Chapter 59

Chapter 59
## Chapter 59: The Game of Veracity

“Wait, your strategy is to stack every piece of gear onto a single person?”

“Hardly.”

That wasn’t the plan at all.

“Then what are you thinking?”

“You will be the one wearing the armor. However, I’ll be the one wielding the weaponry.”

“……I beg your pardon?”

“Active skills are locked, but your ‘Position Swap’ authority should still function. When the horde descends, switch places with their commander and just try to survive.”

“With my attributes suppressed, I’m limited to using that maybe twice a day.”

“Which is exactly why you need to endure.”

“I’ve never even practiced Shield Mastery!”

“I have full confidence in you.”

“Good heavens.”

Serengeti’s complexion drained to a pale blue as her darkest anxieties took physical form.

Nevertheless, this was the most logical application of their assets.

Had I possessed that ‘Position Swap’ authority myself, I would have specialized entirely in defensive maneuvers. Serengeti, conversely, had only ever viewed the ability as an offensive tool. She had lived a life entirely detached from damage mitigation, preferring agile tactics designed to mock and mislead her foes—much like the method she used to take down Massacre.

It was an effective style, but utterly worthless in their current predicament.

“Just hold the line until I take out the alpha. If you do that, you’ll make it through.”

“……I’ll give it everything I have.”

—

What exactly falls under the classification of “tools”?

Basically, anything that isn’t equipped gear.

Which meant this was still on the table.

*Kwarung!*

*Kyaaak!*

A localized bolt of lightning crashed down into the center of the lupine pack. The werewolves fell into a momentary panic at the sudden manifestation of a titanic horror.

The Hydragon!

The ‘Hydragon’s Soul’ was technically a tool in this context. Its sheer presence was suffocatingly dominant.

*Hah, hah, hah!*

Yet, the Hydragon’s multiple heads began to pant almost immediately.

‘……It seems even the Hydragon is subject to the level 20 attribute cap.’

The summoned creature was clearly suffering under the same stat restrictions. Trying to move that colossal frame with only 20 points in physical stats was borderline pathetic. It was essentially useless for combat, serving only as a terrifying totem to sow discord.

Still, that was plenty.

*Stab!*

Capitalizing on the chaotic distraction, Serengeti executed the werewolf alpha she had just traded places with.

*Kung?*

*Kyung kyung!*

With their leader slain, the pack dissolved into temporary anarchy. It was the perfect opening to wipe them out.

*Crunch!*

I retrieved the essence core from the remains of the Corpse Crow and consumed it.

*Crack, crackle!*

My physical form warped instantly, reshaping me into a Corpse Crow. Since this was triggered by a ‘tool,’ the transformation held. And if my hypothesis was correct…

‘……I can use the Corpse Crow’s inherent abilities.’

Technically, manifesting as the king of the crows and using its powers was the same as activating the magic etched within the core itself. That was why I couldn’t use those powers in my human form. Here, however, they were fair game.

**[The ‘King of the Dead’ skill exerts dominance over the soul of the werewolf leader.]**

Even the ability I had usurped from Kingoro functioned. I funneled a soul into the remains, forcing the werewolf leader to rise as an undead thrall. With my attributes so low, a single reanimation was my limit.

**[Hidden Trait ‘Beast Lord’ amplifies your control over the werewolf leader.]**

*Sniff sniff?*

*Awooooo!*

The surrounding werewolves began to congregate around their fallen, now-undead leader. There was no aggression in their stance. To be honest, I’d had my reservations about whether this would work.

‘……It actually worked.’

—

‘Children of little conviction.’

The Demigod.

The supreme entity who had constructed this labyrinth and set its challenges. Even though only a lingering will remained after his passing, the dungeon had stayed undefeated for eons.

The reason was a simple lack of trust.

They couldn’t bring themselves to rely on one another. Even with the rigorous requirements for entry, the result was always the same. Humans were incapable of suppressing their greed; they were perpetually driven by the impulse to crush those beside them to reach the peak.

‘Humanity is truly a collection of fools.’

The Will sighed internally. After observing mortals for so long, he saw no redeeming qualities. No matter the era, the song remained the same. They were too dim-witted to navigate the trials he had so meticulously crafted.

These latest intruders would surely be no different.

‘……How dare he.’

But these challengers were deviating from the script. They had somehow nullified one of the four foundational rules he had established at the start. Even though he had dragged them in without a moment to prepare, the leader was dismantling the floors in a manner that spat in the face of the dungeon’s design.

Faith. Honor. Honesty.

These were the three pillars of this trial.

However, once the challenge began, even the Will could not directly interfere. Even deities were bound by the internal logic of the dungeon once the gates closed.

Yet, here was an anomaly.

Someone was steamrolling through, treating the rules as mere suggestions—a variable the great Will had never factored in. He shifted shapes, raised the enemy commander from the grave, and systematically grew his own legion through sheer mental dominance.

This floor was intended to be a crucible of mutual reliance and teamwork! A space designed to forge bonds through the shared struggle against the pack!

Instead, this man was simply domesticating the wolves. A pack that started at twenty members ballooned to fifty, then a hundred in the blink of an eye. He was even putting the monsters through combat drills.

In all the ages humans had knocked at this door…

‘What kind of freakish entity is this……!’

…there had never been one like him.

—

### Truth Game

“Guild Master, in your opinion, which dungeon was the most grueling to finish?”

One of the players from the Korean Alliance asked as they congregated near a dungeon mouth. The man clad in resplendent gold plate and a matching helm—their leader—gave his answer.

“The Lightning Blade Dungeon.”

“You mean that rank 11 spot?”

“That’s the one. The boss there, Lightning Blade, was an absolute nightmare. Just the memory of that fight gives me the shakes.”

“But isn’t the one we’re hitting right now also rank 11?”

The Guild Master turned his gaze toward the gaping maw of the cavern. The objective for their alliance was the Sky Whale Dungeon, home to a creature of the same rank. Twenty of the finest players in Korea had assembled to bring it down.

“We’re on a different level now. Both myself and the rest of the alliance.”

The leader gave a casual shrug. Compared to their previous exploits, the group had grown immensely. Soon, Korea would hold the keys to a major metropolis in Pangeniar.

“I see. Then, what would you say was the most loathsome dungeon?”

“Loathsome? Why the sudden interest in the garbage bins?”

“Just so I know what to steer clear of in the future.”

The most loathsome.

If you asked about the hardest, you’d get a dozen different answers. Some were difficult due to mechanics, others due to entry locks or complex puzzles. ‘Hard’ was a matter of perspective.

But if you asked for the most hated, ninety percent of veterans would name the same place.

“……The Demigod Trait Dungeon.”

“Oh! That infamous place.”

“I’ve strictly forbidden any alliance member from even approaching it.”

“Why the total ban?”

“Because it strips away your humanity and shows you the rot underneath.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

As the subordinate looked on with a confused expression, the Guild Master’s face twisted into a grimace. Sordid memories began to resurface.

“No person is entirely saintly, and none are entirely demonic. But that dungeon takes the worst impulses a human has and turns the volume up to maximum.”

“……Can you give me an example?”

“The trials change for every group, but when I ran it, there was an impostor hidden among us. They wiped specific memories from everyone and forced us to vote on who the fake was.”

“And what happened when you chose?”

“The person with the highest tally was executed. It turned out they were all real people.”

Playing with lives like toys? Demigod dungeons were supposed to be the masterworks of enlightened beings and their ‘wills,’ weren’t they?

“That’s twisted…….”

“Four of us walked in. I was the only one who walked out. Even the legendary Phantom couldn’t crack that place—that should tell you everything you need to know.”

“Phantom actually failed a dungeon?”

The subordinate’s eyes went wide. To the public, Phantom was a mythic figure. An unstoppable force that cleared everything in his path. But the truth was more grounded.

“There are a handful he couldn’t beat. The Demigod Trait Dungeon is near the top of that list.”

“That tracks…… a guy like Phantom would probably be disgusted by the betrayal. Speaking of him, he’s probably in the middle of some high-end party dungeon right now, isn’t he?”

“Most likely.”

Randolph—the man everyone assumed was Phantom’s persona. Randolph had just shredded Main Quest 5, Mystery Acquisition, with a score that defied logic. He had even soloed a Dimensional Rift.

The player community was in a state of total upheaval because of it. They hadn’t received a single scrap of reward from the death of the Dimensional Rift King. Furthermore, Maxim was dead. The passing of one of the Eight Heroes had been officially verified.

In both the physical world and Pangeniar, the fallout was going to be massive. Soon, the player base would begin to fracture, triggering a series of ideological wars.

‘I have to consolidate our strength before the storm hits.’

To survive the coming upheaval, they needed a power base. If the Korean players wanted to endure, they needed a major city in Pangeniar to launch coordinated strikes on both worlds. The Guild Master’s objective was to lock down a city before the next rift appeared. Even so, they were trailing far behind the top-tier pioneers.

“Which dungeon do you think Phantom is in right now?”

“Who can say? But I can guarantee it isn’t the Demigod Trait Dungeon.”

He was certain that a man like Phantom, who detested backstabbing, wouldn’t touch a dungeon that rewarded it. Anyone familiar with the man and the dungeon’s reputation would reach the same conclusion.

*Grind!*

The Guild Master gnashed his teeth.

‘Dammit. Just thinking about that place leaves a foul taste in my mouth.’

It truly was a wretched dungeon.

—

**[You have slain the Layer Lord: ‘Azure Wolf’.]**

*Kuuuung!*

The massive cerulean wolf finally hit the ground, its life extinguished. Faced with an onslaught from over a hundred coordinated werewolves, it never stood a chance.

‘Six hours.’

That was the total time elapsed for this floor. Under normal circumstances, the Azure Wolf required a week of dedicated grinding just to acquire the necessary gear to face it. But with the time-trial constraint, I didn’t have that luxury.

‘I never intended to play by the rules anyway.’

Actually, I had no intention of following the standard path from the moment I stepped inside.

**[Achievement: Shortest-time clear.]**

**[You have earned the title: ‘Lord of the Werewolf Pack’.]**

**[Your Honor has increased by 10.]**

**[Several Constellations within the Citizen War are beginning to take notice.]**

**[The ‘Constellation of the Shining Hero’ expresses intense curiosity regarding the dungeon completion.]**

The entities watching the Citizen War were starting to focus on me. It wasn’t the same level of frenzy as the Mystery Acquisition, but by the time I finished, most would be watching.

‘The Constellation of the Shining Hero.’

What piqued my interest was that this specific entity was focused on the dungeon clear itself, rather than me personally. It was a name that hadn’t surfaced since the Mystery Acquisition. If I continued to show high-level progress, it might become a permanent fixture like the constellations of luck or adventure, which would significantly improve the reward pools.

**[Proceeding to the subsequent layer. All items acquired in the previous layer have been removed.]**

*Shiiiia!*

As we transitioned through the warp, even the basic starter gear I’d selected was taken away. Naturally, my army of dominated werewolves was reset as well.

I found myself in a void of total darkness. Scanning the area, I realized Serengeti, Isaac, and Isabella were nowhere to be found. The only things visible were a few sheets of parchment and a quill floating in the air.

**[You have entered the ‘Room of Truth’.]**

**[Please draft one question you wish to pose to each of your companions.]**

**[All inquiries will remain strictly anonymous.]**

**[However, progress is halted until every party member swears the ‘Oath of Truth’.]**

The Oath of Truth.

It functioned as a magical contract. A solemn vow to speak nothing but the absolute facts. Signing your name bound you to the spell; any attempt to deceive would result in immediate expulsion.

‘……This is the worst-case scenario.’

A trait dungeon that utilizes a Room of Truth? I had never encountered this specific floor during my time as Wilhelm. The Demigod who designed this place was clearly a psychopath.

There was no way forward without everyone signing the oath. By signing, I would be voluntarily bypassing my own hidden traits. I would be forced to speak the unvarnished ‘truth.’

In the worst outcome, the party’s trust in me would evaporate instantly. But if the questions were trivial, we might move past it easily. For the sake of my speed-clear goal, this could actually be a shortcut.

**[All party members have sworn the ‘Oath of Truth’.]**

**[You may now submit your questions.]**

One question for each person. That would be three questions total directed at me if the others followed the rules. I would just have to answer honestly three times, and we’d be done. Simple.

Depending on how you looked at it, this was a free pass.

**[All party members have submitted their questions.]**

**[You are strictly forbidden from revealing the contents of your questions to others.]**

**[Violating this rule will result in immediate expulsion.]**

*Kung-!*

With a heavy, mechanical thrum, the darkness began to lift.