CHAPTER 72: LIVE BOY

***

"THEY DID IT!"

Lothar cheered, raising both hands.

"THE FIRST COHORT IN MANY, MANY YEARS TO REACH DEATH!"

The crowd cheered alongside him, calling out their names.

"ONLY LORD THANATOS, SAINT PLUTO’S VERY SON, DID IT!"

But even then, his voice drowned theirs.

"MAKE SURE NOT TO BLINK, EVERYONE!"

Because truly, he was excited.

"YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS DEATH."

Lothar wasn’t exactly a talented Runebearer.

His old age and current class made that clear.

He’d only gotten to the position he was in due to the connections he’d established.

Being only a Shepherd at his age was an embarrassment to most Nobles.

So seeing those young ones do something he never imagined seeing...

"MAY IT BE MERCIFUL!"

There was no way he could take it calmly.

Neither could the rest.

Even those who were frowning earlier.

And that would be weird if one forgot the obvious.

The time loop had ended, and with it their memories.

They’d only ’seen’ the ending.

How fortunate, huh?

***

When Xenos felt Death, he woke up.

He did so immediately with no pause or confusion.

It was as simple as air flooding back into his lungs.

The world had snapped back into color.

His memories started to return.

Slowly, a black twisted Divinity left his body in a smoky trail.

It was the last breath of a dying flame.

And on its way, it healed his body...

One more and one last time.

Xenos looked down.

Aspen was beside him, sprawled against the wood.

Dei lay not too far behind, while Ari, Gaia, and Arc were much the same.

Thankfully, he could see that they were still breathing.

Yes, even Gaia, with her neck all broken.

"...sorry about that."

The apology wasn’t enough, but it was all he had.

He’d done them bad this ’time,’ no... every ’time.’

This puzzle... it was worse than he’d imagined.

Now that he remembered everything, all the loops and deaths, he couldn’t believe it.

Were they really meant to clear this?

Was this dungeon meant to be beaten by Disciples at all?

Or was his cohort simply unlucky enough to have him, an irregular, thrown into the mix?

Xenos didn’t know.

Neither did he know if this dungeon held more than one Rune.

Previously, he thought it’d be a Blood Rune, because, well, the entire place was of blood.

But now, with this time loop nonsense they went through?

No way it wasn’t Time.

It couldn’t be either, and so, it had to be both.

This dungeon had two Runes.

Time and Blood.

He clicked his tongue.

"Bastards sent us into a dungeon even Shepherds would struggle with."

Kicking Aspen aside, he cleaned the sword with the wolf-man’s clothes and walked ahead.

Once he crossed the gate, the ground beneath him turned into something like stone.

He couldn’t tell exactly because the entire place was dark.

It was pitch dark, and the passage felt narrow.

Certainly not ideal...

Ting!

Though not for long.

Ting!Ting!

That sound announced a lantern’s revival.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Each step closer to Death brought another lantern to life along the tunnel’s wall.

Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!

One, then another, then another, and then another...

Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting! Ting!Ting!Ting!Ting!

Until finally, he could see something of what he was walking through.

It was a familiar black stone, and on it were the bodies of monsters long dead.

They, much like the Lamias, were warped, their Souls erased by this place.

The one responsible was this Death he walked towards.

And yet, Xenos didn’t stutter.

He only thought about what waited ahead.

What awaited always waited: Death and answers.

He didn’t fear it; it was nothing new, and he’d died enough times already.

It wasn’t long before he reached the end, where his shadow stretched unnaturally long and thin beneath the lanterns’ glow.

And yes, it was the ’end,’ for a radiance shimmered ahead, eclipsing all the others.

Perhaps the source of all these lanterns.

He paused, took one long breath, and stepped through.

The radiance died and Xenos met the darkness—

Snap.

But only for a moment.

Lanterns lit up all around him, revealing an...

’Arena?’

Indeed, the floor beneath his boots was flat, and the tunnel had clearly opened wide into a circular chamber with hundreds of lanterns lining up the entire space, hanging like stars around a dark sky.

And beyond those lights were...

’Eyes.’

Hundreds of eyes.

They were of every color, watching him from above.

"...huh."

Xenos blinked, lowering his sword.

"The center of the Hanged Man’s Tree really is... an arena?"

He tilted his head, scanning the vast ring of stone and the glowing eyes above.

"I don’t get this at all—an arena full of Godlike eyes in a dungeon? How does it make sense?"

He really didn’t get it, but thankfully, someone was ready to explain:

"You were never meant to get here."

A figure was suddenly beside him.

Death.

Death was with him.

It held a towering shape of pure black, standing at the center.

"No... Disciple was meant to get here."

The voice that left its formless mouth was neither male nor female.

"Your tragedy was meant to serve as entertainment to Them."

It gestured lazily toward the eyes.

"And yet, somehow, you did it... much like that lot."

It looked up, as though sharing a joke with Elysium.

"Indeed, you and your little friends did the impossible."

Its head tilted, its grin unseen.

"Funny how that word loses meaning when people like you exist."

Only then did it turn to Xenos.

"Dance with me, my friend. The crowd awaits."

It raised a hand, revealing a simple white mask.

The thing was familiarly plain, no...

This was the same mask Xenos carried.

"Show them you are worthy..."

It placed the mask over its face and vanished.

"...of a starring role."

Only to reappear behind him.

SWOOOOOOSH!

Its claws sliced down in a white arc.

’Crit.’

The word rang in Xenos’s head like a bell.

His grin widened as his sword met the claw, causing sparks to fly once more.

[Wise Fool] had triggered just in time, pausing the attack in midair for half a heartbeat.

Yes, he used the Rune as defense here, critting its swing so that he’d pause the attack that was all but guaranteed to end his life.

Though he wasn’t given much time to think, he saw this as his only way to survive.

Maybe he could’ve done something with [Fortune’s Wheel,] but he couldn’t use it now.

Though without his knowledge or consent, he had just abused it a minute earlier, meaning that he barely had any Divinity left, and worse yet, it was on cooldown.

Now, he had nothing but reflex and sheer luck.

Because yes, he couldn’t dodge, nor could he deflect; he had to block all of its attacks with ’crits.’ And that meant that once his Luck ran out, his [Wise Fool] no longer triggering, he’d be guaranteed to die.

A gamble that he was more than willing to make.

Or rather, a gamble that he had no choice but to take.

"Come at me!"

Death’s mask almost smiled, and it obliged.

"Live, boy."