ushernet Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Let’s rewind time a little, to just before Paimon collapsed.
She had revealed an incredible amount of information to me.
So much that it seemed she was defying logic itself, almost to a devoted extent.
Most of what she shared was about the EX-Class Gate.
“So, what is it? The one thing that works on the monster inside that EX-Class Gate?”
“If I even utter it aloud, I’ll probably faint on the spot, woof.”
“...It’s that severe?”
“That severe, woof. So let me start with the less burdensome details, woof. First....”
First, the internal details about the gate.
The moment we step inside, we’ll face countless legions of monsters.
Hundreds will feel like nothing—a minor nuisance compared to the sheer scale of the horde.
An endless, undead army that respawns infinitely.
“Respawning? That’s what all the monsters in other gates do. If Master and I clean them out, that’s the end of it.”
“Even so, within half a day, the place will be crawling with them again, woof. Maybe even sooner, woof.”
“...This difficulty level is insane.”
“Even in the demon realm, interfering with that place was considered suicide, woof. Running away was the only way to survive, and I still believe that, woof.”
At this point, Paimon glanced at me.
She cupped her chest and spread her fingers wide.
“This amount of mana could save up to five people,” she seemed to imply.
It wasn’t even worth considering.
“Did you chew grass instead of mana herbs? Not interested.”
“...Grass? What nonsense is that all of a sudden, woof?”
“You don’t need to know. Just keep explaining.”
“Ahem. Then what you need to do is....”
When I flatly refused, Paimon sighed regretfully but continued explaining.
In any case, a prolonged battle against an endlessly resurrecting army was pointless.
The only option was to ignore the respawns and charge straight ahead.
Straight to the dungeon’s ruler, the boss monster.
The boss room.
“You want me to find the boss room in a dungeon crawling with over ten thousand monsters? I’ll die before I even locate it.”
“Which is why I said it’s suicide... Ahem. But don’t worry, woof. That tiny one will help guide you, woof.”
“Tiny one?”
“The snarky little spirit living in your soul, woof.”
“Oh, Hypnosis-chan.”
In addition,Hypnosis-chan was supposed to act as a navigator.
If I followed her directions, I could reach the boss room relatively quickly—or so Paimon claimed.
Hypnosis-chan might be out of commission due to a system repair issue, but the explanation stood.
Once we reached the boss room...
The final battle would begin.@@@@
“There, you’ll face ‘that being,’ woof.”
“What? Right away?”
“Don’t worry, woof. It won’t be its true body, just an avatar. A puppet containing only fragments of its terrifying power, woof.”
“Phew. That’s a relief. I was about to freak out for nothing....”
“Not that it matters, woof. Even with just the two of you—your Master and you—you wouldn’t stand a chance against it, woof.”
This was the core of the problem.
With our current forces, a final boss raid was utterly impossible.
Even though Master had just evolved, this felt like a cruel twist of fate.
“Wait, isn’t it just an avatar? Not even the real thing? How strong can it be?”
“Strength isn’t the issue, woof. If just the two of you go, your souls will freeze solid mid-fight, woof.”
Paimon explained grimly.
Even transcendents couldn’t stand before that being for long.
Like a candle in an icy storm, our souls would freeze over—
This was how she described it.
In simpler terms, it meant our souls would be hit with a freezing debuff.
“If you had truly close comrades, it might be a different story, woof. Souls burn hotter when united, woof.”
“So, if I bring other allies who aren’t transcendents, would that work?”
“In that case, at least you wouldn’t freeze right away, woof.”
Fortunately, the solution was similar to dealing with the cold.
Even without transcendents, as long as allies stuck together tightly, they could hold out for a while...
“But only while they’re alive, woof. Who knows how long that will last, woof.”
“What if Master and I protect them while we fight?”
“You think you can shield dead weight while fighting something you can’t even guarantee victory against, woof?”
“.......”
“And if your so-called allies just sit back and watch? Their souls will never burn together with yours, woof.”
I quickly grabbed Shia by the shoulders and pressed her for an answer.
If the other allies could do what Shia just did, it would open a path forward in this seemingly impossible raid.
And then, Shia said:
“The other day, you know, when we slept together? It’s thanks to what you gave me then.”
“...What?”
“That white, sticky stuff. You filled my mouth with so much of it.”
“......”
She dropped a bombshell so outrageous it drained the energy right out of me.
“And then, boom! I felt this surge of energy. Thanks to that, I can touch monsters now... and you, too.”
“...Ah.”
‘So it’s because of that divine power.’
Back when I was with Shia, I hadn’t even evolved yet.
It couldn’t have been anything related to transcendence or anything like that.
That left only one possibility:
The divine power sealed inside me.
Somehow, it must have granted Shia a portion of its strength.
Enough to let her make contact with me, a transcendent, despite not being one herself.
And now... it was passed through... that.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
Even if this world was originally designed as some adult game, wasn’t this too much?
Did it really have to stoop to this level, even in such a critical situation?
“...It could be caused by something else, right?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, what if it’s just from touching me? Something like that?”
Desperation made me clutch at straws.
I could already see how this was going to play out if it turned out to be true.
The sheer absurdity of the situation was almost overwhelming.
And Shia’s response?
“Oh~ Then we can test it again, can’t we?”
“...What?”
“Actually, the effect wore off a while ago. Even earlier, when I hit you, I was squeezing out the last bits of it.”
She started walking toward me, her smile growing more mischievous with every step.
It was the kind of smile that said, “Gotcha, you’re not getting away.”
Instincts honed by married life screamed at me to flee, but—
“Sh-Shia? Don’t tell me....”
Before I could back away, she dropped to her knees in front of me.
“C’mon, just give me a little more, okay?”
“......”
She moved faster than I could step back.
And there she was, kneeling before me.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Seriously.’
***
Approximately Nine Hours Later
“Chairwoman, would you at least consider wearing gloves for today’s battle? I’m begging you, for once in my life.”
“Stop with your nonsense and just apply it properly. I tested it earlier, and it worked wonders! Now slather it on generously!”
“......”
“Dad, look at this~ Sis and I are all sticky-sticky on our faces~.”
“Haru, you little rice cake, why are you smearing it on your face when it’s meant for weapons? Never mind... I guess it doesn’t matter since neither of us actually uses weapons.”
“.........”
‘Oh, dear God. Please, do not forgive this despicable fiend!!!’
And so, the Ritual of Departure began.