In this seemingly endless expanse, who knew how many forks and crossroads there were?
Luge was standing at one such unremarkable crossroads, though before him lay a large rock, upon which sat a person who wouldn't bat an eye even if cursed to his face.
"Owning a curio is the dream of many," Half-Man said.
The little kobold smacked his lips. Even with the few hairs left on his head, he knew what Half-Man said was an absolute truth.
Yet this thing was tricky. He was still using his mental power to read the vignettes recorded upon the die. One of the former masters of the dice had led an extraordinarily tragic life: this person had used the die many times, always lucky enough never to roll a five or a six, enjoying smooth sailing with the curio all along, only to be trapped by a scheme in the end and imprisoned until death in a deep pit cast of metal and stone. All throughout that time, he had been forced at regular intervals to roll the die according to his captors' will.
Endless imprisonment and torture. The formidable vitality he had accidentally gained through a bargain with a demon ensured he wouldn't die easily. In the end, this person chose to make a change during a bargain with a stench demon, transforming completely into a monster in an attempt to use that newfound power to fight back. Ultimately, he met a gruesome death in defeat, devoid of any human semblance when he died—yet what was written on the die was that he had succeeded, finally achieving the death he sought.
Feeling the texture of the die in his hand, Luge thought that he might never be bored again.
Upon this tiny die, the tales seemed inexhaustible—one life after another, long or short, each thrilling and harrowing. Especially viewed through the perspective of the current Master of the Dice... Yes, he already intended to accept this gift. As long as he didn't use it recklessly, as long as he was careful and only used it at crucial moments of desperation, there shouldn't be much of a problem. Yet when this crossed his mind, he couldn't help smacking his lips again, almost wanting to laugh, because in every single story, every owner had said the exact same thing.
"What an intriguing little kobold."
Half-Man had been watching silently from the side, as if enjoying the drama of Luge's inner struggle.
"That is merely one part of the gift. Shaping the complete gift requires your direct participation, which will also mean doing something for me," Half-Man said.
Luge's eyes lit up at his words.
What he had long anticipated had finally arrived. He liked getting benefits for free, but he disliked others continually showering him with unprovoked boons out of the blue. That made him uneasy, forcing his already overtaxed brain to waste energy worrying about it all day long.
"You may bind this die and use it in moments of crisis. There is no need to worry overmuch; the die rarely brings misfortune during the first few rolls. Even if you truly end up bargaining with a demon, you won't die so quickly. It understands the human heart far better than most," Half-Man said.
"Is it alive?"
"Yes, and no. It is a curio. Though relatively ordinary among curios, it remains one of a kind in this world."
Half-Man's words put Luge somewhat at ease—not because of that airy explanation about curios, but because he was still useful. As long as he held value, Half-Man would not easily let him come to harm.
A fragment, even smaller than the Demon's Dice and emitting a faint multicolored shimmer, drifted before Luge.
"This is the other component of the gift, a peculiar space fragment. Leave your arcane mark upon it; only then can you touch it."
Luge did as told. He made several attempts on the strange fragment as it constantly shifted between real and ethereal before barely managing to leave his arcane mark.
He was thoroughly decisive as well. Once finished with the arcane mark, he gave the die a kiss to complete the bizarre succession, becoming the new Master of the Dice. Now, he alone could roll this jest-like Demon's Dice that had altered the fates of countless souls.
"Very good, but now is not the time to roll it. Put your die away and take this fragment. It will guide you to find an object. Bring it back, and we can begin attempting to complete this peculiar gift."
Listening to Half-Man speak, Luge actually sensed a faint trace of anticipation beneath that nonchalant tone.
After some thought, Luge took out the bottle of dark green potion Half-Man had given him and drank it down. His injured spots immediately began to itch, and a tickle rose in his throat. He started coughing uncontrollably, ultimately spitting up several clots of blackened blood. He felt as though new fur was beginning to sprout across his body.
*A truly fine, high-grade potion,* he thought.
With Half-Man's assistance, he had successfully left his arcane mark on the space fragment, and under the mark's influence, a subtle, wondrous connection seemed to have formed between them.
He reached out to grasp it, and the multicolored fragment actually drifted toward him.
"Go. Remember, bring it back," Half-Man said.
Luge nodded. The moment he grasped the fragment, an unseen guidance surfaced in his mind, suggesting the location was not far from here.
Feeling the numbness and itching all over his body, he quickened his pace.
Sensing that subtle direction, he picked through various tunnels. After twisting and turning, it actually led him onto a familiar path.
His expression remained unchanged. The itching and numbness had subsided; heat coursed through him as he walked, and his aches and pains had been thoroughly wiped away by the potion's potent effects.
Keeping on and following the guidance, he made his way all the way to the Holy Lord's Great Cave.
Big Dumb Hum was not at the cave entrance, and at this moment, the kobolds' new ruler, King Bald Tooth, was snoring soundly inside the Great Cave. His sparsely furred belly seemed a bit chilled; in his sleep, he even tugged his grass skirt up to cover it. Luge walked in with a solemn expression. After not seeing each other for days, Bald Tooth had somehow grown even more terrified of Luge. Startled awake, he caught sight of Luge and sprang up in fright.
Luge waved a hand to signal Bald Tooth to be quiet. Following the guidance in his heart, he walked a stretch around the Great Cave, paused, and walked straight up to a pile of shattered bones.
He looked at the familiar pile of bones before him and the lingering traces upon them.
*Gray Longneck Holy Lord's nest? What it wants me to find couldn't be that egg, could it?*
*Shouldn't be. I already fed that thing to the little bug; it shouldn't be guiding me here for that.*
He thought to himself. After turning down Bald Tooth's offer to help, he began digging. Given the former giant serpent's size, this bone pile was staggering in scale. Searching blindly would only exhaust him to death, so he dug while carefully tuning his senses to that guidance.
"What are you doing?" he asked, turning his head abruptly.
Startled, Bald Tooth clamped down and forcibly held in the stream he was halfway through relieving.
"Go keep watch outside for me. Come back after I leave." He turned back and continued digging.
The guidance in his heart was right around here.
His hands paused. He turned to look around once more; Bald Tooth had already departed, and there was not a soul nearby.
A peculiar sensation of being watched.
He had assumed earlier that it was because of Bald Tooth.
"Intriguing little kobold. You appear to be an apprentice wizard. There is no need for surprise, and even less for panic. It was you who awakened me, and as a first meeting, I can give you a small gift..."
A strangely emotionless voice echoed in Luge's mind.
Yet Luge's surprise was certainly not because someone had suddenly spoken to him.
Chapter 39