“Cane swords?” I became curious.
“Cane swords are sexy!” Alrune’s voice sounded in my head, making me chuckle.
“Yes, a cane sword. Basically a cane with a blade hidden inside. They maximize blade enhancement effectiveness while remaining stylish. You can even enhance the scabbard and use it for parrying. Very flexible!”
“Please lead the way!”
We arrived in front of a sizable stand filled with all kinds of cane swords. My eyes immediately locked on one set slightly apart from the rest. The shop employee noticed my interest.
“This one is a little atypical, which is why it’s set aside. It was custom-made for a representative from a faraway island country, but they never claimed it. The client returned it.”
Despite that, something drew me to it instantly. The cane was jet-black wood, with a silver pommel shaped like an eastern dragon’s head, its serpentine body coiling the length of the shaft. It looked carved from a single piece of wood, hollowed and inlaid with silver, each detail precisely inlaid. The button to unsheathe the blade was cleverly disguised as one of the dragon’s legs.
This was not just a weapon or a cane—it was a piece of art.
Unsheathing it, I admired the blade. Two straight edges ended in a sharp stabbing point with a distal taper that mirrored the coiling dragon motif. The whole thing was breathtaking—and the balance was perfect.
Alrune’s voice chimed in. “Gorgeous!”
I sheathed it, turning to the employee. “I’ll take this one.”
“You know, since it’s one-of-a-kind and made entirely from meteoric silver—a rare material that conducts mana without loss—the price is high…”
Her words trailed off as I silently dangled a large pouch of gold. She recovered quickly, smiling widely. “Let’s proceed to checkout. Do you want me to pack the other two outfits?”
“No need.”
“As you wish. That will be one hundred eighty-six gold.”
The sword accounted for over one hundred fifty, with the three outfits at twelve apiece. After paying, I stored everything I wasn’t wearing and headed across the street to the skill shop.
Inside, I walked up to a large counter with a giant shelf behind it. The shelf was filled to the brim with various scrolls brimming with power. The moment I reached the counter, a clerk hurried over from the other side.
“Greetings, My Lord. How can I help you?”
However surprising it was to be addressed as ‘My Lord,’ it was not unusual. The old societal division between nobles and commoners had long since disappeared; all that mattered these days was money and power. Nobody cared what you were born as; everyone cared how much money you had and how powerful you were. Since I was dressed as I was—in clothes whose value could feed a middle-class family for years, not counting the cane—most people preferred not to take any risks and addressed me with the utmost respect.
“Greetings, I would like to buy a few skill scrolls!”
“Sure, My Lord! What kind of scrolls would you like?”
“I need a blade enhancement, body enhancement: speed, and countermagic!”
The man’s enthusiasm vanished as I named the skills. All the skills I wanted were basic common skills that cost a few coppers. But I ignored the shift and looked over the huge shelf, getting curious about the content.
“What are the rarest skills you have?”
“We have ten rare skills and even one epic skill in stock, My Lord!”
The enthusiasm returned as fast as it vanished the moment I asked the question. Alrune’s melodious giggle sounded in my head as she watched the clerk’s reactions.
“Is he bipolar?”
Followed by another giggle in my head and this time even I could not help but chuckle a little. But I managed to recover before the clerk noticed, since by this time he went on a tirade speaking about the scrolls.
“The epic skill we have is called Master of Beasts, allowing the owner to tame and control various beasts...”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Hearing about the epic skill a thought crossed my mind, that should not require mana manifestation, but before I could think any further Alrune poured a bucket of cold water over my ambitions.
“Please just don’t. You would most likely go mad. Imagine not only me barking bullshit inside of your head but me and a bunch of beasts. Your brain would be mush within a month! Why do you think they have it in stock despite it being an epic skill?”
Hearing her, I didn’t argue, maybe I would be able to handle one or two animals barking inside of my head for some time but why would you even try it? No thanks! What surprised me a little was that despite having a perfect knowledge of the novel plus the perfect memory of an over-thirty-year-old adult who remembered every single detail of his life; there was still a surprising amount of things I had no clue about.
Once the clerk finished his pitch, I quickly paid my few coppers and watched him turn sour once again. With this done, I headed straight towards the dungeon, The Overrun Catacomb, mentally preparing for what was ahead.
It took about twenty minutes to get there. The portal to the dungeon was inside of a small building, with two guards standing in front of the door and an official sitting to the side next to a table, all bearing the sigils of real estate guild. I walked up directly towards the official, extending my dungeon delver ID.
“Greetings, I would like to enter the Overrun Catacomb.”
The man nodded, checked my ID, and handed it back to me.
“Four copper!”
Seeing his lack of manners, I just tossed my four coppers onto the table and walked straight toward the entrance. The guards, seeing that I had paid the entry fee, stepped aside and let me pass. Inside, I found myself in a small, empty room without a single window. All that was inside was a swirling portal, light green in color, with silver streaks of lightning running through it here and there.
Looking at the portal, I didn’t delay any longer and stepped through. The transition was fast and unpleasant; once I stepped out on the other side, I had to pause for a moment to steady myself.
I ended up in a small, stony room with a single normal entrance right in front of me and an emergency exit portal just behind me. The place was nasty—dust, cobwebs, and pieces of fallen plaster were everywhere. The room smelled of death and decay, reminding me exactly why this place was called a catacomb. The single entrance was covered by a thin, light-blue barrier, and right next to it stood a mushroom-shaped, unnaturally smooth stone reaching about waist-height.
I had planned to learn my skills before properly entering the dungeon, but that had to wait now, as I became preoccupied with what happened the moment I stepped in. First, it was Alrune.
“Vic, do you remember that thing about helping with my body? Good news: it seems I found a way to obtain the first ingredient. Bad news: you are not going to like how it is obtained!”
Before I could ask for details, I received my answer. Alrune shared her quests with me. First was the full list of ingredients needed to rebuild her body.
▽▽▽
[Quest #1: Rebuild Alrune’s Body!]
Obtain the following ingredients:
0/10 Dungeon Core Crystals
0/1 Lich’s Phylactery
0/1 Angelic Wing
0/1 Demonic Horn
Rewards: Alrune’s body healed and recovered!
△△△
The list forced me to read it several times before I had to sit down on the ground. The things she needed were outrageous. But that wasn't the only problem.
▽▽▽
Eligible dungeon detected!
[Quest #2: Obtain a Dungeon Core Crystal from the Overrun Catacomb!]
Complete the Overrun Catacomb 100 times to receive its core, closing the dungeon once and for all!
0/100 Completions
Rewards: 1x Dungeon Core Crystal
△△△
This was what finished me off. The fact that a single crystal required me to run the dungeon one hundred times was outrageous enough, but the implication that it would close the dungeon forever an unheard-of phenomenon—was what the absolute finishing touch.
What brought me back to reality was Alrune’s voice. But there was none of its usual energy; it was the first time I heard her sound sad, even dejected.
“I understand if you are not willing to go through this. Chasing liches, angels, and demons, and closing dungeons forever just to restore my body... it is way too much to ask.”
“Wait, wait! I never said it wasn't happening, did I?”
“Do you really mean it? Are you willing to do this for me?” This time, much of her usual spark returned; there was even a hope in her voice.
“I promised, didn’t I? I wasn’t contemplating if I was going to do it; I was thinking about how it can be done. I’m sure you noticed those things won’t just appear because I want them to. I can’t just buy them at a store! Your quest requires me to erase ten dungeons and face monsters capable of deleting entire kingdoms in seconds. Cut me some slack for being surprised and needing a moment to adapt!”
What followed sounded to me like a recital composed by a world-class master, but it was, in fact, just Alrune laughing for a minute straight. No words, nothing—just pure, natural laughter that made me forget about my concerns. It made me feel like I was willing to face entire armies of angels, demons, and liches just to hear it for a second longer. This was not the first time I heard her laugh, but it was for the first time that I didn’t want her to ever stop.
After I silently enjoyed my personal recital, I slowly stood up and started using my purchased skill scrolls, learning skills I needed to clear the dungeon efficiently. While I was doing so, Alrune’s voice echoed in my head.
“You should not be doing stuff like this.”
“Why?”
“Because I will really fall for you and then you will have a Yandere speaking inside of your head all day, riding your dick all night!”
“Paradise!”
Alrune snorted. “Idiot! The worst part is that you really meant it, you crazy ass fuck!”
“Every word! There is no dere like yandere! But for real—I know I should be worried and stuff, but for some reason, the thought of having a person for whom I am the whole world, someone willing to go to any lengths just to be with me... it feels safe. Even calming.”
“And I thought I was the fucked-up one here!”
