Survival 62

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Imperial Palace.

The most revered place in the Manhett Empire, where the most noble of all resided.

Thus, it was also a place abundant with precious relics.

Upon hearing the objective, Bathory’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Right. Stealing other people’s belongings and emotions is your forte, isn’t it? Just take as much as you can. A raid on the Imperial Treasury should be suitable even for me.”

“…It won’t be that simple.”

Perhaps it was because Bathory had lived in a world of survival of the fittest.

She was already fully prepared to plunder properly.

I shook my head, trying to calm her down.

Just like any noble family, the Imperial Palace also had its treasury.

However,

Today, my target was not there.

“With the elite soldiers and Imperial Knights, and above all, the guardian deity being truly of another dimension.”

The security was terrifyingly strict.

A forceful breakthrough with our current specs?

It would be like strangling ourselves.

Moreover, Bathory, who could be powerful but not suited for stealthy actions, was completely useless in this regard.

“Then what are you aiming for?”

“Besides the treasury, the Imperial Palace is filled with relics everywhere.”

I smirked, recalling once again.

The Imperial Palace.

The main character and player character, the saintess, was a commoner, so although she visited the Imperial Palace often, it was difficult for her to stay or roam freely.

Access was restricted until the very end of the main story.

Normally, it would be a place to prepare before the final battle.

Therefore, most players were attracted to the treasures of the treasury, but there were others who were not.

[Did you guys know?]

There’s a dungeon in the Imperial Palace?

[What, you broke into the treasury illegally? They would just open it anyway.]

[Please, let’s explore the map when the new map opens.]

A dungeon discovered by a community user.

Unknown even to members of the royal family, so no worries about repercussions.

‘The difficulty level is just right for me now.’

“Please follow me. I need your help, Lady Bathory.”

“Hmm! Different from the descendants of that warrior who are only good as prey. I will gladly assist.”

‘Hmm?’

A vampire, dressed as a maid, following me diligently.

Her unusually cooperative attitude was puzzling, but I let it be.

***

“What is this place?”

“It’s the library.”

One of the resting places created for the guests of the Imperial Palace.

Endless rows of antique bookshelves.

The smell of old paper tickled my nose.

“It doesn’t seem special.”

After taking out a few books and flipping through them, she soon frowned.

“It’s about magic, but the level is uniformly terrible.”

“Of course. The truly precious books are either in the First Library or the treasury.”

Losing interest, Bathory became indifferent, while I momentarily recalled my memories from the game.

‘It was around here…’

From the entrance, go straight to the sixth bookshelf in the corridor.

The book with a green cover located at the three-quarters mark.

“Ah, here it is.”

Seemingly untouched, a layer of musty dust had settled on it.

[Introduction to Manhett Magic History]

“…It’s not much different from the earlier ones.”

In Bathory’s view, the book I handed her was worthless.

But the important thing was not the content of the book.

-Click.

Inside the bookshelf.

Upon pressing a button hidden behind a book, the entire bookshelf was wrapped in a soft glow.

[You have fulfilled the conditions!]

[The hidden dungeon, The Immortal Research Lab, will now open.]

“…Hmm? A teleportation magic circle.”

It seemed to be a rather well-crafted spell, even in the eyes of Bathory, a proficient wizard.

Interest sparked in her eyes, which had been filled with boredom just moments ago.

“Yes. It’s the magic that will lead us to treasure.”

I extended my hand towards Bathory.

Having always attended to Luciana, this gesture of escort had become almost unconscious.

“It’s reckless to enter when we don’t know what dangers lie inside.”

“Why worry when Lady Bathory will solve them all? Is there really a reason to be concerned?”

Bathory, grabbing my hand, flashed a fierce smile.

It seemed she quite liked my response.

“It’s only natural for a retainer to rely on their contractor. Trust me.”

As the soft light of the bookshelf enveloped us and we opened our eyes again,

What appeared before us was a deep, dark cave.

[The Immortal Research Lab]

[After the Manhett Empire unified all human nations.]

[Some members of the royal family, having obtained all power, coveted immortality.]

[Thus, they mobilized renowned knights and royal wizards to support their research in extending their lifespans.]

[However, their research ended in failure. All that remained of their quest for immortality were the hideous undead that were left.]

[Bury the secret of the royal family, and grant them eternal rest.]

As if proving we had arrived at the right location, the status window poured out information about the dungeon as an alert.

And slowly,

Those welcoming us, the intruders, also surrounded us.

“Not of the royal blood.”

“Unauthorized beings.”

“Even mixed with a demon. Deserving of execution.”

The same appearance as in the game.

Knights in black armor, armed with various weapons, aimed at us.

One peculiar thing was, a part that should exist in any living being was missing.

“They speak well for having no heads. Fascinating.”

Dullahans.

The knights, lacking everything above their necks, exuded a menacing aura.

“Insolent.”

“We’ll soon make you like us.”

As the Dullahans raised their weapons,

Just as they were about to step forward and strike,

‘As expected.’

“Mere wandering dead. The audacity.”

Suddenly, their menacing aura was extinguished.

Swallowed by a stronger storm of magical power.

-Woosh.

-Freeze.

The Dullahans attempting to push forward froze in their tracks.

“Such a powerful demon.”

“We must deploy a protective barrier.”

“Don’t be afraid. We are already dead, what is there to fear from dying again?”

Even as headless corpses, they had not forgotten the bravery of their knightly days.

They faced Bathory, backing each other up.

At that moment.

“Excuse me. Have you forgotten about me?”

-Clank, clank, clank.

The sound of rotting armor pieces falling echoed.

What they had overlooked was,

In focusing solely on the high-ranking demon, they had lost sight of me.

Stripped of their armor, the rotting flesh enraged, raising their weapons.

“This bastard removed the armor…!”

“How dare such a lowly creature!”

Against those clad in armor,

A shove was the best weapon.

I casually smiled and gestured with my chin.

“Thinking you had a chance against someone without armor?”

Some Dullahans swung their weapons at me, realizing the gravity of the situation.

But I could see it.

Greatswords, maces, and spears.

The trajectory of all their weapons.

-Crunch.

The heavily thrust greatsword only shattered the ground.

-Whoosh.

The mace aimed at my head cut through nothing but air,

-Swish.

And the spear trying to pierce my stomach barely grazed my side.

-Clank, clank.

After removing the remaining few pieces of armor, I returned to my spot, dusting off the gloves on my hands with a grumble.

“Seems like everyone’s been locked up for too long. So dull and slow that I might yawn.”

“…!”

It’s a pity I can’t see their expressions without heads. Watching the knights’ faces contort with such light taunting is always a pleasure.

“Well, now that the appetizers are set, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Good work.”

-Whoosh-

The moment a wave of heat swept past me from behind.

“Aaagh!”

“No! We must follow the royal command…”

Watching them collapse like straw men, I whistled.

Why else would this be a hidden dungeon?

The seemingly ordinary Dullahans boasted monstrous stamina, making them unworthy of even being called fodder, as they endured Bathory’s magic head-on for a moment.

‘Normally, stripping them of their armor would have only been the beginning of a long battle.’

A rogue like me, focused entirely on agility, would have needed to strike them hundreds, if not thousands, of times to bring them down.

“Grumble…”

“Ugh…”

Stripped of any semblance of armor, the bare corpses were crisply burned away.

“Hmph. Such trivial beings.”

Ah, satisfying.

Riding the dungeon-clearing bus courtesy of a vampire.

It was incredibly comfortable.

“Great. Let’s keep this pace up all the way to the boss!”

“…Sometimes you speak in ways I cannot comprehend.”

Along with a bewildered Bathory, we headed towards the deepest part of the cave.

***

“Annoying little fish.”

Bathory’s brow furrowed slightly.

The stench of rotten blood was overwhelmingly foul.

There was a significant number of them, but they were just low-tier undead. A single wide-area magic spell was enough to sweep them away.

‘But it’s still manageable…’

Perhaps due to constantly squeezing out mana, a slight fatigue loomed over my head.

“Frost Mane, are we there yet?”

“We’re almost there.”

She couldn’t show weakness in front of a retainer she had offered to help.

Concealing her weariness, she continued to deal with the undead as before.

“We’ve arrived.”

Guided by him, they reached their destination.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation swept over the back of her neck.

“Stop. I feel a sinister magical power.”

Magic power swirled beyond the skull-decorated gate.

Bathory involuntarily swallowed.

At least on par with herself.

‘Was there such a grand wizard among humans?’

She slowly gathered her internal mana, considering the need to consume her reserve of blood bags.

“Wow, great job getting us here. Now, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Wait a moment!”

Ignoring her warning, Hans, as if undeterred, opened the door.

“Has the intruder come this far?”

‘…!’

Frozen in place, Bathory stared straight ahead.

A wizard in tattered robes sat upon a throne built of bones, looking down at us.

And within those robes,

No skin or muscles that should exist in a person were visible.

Just white bones and a skull.

That was all that made up the wizard.

“The scent of death fills the air.”

Facing the opponent, Bathory too, raised her mana.

Just as she was about to wrap flames around her fist,

“The court wizard, Deron. Your duty is ended.”

Stepping forward before her, Frost Mane took the lead.

“…Do you know me?”

“Of course. How could I not know of the Grand wizard who greatly contributed to the unification of the Manhett Empire?”

Even facing the Grand wizard, he displayed a relaxed smile.

Bathory bit her lip.

‘What is he thinking! At this rate, Frost Mane could be in danger.’

By now, the distance between Frost Mane and the lich was too close to intervene.

She hurriedly canceled her spell casting.

“Your name still appears often in the texts of the Manhett Empire.”

“What an honor.”

“However, I doubt anyone knows that such a person’s end would be in this cramped cave.”

The foolhardy words of her retainer went unheard.

She kept her gaze fixed on the enemy without easing her tension.

Where the eyeballs should have been, Bathory could see the flames flickering slightly in the eye sockets.

‘……?’

She tuned in to the conversation unfolding before her, which turned out to be quite surprising.

“It was the royal command.”

“Of course. I am well aware of your research on immortality. But you ended up failing, abandoned by the royal family.”

“No! The royal family still awaits the results of my research!”

“You know better than anyone that it’s nothing but a hollow promise.”

‘Now they’re even dragging the dead into this.’

Without any defense left, Frost Mane approached and whispered into his skull.

“The empire has abandoned you long ago. So, there’s no reason for you to continue your research under that command.”

“…What do you want to say?”

“I think I can help you with your dilemma.”

With a seemingly wicked smile, he handed over a mana stone clutched in his bony fingers.

“There’s someone in a similar predicament as you, but with a more powerful curse. He might be able to resolve your curse. It means you could also achieve nirvana.”

Nirvana.

Mentioning the word that the lich had dreamed of for centuries, both his eerie glow and voice trembled.

And Bathory, who had been watching all this, sighed in relief.

“Such rhetoric.”

Stimulating the opponent’s desires and creating a situation advantageous to oneself.

It was a remarkable talent she had seen countless times since Elizabeth, always impressive.

“Always said the boss fights are the easiest once you get through the initial stages. Ah, Lady Bathory, come over here and let’s see if we can find anything useful together.”

“Don’t be impatient. I’m coming.”

The now-empty throne.

The cave devoid of the lich.

As Frost Mane started rummaging around, a faint smile also began to form on Bathory’s lips.

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