The Unfilial Heir Who Tries to Kill Me Tempts Me - Chapter 29

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 29.

The Ancient Dungeon lay sleeping beneath the Gorge at the continent’s southernmost reach.
In truth, though people called it a gorge, it had been abandoned thousands of years ago and transformed into a barren wasteland where not a single blade of grass would grow.
With a flash of blue light, Kaius and I touched down simultaneously and looked up.
“Is this the entrance?”
“Yes, it’s larger than expected, isn’t it?”
Far below the dizzying expanse of the gorge, an enormous gate loomed in all its grandeur. It was so vast that even when I craned my neck upward again and again, I couldn’t see its top.
“I’ll open it.”
Without hesitation, Kaius drew his sword as if he meant to smash the gate down. I quickly stepped in front of him.
“Wait—you can’t.”
[Screeeee!]
There he goes again, acting like he’s never set foot in an Ancient Dungeon.
“I told you—this place isn’t like an ordinary dungeon. If you hack away at it without thought, we’ll be hit with a barrage of spells before we ever make it inside.”
Ancient Dungeons are riddled with sorcery and traps that defy conventional logic.
I told Kaius to step back and swept my fingertips across the gate. From a distance, it had looked like a vast, intricate bas-relief carved into stone, but up close, I could see it was actually formed from deep grooves—intaglio work.
“Look here. It appears to be an ordinary sculpture, but if you observe carefully, you can see paths carved into the grooves. The image on the gate itself is one enormous maze. So if you trace the correct path from this end and channel Mana through it…”
A thin stream of blue energy flowed from my fingertips, threading through the intricate passages of the carved maze.
Rumble.
The ground suddenly trembled, and the gate—sealed tight until now—began to creak open slowly, raising clouds of dust.
[Shrieeeeek!]
“See? This is what these places are like.”
“…The method of entry alone differs from ordinary dungeons.”
“Exactly. Every dungeon in the modern era is essentially a reinterpretation and imitation—built over centuries—of these Ancient Dungeons.”
Kaius nodded and took a step forward as if to enter.
He really is impatient.
I grabbed the hem of his garment.
“What now?”
“We don’t know what’s in there.”
I extended my hand.
“Hold on. It’s safer than splitting up.”
That way I can protect you if something goes wrong. If we’re separated and Ancient Magic triggers, we’ll be in real trouble.
Kaius lowered his eyes, studying my outstretched hand for a moment before twisting his lips into a smirk.
“You said you had no ulterior motives. If you want to hold my hand, just say so honestly.”
…Maybe I won’t protect him after all.
Stung, I tried to pull my hand back, but Kaius was faster. He snatched my hand and stepped into the dungeon.
“Can’t be helped—I’m a precious commodity.”
He really does love being precious.
Rumble, boom.
The moment Kaius and I crossed fully inside, the gate swung shut with a heavy, grinding sound. In an instant, darkness swallowed everything—not a sliver of light remained.
“So we’re trapped as soon as we enter?”
“…If we go down far enough, there should be an exit on the lowest level.”
I summoned a Mana Orb into the air. It wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the entire vast space, but it cast enough dim light to make out shapes and structure.
The dungeon’s entrance chamber resembled a colossal natural cavern, except that the floor was paved with smooth, expertly laid bricks instead of rough stone.
“The passage down to the lower levels is a narrow corridor. Don’t let go, and stay close behind me. The Golem is probably on the lowest level.”
[Chirp, chirp.]
“Golsoon, come here too.”
Holding Kaius’s hand with one hand and cradling Golsoon with my other arm, I searched for the corridor leading downward.
Tap, tap.
My footsteps echoed unusually loud.
This is scarier than I expected.
It’s like a haunted house.
Though honestly, it’s far more frightening than a haunted house—at least those don’t have lethal spells popping out at random or monsters lurking in wait.
“Should I take the lead?”
“No.”
“You’re trembling.”
“It’s just cold.”
Still, I have my pride.
I spoke with confidence and found the corridor that descended to the lower levels.
“I think this is the place….”
That’s when it happened.
Screeeee!
“Good heavens!”
A crimson glow flashed through the darkness, and an enormous bat came hurtling toward us, its wings thrashing with terrible speed.
Slash!
Without thinking, I shut my eyes tight. An awful sound tore through the air, followed by something spattering down. When I cracked my eyes open, a bisected bat corpse lay sprawled at my feet.
“I suppose you should be grateful I got to use my left-hand sword.”
Kaius chuckled weakly, flicking blood from his blade.
Wait—why are there bats in a dungeon? Or is that what dungeons have? Either way, I hate it.
I pressed a hand to my hammering chest and headed for the lower level.
Contrary to my fears, the descent to the third floor was uneventful. Aside from the occasional giant millipede or bat, and a few traps scattered here and there, it was almost peaceful.
Kaius turned to me suddenly.
“Have you been here before?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that. I suppose I have, but….”
Why.
Stop giving me that strange look.
“You certainly have a gift for making simple questions difficult, don’t you?”
“Let’s just say I have been here.”
“That still doesn’t answer the question at all.”
“It’s complicated to explain.”
How could I possibly tell him that I created the entire Ancient Dungeon as a plot element, and that it simply materialized as a result? He’d never believe me.
“If we go down this way, we’ll reach the fourth floor.”
The Golem should be somewhere around the seventh floor.
Chirp! Chirrup!
Golsoon, who had been nestled in my arms the whole time, suddenly leapt down and planted himself in front of me, his little feet pattering urgently against the stone.
“What? What’s wrong?”
Chirrup. Chirp-chirp.
Look at the floor?
“Oh. That was close.”
Right before us, the floor was densely carved with intricate Ancient Magic formations. One glance was enough to know that stepping on them would be catastrophic.
“It’s Ancient Magic. The darkness makes it hard to tell exactly what spell it is, but we shouldn’t touch it. These kinds of formations activate just from contact alone.”
The problem, however, was that the spell-inscribed area covered an enormous stretch of floor. Even accounting for the narrow corridor, it looked to extend at least five meters ahead.
I couldn’t simply jump over this. But using magic here blindly could trigger some unknown trap, and I had no way to know what lurked in the shadows….
I was lost in thought when Kaius suddenly thrust his head forward.
“So all we need to do is avoid stepping on the formation?”
“Yes, but the distance is….”
“It’s certainly too far for your legs to cross, that much is true.”
What’s this.
Is he provoking me?
I shot him a sharp look, eyes wide.
“Pardon me a moment.”
Still wearing that grin, as if he were about to tease me further, Kaius suddenly released my hand. He crouched down and slid his arms beneath my knees, lifting me effortlessly into his arms.
“What—what are you doing?”
“It seems you’ve overlooked something. I have more than enough physical capability to leap across this. So isn’t this the most practical solution?”
“Well, I suppose….”
But isn’t this position terribly embarrassing? I’d have preferred to be carried on his back.
“Ah, if you’re disappointed that I let go of your hand, don’t worry—I’ll hold it again once we cross.”
“Just jump already.”
I decided then and there to stop engaging with this narcissist.
Instead, I clutched Golsoon tightly as he bounded into my arms.
Kaius smiled silently and launched himself effortlessly into the air. In an instant, he cleared the spell-carved section and landed lightly on the far side.
Wow.
It actually worked.
Did he just make that look that easy?
A Swordmaster truly is something else.
In a daze, I was lowered from his arms.
Rumble—
“…Huh?”
What was that.
The space trembled violently, and an acrid, sourceless mist began to curl upward.
What in hell? I dodged the Magic Formation cleanly—why is this happening?
I snapped my head up on instinct. My heart plummeted. The same Spell Array drawn across the floor was mirrored on the ceiling—but far larger. We were standing at precisely the point where the formation was about to complete.
Damn it all. A trap.
Realizing the situation too late, I spun around desperately.
“Kaius, your hand!”
Don’t let go!
But I was half a beat too slow. Kaius, who had been at my side moments before, had vanished. Golsoon was already gone too.
“Where did you go—! Kaius! Golsoon! Cough, cough!”
Before my cry had finished, the mist seized my vision in a thick, suffocating veil. I pressed my sleeve to my mouth and nose to keep from breathing it in, but it was useless.
My thoughts began to blur.
The moment I felt my body sway, the world tilted—and then suddenly, my mind snapped clear.
A familiar voice reached my ear.
“Soft-headed little wretch.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————