The three prisoners, who had been slouched with a lack of energy, grinned as if they had been waiting for this moment.

"I only acted as a guarantor, didn't actually kill anyone. Sure, a few families committed suicide because of me, but... well, I didn’t directly kill them, did I?"

"Those old men entrusted me with their money without a second thought. It’s not my fault they were foolish."

"Compared to them, I've done some good. I introduced people to high-paying jobs when they were in a hurry for money. Of course, by 'high-paying,' I mean from the perspective of those who were my clients."

Someone summarized the meaning behind these trash's self-introductions.

"No murderers...?"

These were the scum who had ruined the lives of many people, driving them to suicide. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

However, the condition for the sacrifice that Moriel requested was 'a person who directly took another's life with their own hands.' These ruthless scammers and human traffickers were not yet the target.

If they didn’t sacrifice a murderer, everyone in the room would die. The faces of those who recalled the rule turned pale.

It was then.

"It’s not like there’s no way."

The middle-aged man, who had been leading the situation, narrowed his eyes. His chilling gaze no longer belonged to an ordinary citizen.

He spoke.

"If there’s no murderer, we can just make one, right?"

A suggestion fitting for an extreme situation. By now, Infernos would surely be savoring the stench of decaying humanity with delight.

'So, this is how it ends.'

Even if the room changed, it didn’t seem like the situation would be any different. By now, I couldn't help but worry about Reed.

Reed, who had an aversion to the world. Would he be able to endure this grotesque spectacle?

✠

As Ayleth had expected, the situation Reed faced when moving through the rooms was similar.

In fact, if one were to compare, the rooms he passed through were much worse.

A room where ordinary citizens, intoxicated by collective justice, had committed violence against death row inmates, only for them to make a ‘mistake’ and end up as sacrifices.

A room where economic criminals, who had ruined families’ lives, happened to face the victims, with one choosing to take revenge and become a sacrifice.

A room where a death row inmate, facing the threat of being chosen as a sacrifice, couldn’t die alone and made a companion for their journey through hell.

A room where they had to forcibly create a murderer because there was none.

These were the rooms Reed had passed through. It was no exaggeration to say that he had seen the horrors allowed by the dungeon's rules.

He had been choosing the most brutal rooms, but now, it seemed almost natural, not surprising at all.

The world always carefully selected the most painful, ugly, and agonizing experiences for him.

Even when faced with the horrific scenes presented to him, there was no stirring in Reed. He maintained an indifferent observer's stance amidst the chaos.

Thus, the fifth room.

He watched it with bored eyes, thinking that another human drama would unfold. But something felt different this time...

‘It’s different.’

First, the number of people was noticeably fewer. Unlike the previous rooms, which had nearly twenty people, there were only nine people in the current room, including Reed.

It almost felt like the remaining people from other rooms had gathered here.

There were five prisoners in total, all middle-aged women. They seemed to be on good terms, as if they knew each other.

As if to prove that, one of them spoke.

"Try this, sister."

"Wow, the potatoes are perfectly cooked."

"Here, little sister, take a bite... oh, you’ve already peeled them."

"I’m peeling it for you."

"Thank you."

They leisurely roasted potatoes and shared them.

The small fire in the center of the altar crackled, and the smell of roasting potatoes filled the air.

The potatoes were in a bag that had been carelessly left on the floor of the room. It was assumed that a vegetable vendor had been one of the victims of the Dungeon Sync.

At first glance, it almost felt like a camping trip. It didn’t feel like they were in a dungeon, and there was no sense of life-threatening danger. Naturally, there was no anxiety about needing to select a sacrifice.

A regular citizen pointed that out.

"This isn’t the time to be roasting potatoes... what about the sacrifice...?"

"Hehe, let’s talk about the sacrifice later. Come on, young one, try a bite. It’s really good."

"No, I’m fine! I can’t eat what a prisoner gave me..."

The young man waved his hand dismissively, causing the potato to roll to the floor. It was probably unintentional.

That was evident because both the middle-aged woman who had offered the potato and the young man jumped slightly in surprise.

The awkward atmosphere didn’t last long. The middle-aged female prisoner simply picked up the dusty potato and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Don’t throw food around."

"...."

The young man seemed to have something he wanted to say but couldn’t muster the words, lowering his head instead.

Meanwhile, the fifth room was special for another reason besides the prisoners’ relaxed demeanor.

"Mom, mom."

"Levio, it’s okay. Don’t worry. Mommy will protect you, okay? I’ll make sure nothing happens to you."

"Mommy. Not that one."

"Mm, hmm?"

"That guy, he’s the one I saw at the square!"

The little finger, as small as a statue, pointed directly at Reed. He merely moved his eyes and glanced at the child.

Although Reed had no interest in anything other than Ayleth Rodeline, his excellent memory quickly recalled the world he had seen.

The child was the one who had bumped into him at the square, dropping a balloon and crying loudly.

Reed completely ignored the child’s curious gaze. In his place, the prisoner women showed interest in the child and the young woman.

"Are you hungry, baby? Want some potato?"

"Uh, I..."

"Mom, I’m hungry."

"...Can you give us two?"

"Yes. Eat up. Eat plenty."

"Thank you."

The young woman’s wariness towards the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» prisoners was not as strong as the young man’s. Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the room became even more inviting.

"Here you go. It’s hot, so let it cool down first... What’s your little, smart boy’s name?"

"It’s Levio!"

"Nice name. Did mommy or daddy give you that name?"

"Mommy! Daddy isn’t here."

The oldest female prisoner comforted the mother.

"You’ve raised your son well, all by yourself. It must have been tough for you..."

"Oh, no."

The woman’s voice seemed to catch in her throat, as if she were about to cry from the small comfort. She hastily shoved the remaining potato into her mouth, as if to distract herself.

As the atmosphere grew friendlier, a slight side effect occurred. Someone started speaking to Reed with familiarity.

"Hey, handsome young man, try this too."

Since talking was a hassle, Reed accepted the potato without protest. The middle-aged female prisoner smiled warmly, like a neighborly aunt.

"This is the roundest and nicest potato. I picked it out for you, just like your face. Do you like it?"

"...."

"My, you're shy, aren't you? It’s okay. That’s actually charming. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"...."

"You’re probably single since you’re so shy. Don’t worry, you’ll get one soon. When you do, treat her well. Don’t use harsh words or act badly. Always treat her gently and nicely. Got it? That’s what love is. Love is the result of the kind actions I show, not an excuse for the wrong things I’ve done to the other person."

"...."

The woman, well beyond middle age, had a firm philosophy on love.

When her lengthy speech finally ended, the child, Levio, interrupted again.

"Brother. You’re a wizard, right?"

"...."

"You’re a wizard, aren’t you?"

"...."

"I think you are."

Levio was persistent. And there was a reason for that.

"When the aunts were making the fire, I saw you doing something behind them..."

The child had sharp senses and a good eye.

"Since you’re quiet, you must be a really strong wizard."

"...."

"Can you just tell me if you’re a wizard or not?"

"....Go to your mom."

"Wow, you spoke! What’s your name?"

"...."

It was a slip-up. Reed regretted it, but it was already too late. Levio clung to him persistently and eventually succeeded in getting Reed’s name.

Such peaceful moments were limited. The flickering torches slowly extinguished, marking the passage of time.

As the room descended into darkness, the central fire that the people had lit seemed to burn even brighter. If it were the flame of hope, it would be wonderful, but unfortunately, it was just a flame used for roasting potatoes.

Gradually, people began to give up. The young man, who had been nervously carrying the tension of everyone else, had been unable to blend in with the atmosphere and had been fidgeting.

Suddenly, he began to cry loudly and shove potatoes into his mouth.

His strange behavior caught everyone’s attention.

"Young man, what’s wrong with you?"