CHAPTER 260: RUNNING BACK

　I am blind. I am deaf. I am mute. I don’t know what’s going on around me.

　I managed to summon my strength and build magic.

“Di… Divine light… heal your people [Holy Light].” (Rook)

　Gradually, the ambient light returns, the sound returns, and the sensation in my body return.

　The surrounding cobblestones have been gouged out, and the room that used to be a temple is just a pile of rubble, still burning with black flames.

　Then I saw Shion, motionless beneath my body.

“Shion!” (Rook)

　Shit! Sure, the Divine Shield prevented a direct hit, but this magic only prevents frontal attacks. It couldn’t prevent the effect of such massive, wide-area magic.

“Sacred light, heal your people [Holy Light]!” (Rook)

　Please! Please let me be on time!

　The restorative light envelops Shion and heals everything.

　Please! Please!

　Perhaps my wish was heard, Shion twitches.

 

“Kyu?” (Shion)

　Then he woke up and made a confused expression.

 

　At that moment, I hugged Shion with relief. At the same time, I remembered who I should have worried about first.

“What happened to him?” (Rook)

　I looked up and explored my surroundings.

　The walls and floors on the exit side of the room have been gouged out and turned into a pile of rubble. The throne at the far end of the room is nearly intact – a staff, a black cloth, and some bones are scattered in front of the throne.

　I stood up and looked around.

　Sprinkling the remaining holy water over the still-burning black flames to extinguish them, I slowly make my way toward the bones.

　When I got closer, I could see the skull through the black cloth-robe and the arm and leg bones scattered around it, and I knew it was that corpse.

“…did we win?” (Rook)

　The [Turn Undead] I had unleashed worked.

　I won. I won.

　I was finally convinced that I had won.

“Guh…” (Rook)

　Relief and exhaustion make me feel light-headed, but I force myself to hold it together and step forward.

 

　I want to take a rest right now, but I can’t.

　I beat the boss. I had indeed won. But the problem starts from here. The game begins here.

　Now is no time to bask in victory, no time to relax here.

“Shion! Hurry! Shion, collect the potion bottles that have fallen!” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

　First, pull off the staff and robe that the skeleton has and store them in my magic bag.

　When I took the robe, I found some tools mixed in with the bones, so I took those as well.

　Then I went to the altar behind the throne and stood in front of a transparent ball the size of a volleyball, which was placed in the center of the altar.

　The ball seemed to glow suspiciously as if it knew its future.

　I held up my Mithril Alloy Cudgel.

“This is the end!” (Rook)

　I swung the Mithril Alloy Cudgel high and swung it down on the crystal with all my might.

　With a light touch, the clear crystal ball easily cracked open and was cut in half.

　With this, this Aluppo dungeon is cleared…

　I was filled with a variety of emotions, but I didn’t have time to think about them, so I hurriedly put them in a cloth bag and stored them.

“The rest is the artifacts.” (Rook)

　Behind the place where the crystal ball was, there is a golden treasure chest. I guessed that the artifact was in this box.

 

“I don’t have time, so I’ll take the whole box.” (Rook)

　Let’s leave the contents for later. I’d like to collect this gorgeous-looking box anyway since it seems to have some value.

“To a new world. Open the dimensional door, [Holy Dimension]!” (Rook)

　For the time being, I put my loot into the open Holy Dimension.

　I also collect the potion bottles that Shion retrieved so as not to leave any trace of me being here.

“…with this, all the evidence has been erased.” (Rook)

　I looked around, but there were no more objects to be recovered.

“Then Shion, you can wait inside. I’ll go back to the poisoned area from here.” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

“Alright! We’re leaving!” (Rook)

“Kyu!” (Shion)

　Understood! With Shion’s reply, I closed the Holy Dimension and started running outside.