The Devil’s Cage

[Entering single-player dungeon!]

[Dungeon Type: Single-player special dungeon]

[Note: External forces intervened, difficulty changed…]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Unknown!]

[Changes to Character Model Template!]

[A. Player’s special organ [Fusion Heart] [Dawn Force] [Plague Force] [Saint Thorn Force] is sealed.]

[B. All player’s equipment, items are temporarily returned to player’s room. Unable to bring into dungeon world]

[C. Contracted companions Fire Raven and Frost Wolf are returned to player’s room temporarily. Unable to bring into dungeon world]

[D. Player’s attributes are all decreased to E+. All skills are decreased to Musou level. Returns to normal when exits.]

[E. Player cannot acquire items through killing.]

[F. Ratings will be increased when player completes main mission, sub-mission.]

[G. When player completes dungeon run, extra reward will be given.]

[Background: History is written by the victor. The truth and falsity are one line apart. A thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. Time brings great changes to the world, and the existence of transcendent beings, or even their shadows, went missing from this land long ago. The mystical realm has become a legend. Only you know and have experienced what it was like, but…]

[Main mission: Let enough people know about ‘The Real World’ in 180 days]

[Temporary language pack. Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]

[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance; returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]

[Note: This is an extremely special dungeon; you can’t fail. If you do, you will face the least desired ending.]

…

The white background clears the words on the screen. When reflecting on Kieran’s face, it added a sense of coldness on his expressionless face.

“It didn’t just seal my core powers, I can’t even bring my equipment! More importantly… All my attributes are lowered to the peak of a mortal?”

Kieran took a deep breath. His body was feeling weak.

It was twisted, it was uncomfortable.

Kieran felt dizzy. His breath was not smooth, and he stood without the least bit of energy, as if he was sick.

“This is the worst start possible!” Kieran muttered to himself softly.

Then, more dizziness struck.

He knew he would be in the dungeon world soon.

What would be waiting for him?

Kieran felt anxious, nervous and unsettling.

After all, this particular dungeon with external force intervention was different. It was even more limited and restricted compared to his Title Dungeon run.

The dizziness got stronger. Reaching its peak, it almost knocked Kieran out cold, and the [Reverse Bracelet] he wore on his wrist shone brightly.

Kieran instantly woke up from his dizzy state.

Then, words started to pile up on his vision again.

[The Wisher is wishing…]

[Authenticating…]

[Authentication passed!]

[The rules have changed!]

…

“Changed? What changed?”

Kieran was shaken. He checked everything around him meticulously, but he couldn’t spot any changes. The system notifications from before and the current ones were the same, his body was still weak and the abilities and equipment remained absent.

As Kieran thought in furrowed brows, darkness suddenly appeared like a rising tide and drowned him.

When the light appeared in his sight again, he was in a well-lit room.

It wasn’t a big room, but it was very noisy.

A row of 10 dressing mirrors put together back to back took up most of the room’s space in the middle. Kieran was sitting in front of one of the dressing mirrors, and on his flank was many people moving around.

There were men and women hustling around and holding many items in their hands. All of them looked nervous.

“Hurry up! Hurry up!”

“The clothes! The clothes!”

“I want a one-piece dress, not a strap-on!”

“Give me another wig!”

“The black and long one, not the blonde twin-tail!”

…

Kieran frowned.

He already couldn’t cope with the weak body, so with all the clamouring around him, he felt like his head was going to blow up.

However, he had to endure it and started to analyse the scene before him.

“A dressing room? A dressing room of a TV station?”

Kieran’s gaze went through the exit, he glanced over the plethora of clothes on the hanger outside the corridor and the tv station employee with their staff badge around their neck.

The description of their staff badge allowed him to know where he was.

Before Kieran could go out to search for more information, he was forced to give up on that thought as a feminine-dressed man walked towards him with eyeliner. Based on his movements and actions, it seemed like the man was trying to apply the eyeliner on him.

Aside from Kieran having no habits of putting on eyeliner, based on the man’s ladylike movements, it bloomed resistance in Kieran’s heart.

“Hold on, I don’t need this.” Kieran rejected the man.

“You are not used to it? Don’t forget that you are going in front of the camera later! And it’s live! If you don’t put on makeup, your face… Hmm, your temperament looks decent, but your looks are a little normal. But, don’t chu’ worry, my dear, I’ll brush you up a little and you’ll definitely shine in the crowd.”

It obviously wasn’t the first for the ladylike man to encounter someone like Kieran. He explained quickly and didn’t seem impatient.

Of course, if he didn’t cover his mouth with his hand so femininely, it would be better.

“I think I am fine now.” Kieran leaned back on the chair, trying to draw as much distance from the man before rejecting him again.

Although his stats had plummeted, he was still at a commoner’s peak, so his senses picked up the makeup, and perfume on the man. Even if it wasn’t stinging his nose, he was still not used to it.

“You really don’t want makeup? I know you are just a guest on the show, but if a handsome face is in front of the camera, you’ll have a great advantage! Even if this show is about the paranormal and shamans, a decent looking shaman and a normal would garner different results, and the support rates will be obvious.” The man was persuading Kieran very patiently.

He sat down beside Kieran, switching from looking down on him from a higher position to eye level as he spoke.

The man had decent talking techniques though, plus the reasonable words, so if it were other people, they would have complied, but not Kieran.

Kieran’s persistence in never allows him to compromise.

However, the information the ladylike man spilt still captured Kieran’s attention.

The importance of information was self-explanatory in an unfamiliar situation.

A show about shamans?

After having some speculations in his heart, Kieran turned down the man with firmer means.

“What a shaman needs is strength, not looks. An actor needs looks, but I am not an actor. Even if I am here, I still have my own code to follow,” Kieran said.

“Your code? Is that so? Well then, good luck… 2567? So sorry, your name is so weird, I don’t mean anything, dear, just exclaiming. Hope I’ll see you again next time.”

The makeup artist extended his hand for a shake.

Kieran hesitated, but responded.

Both of them shook hands before the ladylike makeup artist went out.

The makeup artist didn’t mention his name, though.

He was probably ready to tell next time, but it was possible Kieran wouldn’t meet him again.

Who knows?

Kieran was left alone again. He checked his body, hoping to locate the ‘changes within the rules’ the system had told him of. At the same time, he sized up the surroundings, listening to the conversations from others with his ears perked.

However, he gained nothing.

He didn’t find anything on himself, most of the conversations around him were chit-chats, and there was no valuable information at all.

Almost half an hour later—

“2567! 2567? It’s your call now!”

A loud voice called out to Kieran from the corridor.