“So what?”
Abel asked, landing just out of reach of the hand that protruded from the river.
“Is it a dangerous place? ...No, of course, it is dangerous, but is it really that dangerous? So dangerous that even we can’t escape.”
Well, Simone looked at the river instead of answering.
A large river that feels very close even though it is far away.
Simone had no idea how dangerous this place was.
This is not a novel, and it is not a place Simone knows well.
Because it is a space that even famous scholars and scientists can never know until they die, the Samdocheon.
All they had was the extremely religious common sense that the living should not stay in the world of the dead.
“...It’s a dangerous place.”
Whenever she does something with Abel, there is a saying that she recites like a talisman.
Because he's the main character.
It'll be okay since he's the main character.
In the novel, she always had the thought in her head that Abel and his friends would overcome any crisis that might come their way.
But will Abel's so-called 'main character buff' be effective here in Samdocheon?
She feels like she's entered a really absurd place.
No matter how much Simone thought about it, it seemed like she had no choice but to run away and find the teleportation magic circle somewhere.
'But...'
Is there really no way?
Simone looked around at the vast expanse of land.
“Why did Anasis create the dungeon like this?”
“Why? Hmm.”
Abel was lost in thought.
That part was a bit concerning. Usually, in a dungeon, various monsters and traps pour in one after another and attack anyone who enters.
However, this dungeon was progressing more smoothly than expected considering it was made by Anasis.
The only enemies were tentacle monsters imitating comrades and countless hands sticking out of the river, but other than that, it was considered safer than a normal dungeon.
“I just keep moving from place to place...”
Abel frowned, feeling as if worms were crawling on his brain.
“Why should I know what that kid’s purpose is? Should I just go find Geneon? That would be much more helpful to you.”
Simone shook her head as if she didn't need to do that.
“If you and I meet, I guess we’ll meet again.”
The missing comrades are not people who can be easily defeated. They are smart and skilled, so they will be able to find a way out of this labyrinthine dungeon.
Than that.
“Abel, you are right.”
"Yes?"
What did I say?
Simone said, looking at Abel who was rolling his eyes.
“Couldn’t this dungeon have been made to be constantly moved?”
It wasn't certainty, it was doubt.
She's already teleported twice and moved places three times.
But honestly, it was so peaceful.
Of course, the danger of the Samdocheon dungeon goes without saying, but it was a bit strange that Anasis, who had swallowed the Demon King and gained powers close to godhood, would leave those who invaded the dungeon she had created safe like this.
So Simone thought about it differently.
What was Anasis's purpose in creating this dungeon?
What did she want to do?
'Anassis said she would return.'
And the direction of movement in this dungeon follows exactly in the opposite direction of her footsteps.
Perhaps Anasis created this dungeon intending to return?
Simone, having finished thinking, spoke in a slightly more confident voice.
“This might not be a dungeon, but a passageway that Anasis created for herself.”
A place just for herself, not to attack anyone.
So the monsters just moved without any special information.
"Hmm..."
Abel looked around with a strange expression at the slight possibility that Simone had suggested.
It certainly makes sense. If Anasis had other goals than killing humans, it makes sense that this place wouldn't feel so dangerous.
But that means.
“So you’re saying this place might not be a dungeon?”
"Yes."
Simone nodded immediately.
At first, she thought they were artificially created places in a dungeon created by Anasis.
But if it's fake, there's no way Simone's attack wouldn't work on Samdocheon's hands.
If this is the passageway of Anasis, then this is the real Samdocheon.
His heart began to pound even harder.
But Abel felt relieved after hearing her words and said,
“Then that’s better.”
"What?"
Abel said as he put the sword he was holding back into its scabbard.
“Simone, where do you think the magic circle that will take you to the next location in Samdocheon is located?”
What's next after Samdocheon?
'If it's next...'
Simone's head naturally turned towards the river. Beyond the river, where nothing could be seen due to the thick fog.
When a person dies, he crosses the river and embarks on a path to hell toward the next life.
So what if we go against the grain of life?
'We too will have to cross the bridge.'
As Simone's gaze fell across the river, Abel nodded as if agreeing.
“I think so too. I don’t know much about the afterlife, religion, or whatever.”
Abel saw as he rose into the air to escape from the thousands of hands.
A gilded bridge was built upstream.
Thousands of eyes stare at you, tightly packed together, preventing you from crossing the river while submerged in the water downstream.
Then, naturally, the thought occurred to me, "Ah, I have to cross that river."
“Even though I don’t know anything, I can’t help but feel incredibly good. There’s a magic circle across that river.”
"...However?"
What does that mean...
“Couldn’t this dungeon have been made to be constantly moved?”
It wasn't certainty, it was doubt.
She's already teleported twice and moved places three times.
But honestly, it was so peaceful.
Of course, the danger of the Samdocheon dungeon goes without saying, but it was a bit strange that Anasis, who had swallowed the Demon King and gained powers close to godhood, would leave those who invaded the dungeon she had created safe like this.
So Simone thought about it differently.
What was Anasis's purpose in creating this dungeon?
What did she want to do?
'Anassis said she would return.'
And the direction of movement in this dungeon follows exactly in the opposite direction of her footsteps.
Perhaps Anasis created this dungeon intending to return?
Simone, having finished thinking, spoke in a slightly more confident voice.
“This might not be a dungeon, but a passageway that Anasis created for herself.”
A place just for herself, not to attack anyone.
So the monsters just moved without any special information.
"Hmm..."
Abel looked around with a strange expression at the slight possibility that Simone had suggested.
It certainly makes sense. If Anasis had other goals than killing humans, it makes sense that this place wouldn't feel so dangerous.
But that means.
“So you’re saying this place might not be a dungeon?”
"Yes."
Simone nodded immediately.
At first, she thought they were artificially created places in a dungeon created by Anasis.
But if it's fake, there's no way Simone's attack wouldn't work on Samdocheon's hands.
If this is the passageway of Anasis, then this is the real Samdocheon.
His heart began to pound even harder.
But Abel felt relieved after hearing her words and said,
“Then that’s better.”
"What?"
Abel said as he put the sword he was holding back into its scabbard.
“Simone, where do you think the magic circle that will take you to the next location in Samdocheon is located?”
What's next after Samdocheon?
'If it's next...'
Simone's head naturally turned towards the river. Beyond the river, where nothing could be seen due to the thick fog.
When a person dies, he crosses the river and embarks on a path to hell toward the next life.
So what if we go against the grain of life?
'We too will have to cross the bridge.'
As Simone's gaze fell across the river, Abel nodded as if agreeing.
“I think so too. I don’t know much about the afterlife, religion, or whatever.”
Abel saw as he rose into the air to escape from the thousands of hands.
A gilded bridge was built upstream.
Thousands of eyes stare at you, tightly packed together, preventing you from crossing the river while submerged in the water downstream.
Then, naturally, the thought occurred to me, "Ah, I have to cross that river."
“Even though I don’t know anything, I can’t help but feel incredibly good. There’s a magic circle across that river.”
"...However?"
What does that mean...
"Ah..."
I see...
Simone smiled as if she understood. Then Abel also laughed heartily as if a tight knot had been untied.
“As expected, Abel, you become smarter every now and then.”
“...Who said that? It’s intermittent.”
The book was like that.
Simone smiled silently and walked away, her back turned to the river.
Assuming that this was Anasis' passageway and that Anasis was also using the magic circle to move to her destination, it is highly likely that she too was blocked in Samdocheon.
Why?
'How are you going to cross that river?'
Simone chuckled.
Anasis also had a vivid image in her mind of being flustered when her attacks failed to hit the hand that had protruded from the river.
The power of the Demon King, is strong enough to be close to a god. It is the power of a monster created by gathering the energy of death, and it is exactly the same type of power as the mana power used by the necromancer.
That's why Anasis was able to absorb the Demon King's power, but that power of death is not eaten by the Samdocheon.
Because this is a lifeless space.
Isn't Simone also unable to use her powers despite being possessed by the god of death?
That means Anasis also has to cross the river naked to get to the next location...
Simone's gaze was directed to the bottom of the river.
Confucianism, a bridge that good adults cross.
Sansuroe, a river that ordinary people can cross in seven days.
And the river that people with heavy sins cross, Gangsimyeon.
The two people were moved to Gangsimyeon.
That means that the river that Anasis, or rather the one possessed by her, crossed was that river.
There was a story written in Janie's notebook about killing people and such, so it seems she committed some pretty serious crimes while she was alive.
To be honest, it would be very difficult to cross that river alone without some help.
Even if she is swept away by the river, even if she is hit by thousands of hands and falling rocks, she will eventually cross the river because she is already dead. But Anasis is alive.
So maybe Anasis is still here.
“Let’s take a look around here before we cross the river. Anasis might be hiding here. Good job, Abel.”
Abel chuckled at Simone's compliment and pointed in a direction.
“Hey, I saw it earlier. It’s not like there’s nothing here at all. There’s a pile of stones over there, like a tower.”
Want to go and see for yourself?
Simone nodded at Abel, who nodded.
“Yes. If you’re just looking to see if Anasis is there, this is faster.”
Simone put her hands on the floor.
The river can't be crossed, but it's not that mana can't be used.
After a while, her eyes glowed red, and black mana spread out across the floor of Samdocheon.
***
The gaze of the faces underwater turned to where Simone was, thanks to the energy of Mana.
'A little more. Just a little more.'
Broader. More sensitive.
A very deep and huge flow of mana that reaches the end of the endlessly spreading mana.
Found it.
Simone said, gathering all the mana except the mana stream that touched it.
“Abel, let’s break up from here. There’s something you have to do.”
***
“I should have killed them all...”
“If I had known this would happen, I would have killed them all...”
“Should I just kill him now?”
In the black fog, the one who swallowed the Demon King laughed with an eerie sound.
She smiled with anger and imagined herself killing Illeston, the Emperor, and Simone several times before she got up.
Nothing goes as planned.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be satisfying to let out this anger?
I have to go back. I have to go back. I have to go back.
Red eyes flashed madly in the fog.
Support Novellate!
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