"Ahh… I know who you are. You were the one who stopped me. You allowed me, who was wasting away in pain and sin, to die as a human being."
The speed at which my body was collapsing began to increase. The two legs below my pelvis had long ago melted away, and so had my left arm.
Only the right shoulder continued to move ominously, as if it was not yet dead, and showed signs of something sprouting from the cut surface.
I guess it would be okay to leave it alone, as it would be able to find rest before the new right arm sprouts. I listened to Lucia's words in silence.
"Oh, my good Lord, please show me mercy just once more and listen to the lamentations of this unforgivable sinner for a moment."
Lucia asked with a trembling voice. If it were a game, the options would have been to listen here or not listen there.
If you choose not to listen, the event ends there, and if you choose to listen, the conversation continues a bit more. However, there was absolutely no reason to come all the way here and choose not to listen.
"I will listen. Please speak."
"You are a very kind person. I appreciate your deep hospitality."
Lucia smiled faintly, but black liquid was seeping out of her smile. Because of that, her expression felt closer to crying than laughing.
"In the past, I was a priest who was called to subjugate this dungeon. Dozens of faithful priests set foot here."
The voice became even more faint.
"But this was not a place that could be destroyed by our own strength alone… and after making countless sacrifices, we ultimately failed."
Cough, Lucia coughed softly. Black liquid gushed out from between her parted lips. There was a gurgling sound of liquid boiling in her throat.
Lucia vomited black liquid several more times after that, and only after spitting out everything in her mouth did she finally manage to speak, her voice even hoarseer than before.
"I was one of those victims. When I gave up on clearing the Rune Dungeon and was about to return to the surface, a monster suddenly attacked me and I fell under the bridge."
Lucia, who fell under the bridge, unfortunately survived and did not die.
If he had died from the shock of the fall, it could have been considered a martyrdom as a priest, but he survived in this state, so it was an ending worse than death.
"I, who should have died, somehow opened my eyes again. And when I opened my eyes… it was already too late for anything to be undone."
Her voice grew increasingly sad. Her half-rotten face was twisted in agony.
"At first, I prayed earnestly to God. Please save me from this suffering… I prayed that you would show mercy and compassion to your followers."
Sadness turned to gloom.
Now that he has returned as a priest, it is difficult for him to recall the things he did in the past, the blasphemies he committed while half-mad from pain.
"But God never answered my prayers. I began to curse and blaspheme against Him, swearing and cursing and committing unspeakable acts."
As if to prove that Lucia's heart was wavering, the cut surface on her right shoulder began to wiggle more violently.
Lucia, who noticed the ominous atmosphere, stopped talking and took a deep breath. Her mouth opened again after a while and the trembling of the cross-section had subsided.
"My resentment continued for a very long time. It continued until the kind One came and brought me back to my senses through suffering. I committed a sin that is absolutely unforgivable."
I could see her lips, covered in black liquid, trembling.
"But you, who prevented me from insulting God any longer, and at the last moment, you guided me to the right path so that I could return to being a human and die as a priest serving God. I do not know how I can repay the graces you have given me, when the flame of life will soon be extinguished...."
The head turned completely towards me. Even though both of its eyes were covered in black liquid and probably not functioning properly, I felt like it was looking straight at me.
"My dear friend, you must have come from the Holy Land. You must be a very devout person, to have used the Divine Catalyst so freely...."
Lucia mistook me for a person from the Holy Land.
This was the reason why the event would only proceed if the Holy Catalyst placed in the boss room was used more than three times. Only then would Lucia, who mistook the player for a person from the Holy Nation, ask for her next favor.
If you use anything other than the sacred catalyst in the boss room, you will not be able to proceed. The exact reason is unknown. There is only speculation that it is because it is not Lucia's own item.
Of course, Lucia had no idea that the Divine Catalyst she had dropped had been contaminated, and was therefore usable even by non-believers.
"You are faithful and kind."
The voice was wet and choked up. He stammered as if his throat was choking up, and then barely managed to continue.
"Can I... return to God again?"
There was a lot of sobbing mixed in with the words. If his face had been normal, he would have asked this question with a loud sob.
"Even I, who have blasphemed God, cursed God, and resented God… can I return to being a priest and be held in God's arms?"
With that, Lucia kept her mouth shut as she waited for my answer. Now it was time for the second option of the event to come up.
Yes, or no.
If you choose 'no' here, you will cry out in sorrow, saying that it was only natural, and that what salvation could a sinner who could not overcome this pain and committed blasphemy hope for?
And the player could either choose to leave Lucia to suffer forever, or give her peace with his own hands and leave the Rune Dungeon.
Additional dialogue existed for each case. If left alone, he would beg for them not to abandon him, and if killed, he would be happy to find peace, but also worried that he would end up in hell.
"Yes."
But I had no intention of choosing that option.
"God will surely welcome you more for returning to Him than for committing a sin."
Even in the game, I never once denied Lucia's words, so why would I do that here?
By the way, it is unknown whether Lucia actually returned to God. That is something that is not mentioned even after searching through the item descriptions in the game.
So, depending on your perspective, both options could be seen as lies.
However, most people did not care about that and chose 'yes' so that Lucia could sleep comfortably. According to the 10th anniversary statistics, the percentage of first-time clear users choosing 'yes' was 93%.
"Ah... Thank goodness. Even a sinner like me is welcomed warmly. God... is truly generous."
The smile on her lips grew even deeper. It was a smile that seemed extremely satisfied, without any hint of sadness.
"Kind person… I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness. Although all I can offer is my gratitude in words… I hope that my sincerity is conveyed…."
The sorrow and sighs that had been abundant in every word had disappeared without a trace. The voice had diminished to a level where it was barely audible, but the sound of breathing was much more comfortable than before.
Lucia licked her lips one last time.
"Merciful Sun... Merciful Moon... I, a sinner... will return... to your side...."
With those words, her lips that had been moving stopped. Her chest, which should have risen and fallen with each breath, also stopped moving.
I closed my wide-open eyes, covered in black liquid, with two fingers. It was impossible to do that in the game, but it was okay for now.
This was the best I could do. The game didn't mention how to turn Lucia back into a human, and I didn't have the power to do so.
After closing my eyes, I picked up Lucia's sacred catalyst that had fallen nearby. This was an item that I would later hand over to the Heretic Inquisitor. The event wasn't over yet.
I walked towards the rune stone, leaving behind Lucia's corpse, which had turned into a black liquid and was starting to melt away.
The guys that appear above will be dealt with by the Knight Commanders and the Inquisitors.
"Aren't you worried about the safety of your guests?"
"Huh? What?"
Selene asked in a bewildered voice, looking at the knight commanders standing around comfortably without any sense of caution. It's hard to believe that something could pop up anywhere at any time, yet they look so peaceful.
"Your Majesty, you jumped into the Rune Dungeon alone. How did you—"
"Oh, you were talking about Delta?"
Lize chuckled.
"At first, I thought so, but then I realized that it was something I had already explained to you in the morning. I was a little surprised because the expression "jumping" wasn't a metaphor… But it's not the first or second time he's done something like that. It's time to get used to it."
"...It sounds like you've done that kind of thing often in the past."
"I did a lot of things. I think we lost 10 years of our lives because of him. He's going to charge me for it all later."
"...."
"I know what you're thinking, but if you're worried about Delta, you don't have to."
Lize continued speaking in a calm voice.
"Delta has never broken his word. It's obvious that it sounds impossible and ridiculous, but then it comes back as a success. I'm saying that it's the one who worries that loses."
"It may sound like nonsense, but he is a person who is capable of keeping his word. He said he would clear the Rune Dungeon within 30 minutes this time, so he will show up soon."
Erica added to what Lize had said. After hearing that explanation, Selene decided to slightly revise her assessment of Delta.
Didn't you clearly say that you were a new knight? I couldn't understand at all what you had been doing to make the knight commanders react like that in such a short time.
… … Actually, I think I can understand a little bit. After all, he was the one who had crushed the Heretic Judge in the duel with overwhelming skill. So, his skill was definitely certain.
Even leaving aside the actions.
"I don't know if we're in a position to make this suggestion to you, but you can rest for now. The appearance of the Delta monsters will be obvious after the scenery here has changed."
For a moment, the ground rumbled and shook, causing Claudia's words to pause.
"...That's what happened."
The black liquids that had been covering the entire area began to gather somewhere. The plants and the sky regained their original colors. The sunlight that poured down also became much more splendid.
Claudia grabbed the handle of the greatsword she had placed on the ground. Lize and Erica drew their weapons, and Iris aimed the tip of her longsword at the spot where the black liquid was gathering.
"This must be the change Delta was talking about. Everyone, prepare for battle. It's time to fight."
"Is that black liquid?"
"It would be stranger if it weren't for that. Even at first glance, he looks ominous."
The black liquid gathered in one place transformed into the shape of a strange monster. It was a six-legged beast with six legs, two heads, and a weight like a hammer on its tail.
Dozens of tentacles sprouted in a straight line along the spine, writhing in a disgusting manner. Anyone who saw it could tell that it was a monster, its appearance said.
"All hands. Prepare for battle."
Selene gave a short and concise command. The battle nuns raised their rapiers in unison.
The monster looked left and right with its two heads, then licked its lips. Its tongue extended out of its mouth and licked the area nearby.
"The kingdom of heaven is for the faithful."
The thinnest and sharpest silver rapier was imbued with silver divine power. Its purple eyes burned coldly.
"Give hell to unbelievers."