Transmigrated to Game World with SSS Wife-Chapter 68: Heaven’s Burrow

[Present Day]

[Nick's PoV]

'I get to choose... a girl?'

Finally, something he could get behind!

Though, looking at them he realized none of them really seemed to hold any life. The dwarf and orc felt like NPCs, kind of like a follower in a game. Someone with no real personality or dreams, who existed solely to accompany the player's character.

Looking at Elise, he couldn't feel like she was much better. While the others seemed to be programmed specifically to be followers, she just felt empty. Like there was a part of her irrevocably taken away.

Even further than that, something just felt... off.

Still, out of all the three girls he supposed he did prefer an emo over two NPCs.

[Follower: Elise chosen]

The second that message showed overhead it was like a minor pressure was released. One that couldn't be felt while it existed, but its absence was impossible to miss.

Groans of disappointment erupted from the dwarf and orc, angered that they weren't chosen to be a follower.

The man nodded for a second as if he expected the choice.

For the first time, Nick saw something that could be considered a smile cross Elise's mouth.

She was the first to leave the room, saying, "Follow me, Progenitor."

...

The 'shed' was actually a fairly large cemetery. Even while they stood by the door leading to the underground area of the cemetery, Nick could still sense hundreds of corpses with his [Farseeing Eyes].

They were weapons used by the necromancer. His eyes didn't tell him anything about the necromancer, or if he was even there.

But if it was strong enough to control hundreds of corpses without even activating a skill...

Well, the dungeon had to stop being a walk in the park at some point.

Looking across the desolate graveyard, Nick shook his head slightly before reaching for the door.

Elise's hand shot in front of him, blocking his access. Even though she was soft and weak, she held her hand there rigid and unmoving.

"Not this way. There are hundreds of Fallen right past this door. You want to join them?"

Not necessarily, but that was where his marker wanted him to go. Though the energy they emanated was far greater than even Ethos from the first dungeon.

And he was a boss, even if he was only C-Rank.

Turning away from the door to Elise, he asked, "Where do we go then?"

Pushing herself off the door with great force, she rushed past Nick and said, "Follow me."

Rushing through the courtyard of the cemetery, headstones, and bumpy ground became a blur. Names mixed with each other in Nick's mind as the date remained the same.

Everyone here died on the same day.

"Don't dwell on the dead, Progenitor. Unless I need to remind you that they are our current enemy's greatest weapon."

No, no need for that.

They continued the long sprint through the land of the dead. Even after 100 yards, 200, and then 500 every date was the same. Thousands upon thousands of headstones later.

It was to the point he almost wondered how they all got a proper burial. Maybe after whatever disaster that killed this many people ended, the survivors actually banded together.

Hard times can do that; even the greatest enemies fear death.

Life was something anyone found peace with.

"We're here."

Elise held a hand up, once again soft but firm, stopping Nick in his tracks.

'A trap door?'

In the middle of the homogeneous cemetery, there was a random trap door leading into the cellar of the cemetery. A single piece of wood amongst an endless array of stone and bone? Not suspicious at all.

Activating his [Farseeing Eyes], he looked to see if there were any enemies or weapons underneath the trap door. There were none, a complete opposite from when he searched beyond the cemetery door.

'Completely empty?' Nick thought as he activated [Farseeing Eyes] a second time, just to make sure. Again, it was completely empty. Unless his skill suddenly stopped working, there wasn't even a sword or axe down there.

This should've been relieving. They just found a way past the only part of this dungeon so far that held any threat at all. For all intents and purposes, it was like the entire dungeon was just a stroke of good luck.

However, Nick couldn't help but feel like this was a false safety. In his heart, he could already feel the moment everything went sideways. He could hear the tears and screams.

As Elise opened the trap door, he thanked the gods that Amelia and Juliana were safe back home. Then he remembered that they were likely dead.

'Yes. This place isn't going to be safe. There isn't a single safe place left...'

Even though there was no imminent danger, he summoned his sword and gripped it tightly all the same. At any moment everything was going to change.

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He was going to be ready when that happened.

Elise gave his sword a single glance before muttering, "Do you really need such a weapon, Progenitor? I know the halls of the dead like the back of my hand."

Nick shook his head in affirmation as he muttered a single, "Yes."

Shrugging, Elise descended the ladder to the land of the dead as she said, "Follow me."

Nick was close behind, admiring the ease with which she slid down the ladder. As he watched her, he instantly believed her statement that she knew these halls well.

But was that a good or bad thing?

Staring into the darkness yet again, he wondered if he should follow her. Doing so could lead to this Key of Avarice, which was apparently important to unlocking one of the Seals of Annihilation. After he did that, his sword would grow in power which would then give him immense power.

So then it didn't matter if it was good or bad. Darkness was traveling everywhere, so he'd have to face it at some point anyway.

It would be better to face it now when this gravesite wasn't filled with his friends' corpses.