Three months had passed since Arcelia had successfully become the global top 1—a dream they had both chased from the very beginning. The atmosphere in Linggis' training base had changed drastically. Arcelia had gone home to celebrate her victory with her mother, leaving Linggis alone in his now much quieter room.
Linggis sat in his chair, staring at the glowing monitor displaying the global leaderboard with the name "Arcelia" shining at the very top. He let out a small smile, exhaling a deep breath as he leaned back against the chair. "Finally... peace at last," he muttered, half-joking.
The room was his alone again—no more training schedules, no endless questions, no continuous clacking of keyboards for hours on end. It felt strange—like something was missing, even though it was something he used to complain about all the time.
His gaze drifted toward the cane resting in the corner of the room. He muttered again, "Funny, isn't it? After all this, I still wish she would show up tomorrow with a new question."
But he knew that wouldn't happen. Arcelia had reached the top, and now she had her own path to follow. Linggis turned off the monitor, then got up and lay down on the sofa, pulling a blanket over himself.
"I might never hear the name Azelith again… or deal with that strange family," he said with a faint smile. "But I guess… that's not a bad thing."
Even though his room was quieter, Linggis felt at peace with the solitude. He knew that behind Arcelia's success, his efforts had played a part too. Holding his cane, he turned away, ready to move on with his peaceful life. At least for now.
Linggis was just about to drift into sleep, savoring the silence he had finally earned after so long. But his peace was shattered when a loud bang came from the door. He jolted up, half-dazed, staring at his metal door, now brutally pushed open.
"Linggis! Get up! This is an emergency!" a woman's urgent voice rang out.
Standing in the doorway was Elyysia, accompanied by Sola, who was catching her breath. Both of them entered the room quickly, giving Linggis no time to process what was happening.
"What the hell is this?" Linggis rubbed his temples, looking irritated. "I was just starting to enjoy my life. Can't you people let me rest?"
Sola stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "An SSS-rank dungeon has just been predicted to appear within a few hours. And this isn't just any dungeon, Linggis."
"An SSS-rank dungeon?" Linggis leaned back against the sofa, wearing a skeptical expression. "Out of everyone, why come to me? Aren't there plenty of stronger Hunters out there?"
"Because we need your brain," Elyysia replied firmly. "This isn't just about strength. The dungeon is full of anomalies we've never seen before. The patterns are strange, the traps are insane, and if we make one wrong move, the whole team could die. Everyone knows you're the only one who can read situations like this."
Linggis scoffed, turning his face away. "I'm retired. I've had enough of places that nearly kill me. Find someone else."
"We don't have time, Linggis," Sola cut in, her voice firm. "Hunters from various countries have already gathered, and they all agree: without you, the success rate is nearly zero. If you don't come, no one is getting out of there alive."
Linggis looked at both of them tiredly before letting out a long sigh. "Do I even have a choice, or are you just going to keep yelling at me here?"
"No," Elyysia answered immediately. Without warning, she grabbed Linggis' arm while Sola helped drag him along.
"Hey! Wait a second! At least let me think!" Linggis struggled, but the two Hunters gave him no chance to argue.
"There's no time to think!" Elyysia shot back. "Get ready on the way. We need to reach the site before the dungeon appears."
Half-dragged, Linggis was taken out of his base. He could only grumble as they made their way out of the underground sewer system. Yet deep inside, he knew he couldn't truly refuse. After all, his instincts as a strategist were already being stirred.
"Wait," Linggis suddenly murmured. "What kind of anomalies are we talking about? Is there any specific information on this dungeon?"
Sola glanced at him while opening the car door waiting for them. "You'll see for yourself soon enough. But one thing's for sure—this is unlike any dungeon that has ever existed."
Linggis scoffed. "Of course. There's always something that makes my life more complicated."
And with that, he stepped into the vehicle, leaving behind the peace he had just found. Something inside him told him that this time, the challenge ahead might be greater than anything he had ever faced before.