Chapter 29

The game's explanation makes me want to write more than I should.

In the real world, I had delved into *BureBure* but never fully completed it.

Actually, even the word "delved" might be too presumptuous.

I had started *BureBure* from the beginning four times and cleared it twice, but I wasn't sure if I had seen the best ending.

The reason is that *BureBure* is a game that is "easy to play but extremely difficult to master."

The difficulty adjustment of *BureBure* is both good and bad, with the system being that "the stronger the game progresses, the stronger the enemies become."

The goal of *BureBure* is to defeat the final boss, the *Evil God Lathuslufi*. However, this evil god can be fought at any time, regardless of the player's progress.

In the extreme case, even if you keep sleeping at the inn from the start of the game, the *Goddess of Salvation* will appear in front of the "protagonist" after two years and send the party to the *Temple of Darkness* where Lathuslufi is hiding.

Of course, there's no way an underdeveloped player can defeat the perfectly revived evil god.

Therefore, the "protagonist" needs to strengthen themselves and destroy the statues that embody the evil power, which is the "divided power of the evil god" located in the deepest parts of the *Twelve Ruins of Darkness* to weaken the evil god. However, there's a catch.

—When the evil god's power is destroyed, its aftermath scatters across the world, making all the monsters one level stronger.

From a game system perspective, I think it's a good gimmick.

The enemies get stronger as the game progresses, and new changes occur in existing locations, giving the game a sense of challenge. The enemies in the *Twelve Ruins of Darkness* also naturally become stronger, which adds strategic elements, such as tackling dungeons with unfavorable compatibility first.

However, for the world, it's not a happy story. The more time passes in the game and the more the *Twelve Ruins of Darkness* are cleared, the harder it becomes to live in the world, and the atmosphere of the towns becomes darker.

Adventurers die, some shops go out of business, the town collapses, and a dangerous cult gains power. These changes increase the game's difficulty in various ways.

I think it's well-made, but I can't help but wonder how they managed to create such a nasty system.

However, you don't actually need to clear all the *Twelve Ruins of Darkness*.

If you clear about half, or six ruins, the final boss, Lathuslufi, will be weakened to a level where the "protagonist" can defeat him.

Even if you fail in character development or events, if you can clear about seven ruins within two years, you can clear the game.

However, the ending you see by doing so is probably the normal ending.

Even if you struggle to defeat the final boss, you only get a bland ending where the *Goddess of Salvation* utters a brief word of thanks, the screen goes white, and the staff roll plays with solemn music. The staff roll ends with a message that says "END?" with a hint of ambiguity.

I was greatly disappointed because I had hoped for a character-specific ending with the characters I had grown close to, but now I have changed my thinking.

(Probably, to see the true ending of *BureBure*, I need to master this game.)

The key is undoubtedly the *Twelve Ruins of Darkness*.

The possible scenarios are either "clearing the ruins without defeating the strongest evil god" or "clearing all the ruins and facing the evil god."

However, I consider the former almost impossible.

This is because if you don't clear the ruins, the enemies are weak, and you can't ensure a sufficient level.

So, after my first playthrough where I gave up and the second playthrough where I got the normal ending, I aimed to clear all the ruins in my third playthrough.

I made a chart in advance and took the optimal actions with the limited information available, and managed to clear eleven ruins.

However, the twelfth, the *Labyrinth of True Darkness*, was impossible.

One reason for the failure was that the *Cult of Eternal Darkness* attacked during the dungeon, but simply, the monsters were too strong.

Unlike other ruins, where the difficulty changes depending on the order of clearing, the *Labyrinth of True Darkness* always has high-level monsters, regardless of when you enter.

In exchange, all enemies are treated as mid-bosses, with fixed placements and no revivals, probably because the *Labyrinth of True Darkness* is the de facto final dungeon.

In the end, I gave up on a complete clear and finished my third playthrough with the normal ending.

Then, I introduced the newly released DLC and started my fourth playthrough, aiming to complete the game with its power, but my real life got busy.

Naturally, I had to pause the game and eventually stopped playing altogether.

If I had continued my fourth playthrough, I might have cleared the *Labyrinth of True Darkness*, but I don't know.

The *Labyrinth of True Darkness* was a dungeon of a completely different difficulty level.

※ ※ ※

"…But, as expected, you're following me, Resilia."

"Even if you die, that body belongs to Brother Rex."

I turned to Resilia, who was following me a little behind, and she replied without a smile.

"I'll say it again, it's dangerous."

"I understand. So, I'll follow you."

She's stubborn.

This is what they mean by "unmovable by a lever."

Seeing no other option, I reluctantly focused on moving forward.

Then, as if interpreting this as my permission, Resilia moved to stand next to me.

"Don't worry, I'll follow Brother's instructions."

Her words made me feel both reassured and uneasy.

"By the way, when did you start calling me 'Brother' so casually?"

"I resist calling you 'Rex.'"

I'm not sure if she's aware of it, but her words always have a thorn.

"…Is it okay to call someone else 'Brother'?"

"That's a moot point now."

"Is it?"

I don't quite understand the feeling, but it makes sense to her.

We moved forward in silence, and then Resilia opened her mouth as if to counterattack.

"Brother, aren't you treating me differently?"

"That's because I don't need to act like Rex with you."

I don't really need to role-play as Rex, but I tend to do so around other people.

However, Resilia is an exception.

Since she knows I'm an ordinary person from another world, there's no point in pretending to be Rex.

Thanks to this, I can talk to Resilia naturally without putting on airs.

"In that sense, maybe we're surprisingly balanced."

"…I don't know. Maybe."

While chatting, we headed for the dungeon.

Because it's the final dungeon, there are no monsters around the *Labyrinth of True Darkness*, and the field isn't that dangerous since we haven't cleared any ruins yet.

We easily found the entrance to the labyrinth.

"It has a certain atmosphere."

I emphasized the point again to the still joking Resilia.

"Listen. The goal this time is to secure 'excellent equipment.' It's not about clearing the dungeon or defeating the monsters here. Absolutely avoid rash actions…"

"I understand. I won't hold you back, I swear on the name of the Toren family."

There was no hint of the playful tone from before in Resilia's eyes.

This should be fine.

"Let's use this here."

I took out the *Blessed Coin of the Black Cat* from my inventory and flicked it with my finger.

The coin made a high-pitched "ching" sound as it dissolved in the air, and golden light danced around me.

"That was…"

"The effect of the coin. Now, for a certain period, any equipment I obtain will 'definitely have an enchantment.'"

That's right.

My goal this time is to get powerful "enchantments" on equipment.

*BureBure* has strong roguelike elements, and equipment obtained in dungeons can have added value with a certain probability.

One of these is "enchantment," where a random effect like "Strength +34" or "Magic +11" is added to the equipment.

The strength of the enchantment on the equipment is proportional to the strength of the dungeon.

In other words, in this highest-difficulty *Labyrinth of True Darkness*, I can expect the best enchantment equipment.

"…Let's go."

The effect of the black cat's coin only lasts thirty minutes.

I think we have some time, but it would be troublesome to be rushed.

I stepped into the ruins, a half-step ahead of Resilia.

(Resilia isn't the only one who feels the atmosphere.)

The ground beneath my feet made a squelching sound.

After taking a few steps, Resilia groaned behind me.

I understand how she feels.

The damp wind and the cool air made it feel like the world had changed the moment we entered.

"In the room ahead, the first enemy, the *Damascus Gargoyle*, is waiting. It won't move unless you attack it or touch the door, so be careful not to…."

I turned to say this and noticed something was wrong with Resilia.

She was on her knees, pressing her mouth, unable to move.

"Resilia!?"

"Can you… be okay in this… incredibly dense… magic? …Brother, you really… are superhuman."

Resilia spoke in a strained, broken voice.

She was trying to be strong, but her face was pale.

I also felt the change in the air the moment we entered the labyrinth.

However, it wasn't to the point where I felt oppressed by the magic, and rather, the moderate tension was comfortable.

(Am I not from this world? No, maybe it's just my level?)

I could think of several reasons, but now wasn't the time.

Since I used the coin, I couldn't turn back.

However, I couldn't bring Resilia in this state.

"Resilia, wait outside. I'll go in alone as planned…."

As I said this and tried to move forward, ….

"…No, I can't."

At that moment, a hand grabbed my arm from behind.

I was about to brush it off, thinking "Now is not the time for your stubbornness," but I was taken aback.

"Please don't go."

Resilia, who was holding my arm, was desperate.

She was struggling to support her body and desperately trying to hold me back.

"This place is dangerous. If you… if you disappear too, I…."

There was no trace of the usual confident girl.

Seeing her like a child clinging to a parent, I… I…

I….

"…I understand."

… I completely stopped my foot, which was about to step forward.

"Huh?"

I smiled at Resilia, who was surprised by my sudden stop.

"I should have explained it from the beginning. I didn't plan to clear the dungeon today. We don't need to go deep; I already have the 'treasure chest.'"

In front of a confused Resilia, I operated my inventory.

I selected the *Steel Sword* that was listed alongside the *Goblin Slayer* made of orichalcum and the casino prize.

Thanks to exchanging a lot at the casino, the *Steel Sword* occupied a significant portion of my inventory.

I chose one of them without hesitation.

The *Steel Sword* is a basic item that Resilia also equips and can be easily bought from NPC shops.

Of course, it's not a rare item.

—But this *Steel Sword* is different.

Because, right?

An item that can be bought in a store wouldn't be placed as a prize in a "casino that only has non-sellable items."

"Let's start!"

The moment the *Steel Sword* appeared from my inventory, it revealed its true form.

It instantly lost its sword shape and grew larger and thicker.

The brown body split into two, resembling a treasure chest with fangs!

"GYAAAAAA!"

It let out a scream and lunged at us, but its attack missed.

I was ready, and with a single slash of my sword, it turned into particles of light.

"…Huh?"

In front of the stunned Resilia, a bracelet fell to the ground where the monster had been.

The bracelet that fell to the ground was wrapped in a golden glow, indicating it was enchanted equipment.

【Mimic】

A monster that disguises itself as an item in the dungeon.

It reveals its true form and attacks when the disguised item is touched or attacked.

While it is often a threat to adventurers due to its habits and strength, it always drops equipment when defeated.

It's been a while since I've been in a dungeon and had a battle!

Did you enjoy it? (smile)