Some of the Sins Dungeons were recent, like Avarice being recognized a few years ago. However, others were ancient and as old as the nations they inhabited. Furthermore, each dungeon had a different layout.
For example, Avarice was the dungeon of greed, filled with riches and hidden treasures. It was systematized for a dungeon with layers that could allow someone to go toward the first layer if they were just Rei-rankers, the second if they were Vetus-rankers, and the third if they were deme-rankers like Arthur’s party. Astra-rankers could only challenge the fourth and fifth. Therefore, the White Fangs failed to clear it.
Even though it was better than most dungeons in that regard, Avarice still had the most severe accidents to entries ratio. Most awakeners would overestimate their abilities and allow greed to blind their judgment, killing them in action.
As for the Sin of Pride, it was one of the first dungeons in the world. It has withstood the hammers of time, natural disasters, and even the changing landscapes without budging an inch. It was the first sin and the root of all evil.
Superbia was the name given to it not because anyone managed to tell the tale but because after measuring the mana wavelength, it was grouped with the rest of the Sins Dungeons. It was a mysterious dungeon that, even when explored using remote artifacts, nothing could survive.
This notable difference made Arthur suspect that each calamity was the one designing their dungeon. For example, Fallen God Amelio might have created layers for his dungeons to lure the weak and the stronger, thus increasing those killed inside his dungeon. Then, Amelio would absorb them using his Absorb-rune, which he got from Jizo, granting him stats and strength.
The previous plan aligned with the sin of greed, which made Amelio cast away his humanity for strength. As for Superbia, the fact that no one returned alive might align with the sin of pride.
Amelio favored long-term benefit, while the Sin of Pride favored a principle that Arthur has yet to figure out. As he hovered above the gate, he tried to devise a plan against the calamity.
“Arthur! Are you listening to me?” called Julia, bringing him back to reality. “Listen to me this once, and back away. You have no idea if your friend is going to die from this. This is a trap to assassinate you!”
“Don’t you find it odd, Julia?” asked Arthur after a pause. “What is one of the three commanders of Ilios doing in such a place and this dungeon? What is so important that he comes toward this place after fighting me?”
“…are you saying that Ilios sought the calamity?” asked Julia with a pause, and her panic subsided. “If so, then this fight is inevitable. You must take them down one by one before they gang up on you.”
“I thought the same, but can this be another ploy by the emperor to somehow frame me?” muttered Arthur. “The best method to implicate me is to blame me for releasing the calamity. Let us take percussions against that.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Are you in Ilios?”
“We just crossed the border undetected.”
“Then, start the Wide-Array Signal. Disturb the communications networks in Ilios for the next hour. Even if the emperor wanted to frame me, he would fail to do it without reaching his citizens.”
“Aircraft can be disturbed, and some accidents might occur. If we disable the communication of an entire empire for more than an hour, we can expect mass panic.”
“An hour is more than enough until I figure out what the hell is going on here,” said Arthur. “Do it, and come over here as soon as possible. I will send you the coordinates.”
After that, Arthur ended the call. He turned back toward the dungeon with a threatening aura and sighed. It was one thing to defeat Amelio, but another calamity would be his end. Although Arthur has grown stronger, it isn’t enough to make him delusional.
During the fight against Amelio, a single strike broke every bone Arthur had. He could not move or even breathe, solely focusing on recovery while thinking of a plan. But, thanks to the Astral Pool and the strength of four Astra-rankers combined, he managed to survive against the sealed Amelio.
“I need to find a landing spot first,” said Arthur before riding the winds toward a small hill overlooking Superbia Dungeon. Its threatening aura radiates like lightning, instilling fear in one’s heart.
After landing and placing Suyin down, Arthur released his rune and created another. He wanted to detect the whereabouts of Hartman before he went into the dungeon. After all, the executor might just be leading him here without a real cause.
[Detect-IV]
A weak but constant pulsing of mana started to come from the rune, and it returned to Arthur as information about the life forces in the area. It made him stand in disbelief that not a single life force could be picked up in a one-meter radius from Superbia Dungeon.
“Even ants and animals fear this aura,” said Arthur as he allowed his rune to detect further. However, even while exploring countless kilometers, he couldn’t find the executor. His eyes then turned toward Suyin, who was still in pain.
The effects of his sleep rune were wearing off as the anguish followed her even toward her dreams. His real issue was where to leave Suyin. Everywhere was dangerous, and he could trust no one to protect her.
“A conditional rune array it is,” thought Arthur before getting to work. He created a teleportation array with a protective barrier. Once the barrier gets broken, which had a limit of 800-strength stats, Suyin would be teleported elsewhere. The array, the conditional activation, and the two runes occupied all the slots he could achieve. Although he preferred that Suyin doesn’t get transported, it was better than being attacked.
After that was done, Arthur started reshaping the surroundings to make sure no one could see her. It ended with him expanding over fifty mana units before knowing she would be safe.
Then, Arthur descended the hill and walked toward Superbia Dungeon. He found a seat in front of it and started practicing his Art of Creation to replenish his mana. In a few minutes, his mana was back, but it triggered the dungeon.
Sssss–
A hissing wind came from the dungeon, whirling around it. Arthur’s robes fluttered as he sensed that someone started looking at him from within the dungeon.
“That aura,” said a voice from the dungeon, neutral and ancient, “I recognize it. As ancient as I, but underwhelming, I recognize the outsider again.”
Arthur could feel the voice coating his heart, seizing it with an iron grip. His body was overwhelmed with a survival instinct to steer away from a higher being. This was the Sin of Pride, and it demanded respect.
“I fail to reciprocate the recognition,” said Arthur as he rose from his spot. It seemed that his harnessing of existence alerted the calamity of his presence. The voice was silent before the threatening aura exploded.
“You fail to recognize I?” asked the overbearing voice with an arrogance that tried to slam Arthur to the ground. Instead, his knees bowed as the aura came down like a colossal mountain, hammering his body to the ground. “I am the sin of pride, Cassius!”
Arthur was pushed back by the aura exploding from the gate. It was not mana nor spiritual energy. It was the unwavering belief in oneself that reached maniacal degrees.
Although one would argue that a belief couldn’t manifest as power, it was different when it came from a being known as the strongest. Like the art that Ilia Perli displayed, where he used his will to slash the world, this man’s will forced all other lifeforms to bow down to him.
“I am the pinnacle of living creatures and the one above all. Do you fail to recognize me, outsider? Let pain remind you of the man who defeated you once before.”
Arthur frowned as he took a step back to steady himself. Since Hartman was not here, a presence appeared behind him as he was considering leaving this place. It was the executor, standing with wariness before the gate.
“You have a method to irk everything, outsider,” said Hartman behind him. “I came here to release the Sin of Pride, but the world doesn’t need to know about my existence. You naively thought that I would be willing to cure that woman.”
Hartman snickered behind him, and Arthur turned half of his face to glance at the executor. Even an Astra-ranker was sweating bullets before the Sin of Pride, Cassius. Then, as Arthur was wondering about how the calamity would be released, shadows started rising from the ground.
The stench of nothingness struck his nose, making Arthur’s expression crumble. He knew that Ilios had been involved with Nameless since the beginning, so they were expected to reveal themselves here.
“I heard your father was the one behind the attack on Kera,” said Hartman with a grin. “The outsider who opposes nothingness has a father aligned with them. Watch how a dungeon break can be induced.”
