Episode 23

“Uh, uhhhh. But… this path is… an unexplored route, isn’t it?”

I nodded at Meowi’s words.

[Unexplored Route]

This was also one of the novel settings in [Gonis Archive Life] evaluated as fresh, along with the ‘backup’ and ‘rune’ systems.

Usually, dungeons had what was called a [Regular Route].

It was like a phenomenon where the path that hunters consistently use becomes ingrained in the dungeon.

Except for special cases like the recent ‘Break Out’ where the dungeon itself went berserk, the Regular Route tends to be maintained neatly.

However, that didn’t mean there weren’t other secluded paths in this vast dungeon.

Like this side path we see now, it might look suspicious at first glance, and it seemed like a place where you’d surely die upon stepping in.

Hunters call these the ‘Unexplored Routes’.

“Right. It’s the place where our senior Hunters shake off their nerves.”

“…You know that and still want to go?”

Meowi looked up at me with worried eyes.

Her bright eyes flickered, and as always, she was so cute that I wanted to bite her.

‘Ah, I can’t resist these cute looks from her.’

Let’s pat her once before we go.

Pat, pat.

“M-my hair’s getting messed up…”

Pat.

“Meoww!”
“…Hehe.”

To think I was in reality with my beloved favorite character… The GM who sent me here was definitely a bastard, but for this alone, I was deeply grateful to him.

‘Anyway, that was harsh.’

The ‘Unexplored Route’ was indeed a dangerous place, as Meowi said.

A demonic realm of sorts where proper exploration and subjugation had never been conducted.

In ‘GAL,’ this was upgraded to hard mode.

Upon entry, monsters that were at least one level stronger appeared.

The number of random encounter events also drastically increased as one went further in.

Even some dungeons, originally requiring only the defeat of the boss to clear, suddenly present alternative routes for completion, significantly increasing the difficulty for the party that entered.

‘And this also serves as a testament to the capabilities of the Supervisor.’

In intermediate and advanced dungeons, how well one utilized these Unexplored Routes affected the efficiency of character development.

The difficulty increases, but the rewards diminish, which is a real letdown.

Conversely, while the bosses become weaker, the rewards improve, making it a jackpot for us.

Memorizing this was precisely what distinguished a genuine newbie Supervisor from those rotten ones pretending to be newbies.

Then, one might consider this.

Was it always best to take the Unexplored Route in any dungeon?

Of course not.

I wouldn’t go to low-grade dungeons below D-class.
The rewards don’t improve, and it just makes the difficulty higher for no reason.

Nor does it mean more experience points come in from attacking them.

‘But this place is different.’

This was a special location created by the GMs, where a [Hidden Piece] existed.

‘The condition is that two people who have maintained their pure state must enter.’

Only then would a new path be added.

Anyone else who enters would only be greeted by the annoying [Goblin Warrior].

But here, it must be remembered again.

‘All the administrators of GAL are bastards.’

They made me possess this character, an innocent angel, into this place and dismissed it with a shitty letter saying ‘Sorry, LOL’, being true to their evil nature, making it not easy to pass through just like that.

“First, we need to check if this is really the right place.”

I encouraged Meowi, who kept worrying, by saying that if something went wrong, we should withdraw immediately.

Then, 5 minutes later.

We were advancing along the ‘Unexplored Route’.

“…It’s less remarkable… than I thought.”

‘Ugh…’

Should we start to head back now?

Just as I was moving forward with a somewhat dubious feeling of being unsure…

‘Found it.’

I discovered a sign that would turn my thoughts into certainty.

Two trees, one blue and one red, were placed unnaturally, no matter how you looked at them.

And beyond them was a dark, narrow path where not even light could penetrate.

Meowi, who had been watching, asked with a surprised face.

“…Could this place possibly be the [Dark Zone]?”
“Are you talking about the special environment that absorbs all light? It must be it.”

Even in the in-game message, it said, [The Realm of Darkness unfolds].

And this was proof that the GM was a real bastard.

‘If you’re going to give something to the newbies, why not make it easy…?’

I always prepared for things like this.

“Meowi.”

“Yes?”

“Those tails at your waist. Can you wrap them around my waist?”

“Meow?!”

Startled by my request, Meowi panicked.

Oh, I didn’t expect that reaction from her.

Was the tail a significant body part for the Myoin Tribe?

“Wh-why specifically my tails…?”
“Ah, originally, I was thinking of tying us together with a rope, but I forgot to bring it… Is it not possible?”

Seeing my expression, Meowi hesitated but then nodded slightly as if it were okay.

Squish.

Then, the soft, squishy tails with fine fur soon wrapped around my waist.

Maybe because there were two.
They intertwined, forming a cute ribbon.

In ‘GAL’, Meowi would sometimes tie up the Supervisor with her tails.

It was described as feeling like touching a freshly washed, fluffy fur carpet.

Indeed, it was an unexaggerated truth.

“Hehehe.”
“Really meaningful… action, right?”

It seemed like it was just to satisfy my personal desires, but it was actually true.

Even though it seemed trivial, the truth was that this place in front of us… was somewhat dangerous.

“Meowi, do you remember the first precaution I mentioned in the meeting room?”

“Yes, definitely… Oh, is this the place to use it?”

“That’s right. This is that place.”

“…Be wary of illusions, right?”

I nodded my head.

From now on, all sorts of illusions will overwhelm us.

Most of them were like nightmares—unpleasant things we wouldn’t want to see.
Conversely, there would also be things that we dearly miss and things that would make us really happy.

‘That’s what we really need to be careful of.’

Happiness is indeed the sweetest poison, a cunning tactic used.

Meowi and I held each other’s hands tightly, exchanging serious looks.

‘…Maa, Maaa.’

How much time had passed?

10 minutes? 20 minutes? 30 minutes?

‘…I don’t know.’

No light had come in.

Only the rustling sound and the silhouette of Yu Seha’s back, which flickered as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, were visible.

He, holding her hand tightly, was moving forward.

Without hesitation, as if sprinting ahead.

‘…I wish… I wish we could go a bit slower…’

Ma Hana was a hunter who took the position of the main tank in the party.

Despite her small stature, she was confident in her physical strength.

Yet Yu Seha’s pace was so fast that it made her breathless as she walked beside him.

‘…D-does he have a [Movement] rune or something?’

It was possible.

As if sliding, his feet flickered like an illusion and suddenly pointed far ahead.

Anyone seeing this might mistake him for having an <Assassin> class skill too.

“Left, right… From A to B direction… Left, down… Right… From A back to B…”

The place was dark.

It was then, moving forward only with the incomprehensible words of Yu Seha like a radio.

Ssshh!

A faint but distinct voice of another person reached Ma Hana’s ears.

She turned her gaze involuntarily.

Like a scene from a movie, an image unfolded in the distance among the dark trees.

‘…That is.’

They were the party members she had once formed a group with.
Initially pleased by the word [Guardian], they soon learned the truth and scorned it with disgust.

Among them, the woman who took on the role of the leader pointed and spat out curses.

―This damn cat! Can’t a Tanker even block that? What the hell did you come here for? Don’t tell me you were sent here to annihilate us all, huh?

‘…No.’

It’s not that. It’s not that at all.
Just, inexperienced…

“…!”

Soon, another voice came.

This time, from the opposite side.

Party members who were recently hit could be seen.

And similarly, they hurled insults at her.

―Damned bitch.

Swoosh.

And it didn’t stop there.

One of the members, unable to contain his fury, thrust his sword towards her.

‘…I-I’m hit!’

Startled, Ma Hana instinctively moved her hand to her waist.

She drew her most trusted weapon, the dagger, ready to respond.

“Meowi. It’s okay.”

Then, a firm voice ringing in her ears snapped her back to her senses.

The party that seemed intent on killing her until just a moment ago had vanished without a trace.

“It’s all an illusion. So, it’s okay.”

Yu Seha.

Without turning around, focusing only ahead, she quietly responded.

Her eyes, now accustomed to the dark, revealed the mountain-like expanse of his back.

It was as if the warmth of a lantern illuminating this dark forest was protecting her right now.

‘…How?’

Ma Hana couldn’t quite understand what this was.

What she had just seen was clearly a very powerful illusion.

How could he move so precisely through this forest, filled only with impenetrable darkness?

Could it be that he didn’t see the hallucinations?

‘…No.’

Though faint, a soft curse escaped from his lips.

Clearly, like her, he was silently confronting the nightmares of his past.

Yet, he was still taking care of her.

How strong must one’s mental fortitude be to make such a thing possible?

‘…Again, I’m just a burden.’

Her feelings of gratitude and apology towards him were fleeting.

―Hana!

“…!!!”

Despite knowing it was a hallucination, Ma Hana swiftly turned around.

It was a voice she couldn’t ignore.

‘…Ah.’

As if enchanted, she turned to find someone standing there.

A robust, tall man, over 190 cm.

His body was packed with muscles, and there was a faint scar near his mouth.

He was not particularly handsome, but his face was likable enough.

“…Dad?”

It was her father, the only one she had, who had passed away years ago.

―Our Hana, you’ve had it tough, haven’t you?

He spread his arms.

―Come here. Let’s have a hug.

“…Ah, ah…”

Ma Hana felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

A face she had missed so dearly all this while.

She wanted to run to him and be held in his arms right away.

She wanted to tell him how hard it was, how painful it was, and receive his comfort.

Her feet, which had been slowly following Yu Seha, began to slow down.

Then, once again, it was his voice that awakened her.

“Meowi.”

Her father called her Meowi, not Hana.

“…!”

The moment she realized that, the illusion of her father disappeared.

The grip of Yu Seha holding her tightened gradually around her wrists.

Turning around, she saw his expressionless side profile for the first time.

Just slightly… he looked emotionless enough to be scary.

It was an endless darkness that seemed like it would never end.

It soon came to an abrupt end, like a lie, with the arrival of light.

“We finally made it. You must have had a hard time, Meowi.”
“…Meow.”

At my words, Meowi, realizing it was finally over, collapsed down.

She bowed her head and sighed deeply, seemingly exhausted in body and mind.

‘And perhaps I feel the same too.’

I had expected as much from the characters screaming in ‘GAL’, but it was worse than I thought.

However, the reward for overcoming this hardship was great.

Kyah! This is awesome! Amazing!

It’s a really salty boost in ability.

Mentally, it fundamentally corrects perseverance and endurance for any task, and it’s an important ability that affects stamina and resistance to abnormal states during combat.

Moreover, it doesn’t increase with ordinary physical training, so its value was also precious.

And it doesn’t even end there.

‘Wow, damn. That’s awesome.’

An unexpected [Trait] too?

I managed to suppress the rising corners of my mouth and decided to first check the title.

A title is a kind of merit that a person gets when a character performs actions that have a significant impact on an event.

It’s not difficult to obtain, but it’s not easy either, so it’s good to collect as many as possible.

Checking the status window, I also had a new resistance slot, like Meowi.

Darkness Resistance isn’t as major as Poison Resistance in blocking status abnormalities.
However, it isn’t bad as it prevents and reduces the duration of ‘darkness’ status abnormalities like the dark zone we just passed through.

‘Next is agility.’

It was a Normal grade trait rune, just like [Swordsmanship].

At first glance, it might seem ordinary, but as the level increases, one could obtain derivative skills of the [Footwork] system, making it as fundamental and important as [Swordsmanship].

Moreover, the acquired and increased stats provide a speed boost that adjusts actions, making the expected value at level up quite significant.

‘All combined, it’s Spirit +3, Magic +1, Speed +1, huh?’

It was an increase in stats, almost like those bought with paid currency.

Considering that Spirit and Magic were difficult stats to increase, the growth was enough to make other’s eyes widen in astonishment.

‘As expected of the GM.’

I acknowledge it.

You guys are bastards, but the rewards are fantastic.

“No way!”

Shortly after, a loud voice escaped Meowi’s mouth, who couldn’t believe it.

With both hands covering her mouth, she was staring at the status window, her eyes wide like they would soon pop out.

“Has my spirit… gone up? By as much as 3?! And even a title!? Plus, my magic has increased by 1?!”

Her eyes sparkled brightly.

It was a natural reaction, I suppose.

For me, as a guide, I’ve seen this message so often that it was mundane, but for her, it was a significant increase in stats that hadn’t changed at all for a year.

“…Seha, this isn’t a dream, right? Right? Can you pinch my cheek once?”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up.

I wanted to pinch her cheeks saying, ‘You little rascal!’ but I decided not to do so.

“Isn’t it too early to be surprised?”
“…Huh?”

This was merely a by-product obtained in the process of reaching the destination, which wasn’t known to all.

The real ‘Hidden Piece’ was right before our eyes.

Ahead, there seemed to be a small fissure, as if space itself had crumbled.

Similar to a Gate, yet different in shape and much smaller, it resembled a swirling dimensional portal one might see in an RPG game.

Following my pointed finger, Meowi stared ahead with an even more surprised reaction than before.

She stiffened, with her tails and ears shooting straight up into the air! I felt a certain delight in watching this.

“S-Seha, th-this can’t be…? It’s not what I’m thinking, is it? Please tell me.”

“It probably is.”

“…it possibly couldn’t be… this.”

Is this a ‘Trial’?