Published at 26th of December 2025 7:42 am

Chapter 509: If Its Absolutely Impossible, I Can Give Up, but if They Say I Can Do It if I Try, I Cant Help but Take On the Challenge

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Shall we get started, then? Ed, Id like you and your team to secure the area. Is that alright?

Understood. Ill head further into the ruins. Tia, could I ask you to stay here and guard Zurich and the others?

Sure, but considering theyve made it this far on their own, do they even need me?

Tilting her head, Tia looked at me quizzically at my suggestion. Interestingly, it wasnt me who answered herit was Zurich herself.

Chu-chu-chu, while our survival skills are decent, our combat skills are far from impressive. If youre offering to guard us, wed be more than happy to accept!

Oh, really?

Indeed. Our specialty lies in avoiding magical beasts. We excel at escaping, hiding, and using tools to misdirect them. If push comes to shove, we can kill them with traps or surprise attacks, but thats strictly as a last resort.

Nyaa, Sensei is small and nimble, but doesnt have the strength to fight magic beasts. As for me, I can ambush from treetops, but fighting head-on? Nope, not happening, nyan.

Thats just how it is. Theyre not specialized in combat like us, so its understandable.

Fair enough. Ed, over to you.

Tia extended her hand to me, and I gently grasped it. The warmth I felt spoke of trust.

Alright, its in your hands.

Heh, leave it to me!

Flashing a perfect thumbs-up and a broad smile, Tia radiated confidence. I couldnt help but grin back and return the gesture.

Then, I made my way deeper into the ruins alone, carefully illuminating the dark surroundings with the light from my lantern.

Well, nothing here, as expected, I muttered.

This particular ruin was one Id thoroughly explored during my first cycle, spending nearly two months investigating it in detail. If there was truly nothing here, I would be the first to know.

Goblins didnt inhabit this area due to the climate, and bandits wouldnt bother making a hideout out of such a remote spot far from town.

That being said, my first cycle was just thata first cycle. Id already experienced how even the smallest twist could alter events. As a result, slacking off or doing a half-hearted investigation wasnt an option.

I entered every one of the numerous small rooms, meticulously confirming there wasnt anything of note. Thats whenout of nowhereI felt the presence of someone behind me.

Whos there!?

I swiftly turned around, my right hand ready on the handle of my sword. In the dim corridor illuminated by my lantern, a figure came into view

Luka?

Hello, Senpai. Long time no see.

Yeah, its been a while, hasnt it?

The time I spent in the seemed to flow differently compared to the time in other worlds. It wasnt surprising that Luka, who had likely arrived here before me, would feel like it had been a long time.

As if confirming my thoughts, he nodded with a smile. His eyes, glowing red in the lanterns light, appeared even more mysterious than usual.

Thats right. It feels like its been ages for me. Ah, how nostalgic this feeling

Nostalgic? What, the inside of these ruins?

Fufu, thats not entirely wrong, but theres more to it. This place is somewhat special. Senpai, surely you know what makes it so, dont you?

Me? Special Oh, wait, the [Seat of the Gods Dashiketaama]?!

Exactly. Deep beneath this place lies the dormant power of a god. While its empty now, with only the container remaining, the lingering tracesthe aura, the residual energystill remain. Its incredibly nostalgic.

I see

Watching Luka take a deep breath with a blissful expression, I couldnt help but marvel in a different way.

Huh. So this ruin really did have something like that.

Hmm? So does that mean my actions here will lead Zurich to discover it as part of this worlds natural flow?

Whether its the correct flow or not is debatable, but yes, this could very well pave the way for the future defeat of the Demon King.

Ah, is that so? Well, what should I do about it?

Do you even need to deliberate over it?

No, Id personally prefer to gather the fragments of power and handle the Demon King now rather than later. But if we proceed this way, I wouldnt actually encounter the Demon King, would I? Thats why Im considering my options, I explained.

From what Zurich had shared during my first cycle, this worlds Demon King had been defeated long ago and was now sealed away somewhere. However, if Zurichs discovery of something necessary for its defeat was part of the natural flow, then the Demon Kings eventual revival was a foregone conclusion.

That being said, for the Demon King to revive, it meant it was currently sealed properly.

If I could act on my own, I might be able to take the seal, forcefully inject power into it like I did with Margaret, and revive the Demon King just to defeat it immediately. The problem lay in involving Zurich and the othersthey made things extremely complicated.

As I mulled over my options, Luka covered his mouth, letting out a low chuckle.

Hahaha, you dont need to worry about that. In fact, I already have the Demon Kings seal in my possession.

What!? Why do you have it!?

Why? Obviously, so I can entertain you, Senpai.

What the hell are you plotting, Luka?

Unlike the last world, in this one, doing nothing was the biggest obstacle to my plans.

And yet, here Luka was, handing me exactly what I needed as if placing it within reach. His actions directly contradicted his usual approach.

It was far too convenient for me to believe it was done without some ulterior motive.

Plotting? Thats so mean, Senpai. I genuinely just want you to have fun. Of course, I wont be handing it over easily.

What do you want me to do?

Conquer these ruins. Make your way to the very bottom, to the [Throne of the Gods]. Thats where Ill leave the Demon Kings seal for you.

So basically, you want to watch me flail around in your carefully laid-out maze like a puppet on strings?

Precisely. Oh, and no cheating, okay? If you try to skip steps or take shortcuts

Whatll happen?

With a thin smile, Luka leaned in and replied,

The Demon Kings seal might end up in a very unfortunate state.

Wow, now thats terrifying. Guess Ill take this seriously By the way, will you at least tell me where the entrance is? I didnt notice anything like that before.

Fufufu, of course. Ill make an exception and show you. Come this way, please.

Sure.

Following Lukas call, I stepped out of the room.

Once I was outside, Luka snapped his fingers, and a glowing magic circle appeared faintly on the floor of the room we had just left.

Is this a teleportation circle?

Correct. If you step onto it, itll transport you to the true entrance of the ruins. Once youre inside, you wont be able to leave until youve completed the challenge, so be prepared.

Got it but theres no way to restock supplies here. How far is the nearest town? Will this circle stay open until I return?

Of course not. At most, itll last until midnight. If it disappears, youll have to figure out how to activate it again yourself. I imagine itll take several decades, but Im sure its doable.

Smirking mischievously, Luka stuck out his tongue playfully. His demeanor, equal parts charming and devious, was enough to ensnare most people.

For me, though, it just made me sigh.

Hah. So basically, youre saying, Prepare quickly, but also hurry the hell up. Got it. By the way, are you

Of course, Ill be acting independently. It wouldnt make sense fr the creator of the dungeon to join the challenge, would it?

Fair enough. Ill head back to Tia and the others to explain.

Alright. Ill see you at the goal, Senpai

With that, Luka waved me off.

I turned away and started walking.

Looks like things were about to get complicated yet again.

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