The Biennial Dimension was notorious—a twisted, eerie place that swallowed children like prey. Though it promised treasures, resources, and experience, it was still treacherous for unprepared younglings.
When Vonn entered, his chest tightened, as though gripped by unseen hands. The air was thin, biting with a cold that felt almost alive, pressing down on him like a suffocating weight. Shadows layered upon shadows around him, leaving him utterly blind. His fingers trembled as he reached out, but there was nothing—no walls, no solid ground he could rely on, only an endless, disorienting void.
A chill ran along his spine, crawling under his skin like ice water. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, that something lurked just beyond his sight, moving through the darkness with silent, patient steps. Fear rooted him in place, too afraid to move, yet too afraid to stay still. The silence was so deep it throbbed in his ears, every nerve screaming for escape, though he knew there was nowhere to go. Here, in the Biennial Dimension, he was utterly alone—or worse, he wasn't.
'What's happening?!'
He tried to speak, but his lips felt numb, as though frozen shut, making it impossible to make a sound. Fighting against the paralysis, he began to enhance his senses, focusing to gather his scattered thoughts. Gradually, the darkness eased, and the tightness in his chest faded.
'Damn! This is the worst entrance!'
Vonn knew that everyone was transported randomly. The vast and wild nature of this dimension could be lethal for anyone. Luckily, he had come prepared despite the lack of control over his arrival. Quickly, he began working on a way to escape this torturous environment.
As his senses returned, he could make out dim shapes around him—trees, mist, and the soft, damp ground beneath him. Crawling forward, he observed his surroundings, regaining control with each passing moment.
Eventually, he felt calmer, his mind clearing.
'I'm in the Dark Land—the northern part of the dimension,' he thought, still weak from the shock but relieved to recognize where he was. Though he was recovering, he knew the Dark Land wasn't particularly dangerous. In fact, it was the least treacherous area within the dimension.
'This is good…' he thought. 'The environment is my only enemy here. Thanks to my espera, I'm protected from the worst of it, but espera alone won't be enough. I can't risk depleting it and leaving myself vulnerable.'
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, prepared to roam around the Dark Land.
Calculating his next move, Vonn knew he had to rely on everything he remembered from the novel. Although the descriptions had been sparse, he could still navigate using the few landmarks he recalled.
'The only problem,' he thought, 'is this impenetrable darkness. I can't see anything without special eyes... and I don't have those. But… maybe this will work.'
He raised his hands, slicing through the thick air as he traced runes with meticulous care, channeling his espera into each stroke to manifest his intent. The effort tugged at something deep inside, a draining sensation like his very soul was being sipped away. A faint light flickered in his palm, barely piercing the thick mist and shadows. But banishing the darkness wasn't his real goal.
"Curse Redemption: All-Seeing Eyes," he whispered, his voice cutting through the silence.
A ripple surged through the air, and the runes he'd drawn flared with an intense, icy white glow, aligning with his intent and espera in perfect harmony. They pulsed, almost alive, twisting and shimmering as they entered the final phase of the spell. Suddenly, his vision sharpened, slicing through the darkness with clear, piercing focus.
But with this newfound sight came a blinding, searing agony.
A relentless pain exploded behind his eyes, as if needles were burrowing into them. He dropped to his knees, clutching his face, his breaths ragged. The pain was raw, scraping at his nerves with a violence he hadn't anticipated. His eyes throbbed, and despite his clenched lids, blood seeped out, trickling down his cheeks like crimson tears.
He fought to keep his focus, but each heartbeat brought fresh waves of agony, a brutal reminder that this power came at a high cost.
'That piece of shit! This pain is still the same!' he cursed inwardly, straightening his back and looking around. The area was brighter now. The mist and darkness had receded, allowing him to see the world around him with a new clarity.
'Green land... This is what the Dark Land truly is, except that darkness has swallowed parts of it. Light isn't welcome here, and only special eyes can see it clearly. What I have... is similar to it but limited.'
"Compared to all the other areas," Vonn mused aloud, "the Dark Land is actually the most beautiful—and the safest. The only drawback is the endless darkness, which scares off most people from even setting foot here." He smirked, feeling a rush of excitement. "Good thing that means no competition for this challenge!"
Eyes gleaming with a mixture of thrill and determination, Vonn began to explore, getting his bearings in the dense, unfamiliar shadows. He'd read about this place countless times, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. The landscape felt disorienting, a twisted mirror of what he'd imagined. Still, he noticed one thing—a faint but unmistakable glimmer in the forest around him.
"Beautiful, green, hidden trees…" Vonn murmured, reaching out to touch the smooth, dark bark. "So full of life, yet cloaked in this eternal night." He trailed his fingers along one of the trees, feeling a pulse of energy, an uncanny liveliness just beneath the surface. But aside from these strange trees, there was only one landmark that could truly guide him: the Mother Tree. If he could find it, he'd be able to navigate the Dark Land by the directions from the novel.
His mind drifted to a character in the story—a young girl from the North who had stumbled upon a rare treasure here. She was only a minor character, just a name in a brief arc, not a villain or even a supporting character. But her discovery had revealed something critical about this realm, a lead Vonn could use if he could only remember where it actually was. Frustration flickered through him, but he pushed it down, deciding to focus instead on the thrill of the mystery right before him.
Vonn shook his head, letting his gaze drift across the shadowed forest. The view was surreal, beautiful in a haunting way—a world of green veins hidden in darkness, unseen by anyone afraid to venture into the unknown. And here he was, witnessing it alone, the only soul daring to face the mysteries of the Dark Land.
After some time, he finally spotted the Mother Tree, towering above the rest with a massive trunk stretching several meters in diameter and branches zigzagging into the sky like gnarled arms.
Seeing the landmark he'd sought, a smile crept onto his face.
"Then, the next thing I should do is search for the monsters… and hope to find who would reward me for that."
In the Biennial Dimension, treasures weren't simply hidden away; they were found as rewards for overcoming specific challenges or obstacles. Vonn's target this time was a treasure he could use to create an artificial Mana Heart.
"Let's find the Lost Scroll of the First Mage."