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DN : [362] Finished!
🕑 Added 2024-11-20 16:00:04 +0000 UTC"You’re finally back, August."
Before anyone saw the speaker, Loki’s voice echoed through the room.
August turned along with the others to see Loki, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth walking in. As soon as they laid eyes on August, the four of them broke into smiles of relief. Over the past three days, it wasn’t just Ais who had been worried—Loki and the others had been equally concerned.
"I’m back, Loki," August greeted.
"Good to see you, kid! No major problems on this trip, I hope?" Loki asked, grinning.
"No major issues, but I might have caused a pretty big one."
"Huh? What kind of trouble did you stir up this time?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion.
"Nothing much. I just eliminated the real body of that Corrupt Spirit deep within the dungeon."
Everyone froze at his words, including Finn, Riveria, Tsubaki, and the others, who had been there when August had defeated the Corrupt Spirit before. They had seen him kill it with their own eyes. Hadn’t it already been destroyed?
"What’s going on?" Loki’s expression turned serious.
"The Corrupt Spirit we defeated on the 59th floor was only a fragment, a clone. The true body was deeper within the dungeon, where it had fused with the dungeon itself."
"Wait, are you saying the real Corrupt Spirit was in the deepest part of the dungeon, and it merged with the dungeon?" Loki’s eyes widened.
"That’s right."
"You’ve got to be kidding! The dungeon has existed for thousands of years. How could it merge with a single spirit?"
"I don’t know how. But after I killed the Corrupt Spirit’s true body, the dungeon stopped producing monsters," August explained.
"What?!"
Loki’s shock was palpable. "The dungeon stopped creating monsters? How is that even possible?"
"Calm down," August said, raising a hand. "That’s the big issue I was talking about. It seems like the dungeon... died."
"Wait, August, that’s not something to joke about," Finn interjected, his voice tense. Orario’s entire economy, its countless families, and all the adventurers relied on the existence of the dungeon. While it was dangerous, it was also their lifeblood, like a hunter depending on the forest for game.
If one day someone told you the forest was gone, how would the hunter survive?
"If you don’t believe me, go see for yourselves. Ever since the Corrupt Spirit died, no new monsters have appeared in the dungeon."
"Are you sure about that?" Finn asked, clearly on edge.
"Well... I’m not entirely sure. It’s just a guess," August said, though he was fairly certain. Still, it wasn’t wise to fully admit it just yet.
The implications of what he had done were huge. If the dungeon truly ceased to exist, Orario’s role as the center of the world would crumble. The city’s strength and wealth were built on the dungeon, and without it, the adventurers would have no purpose. Many industries and the magic stone-powered technology they depended on would also fail.
Orario itself was built on the dungeon. If it was gone, the city would fall from its pedestal.
After a long pause, Loki’s expression grew grave. "I need to talk to Uranus."
Without another word, she left the Familia headquarters in a hurry, knowing the gravity of the situation.
The others exchanged glances, understanding the enormity of the problem. If the dungeon was truly gone, the Loki Familia might have no choice but to disband or leave Orario. Without the dungeon, they could no longer grow as a Familia, and they would need to find a new home.
Orario, despite being one of the world’s three great mysteries, was not the only one of its kind.
August, however, wasn’t too concerned about any of this. His thoughts were focused on two goals. First, he needed to deal with Dionysus, that lunatic god, and test if he could truly "kill a god" with his newfound power. After that, it would be time to leave. He had recently drawn a Travel Card during his last pull, granting him the ability to venture into another world.
This new journey was calling to him. And this time, August intended to bring Ais and Tsubaki along. His personal dimension was starting to take shape, and of course, he wanted his women by his side.
After all, once he left this world, time would freeze here. He could always come back whenever he felt like it.
August spent the rest of the day with Ais and Tsubaki, cherishing their time together.
Later that evening, he made his way alone to the Freya Familia’s headquarters.
Due to the dungeon’s recent unrest, Freya had moved out of Babel Tower and back to her Familia’s residence. As August arrived, the members of her Familia fell silent, their eyes wide as they saw him pass. Even the Four Great Warriors, Freya’s strongest retainers, turned and walked away without saying a word when they encountered him.
When he finally found Freya, their reunion was a passionate one. Being with a goddess, especially in such an intimate way, was truly a unique experience.
"You’ve changed," Freya remarked after their time together. "The power you’ve gained from the divine crystal has transformed you."
"It wasn’t just the divine crystal," August said. "It was more like the catalyst."
Freya’s sharp gaze softened as she studied him. "The darkness within you has grown, far stronger than before. And it’s no longer just lust. There’s something else."
"Impressive as always, goddess. You never miss a thing," August said with a smirk. His transformation into the Demon Lord of Lust and Gluttony had indeed brought new depths to his being.
"You didn’t come here just for this. There’s something you want to tell me, isn’t there?"
"Yes," August replied. "The dungeon is destroyed, so I came to give you a heads-up."
"You did this?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly.
"Yes."
Unlike with Loki, August didn’t bother hiding anything from Freya. Her surprise was evident. Even as a goddess, the idea that August had destroyed the dungeon was almost too much to believe.
"You came all the way here just to tell me that?" Freya asked, sensing there was more to his visit.
"Move your Familia quickly," August advised. "Get ahead of the others. The first to act will have the advantage."
Freya smiled knowingly. "I see. Thank you, August. I owe you."
"No need for thanks. It’s mutually beneficial," he said.
Freya chuckled at his words. She understood perfectly well. It was a simple exchange—she gave him her time, and he gave her valuable information.
"You’re not planning to leave with Loki, are you?"
"Not just me. Ais won’t be staying either."
"So, you’ve decided to leave this world," Freya said softly.
"Yes. Just a sudden impulse," August replied.
With the Travel Card in hand, the fire of adventure burned bright within him. The mysteries of new worlds called to him, and he was eager to see what lay ahead.
That night, August didn’t return to the Loki Familia. Instead, he spent it indulging in the beauty and allure of the goddess Freya.
