Chapter 276

276th Episode

Rift, Ceres’ Obsession 3

The dungeon.

The entrance to a maze of magic is varied and diverse.

While I am somewhat familiar with Pluto’s Labyrinth, whose entrance resembles that of a ruin, making it undeniably the dungeon’s entrance—contrarily, the entrances to dungeons where named monsters lurk often appear as caves or burrows, as if natural objects are unnaturally hollowed out.

In that sense, the newly-formed dungeon ‘Entrance of Fall’ on this Nymph’s Hill also belonged to the category of having quite an unusual entrance.

A rather gigantic tree stretching towards the sky at the hill’s entrance, and beneath its roots, a rabbit hole dug circularly.

Only, the size of it is quite considerable.

A rabbit hole large enough for a small car to enter—indeed, it feels eerily empty and dark like the earth has opened its mouth under the tree roots, creating quite a spooky atmosphere.

Antiope, who had rolled a coin inside to test it, knelt up and said,

“Considering this size, it’s certain this will be, at the very least, a Silver-rated dungeon. With such ambiguous participants, the damages will surely increase.”

Silver-rated dungeon.

In this world, not only adventurers but also dungeons and monsters are assigned a rating for extermination. One can think of a Silver-rated dungeon as something manageable by a Silver-rated adventurer.

Since Antiope, who has much experience, is saying it, the scale rating should be reliable.

I quietly regulated my breathing. Once we finish this mission, my promotion to a Silver-rated necklace will be confirmed. According to Hippolyte, this is under the condition that I survive, but seriously, with this group, it would be hard to d*e.

Of course, while I don’t know much about Vice Vein’s skills, an examiner from the Shrine Knights certainly wouldn’t be weak.

Everyone present should be skilled enough to take care of themselves, so I should stay focused on my own situation.

Honestly, I’m unsure what I can contribute among these formidable individuals, but simply staying out of the way might already be my part.

Alright.

Let’s do this.

Just as I was steeling my fighting spirit, Examiner Bain, who was squatting and brushing dust near the tree roots with his palms, nodded.

“Indeed, this seems to match the ‘Entrance of Fall.’ The location noted in the records, the faint traces of sealing, everything matches the documentation. The problem is….”

Before Bain could finish, Hippolyte, who had slightly placed her hand on her sword hilt, inquired,

“Is there an issue, Examiner Bain?”

“The seal appears slightly loosened. It seems something has already entered or exited here.”

“Wild beasts?”

Antiope took up this question, looking around and then focusing on the large burrow’s entrance.

“It could have been a rabbit or a deer that fell in. Or perhaps wild nymphs residing nearby. This is Nymph’s Hill, after all.”

“Wild nymphs? Are nymphs like wildlife?”

I briefly pondered what one could call people who live under the roof of the sky and dirt floors.

Perhaps ‘wild’ isn’t the best term. ‘Nomadic nymphs’ or ‘homeless nymphs’ might be better. Though, none of these seem fitting when compared to ‘wild nymphs.’

The mention of ‘wild nymphs’ brought back the memory of how Paranoi once hid in caves and burrows during her early days. Indeed, it felt plausible that a nymph could reside within this burrow.

If captured, would this make a friend for Paranoi who would enjoy it?

I recalled how Paranoi had once joined some kind of ‘Nymph Union’ or ‘Nymph Association.’

The image of Paranoi-like nymphs gathering made me chuckle, easing some of my tension.

“What’s so funny? Do you find entering a dungeon enjoyable? We could d*e or sustain serious injuries, you know.”

Hippolyte turned to me, asking. Maybe my expression had betrayed me. After days of being alone, I seem to have picked up some bad habits.

I loosened my lips into an awkward smile, and Hippolyte shrugged as if to indicate that she couldn’t understand my mood.

“We’re not in such a hurry, but you’ll be our vanguard, Hassan.”

“Am I the vanguard?”

“Yes. It’s Examiner Bain’s suggestion.”

Following Hippolyte’s gaze, I could see Bain busy writing down various reports. After jotting down something for a while, he finally straightened up and spoke.

“Samaritans possess strong mental defenses, so they should wield great power in Lady Ceres’ realms. Before we enter, I will cast a blessing to enhance everyone’s mental protections.”

Vice Vein picked up an odd-looking vial from his waistband and popped it open with a “Pop”. He then sprinkled the purple liquid inside onto the palms of his hands.

Whoosh.

As the wind blew, a sharp smell from the liquid reached our noses. The strong alcohol scent suggested it was indeed alcohol.

He didn’t merely sprinkle it around; he wildly swung it all over our bodies.

What, why is he throwing alcohol around?

While he sprinkled the alcohol, he prayed, “All-powerful Bacchus, His divine bl**d, His sanctified bl**d, we anoint on our bodies. Guard us with fiery gaze, give us courageous hearts—”

Praying while sprinkling alcohol seemed quite odd to me, but since neither Hippolyte nor Antiope objected, it must be normal.

Whoosh.

Despite the continuous dousing, a slight dizziness began to set in.

“Prayer to the almighty Bacchus concludes.”

Once the prayer was over, we looked like we had bl**d smeared all over us, covered in red stains. We looked exactly like ‘Spotty’.

Is this truly effective?

As Hippolyte looked down at her slightly flushed face, she commented,

“Indeed, Bacchus followers’ blessings boost our courage.”

“N-no, sis, I’m not drunk!”

Does this so-called courage-giving prayer not just make us drunk, dulling our senses?

Noticing my slight discomfort, Bain, after gulping down the remaining alcohol in the flask, explained,

“Entering Ceres’ realms with a clear head would be dangerous. Thus, it’s necessary to slightly cloud our minds beforehand. Samaritan, despite your seemingly clear spirit, will you be alright?”

“Then give me some more.”

So, I chugged down about two more bottles of the alcohol carried by Vice Vein. But no matter how much I drank, I couldn’t feel the effects of intoxication.

I rarely get drunk easily. Except for the one time when I had ‘snowflake alcohol’ with Luna and instantly blacked out, I’ve never been truly drunk before.

“Then, let’s proceed. Hassan, you in front.”

Hippolyte gave me the instruction. But she wasn’t looking at me; she was staring at Antiope.

“Hassan, are you not listening?”

Hippolyte, with furrowed eyebrows, placed her palm on Antiope’s shoulder and chest.

“Your chest muscles have gotten softer, Hassan—Have you neglected exercising lately?”

“Hey sis, you’re drunk—I’m not Hassan, you fool. Why do I see four eyes on you!”

Hmm.

I seriously sensed impending chaos.

Wow, I thought I was just a comfortable passenger on the back seat of a bus, but now I feel like a taxi driver stuck with three drunk people.

Everyone is mumbling nonsense, and the only sober ones are me.

“Hassan, shall we enter? We must destroy it all by today.”

Meanwhile, Vice Examiner Bain, despite having consumed such strong alcohol that others would pass out just from the smell, seemed quite mentally alert. His presence provided some reassurance.

Well, let’s just see how it goes.

*

According to the original plan, I was at the front, entering the rabbit hole.

Given it was under a massive tree’s burrow, there were thick roots and twigs, and even some horrifying beetles, but I easily swatted them away with my club.

The rabbit burrow was much bigger than the one I crawled through last time while hunting the Goblin King, spacious enough to accommodate a large bear easily.

After walking for a while, a large rock-like boulder obstructed our path. It was so huge that no amount of force I could muster would even budge it.

I looked around, and when I illuminated the ground with a torch, I noticed a small tunnel dug underneath the rock, possibly made by some small animals.

Could this be the trace of the nymph who perhaps entered earlier? However, the opening was too small for any of us to pass through.

I decided to halt and consult the group behind me.

“What should we do?”

“Big sister, I really cut that lightning—”

“Antiope, quiet down. My head’s pounding.”

Unfortunately, Hippolyte and Antiope grew increasingly drunk as time passed. The only composed ones were me and Bain.

“Bain, is it okay to keep dragging them along? They’re too drunk to comprehend anything.”

“It’s fine. Leave it to me.”

Then, Bain raised his hand in the air with a sweeping motion and clapped his hands with a loud “Clap,” addressing everyone like a teacher with young children.

“Alright, let’s push the rock together. Push as hard as you can. Push upwards, 1, 2, 1, 2.”

“Groan….”

“Ugh….”

Upon hearing his command, Antiope and Hippolyte, like shop patrons being hustled by a store owner during closing time, groggily moved forward and placed their palms on the rock.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Do you control people?”

“I can slightly manipulate and control the intoxicated, a gift given to me by Bacchus known as the ‘Blessing of the Drunken.’”

Wow, a blessing that allows the control of others! It was indeed a powerful gift befitting its name. This guy’s also a bearer of a Blessing.

Both Antiope and him belong to a group of about 10 Shrine Knights all endowed with unique blessings, as I’ve heard, and it seems to be true.

I couldn’t help but wonder.

“If you’re going to make them exert so much effort, wasn’t it unnecessary to intoxicate them in the first place?”

“Daughters of Mars inherently have weak mental defenses. Now, you understand why I’ve intoxicated them to gain control over them.”

With a combined effort, Hippolyte and Antiope gradually pushed the rock, creating a gap, which then thundered off somewhere as the massive boulder rolled away.

BOOM!

Simultaneously, a loud sound of something breaking erupted.

“The seal is broken. Now, the Entrance of Fall will truly reveal itself. We don’t know what we may encounter ahead—.”

I faintly heard Vice Vein say something definitive from behind, but my attention was wholly captured by the scenery in front, drowning out his voice.

The world that appeared after the boulder rolled away seemed less like a dungeon and more bizarre.

I imagined a subterranean ruin or dark caverns filled with menacing beasts, but the scene emerging before me resembled a secret, hidden garden.

Secret Garden.

Could there be any better description?

Densely packed red and yellow flowers swarmed like reeds. Amid the absence of sunlight, I’m not sure what source of light illuminated such brightness.

Watching petals and pollen swirling in the wind made my tension from before vanish, and I became completely absorbed in the mesmerizing view.

The colorful flowers and overwhelmingly sweet fragrances overwhelmed my mind. The warm air felt slightly sticky, creating a peculiar sensation.

Where have I felt this before?

I’ve felt this before on numerous occasions. Was it the plastic greenhouse where my mom painstakingly cultivated plants? Yep, this place resembles that environment.

As I was reminiscing amidst the memories, a tear unexpectedly trickled down my eye.

What’s this about, why am I tearing up?

Of course, I’m not crying because I feel sorrow; it’s the stinging sensation in my eye. It seems some spicy things like onions or garlic are mixed among these flowers. d*mn, the pollen makes it unbearable.

When I was rubbing my eyes in a panic, Vice Vein behind me, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

“The contamination of this space is worse than expected. If we linger here, we will become fertilizer like these people.”

“Fertilizer?”

His statement prompted me to look down at my feet, where the realization of how horrifying this place was struck me.

Under my feet, numerous bleached white bones were entangled in various roots, and there were quite a few of them. The beautiful flowers thrived upon the remains of these terrible cadavers beneath.

“What’s going on with this cr*p? They give us fertilizers like these!”

“Sacrifices made to Lady Ceres. If we stay here any longer, we’ll face the same fate, so let’s move promptly.”

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