Chapter 2630 – 2630. Dark Moon

The group tailing Eugene discovered a violet portal and briefly held their breath.

The foreignness emanating from the portal was extraordinary. Those present were confident in their expertise regarding dungeons, having conquered several. Yet, even they had never encountered a dungeon like this.

“It’s definitely not an ordinary dungeon.”

“How did that mage find out about this dungeon?”

“He’s at least a 5th-circle mage. There’s no way such a mage would come here without any information.”

They cautiously approached the dungeon portal.

“Coming closer, I can feel it. The mana concentration is immense.”

“…Earlier, it looked like the dungeon was swallowing the mage whole. Don’t get too close recklessly.”

They investigated and discussed various aspects of the dungeon portal before reaching a conclusion.

“This is a special dungeon unlike any we’ve seen before. The danger level is undoubtedly high.”

“Dungeons are high risk, high return. The more dangerous, the better.”

“Wait a minute. Isn’t it strange? That mage entered this dungeon alone. If he knew about the dungeon, he wouldn’t dare enter alone, would he?”

“The dungeon’s condition might be related to the number of people. There are dungeons that become more dangerous with more people, aren’t there?”

“So, what are we going to do? Wait here for the mage to come out with the dungeon rewards and then ambush him? What if the mage fails to conquer the dungeon and it disappears?”

All eyes turned to the leader. The leader stroked his chin, pondered, and then made a decision.

“We’re going in. The mage entered the dungeon alone. That means it might be less dangerous than we think. And we’ll sell the dungeon information to the Raven Knights and mercenaries for everyone’s benefit. Even if the Raven Knights become hostile, the mercenaries allied with us will protect us.”

“What if they conspire and betray us?”

“The chances are low, but… then there’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to die. There’s always risk in everything we do. What, are you scared?”

“Ha. Scared? I could go in right now.”

They prepared to enter the dungeon, wary of the portal. Among them, some were busy passing information to the Red Pelshion, a neighboring area and an enemy of the Raven Knights.

Loyalty among comrades? There was some, but not enough to overcome money. They weren’t going to chase dungeons for the rest of their lives, so they had to gather as much money as possible while they could. Besides, selling information wasn’t new to them. They were just acting as usual.

And about 10 minutes later, they entered the dungeon portal.

• • •

Upon entering the dungeon portal, I sensed darkness and used magic.

[Light]

A sphere emitting white light appeared above my head, brightly illuminating the surroundings.

The floor, walls, and ceiling were blocked by dark red fleshy walls. The stuffy heat and slight stench emanating from the fleshy walls, along with the purple energy flowing on their surface, made it an unpleasant place. However, the mana concentration here was absurdly high.

I wasn’t surprised. I already knew the identity of this dungeon through the original game.

I checked my body.

Absolute Polymorph had been deactivated, and my face had returned to normal.

All magic was deactivated upon passing through the portal. Absolute Polymorph was no exception. Since I didn’t need to worry about anyone’s gaze in this dungeon, I didn’t change my appearance.

“Oh. A new mage has arrived. You poor thing.”

I turned my head towards the voice. A man wearing leather rags and a wooden mask stood in the passage. He had a bronze complexion and held a staff with a bird’s skull embedded in it. I felt the dark mana emanating from him.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the man. He wasn’t a character from the original game.

“A dark mage. Are you my enemy?”

“I am the dark mage Kukuru. I am your trial opponent, but not your enemy. Welcome to the body of the Vision Forsaker, Belk, mage.”

“Not my enemy? How can I believe that? A failure eaten by Belk.”

“It seems you know the identity of this dungeon. Well, I came in knowing it too. I thought I’d be fine… As you can see, the result of my recklessness is this. First, to answer your question, I am a 6th-circle necromancer.”

“I see. So you’re using necromancy to control the souls subjugated by Belk. That’s why you’re maintaining your sanity.”

“Ho ho. You’re quick-witted. I like that you’re getting to the point quickly. This place is inside Belk’s body. If you die here, your soul will be eaten by Belk. You won’t be able to achieve enlightenment or annihilation, and you’ll be subjugated and have your magic stolen. Now, do you understand what I want?”

“You’re saying you’ll cooperate with me in exchange for liberation.”

“Being trapped here is starting to push my sanity to its limits. You fell into the trap of a transcendent, but fortunately, the transcendent is not in their right mind. I will guide you. I will help you get what you want. You have nothing to lose. Isn’t that a pretty attractive deal?”

I calculated in my head.

On the surface, I had nothing to lose. Even with my knowledge from the original game, reality and computer games were different, so his guidance would make conquering the dungeon much easier.

‘If his words are lies and he’s looking for the best opportunity to attack… I still have the initiative. Necromancers aren’t known for their speed or firepower.’

On the other hand, lightning magic was the pinnacle of speed and power. The difficulty and mana efficiency of the magic itself weren’t great, though.

‘As long as I have Flash and Memorize, and Meltis’s Ring, I have the initiative.’

The blue ring on my left index finger, Meltis’s Ring, was my trump card.

It was a cheat-like artifact that could store three spells and activate them without conditions. It could also steal magic if the conditions were met.

The currently stored spells were Resurrection, Thunder Break, and Frost Horn.

If Kukuru showed any signs of betrayal, I could attack and subdue him first. I had the initiative.

“I have one condition.”

“You’re greedy, like a mage. Tell me.”

“You’re maintaining your physical form here because you’re a special mage recognized by Belk. Hand over the arcane magic you possess.”

“Arcane magic, you say. Do you even know what arcane magic is?”

Arcane. It’s known as magic passed down in secret. People believe it’s called arcane because it’s so powerful and dangerous that it has to be passed down in secret.

But the reality is different. Most of the arcane magic known to the world was fake, or close to it.

“Arcane. I know it refers to the power of the void, the arcane.”

I heard laughter from behind Kukuru’s wooden mask.

“Some say that the origin of mana began in the void. The void is the purest power. The arcane. Haha. You know a part of the truth of the world.”

Because the arcane was dangerous, the world had transformed Arcane into secret magic. Most of the arcane magic known to the world was a dummy.

“True arcane magic uses the arcane. It’s so similar to mana that even mages themselves have difficulty distinguishing between the arcane and mana. One of the reasons I came here was to obtain true arcane magic.”

The most mysterious and special power in this world. The arcane. I knew that the power of the Dark Moon was also a variation of the arcane.

“Haha. Good. I’ll tell you. But arcane is not something you can use just by being told. You might not have the talent for it. If that’s the case, give up cleanly.”

Kukuru extends his hand into the air. Dark mana gathers in front of his hand, and a dark red magic circle is drawn. I focused all my attention on the magic circle.

“To be honest, I don’t know the exact principle of arcane magic. I can’t even understand how this magic is established. I had several opportunities to learn other arcane magic during my life, but this is the only one I could learn.”

Even as he spoke, I focused on the magic circle. There was a limit to deciphering the entire formula just from the magic circle. So, I was focusing on something else. Dark mana? No, the arcane hidden at its core.

And I felt the arcane. That power was… indescribable except as mysterious.

The necromancer chanted as if putting the finishing touch.

“Death Ray.”

A dark red laser with a diameter of 1 meter shot out straight from the magic circle, piercing through the fleshy wall. The laser continued to shoot out, obliterating everything in its path without leaving even dust.

The path the Death Ray had pierced. It seemed to be at least 30 meters.

“As you can see, it can obliterate almost anything. But don’t get too caught up in its power. I’ve been blocked several times even after using Death Ray. It can also be affected by various other factors.”

“I know that much.”

The pierced fleshy wall regenerated as if nothing had happened and filled the hole.

I learned the magic formula for Death Ray from Kukuru.

“An incomplete magic formula. Are you not teaching me properly?”

“That’s all there is to the Death Ray magic formula. Try it once. Then you’ll understand.”

Half in doubt, I unfolded the incomplete magic formula.

A dark red magic circle was drawn in the air. Instead of dark mana like Kukuru, ordinary mana was being drained.

The incomplete magic formula began to complete itself on its own. I realized that the arcane was involved and chanted.

[Death Ray]

A dark red laser shot straight forward. Depending on how I used mana, I could adjust its power. The amount of mana consumed was significant.

‘Considering the difficulty of the formula and the required magical sensitivity, it’s a 6th-circle spell.’

I smiled in satisfaction, looking at the wall that had been blown open in front of me.

“The range is limited, but I like the power.”

“…You mastered Death Ray in one go? What kind of ridiculous talent is that….”

“Thanks to you, I learned something good. Let’s move on. By the way… can others besides me enter this dungeon?”

“Did you have companions? Then it’s a shame. Those who are not qualified appear in different places. Most of them don’t make it out alive.”

“They’re not my companions.”

“Is that so? Then you don’t need to worry about them. Focus on your own work. If you fail, I won’t be able to escape this dreadful place and will remain trapped.”