NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 25
EP.25 The Game I Was Playing Was Real (1) (Revised)
– The dungeon support has been successfully completed. –
“it finished successfully this time.”
It had been about two hours since Celia was dispatched to the Incubus Dungeon.
Finally, the notification indicating success appeared. It seemed like Celia had done a good job this time.
– The relationship with the Incubus Dungeon ‘Temptation of Illusion’ has become friendly. –
“Oh, there’s a system like this too?”
Indeed, when she helps so well, not only do the relationships become friendly, but it’s also quite pleasant.
Last time, when I asked her for help, she almost ended up taking over the dungeon, and I was left in confusion. However, Celia was still Celia.
“Is it okay to be so diligent?”
Is there anything I can give to Celia, who works so hard?
– The master of the Incubus Dungeon ‘Temptation of Illusion,’ Azmo, has sworn allegiance to Celia, going beyond a friendly relationship. –
“?”
– The master of the Incubus Dungeon ‘Temptation of Illusion,’ Azmo, has sworn allegiance to the great master with deep respect. –
What’s going on now?
– Congratulations! The dungeon ‘Temptation of Illusion’ has become subservient to the master. –
Huh…
It was definitely a good atmosphere.
She had helped a lot, and the relationship had become friendly.
But how did this happen? This time, it was difficult to say anything to Celia as she had willingly submitted herself.
However, it’s a different dimension, so does it have any usefulness? Even in the same world, if the distance is far, is it meaningful to be subservient?
This time, it wasn’t a distance issue, but they were simply in different dimensions.
“But it’s in a different dimension… I’ve never heard of something like this.”
Up until now, the game had essentially been set in the El Dorad continent.
It was so detailed that it could be considered faithful down to the smallest settings. Even though it had been a year, I had been captivated by the authenticity of the game. But a different dimension?
Moreover, the name of the dimension wasn’t mentioned.
“El Dorad isn’t the only setting, is it?”
However, even if I examined various parts of the game, there was no information related to dimensions. I wondered if it would come up on the internet, so I started searching.
“…”
However, soon, a problem arose.
The game [El Dorad] didn’t show any results.
No, it was clear that there were countless results when I searched for El Dorad. The problem was that only information about the real El Dorad came up.
“Can’t I find it?”
But that wasn’t the case. I tried searching with various keywords, hoping to find at least a small clue.
However, no results appeared. Even the text message telling me to install the pre-reserved game had disappeared.
“Did the ghost curse me?”
This time, I shifted my focus from the game’s name to the game developer’s name.
“What was the developer’s name?”
I went into the game’s settings. Normally, information about how to contact the developer or their website would be mentioned there. I assumed that I would find it there, but my expectations were dashed.
However, my expectations were betrayed.
I couldn’t find any information about the developer, the game’s website, or anything related.
“What’s going on? Is this a failed game?”
Even if it’s a newly established company, they usually include basic information about the developer or creators. But this game? Really, there was nothing.
“Did I waste my money on microtransactions?”
I was feeling disheartened when suddenly, I felt the discomfort that I had felt a few days ago. It was a creepy feeling.
“What’s this?”
The mana in the vicinity was fluctuating.
This phenomenon had been ongoing since I gained the ability to sense mana a few days ago.
However, soon after, the mana would calm down.
– First contact with a dungeon from another dimension. –
– A unique achievement has been unlocked! –
– Warning! Dimensional causality rate is being readjusted. –
“Causalty rate?”
It’s a word I’ve never heard before.
– Due to a rapid change in the causal rate, an emergency mode has been set for the master of the ‘Nest of the Evil God’ dungeon, Mr. Lee Kanghyun. –
Suddenly, an alert with my name appeared.
Why is my name written here? Have I written my name here before?
“…”
Oh, I had written my name once
Celia had asked for my name when I gave her clothes as a gift at the beginning. At that time, I distinctly remember saying… “Twa…”
Huh? Why am I suddenly feeling so drowsy?
– Lucid dream mode activated. –
I couldn’t resist and closed my eyes due to the sudden overwhelming sleepiness.
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“Huh?”
When I regained my senses and opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.
It was a completely different location from the room I had been in just a moment ago. The terrain in the surroundings resembled a cave, and I had a feeling that this place was a dungeon.
Why am I in a dungeon? It was definitely a place I’d never seen before, yet it felt strangely familiar.
But that’s not all. The current situation wasn’t just confusing; it felt oddly comfortable for some inexplicable reason.
Is this a dream? I lightly pinched the back of my hand. However, it was a peculiar sensation. It wasn’t just painful or painless. It was hard to put into words.
It wasn’t a simple feeling. Mana fluctuated again. It had been happening since I gained the ability to sense mana a few days ago.
At first, I thought it was just a phenomenon caused by my lack of adaptation, but it didn’t seem that way.
While I pondered what it might be…
“Finally, you’ve arrived.”
A voice called out to me. The master of the voice was a woman standing in front of me. Her appearance was also very familiar. Two large horns above her snow-white hair, captivating eyes and appearance that could bewitch anyone, and even the maid outfit she was wearing. As soon as I saw her, I immediately recognized who she was.
“Celia.”
It was the appearance of the succubus Celia, whom I had seen countless times in the game. The only difference was that the Celia in the game was now standing right in front of me.
‘It must be a dream after all.’
Otherwise, there’s no way Celia from the game could be in front of me. Maybe because I called her name, Celia smiled warmly.
“I’m truly delighted to meet the great master in person.”
Celia deeply bowed her head and greeted me.
“Let me formally introduce myself. Thanks to the generosity of the noble master, I now lead a new life and manage the dungeon according to your wishes. I am Celia.”
Celia’s words continued.
“However, the master is currently in an unstable condition. You’re here only to hold on to your noble spirit for a moment. I apologize because I’m still lacking.”
Celia made an incomprehensible apology and bowed her head.
‘Mana is fluctuating again…’
In that moment, the mana that had been fluctuating began to surge even more. I took a deep breath.
It should be okay now. After all, this is just a dream. There’s no need to take it too seriously.
When I consciously think and act, it’s probably a lucid dream. Dreams can be controlled more easily.
Thinking that way, the mana began to calm down.
“Alright, can I explore the dungeon now?” I asked Celia, feeling more relaxed.
Celia hesitated for a moment and replied.
“Of course! I consider it a lifelong honor to guide you through your dungeon.”
Her words made me smile. Celia’s enthusiastic and cute demeanour was amusing to me.
‘But maybe I should get her some new clothes.’ I thought to myself.
Celia was dressed in a maid outfit, which I had thought would suit her, but now I felt it didn’t do justice to her charm.
I followed Celia, thinking that I should consider an outfit change for her.
“The first place I’ll explain is the most important part of the dungeon, the Core, located at the center,”
I didn’t need to be told.
It was common knowledge that if the Core was destroyed, the dungeon would be destroyed as well.
The Core was, in essence, the heart of the dungeon.
Any hunter or even an ordinary person who hadn’t awakened would know this.
But in my current dungeon, the Core was exposed, practically screaming, “Please destroy my dungeon!” In a typical dungeon, there would be numerous traps, obstacles, and monsters surrounding the Core, which was essentially the dungeon’s heart.
However, I was different. Since it was just a game, I hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Moreover, with Celia here, I wondered if this dungeon would ever be breached.
Still, seeing the exposed Core, referred to as the “heart”, left a rather unpleasant feeling.
‘I need to improve this.’
Even though it was a dream, there was a significant difference between seeing something on a game screen and experiencing it firsthand.
Celia quickly proceeded to explain another place.
“This is where I work!”
This time, she explained the Manager’s office, as it seemed Celia had a lot of work to do. She created this workspace to rest if needed.
“At the same time, it’s my personal space. The fact that you’ve given me this personal space is a very meaningful gesture.”
Celia said with pride. Again, Celia’s behavior was excessive, and she was lifting me up quite a bit.
‘Right.’
The Manager’s office located at the center of the dungeon indeed looked luxurious.
However, the only thing that caught my eye was the skeletons lined up in front of it, which made it seem rather shabby.
The combination of an elegant Manager’s office and the lowest-level monsters…
When I saw it from a game perspective, I hadn’t noticed, but now that I was observing it this way, something felt off.
Celia was the dungeon manager, and if the Manager’s office was guarded by low-level monsters, how would others perceive it?
They would probably underestimate her. I couldn’t stand the thought of someone underestimating my Celia.
‘I need to do some more summons.’
If good monsters appeared, I would place them in the Manager’s office. With that thought in mind, I tried to open the door to Celia’s dwelling place.
“Ahh!”
Huh? Celia suddenly got frightened.
“No, M..! Master…”
Celia’s bewildered expression was cute. It was adorable how she was flustered.
At the same time, I realized how indifferent I had been to the other person. Celia was a woman. When you think about it, a man casually opening the door to a woman’s living space isn’t a matter of courtesy.
I immediately removed my hand from the door.
Then, I could see Celia sighing in relief behind me.
She explained again, “Next is the altar. This is where offerings are made to you.”
Ah, offerings and the altar. As soon as I saw the altar, the mana that had been fine until a while ago started to fluctuate again. ‘Is this how mana resonance normally works?’
Once again, I felt uneasy.
“….”
I looked at the altar and asked one question.
“What’s the connection between offerings and me?”
For a few days now, I had been feeling a sense of discomfort. The mana that went wild at specific times.
It all began with Kim Minjun.
Kim Minjun, who was sacrificed as an offering in the game, and Kim Minjun, who appeared on the villain bulletin board as I was leaving the dungeon.
The former Kim Minjun was offered as a sacrifice, and I gained a unique ability.
The latter Kim Minjun possessed the same ability as me. And from there, an absurd hypothesis emerged.
I needed to understand the nature of the discomfort I had been feeling. It wasn’t about who had been offered as a sacrifice or who had suffered because of me.Those things didn’t seem to matter.
Lately, some inexplicable things had been happening to me. I had acquired a status screen, and even an A-grade ability.
At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, or a reward for the delayed appearance of the status screen.
But I started to doubt that.
That’s why there was one thing I wanted to confirm here.
Was what I was doing really just a game? Or was it reality? The mana started to go even crazier.
The continued discomfort. I wanted to resolve this issue.
That’s why I wanted to ask this question, What do I gain by offering sacrifices?
A few days ago, I had told the system to offer an artifact as a sacrifice in order to find out precisely.
But there couldn’t be a definitive answer. What effects do the offerings have on me?
Celia answered my question with a smile.
“You can regain your strength, Master.”
“Strength…?”
“The day you regain all your strength, the world will kneel before you, Master.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Celia knelt down.
Is that so? I nodded quietly.
Suddenly, one thing came to mind.
Something Celia had said when she first met me.
“You said something like this when you first saw me, right? Now you say you’re just here to keep my sanity intact.”
Celia nodded in response to my question.
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun!
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun! –
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun! –
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun! –
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun! –
– Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Mr. Lee Kang Hyun! –
The alarms kept appearing.
The alarms I had seen in the game were now right in front of my eyes.
“I have realized it. Master, you haven’t fully regained your strength yet.”
– This is an unexpected development. –
– There is a significant risk of the causality rate being severely twisted. –
– Defensive mode is activated. –
– Emergency suspension of lucid dream mode. –
“Ha…”
The key to the discomfort I had been feeling all this time had become apparent.
Whether this was reality or a dream didn’t matter.
Just a small clue was enough.
I quickly told Celia….
“From now on, offer everything to me.”
– Waking up from the lucid dream mode! –
Translator Note: It seems Authors revised this chapter, I do not have the unrevised chapter so I’m not sure what changed.
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