Chapter 102: Bad Guys Have to Die - Right?

Chapter 102: Bad Guys Have to Die - Right?

Hephetrius Hydrus and many of his fellow followers were watching from the safety of the room above as a disciple woke up from his frozen state, clearly confused about something.

Then another disappeared, then one woke up. Again with no clear pattern to it.

The one who had woken up this time was the one who knew this specific Dungeon and had solved its puzzles, leading and opening up the way to their goddess. And unlike the first one to wake up from the frozen state they had been forced into, the elf didn't seem at all confused.

She knew this would happen, but because this Dungeon is better guarded - containing the main piece of the goddess - any warning she could have given us would have been twisted into misunderstandings.

Hurry! Came the only word from the elf. Ever since Hephetrius had understood the unusual control the Dungeon had over people's warnings of what was to come in its depths, the elf hadn't spoken much. The only words out of her mouth were warnings disguised as orders like this one.

Something bad would happen if they didn't keep moving. Something worse than the possibility of disappearing.

That terrifying thought had the cardinal quickly shouting in command Forward!, before he led the charge down himself.

His centaur body couldn't use ladders, but his hooves were strong and the hole big enough to simply jump though.

Then everything went dark before Hephetrius was even sure he had landed.

Am I even standing on the ground right now? Or am I floating?

The only visible thing in the absolute darkness around him was a single System message:

You have died.

Oh So, I wasn't fast enough

Melanie will have to do it without me.

Can she? It's dangerous, this crusade.

I hope she makes it out alright.

Not only is she the only one left of the inner circle, the only one left to guide The Order of The Broken Goddess on the right path!

But she's my friend too.

The only one I have left.

Your friend's health and future without you to help them weighs heavier on your mind than your own losses.

This makes you worthy.

Huh? What do you mean, o holy System?

The darkness disappeared all at once, revealing the room underneath the trapdoor.

This is an individual puzzle.

You have solved a puzzle!

I thought of Melanie over myself cause all I have left is her and the cause

As Hephetrius looked around he quickly realized the room they were in was slowly filling up with lava from the two corners closest to the exit.

Melanie was among those still frozen.

My plan was going splendidly!

The Tribe+ had gotten some injuries as too many cultists had been teleported in at once. But luck had - quite literally - been on their side and against the cultists, stopping the hits of the cultists from being lethal.

Having already revealed itself, the cult wasn't fooled by the murky water, but at least they had a much harder time hitting it down there.

As a constrictor serpent the titanboa had a lot of strength hidden behind its scales and didn't have to solely rely on its big mouth and ability to swallow. Unfortunately, most of its prey had high enough levels to either tank the hits, dodge them, or use magic to defend themselves.

Five people hadn't been able to, giving the Boss a final score of seven - it had also managed to eat two - by the time it fell.

I knew it didn't have a lot of Toughness but that wasn't even five minutes!

I suppose I had been expecting Cheaters Only Cheat Themselves to have given my creatures insane Toughness at this point. But with Zina Brainwashed they haven't broken a single puzzle!

They couldn't solve them all, but they also didn't break or skip any.

Oh well. Only 33 cultists left - not counting those the Tribe+ has captured - and 13 Floors left to go!

Well I suppose you could say there's 51 cultists left, but of course some of those cultists are my family, so I certainly don't want to kill them all!

Ten members of the local law enforcement. Seven ram riders, who left their rams outside my Dungeon Portal. And Zina herself!

Wait I took a closer look at the remaining cultists. Aren't we missing a deputy?

We were, but under the effects of the mind control his friends couldn't mourn him.

It took a while before I realized I couldn't either.

I know I wasn't close to the guy at all or anything. But he was still a part of the town. Of my town. My people.

I should feel something about his death, shouldn't I?

But I didn't. No sorrow, grief, or sadness. Not even the tiniest bit of pity.

Only a sense of disappointment that I hadn't been able to save them all

Now that I think back: I haven't felt any form of real sadness since I was a human. Fear, yes. But not sadness.

Not that I've had a lot to be sad about in this life yet. But I would have expected to be at least a little bit less happy at times.

Wait!

I haven't felt happiness either?!

I searched my mind for moments of happiness in my time as a Dungeon Core, but I couldn't recall a single one.

Relief, pride, satisfaction, yes. But no actual happiness.

I guess

Maybe Dungeon Cores just don't need those emotions

Or

Maybe they don't have them cause they would interfere with their System given Mission

At least the Rule is up now. It should stop any more of my family dying.

and maybe then I can forget about my inability to grieve or feel guilty

The human part of my mind felt that my lack of emotions meant something was wrong with me.

The Dungeon Core part insisted that all mortals die eventually and there was no reason to waste time thinking about it.

Dungeon Cores were made to kill bad guys.

And to the System, deputy Tiarsus Liquidambar died as a bad guy.