Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 58: [The River God’s Wife] - Nerio’s Part (7)

They had been walking for quite some time, yet they remained in the same spot as if a conveyor belt beneath their feet constantly pulled them backward.

The sunlight grew harsher with each passing moment, while behind them, the darkness gradually crept closer, accompanied by the faint sound of water echoing in the distance. But when they listened carefully, the sound would vanish as if it had all been a mere illusion.

Taylor couldn’t help but feel restless. "We’re walking in place—how do we keep from getting lost?!"

The scorching sun had turned her exposed skin red, blistered, and unbearably itchy. A mere accidental scratch had caused her flesh to crack open, fresh blood trickling down onto the ground. This, among other things, was quickly eroding their patience.

Even the espers weren’t faring much better. Maya glanced at Taylor and said softly, "Be patient. Let’s follow him for now."

Taylor frowned, forcing herself to resist touching her blisters.

The man had led them under the blazing sun for over thirty minutes. The man suddenly stopped just as Ace was about to raise his hand. His voice rang out cheerfully, "We’ve arrived! Good thing we didn’t get lost!"

His tone—like someone who had just survived a life-or-death ordeal—made many wonder if he had intentionally led them in circles or if the path to the village was indeed that difficult to remember.

Standing to the side, Matthew casually remarked, "The way back to the village is really complicated."

The man immediately nodded. "That’s right. Only then can those things never find their way ba—"

He abruptly cut himself off, afraid he had revealed something he shouldn’t have. His expression remained nonchalant, but his vague words only fueled the humans’ suspicions.

He led them to the village chief’s house. Humans momentarily set aside their physical pain and focus on taking in their surroundings.

The village exuded an ancient aura—faded wooden doors, moss-covered walls, and an overall look that suggested it had been abandoned for years. The villagers’ clothing was exceedingly simple—coarse fabric garments, shoes woven from straw or cloth. Compared to the outsiders’ outfits, this village had long fallen behind the world outside.

If one were to compare, the civilization of this village was only slightly more advanced than that of the dungeon [Frog].

As they stepped deeper into the village, they encountered many more villagers. Most of them had large, bloated bodies, with oddly slick and shiny skin. However, despite this strange appearance, their lips were dry and cracked, and their faces were filled with exhaustion and suffering as if they hadn’t had water for days.

They were all busy, moving wood and large chests painted bright red, working diligently in complete silence.

Matthew furrowed his brows slightly as he observed the village.

Ace suddenly stepped back to walk alongside him, smiling. "You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?"

Matthew didn’t like Ace, but he reminded himself that, for now, they were on the same team. He nodded grimly. "There are almost no women in this village."

Since they had arrived, they hadn’t seen a single woman. Where had they all gone?

At this moment, the villagers finally took notice of their presence. They paused their work, offering warm smiles and friendly greetings.

And yet, perhaps it was something in their expressions, but their smiles carried an eerie sense of depravity.

Their gazes were fixed, unwaveringly staring at the human women among the group. Their deep, unreadable eyes gave no hint as to what they were thinking.

Elena instinctively moved closer to Taylor while Maya met their stares head-on.

She could tell—it wasn’t lust or any other desire in their eyes. They were looking at them as if they were hope itself. I hope that could save them from whatever suffering they were enduring.

Just then, they arrived at the village chief’s house. It was lavishly decorated, with intricate red patterns and cut-out characters adorning the front door. Inside, the entire courtyard was filled with red decorations, making it clear that the owner of this house was preparing for a wedding.

"It seems that, according to the customs of this village, red is a lucky color," Maya murmured.

At that moment, the large man spoke up. "The chief is probably still busy preparing for the wedding. I’ll find him and let him know you’ve arrived. Please wait inside."

After saying that, his expression suddenly turned serious. "Remember, do not go outside after nightfall. The night is dangerous."

It was the first time they had seen a dungeon monster warn humans with such sincerity. Clow immediately had a gut feeling—out there in the darkness, beyond the safety of this house, lay some crucial secret—a secret these monsters didn’t want them to uncover. And, naturally, that secret came with unfathomable danger—something even these creatures feared.

They nodded in acknowledgment and only then did the large man leave.

Maya glanced at the blisters forming on her skin. They were spreading rapidly, swelling with fluid-like severe burns. Her flesh had turned raw and cracked open, mixing fresh blood with a sickly yellowish serum. The pain was unbearable—sickening to even look at.

Their lips were also becoming painfully dry. Alexis and Jack growled in frustration, "The sun in this place is insane! And I’m so damn thirsty—when the hell is the village chief coming back?!"

The strange pain gnawing at them had nearly crushed all their patience.

Ace’s face darkened as he smacked Alexis hard on the head. "What the hell is wrong with you? You want me to drown you right here?"

They had entered a dungeon. Even as a dark esper, Ace knew their top priority was survival with their wits intact.

Alexis clutched his head, his rat-like face twisting in discomfort, making him look even more unpleasant. "But, Captain, I don’t know what’s wrong with me either... Don’t you feel thirsty?"

Ace instinctively swallowed, realizing his lips began to crack and dry out. A desperate thirst surged within him as if he hadn’t had a drop of water in days.

But that made no sense. As an esper, he should have been fine even if he went without food or drink for an extended period. They had only entered the dungeon today!

His gaze flickered toward Nerio—he wasn’t the only one looking. Everyone else had, at some point, done the same.

The boy sat on a chair, his legs dangling, swinging back and forth relaxedly, completely unaffected. His gaze was lowered to the ground, lost in thought.

But what truly caught their attention was his skin.

Unlike the others, whose exposed arms and legs burned under the brutal sun, Nerio’s skin remained smooth, fair, and untouched. Not a single blister. Not a single mark.

Even Ace—the strongest esper among them—suffered under the dungeon’s conditions.

So why was this boy perfectly fine?

Could he be more potent than Ace? No... That was impossible.

Clow narrowed his eyes at Nerio and asked, "Nerio, is this your first time entering a dungeon?"

Without looking up, Nerio slowly nodded.

"...Could he be a monster?"

Alexis’ doubtful voice rang out suddenly, striking a nerve in everyone.

Their gazes toward Nerio shifted—scrutinizing, wary, uncertain.

Could the dying continent they lived on really have nurtured a child-like Nerio?

No. Not even the wealthiest families could have raised someone like him.

And while Nerio claimed this was his first dungeon, he displayed an unimaginable level of power—remaining unscathed by the sunlight tormenting even Ace.

Not even Drake—the so-called genius esper, the strongest on the continent, the one who had awakened his formidable abilities the moment he entered a dungeon—had ever shown such terrifying resilience.

At that moment, Nerio tilted his head, his large eyes blinking curiously at them as if he couldn’t understand what they were discussing.

His innocent gaze made some hesitate—were they being too cruel, suspecting a mere child of being a monster? freewёbnoνel.com

None of them realized how unnaturally fast their thoughts had shifted just from looking at Nerio.

Maya, noticing the tension, immediately raised her voice. "Don’t accuse him so recklessly! He was with me the moment I entered the dungeon. And how could a child like him possibly be a monster?! You dark espers think just because you’re strong, you can bully others?!"

The others turned toward Alexis, their expressions filled with anger and disapproval.

[...Strangely enough, I feel like Alexis might have a point.]

[Their attitudes changed when facing Nerio, lol... It seems like only the dark espers are staying clear-headed!]

[Wait, does that mean Nerio is a monster?! No way—how could a monster be that beautiful?!]

[Please, I don’t want to end up siding with the monsters!!!]

[Hold on, there’s no solid proof that Nerio is a monster yet. Maya wasn’t lying for him—he did appear next to her when the dungeon opened!]

[Forget whether Nerio is a monster or not—looks like we’ve got a real monster right here, kekekek.]

At this moment, Silvanus—who outwardly played the role of an innocent Nerio—was inwardly watching Leonard’s live broadcast room, his gaze turning heavy.

[What exactly is he?] Silvanus spoke, asking the acting system.