I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods – Chapter 76

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“I’m going to the rune dungeon today. Anyone want to come with me?”

The clinking sound of plates and utensils ceased.

Silence enveloped the dining hall.

Four pairs of eyes of various colors turned towards me.

Iris, Claudia, Lizé, and Erica were all staring at me with dazed expressions.

The bread that Lizé had been holding tumbled onto the table with a thud.

“…Rune dungeon? What are you talking about all of a sudden, Delta?”

Lizé was the first to regain her senses.

She didn’t seem to care at all that the bread she had just dropped had rolled near Iris’ plate.

“I went out for a bit this morning. That’s when I decided.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Lizé sighed.

Iris took over.

“Delta. This is the Holy Kingdom, not the Empire. Basically, rune dungeonsㅡ”

“I already got permission. Directly from the Inquisitor of the Moon herself.”

“……”

There was nothing more to say after hearing that I had directly received permission from the Inquisitor of the Moon.

After all, the positions of the Inquisitor of the Sun and the Inquisitor of the Moon were second only to the two Popes in terms of authority.

“Judging from your expression, it seems you never thought we wouldn’t come with you from the beginning. Right?”

“Correct, Knight Commander Claudia. You’re quick-witted.”

“Is it your hobby to surprise us, Delta? You could have told us in advance.”

I responded with a smile.

Seeing my smile, Erica shook her head with an exasperated expression.

Although it was decided just 30 minutes ago, there wasn’t enough time to tell them in advance.

By the time I finished talking with Selene and returned here, they were in the middle of preparing for the meal.

“Let’s discuss this in more detail for now.”

With a clink, Iris put down her spoon.

The other knight commanders also seemed to have lost their appetite to continue the meal.

It was just as I had expected.

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“Have you finished your preparations?”

Selene and her subordinate battle nuns, who had already arrived at the agreed-upon location, welcomed the knight commanders.

They were all thoroughly armed.

Short swords dangled from the belts around their waists, and the rapiers in their hands were gripped with immense strength.

The sacred robes that tightly hugged their bodies were even more pristine than usual.

At first glance, their expressions seemed emotionless as always, but on the other hand, there was an evident tension in their demeanor.

However, no one blamed them for it.

The Inquisitor also had a more rigid face than usual, and even the knight commanders’ every movement was filled with strength.

The only person acting normally here was Delta.

Delta was leisurely fiddling with the weapon on his waist, just like always.

“You’re the same as always, Delta.”

Seeing that, Iris spoke with a wry smile.

Of course, due to the helmet covering her head, her expression couldn’t be seen.

“Me? Why me?”

“Everyone here is tense, but you’re the only one with a calm face.”

“Well, that’s true. You all seem more stiff than usual too.”

“The dungeon we’re about to conquer is a very dangerous place, as you said yourself, Delta. If it’s dangerous enough for you to say that with your own mouth, its danger must be beyond imagination. Aren’t you nervous at all?”

This was the very dungeon where, despite the Holy Kingdom sending several subjugation teams, they ultimately failed to acquire the rune, and dozens of holy knights and battle nuns were sacrificed in vain.

Due to its danger, it was a place that had been sealed off by the special order of the Inquisitor of the Sun and the Inquisitor of the Moon, with holy knights stationed to guard it.

Honestly, until actually coming here, the reality hadn’t quite sunk in.

Because the face of the person saying those words had looked so serene.

“Um… Not really?”

Even now, nothing had changed.

Delta’s words and actions were the same, whether it was this morning or now.

Serene.

It was the word that best described Delta at the moment.

Before they knew it, everyone’s attention had focused on Iris and Delta.

“Why?”

“It’s a place I suggested we go to. If the person who recommended coming here gets nervous, what would that make you who followed me?”

Delta said that with a slight smile.

The moment they saw the smile that appeared on his face, it felt as if the tension was melting away.

At least for Iris.

It was that very smile.

The smile that effortlessly turned the impossible, which everyone else had considered impossible, into possible.

Iris steeled herself.

Since he himself had said that much, all she had to do was trust Delta this time as well.

Hadn’t she just heard the plan he had devised this very morning?

Even if that plan could be called nothing short of insane.

“I understand.”

Iris answered briefly and turned her body.

Her helmet faced to the side.

Selene, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two, hastily straightened her posture.

“Are we heading inside now?”

“Yes. I will immediately issue the order to depart.”

Selene gestured to the holy knights standing in front of the white aura.

The holy knights briefly stood at attention and brought their spear tips towards the aura.

The part that came into contact with the spear tips began to unravel.

Soon, the point of contact gradually twisted and thinned, and a gap large enough for a person to enter appeared.

The knight commanders peered into the space beyond.

The fact that the surrounding space was sealed off wasn’t for nothing, as everything within sight was stained pitch-black.

“May the moon watch over you.”

The sacred catalyst emitted light.

Dense silver sacred power began to swirl around Selene herself, her subordinate battle nuns, the knight commanders, and Delta.

“From now on, please be extra cautious. Near the dungeonㅡ”

“Then I’ll go in first?”

“…Pardon?”

Before Selene could even finish warning the knight commanders, Delta abruptly interrupted and strode through the gap in the sacred barrier.

“Esteemed guest! You mustn’t enter recklesslyㅡ”

“It’s fine. Nothing will happen.”

Claudia patted Selene’s shoulder.

In contrast to Selene and her subordinate battle nuns, who had extremely startled expressions, the knight commanders acted as if they had expected this.

The reason was, of course, because they had heard Delta’s plan in advance.

If that hadn’t been the case, they would have been far more surprised than Selene.

Selene followed Delta’s back with a disgruntled feeling, and next, the knight commanders, and finally, the battle nuns headed towards the inside of the protective barrier.

“…It’s terrible.”

It was the first thing Lizé said upon entering.

And it was something that everyone here agreed with.

Everything was stained with a black liquid.

The grass and trees weren’t completely withered and twisted, but they were covered in an unknown black liquid, losing almost all of their original colors, so there was little difference from being withered and twisted.

Even the sunlight shining down seemed to have a somewhat gloomy feeling.

Lizé, feeling uneasy for no reason, brushed her hand over her armor.

“Is your name Iris, esteemed guest?”

Selene approached Iris, who was frowning and looking around.

She turned her head.

Selene was glancing at Delta’s back as he walked ahead.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Do you have any idea what he is doing right now?”

Delta was walking forward alone, muttering numbers in a low voice.

If someone who didn’t know the circumstances saw it, it would be enough to raise questions.

Of course, Iris knew why Delta was doing that.

It was something that not only Iris but all the knight commanders knew.

Delta, who had boasted that he could conquer this rune dungeon alone and that it would take no more than 30 minutes at most, had added a condition along with the request that he said was absolutely necessary.

He had to be the first to enter the dungeon, and once he entered, no matter what he did, they must never speak to him or interfere with his actions.

That was why Lizé, who would normally be sticking close to Delta and chattering away, was quiet.

How could she dare do that when he had directly told her not to interfere?

“I don’t know. But he must have a reason, so it’s best not to interfere.”

Iris shook her head, recalling the words Delta had said about keeping it just between them, if possible.

Selene quietly stepped back, as if she had some idea.

But Iris was also curious.

Delta had definitely said that timing was the most important thing.

She circulated mana throughout her body to enhance her hearing and slightly eavesdropped on his muttering.

“66… 67… 68….”

Delta was counting numbers.

Since the numbers were steadily increasing by one, he seemed to be keeping track of time.

He would occasionally glance around, nod to himself, and then take a step, repeating the process.

In fact, it wasn’t just Iris who was curious.

Numerous gazes were going back and forth behind his back.

“This is the place called the Abyss Dungeon. The rune is at the very bottom.”

They arrived at the rune dungeon in no time, as Delta’s actions were so eye-catching that everyone was intently watching him.

The black color covering everything was much darker.

Right in front of them was a huge pit.

Befitting the name “Abyss,” it was a pit of unfathomable depth.

It seemed that it would take at least several hundred people to surround the edge.

“…Don’t tell me we have to go down using that?”

“Yes. You guessed correctly.”

Erica pointed to the bridge spanning across it.

No, from the start, it was questionable whether that could even be called a bridge.

The surface looked extremely slippery, and there were no railings, not even a handrail.

Even if they hastily made a wooden bridge by roughly weaving planks together, it would seem more stable than that.

At least the surface of that wouldn’t be so slick.

“Be careful. Those are very slippery. You must never run and always walk.”

“I don’t even feel like doing that.”

Erica made a face of disgust.

The bridge was slightly inclined diagonally, designed to lead downward.

It was the only way to descend to the bottom of the dungeon.

At the end of the bridge, there was a cave-like gap wide enough for one person to enter, and such bridges were intricately intertwined, densely filling the bottom of the pit.

“Wow, if you slip just a little, you’ll slide right down, huh?”

Claudia clicked her tongue and stepped back after briefly placing her foot on the bridge.

Just putting it on for a moment made the sole of her sabaton slippery.

Claudia rubbed the bottom of her sabaton against the ground.

“Now, you just need to go down through here while defeating the monsters until you reach the lowest floor. I believe you know how to cross between the bridges.”

“…We have to defeat monsters too?”

In response to Lizé’s question, Selene silently pointed her finger downward.

About 30 meters below, an undead armed with a spear and shield was wandering on the bridge.

There was even one with a bow nearby.

Whether it was a spear or a bow, if you were hit by mistake, you would definitely slip and endlessly fall to the bottom.

“What you see isn’t everything. There are also monsters hiding in places that are concealed by the bridges from here and can only be located by directly going down.”

“Can’t we defeat them with long-range weapons?”

“We tried that long ago, but the moment they exceeded a certain distance, they vanished as if evaporating somewhere. I think it might be the power of the dungeon itself.”

Erica fell silent as if at a loss for words.

In the end, the only remaining method was to personally go down those slippery bridges one by one and directly confront the monsters.

“…That’s really nasty. I’d believe it if someone said they deliberately designed it that way.”

“I agree, Lizé. This is why this place is dangerous…”

Iris’ words abruptly trailed off.

Her silver eyes were fixed on the bridge.

To be precise, they were fixed on Delta’s back as he walked on the bridge.

Delta casually walked on the bridge, deftly crossing the gaps between them, and in an instant, he leaped over three bridges and landed on the fourth.

Then he stared intently at the bottom from there.

As if he was about to jump down.

‘Come to think of it…’

At that moment, all the knight commanders had the same thought.

The method Delta had mentioned for clearing the rune dungeon in the easiest and fastest way.

Step 1. Jump down.

“Don’t tell me when he said jump down, it wasn’t a metaphor but literallyㅡ”

“I’ll be back!”

Before Claudia could even finish her exclamation, Delta threw his body under the bridge.

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