C12: Gluttonous Flies (1)
The sagging Cerberus.
Greasy saliva and feces flow from its three mouths and a single anus.
Simultaneously.
Tsutsutsutsu...
After Cerberus's death, a soul pulled from its body nestled into Vikir's vessel.
This mysterious energy, called Upgrades, Karma, Experience Points, and so on, elevates the physical and mental state of those who have vanquished demons.
"It's going to be difficult to carry this."
Vikir tried to move Cerberus's corpse but soon gave up.
Instead, he decided to leave the body of Cerberus right here.
Anyway, the cause of Cerberus's death was clear, and many of the working dogs who witnessed Vikir sharpening his sword in this hideout could testify to it.
Therefore, it would suffice to remove only certain vital parts and organs and bury them in a discreet location.
...Above all else.
"It's not important right now."
Beyond Cerberus's corpse, Vikir gazed at the deep flood that the intruder had come from.
Cerberus is a monster of the gatekeeper type by nature, always protecting its territory.
Whether the intruder was pushed here by savages or for any other reason, there was likely a "dungeon" that Cerberus guarded nearby.
Dungeons are typically cave-like places that adventurers often target and contain treasures, but they are also the habitats of powerful high-ranking demons.
"With Cerberus dead, there is a good chance that the dungeon is empty."
Generally, demons are attracted to strong magical energy, so there was a possibility that artifacts with strong magic existed in the dungeon where Cerberus resided.
In short, Cerberus was not the kind of monster that could just live anywhere.
Vikir, accompanied by Baskerville's hunting dogs, cautiously searched the area beyond the border, sharpening their senses.
Just by having traces of Cerberus's feces on their bodies, various demons, including hellhounds, fled in the distance.
The hunter's eyes traced the dried mud, rotten leaves, damp roots, and the footprints and saliva stains left behind by Cerberus, buried in the gloomy darkness.
As they stepped away from the withered thorn bushes, burnt roots, and decaying, sunken trees, the depths of the floodplain were revealed.
The Dungeon.
It was a burrow situated low among the large mounds of earth.
From above, it was inconspicuously hidden in a perfectly strategic position.
It was not something Cerberus had created but had likely been there for quite some time.
Of course, this place was also within Vikir's memories. It would probably be discovered in about ten years.
"...But back then, it seemed to be an empty dungeon."
However, things are different now.
The smell of magic hidden beneath the putrid odor.
An inexperienced hunting dog might pass by without paying much attention, but Vikir keenly sensed it.
...Growl!
Vikir crushed the dry and withered mound of earth and descended along the slope, accompanied by dust.
Eventually, a dungeon composed of reddish-brown earth and rocks came into view.
It was connected to the Crimson Thorn Mountain, a tributary of the enemy and black mountain range, and a ruby vein was visibly blazing outside the mound of earth.
As Vikir entered the darkness of the cave, a deep and winding passage came into sight.
A dark and deep place that needed to be cautiously felt and navigated by hand.
However, surprisingly, the interior of the dungeon was spacious and bright.
There were quite a few expansive chambers, and in the vicinity, a single ruby gemstone, the size of a fist, protruded and emitted a dim red light.
The chambers were tinged red as if drenched in blood by the ruby light.
Vikir looked at his own shadow stretching along the walls of the chamber.
"...Is this dungeon completely empty?"
Inside the chamber, there was nothing but emptiness.
Well, it wasn't entirely empty.
At the end where Vikir's long shadow touched, there was a scattered pile of skeletal remains.
A skeleton with bones cut and broken as if struck by a sword.
Upon closer inspection, the ruby-lit chamber was completely drenched in blood.
The brown, dried stains suggested that a long time had passed.
Eventually, Vikir discovered a page of manuscript next to the skeleton.
For now, it doesn't matter what my name is. I'll just go with 'Cain' or something.
Is there a need to tarnish this pure white paper with my name?
After much contemplation, I decided to write a few words to ensure that future generations do not repeat the same mistakes as me.
It has been an extraordinary journey from the beginning.
Relying on the crimson blood, Vikir continued reading the words.
After some time, he realized that the script was written in the same style used by the Baskerville family.
"Are these the ancestors of the Baskervilles?"
It was a reasonable inference.
This chamber, known as the legendary ancient dungeon within the family, was accidentally discovered by Vikir and his sibling. They overcame countless trials to finally reach this "Final Chamber."
It seems that this dungeon once possessed a rather challenging level of difficulty.
Now, it remains as an empty and desolate underground chamber.
And it is presumed that the author of this manuscript and the scattered skeleton here were clearly twin brothers.
My sibling and I killed numerous monsters and arrived at this place.
However, the final task given to us in this chamber securely bound our footsteps for a whopping three years!
Vikir lifted his head.
What could the author mean by "task"?
The question was soon answered.
It was because of the engravings on the stone wall in the direction indicated by the skull's gaze.
"When entering, there is one; when entered, there are two; when leaving, there is one."
It was a peculiar riddle.
Vikir looked at the manuscript again.
My sibling and I contemplated this cryptic phrase for a long time.
But considering that this dungeon has been passed down as a legend within our Baskerville family, the meaning is clear.
Between my sibling and me, only one of us can fulfill what we desire in this dungeon, isn't that right?
Twin brothers who entered the dungeon.
They were originally one entity within their mother's womb but split into two when they came into the world.
And in order to obtain what they desired from this dungeon and leave, they had to become one again.
Realistically, it is impossible for the bodies of twins to fuse into one, so they had to kill each other, leaving only one whole.
Adding to that, it was customary in the Baskerville family to naturally incite competition among siblings.
The two brothers began a prolonged duel, and eventually, the younger one met his demise, concluding the contest.
"So, the sibling here is 'Abel.'"
Cain and Abel.
The older brother who had to kill his younger sibling in order to receive the "choice."
Vikir looked at the scattered skeleton on the floor and pondered.
Even in this windless chamber where time seemed to have stopped, the skull was almost weathered.
However, the contents of the manuscript were quite surprising.
I killed my brother in a fierce battle. Now, I am the only one left in this chamber.
However, despite that, there were no changes in the chamber.
The manuscript became increasingly filled with madness.
The handwriting itself became more and more distorted, to the point where understanding the meaning of the characters required deciphering.
Even though it was clear that two became one, I didn't gain anything!
I can't leave without gaining anything!
Nothing! Nothing!
However, the final manuscript, written after a long period of time, returned to a neat handwriting style.
I now cease wasting time and leave here.
If there are brave descendants who will visit this place in the distant future, I want to advise them.
Leave this place immediately.
In this devil's den that only deceives and mocks people, nothing can be gained.
In the end, the message the manuscript was trying to convey was clear.
Even though they broke through all those gates and made it here, it was all in vain.
And it also urged the latecomers not to give up and to return the way they came.
...However, Vikir had a different thought.
"I am not a twin."
Even though Vikir is not a twin, the content of the tasks given is still valid.
That means Cain and Abel, who were here, misinterpreted the meaning of the inscription.
"When entering, there is one; when entered, there are two; when leaving, they must become one again?"
Baskerville looked towards the cave behind him.
In the pitch-black darkness, with its beak wide open, it stared at Vikir.
And in front, a chamber drenched in blood-red.
Finally, Vikir turned his head and looked at the skull.
Hanging at the end of the skull was his own shadow. A shadow!
"...I see."
Vikir clenched his fist.
And he smashed the massive ruby ore that was casting a reddish glow on the chamber with his fist.
Crack!
As the ruby shattered, the faint magic contained within it disappeared.
The chamber was engulfed in darkness in an instant.
And then...
Crash!
A change occurred.
A section of the chamber's stone wall collapsed.
It was such a thick wall, reaching tens of meters in thickness, that it was unimaginable to think of it as a door.
Vikir nodded his head.
The answer to the riddle was simple.
Shadow.
When entering, in the pathway of darkness, they were completely one, but the moment they entered the chamber illuminated by ruby light, the shadow separated.
And when the ruby was removed, and pure darkness prevailed, the shadow returned to its original form.
Only when they became one again would the final stage of the chamber be revealed.
Vikir cautiously felt his way forward.
Fortunately, the space beyond the stone wall was a smooth corridor, with no traps to speak of.
The monsters that used to crawl here were likely dealt with by Gain and Abel long ago, so what remained was only to confirm the rewards of the dungeon.
Finally, something cold touched Vikir's fingertips.
It was the handle of a sword.
The sword was firmly embedded vertically in the rock, and in front of it, there were engraved letters.
Vikir felt his way along the letters with his fingertips and read them aloud.
"Only the bloodline of Baskerville can draw out this '...'
The inscription mentioned the name Baskerville and the name of the sword.
And the moment he learned the name of the sword, a lightning-like shock struck Vikir.
"...Was this the artifact to be found here?"
