The ground trembles violently as cracks weave across the dungeon floor, spidering out into deep fissures. A massive surge of mana erupts, tearing through the surroundings like a fierce storm, and the village above crumbles, disintegrating into dust. Only the adventurer guild's building, a testament to Bein's craftsmanship, remains standing amidst the destruction. The twisted black trees and gnarly roots shake, retreating deep into the earth, and with one final gust of mana, the dungeon implodes, sealing itself from the world.
Baya's wide eyes sparkle with awe as she surveys the strange new landscape they've been teleported to. "Woooow... What is this place?" she whispers, her breath nearly stolen by the forceful wind whipping her ivory hair behind her. The air is heavy here, dark, yet alive with an eerie energy. Her green-gold eyes flicker as she takes in the towering stone pillars and the shifting shadows that surround them. 'The wind is strong here,' she notes, adjusting her stance to stay upright. She raises her head, scanning for her companions. 'I think everyone is here,' she assesses as the figures around her shift and stir.
"Oi, bald man, how was it on your end?" she asks with a calm, collected tone, but her patience wanes as she receives no answer. Her jaw clenches as her annoyance flares. 'Calm down, calm down... no need to get mad at that egghead, he's just... stupid, yeah, stupid,' she reminds herself, forcing a tight smile. But the tension bubbling beneath the surface wins out, and her fist tightens involuntarily.
Dingggg!
A sharp, golden light bursts from the tattooed head of the man she just addressed, followed by an ear-piercing ring that makes several of their group cover their ears in discomfort. The bald man, more irritated than hurt, yawns as he rubs his shiny scalp. "Hey! Hey! What's the big deal, Baya?" he grumbles, more bothered by the disruption than by the blow itself.
"Can you stop hitting my head and calling me bald?" he mutters with a raised eyebrow, clearly exasperated. 'Every time I end up working with you, you drag me into some mess,' he thinks with an inward sigh, rubbing his golden eyebrows. 'Seriously, you're like a walking disaster zone. I'm already in trouble for fighting that kid; I don't need more chaos around you.'
Baya's mouth falls open in disbelief, her expression twisting into irritation. "Huh?" she snaps, her voice rising with frustration. "Why are you mad at me? ME? Tsk, egghead is the nickname everyone uses, bald man!" She steps forward, her finger rising to silence him before he can protest further. "You can't be mad at me for that! You're the only bald man here!" she exclaims, her tone unapologetic.
A small chuckle escapes Rotû as he strolls past them. "You know, she's kinda right," he giggles, egging the situation on.
"Yeah, you lost this one, bald man," Itto mumbles, following behind with a smirk.
"SEE!" Baya yells triumphantly, pointing after the others, a smug grin plastered on her face. "So stop being mad and tell me what happened already!" She rolls her eyes dramatically, hands on her hips, clearly satisfied with herself.
The bald man rubs his forehead with a sigh, visibly exhausted by the ordeal. "Yeah, yeah, fuck you too," he mutters, lighting a cigarette. He exhales a long trail of smoke, the frustration easing slightly. "After Leena's predictable betrayal, we fell through a load of floors, ended up getting split into two groups. But we managed to regroup." He blows another cloud of smoke before continuing. "Because we were all together, this dungeon wasn't as bad as it could've been, even with the restrictions. And the artifacts we found? Not half bad." His smirk widens as he taps his pouch, clearly pleased with whatever they managed to collect.
"Where is the boy!?" Yula's voice cuts through the darkness like a blade as she shoves people aside, her sharp eyes scanning the dim cavern. Panic laces her words, a rare tremor in her usually cold demeanor. "V! Are you alright!? Let me do a checkup, please!" she shouts again, louder, her desperation growing. The crowd parts like the sea, their expressions pale and uneasy, giving her a wide berth as she moves through them.
'No, no, no, no, no... he's not here! What happened!?' Yula's heart pounds in her chest as her gaze lands on the prince, a menacing shadow in the midst of the chaos. Without a second thought, she grits her teeth and lunges at him, her fist raised high. An icicle forms at the last moment, sharp and deadly, and she drives it into his arm.
"Where is the boy!?" she snarls, her hand entangling in his hair as she yanks his head down to meet her gaze, her eyes blazing with fury.
The prince barely flinches, closing his eyes as the pain washes over him. "I don't know," he answers through clenched teeth. "We were together before we were teleported. He must've been sent elsewhere." 'I'll execute this white-haired bitch the second we reach the capital. But for now, I have to focus. With this... I'll finally have enough power to become king.' A smirk touches his lips as he glances toward the distant, towering silhouette—a tree, massive and foreboding.
"That's enough, Yula," Cora steps forward, her voice firm as she grips Yula's arm, pulling her back. "This is the final floor. Keep your guard up. Look at the restrictions," she murmurs, her words low but pointed. As she turns to the prince, their eyes lock for a long, tense moment. "I hate your resolve," she whispers, her voice dripping with disdain before she walks away, heading toward Bein.
The prince watches her go, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 'This is where the fun begins,' he thinks as he stretches his arms wide, the tension coiled within him beginning to unravel. 'Me against the world.'
"Find out where that boy is!" Baya's voice rises above the ambient noise, sharp and commanding as she kicks into action. Her eyes narrow as she whips around, barking orders. Yula nods quickly, her usual composure regained. "Make sure they find him!" she yells. "The Academy's legal team will hound us for ages if he gets hurt!" Her voice echoes as the group scatters, their search beginning.
The air inside the cavern is thick with something unnatural. Faint, dark light flickers from the distance, not bright enough to illuminate much, just casting an eerie glow across the jagged rocks and strange, twisting vines that snake their way along the walls. The cavern is enormous, the dark stretching beyond sight, but one thing is clear—a massive, ancient tree stands at the center, a haunting silhouette against the gloom.
The bark is the deepest black, its roots stretching far and wide, intertwining with the shifting vines that cover the cave. The tree's branches are draped with black-purple vines, each sprouting dark leaves that create a dense canopy overhead. At the very top, a singular flower blooms—a grotesque yet captivating thing. The petals are the same deep black as the bark, but edged with blood-red lines, crossing them like veins. At its center, the flower glows with a soft, dark-purple light, pulsating like a heartbeat.
"This place..." one of the twins whispers, her voice barely audible.
"...is cursed," the other finishes.
The twins stand together, their small, delicate forms strikingly contrasting against the dark landscape. One wears loose-fitting black and purple clothing, while the other is draped in pure white. Their hands are clasped together, a united front. Their purple hair cascades down their backs, and their striking blue eyes stare up at the tree with a sense of unease.
"I feel..." one of them starts.
"...witchcraft," the other concludes, their voices harmonizing in a way that sends chills down the spines of those nearby.
"Ugh, witches give me the creeps," Rotû mutters, raking a hand through his electric blue hair. His lips twist in a grimace as he gazes at the distant tree. "I don't like how witches play cards," he adds with a nod, his eyes narrowing as he studies the scene.
The guild master stands rigid, her gaze flickering coldly between the prince and the ominous black flower at the center of the cursed tree. Tension weighs heavy in the air, the silence almost deafening. Bein's sharp voice cuts through the stillness, "Don't forget why we're here," he says, a smile playing on his lips as he exhales. He pushes his green hair back into place and pats Cora on the back. "Let's follow the king's plan, eh? Once this is over, we'll all go on a nice, long vacation."
He points ahead, his tone brooking no argument. "Let's get moving. If the boy isn't in sight, don't bother looking for him. He's probably dead. Head to the tree!" His orders ring out, loud and decisive, drowning out Yula's desperate pleas to keep searching.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Hmm? Hahahahaha!" Kael chuckles softly, covering his face with his hand as amusement flickers in his eyes. 'Hey, system, say that again, will you?'
[You have reached the highest floor.]
[Notice]-[This floor is both part of the dungeon while half of it is open, connecting to the world. Due to this, your rift restriction has been lifted.]
Kael smirks as the system window disappears, his gaze shifting around the room. The walls are ancient, built from old stone etched with cryptic carvings of unknown letters and numbers. As his eyes follow the intricate designs upward, he notices an orb in the distance. 'This isn't a test floor… this is the master control floor. So why did Leena teleport me here?' he wonders, stepping forward with cautious curiosity.
'Well, it doesn't matter,' Kael muses, confidence building. 'With the remaining mana in Umbra from the auction, I can survive an eighth-rank attack.'
Just then, Ilka tugs at his hair, her legs swinging back and forth as she floats beside him. "Stop acting cocky just because you've got a pretty face now," she mutters with playful irritation. Kael sighs, reaching up to massage his scalp where she'd yanked it.
Ilka floats in front of him, her playful demeanor fading slightly. "I know I haven't explained everything yet, and I can't—at least not until I figure out what happened to the fairies." Her voice cracks ever so slightly, betraying a moment of vulnerability. "So just wait a bit more, alright?" she smiles at him before vanishing again into thin air.
Kael keeps walking, his thoughts racing, until he reaches an exit. Stepping out, he finds himself on a vast greenland at the top of Mount Rui. Grey clouds cling to the ground like dust swirling in the wind, and large pine trees rise toward a vibrant blue sky. It's a stark contrast to the eerie depths of the dungeon.
But it isn't the scenery that catches Kael's full attention. It's her—Leena. She stands there, crimson hair cascading down her back, the black lines running down her pale body marking her in a way that demands attention. Her entire presence feels different, almost... foreign. And then he notices something else. One of her eyes—a blooming crimson flower, an elf feature no doubt.
Kael's brow furrows in realization. 'Wow... she looks completely different. Forget the black lines... is one of her eyes actually a flower? But that's a feature only pure elves have...' He glances past her, noticing the hundreds of spectral owls lying dormant around the mountaintop. 'I see... This is Mount Rui's summit, so that means...'
His voice drops as the realization solidifies. "You're Rui."
Leena continues feeding the spectral owl perched on her arm and turns to him, giggling softly. "You truly are a genius," she says, her voice calm but holding an eerie edge.
[Ding!] [Ding!] [Ding!]
[You have found a hidden piece, additional information will be revealed.]
[Notice!]-[Calamity ➩ Leena ???]
[Leena, a poor creature fated to die in this dying dungeon. Created by #### means, as a creature who was not meant to exist, her karma is high. Negativity will surround her living and half-living life. Due to her loneliness, she created a skeleton friend and revived an entire species from near extinction.]