Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)

"However… I don't think your Sheol is actually weaker than that bow," Karlogen says, crossing his arms.

"Eh? What makes you think so?" Eris asks, a note of curiosity in her voice.

"It's just… a gut feeling I have," he admits. "The first time I saw it, it scared me way more than when I saw Euryphaessa…"

"Seriously? Are you sure it's not just… a feeling?" Eris raises an eyebrow.

"I mean, yeah, it is probably just a feeling," Karlogen says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "But you both know I've got pretty sharp instincts, right?"

Gulp…

Right.

If his story is true, then Karlogen's gut feeling is very accurate, like he has an SSS rank 6th sense of something!

"Still… I've only ever managed to open three of its six eyes," Eris says, her voice thoughtful, almost distant. "And even then, I feel like that's not even one percent of Sheol's true power. Honestly… it might be way stronger than I can even imagine."

She sighs, rubbing the back of her neck.

"But using it… it's always a pain. Every time I open those eyes, Sheol demands a price."

"Oh…" I blink, realization hitting me like a cold slap.

How could I forget that?

To open Sheol's three eyes, Eris has to offer to it all of her mana core that she gathered for the past three years!

Three. freaking. years!

Gone in an instant.

"Anyways, that sword is still mysterious," Eris adds ."Hmmmm…" she hums, then leans towards me again. "You know, if only there's a person who knowledgeable about it though, we could probably ask them…"

Eris winks.

Eh?

A person…. ?

Knowledgeable?

And what the heck is that wink???

My mind go processing for a second, and then—

OOOOOOOHHHH!!!

I almost let out a gasp, but catch myself just in time!

Karlogen narrows his eyes, staring at us like he knows we're hiding something.

Which… well, we totally are!

We are hiding the fact that Alter is living inside me!

Right… Alter seems to know a lot about these kinds of things. Especially when it comes to Sheol. If I remember right, Alter once said Sheol was originally her teacher's sword.

What was her teacher's name again…?

Azaphel something…? I'll need to ask Alter again when she wakes up.

Still… I do remember about something else that Alter said about Sheol, since it was hella cool back then.

"Fourth death… the end of immortals.

Fifth death… the end of gods.

And sixth death… the end of the world."

The end… of the world?

Yeah, It's only speculation. But if Sheol's six eyes ever fully open… it might have enough power to erase the entire world itself."

Gulp…

If that's really the case, then Sheol is probably waaaaay stronger than Euryphaessa!

Guildmaster Karlogen is probably right!

But then, Karlogen shifts the conversation, his expression sobering.

"Anyway… I guess you two have already figured out why I called you here today."

"Hmmm… is it because you wanted to warn me about the dungeon?" Eris guesses, tilting her head.

"Exactly," Karlogen nods. "Though… it seems it might not be necessary anymore, since you already said you won't be charging in recklessly."

"Wait!" I blurt out, a sudden realization hitting me.

"If it's that dangerous, shouldn't you be warning everyone else too? I mean… there's no way you'd want a tragedy like that to happen again, right?"

At my question, Karlogen doesn't respond right away.

He just lowers his gaze… and lets out a long, heavy sigh.

"Felicia," Eris murmurs gently, taking my hand. "He wants to warn them. But I think… it's more complicated than you think."

Karlogen finally speaks, his voice quieter, heavier.

"I did try to warn them. Again and again. But… most people don't believe me. Some even spread rumors that my Adventurer's Guild is just trying to monopolize the dungeon for ourselves."

His lips twist into a bitter smile.

"And besides…" He leans back, arms crossed. "Being an adventurer means you face death every single day. There's no stopping them. No matter what I say."

"And don't forget… human greed," Eris adds softly, her voice laced with a cold edge.

"Oh… you're right…" I murmur, feeling a chill crawl down my spine.

Just like back then.

Even if the tenth trial claimed their lives… people still chased after it.

Because that trial—that dungeon—might just be the one chance that changes everything.

They saw what happened with Valentia. How he rose to unimaginable heights after obtaining the Divine Weapon.

The rewards… the glory…

It's like a drug.

Blinding people.

Making them drunk on dreams they can't let go of.

In the end… humans are just moths to the flame.

"If possible, never enter that dungeon," Karlogen's voice cuts through my thoughts, firm and heavy.

"Well, if you say so," Eris nods. "I probably won't. Thanks for the warning."

"T-thank you, Guildmaster!" I chime in, bowing slightly.

However…

"You know, thank you too," Karlogen suddenly says, then bows his head a bit.

"Guild…master?" I murmur, confused.

"Thanks to you listening to this old man ramble, I feel better now," he sighs. Then he stands up, stretching. "Alright, time to get back to work! Argh, damn it! I hate this job!"

"Haha, retire and pass it down to your son then!" Eris teases.

"You bet!"

We then have a good laugh.

"Anyway, old man," Eris says, standing up and placing a hand on Karlogen's shoulder. "Don't overwork yourself. Remember to take some rest."

"Ah, yeah, you're right," Karlogen replies. "I've got too much to do here, though. Mistvale guilds from all over the kingdom—and even other kingdoms—are coming here. The next few months are gonna be hectic, keeping everything in check and handling security… ugh. Eris, you sure you don't want to help me?"

"Nope!" Eris grins. "You can do it!"

"Yeah, you can do it!" I chime in, placing a hand on the Guildmaster's shoulder too.

"Eh, fine!" Karlogen sighs, defeated.

And with that, our meeting with Karlogen ends.

"Alright," Eris turns to me. "Ready to go buy our house?"

"Oooooh! House!"

Our new house!

Damn, I almost forgot about that!"