11 The Chosen is Also the Cursed

Fatima, with Henry in tow, sped westward, approaching the Magus Domain dungeon. 

Along the way, Henry thought about escaping, but he found it seemingly impossible to get away from this female general and eventually gave up. 

After all, she didn't seem intent on killing him and would probably ensure his safety.

"We're here!" The general released Henry from the whirlwind and then dived into the dungeon. 

Gritting his teeth, Henry followed.

"Damn it, what are you really up to?" 

Once inside the dungeon, Henry immediately felt a powerful oppressive force. 

This was due to his lower level compared to the dungeon, resulting in a backlash that could only be alleviated by leveling up.

"Did anything unusual happen when you acquired the Elder Relic?" Fatima asked calmly.

Anything unusual?

Henry thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered the word that the zombies were chanting as they escaped the dungeon.

"Algado!"

"Those zombies were frenzied, chanting that name. I suspect he's the noble responsible for hanging everyone in the Zombie Village," 

Henry shared his conjecture. 

Fatima pondered for a moment, then patted Henry on the shoulder.

"Shout it out."

"Shout what?" Henry asked, somewhat confused.

"The name you just mentioned. Shout it out loud here until something reacts, then you can stop."

What in the world is she up to?

Henry bit his lip but realized he had no other choice.

"Algado!"

"Algado!"

His shouts drifted towards the farthest reaches of the Magus Domain.

About half a minute had passed when the ground began to tremble violently. 

On the horizon, a dense horde of zombies appeared, their gazes turning towards Henry. 

Suddenly, a gigantic skeletal hand emerged from the dark clouds in the distance, devoid of flesh, only bone. It lunged towards Henry with alarming speed.

"No good!" 

Henry sensed the overwhelming force of the hand and instinctively thought to flee from the dungeon's exit. 

Fatima, at his side, drew her icy blue longsword from her back. 

She soared into the air, her eyes cold and determined, and struck at the giant skeletal hand with her sword.

A distant howl echoed; something had been hit. 

Fatima let out a cold snort. 

"When I first came to this dungeon, I always felt something watching me from behind."

"It must have been you. Who would have thought that behind a simple level 30 dungeon, a big shot like you was hiding."

A deep, ancient voice came from afar, filled with pain. 

"I remember you, the little girl who killed all the magi in the dungeon with a single sword strike." 

"Even then, you were very weak. I never imagined that now you could kill me so easily."

So strong, truly so strong! 

Henry was utterly astonished by Fatima's strike. 

He had originally thought that high-level awakeners and a newly awakened person like himself were not much different, especially since he had the system. 

But now, Henry fully realized the vast difference between them. 

An awakener like Fatima could truly destroy heaven and earth.

Why didn't I cling to her coattails? 

Henry sighed inwardly.

"I didn't come here today to kill you. Give me a satisfactory answer, promise me you won't harm others again, and I will spare you." 

Fatima spoke coldly.

The ancient voice fell silent for a moment before responding. "Very well, ask your question."

"Who exactly is Algado? And why, upon hearing his voice, did you abandon hiding and start hunting others?"

The voice spoke painfully, 

"Algado was my teacher, a world-destroyer who followed the god of death, a guide between the realms of life and death, and above all, a betrayer."

A betrayer? Both Henry and Fatima sensed the significance of this term.

"What did he betray?"

"He betrayed the god of death, he betrayed me, and he betrayed countless soldiers of death."

"While we were battling on the field, he seized the god of death's power, refined the entire realm of death, and countless inhabitants of that realm, including my wife and son, perished in it."

"And now, he intends to descend into your world, break free from his bonds, and turn your world into a hell."

What? 

Break the bonds of the world and descend into the human world? 

Henry was momentarily stunned, then realized the gravity of the situation. 

In the decades since the game world and the dungeons had merged, there had never been an instance of a dungeon entity entering the real world. 

Algado was about to break such a precedent.

"How powerful is he?" 

Fatima asked with evident concern.

"Far stronger than you," came the reply from the ancient voice. 

Fatima, hearing this, did not show much perturbation. 

She remained silent for a moment before pointing at Henry and asking, 

"He held the token of this Algado you speak of for a while. Could there be any hidden dangers?"

"Being able to acquire his token in the dungeon means he has been marked by Algado. In the future, he could very well be used as a vessel for Algado's descent into this world."

Damn it, I knew getting that token was no good. Henry felt a surge of resentment.

Fatima glanced at Henry, then, after a moment of thought, addressed the ancient voice again. 

"Since you were Algado's disciple and have harbored hatred for him all these years, you must have some means to counter him."

"Offer some assistance to this person beside me, and as long as you remain peacefully in this dungeon, I won't harm you."

The ancient voice let out a scornful laugh.

"You want to protect such a weakling? If Algado decides to descend upon him, no one can stop it." 

The ancient voice then added, "But you're right, I have indeed prepared something to counter Algado."

From the distant sky, a yellow-brown piece of paper floated down, accurately drifting into Henry's pocket. 

"After entering dungeons related to the magus class, you can burn this paper, and I will appear to offer you protection once."

A one-time use of top-notch protection for myself? 

Henry was initially stunned, then a wave of excitement washed over him, even diluting the resentment he felt towards Fatima for bringing him here.

"Let's go." Having achieved what she came for, Fatima no longer lingered and turned towards the dungeon's exit. 

Henry quickly followed her.

Once out of the dungeon, Fatima seemed preoccupied, her head bowed in thought. 

"If this Algado really can descend into our world, what do you plan to do about him?" 

Henry asked nervously, following behind her. 

After all, this matter was closely related to him, and the other party might descend upon him at any moment.

"I'm not sure yet, but what I do know is that this is just the beginning, far from the end." 

Fatima looked towards the glittering starry sky, leaving Henry with a puzzling statement.

"For your team's next dungeon, I suggest you go to Snowland," Fatima said to Henry.

"Snowland? I've never heard of that dungeon." 

Henry frowned, searching through his knowledge of dungeons but finding no mention of one like it.

"This dungeon has just appeared, probably right after your team acquired Algado's token," Fatima explained to Henry.

Henry, piecing things together, stammered out, "Could it be, this is the work of that Algado?"

"And most likely targeted at your team. When you obtained the elder's token, he must have been watching you."

"To make you a better vessel for his descent, he specifically created a Snowland dungeon to enhance your strength."

"This is insane. I should be avoiding this dungeon!" Henry cursed.

"Avoiding it isn't the best solution. Only by facing difficulties can you find a way to resolve them. Otherwise, when he truly descends, you'll have no way to deal with it." 

Fatima finished speaking, and then two white wings emerged from her back.

She rose into the air, transforming into a streak of light, heading towards the distant horizon, leaving behind only two sentences.

"You've also passed my test."

"Remember the help I gave you today, take good care of her."

...