One month after the incident at Amon's dungeon—an incident whose details remained a mystery even under the relentless investigations of various kingdoms—they had invested enormous resources into uncovering the circumstances surrounding the dungeon's destruction.
A destroyed dungeon? That alone was enough to send all the great powers into a frenzy. The kingdoms kept a wary eye on each other, watching movements carefully to determine who might benefit from this incident.
This incident brought two major revelations. The first was that dungeons could indeed be destroyed. These structures, which had existed for eons, had resisted countless attempts to close or destroy them—whether motivated by grand causes, revolutions, or ambitious initiatives. It had always been taken for granted that these edifices were eternal. Yet, one of them had now been destroyed.
The second revelation was that the dungeon's destruction resulted, as expected, in the loss of its resources. Previously, only heroes could complete a dungeon. Dungeons were designed to be pseudo-inexhaustible sources of resources, with monsters respawning after a certain time and a ruler monster reigning over the dungeon.
After the ruler monster's death, it would typically revive unless slain by a hero. If the monster was killed by someone other than the hero, it would eventually return to life and reclaim the dungeon. If a hero defeated it, the monster would disappear for good, but even then, the dungeon itself would remain—a resource hub with only minor dangers.
Regardless, the topic of the dungeon's destruction remained on everyone's lips and was destined to be etched into history.
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The hero, who was perhaps the most troubled by this tale, was awakened by the faint sound of someone knocking lightly on the door.
The knock was so soft that it seemed the person on the other side treated the door as if it were made of cardboard. If not for his honed senses, the hero would not have heard it.
"Ugh…" The hero got up from the bed, running his hands through his hair while granting permission to enter. He immediately knew it was one of his assigned maids—whose name he habitually forgot without relying on the system's capabilities.
"Why so early?" he asked, casting a sharp glance at the young woman.
Among his maids, she was special. She had been taken in by the hero and went by the name Atlanea. Though she did not know everything about his past, she knew enough about his temperament and current actions.
Atlanea approached the hero provocatively, causing him to sit back down on the bed.
"Weren't you the one who asked me to wake you up early? Have you forgotten your commitments?" she teased, running her soft hands over his chest—once, twice—before whispering sensually in his ear.
She began unbuttoning his shirt, but the hero suddenly pulled her close, surprising her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Atlanea hugged him back and kissed him—a long, lingering kiss.
As they kissed, Atlanea sensed something was wrong. She quickly pulled away, stumbling back.
"What…?" she managed to say, struggling with both surprise and confusion about what had just happened.
The hero sat back, crossing his legs in front of Atlanea, who knelt on the ground, utterly perplexed.
"Poison, huh?" the hero said, wiping his lips with a finger.
Hearing this, Atlanea's mind raced. In kissing the hero, she had administered poison. But why was she now the one on the verge of death? She couldn't understand it. The hero was truly an unfathomable entity, and her complex feelings for him only continued to grow.
"How… How did you survive?" she asked, her voice trembling. "This poison is incredibly potent. It took me months just to build a resistance, with countless efforts and a fortune spent!"
The hero stood up and tilted Atlanea's chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You thought you could take me down with something like this?" he asked, a mocking tone in his voice.
"Naive. Tell me—how many attempts has it been now?"
"Since you took me in, this is the fiftieth attempt," Atlanea confessed.
"A pathetic failure yet again. This time, you went so far that, even though you gained resistance, your body would have suffered permanent damage."
The hero grabbed Atlanea by the hair, bringing his lips dangerously close to hers.
Her face regained color as she realized the poison in her body was vanishing. She clutched the hero's neck and bit down hard, drawing blood. Moments later, when the hero saw that Atlanea had fully recovered, he pulled his lips away from hers.
The wound on his lips healed almost instantly. He walked over to the small desk in his room.
"What spirit you have. Now, why did you wake me up?"
Atlanea straightened herself, adopting the professional demeanor of a maid—a concept the hero seemed to favor.
"The delegation from the church has arrived. Since we are expected at the headquarters, they've come to escort us."
"Oh? What's their level?"
"They've just arrived. Three Saint Paladins have been dispatched, along with a detachment of the Imperial Guard."
"They're really pulling out all the stops, huh? Sending Saint Paladins… Is that wench finally serious? Will she hand over the Sacred Sword this time?"
The hero sighed. "Looks like you didn't wake me up in time."
"I recall you once saying that true heroes always arrive late," Atlanea replied.
"You only remember what suits you. Should I kill you?"
"Would you really do it?" she asked, a hint of hope gleaming in her eyes. The hero let out a weary sigh.
"Forget it. Go call the other maids and help me get ready."
"…May I ask a question? You don't seem to like the saint. Why are you going to the church?"
"Typically, one waits for an answer before asking another question," the hero replied, shaking his head. "But fine. I'm just making a deal. The Sacred Sword? I've been doing just fine without it. On the other hand, they're in a tight spot."
"They need you? In that case, I thought you'd do something like kidnap the saint or tell her to beg you."
"That's a frightening thought, but I'm in a position where I need something too. For now, I'll make concessions."
"Why does the church need you?"
"The Colossal Nightmare of the Wall has awakened."
If it hadn't been the hero speaking, she would have denied it outright. Moreover, if that monster had truly awakened, the entire world would already know.
"How do you know?" Atlanea asked cautiously.
The hero smiled, gazing into the distance at something she could not see.