Chapter 41

The inside of the dungeon was damp and dark.

If the magic stones tightly packed on both walls hadn’t emitted a faint light, it would have been impossible to see even a foot in front of him.

- What kind of place is this?

Kairos asked.

“Hmm… a snake den?”

- Huh?

“Because there are so many snakes slithering around….”

At that moment.

Sssss!

Something long shot up from the dark floor toward Auto’s face.

Swish!

Before he could even be startled, he instinctively swung his sword.

Thud!

The severed snake corpse rolled on the floor.

In the past, such a reaction speed would have been unimaginable.

The snake, named <Lightning Viper>, continued to wriggle even after being cut in two, hissing menacingly at Auto.

Not only that.

Sssss!

The <Lightning Viper> spewed venom at Auto even while cut in half.

- What kind of snake is so vicious like a viper?

“It’s a viper.”

- O-Oh, I see.

“Don’t talk. I need to focus from now on.”

With that, Auto plunged his sword into the still moving head of the <Lightning Viper>, completely severing its life.

[Notice: You have defeated the <Lightning Viper>!]

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

That was the beginning.

Sssss! Sssss! Sssss! Sssss!

<Lightning Vipers> sprang up from all over, trying to bite Auto.

These snakes named <Lightning Vipers> could jump about two meters from a standing position and spew venom from their sharp fangs to attack enemies up to one meter away.

Moreover, their movement and attack speeds were so fast that it was hard to react.

Perhaps only someone with the skill of a Camille could survive the attacks of these <Lightning Vipers>.

Additionally, the venom of the <Lightning Vipers> was extremely potent; if it got in your eyes, it would cause blindness, and if you were bitten, you would die within 30 minutes.

Given that a single mistake could lead to death, he had to be on high alert.

‘If I get bitten, I die.’

With heightened concentration, Auto dealt with the thousands of <Lightning Vipers> one by one.

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

(Excerpt)

[Notice: Your level has increased!]

[Notice: You have reached level 71!]

[Notice: You have reached level 72!]

[Notice: You have reached level 73!]

As he defeated the <Lightning Vipers>, his experience steadily increased, and his level rose accordingly.

The experience gained from the five dungeons in the <Sanctuary> was at least two to five times more than that from dungeons of the same level elsewhere.

In other words, while obtaining the powers of the <Invincible Emperor> was the main goal, the dungeons also served as excellent hunting grounds for leveling up.

“Phew.”

After about 30 minutes of battle, Auto defeated all the <Lightning Vipers> and took a deep breath.

- How many were there?

“Hmm, maybe a few thousand?”

- Now I understand why you called it a snake den.

“Just the beginning.”

All the monsters in this dungeon, from the minions to the boss, were snake-type.

It wasn’t called a snake den for nothing.

- Anyway, make sure to keep your promise with Jim when you get out of here, got it?

“To have a drink?”

- Yes.

“Don’t worry. After he saved my life, I wouldn’t break such a promise.”

- Hahaha! I’m looking forward to it!

Kairos seemed excited at the thought of having a drink after so many centuries of being sealed in the mace.

“Let’s tidy up here first. Then we can have a drink.”

- Hahaha! That’s right! Go! Kid! Finish them off!

“Stop nagging.”

With a smirk, Auto moved on.

* * *

After that, Auto methodically cleared the dungeon, defeating snake-type monsters and leveling up.

[Notice: You have reached level 74!]

[Notice: You have reached level 75!]

[Notice: You have reached level 76!]

[Notice: You have reached level 77!]

Having reached level 77 and continued advancing, Auto finally arrived at a thick iron door.

- Is the boss in there?

“Yeah.”

- Let’s finish this quickly and get out, kid.

“It’s not that easy.”

With that, Auto slowly opened the iron door.

Creak!

As the tightly closed door opened, the entity that had been nesting inside revealed itself.

- Hmm?

Kairos, recognizing the entity at a glance, said.

- Could it be… Calypso???

“Correct.”

- Why is that witch here? Didn’t she die long ago at the hands of the Invincible Emperor?

<Calypso> was a legendary witch who lived in the same era as the Invincible Emperor.

She loved snakes so much that she combined with them through dark magic, becoming a half-human, half-monster.

The incident that made the once-unknown Invincible Emperor famous was the defeat of this Calypso.

“How would I know? It’s not the real one anyway. They couldn’t have brought the real Calypso here; she died long ago at the hands of the Invincible Emperor.”

- Hmm! That’s true!

“Still, she’s an incredibly strong opponent at my current level….”

At that moment.

“Who dares to disturb my rest?”

With a voice like metal, Calypso stirred and began to move.

“I will not forgive those who disturb my rest.”

At the same time, gray flashes shot out from Calypso’s eyes in a fan-like shape.

“…!”

Auto quickly dodged the gray flashes.

Sssss!

“Eek?!”

Auto was startled to see the left arm of his armor turn to stone and fall off.

The gray flash, known as the <Stone Gaze> skill, was a crowd control technique that turned enemies within its range to stone.

If it hit, it would turn the enemy to stone, a truly terrifying skill.

“You little rat!”

Calypso, enraged that Auto had dodged the <Stone Gaze>, began to move more aggressively.

Her movement speed was incredibly fast.

Thanks to her lower body, which was a snake’s tail, she could move at an astonishing speed.

“I won’t give you a merciful death!”

The snake-like hair on Calypso’s head extended and enveloped Auto like tentacles.

Swish!

Auto’s sword deflected the incoming snake-like hair of Calypso.

Thud!

The severed snake heads fell to the ground.

However, cutting off Calypso’s snake hair was not a significant achievement.

- Sssss!

- Sssss! Sssss!

- Sssss!

New heads grew back in the blink of an eye, their tongues flicking and fangs bared at Auto.

Calypso’s snake hair could regenerate infinitely, so cutting them was only a temporary solution.

‘Keep your eyes closed. Rely on your senses as much as possible.’

Auto continued the battle with his head slightly lowered to avoid eye contact.

Avoiding eye contact.

That was the strategy for defeating Calypso, the boss of this dungeon.

All five of Calypso’s magic spells were activated through her eyes.

* * *

Kairos was very frustrated with Auto.

- You idiot! What are you doing! How can you fight an enemy with your head down like that!

“Hey! If I make eye contact, I die!”

- Then fight with your eyes closed!

“How can I fight with my eyes closed!”

- Use your inner eye! Inner eye! Are eyes only for seeing? A true strong person….

“Wishful thinking!”

- Indeed… a weakling like you couldn’t open the inner eye.

No matter how much Auto had mastered the basics of the <Invincible Sword Technique>, he couldn’t have reached the high-level realm of the inner eye.

It might be possible for a strong person like Kairos, who once dominated the continent, but….

“Filthy creature! Be intoxicated by the scent of poison!”

Calypso’s eyes turned green.

As a result.

“Gah!”

Auto shuddered as his limbs tingled.

The skill <Poison Gaze>, which could poison enemies with a mere glance, was one of Calypso’s overpowered abilities.

‘Even knowing the strategy… it’s not easy… Gah….’

Auto painfully realized the gap between the game and reality.

In the game, defeating Calypso only required a bit more attention to control.

But in reality, it was different.

Fighting while avoiding eye contact was not easy.

And now, he was also poisoned….

He wouldn’t die immediately, but the poisoning would worsen over time.

He needed to defeat Calypso within five minutes and receive an antidote.

A magical cure, not a potion….

- Tsk. You’re a lot of trouble.

Kairos clicked his tongue.

- Getting a drink is harder than I thought.

“R-Right now, the drink… isn’t the problem….”

- Be quiet and focus.

Kairos then moved the mace himself.

Whirr!

Bang!

The mace, moving at high speed, struck Calypso’s back of the head.

“Kyaa!”

Calypso screamed.

- Now!

Kairos shouted.

‘To hell with it!’

Seizing the opportunity created by Kairos, Auto lunged at Calypso with his sword.

Pwah!

A dark blue blood spurted out.

“Kyaah!”

Calypso, critically wounded in the chest, screamed in agony, spewing blood.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Meanwhile, the mace relentlessly struck Calypso’s head.

- Finish it off now!

Kairos shouted at Auto.

‘Right, I need to finish it off.’

Auto fully agreed.

The mace, wielded by Kairos, not only dealt damage but also continuously stunned Calypso.

As a blunt weapon, the mace couldn’t cut or pierce, but each strike dealt significant damage and stunned the target.

As evidence, Calypso was currently stunned and unable to use her skills.

‘First, the eyes.’

Seizing the opportunity, Auto thrust his sword at Calypso’s eyes, following the movements of the <Invincible Sword Technique>.

Poke! Poke!

Auto’s sword, like a beam of light, accurately pierced Calypso’s eyes.

“Kyaahhhhhh!”

Calypso screamed in agony.

“Huff!”

Auto took a deep breath and, with a burst of power, swung his sword.

Swish!

A chilling sound.

Thud!

Calypso’s severed head rolled on the floor.

[Notice: You have defeated <Calypso>!]

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

[Notice: You have reached level 78!]

[Notice: You have reached level 79!]

[Notice: You have reached level 80!]

As a boss monster, Calypso granted a massive amount of experience, raising Auto’s level by three.

And….

Sssss!

A green aura emerged from Calypso’s corpse and seeped into Auto.

[Notice: You have learned the <Calypso’s Gaze> skill system!]

Thus, Auto successfully obtained <Calypso’s Gaze>, one of the five powers of the Invincible Emperor.

* * *

“Your Highness!”

Camille rushed to Auto, who had just emerged from the <Sanctuary>.

Thud!

However, as soon as Auto exited the <Sanctuary>, he lost consciousness and collapsed.

This was due to the worsening poisoning from Calypso’s <Poison Gaze> skill.

“The young master has collapsed! Everyone, protect the young master!”

“Yes!”

The personal guards of Duke Conrad immediately surrounded Auto and Camille, forming a protective barrier.

Currently, Auto’s position within the Kuntachi family was an absolutely protected target.

Given that Auto had collapsed, it was natural for the duke’s personal guards to protect him.

“It seems to be poisoning. Quick treatment is necessary.”

“Yes, sir.”

Auto was carried away by Camille and the guards.

“What?!”

Duke Conrad, who was handling business, immediately stood up upon hearing the news.

“I will treat him myself! Where is he? Lead me there immediately! Immediately!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Conrad immediately set off to treat Auto.