Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 181
A creature revealed itself by peeking its head through the open door.
Michael recognized it instantly.
If he took a piece of its body to an appraiser, theyâd give it some grandiose name like the âVeil of Originâ, but its defining trait was that its true form and location were impossible to discern.
Even in dungeons, only its elongated tentacles would appear, reaching into view.
Once, Michael, curious about the source of the tentacles, had grabbed one and pulled.
Hours passed without finding an end, and eventually, he gave up on identifying its true form.
It annoyed him often, hovering beside him as other monsters bared their teeth at him, and he mercilessly cut it down multiple times.
Yet, the tentacles didnât retreat. On the contrary, they almost seemed to thank him for âpruningâ them, acting as though it brought them relief.
Since then, it lingered nearby but did nothing particularly disruptive, so he had left it alone.
This time, however, it had cornered him in the dungeon after disappearing from sight for this entire life.
Honestly, Michael found its actions commendable.
After all, it ensured he wasnât left alone in the dungeon with Irene, and for that, it had his grudging appreciation.
âI did consider staying here with her forever when the exit collapsedâŚâ
Michael had briefly entertained the idea of sending the bothersome humans outside and spending the rest of his days with Irene inside the dungeon.
But fearing she might be scared, he chose to leave.
ExceptâŚ
âIrene came back for me when she saw I was trapped.â
He had expected her to hesitate, perhaps even leave the dungeon on her own. After all, she had died once beforeâalone and desolate within a dungeon.
He thought it was only natural that she would abandon him.
But Irene returned to his side.
Whether it was because the entrance was blocked or for another reason no longer mattered to Michael.
Michael severed the tentacles and killed the creature following him, then took Irene deeper into the dungeon.
To the core, hidden even from the searching eyes of explorers.
A place filled with flora from another world.
And this tentacle creature had been the first monster to follow them there.
âYou.â
Yessir.
The tentacle froze, almost as if answering his call.
âTell me what youâve seen.â
The tentacle paused, as if pondering his order, then extended thinner tentacles from its main body.
These tentacles shifted their shapes, eventually forming an unmistakable likeness of Irene.
Another tentacle transformed as well.
Michaelâs expression hardened as he realized what the other form represented.
The tentacle reenacted a scene it had witnessed: Irene walking, Wilhelmina standing at the end of the corridor, and Irene collapsing as Wilhelmina opened her mouth.
âWas it paralyzed by sound?â
Thatâs correct!
The largest tentacle nodded enthusiastically.
The tentacles moved again, showing how one intervened just as Wilhelmina approached Irene. It positioned itself heroically between them and attacked Wilhelmina, thrashing her soundly.
Michael suspected the creature was exaggerating its own role but chose to let it slideâit had helped Irene, after all.
The tentacle puppet show ended with the tentacle proudly flaunting its supposed heroics. After retracting its creations, it wiggled in smug satisfaction.
Iâm just that good.
âEven so, I distinctly told you not to follow us.â
Thatâs trueâŚ
The tentacle drooped dejectedly.
âStill, itâs a fact that you saved Irene, so I wonât press the matter further. Are there any others who left the dungeon besides you?â
At Michaelâs question, the tentacle shook violently from side to side, signaling a firm no.
Despite the reassurance, Michaelâs expression grew colder.
âIf thatâs the case, then the monster that attacked Irene didnât come straight from the dungeonâit was summoned by someone.â
Long ago, he had read in temple records about methods to summon monsters.
But all the scholars involved in those methods had reportedly been killed, and their research destroyedâŚ
âSo the technique still exists in this world.â
And someone had used it.
Identifying the culprit wasnât difficult.
âCecilia⌠could it be that woman?â
Cagalli Athha
Thank you for the chapter đ