Deep in the Living

Chapter 766 The Heart of the Dungeon

[Dungeon Level 3, Transition Layer, Hidden Entrance]

No matter what kind of light or observation method is used to illuminate this cave entrance, you can only see an ordinary stone wall structure.

Only through direct physical contact will the opening become visible.

Once explorers find this place, they can get a short rest and even conduct a rare "dungeon trade".

Simply tear off a piece of living skin belonging to yourself or your possession, and you can exchange it for equivalent goods.

Of course, such a transaction taking place in a dungeon is not that simple.

Once an individual's skin is traded, the area where the skin is missing will continuously itch during subsequent dungeon explorations, and this itching will intensify over time with no upper limit.

There are only two ways to stop the itching.

Either seek divinity and achieve ascension.

Alternatively, one could peel off the entire skin, completely stripping it away, even abandoning the concept of skin and becoming a "skinless person."

The intact skin that has been peeled off and left in the cave will be collected by someone in less than half an hour.

Currently, inside this hidden cave.

Inside, it was like a tailor's room, with a large number of different types of leather bags either pasted on the walls or hanging in the air.

And the owner here is none other than that "cloth strip man".

Fortunately, Roddy had the jailer's infant on him, preventing a direct transaction. The divine ritual also erased the relationship after the infant and Black Eyes bonded.

The cloth-wearing man was now focused on his cutting work, paying no attention to Roddy's exploration. In other words, sending out "Monologue Under the Moon" was considered completing an important task, and he could do his own thing for a long time to come.

Suddenly... Ouch!
A piercing scream rang out, a scream that even disrupted his train of thought.

The cloth-stripped man was about to step out of the cave to check the situation when he seemed to sense something and stopped inside the cave.

Wherever you look,
A dark shadow dragging something was moving quickly, leaving deep scratches on the ground wherever it passed.

A sound also came from under the strip of cloth, "Whoosh! My new friends are in trouble now... If you can't leave in a short time, you might die."

I really want to help, but it's a new course, so there's no need to push myself too hard. I can only wish you good luck.

Just as the man in the cloth strip was about to go back, he suddenly caught a glimpse of green out of the corner of his eye.

"Huh? It's so lively here today. If you didn't know better, you'd think we were having a carnival or a religious ceremony."

……

The shadowy figure discovered by the man in the cloth strip was the "temporary prisoner," the wanderer Roddy first encountered when he arrived at the dungeon.

According to Blackeye's description, this temporary prisoner should not have been imprisoned here; his level of confinement should have been transferred to a higher-level prison.

As the dungeon spiraled out of control, he also underwent a transformation.

He seemed to possess some special ability, allowing him to roam freely in any level of the dungeon without restriction.

He happened to arrive here and heard the piercing caw. The crow's nest growing on his head seemed to be very sensitive to such sounds and began to stir as well.

Just as he was dragging the large sack toward the direction of the sound,

A faint green light spilled into my field of vision, and I saw the cave entrance emitting the green light.

Like Roddy.

A humanoid entity whose features were indistinct walked backwards, getting closer and closer until it stood before the temporary prisoner.

Turning his head,

When a large, pitted face, its interior studded with emeralds or resembling some kind of green tumor, turned around.

All the crows turned green, and his original route changed, heading in another direction from the cave.

As I walked, I suddenly found myself unable to move.

The large cloth bag he was carrying was getting heavier and heavier.

Just as he was about to throw away the bag, some deepest instinct was triggered, and a crow cawed! He suddenly came to his senses and swung the bag, smashing his head to pieces.

The strong body fell to the ground.

All the crows on the head were smashed, and none survived.

But not long after, the eggs in the crow's nest cracked open, new crows were born, and his fingers began to move again.

……

The door to thoracic cavity-like structures has been opened.

A dark, foul-smelling old road appeared before them, and a faint, heart-pounding sound could be heard emanating from the depths. The egg of evil had been reattached to its neck.
Roddy asked the pig-headed infant in his arms in a soft voice:

"Do you remember where this is?"

"My memory of what happened inside the cave is vague, but I have absolutely no recollection of this place... I've never been here before, nor have I ever heard of this place."

In short, let's not waste any more time and go inside first. The noise we made when we opened the door might attract something dangerous.

Moreover, this is a separate area within the cave, and will no longer be affected by the green light... I'm lending you my vision again.

"Row."

With one blink, the second pupil was already nested between the right eyes.

Roddy stepped in quite quickly.

The interior, including the floor and walls, is composed of a type of blood vessel. Although the blood vessels themselves are dark and black, thick, ancient blood still flows within them.

The closer you get to the depth, the stronger the pumping sensation becomes.

The passage wasn't very deep; it went in for about a hundred meters before it ended, where we saw the source of the blood vessels and the source of the sound.

A giant heart is right here.

The overall color has faded over time, but the pumping intensity has not diminished in the slightest.

Both Roddy and Black Eyes felt a sense of awe upon seeing the heart and were prompted to make a bold guess.

This dungeon is alive.
It's as if it can always create jailers in fixed locations, as if it can confine the prisoners here.

And this heart might just be the heart of the dungeon.

Black Eye, imprisoned for tens of thousands of years, even conceived an extreme idea: to pierce through the heart to kill the dungeon and gain liberation.

But after a moment's thought, he immediately rejected this incredibly dangerous move.

Black Eyes continued to urge, "Go quickly, what you're looking for must be related to the heart... Remember to be respectful! You're a visitor, you're here to make a request."

You don't have to kneel when you see the true nature of the dungeon, but you still have to kneel when facing its essence.

Piety often wins the favor of those in positions of power.

"Ah."

Roddy stepped forward and knelt down as Black Eyes suggested.

He held the "Egg of Evil (Berial)" in both hands and handed it over until the egg was pressed against the heart wall. Unexpectedly, the face on the surface of the egg suddenly opened its eyes and bit down on the surface of the heart.

A thick, old-fashioned blood flowed from the wound and was sucked up by the egg.

The familiar corner notification sound followed:

The conditions have been met; the ancient relic is incubating... Your experience in the Primal Dungeon has ended. Please return via the original route as soon as possible and leave the dungeon.
The sucking stopped as soon as the notification sound was heard.

The bitten heart has been repaired by the saliva and is not damaged or dangerous.

"nailed it!?"

Roddy looked at the egg in his hand. After sucking blood, it exuded an old aura, and he could clearly feel that something was about to hatch.

Perhaps once Roddy leaves this place, he will be able to retrieve his old belongings.

Hanging around the neck

Turn around and leave.

All you need to do next is return the way you came, and avoid causing trouble along the way to safely end this dungeon journey, not to mention having the false god Black Eye assisting you from the side.

call……

Just as Roddy breathed a deep sigh of relief and was walking back with light steps, he suddenly stopped after taking only a few steps.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples and quickly soaked his back completely.

The pig-headed baby in her arms was trembling.

"Holy crap!! How did we attract this thing here?!"

"Roddy, you must get out of here alive! If you die, if you die here... I swear I'll get your corpse at any cost and rape you a hundred times a day!!"

"Give me your full support, Morton..."

"……it is good."

(End of this chapter)