Chapter 86: Reckless Departure

"What on earth are you doing?" Kamian asked, his voice thick with disbelief.

"As you see," I responded nonchalantly.

"Do you really think they're lying?" Kamian pressed, frustration evident in his tone.

"That's what I'm saying."

"If they were going to lie, they could have just said there was no exit. After all, only they know the truth. So why bother with the cumbersome lie that there is an exit but you'll die if you leave?" Kamian spat out, unable to understand my thoughts.

"I think the same, senior. And I didn't feel like they were deceiving us at all," Annette agreed with Kamian's opinion.

I clicked my tongue.

"That's why you're still naive. Always be suspicious. Even if it seems trustworthy, doubt it. That's how you live long. Especially you," I gestured to Kamian.

"Why?" Kamian looked uneasy.

"It's just his nature to be reckless," I replied.

He fell silent, seemingly agreeing with my words.

"I'm sorry," Annette blinked her eyes and apologized.

Why are you apologizing?

"Because it's his nature to be reckless."

"Anyway, it seems you're all wondering, so just watch. I definitely felt it. The tone was different when talking about the exit and when saying other things."

"No, to judge based on that..." Kamian began to argue.

"Let's go," I cut off Kamian's words and moved forward. Eventually, the two of them followed me, as if they had no choice.

Where they stopped was a spacious cavity. What was peculiar was that the sculptures in the shape of crosses, symbolizing the church, were broken and scattered about.

Moreover, the structure that seemed to have been an altar at the front was completely shattered into pieces.

It was enough to guess. This place used to be an underground chapel.

Neither a devout believer nor a follower of God, but the sight of the desolation seemed to weigh on Kamian and Annette's expressions.

"Why, is it uncomfortable?" I spat out, my voice indifferent.

"...It's not a pleasant sight," Kamian replied quietly.

"Ha, it doesn't matter. There's no God anyway. If there was, he wouldn't have left us to rot miserably in a place like this."

The residents around us nodded as if it were an obvious fact. Some even spat on the crosses rolling around, treating them like filth.

Seeing their situation, Kamian and Annette remained silent without a word. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Kamian spoke again.

"Is the chapel being this deep underground related to the church and this underground space?"

A natural conjecture.

How many seconds had passed? It was certainly a very short time.

The elevator began to descend again. Kamian and Annette's eyes widened.

On this side, they had only sent the elevator up, nothing more. Besides, the goblins' hands and feet were tied. They couldn't operate the device themselves.

That meant... Someone unknown above had operated the elevator to send it down again.

"Someone's up there." Annette shivered as if chilled to the bone.

"Let's watch," Kamian maintained his composure.

Thud!

The elevator descended again. And then, the iron door opened.

"They're... dead." Annette stepped back, covering her mouth.

"Ugh." Kamian groaned, his eyes shaking.

Three goblin corpses, their heads severed, lay where their bodies should have been.

Their eyes and expressions, frozen in terror, spoke of the emotions they felt in their final moments.

"Hahaha!" Gwen burst into laughter. It was a triumphant laugh, having dealt a proper blow to the insolent brat.

"How about that? This is it. This is reality. No being of flesh and blood can leave this place alive... Huh?" Gwen's speech suddenly stopped.

His dumbfounded expression was an added bonus. The others wore similar expressions. They stared at me with eyes wide in disbelief.

Because I had entered the elevator of my own accord. Clang! I even closed the door myself.

"Rot here all you like. I'm going up." I said calmly.

This time, they couldn't even muster a sneer. It was a mad act, not something one could do out of mere bravado.

They looked at me as if I were the craziest of lunatics.

"Wait, Senior! Get off! Please get off first!" Annette hurriedly tried to dissuade me.

Such a kind soul.

"Are you crazy? Get down now! Get down!" Kamian shouted vehemently.

Yes, I'll consider you a kind soul too.

"Come with me, you too."

"What nonsense are you spouting? If you want to die, die alone."

You're not a kind soul after all.

"Ah, just let the madman go. It's less of a headache." Gwen shook his head dismissively and operated the device from outside.

It was actually better since it saved me the trouble of operating it from inside.

"Wait a moment!" Annette tried to stop it, but it was too late.