Volume 1 - CH 19

Act 1-19: Gods’ Ordeal, Cleared

―100077 years after the start of the game.

【Gods’ Ordeal】 UG 999th Floor!

It has been far, far, far, far too long ago since the first time I stepped into this dungeon. Now, I can’t even remember my old self when I just entered this dungeon.

Normally, I explore the dungeon along with Faf, who has become strong enough. Fen and Kyuubi also tag along whenever we explore a relatively safe area.

The night after the exploration, I usually hang around the monsters of the subjugation picture book. At the end of the day, I read the books I found during my exploration, then sleep.

You can say that I lead a fulfilled life in this way.

By the way, maybe because I always read books, I acquired a skill called 【Books Perfect Memorization Ability】 a long time ago. Though, this skill is limited to books. I found out that this skill is really useful. After all, my book collection is too large. From the point of view of brain science, this skill makes it possible for my brain to remember vast amounts of knowledge unimaginable for normal humans.

Just when I started to feel that living in this place wasn’t that bad, we finally arrived at the innermost part of the 999th floor. On top of the gate of stairways that led toward the next floor was a metal plate with the words 【Room of Last Trial】.

「Have you completely prepared? If yes, then let’s go.」

I spoke to Fafnir, who had come along with me, while suppressing the excitement in my heart. I’m really excited, you know!

「Yes, nanodesu!」

Faf punched her right hand into the air and cheerfully replied. Thus, we descended to the floor below.

The last floor was a space in the shape of a giant pillar. The pitch-black space had an extremely high ceiling and a chair and a table in its middle. Elegantly sitting in the chair was an extremely handsome, feminine man dressed in foreign black clothes who was reading a book.

If I’m right, this black cloth is called a 『Suit』. I saw it in a book about clothes before. The person before me had a monocle on his right eye, which he used to read the book in his hand.

「Uhm, an unknown face! I’m surprised! To think that a nameless god can arrive at this place.」

The gentleman looked at us while saying these words. Then, he closed the book and stood up from his chair.

I pulled out the long sword that I carried on my back and readied my stance.

The name of this sword was 【Murasame】. It was my current favorite sword that resembled 【Raikiri】, a 『Nihontou』. It had an extremely nasty effect that changed depending on the amount of mana that I loaded into it.

【Murasame】 was a special reward I got from the innermost part of the jinja for subjugating Kyuubi without any injuries. It was my current most powerful weapon.

「Uhm, I’m a human! And the one beside me is a dragon.」

「DRAGON, nanodesu!」

Fafnir punched her right-knuckle into the air, a weapon we got from this dungeon.

「Haaah! The name of this place is 【Gods’ Ordeal】. It’s a test for a god who wants to become a great god, who leads their own mythological system. The likes of humans shouldn’t be able to reach this place.」

The man frowned as he said so with a sullen expression.

Good grief! Here we go! Another severe delusional patient! In the first place, there’s nothing like a god in this world.

「Well, that’s the truth though. Right, Faf?」

「Yes, nanodesu! Master is human… MAYBE, nanodesu!」

Faf, what do you mean by “Maybe”? Or rather, why did you emphasize that “maybe” part?

「Hhmph! It seems I have to do this myself since you seem to be lacking some manners and common sense. Let’s see! My power will see through thee real ability.」

At the next moment, a bright red magic circle appeared on the man’s monocle. It seems that this delusional fella is using appraisal on me. Well, my appraisal can’t see another person’s ability though.

「FUE?」

Suddenly, that delusional man’s eyes opened wide as he looked at me.

「NONONONONO! This is impossible! What in the hell is this?」

He raised his monocle and started profusely sweating out of nowhere.

「Are you done? Since that’s the case, let’s begin OUR DEATH BATTLE!」

This man was the last boss of this dungeon. He had to be extremely powerful. There were no doubts about it. The battle that would burn my soul was right in front of me.

Since this was the case, I had to go all out.

I used 【Magic Clad】 on 【Murasame】 and raised my physical strength with 【Herculean Strength】.

In my stay here, the seven forms of my 【Tru Commandement Sword Art, One Sword Style】 had gained three additional forms, increasing their number to ten.

Every one of them was akin to an instant kill strike, but I wasn’t naive to expect that they would work against this last boss. However, I had a trump card, the 【Final Form】. If worse came to worst, that final form would annihilate this guy until not even a cell of him was left in this world.

Well, I wouldn’t be able to move at all for one full day after I used that 【Final Form】 either. However, I could leave the aftermath to Faf and those funny fellas in the subjugation picture book. They should be able to handle the rest.

Well then, let’s try him first.

I stooped over. Just when I was about to kick the red carpet on the floor―

「W-W-WAIT A MINUUUUUUUUUTE!!」

The color drained from the face of the man(?) dressed in a suit as he raised his arms.

「What are you trying to do? Don’t tell me that you’re thinking of surrendering without even crossing a blade with me.」

Gimme a break! Just when I’ve come across a formidable opponent that can force me into a corner, he(?) is trying to escape from the battle.

「LIKE HELL I DARE TO DO THAT! This messed up status! Thou, just what in the hell is wrong with thou head!!!」

Well, even if you say that, it’s not like I can answer your question either. I mean, my appraisal was messed up a long time ago. Whenever I appraised myself, it only showed gibberish text. Nevertheless, all I felt toward Appraisal-kun was gratitude since it had been a great aid for me since I stepped into this dungeon.

「You’re the rude man here for saying that something is wrong with my head. Well, it doesn’t matter, Let’s just start our death battle. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since a long, long time ago.」

After saying that, I changed my mana form into something more specialized in combat.

「SURRENDER, YE~~~S. I SURRENDER TO THEE!」

The man(?) in the suit announced his surrender even before the usual inorganic female voice announced the start of the last trial. Why in the hell did this fella chicken out? I mean, it looks like those small fries in the subjugation picture book have more guts than him!

『The surrender of the last trial’s examiner, Astaroth, has been confirmed. You have cleared the last trial. As a special subjugation reward for subjugating the last boss with coercion alone, Astaroth is given to Kai Heineman as his kin.』

「W-WAIT A MINUTE! Becoming this monster’s kin is just too much!!」

Astaroth pleaded to the heavens with a face that looked like he was cri— screw that, he was really crying right now.

『As a result of becoming Astaroth’s master, you have acquired a new title―【Chicken Majin’s Master】.』

The inorganic female voice continued to speak without even caring about the crying Astaroth.

Chicken Majin she said. It seems that this Astaroth, the last boss of this dungeon, is quite infamous for him to be called like that.

The Inorganic female voice didn’t stop.

『Due to the effect of 【Chicken Majin’s Master】 title― Skill fusion has been activated.

All of 【Poison Assimilation】, 【Paralysis Assimilation】, 【Petrification Assimilation】, 【Heat Assimilation】、【Ice Assimilation】, 【Earth and Sand Assimilation】, 【Wind Assimilation】, 【Water Assimilation】, 【Thunder Assimilation】, 【Light Assimilation】, and lastly 【Darkness Assimilation】 will fuse into 【All Attributes And Abnormal Conditions Assimilation】.』

【Chicken Majin’s Master】’s title, huh.

―――――――――――――――――――――

・Title 【Chicken Majin’s Master】: An honor bestowed on the one who rules the timid Majin. It enables the owner of this skill to fuse skills or develop an original skill

―――――――――――――――――――――

Contrary to its joke-like name, 【Chicken Majin’s Master】 was an extremely useful title. I mean, I got this title as soon as Astaroth was forced to become my kin.

『Congratulation, you have cleared 【Gods’ Ordeal】!

Due to the effects of clearing the trial, the targets of the 【Subjugation Picture Book】 have been expanded to exist outside human species above a certain level of intelligence.

At the same time, as a special reward for clearing the trial, your memory will be forcefully reconnected with Kai Heineman’s memory right before he entered the trial ground. Memory restoration is completed.』

The almost forgotten memories that I missed so much have returned… or so it’s supposed to be. But, was I really such a pushover back then? Honestly speaking, I can’t help but feel disgusted by myself back then. I mean, the current me is a completely different person than that me. Still, I have no choice but to get used to it.

When I was in the middle of mulling over my restored memories, a magic circle suddenly appeared beneath our feet. Before I realized it, we had already been sent back to that memorable(?) basin under the waterfall. The cave hidden in the innermost part of the basin under the waterfall that led to 【Gods’ Ordeal】 had disappeared, replaced by a wall of rock.

I took a deep breath as soon as I left the basin under the waterfall. The cool air that filled my lungs felt so nice. I enjoyed the nostalgia with the cold air of the night. Even though I knew this feeling well in my memories, I was literally trapped in that dungeon for a hundred thousand years. I had already forgotten how it felt a really long time ago. Thus, I embraced this feeling of reminiscence.

===

TN: After this chapter, some might be confused about the change in mc’s personality but, that change is caused by the memory fusion. The memory fusion between his invincible self and weak self caused him to doubt about his own strength amongst human(since he never fought another human in God’s Ordeal).