I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods – Chapter 82

Chapter 82

“Ah… I understand who you are. You were the one who stopped me. You allowed me, who was withering away while committing sins in agony, to die as a human.”

The speed at which my body was collapsing began to accelerate little by little. The two legs below my pelvis had already melted away, and my left arm had met the same fate.

Only my right shoulder, as if to prove that I wasn’t dead yet, was ominously wriggling and showing signs of something sprouting from the severed area.

It would probably be fine to leave it as it was, as I would find peace before a new right arm could emerge. I silently listened to Lucia’s words.

“Kind one. Would you please bestow your mercy one more time and listen to the lament of this unforgivable sinner for a moment?”

Lucia asked in a trembling voice. If this were a game, a choice would have appeared here: listen, or don’t listen.

If you chose not to listen, the event would end there. If you chose to listen, the conversation would continue a bit longer. However, there was no reason to choose not to listen when I had come this far.

“I will listen. Please tell me.”

“Oh, most kind one. I thank you for your profound benevolence.”

Lucia gave a faint smile, but a black liquid gushed out from between her smile. Because of that, it felt more like a crying expression than a laughing one.

“In the past, I was a priestess chosen to conquer this dungeon. Dozens of faithful priests set foot here.”

Her voice became more distant.

“But this was not a place we could conquer with our strength alone… After countless sacrifices, we ultimately failed.”

Cough, Lucia coughed softly. Black liquid gushed out from between her parted lips. A gurgling sound could be heard as the liquid boiled inside her throat.

Lucia vomited black liquid several more times before she seemed to be able to speak again, her voice much more cracked than before, as if she had finally managed to spit out everything in her mouth.

“I was also one of those sacrifices. When we gave up on breaking through the rune dungeon and tried to return to the surface, a monster suddenly attacked and I fell off the bridge.”

Lucia, who had fallen off the bridge, unfortunately survived instead of dying.

If she had died from the impact of the fall, it could have been seen as martyrdom as a priestess, but surviving in this state was a fate worse than death.

“I, who should have definitely died, somehow opened my eyes again. And when I opened my eyes… it was already too late to undo everything.”

Sadness gradually crept into her voice. Her half-rotted face contorted in pain.

“At first, I prayed fervently to God. I begged Him to save me from this pain… I prayed for Him to bestow His love and mercy upon His follower.”

Sadness turned into melancholy.

The things she had done in the past, the blasphemies she had committed while half-mad with pain, were too difficult to recall now that she had returned as a priestess.

“But God never answered my prayers. Most sacrilegiously, I began to resent Him. I cursed, I swore, and I committed unspeakable acts.”

As if to prove that Lucia’s heart was wavering, the severed part of her right shoulder began to wriggle more violently.

Lucia, who noticed the unsettling atmosphere, stopped talking and took a deep breath, “Hoo, hoo.” Her mouth opened again only after some time had passed and the wriggling of the severed part had subsided.

“My resentment continued for a very long time. Until you, kind one, came and made me regain my senses through pain. I have committed a sin that cannot be forgiven.”

Her lips, covered in black liquid, trembled.

“But you stopped me from insulting God any further. You guided me back to the right path so that I could return to being a human in my final moments and die as a priestess serving God. I don’t know how I, who will soon lose the flame of life, can repay the grace you have given me…”

Her head turned completely towards me. Even though her eyes were covered in black liquid and couldn’t function properly, I felt as if she was looking straight at me.

“Kind one, you must have come from the Holy Kingdom. Since you used the Divine Catalyst so freely, you must be a very devout person…”

Lucia mistook me for someone from the Holy Kingdom.

This was the reason why the event would only proceed if the Divine Catalyst in the boss room was used more than three times. Only then would Lucia, mistaking the player for someone from the Holy Kingdom, make her next request.

It was impossible to proceed if you used something other than the Divine Catalyst in the boss room. The exact reason was unknown. There were only unconfirmed speculations that it might be because it wasn’t Lucia’s own item.

Of course, Lucia had no idea that the Divine Catalyst she had dropped had been corrupted, and that’s why it could be used even by those who didn’t believe in God.

“Devout and kind one.”

Her voice became wet with emotion. She stammered as if her throat was choked up, and barely managed to continue speaking.

“Can I… return to God?”

Her words were filled with sobs. If her face had been intact, she would undoubtedly have been crying as she asked the question.

“Even I, who insulted God, cursed God, and resented God… can I return as a priestess and be embraced in God’s arms?”

With those words, Lucia shut her mouth tight, waiting for my answer. It was time for the second choice of the event to appear.

Yes, or no.

If you chose “no” here, she would naturally cry out in grief, saying that a sinner like her, who couldn’t even overcome this much pain and committed blasphemy, had no right to seek salvation.

And depending on the player’s choice, they could either leave Lucia to suffer eternally or give her peace with their own hands and leave the rune dungeon.

There were also additional lines depending on each case. If you left her, she would beg you not to abandon her like this, and if you killed her, she would rejoice in finding peace but worry about falling into hell.

“Yes.”

But I had no intention of choosing that option.

“God will surely welcome the fact that you have returned to His arms more than the fact that you have sinned.”

I had never denied Lucia’s words even in the game, so why would I do that now?

For reference, it’s unknown whether Lucia actually returned to God. That was something that wasn’t mentioned even if you thoroughly searched through the item descriptions in the game.

So, depending on the perspective, both choices could be seen as lies.

But most people chose “yes” so that Lucia could rest in peace, without caring about such things. According to the 10th anniversary statistics, the percentage of first-time clear users who chose “yes” was 93%.

“Ah… That’s a relief. To think that even a sinner like me would be warmly welcomed, God is… truly magnanimous.”

The smile on her lips deepened. It was a very satisfied smile, devoid of any sadness.

“Kind one… For your kindness, I am deeply… grateful. Although all I can offer is a verbal thank you… I hope that my sincerity, at least, will be conveyed…”

The sorrow and lamentation that had been embedded in every word were gone. Her voice had been reduced to a near whisper, but her breathing was much more relaxed than before.

Lucia moved her lips one last time.

“Merciful Sun… Benevolent Moon… This sinner… will return, to your, side…”

With those words, her moving lips stopped. Her chest, which should have been rising and falling with each breath, no longer moved.

I gently closed her bulging eyes, which were covered in black liquid, with two fingers. This kind of action was impossible in the game, but it didn’t matter now.

This was the best I could do. There was no mention of how to turn Lucia back into a human in the game, and I didn’t have the power to do so either.

After closing her eyes, I picked up Lucia’s Divine Catalyst that had fallen nearby. This was an item I would give to the Inquisitor later. The event wasn’t over yet.

Leaving behind Lucia’s corpse, which had started to melt and become gooey as it turned into black liquid, I moved towards the rune stele.

The guy who would appear up there would be dealt with by the Knight Commanders and the Inquisitor.

“Are you not worried about the safety of the VIP?”

“Huh? What?”

Selene asked in a bewildered voice, looking at the Knight Commanders who were standing comfortably without any vigilance around them. They were so relaxed, even though they didn’t know when or where something might pop out.

“Didn’t the VIP jump into the rune dungeon alone? Howㅡ”

“Ah, were you talking about Delta?”

Rize chuckled.

“At first, I was, but then I realized that he had already explained everything this morning. I was a little surprised because the expression ‘jumped in’ wasn’t a metaphor… but it’s not like this is the first time he’s done something like this. It’s about time we got used to it.”

“…It sounds like he has done such things often before.”

“He’s done it a lot. I bet our lifespans have been shortened by 10 years from being surprised by him. I’m going to charge him for it all later.”

“…”

“I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t have to worry about Delta.”

Rize continued in a calm voice.

“Delta has never broken a promise he’s made. It always sounds impossible and ridiculous, but he always comes back calmly after succeeding. Worrying is a waste of time, you know?”

“It sounds absurd, but he’s certainly capable of keeping his word. He said he’d conquer the rune dungeon in 30 minutes, so he’ll show up soon.”

Erika added to Rize’s words. After hearing their explanation, Selene decided to revise her assessment of Delta a little.

Wasn’t he supposed to be a rookie knight? She couldn’t understand how he had made the Knight Commanders react like this in such a short time.

…Actually, she could understand it a little. He was the one who had overwhelmed the Inquisitor in a duel with an overwhelming difference in skill. His skills were definitely certain.

Even if you put aside his actions.

“I don’t know if we’re in a position to suggest this to you, but it’s okay to rest now. Delta said that the monsters would appear after the scenery here changes in a way that’s obvious at a glanceㅡ”

Suddenly, the ground shook with a rumble. Claudia’s words were momentarily interrupted.

“…See?”

The black liquid that had covered the entire area began to gather somewhere. The vegetation and the sky regained their original colors. The sunlight that shone down became much brighter.

Claudia grabbed the hilt of the greatsword she had placed on the ground. Rize and Erika drew their weapons, and Iris pointed the tip of her longsword at the spot where the black liquid was gathering.

“This must be the change Delta was talking about. Everyone, get ready for battle. It’s time to fight.”

“Is it that black liquid?”

“It would be stranger if it wasn’t. Doesn’t it look ominous at a glance?”

The black liquid that had gathered in one place transformed into the shape of a strange monster. It was a six-legged beast with two heads and a mace-like weight attached to its tail.

Dozens of tentacles that sprouted in a straight line along its spine wriggled disgustingly. Anyone could tell it was a monster just by looking at it.

“Everyone. Prepare for battle.”

Selene gave a short and concise order. The battle nuns raised their rapiers in unison.

The monster looked left and right with its two heads and smacked its lips. Its tongue, sticking out of its mouth, licked the nearby area.

“Heaven is for the faithful.”

A silver Divine Power dwelled in the thinnest, sharpest silver rapier. Her purple eyes blazed coldly.

“Give hell to the unbelievers.”