We jumped off the bridge.
Well, more accurately, we were thrown off. The crazy duo of highway robbers grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and tossed me over the edge of the bridge.
"Damn you crazies!"
As I fell, I saw Crown and the Nightcrawler squad members looking down from the bridge with pitiful eyes... as if watching a suicide. Well, it's not much different, is it?
"Woahhh! Somebody save meeee!"
I screamed helplessly as I plummeted.
Then, Salome, falling behind me, reached out her hand.
"Ash! Grab my hand!"
Desperately, I grabbed her hand, a glimmer of hope crossing my face.
"Thanks, Salome! I heard even a caterpillar can crawl, but you can fly?!"
"No? I can't fly."
"What?"
"Huh?"
A few seconds later.
"Aaaaah! Save the succubus!"
"..."
Salome was now clinging to my back, screaming hysterically, tears and snot running down her face.
Please, can someone take this caterpillar off me...
It was pitch black below the bridge, making it impossible to guess how much further we had to fall.
Grinding my teeth, I desperately looked around. Is there anything? Any miraculous way to survive this free fall?
'...No, doesn't seem like it.'
We're screwed. Seriously screwed.
"Ash, even so..."
Salome, sobbing behind me, looked at me with tearful eyes.
"I'm glad my life's last moments are with you... *hic*!"
"Ah, get off me!"
I shoved Salome's face away. What is this weird mood in such a situation! Shouldn't you be thinking about how to survive instead!
That's when it happened.
"Be quiet, guests! Stop screaming!"
Whirrrrr!
A long rope, wriggling like a snake, flew towards us, wrapping around our bodies and then – pulled back to its thrower.
It was the two highway robbers, Sword Demon and Spear Demon, who were also falling with us. Apparently, tossing us off the bridge wasn't entirely unplanned.
"Huff!"
"Hyah!"
The two elders skillfully lassoed Mason, Salome, and me with the rope.
Then, they thrust their weapons to the side – planting them into something nearby.
Swoosh!
The cliff, previously hidden by fog in the darkness, now came into view.
The two elders, adept as if they had done this many times, securely lodged their weapons and slowed our fall.
Despite the added weight of three people, they slid down the cliff face with ease and composure.
'True to the most formidable and worst NPCs.'
Their level of strength was extraordinary. I marveled at their feat.
Gliding down the wall, slowing our descent, the two elders kicked off the cliff and leaped into the air –
Thud!
...landing safely on the ground.
They even managed to catch and gently place us down one by one. Impressive after-service.
"Phew, my legs are shaking."
It wasn't bungee jumping, but a near-death experience, so my legs were trembling.
Salome couldn't stand and just collapsed on the ground, and Mason also crumpled.
In front of us, Sword Demon and Spear Demon grinned, their yellow teeth gleaming.
"There, the short trip is over!"
"Welcome to our neighborhood!"
"Your neighborhood, you say...?"
Trailing off, I looked around and then noticed.
Below in this deep valley, amidst the dense darkness, lay a... shabby village.
Houses made of junk and trash left me speechless. A village here, of all places?
Pointing at the houses, Sword Demon and Spear Demon spread their arms wide.
"Welcome to 'Rock Bottom'!"
"The lowest, most dreadful place in this hell!"
***
Falling into the deepest part of the dungeon alone, I thought I had hit rock bottom in my life.
But no, there's always a deeper bottom beneath the bottom.
"What is this place..."
I muttered unintentionally as I entered the hidden NPC residence, 'Rock Bottom.'
This village, accessible through a gap between Zones 10 and 9 if you fall, seemed to be constructed from the garbage that had fallen from above.
A village of garbage, built on a mountain of trash.
And, astonishingly, people were actually living here.
Sinister eyes glittered from between mounds of garbage throughout the village. The NPCs, all in beggarly attire, watched us, the visitors, with wary eyes.
Although there are NPC residences scattered throughout the dungeon, this was my first time entering one, and I hadn't even known of this village's existence in the game.
"Don't worry too much~ They're all good people here."
"Exactly. They're just a bit crazy, but their hearts are pure."
"People are pure... Peopure!" (TL Note: More puns.)
"Kekeke!"
The two elders, leading the way, chuckled as they guided us.
Other NPCs looked at us licking their lips, sharpening rusty knives on the ground, or making throat-slitting gestures when our eyes met... They're good people, right? Right?
Soon, we arrived at the house of the two elders. It was the largest house in the center of this garbage village, with a spacious yard and a surprisingly sturdy structure. The elders gestured for us to sit on the weathered wooden porch.
"Wait a few days to get out. You can stay here until then."
"Make yourself at home! We have plenty of rooms."
I looked around the house and then gazed upward.
High cliffs loomed beyond the vast darkness.
It would take a long trek up these cliffs to reach the urban areas of Lake Kingdom, and even longer to find the dungeon's entrance.
"...How exactly do we climb back up from here? Is there a way to escape the dungeon?"
How on earth are we supposed to traverse that lengthy path?
Besides, I wanted to return as soon as possible, so why wait for days? I was highly skeptical.
Sword Demon and Spear Demon clicked their tongues and began to explain.
"In Lake Kingdom, there's a time known as 'flooding' that comes every few days to weeks."
"Flooding...?"
"It's when the monsters of a certain legion overflow in the dungeon and eventually spill out."
They pointed to one side of the village.
"Heavy black rain pours, filling the city's streets and overflowing."
Following their hand, I saw the cliff next to the village.
A large sewer was connected to the cliff. Currently, it was bone dry.
"When it rains, that area becomes full. We launch a boat and follow the overflowing water through the sewer and out..."
A thought flashed in my mind. I asked in surprise.
"Does it connect all the way to Zone 1... 'The Dried Sewer'?"
"Yeah, you've heard of it? Right. Straight through to there."
In Lake Kingdom Dungeon, there paths known as 'Short Cuts,' throughout.
They allow players to skip lengthy battles and quickly reach their target areas, making them popular among gamers.
The 'Path of the Overlord' I used from the base camp to the 'Blazing Colosseum' was also one such shortcut.
And there was a legend or urban myth among players.
A rumor about a shortcut that would take you from the early Zones straight to the deepest part in one go.
But no player had ever actually found this rumored shortcut, and here I was about to verify it myself...
'So, under specific conditions like the "flooding," there's a shortcut from this deepest part directly to Zone 1's 'The Dried Sewer'...!'
Amazed, I received confirming nods from the two elders.
"It's endless if you walk from here to the entrance of Lake Kingdom, but if you leave by boat during the flooding, it's almost instant."
"So, don't be hasty and wait a few days. We'll comfortably take you to the entrance of Lake Kingdom."
Then, they pointed their index fingers at me.
"When you leave, make sure to bring enough money!"
"Got it?! Half of your total wealth, half!"
"Don't worry about the money. I'll make sure to compensate you generously. Just ensure my safe escape."
Pleased with my response, the two highway robbers smiled contentedly.
"Hehe, money!"
"Gold coins!"
"Money!"
"Grand'money'!" (TL Note: Urgh...)
"There he goes again, that old man!"
Watching the two lunatics cackle among themselves... I suddenly wondered.
In such a place, what's the point of collecting money through robbery...?
***
According to the elders, the next 'flooding' should occur within a week at most.
We decided to leave by boat through the sewer at that time. In other words, until then, all we could do was wait.
"Waiting for a whole week..."
Sitting in front of the dried-up sewer, I picked up a stone and threw it into the sewer. The dry echo of the stone hitting the bottom resonated back. Thud - thud.
"Everyone in Crossroad must be waiting..."
I wanted to return to Crossroad as soon as possible.
The more I tried to return, the further away it seemed.
'And this flooding means monsters from the dungeon spilling out... In other words, a defensive battle will be happening on the surface.'
Defending in my absence.
Lucas is reliable as a commander, and my allies are strong enough, but with the fortifications still not fully repaired, I wondered if they could properly defend in this chaotic situation.
Were they all thrown into confusion and worry because of my sudden disappearance?
My concerns spiraled. I longed to return.
"..."
But.
Even if I managed to return, what then?
Would it just be a repeat of choosing tactics that sacrifice prisoners, and my allies trying to stop me?
Going through defensive battles, possibly losing another ally...
Would it be just another fight in the endless journey ahead?
Feeling overwhelmed by the daunting path before me, I hugged my knees to my chest.
"Ash? What's wrong?"
Just then, Salome walked up behind me, her footsteps light. Startled, I turned to look at her.
Seeing my face, Salome,
"...Ahah."
Seemed to realize something, her eyes narrowing into a smile.
I felt annoyed and furrowed my brows.
"What? Why are you laughing?"
"I can tell just by looking at faces."
"Tell what?"
"That you want to run away."
"...!"
"The ones who surrendered to our legion always had that look. A desire to turn away from the harsh, painful reality... It shows on the face."
Salome whispered in my ear, her voice sweet as if not of this world.
"Just say the word, and I'll let you escape."
"..."
"Into a perfect, blissful dream where there are no unpleasant things..."
As she said this, Salome stretched her arms around my neck.
Whoosh!
I pushed her away with my hand.
"Wha?!"
"I told you when we first met, didn't I, you succubus."
I gritted my teeth.
"As if a mere dream could satisfy me... I'm here to fight for and seize what I want, not for self-satisfaction in fantasies."
I remember the conversation I had with Aider when I first met him.
- You have a wish you want to fulfill, right? Something more precious than money.
- I can make that dream come true.
- As long as that dream is still in your heart, it's not a failure.
Yes.
I'm struggling in another world, risking my life to achieve my own wish.
"I will fulfill my wish with my own efforts, in my own reality."
It's painful and terrible, but if it were something to give up on so easily, I wouldn't have started in the first place.
"So stop talking about escaping, and stay away from me for about a week. I don't want to associate with you."
"..."
Salome, with a pouty lip, looked at me as if she was offended and then slowly opened her mouth.
"Your 'wish'... are you sure it's really 'yours'?"
"...What?"
What is she talking about?
Confused, I turned to look at her, and Salome was grinning just as before, her eyes narrowed.
It wasn't the smile of the fool she had shown me so far.
"When I pulled you out of the spirit realm, I saw your dream, Ash. I thoroughly delved into your past, into the very depths of your soul."
It was the smile of the Succubi Queen.
The daughter of the dream demon.
A dangerously charming smile that a great seductress might wear.
"Are you Ash? Or are you the RetroAddict? Or maybe, the Player? A tyrant? A monster?"
While probing my deepest concerns, Salome whispered.
"How can you be certain about 'your' wish without a clear definition of 'who' you are?"
"..."
"If the essence changes, the purpose is distorted. If 'you' are no longer 'you', can your wish remain intact?"
As I stood frozen, unable to move,
"Now, ask yourself again... What do you truly wish for? Who do you really want to be, what do you really want to do?"
With a cunning and seductive smile - Salome asked.
"Who are you, truly?"