Chapter 41: The Drunken Gatekeeper’s Revelations

“Is that all?!”

Had it not been for the need to maintain their composure and dignity, and given Theodore’s current state of mind, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper would have burst into peals of laughter. They would have pointed directly at Theodore’s nose, openly mocking his youthful ignorance.

Theodore, however, remained unfazed. He understood this youthful bravado, for he himself had once displayed such arrogance, like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, after the Old Patriarch had poured him that very same small cup.

With a benevolent smile, Theodore offered a gentle reminder. “Why don’t you take a sip first? This is Dragonkind’s wine.”

“A sip?” The Black-Robed Gatekeeper scoffed. “I always down my drinks in one go. If this little bit can get me drunk, I’ll quit the labyrinth forever and take your surname! I’ll be your dog! Dragonkind’s wine? Dragonkind is nothing but a fart!”

‘No need for such theatrics,’ Theodore thought. ‘He only cares for dragons.’

Without further persuasion, Theodore simply continued, “But what if you get drunk and then deny it? Drunks always claim they’re sober.”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper rolled their eyes. “I, Promen, the Gatekeeper of the 99th Floor, accept this judgment. If I am truly drunk, I shall open the gate to the 100th Floor.”

No sooner had the words left their lips than the power of the contract enveloped the entire room where Theodore and his companions stood.

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper, now glowing with a faint blue light, pointed to the countless shimmering lights flowing into the door behind them. “Now, the judgment of whether I am drunk no longer depends on my will, but on the will of the 99th Floor Labyrinth.”

“Each floor of the labyrinth has its own will?”

Theodore keenly perceived this incredible piece of information. At the same time, Samuel narrowed their eyes, murmuring, “As expected, it’s a product of alchemy.”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper had no interest in answering. They snatched the cup of wine from Theodore’s hand and poured it directly into their mouth.

They even provocatively turned the cup upside down, signaling that not a single drop remained.

“Is that al—hic!”

Just as they began to speak, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper felt an intense burning sensation spread through their throat, esophagus, and lungs. This was unlike any wine they had tasted before!

It was absolutely different!

Immediately after, the world before their eyes seemed to tilt. It was as if a giant was overturning the 99th Floor Labyrinth.

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper realized they were drunk. “Huh? Why is the labyrinth crooked? No, what did you give me to drink? Did you poison me? Are you playing dirty?! Cheating! Referee, I accuse him of cheating!”

Theodore sighed. “No, you really are drunk, and what you just drank was indeed wine.”

“I don’t believe it! What kind of wine could get me drunk with just that tiny sip? Hic!” The Black-Robed Gatekeeper clutched at nearby furniture to prevent themselves from falling, hiccuping incessantly.

“This is wine from Dragon Island, given to me by a venerable old dragon. Wait, you can still speak?!”

Theodore stared at the Black-Robed Gatekeeper in utter shock. ‘Amazing, my friend.’

He recalled his own experience. After undergoing a complete transformation and acquiring half the blood of a giant, the Old Patriarch had been even more delighted than him.

The Old Patriarch had specifically pulled him aside for a drink, pouring two small cups from a golden flask. The first sensation after drinking that small cup was one of extreme deliciousness.

The second sensation, however, was… nothing at all. He had fallen into a drunken stupor, only regaining consciousness three days later.

According to the dragon brethren he spoke to afterward, even the Old Patriarch had been dazed for half a day after drinking just one small cup. This Black-Robed Gatekeeper was truly terrifying!

“For dragons? No, no, no! Even for dragons, hic! it shouldn’t be like this. Could it be…!” The Black-Robed Gatekeeper suddenly looked up at Theodore. “Is it the legendary wine offered to the gods… hic!”

Thump!

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper tried to struggle closer to Theodore, but their left foot tripped over their right, sending them sprawling onto the ground.

Theodore watched the Black-Robed Gatekeeper with curiosity. They certainly knew a lot. The Old Patriarch had indeed mentioned that the wine was meticulously brewed by Dragonkind and offered as a tribute to the deities.

Of course, the deities were no longer present, and even the Dragon God could not accept offerings. Thus, this wine was now exclusively enjoyed by Dragonkind themselves.

However, its production could not compare to the era of the deities. Now, every single cup was priceless and rare. For beings below the gods, this divine wine, capable of intoxicating even deities, was a dimensional strike.

The door to the room shimmered with a rainbow of colors, silently informing Theodore that they had cleared the floor and should proceed.

Just as Theodore lifted his foot to leave, a hand grabbed his leg.

“Wait! Just, just one more, cup.”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper was clinging desperately to Theodore’s thigh, their eyes glazed with intoxication and ecstasy.

“So good, hehe, truly delicious. I never thought, in my life, I would have, have the right, to drink this. Before, I always, watched, watched them drink.”

“There’s none left. I’ll bring some next time.” ‘You’ve seen deities drink?!’

Theodore found it somewhat unbelievable, but he was eager to find Theresia and had no time to get entangled with the Gatekeeper of the 99th Floor.

In any case, the Black-Robed Gatekeeper would remain on the 99th Floor, so any questions could be asked later. The Black-Robed Gatekeeper wailed, “Do you think I’m stupid? Next time? Will you even remember me next time? Hehehe, everyone says ‘next time,’ but there never is a next time. All faithless men.”

Theodore’s skin crawled. “Don’t talk nonsense, I’m not into that. Even if you pester me now, it’s useless. There’s none left, truly none.”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper ignored him. “I understand, I understand. You’re all greedy, you won’t lift a finger without profit. But I have good things, let’s trade!”

Theodore paused, his expression darkening as he looked at the Black-Robed Gatekeeper. “I don’t have time. I’m in a hurry to get to the 100th Floor. Don’t force my hand. I’m telling you, when I get serious, thirteen dragons can’t stop me.”

“The 100th Floor? I know it well! Hic. I’ll take you! Hic. All my good stuff is there! Hic. It should not have been burned yet.”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper struggled to get up. “Let’s go. Before that barbaric, greedy, ugly evil dragon discovers it, let’s make a trade. That way, if you get robbed, you’ll still owe me wine, hehe.”

Theodore was speechless.

‘Excellent. Utterly wasted. Not a single thought is being held back.’

“You’re very familiar with the 100th Floor?” Aesop flashed before the Black-Robed Gatekeeper, their eyes sparkling. He pulled out a small, dried yellow flower from his pocket and asked, “Do you know where this can be found?!”

The Black-Robed Gatekeeper responded with a silly grin. “This? Yes, I know. It’s on the 100th Floor. This thing, it rarely blooms. But I know everything about it.”

“Oh! My dear companion, I shall rescue you from that terrifying 100th Floor!” Aesop, tears streaming down his face, placed the small yellow flower over his heart, completely oblivious to the strange expressions of Theodore and the others.

It wasn’t until Alicia knelt down and offered him a handkerchief, asking, “Mr. Aesop, could the companion you speak of be that little yellow flower?”

“Of course! From the moment I tasted it, I knew it was absolutely the companion of my dreams. Yet, those barbaric strategists don’t understand that the meaning of a companion lies in being alive, not in being crudely pickled and dried like a savage!”

Aesop’s unreserved rebuke made the smile on Alicia’s face even brighter, while Samuel and Larkin looked at Aesop with pity.

The previous battle had already confirmed Alicia’s origins, although her demeanor was completely unexpected by the two. However, they both knew Aesop was about to be in trouble.

Aesop, unsuspecting, took Alicia’s handkerchief and wiped his eyes. Immediately, a shriek echoed.

“Spicy, spicy, spicy!”

“Oh dear, are you alright? Perhaps you cried too much. Let me help you wipe again.” With that, Alicia reached out again. Aesop closed his eyes, trying to refuse, but in terms of sheer strength, he, a mere cook, was no match for the young lady.

Aesop gritted his teeth. “There’s chili powder on your handkerchief!”

Alicia cupped her adorable face, feigning ignorance, and inquired with surprise, “Oh, how strange. Why would there be chili powder on my handkerchief?”

Aesop was not foolish; on the contrary, he was quite sharp as long as his ‘companions’ weren’t involved. “I put it there. I borrowed it earlier when I was cooking. Stop, stop, stop, I know I was wrong! I had intended to wash it with the dishes, but then those monsters suddenly interrupted me. I didn’t get to eat, and afterwards I couldn’t find the handkerchief. I thought I’d lost it and was going to get you a new one when we returned to the surface.”

“Oh~, so a lady’s handkerchief can be washed with dishes and chopsticks. Well, this one’s yours now.”

With that, Alicia covered Aesop’s nose with the handkerchief, letting him go. Despite the severe trauma to his eyes and nose, Aesop still hadn’t forgotten his future companions destined for the cooking pot.

“Take me, take me to find my companions!”

“Hmm? Gone.” The Black-Robed Gatekeeper mumbled, half-asleep.

Aesop froze. “What’s gone?”

“Those companions, the entire palace on the 100th Floor was engulfed in flames. Except for a few hidden rooms, nothing survived.”

Samuel, Theodore, Alicia: “What?!”

As the door opened, the scent of smoke from the aftermath of the intense fire wafted out. The scorched palace, blackened by the flames, lay revealed before everyone’s eyes.