I Entered a Gacha Game That Had Been Abandoned for 10 Years

34 – Layer 2 (2)

In front of the entrance to the underground complex of the Kalan Kingdom.

“Sigh…”

Loreiel, one of Kalan’s five swords and the mentor to the absolute ruler of darkness, sighed as she saw her mentor, who had returned after being absent for several weeks, spending days without eating or drinking, entering the room.

‘What on earth happened.’

Loreiel sighed as she briefly reminisced about the day a few days ago when her mentor, who had disappeared, returned.

She had suddenly disappeared, causing her disciples to worry, and now she had returned on her own.

Moreover, covered in all sorts of dirty wounds.

Her disciples were extremely surprised at that.

And it’s not surprising, considering that Loreiel, along with her disciples, knew how strong the absolute ruler of darkness was.

She was the one who raised Kalan’s five swords and had a power that was not inferior to the great heroes on this continent.

But now, she returned with injuries?

Just that was enough to astonish her disciples, but since her return, the absolute ruler of darkness had not paid any attention to her disciples, just staying alone in the palace.

Loreiel and her disciples were worried about their mentor.

Even if it was different for the absolute ruler of darkness, all the disciples had received her grace.

“Mentor.”

Therefore, with a worried heart, Loreiel called the absolute ruler of darkness.

However, the absolute ruler of darkness, who was usually sure to hear even the slightest sound, sat alone in a chair, burying her head in her knees, unable to hear any sounds, as if indicating that she had not moved from this place for several days.

The torn and disheveled cape seemed to tell that she hadn’t moved from this spot for a few days, but she was still lost in the memories of a few days ago.

A few days ago.

The time she fought with Merilda.

And the answer she received at that time.

The Banma tribe fought with wolves almost every day.

As a result, everything around them disappeared and turned to ashes, but she didn’t pay much attention.

The wolves were the same.

After all, there was no lord in that place to begin with.

So, they fought without reservation, and after more than a day of battle, the answer they got, unable to determine the outcome, pushed them into despair, the absolute ruler of darkness.

‘I don’t have an execution sword.’

‘Don’t talk nonsense! You must have received an execution sword from the lord by using the pack against him-‘

‘That execution sword, I lost it too, when the territory was attacked.’

‘…Lies, it’s a lie-‘

‘It seems like a lie to you?’

The Banma tribe disliked the wolf.

However, living under the protection of the lord, whom she had grown quite fond of despite her dislike, the Banma tribe knew.

Wolves can’t lie.

In addition, the eerie and empty pupils, like looking into a mirror, seemed to confirm that there was no falsehood in the wolf’s words.

The absolute ruler of darkness had crumbled.

The only thing the wolf’s words did for her was to force her to face one cruel and suffocating truth.

That’s why, unable to determine the outcome properly and having abandoned the fight against the red-eyed one with the resolution to someday establish a hierarchy, the Banma tribe collapsed into their abode.

Then, she cried.

She simply cried.

Endlessly cried.

At the thought that she would never recover the affection with the lord.

At the thought that she could no longer stand before the one with the red eyes, who had hoped to receive the execution sword even in dreams.

She just cried.

Feeling a hole in the middle of her chest as if pierced, she sobbed alone.

While crying, she even thought that maybe she wasn’t being punished, but rather…

Maybe she was now paying the price for the audacity she had shown ten years ago—

—for arrogantly defying him and ignoring the favors and affection he offered.

That’s why.

“…Black.”

In the darkness befitting his notorious reputation, Banmazok shed tears once again, alone.

####

The next day.

As Kim Hyun-woo had stated, Elena and the 100 soldiers, including her, descended into the labyrinth once again.

Of course, they were not sent alone.

Just like when he first sent Elena to the first floor, Kim Hyun-woo hired mercenaries to accompany them, just as a precaution.

“It might cost a bit, but it’s better to go this far if we consider potential threats.”

Kim Hyun-woo was well aware that Elena and the soldiers had become stronger than before.

Moreover, the soldiers, enhanced by Lani’s food buffs, were fundamentally different from the gloomy mercenaries who first entered the first floor.

However, the reason he insisted on hiring mercenaries was to protect the soldiers without any loss and to improve their proficiency.

“It’s not easy to create more soldiers at this point.”

The territory’s population had already exceeded 1900, looking at over 2000, but Kim Hyun-woo couldn’t produce more soldiers.

Those initially incorporated into the territory weren’t all men, and even if there were, considering the labor needed in Larthania, recruiting more soldiers would only bring negative effects to the territory.

So, while he managed to recruit soldiers for the upcoming labyrinth city, Kim Hyun-woo decided to spend money to protect the soldiers and raise their proficiency without any significant loss.

“It would be good if they come back with improved proficiency this time.”

Kim Hyun-woo thought as he looked at Elena, the soldiers, and the mercenaries accompanying them, all heading towards the second floor of the labyrinth.

####

Lani’s life was in the gutter.

Although she was technically a noble, the title of illegitimate child meant she had never been treated as a proper noble.

In fact, she had never gained recognition from anyone, and the only support she believed in, the lord who considered her as a commodity, raised her with the intention of selling her off.

In other words, Lani’s life was so miserable, beyond being in poverty, that she thought she could never escape from the chains of despair.

Until she met Kim Hyun-woo, the lord of Larthania.

“…”

After meeting him, Lani’s life changed drastically.

He reached out to her without hesitation, someone whom no one had ever reached out to before, and rescued her from the shackles of despair.

And more?

After meeting him, Lani learned for the first time what it meant to treat herself well.

She realized that her abilities were undoubtedly useful.

Having never received a compliment in all the years she had lived, Lani, since being acquired by Kim Hyun-woo, had been receiving praise and recognition from everyone.

Starting with Kim Hyun-woo, the soldiers who tasted her food were all busy praising her. Elena, who somehow found Kim Hyun-woo delightful, also had praise for the food.

That made Lani very happy.

For someone who had never received proper recognition in her life, the praise from Kim Hyun-woo and the soldiers was like a refreshing rain in the dry sky.

That’s why Lani genuinely felt grateful to Kim Hyun-woo.

She knew it.

From the beginning, she knew that the reason she could enjoy her work and hear everyone’s praise in this situation was because of Kim Hyun-woo.

Because he had helped her find herself.

And because he had rescued her from the shackles of despair, making this happy everyday life possible, Lani knew.

Knowing that, Lani always had a grateful heart towards Kim Hyun-woo.

No, in fact, there was no reason not to have a grateful heart.

Right away, Kim Hyun-woo not only gave her an offer to join but also gave her a substantial amount of money that was beyond what she should receive, and he even gave her a very nice room to live in.

“…”

Lani looked at the room she had been assigned.

Compared to her previous room in Antalia Territory, the room, which was more than twice the size, was pleasing to Lani’s heart.

The reason was not only because the room itself was larger, but also because of the interior of the room.

“As expected, it’s elegant…!”

Unlike Elena’s room, Lani’s assigned room had a quite elegant atmosphere. The various furniture placed in the room were made of elegant wooden materials, and the black velvet fabric added a clean touch to the classic atmosphere.

Because of that, even though some time had passed since she was assigned the room, Lani still looked around with a satisfied expression and soon stood up from her seat.

The reason was that with soldiers who always cooked for her and Elena absent for the labyrinth expedition, she had some spare time to clean the room.

Since being assigned the room, Lani had only roughly cleaned it. She had never properly cleaned it before.

“Hehe…”

Remembering that she had already prepared lunch for Kim Hyun-woo and heard him say that the food was still delicious, Lani smiled softly and started cleaning in earnest.

After a while, while Lani was bowing her head to clean under the bed.

“Hmm?”

After finding something under the bed and taking it out, Lani unintentionally made a dumbfounded expression.

That was because what she found under the bed, despite being covered in quite a bit of dust, emitted an aura that was elegant and ancient.

“Why would something like this be under the bed?”

So Lani kept moving her head back and forth, looking at the sword that was even bigger than her, seemingly belonging to the previous occupant of the room.

“I should probably give this to the lord, then.”

She thought as she looked at the dusty ‘Execution Sword’.