to our steps, and gradually, a towering edifice at the center came into view.

A place befitting the term ‘fantasy’. It elicited the same awe one might feel while stepping out of a wardrobe into another world. A place that wildly sparked our imagination.

“A tomb?”

Crossing the flower field, we arrived in the center, where a towering religious structure stood, with a mound of soil beneath it, covering something.

There laid a stone tablet, inscribed with characters that were indecipherable to me. As I scrutinized the tablet, Venice, who had been by my side, deciphered the language.

【Spiritual Sorcerer. Father.】
【Our magnificent hero.】

Upon hearing the name, we instantly understood that this place marked the final area.

[Have you arrived?]

Suddenly, a crystalline voice resounded from behind. Simultaneously, we turned around to locate the source.

A maiden with hair the color of forsythia, cradling a bouquet of flowers in her arms, had appeared as if from nowhere. The girl stepped forward, her gaze scanning our faces.

“Your presence here implies that you’ve conquered all the arduous trials I had prepared. Although I am ignorant of your experiences, I hope they have been enlightening,” she said.

Her hair was unadorned, carrying a distinctly human scent. She was the embodiment of youthful innocence, a country maiden reeking of floral fragrance and the fresh scent of grass.

Her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires, and the hand clutching the bouquet was petite. She looked too delicate, too young to be the fabled spirit mage once hailed as a war hero.

“Abi. Is this the woman who created this dungeon?” Venice murmured from behind me. Abi acquiesced with a nod, to which the maiden showed no reaction.

Abi resumed speaking.

“This place is the Spirit Mountain, a sanctuary created for the spirit mages. Could you perhaps tell me how much time has elapsed since its creation?” she asked.

“I’m unsure,” I replied.

“Unsure?”

“Do you really think I would know?”

Although the dungeon’s intrinsic ability allowed for a barely adequate translation, communication would have been impossible had we attempted to converse outside its confines.

“The world you once inhabited has long since perished. Only the dungeon remains, bequeathed to future generations.”

The dungeon, though seemingly crafted with noble intentions, had been exploited in numerous ways. An anomaly within the dungeon had even given rise to a victim named Venice.

Abi listened impassively to my narrative.

“I see… But it’s alright,” she said.

“Alright?”

“This place was conceived to prevent collisions between humans and spirits. If it serves as an opportunity for the future generation of spirit mages, I am content. Much like it did for you two.”

Abi cast a jovial smile in our direction. Had she not yet discerned that Venice was a spirit dwelling within this dungeon? The gaze Venice cast upon Abi was far from ordinary.

“We’ve been embroiled in conflict for far too long. Humans and spirits, despite being entities capable of understanding each other more than anyone else… But tell me, what kind of presence do spirits hold in your world?”

In my world, the power to commune with spirits was a privilege only a select few possessed. Truth be told, I had never heard of anyone forming friendships with spirits.

Every spirit mage had their unique way of dealing with spirits.

Abi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Regardless, she let the bouquet fall from her hand and clenched her fists tightly.

“But there are those like you who have conquered this dungeon. You and… that gentleman. From my observation, you’re deeply intertwined. You must’ve forged a significant bond.”

“He did prove to be helpful.”

One could say that I shared a profoundly deep friendship with Venice, albeit brief. Abi responded with a bright smile and a nod.

“There is no such thing as a malevolent spirit in this world. Given the chance, we can understand each other,” she said.

“I see.”

Thus far, I had only listened to Abi’s tale.

I folded my arms and stood by, patient to see how the conversation would unfold.

“I hope you’ve had some enriching experiences. There’s so much I’d like to share with you, but… as you can clearly see, I am but a corpse. I can’t accompany you outside.”

Brow furrowed in a seemingly genuine expression of regret, the figure’s eyes suddenly lit up, clapping their hands in an exclamation of ‘Ah!’

“Shall we witness together how the hero of the new era has managed to overcome their trials?”

No sooner had Avi spoken than a massive screen unfurled in mid-air.

Venice and I recoiled slightly, while Avi, with a pure, innocent smile, eagerly patted our shoulders in anticipation of our tale.

【First Gateway】

“The first gateway is the trial of forming a pact with a spirit. It’s a test where you can learn how two species can grow closer. How well the hero harmonizes with the spirit… I’m quite looking forward to seeing that.”

Soon enough, a light radiated from the screen, revealing the naked forms of a man and woman.

– “Squeak!… Squeak! Squeeze!!”
– “Stay still.”

The sight of a rabbit luring a nymph and devouring it. My enormous phallus sprang forth, dominating the screen and swiftly subjugating the nymph.

“Eh?”

Avi was reduced to a stunned silence, my erect member reflected in his innocent blue eyes.

“Ah, ah… A-A-Ah? Ah!!”

Avi blushed, taken aback and shielding his eyes.

“What the hell are you doing to the spirit!!”

“Pfft.”

At Avi’s outcry, Venice burst into laughter. Although slightly put off, the unexpected display had caused her to erupt into fits of laughter.

Venice giggled and wrapped her arms around my waist. She regarded me with a fond gaze, applauding the spectacle of the nymph being devoured.

“You’re indeed my friend.”

Squeaky and Mewling, the two spirits were lapping at my penis, causing Avi to frantically swipe at the screen in mid-air.

“No, no! This can’t be! I can’t accept this way of getting friendly!”

“That’s one way of doing it, isn’t it?”

“This is, this is, rape! How could you even think of raping a spirit… “

At Venice’s retort, Avi’s voice escalated into a high-pitched scream. His gaze at me was filled with revulsion. I smiled awkwardly and averted my gaze.

The innocent and cute country maiden was clearly unaccustomed to such a scene.

“Next, next! The next gateway. How to harmonize with the spirits in the village and build a society!”

The screen materialized once again.

“Your cock is delicious!”

“Ah!!!”

Avi’s eyes rolled back in his head, he staggered, and then collapsed onto the floor.

“Slurp, slurp… Mmm… Oh! Please fill me up… “
“Ah! Ah! If you keep tormenting my nipples like this… the nymph will go crazy!!”

Venice giggled and turned to Avi.

“Does this look like rape to you as well?”

Could this truly be happening? I sit in the chair, Venice nestled against me, feasting on a plethora of nymphs.

Forty of these nymphs, eyes glimmering with anticipation, queue for the privilege of receiving my manhood.

[…Ah, oh, oh…]

The mechanism, Abby, has malfunctioned.

Soon enough, we reach the third gateway.

– Let’s play another round. Yes?

A trial of battle, commanding the spirits as we clash. Venice, clinging to me, pitches a tent and pounces.

[This dungeon is not an inn… What in the world is happening outside… Ahh!]

The timid Abby flushes a deep crimson, her face a mask of anger and loss, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The fourth gateway is Saku’s domain. The helpless Abby, overwhelmed, powers down the screen and fixes us with a fierce glare.

[What, what are you doing! In the sacred dungeon… what have you done!]

“Everyone seemed to enjoy it, is there a problem?” Venice questions Abby in a cutting tone. Abby, her face contorted with fury, retorts.

[There are numerous problems!]

“What problems?”

[Well…]

In the heat of the moment, she finds herself speechless. Until Saku’s appearance, I would have said the faces were mostly positive. Abby, with tears welling in her eyes, sputters incoherently.

[This… for my descendants… a trial for the Elementalists, crafted with a lifetime of devotion…]

“You are quite ignorant, aren’t you?”

[Pardon?]

“I am a spirit here too. You created me.”

Abby’s eyes widen in surprise.

[You can’t be… Each spirit would not be able to pass through the gateway.]

“Dungeons inevitably encounter errors as they age. You brought me into existence, and I’ve lost count of my deaths. This dungeon, it resurrects me each time I die, doesn’t it?”

[…]

Venice’s words seem to baffle Abby, but she finally seems to comprehend, sealing her lips in horrified silence.

“I’ve experienced death thousands of times over. The injustice drove me to madness… Hence, I decided to visit you. Tsk.”

Venice takes her place at my side.

“You probably don’t even remember me. Well, who would expect that the elf you designated as a criminal would regain her sanity?”

[I… I didn’t realize…]

“Regardless. How do you intend to make amends?”

Straightening her posture to meet Venice’s challenge, Abby is rendered speechless.

[I… I am already dead. I can do nothing. Except apologize… I didn’t anticipate this…]

“So, an apology is all?”

She sets the stage, throwing a quick glance my way. Venice pinches my waist and laughs slyly, indicating that she intends to see how this unfolds.

Abby appears on the brink of death.

[Truly, there is nothing I can do.]

“Why not?”

Abby gazes at Venice, her face the picture of remorse. She’s far kinder than I’d anticipated, seemingly devoid of all spirit.

Venice advanced, seizing her father’s wrist.
His body was helplessly drawn forth.

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you? Everything we’ve endured to reach this point.”
[He laughed…]

Venice, gesturing towards me, wore a menacing grin.

“Strip, bitch.”
[…But, I am a corpse. He surely wouldn’t want this-]
“My friend mentioned even a corpse can be taken to bed.”

When did I ever say that?

“This one? He’s capable of satisfying any and all, regardless of age or gender.”

That is not true.

“He especially has a fondness for humans, you see?”

While that holds true, I don’t indulge in necrophilia.

[…With a corpse, you mean? How could a person…]

The disdain in his eyes, as he gazed at me, deepened.
Regardless, Venice’s countenance was one of delight.
Thrilling emotions began to seep through the connected lines, hinting at what the dungeon creator might command next.

Indeed, you’re the best. Do as you will.

[There’s also the final challenge-]

As Venice’s touch neared him, he clenched his eyes shut, radiating his magical power.

[I refuse…!]