One Who Offers Death Willingly

…

I could hear the relentless cracking of earth echoing within the dungeon—the monsters were pouring out without end. The sharp, splintering sound of stone and dirt breaking apart had long become familiar, almost rhythmic, as if the dungeon itself were breathing. I had already slain many, yet they kept coming, as if they multiplied faster than I could kill them. Every corner I turned revealed more of them—Crimson Lizards crawling over one another, their green eyes glowing in the dark like embers in the fog. But I held no fear of death. After all, I had the System. As long as it was active, it could bring me back to life.

Each resurrection, however, came with a price. There were only three kinds of sacrifices it demanded: rare items, relics, and the most valuable of all—Main, which consumed a full year of my memories. It was the cruelest form of payment, one that carved out pieces of who I was.

I had already used resurrection multiple times, yet I still couldn't reach the Boss Room. The Crimson Lizards spawned endlessly. They were only level 18 to 20, so killing them was easy—but they attacked in coordinated packs, and they just wouldn't stop. They were relentless, vicious, and seemed to adapt slightly with every wave, their patterns growing tighter, their aggression fiercer.

So I made a decision: to abuse the Resurrection System. I used up the rare items I had gathered through grinding. Resurrection wasn't instant, but the short countdown it required gave me time to strategize before being brought back. That brief pause—those final seconds before returning—became my sanctuary, my moment to think clearly.

My level had increased several times over, though I hadn't taken the time to distribute the stat points yet. I planned to do that just before entering the Boss Room. The EXP reward for each kill had also dwindled—these lizards now gave only 50 EXP per kill. A pitiful reward, considering the effort.

The sound of my sword echoed throughout the dungeon, striking the tough hides of the Crimson Lizards—scales so dense they resembled metal. Sparks flew from each clash, and their shrieks filled the hollow chambers like the wails of dying wind. Their corpses didn't vanish either. Their remains lay everywhere, a grotesque testament to the slaughter. I was practically drenched in their green blood. It clung to my clothes, caked my boots, and dried in thick layers over my arms.

The System continued to provide anatomical data on each monster's body parts, identifying what I could harvest. But I already knew all of it. I had long memorized their weaknesses and profitable drops. Now, the pop-ups were just noise.

After several hours of carnage, I finally stood before the Boss Room. There wasn't a door—only a glowing circle of blue light. A portal. Silent, steady, pulsing like the heartbeat of a god waiting within.

"Status."

John Leben [Lvl. 40]
HP: 730/730 (+70)(+300)
MP: 50 (+500)
Class: [None]
Rank: [White]
Title: [Dark Knight], [Beast Hunter], [Protector of the Nameless], [Bandit Reaper]
Skills: [Mirage – Lvl. 20], [Rage Trance – Lvl. 10]
Str: 1 (+5)(+21)
Int: 1 (+5)
Dex: 27 (+5)(+5)
Con: 26 (+5)(+7)
Wis: 0 (+5)
Available Points: 5
Skill Points: 7
Resurrections Remaining: 8
Instant Resurrections: 10
Memory Penalties: 51
Mental State Penalty: [Unweeping Curse]

I dumped all the available points into CON, raising my HP by another +50. It was the safest choice. This dungeon's Boss was a massive crimson-scaled lizard known as the Crimson Lizard King. Large, yes—but far from sluggish. It was fast, agile, and difficult to land a solid hit on. Its HP pool was relatively small, but its speed made up for it. No room for error.

The moment I stepped into the portal and entered the Boss Room, something dashed toward me at blinding speed. I caught sight of a massive red tail swinging directly at my head.

Before it could strike, I activated my skill: [Rage Trance].

Even though the enemy's movements were fast, they slowed dramatically in my vision. My eyes followed the trajectory of the tail's swing, and I narrowly dodged it before impact.

"Pleased to meet you too," I muttered as I evaded.

Before me stood a towering lizard-like creature with a dragon's head—wingless, but no less terrifying. Its eyes, a strange mix of emerald and gold, blinked with eerie intelligence. Its forked tongue flicked in and out like a komodo dragon's. We stared at each other. It seemed startled that I had dodged.

My body was now cloaked in an aura of black and red—an aftereffect of Rage Trance, which doubled my stats for three minutes. That should be enough time to chip away a significant chunk of its HP.

I activated the passive effect of Fin's Ring, which revealed the Boss's status.

[Crimson Lizard Queen - Lvl. 45]

Queen? What's going on?

I was about to examine more details when I suddenly felt an overwhelming presence behind me. A shadow loomed, vast and suffocating. I turned—just in time to see a gigantic mouth descending toward me, its rows of jagged teeth ready to devour.

The world went black.

…

[Resurrect to your current position? Y/N?]

"Ahahahahahaha… ahahaha..."

I laughed, placing a hand over my face.

[Crimson Lizard King - Lvl. 60]

Another new surprise, another new variable and another scenario that does not exist inside the original game. The Crimson Lizard Queen.

The Crimson Lizard King is still cunning. I hadn't even seen it coming. It had bitten me in one blow. No warning. No chance.

"One hit... ahaha…"

I couldn't help but laugh. It reminded me of my fight with Fin in the Labyrinth. Almost exactly the same.

I didn't even know if my expression matched my laughter—my eyes, my face—I couldn't tell anymore. I was numb. Not just from pain, but from something deeper. Hollow.

Beep... [Warning!]
[Host has been resurrected 100 times]
Title Acquired: [One Who Offers Death Willingly]
Effect: Every 100 successful resurrections will affect host's sanity
New Mental State Penalty Acquired: [Frozen Grief]
Passive Effect: Suppresses all feelings of sadness, leaving the heart numb and unyielding.

My laughter echoed even louder in the dark. It reverberated against the darkness, twisted and cruel, like something that had forgotten how to sound human.

I felt nothing. Even the fear in my chest had vanished.

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

…

[Unknown POV – Adventurer's Guild Captain]

A mission was issued by the Adventurers' Department in the capital. One of high urgency and danger.

Our Guild was renowned for dungeon subjugation, and this one had caught our attention. The reports of monster density and the unknown Boss made it clear: no ordinary party could handle it.

I'm the captain of the guild. Fifteen of us set out toward the dungeon—the den of the infamous Crimson Lizards, monsters known for their speed and iron-like scales.

Now, we stood before the gaping maw of the cave that served as their home. The air was thick with tension, and the land around the entrance was scorched and cracked, as if some great force had passed through.

"Stay alert, everyone. These creatures are cunning."

"Yes, Captain!" they replied in unison.

As we entered, the dripping of water echoed through the cavern. A foul stench clung to the air. It was dark, but the marble-like stones embedded in the walls gave off a faint light.

We moved cautiously, weapons gripped tightly, eyes scanning every corner.

But after several minutes, we hadn't seen a single Crimson Lizard.

Something was wrong.

"Captain… where are they?" Mira asked.

We reached the midpoint of the cave—and then froze.

The ground ahead was littered with corpses. Hundreds of Crimson Lizards, all dead. Their remains had been thoroughly harvested—fangs, claws, even the hardened scales around their skulls were gone.

"Captain?"

"I don't know what happened," I muttered. "It looks like someone beat us to it."

"But that's impossible," another adventurer said. "According to the reports, we're the first to launch a subjugation mission here."

"I know that!" I snapped. "Do you know what's going on? No? Then let me think!"

"Apologies, Captain…"

"Keep moving. Stay alert."

"Yes, Captain!"

We pushed deeper into the dungeon. More bodies lay strewn along our path. The stench of blood and rot overwhelmed us—some of my men gagged, others covered their noses.

Finally, we reached the Boss Room. But something was wrong. The portal was gone. There was only stillness now.

We rushed inside—and what we found froze us in place.

Shock. Horror. Confusion.

Several of my comrades vomited and stumbled backward out of the room.

Lying in the center of the chamber were two massive crimson heads, severed clean from their bodies.

The King and Queen of the Crimson Lizards were dead.
Their heads—split open. Their eyes gouged and pierced repeatedly with a blade. Whoever did this… they weren't just strong. They were filled with unimaginable rage.

"Prepare to return," I ordered, raising my voice. "We'll bring back good news. Take the heads of the King and Queen with us as proof that this mission is complete."

"Yes, Captain!"

---

The river wasn't far from the dungeon.

I walked there in silence, my body heavy with blood—some dry, some fresh. It clung to me like armor, crusted over wounds I hadn't noticed, staining even the parts of me that hadn't touched a blade. The night air was cold, but not enough to bite. Still, I could feel the stickiness of lizard blood along my back, trailing down my arms, coating my hair.

I reached the water's edge.

The moon above was bright—massive, full, pale and watchful. Around it floated three smaller moons like distant companions, quiet and unmoving. They didn't seem to belong to this sky. I stood beneath their gaze, knee-deep in the cold river, and bent forward to wash.

The water was clear. Too clear. Even as the blood slid from my hands, it felt like it refused to dissolve—like the river didn't want it. I scrubbed my palms, then my arms, until the green stains faded into the current. My cloak hung behind me on a rock, soaked and heavy.

I leaned forward and stared at my reflection.

Long black hair, dark as oil, wavy and wild from the dried blood, draped over my shoulders like a lion's mane. The water moved slightly, but my face remained visible. I barely recognized it anymore. My eyes were empty—two dull orbs that looked more like burnt glass than anything human. Even now, after all of it… there was nothing behind them. No fear. No grief. No guilt. Nothing.

The night held its silence well.
Only the river spoke.
Only the insects hummed, far off, invisible.
No wind. No voices. No monsters.

Just silence.

And then, without warning, the river shifted.

It started subtly—a single ripple, then another. Not from the current. From something beneath.

I didn't move.

Another pulse disturbed the surface. Bubbles broke the stillness in a scattered pattern near my left side. I glanced without turning my head. Something was beneath the water. Moving. Fast.

A shadow streaked forward. Large. Almost my size. Its movement was deliberate—no longer just passing through the current.

A fin.
Then a glint of something like eyes.
A fishlike creature, lurking, hunting.

Still, I didn't move.

The water split with a sharp hiss. A massive creature burst upward, halfway breaching the surface. Its jaws opened wide—rows of jagged teeth like rusted daggers aimed at my ribs. It came at me like a shark, silent and sure, teeth first.

My eyes barely shifted.

Inventory.
I opened it with a thought.
Two crimson-bladed daggers dropped into my hands, handles warm as if they were still alive. Their blades resembled the scales of the lizards I had spent hours slaughtering—curved, sharp, vicious. Each one pulsed faintly with a red hue under the moonlight, like they were thirsty for more.

In one clean, controlled motion, I stepped aside and turned.

The creature passed where I had stood. I let the first dagger fall, slicing down from shoulder to gill. The second followed, carving upward from gut to spine.

The fish creature split in half before it could scream.

Its body thudded back into the water, then floated—split cleanly down the center. Blood bloomed into the river like a black flower, carried off by the current without resistance.

I stood still, daggers in hand, my eyes focused on the ripples.

Not wide-eyed. Not shaken. Just… focused.
As if my mind never left combat.
As if the quiet never existed to begin with.

My reflection returned once more.

And for a second, I thought the face in the water blinked out of sync with mine.

But maybe it was just the ripple.

…