Crash!
-Krrrung...
The massive monster's body slowly fell.
Then, the figure behind it was revealed.
"Haah, accursed creatures."
Evan von Orleon.
One of the three Inquisitor and Aura Master of the Kasian Kingdom.
He was known by the alias "Light of Compassion."
Evan had assisted in the war against the orcs, and he followed Luna Pendragon into the depths of the Great Forest, where he faced the puzzling tracks.
Honestly, he didn't feel a strong sense of duty, but his curiosity about why a man named Barry Sanders, who had accompanied Luna Pendragon and defeated the Orc Lord, had come to the Great Forest, led him to follow.
'Barry Sanders, a necromancer powerful enough to defeat an Aura Master...'
It was a name he had never heard before.
However, it was peculiar that such a powerful necromancer had not made a name for himself.
Evan speculated that there must be a significant reason for the two famous black magicians to come to the Great Forest.
"Hmm."
He found some tracks.
They were recent tracks.
And they abruptly ended in a strange location.
The tracks were cut off near an ordinary tree, and there was nothing else to be found.
It was as if they had disappeared into thin air, rising to the sky or sinking into the ground.
After briefly surveying the area, Evan approached the tree where the last tracks were visible and drew his sword.
His sword, blessed by the Sun, began to emit a bright white aura.
"I beseech your forgiveness."
Kwa-aang!
A deafening sound erupted as Evan swung his sword.
As an Aura Master who had clashed with Eve Millennium, he was undoubtedly a monstrous figure on the continent.
With a single swing, all the trees in the vicinity exploded, and...
Finally, his powerful attack revealed the hidden barrier.
"This...this..."
Evan smiled.
He touched the exposed barrier with his mana-filled hand, and the ordinary tree immediately changed its shape, transforming into an arched door.
Evan sheathed his sword, removed his holy gauntlets, and solemnly opened the door.
Beyond it lay an abyss.
"Haha, how intriguing."
Indeed, it was a place that black magicians would be interested in.
Evan, who was eager to learn what the two of them were up to, continued to smile as he boldly stepped forward.
.
.
.
.
Passing through the arched tree-door, the landscape that greeted me was different from what I had expected.
Vibrant streets, countless people, and bright sunlight pouring down.
I stood there, dumbfounded, in the midst of it all.
"Give it back!"
"No way! You tried to steal it!"
The shouts of children passing by me were vivid.
Where on earth was this?
First, I had to find Luna.
"Luna!"
I worried that she might have been separated from me.
As soon as I passed through the arched tree-door, a message had appeared, stating that I had entered a Hidden Dungeon.
As such, this place was likely an unusual type of dungeon.
"Or maybe this is all just my imagination."
At that moment, I saw someone flying in the distance, soaring through the air.
"Luna."
With a sense of relief at finding Luna, I levitated and landed on the roof of a nearby shop.
People's attention was drawn to me, but I didn't pay them any mind.
"Ah! My friend!"
Thank goodness.
Since the identity of this dungeon was still unknown, I began to wonder if it might be some kind of illusion magic.
"Wait, is Luna an illusion too?"
There was too little information to draw any conclusions.
Luna had come to me in the same state, with Rulf perched on her shoulder.
"Look, what's going on here? I was completely surprised!"
It seemed that Luna was just as shocked as I was.
When I asked her about the place, she explained that it was a small city surrounded by fog outside the city limits.
We had apparently arrived at the outskirts of the city through the fog.
"These people, they're not living, are they?"
"You mean they're ghosts?"
At that moment, I absentmindedly watched the people passing by.
"Yeah. It seems like this place is not ordinary at all."
These ghosts were completely different from what I had imagined. If it weren't for Luna's special ability, I wouldn't have recognized them as ghosts at all.
Honestly, I had never considered the idea that these could be the souls of the deceased. It was more likely that this was some form of high-level illusion magic, and I didn't think of them as actual ghosts.
"Is this the ghost city that you are looking for?"
"No, it's not."
I had come here to find the Dragon's Tomb, not to explore a mysterious dungeon like this. I wasn't sure if calling this place a dungeon was accurate.
This place looked like an ordinary city with a lot of activity, and if Luna's words were true, then these were indeed ghosts or something similar.
"For now, we should gather information. Regardless of what this place is, we need to know how to leave."
"Should I go outside the city? Let's meet there later."
Luna pointed to a building with an inn sign.
"It seems like there's an inn over there. We can meet there later."
"Alright!"
With that, Luna once again floated into the air, and I descended from the rooftop.
Ignoring the curious stares of the people, I apologized politely.
"Hey! What are you doing up on someone else's roof? Get down immediately!"
A middle-aged man shouted at us from below.
His reaction felt so real that I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Do they even know they're ghosts?"
"What do you mean by 'they're ghosts'? What's that?"
"It's just a saying. Anyway, let's check out what's inside that inn."
"Sure thing!"
As we entered the inn that Luna had pointed out, I couldn't help but wonder if the people here were aware of their true nature.
If it weren't for Luna and her abilities, I probably wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.
'I wonder if they're aware that they're ghosts...'
I thought to myself as we entered the inn.
Before finding out more about this place, I needed to know what it was and what secrets it held.
The message that appeared earlier mentioned a "Repeating Nightmare" hidden dungeon.
'That name sounds ominous.'
Before that message, there had been a message indicating that this place was where the Dragon died.
However, instead of referring to it as a tomb, it was called the place where the Dragon died.
'Dragons usually choose their own place of death and spend their final moments there. That's why it's called a Dragon's Tomb... But...'
There were various ominous signs.
What secrets lay hidden in this seemingly ordinary city?
.
.
.
.
The sun was gradually setting.
I had spent some time gathering information from the people, or rather, the ghosts, in the city. The city was called "Lete," and the people here were completely unaware that they were ghosts. The concept of death still existed in this place.
'However, eventually, it became clear that they are ghosts.'
Even though they appeared completely normal, these people didn't bleed when they were injured.
I once witnessed two sturdy men fighting, with their skin torn and faces bruised, but there was no blood. The onlookers seemed unfazed, confirming that these people were indeed ghosts.
'Where's Luna?'
I had arrived in this place when the sun was high in the sky, so quite some time had passed since then. I had been waiting for Luna at the inn we had agreed to meet at, but she was unusually late.
'I thought she would arrive before me.'
Could something bad have happened to her?
Luna was an exceptional individual with abilities rivaling those of warlocks and necromancers, so I hadn't been worried at first. However, considering the secretive nature of this place, I started to feel a bit concerned.
'A hidden dungeon. I've never seen a dungeon like this in a game before. They usually appear in ancient ruins.'
Hidden dungeons were known for providing unexpected rewards, but their high difficulty often frustrated players, causing some to delete their characters and start anew.
The fact that such a hidden dungeon was here was unexpected.
'Is this place related to ancient ruins? I still don't have enough information.'
It was the first day, so I didn't want to rush things. I needed to investigate this place step by step.
'Suddenly, the atmosphere...'
I felt a strange sensation. When I looked around, I realized that the people in the inn's bar were all staring at me.
The sudden turn of events sent shivers down my spine.
"What's going on?"
I tried talking to them, but they continued to stare at me without any reaction, like lifeless dolls.
The sound of a bell chimed somewhere in the city, and night fell in an instant. The people who had been staring at me began to transform into dark, smoky figures.
"What is this?"
It was an unknown mechanism. Their reactions didn't seem friendly, so I quickly got up, left the inn, and found myself outside.
But the situation was the same outside.
"Goooah!"
Bizarre cries echoed, and black, smoky figures rushed towards me at an alarming speed.
I drew my sword and swung it at them, but it seemed that physical force had no effect on them. They continued to pursue me relentlessly.
Quaaaang!
In the distance, a deafening noise erupted.
"Luna?"
I ran towards the source of the noise, and there, I found an unexpected figure. A person dressed in pure white was emitting a radiant light and dispelling the smoky figures.
As I recalled the figure, I realized that it resembled a character from the game.
'Evan von Orleon?'
What could he be doing here?
Had he arrived before us, or was he following us?
Evan was dispersing the smoky figures with his shining aura.
Unlike my aura, Evan's aura caused the swirling black smoky figures to disperse and regroup repeatedly.
"Ah! You must be Barry Sanders."
Evan finally spotted me and greeted me with a bright smile. He seemed unaware of my true identity, which provided some relief.
He was an Aura master from the Kasian Empire, a faction that despised warlocks even more than the Empire did.
'Evan was in charge of defeating Eve Millennium, and he had an obsessive fascination with light.'
His expertise in fighting Eve Millennium was enough to convey his formidable power.
The Kasian Empire had been a trustworthy ally when I played as other characters, but now I was a warlock. It was far from an ideal situation.
"Where is Luna Pendragon? Or rather, did you create these black, sinister entities?"
"I don't know. Are you after us?"
"Exactly. I came to pursue Luna Pendragon, but it seems I found you first."
With a swift motion, Evan attacked me.
I quickly summoned my undead and raised my sword to defend myself, but...
Kwa-ching!
Evan used his aura ability without hesitation. Dozens of glowing swords surrounded him.
"I won't let my guard down. Please, go peacefully."
He continued to smile while his dozens of light swords closed in on me.
Swish!
Before I could react, I was struck by the swords.
"Gah!"
I grunted as I was pushed back.
Evan's power was overwhelming, and I was struggling to defend against his relentless assault.
.
.
.
.
"Give it back!"
"Nope! Try to take it!"
My stomach churned as I heard those voices.
Unidentifiable noises filled the air, and when I finally regained my senses...
"Ugh!"
I gasped for breath, trying to take in my surroundings.
And there, I realized it.
The landscape unfolding before me was the same as when I had first entered the dungeon.
Children passed by my side.
It felt like a dream, and my mind couldn't process this incomprehensible reality.
This was as if...
"Time reversal?"