Chapter 35

Falling into the sky, I was swallowed by it.

When I came to, I was looking up at the night sky.

"Wh-what?"

Jumping up, I looked around and realized I had collapsed on a stone-paved surface. This place wasn't the respawn point in Dyalis, nor was it the bed I should have logged out on; instead, it was a square space that seemed to be part of a shrine.

I used the term "cut out" for a reason. The shrine grounds were about 100 meters square, but the scenery beyond them was distorted and broken. It felt as if this place was isolated, like an alternate dimension in an anime or manga.

Incidentally, there was a large shrine building right in front of me.

(Should I go check it out?)

Dragging my almost non-functioning brain and exhausted body, I headed towards the shrine. The door opened by itself, welcoming me. On the way, I realized that my avatar was in the state it was in just before receiving the ultimate magic from Apocalypsis. My HP was almost depleted, and my side was still missing. However, the hunger wolf effect and the bleeding damage from my abdomen had disappeared, suggesting that the system had determined that I had been healed.

I couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality, but my intuition told me it wasn't a dream.

Inside the shrine, there was a single pedestal. On it was a hairpin made of crimson gold, decorated with a lantern flower. Hihiirokane. Could this be an item made of the same material as my equipped "Lone Moon Camellia"?

"Ouch!"

I reached out to touch it, but something invisible repelled me. It wasn't exactly pain, but it felt like being zapped by electricity, a tingling sensation of rejection.

"Have you awakened, child of the demon?"

The voice's owner appeared suddenly behind me, without a sound, smell, or presence. Taken completely by surprise, I turned around to see my avatar standing there.

"W-what, who, who are you?"

"Hahaha, you're confused. I brought you here to save you from that detestable true dragon."

"Oh... is that so?"

It felt like standing in front of a mirror. The mysterious being in front of me was even reproducing the missing part of my abdomen, a rather painful-looking wound.

"I can't take my true form, so I'm borrowing your body. It might be uncomfortable, but please bear with it."

"U-um, okay. So... who are you?"

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself."

The someone who had taken my form laughed and answered my question.

"My name is Shuten. I am the one who commands all the 'Doshis.'"

Shuten. If I write it in kanji, it would be "Shuten," right? That name sounds very familiar.

"What, your reaction is so dull. You could be more surprised, you know?"

"Ah, yeah, sorry. I'm just confused."

"Of course you are. When I snatched you from the true dragon, you were already in the midst of a death sentence."

That's true. If left alone, I would have died from the time limit, fall damage, or the magic. All three factors were fatal, a situation that rarely occurs.

Especially that ultimate magic. It was called "Kotowari Mahou," but I have no idea what characters fit it. The only thing I can think of is "Ri."

What happened to the swamp? While I and Rau were fighting, there was no one around, but with a magic spell of that scale, there might be a huge crater in the field now. Looking back, the presence of lizard-type monsters might have hinted at the appearance of that dragon. I don't know, and Rau didn't seem to know either, but Rin might know.

"Kotowari Mahou is the ultimate form of magic. All magic, when mastered, reaches this point. Whether or not it can be activated is another matter. It requires immense magical power and precise control."

All magic, including healing and support spells, ultimately leads to such a form, I thought, but I couldn't imagine what the ultimate form of non-attack spells would look like.

"Anyway, it's too much for humans to handle. Even the Apocalypse can't easily use it. Besides, it even stopped time. They must be resting now."

Shuten laughed heartily. Are they enemies? Or maybe friends?

In any case, the dragon's mention of a "reward" might not have been entirely wrong. If Shuten's words are to be believed, it was a magic shown in exchange for considerable exhaustion.

"Can you use it, Shuten?"

"Kukuku, it would feel great if I could. But unfortunately, I stand at the farthest point from magic and sorcery. I told you, I am the one who commands all the Doshis."

Do you understand? Shuten's eyes seemed to ask. I felt a sense of things falling into place.

"Shuten, the Doshis."

"Indeed. What I oversee is extremely pure violence. In that sense, I and that dragon are at opposite ends."

The dragon that mastered magic and the demon that mastered power. I finally began to understand the reason for the existence of the Doshi class, which appeared as a special job. This demon in front of me exists in this world, which is why the Doshi class was created.

"Well, I'll give you a hint, something I haven't done in centuries for one of my followers."

Shuten, who had somehow produced an iron fan, said with a grin.

"To evolve my power... how do you say it, proficiency level? You need at least 70. The rest depends on whether you can show your strength to the world. Kukuku, I don't think you need to worry about that."

Showing strength to the world. Does that mean gaining titles like when I defeated a named enemy, or is it about making your name known to NPCs? As a hint, he didn't seem to want to give me the direct answer.

"Proficiency level 70 means level 90 or higher... that's a long way off."

"Not really. The human woman who avenged you against the true dragon is already over 60. She's good material, but getting involved with that human would bring a lot of trouble."

From Shuten's exasperated expression, "trouble" must be a formidable opponent. Even this demon god, who has a presence that rivals the true dragon, considers them troublesome.

"Are there Shuten-like beings among humans?"

"You catch on quickly. However, it's a bit different from what you imagine. We don't oversee races but rather the professions. In that sense, I am a rare existence. After all, my subjects are few. On the other hand, gods of swords and magic are always busy. Especially the god of magic, who has the Apocalypse as a follower."

"Having the Apocalypse as a follower... I'd believe it more if they had followers."

"Well, the true dragon wasn't always that powerful. If no one had reached the level of the god of magic before it, it would be called a god of magic by now."

I felt like I was hearing something very important, but I was honestly too tired to fully digest it.

"Fufu, I've talked too much. But bear with me a little longer. I must reward the one who chipped the dragon's horn. That dragon truly believes that showing magic is a reward, but only magic nerds would be happy about that."

Reward. The word made my heart skip a beat. Shuten took out a hairpin of a different color from the one earlier, also decorated with a lantern flower. It might be made of a different material. Following the gesture to turn around, Shuten tied my hair with it.

"This is a mark to find this shrine. This place is the Netherworld, and a mark is needed to reach it from the mortal world."

"Will I be able to come back here if I wear this?"

"When your proficiency level exceeds 30, head to the starting point. Reach the shrine at the end, offer my name, and pray. I will be waiting for you in the deepest part of the Netherworld, where you are invited."

I traced Shuten's prophetic words one by one. Proficiency level 30 means level 50 or higher. When I reach that point, the starting point... meaning the starting city, and I need to find a shrine somewhere in the Endless Forest to the south.

"The Netherworld is inhabited only by the strong. You can bring companions or go alone. Nunu, do not underestimate it."

*Extra Quest: Shrine of the End - Netherworld of the Demon God has started.*

*Accessory: Copper Lantern Flower Hairpin obtained.*

"Strive without rushing. I'm counting on you, Sukuna."

It seems the message I just received was an official quest. I stroked the copper hairpin, and its cold touch felt pleasant.

"Until then. Rest for now."

Shuten's right hand blurred. By the time I realized it, my HP was completely drained, and my body, on the verge of death, was about to face the death penalty.

K-Killed after all.

I don't think I did anything wrong, but Shuten's side profile looked incredibly pleased before I was sent back to the respawn point. I'll save my complaints for the next time.