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I Got a New Skill Every Time I Was Exiled, and After 100 Different Worlds, I Was Unmatched (Web Novel) - Chapter 347: The Value of Treasure Is Not Solely Monetary
Chapter 347: The Value of Treasure Is Not Solely Monetary
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
“Gyoaaaah!? The door, the door is open, Gyo!? We went through so much trouble collecting those keys, but could it be someone got here before us, Gyo!?”“No, I don’t think so…”
While holding back Ginta, who was trying to swim towards the door while yelling, we cautiously approached the side of the door.
I can’t imagine anyone else fulfilling the conditions to obtain those keys besides us. However, I can’t assert that there aren’t other keys obtainable under different conditions than the ones we possess. But there’s no one else around, and the door was barely open, just enough for a fist-sized gap. It’s not spacious enough for a person to pass through. In that case…
“Rather than someone passing through and forgetting to close it, it feels like it’s opening on its own, right?”
“Then, is the treasure inside safe, Gyo!?”
“It might be safe. If there’s treasure, that is.”
According to my understanding, the sealed Demon King should be inside here, but since we had no information until now, there’s still a possibility of the treasure that Ginta was hoping for. Perhaps it’s an amazing magical tool utilizing the Demon King’s power… Huh? Does that mean there’s a higher possibility of treasure than I initially thought?
“Well, whatever. We’ll find out once we open it. Ginta, I’ll leave that key to you. Tia, stay alert just in case anything happens.”
“Understood.”
“Got it, Gyo!”
Everyone swiftly acted upon my words. There were black and white holes on either side of the door. I inserted the black key sword into the black hole on the left side, and with a heavy sensation and a ‘zzz’ sound, it snugly fit in. As I glanced sideways, Ginta had finished inserting his key as well. And as I looked back, Tia, who was standing in front of the door, nodded slightly after pulling out her sword.
“Alright, here we go. On the count of three, turn the keys. One, two… three!”
“Gyo!”
With a firm twist of the key, there was a clicking sound, and the door began to open. The door, divided into black and white, disappeared into the outer frame as if being sucked in, leaving behind a dark passage leading deeper from a golden frame about three meters in diameter.
“It’s open, but… it’s pitch black inside, Gyo.”
“Shall we go… I’ll go first, then Ginta, followed by Tia. Ginta, don’t try to escape on your own, even if things get tough, unless I instruct you otherwise. If you act recklessly, I might not be able to protect you.”
“So, same as usual, right? Got it, Gyo.”
“Okay. Tia, the light, please.”
“Sure.”
Arranging ourselves in formation, we stepped into the darkness. Even though it was equally dark inside and outside, for some reason, the spread of light seemed worse here, and it felt rather chilly.
“It feels more like falling than walking forward. If our feet weren’t on the ground, we wouldn’t know which way is up or down.”
“That’s right. It’s easy to go deeper, but it feels like we absolutely shouldn’t get out?”
“Why are both of you saying such scary things, Gyo!? We should be having a more fun conversation here!”
“Having a fun conversation in this situation seems quite challenging. Ginta, do you have any ideas?”
“Gyoooo…? Then, when we get the treasure—”
“Shh!”
Despite Ginta starting to speak, I immediately stopped him. It was still dark in front of us. However, I sensed a definite presence and a feeling of discomfort ahead. I gestured behind me to alert everyone, then cautiously moved forward… What awaited us was a figure seated on a vividly red throne in this black world, a figure that bore a striking resemblance to me but with half of it encroached by something white.
“You’ve arrived…”
“Gyeeee!? Ed!? There’s an Ed here looking really unwell, Gyo!? But Ed is also here with us, Gyo!? Wha-what’s going on, Gyo!?”
“Calm down, Ginta. That’s probably… the Demon King.”
“The Demon King!? The one that was sealed by ‘Hill People, Eltartan’ a long time ago, that Demon King, Gyo!? Why is that here… and why does it have the same face as Ed!?”
“Sorry, Ginta. If you’re curious about that, I’ll explain later. Right now, can we prioritize hearing what this one has to say?”
The Demon King in front of us clearly looked worn-out, and my intuition was signaling that time was running out. I felt bad for Ginta, but I didn’t want to allocate time for a discussion that could wait anytime.
“O-Okay, Gyo… But you have to tell me later! Ed and I are comrades, so there should be no secrets, Gyo!”
“Comrades, huh… Right. I promise.”
“Then, I’ll listen quietly, Gyo!”
Ginta easily closed his mouth as he was told. His consideration and demeanor pleased me, and inwardly, I couldn’t help but smile as I turned back to the Demon King.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“Kept waiting, huh… Hehehe, yes, indeed, I waited. For a really long time… but it seems like I made it just in time.”
“That’s good to hear. By the way, when you say ‘made it just in time’…”
“Of course, for the collapse of this world.”
“What!?”
At the Demon King’s words, all of us gasped. Particularly, Ginta seemed to be desperately holding back, perhaps to keep the promise he made earlier.
However, I had anticipated that statement since I saw the Demon King’s appearance. I had a vivid recollection of that white entity encroaching on half of its body. Indeed, if I had failed in “segregation,” it might have ended up something like that…
“There isn’t much time left, but there’s much that needs to be explained. And also… Ginta, right? He’s a resident of this world, right? In that case, I want to talk to him properly.”
“Me… you want to talk to me, Gyo?”
“Yes. That’s why… *sigh* Let me start from the beginning.”
After a brief exhale, the Demon King leaned back on the throne. However, only the right half of his body was moving; the left half was being consumed by that white something, and there wasn’t even a sign of movement in his fingertips.
“Long ago… in this world, there used to be the surface world. Although the majority was dominated by water, about a third was land. And I descended there as an outsider. At that time, I didn’t have sophisticated thoughts that could be called self-awareness. I was more like an infant throwing tantrums without any particular reason… As a result, I was eventually defeated by the hero who came from the waters.”
“Huh, you lost!?”
“That’s right. The Demon King being defeated by a hero… is that so surprising?”
“Well, it’s not about that, but why… can you continue?”
During my second cycle, after I was banished from this world, Alexis and Waffer defeated the Demon King. So, it’s not surprising that the Demon King was defeated by a hero. But then why is this one here? And why now, when I’ve returned to this world? The mysteries were endless, but the answers should be revealed soon enough.
“Understood. After being defeated by the hero, I… or rather, my soul… I’m not sure if I can call it that, but as a pure concentration of power, drifted in this world, and then encountered a certain existence. It was the god, Nuoh, who created this world.”
“You met a god, Gyo!? Wait, are gods really real!?”
Seemingly unable to contain himself any longer, Ginta finally raised his voice. He hastily covered his mouth with both hands when we all turned our gaze towards him, but the Demon King spoke to Ginta with a gentle expression.
“Ah, they exist. Nuoh is still watching over you… but that’s a different story. Anyway, I met Nuoh, and we exchanged our wills. Beings unaffected by the passage of time. We conversed for what could be considered an instant or eternity, and before I knew it, a firm sense of self had formed within me… Therefore, I told Nuoh, ‘I want to express my gratitude to you for giving me a sense of myself. Is there anything I can do?’ Then Nuoh said he wanted me to oversee the world ‘Above the Water.’ Underwater was his domain, but the outside was different. I decided to fulfill that wish, and Nuoh prepared the necessary body for that purpose. As a result, I became not an outsider but a member of this world. Integrated into the logic of the world, an existence living and dying in this place… Everything you call ‘Hillpeole, Eltartan’ are all my subjects.”
A colossal revelation suddenly came to light. Suppressing my astonishment, we waited for the Demon King to continue his story.
