Chapter 199 – Abyss Dwellers

I shook off the chasing dead spirits. Slashing at them multiple times.

『There is no end to them』

[No kidding.]

『Popular guys really have it hard』

[…..Popular? …of course.]

Envy obviously said all that to taunt me, but that begged a question. Why were these dead spirits gathering around me?

They seemed to ignore Rafal altogether, as if the only thing they could see was me.

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Is it because I’m the only living being here――or one that hasn’t been devoured by Gluttony skill to be exact? Or is it because I’m the current holder of the Gluttony skill? Are they asking me to release them from this world…?

『What is wrong? Thinking about something?』

[I was thinking about these dead spirits. What are your thoughts about them?]

『I have no way of knowing. Actually, you should be able to come up with something by now. 』

[That’s…]

Envy snorted a laugh, then continued.

『I thought you would fall under Gluttony’s influence the moment you step into this place』

[…..]

『This is the abyss of the Gluttony skill, the deepest part within it that is certainly the most affected by its influence』

[I thought so too. But…]

I’ve been suffering under the Gluttony skill’s influence for quite a while now. And yet, the closer I am to it, I feel nothing…..

『You look awfully stable instead.』

[I don’t want to go that way, but you’re right, Envy.]

『Perhaps, you have succeeded in controlling the Gluttony skill?』

[I don’t think so. My fake still attacked the world above evidently.]

The fake me was the incarnation of Gluttony skill. Could it be… I’m able to stay sane here because I was able to repel it?

But that’s probably not it either. I didn’t defeat it last time. It simply fled somewhere. If that’s really the case, it makes no sense how I’m not affected at all.

[But, I didn’t manage to kill it this time.]

『Enough second guessing, we do not have enough reliable information. We have not even figure out our current situation here.』

[Right. I guess we can only follow Rafal for now.]

『The spirits would not let you go scotch free. Good luck, popular guy』

[If I can make you my replacement, I would have.]

『Dream on』

Well sorry for being so popular. While thinking so, I slashed at another spirit.

[Eh!?]

What… what was that! The memory of another person flashed in my head like a lightning bolt. It’s not a pleasant one either. The memory belonged to a man who was akin to a serial killer up until he was killed by a gluttony skill holder. This should be the first man I killed. He was a thief who tried to sneak into the palace. The memory disgusted me. But there’s no helping it.

[So uncomfortable.]

『Come again?』

[Nevermind.]

This didn’t always happen. Only occasionally. Even the memories of those who I do not know sometimes flow in. These are probably those killed by Kairos, the predecessor holder of the Gluttony skill. When it flowed in, it stayed with me. Trying to become part of me.

『You look strange. Maybe we should not go any further.』

[We cannot do that.]

Rafal was already far ahead of us. We’ll lose him at this rate.

[He’s not going to wait for us. We’ll just have to push through harder.]

『……stubborn boy』

Suddenly, pushing aside all the other dead spirits, a monster charged head on towards me. It’s probably one of the many I killed on my way back to the capital.

Its upper body was that of a human, while its lower body was of a snake. It slithered like a creeping shadow. It was a lamia.

『That is pretty big』

If every kill counted, then there should be more monsters here. I don’t know about Kairos, but I certainly killed a lot more monsters than humans.

[…is it an optical illusion?]

That monster looked like many dead spirits had gathered and fused together. What does that mean? Here I thought only humans turned into dead spirits after getting devoured by Gluttony skill. But it may have been a misjudgment on my part.

[I guess, it wasn’t a mistake.]

The dead spirits were changing shape one after another. All have the appearance of familiar monsters. And all of them were black colored.

[So monsters also change into dead spirits!?]

『Here I thought you already know it. Or perhaps, you deliberately ignored it?』

I understand what Envy wanted to say. Gluttony skill only activated when I killed humans or monsters. Otherwise, it won’t activate. For example, it wouldn’t do anything when I killed a wild animal.

『Only humans and monsters have skills and stats. Have you ever wondered why?』

[Because it’s a gift from God.]

『True. But then why that gift was also bestowed to monsters?』

[Who knows. Perhaps a test for humanity?]

In order to raise the given status, use the skill to defeat the monster, gain experience spheres, and level up.

『You still not get it, do you? Monsters produce experience spheres when slain. But humans do too. Why, I wonder?』

Even now, the dead in front of us-the human-shaped one turned into a monster. That meant…

[Are you trying to tell me that those monsters were originally humans?]

『How observant』

Envy mockingly praised me. I felt like I should just throw this weapon away now.

[Those were human!?]

『They were at the root. You must have seen it before. Collapse phenomenons upon entering Area E. If the mind was not as strong, their body would be affected. That is why monsters have skills.』

[I’ve never heard of something like that.]

『Naturally. Humankind as of now are the descendants of a select few. Those who were unlucky turned into monsters. After thousands of years, some even lost their human features, making it like they belong to an entirely different kind of creature.』

It was said that the skills that can be obtained differ depending on the strength of the innate mind. In other words, those who only had weak skills, and it seemed that they were not lucky.

If you had a skill that didn’t fit you, you’ll quickly become a monster. Envy says it’s the ones in front of me right now.

『What terrible teacher Greed was. To think that he didn’t teach you that.』

That guy may have a foul mouth, but he was careful about that. He must have been thinking of me when he chose to hide the truth.

[That’s very like him after all.]

『So what will you do? Feeling too sinful to continue?』

[No. If anything, I’m glad that one of my doubts has been cleared.]

I always thought that it’s weird. Monsters would attack humans on sight. But for what? Perhaps it’s more of an inherited grudge.

While leaving that factor, it seems that they had been competing for survival with humans. The attacking monster was different from the dead spirit. No matter how many I slashed, their memories didn’t flow into me.

[These monsters are different. Their souls are different than humans’]

『If you say so, then it is probably true』

Envy sounded strangely lonely when saying that. Something might have happened in the past. But if I were to ask now, Envy probably wouldn’t give me a proper answer. While chasing Rafal, I continued taking down the incoming monsters. Their numbers grew, and their corpses soon turned into mountains under my feet. But after a while, they melted into black liquid and seeped into the ground.

How long has it been? Looking back on the way I walked, only a black line that stretched in the horizon could be seen. The monsters were no more, and neither were the dead spirits. In the crimson world, there was only Rafal and me. It was chaotic, but now it’s completely empty and silent.

Rafal, who was ahead, suddenly stopped.

[Here it is, the center of Gluttony skill.]

[Rafal…]

[My time is up. One last thing. I’d like to thank you, for everything you did for Mimir.]

Right after he said all that, he turned his body around. But, the guy who stood there was no longer him. In his place was a tan skinned man with misleading violet eyes. His white teeth were slightly visible as he grinned. But, the most striking feature was his fluttering crimson hair. The man let out a short laugh.

[Yo, Fate. It’s been a while. Strange to see you here. No rather, I’ve been waiting.]

And the man was holding the black sword Greed in his hand.