Well, she has a point. If she’d mentioned demons back then, I might’ve refused reincarnation entirely.
“Because of that, you awakened to the mana of gluttony of your own accord. You have affinity with demonic power. That said, your innate qualities also play a part.”
“I understand my situation now. But what about Shiro and Kuro? They were also using the blue mana of gluttony.”
“In their case, it is due to their bloodline. Indeed, long ago, one of their ancestors strengthened their own blood and soul through the dungeon’s blessing and wished for their kin’s prosperity. That trait was passed down for generations, making Shiro’s and Kuro’s souls more prone to transformation. Absorbing the heaven dragon’s power raised their affinity for demonic power, allowing them to manifest gluttony’s power on their own. They were gluttons to begin with, after all.”
I knew Shiro and Kuro were rare species of beastfolk, but it seemed they also had ties to a dungeon. That was probably why the lord had targeted them.
The god’s explanation cleared up a lot of things, but one question still remained. Actually, it was the one thing I absolutely couldn’t understand.
“Why did you curse us as dungeon malice?”
That was the big question. I’d been dungeon diving, meaning I’d been acting in line with the gods’ wishes, albeit coincidentally. The reason they had never directly ordered me to conquer a dungeon was probably due to the divine laws saying gods cannot intervene directly. It seemed Ares hadn’t been told anything about dungeons either.
“First, the being that humans call dungeon malice has existed since ancient times. Dungeons are trials meant to raise human strength and elevate them to greater heights. To ensure that promising individuals reach the bottom layer, it carves into them a curse.”
Apparently, the purpose of dungeons wasn’t just to train heroes; it was a trial system meant to create strong ordinary people as well. By defeating magical beasts and absorbing mana, one could grow stronger, and at the bottom layer, gain even greater power.
According to Indeed-Missy, if the souls that continued the cycle of reincarnation in this world grew stronger, the world itself could rise to a higher state. It was hard for humans to understand, but to the gods, that was apparently the ultimate goal. However, not every promising human kept diving into the dungeon. That was when dungeon malice appeared. It cast a curse that could only be lifted at the bottom layer, forcing the person to continue exploring the dungeon.
“A special reincarnator whose soul I personally altered and two rare-species children... It was probably only a matter of time until dungeon malice took interest in you. I swear to you, our will did not influence that part. But what came after is different, indeed. We used dungeon malice’s judgment as an opportunity to intervene in your trial.”
“Intervene how?”
“At the time, Thor, you had obtained the core that belonged to wrath—the heaven dragon—and were thinking of absorbing it. But the chances of success were indeed nearly zero. You knew that, did you not?”
She must have been talking about the heaven dragon core soup. Just as she said, the knowledge I was given told me that the core’s power could run wild and kill me.
“Left as it was, we could not be sure you would actually attempt to absorb the heaven dragon core, and even if you did, your chances of survival were almost nonexistent. Therefore, we indeed arranged the circumstances to make it easier for you to absorb the core. Thor, your throat and organs, Shiro’s left eye, and Kuro’s right arm... Those were the places most compatible with taking in the heaven dragon core’s power. Put in other words—”
“Shiro lost her eye, and Kuro lost her arm, because of you guys?”
“Precisely, indeed. That is correct. It is easier if the parts are missing beforehand, as it prevents rejection.”
Indeed-Missy said this without a shred of guilt or remorse. They must’ve done it simply because it was necessary for their goals and nothing more.
But the image of Shiro and Kuro at that moment was burned into my mind.
“We could’ve died from those injuries! If even one tiny thing had gone wrong, Shiro and Kuro would be dead!”
“But indeed you would have likely died anyway had you drunk the heaven dragon core soup. In that case, even if there were danger, it was better to bet on the option with even a slightly higher chance of survival, was it not? Humans do say, ‘All’s well that ends well,’ do they not? You survived and gained dragon power. What is there to be angry about?”
How could she say that so casually?! Does she have any idea how much pain Shiro and Kuro went through? Sure, things turned out okay in the end, but that’s not the point!
Before I had the chance to give her a piece of my mind, Ares raised his voice first.
“That’s... That’s horrible! They’re still children! From what I heard, they suffered terrible injuries just to gain these dragon-like bodies, didn’t they? I can’t even imagine how much pain they must’ve gone through! Even if things do end well, you have to draw the line somewhere! What do you think humans are?!”
“It is regrettable,” replied Indeed-Missy, calmly. “But I cannot place that above the growth of the world. You ask what we think humans are? To us gods, humans are simply one component of the world. We did not create them as special beings. Let me see... You eat meat, do you not? You probably feel pity for livestock that get slaughtered, but you also accept it as necessary. Indeed, it is similar to that.”
“Wha—!”
Ares was speechless. He must’ve been shocked that the gods thought of humans and livestock as the same. But thanks to Ares’s anger, I found myself oddly calm. And honestly, I understood. I’d thought this so-called god felt strangely human—almost too human—but seeing this godlike side of her actually made me feel a bit relieved. Of course, that doesn’t mean I forgive her for hurting Shiro and Kuro!
“Tell me,” I said. “What would you have done if Ares and I had died early on?”
We were supposed to be their countermeasure against the demons, but their approach seemed incredibly sloppy. Both Ares and I could easily have died shortly after arriving in this world.
“In that case, we would have retrieved your souls and used them as our power. Then we would have indeed created new heroes. Of course, it is preferable that both you and Ares remain alive. You two are special, after all.”
So basically, we’re like cows that got upgraded to pets because we had a heart-shaped pattern on us or something? Still livestock, but a slightly—
“You have quite the sharp tongue.”
Ah, right. Indeed-Missy can read minds. Well, whatever.
“If we clear the dungeon and break the curse, then never enter the dungeon again, what would you say to that?”
She chuckled mischievously. “I would not mind. However—”
Dungeon malice didn’t have a face, but it somehow seemed to smile. It wasn’t a malicious or hostile smile but one of pure amusement.
“Would you truly be satisfied with that?”
I couldn’t answer.
“Your silence means you already know the answer, does it not?”
“Tch. No point trying to bluff someone who can read minds, I guess.”
“One does not need to read your mind to see it,” she said, cackling. “After hearing my explanation, you realized that staying as you are now would be dangerous, did you not?”
She was right. Shiro and Kuro were rare species; they would surely be targeted by demons again. And if demons were summoning cheaters, then more Demon Kings would appear in the future. It wasn’t as simple as just “Break the curse and live peacefully afterward.” For us three kids to live on our own, we would have to grow stronger, and the most logical way to do that was to dive into the dungeon—defeat magical beasts, eat food I cooked, and receive blessings at the bottom layer. Repeating that cycle was the fastest path to power.