The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 144

EP.144 Illusion and Reality (2)

 

Raymond walked through the village with heavy steps. The villagers, who had been engulfed in madness just moments ago, had returned to their ordinary lives. The children who had followed the adults in throwing stones were now playing with sticks, pretending to be knights.

“Sigh, what is this even?”

He sighed at the village chief’s request to kill the girl in the forest. Raymond had accepted the chief’s request for now. After all, this was just an illusionary world.

‘It doesn’t make sense in the first place.’

When he thought about it, it didn’t add up. Who would ask a stranger they just met to kill someone? The chief’s request was completely detached from reality. The village chief’s sudden behavior was as absurd as a poorly executed scam. If Raymond had tried to scam people in such a manner, he wouldn’t have been wanted in the first place. Who would fall for such a clumsy trick?

It was only possible because all of this was happening within an illusion. However, he couldn’t help but be troubled. Even though it was an illusion, this place felt as real as any other world. The gentle breeze, the earthy smell from the streets, even the texture of the soil felt vivid.

It was like a dream, yet distinctly different. Calling it an illusion seemed inadequate; it was practically another reality. Could he commit an evil act in such a world? No matter how much it was a mission, no matter how unreal it was, could he really bring himself to commit murder?

Raymond sighed as he looked at the translucent window.

[Task 4: Accept the village chief’s request and kill the girl.]

He had accepted the task but hadn’t carried it out yet. What would happen if he did? Would it be okay since it wasn’t reality? No, it wouldn’t be. Hadn’t he just witnessed the horror of the witch hunt? The sight of the woman burning to death had shocked Raymond deeply. With that shock still fresh, the village chief’s request only added to his turmoil.

‘This isn’t easy after all.’

The scholar Kaleido, who had cast this illusion magic on him, must have had a sinister hobby. There was no doubt about it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have included such vile tasks. It was obvious that Kaleido was enjoying watching Raymond struggle with his moral dilemmas.

‘Disgusting.’

Perhaps Kaleido was someone who couldn’t empathize with others’ emotions. The thought gave Raymond chills. Of course, as someone wanted for fraud, he wasn’t in a position to judge. He had caused harm to many people and ended up living in hiding. However, he had never directly shed blood.

The scars on Raymond’s face and body were the so-called consequences of his actions. They were the result of victims seeking revenge, but he could swear that he had never stained his hands with blood.

‘Let’s not think about it for now.’

Raymond shook his head. After all, the promise of so many gold coins was suspicious from the start.

sRaymond left the village, lost in thought. Even though it now appeared to be an ordinary village, he had already seen its dark underbelly. He no longer wanted to stay there. Once he was a suitable distance away, he looked up at the sky.

“Hey! Are you watching me?”

He shouted, addressing Kaleido, the one who had cast the illusion magic on him. He was sure Kaleido was watching the scene from somewhere, so he yelled loudly.

“Let me out of here!”

He no longer cared about the gold coins. If this was how his emotions were going to be eroded, he wouldn’t have started in the first place. Raymond wanted to shake off the unsettling feelings as quickly as possible, so he pleaded for Kaleido to break the illusion.

“……”

But there was no response. The sky remained blue, and the cool breeze dried the sweat on Raymond’s forehead.

“So, this is how it’s going to be!”

Frustration welled up inside him. If it came to this, he thought it might be better to take Kaleido’s gold coins.

‘Do you think I can’t do it? If that’s what you want, then so be it.’

Raymond drew the dagger from his waist. It was a dagger he had never used against a person, only carried for show.

‘I’ll complete the task quickly and get out of here.’

This wasn’t reality. He consoled himself with that thought as he headed into the forest. Before long, he arrived at the lakeside.

“……”

Near the lake, Raymond saw the girl playing with a monster. Her laughter rippled cheerfully across the water. He stopped and watched her. The task could be completed with a simple swing of his dagger. However, a seed of doubt began to grow in his mind.

Was this young girl truly a dangerous being?

According to the village chief, the girl was the offspring of another witch.

‘Crazy bastards.’

If the old woman’s words were true, the village had been consistently accusing and killing women as witches. Images of the old woman’s words and the executed woman flashed through his mind, overlaid with the image of the girl.

“Hmm.”

Even though he kept reminding himself that this was just an illusion, he couldn’t shake off the unease. Raymond slowly walked towards the girl. He tried to move quietly, but the rustling of the underbrush tickled his ears.

Rustle—

The sound of the underbrush under Raymond’s feet made the girl turn her head. Her curious eyes met his. Startled, Raymond quickly hid the dagger behind his back.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence hung between them. But they couldn’t just stand there staring at each other forever. After a long hesitation, Raymond finally spoke.

“Ah… right. I came to return this.”

He casually sheathed the dagger at his waist and pulled out a necklace from his pocket. It was the necklace the girl had dropped.

“……!”

The girl looked surprised when she saw the necklace, but she didn’t approach. Raymond extended the necklace towards the hesitant girl and spoke.

“It’s okay, I’m just here to return your necklace.”

The thought of killing the girl had completely vanished from his mind. He only intended to give her the necklace and leave. If Kaleido didn’t release him, he planned to wander around, doing anything but completing the mission. It was his small act of defiance against Kaleido.

“Go on, take it. I’m not from the village, and I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

He wondered if the girl’s wariness was a result of the villagers’ actions. At his words, the girl cautiously approached and took the necklace. When she shyly smiled after receiving it, a smile also crept onto Raymond’s face.

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***

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In the end, Raymond didn’t leave. He didn’t return to the village either, nor did he escape the illusionary world. He neither left the forest nor went back to the village.

“Hey, mister!”

Raymond looked up at the sound of someone calling him.

“Ah, Luna, you’re here.”

Luna was the name of the girl he had first encountered by the lake.

[Task 4: Accept the village chief’s request and kill the girl.]

The task remained unchanged. Of course, he had no intention of following through with such a cruel mission. Instead, he chose to live peacefully, maintaining his current way of life.

The day Raymond returned the necklace to Luna, he ended up having several conversations with her. Luna shared that her mother had passed away when she was very young, accused of being a witch and killed. Fortunately, Luna survived because she was still a child, and she wasn’t alone. Near the forest, there was a small inn run by her father.

If this were reality, Raymond would have found it strange for someone to run an inn in such a deserted place, but he let it slide. After all, this was an illusion. One positive aspect was the chance to experience nature after so long.

“Mister, my dad says it’s time for lunch!”

The once wary girl now approached Raymond without hesitation.

“Alright, just let me finish this—”

Raymond split the log with a swing of his axe. Unable to return to the village, he needed a place to stay, and Luna’s father had offered him shelter at the inn. It wasn’t for free, though. Despite Luna’s father’s insistence that he didn’t need to repay him, Raymond couldn’t accept that. Instead, he helped out by chopping wood and doing other chores.

Though it was hard work, it didn’t feel unpleasant. In fact, the satisfaction of working and sweating was refreshingly fulfilling. After splitting the remaining logs, Raymond followed Luna back to the inn.

‘It’s fascinating, really.’

Strangely enough, there were guests staying at the inn. It was curious that people would come to such a remote place. Initially, he engaged in conversations out of curiosity. Most of them claimed to be adventurers, which made Raymond shake his head in disbelief.

‘This really doesn’t seem any different from reality.’

Even the adventurers had their own unique stories, adding layers of detail that made the place feel even more realistic.

“Oh, you’re back, Raymond.”

The first to greet him upon entering the inn was Elliot, the owner and Luna’s father.

“I’ve got some delicious stew ready. Come, have a seat.”

Though stew was the only thing on the menu, it was incredibly tasty. The rich aroma of the meat tantalized his senses, and the soft potatoes and carrots melted in his mouth. The rabbit meat, slow-cooked to perfection, was a delight. The harmonious blend of various ingredients made it the best stew he had ever tasted. At times like these, the realism of the illusion was a blessing.

After finishing his meal, Raymond would take a break and chat with the adventurers staying at the inn. The adventurers needed information about the local geography, so these conversations were mutually beneficial.

“Haha, so you’re saying you’re a half-vampire, half-human?”

Occasionally, there were adventurers who said strange things, like the one in front of him now.

‘Interesting fellow.’

Perhaps traveling to various places had given him such a sense of humor. The adventurer in front of Raymond was part of a duo, a man and a woman. The man, who introduced himself as a half-vampire, was named Dambi. The woman beside him, who claimed to be a mage, was named Rils.

“It’s true. I am a half-vampire.”

Raymond couldn’t help but think that this illusionary world wasn’t perfect. In reality, such a claim would immediately attract the attention of inquisitors. But here, the man could freely declare himself a half-vampire, something only possible in an illusion.

‘Kaleido’s illusion magic isn’t flawless after all.

Despite the illusion, Raymond couldn’t help but scoff at the adventurer’s implausible introduction.

“Heh, monsters kill humans, yet here you are, living among us. Can you show us some of that power?”

Raymond played along, not wanting to spoil the jovial atmosphere. But then, a scream pierced the air.

“Ahhh!”

Raymond turned his head to see armed villagers storming into the inn. Leading them was a familiar figure—the village chief. As soon as the chief entered, he thrust a long spear into Elliot.

“What are you doing?”

Raymond shouted, his voice rising. Blood poured from Elliot’s abdomen, and he collapsed to the floor without even a scream.

“Dad!”

Luna’s anguished cry echoed through the inn.

“Those who consort with witches deserve to die! This is divine judgment! For sowing the seed with a witch and raising her child, he has received the punishment of judgment!”

But the chief was out of his mind.

“How dare you ignore my words and hide a witch! You’ve been bewitched yourself!”

With the chief’s words, the villagers, armed with weapons, advanced towards Raymond.