Victoria's hand shook so hard she nearly dropped the items.
She looked up in shock, only to see Greg staring intently at the objects in her hand. His eyes were wide, and his expression was as if he had seen a ghost—or something even more terrifying.
Victoria looked down at the two items, which appeared completely ordinary, even a bit shabby. Then she looked back at Greg, whose reaction was absurdly exaggerated, and her brow furrowed deeply.
"Was that 'gray-haired brat' comment directed at me?"
Greg realized he had let his thoughts slip.
But he couldn't be blamed. The two items Victoria had suddenly produced had both contributed to death CGs that were etched into his memory.
The seemingly random patterns on the surface of the box were actually a precision mechanical lock.
If forced open in the wrong order, it would trigger a concealed poison needle that would instantly pierce the opener's forehead.
He still remembered the image from that CG: Greg Sass falling backward, a single dot of crimson right between his eyes.
And that bundle of hemp rope was an even more morbid item.
With just a trace of mana and placed under a pillow, it would quietly animate in the middle of the night. It would coil around the sleeper's neck like a venomous snake and hang them while they were still dreaming.
The other CG, depicting Greg Sass with bulging eyes and a long, protruding tongue, was equally unforgettable.
Forcing down the surging memories, Greg cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure. He began to spin a lie on the spot.
"Ahem... forgive me, respected gray-haired—Miss Victoria."
"I overreacted just now."
"As you know, as a devout follower of the Goddess of Night, I follow certain precepts... they might be a bit unique. Much like how the priests of the Holy Church of Light do not eat certain meats or drink unsanctified spirits."
He pointed at the two items, his tone solemn.
"According to our teachings, those two items happen to be 'unclean taboo objects.' To prevent any accidents, I strongly suggest you dispose of them here."
Victoria frowned, weighing the metal box and the bundle of rope in her hands.
"These? An old box and a bundle of... hemp rope? These are considered taboos? Your teachings are certainly strange."
"Matters of faith have their own specific rituals and rules."
Greg kept a straight face and quickly provided examples.
"Just as the Holy Church of Light avoids carving holy icons out of ebony, believing it absorbs resentment, or forbids certain ceremonies on the night of the new moon, followers of the Goddess of Night naturally have their own unique... preferences and taboos."
The examples he gave were half-truths. As a Hero closely associated with the Church, Victoria had indeed heard of similar rules.
Her suspicion lessened slightly, but she wasn't entirely convinced. "Then how should I handle these?"
"Just release them into the underground river."
Victoria stared at him blankly.
Greg immediately corrected himself. "Er, what I meant was that flowing water can cleanse the sins that should not remain in this world."
Since she had just picked them up randomly and they looked worthless and useless, Victoria hesitated for a moment before walking to the riverbank. She threw the metal box and the bundle of rope into the rushing current.
Watching them be swallowed by the pitch-black water, Greg felt his heart settle a bit.
I almost had to unlock an old CG...
He secretly wiped away a cold sweat while making a mental note in his dungeon survival guide: even in a dungeon, never let your guard down against scripted death items!
Just then, a soft groan came from beside the fire.
Silvia's eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.
She struggled to sit up, and Victoria immediately moved to support her.
"Silvia! How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?"
"Victoria... I-I'm fine..." Silvia shook her head weakly, looking around in confusion. "Where am I..."
When her gaze landed on Greg's handsome face, her body suddenly recoiled at a forty-five-degree angle. "Ueh?"
"Hey, isn't saying 'ueh' with such disgust the first thing you say to your savior a bit too rude?"
That damn development team was truly heartless. Why did they have to give me such a weird character setting!
Greg complained in his heart.
Though he had thought this setting was quite nice while playing the original game.
But that was then, and this was now.
Now that he had transmigrated as Greg Sass, it was a completely different story.
"S-Sorry...! Wait, aren't you that arrogant Senior Greg? Why are you in the dungeon?"
She pressed her hand to her temple as fragmented memories began to piece themselves together.
"I remember... I was dragged into the river... when I couldn't breathe... it felt like... something... k-kissed me... and then... I was dragged into deeper, darker water... after that... I don't know anything..."
"Kissed you?"
Victoria slowly turned her head, her icy gaze resting on Greg's neck like a blade.
Holy crap, she was actually conscious in that situation?
Greg instantly broke into a cold sweat.
He knew these two were childhood sweethearts and would naturally end up together after a few more events; there was no room for him to interfere.
He had truly done it just to save Silvia, but it was hard to explain that now.
After all, Victoria was still hostile toward him. If she found out he had kissed her most precious childhood friend, who knew what would happen?
Greg's expression remained calm, though his legs were uncontrollably trembling.
"You've misunderstood. That was actually just the octopus's suckers brushing against her lips, making her feel like she was being kissed."
"And she said it herself—she was dragged into deeper water after the 'kiss.' If it were me, I'd have no reason to do that, right?"
"Or do you really think I'm the kind of depraved man who would do something like that?"
Victoria's gaze grew even colder, and a faint light began to gather at her fingertips.
Seeing this, Greg immediately raised his right hand, his tone incredibly sincere, even carrying a hint of sanctity.
"I swear in the name of the Goddess of Night's envoy! I, Greg Sass, have done nothing untoward to Miss Silvia, otherwise I am willing to suffer an unspeakable curse!!"
Perhaps his acting finally worked, or perhaps the title of the Goddess of Night's envoy made Victoria hesitate. The light at her fingertips dimmed slightly, though her scrutinizing gaze did not waver.
Silvia listened to their conversation, confusion appearing on her pale face. "An envoy... of the Goddess of Night?"
Victoria briefly recounted Greg's previous explanation to her.
After listening, Silvia looked at Greg timidly and whispered:
"Um... Senior Greg? I... I happen to know a way to verify if you truly are an envoy of the Goddess of Night... I wonder if you could cooperate?"
Victoria was surprised. "Hasn't the cult of the Goddess of Night long since vanished from history? Is there still a way to verify this?"
"There is."
Silvia nodded. Her voice was soft due to her weakness, but it was clear.
"Because... in ancient records, the Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Night are considered twin sister deities. Therefore, within the Holy Church of Light... some secret rituals for identifying the divine power of Night have been preserved."
What?! They can even verify that?!
Can the results be kept confidential?
After all, even married couples don't have to know everything about each other's bodies, so my request for confidentiality is perfectly reasonable, right?
Rate on N.U.
