A large ship stood alone in the middle of the jungle.
First, I made everyone disembark, then dismissed the summoning. The ship was quite exhausted, so staying on it was difficult…
Well, even if that weren't the case, we had to get off quickly.
After all, you can't move around the jungle by ship—
"Mo-monsters…?"
"What? Monsters!!"
Inevitably, Hamshik showed himself, causing quite a commotion.
It was something we had to go through at least once.
When we transferred ships during the rainy season, I had carried him inside my armor, but I couldn't hide him forever…
However, the reaction was completely different from what I expected.
"W-what kind of monster is that…?"
"For a monster, it's… kind of cute?"
"It's a specimen I've never seen before."
This was different from the terrible reaction Hamshik had back at the library.
The squad all saw Hamshik's true form.
"…So this is what he looks # Nоvеlight # like."
Amelia, who had gone ahead to patrol around after disembarking, returned and stood beside me.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Hamshik.
"…Can I touch him?"
"Ask him yourself… no, first let's get the situation under control."
I quickly intervened and ordered Hamshik to lower his weapon.
"This creature is the one we encountered in the library and is not hostile to us."
"Y-you mean it's not a monster?"
"Well, I don't know about that, but I believe this one will help us escape from the basement first floor."
"Ah… so that's why we stopped by that island back then."
"So when are you going to lower your weapon? Should I order it again?"
"Ah, s-sorry!"
In a military group, the rule is to obey orders from above.
At my command as commander, the squad maintained wary distance but took no unexpected actions.
[…What's going on? I can't understand their words, but their gaze toward me feels a bit different than usual.]
"Oh, that. I guess everyone here can now see your true form properly."
[…What? But still, they're wary of me…]
"That's natural. Even if it's your true form, you're still a stranger to us."
[Ah… I guess that's true…]
Hamshik looked somewhat flustered, as if he hadn't considered this obvious fact.
And maybe because he had nowhere else to rely on, he clung tightly to my collar.
"Don't stay over there. Come here."
I grabbed Hamshik and placed him on my shoulder.
At first, he seemed surprised and tried to struggle, but quickly found his balance and curled up comfortably, as if he liked being on my shoulder.
'Feels like I'm raising a pet.'
Anyway, that settled the Hamshik issue for now.
"Scout captain."
I called out the short rank title, and Amelia finally took her eyes off Hamshik.
"How's the scouting going?"
"There's nothing around immediately nearby. The flying object you saw is also nowhere to be found, and the scouts' mages didn't find anything unusual."
"I see."
Okay, that means no immediate danger…
Tap tap.
After some thought, I ordered the deputy commander to set up camp first. Exploration was important, but rest and reorganization were even more urgent now.
Since every squad member was an expert, the camp was quickly established.
But…
"Everyone, gather here for a moment before resting."
I called the weary soldiers together.
Despite their exhaustion, there were no complaints. In a world where farewells were common, everyone already knew what was coming.
What I was about to do.
"Deputy commander, I leave it to you from here."
Passing the baton to the deputy, he skillfully recited the names, ranks, and reasons for the fallen.
Then…
"Archbishop Altvehimen, please."
The priest prayed for their souls, and the mage handed the cremated ashes to the closest relatives, ending the funeral quickly as if roasting beans over lightning.
"Those not assigned to guard duty, get some rest quickly! This might be the last chance you have! And don't forget your watch schedule!"
Without even the deputy commander's urging, the exhausted troops hurried to their assigned resting places.
Ah, of course, there were exceptions.
"Armin."
Muul Armin, leader of the Armin exploration squad.
He stood quietly in front of the place where the bodies had been cremated, though he would be assigned to guard duty much later.
"What about White Hext?"
"…Seems like he went straight to sleep."
"Well… he must be tired. But you?"
"…I should get some rest soon as well."
He said that, but I suspected he would return to the barracks much later.
Unlike the Hext clan, which had a somewhat corporate feel, the Armin squad had long-standing close bonds.
"Alright, go ahead first. You get some rest too."
"Yes."
I patrolled the camp.
Amelia, Elwen, Misha, Goblin, Versil… all seemed so tired they had already dozed off, and I slowly headed to my own barracks.
My private single-person barracks located at the center of the camp.
The deputy commander pleaded that if I stayed only with Squad 4, my closest comrades, others might feel uneasy, so I had my own place…
'They even put a foldable bed here.'
I chuckled quietly and laid Hamshik on the small bed.
"Good night."
For barbarians, a single blanket is enough.
The next day after the entire expedition rested fully, taking turns on guard duty.
We resumed the exploration in earnest.
Of course, with over a hundred people, we couldn't just start moving recklessly.
"Expedition leader."
"Yes?"
"…You know what this is about, right?"
"…Yes. I'll return safely."
I assigned a scouting captain to the leader, who was an excellent mage, so they could recon further.
Based on that reconnaissance, we held an executive meeting.
"We expanded the search radius widely, but no monsters were found."
"What about that temple we saw far away? Did you check there too?"
"Yes. We couldn't check inside the temple, but no monsters were found nearby."
"Why couldn't you check inside?"
"The entrance was blocked by some magical barrier."
"Magical barrier?"
I couldn't believe such a high-level mage was saying that, but the expedition leader answered confidently.
"We investigated, but couldn't figure out how it worked. We just assume it's similar to the dimensional disruption phenomena often found at rifts."
"Dimensional disruption phenomenon… Ah, no need to explain; explorers would know what that is."
The dimensional disruption phenomenon is basically a 'barrier.'
Like at the witch's hut or the blood-red fortress.
Though the portal leads you inside what looks like another world, a surrounding barrier is in place that can't be broken no matter what you do.
"In any case, if that's true, forcibly breaking in is impossible."
"Yes. It's possible the terrain itself is inaccessible."
"No, I don't think so."
"Yes…?"
"…I just have that feeling."
I avoided going into detail in a barbarian way but had some basis for that feeling.
Strictly speaking, it was statistics, not evidence.
'We've seen places where you can't get out past a certain boundary, but we've never encountered any structure completely sealed off from entry.'
It's more likely that you enter by fulfilling some condition.
"…So, can I continue reporting?"
"Yes, go ahead."
After that, the leader reported everything they saw or learned while scouting.
No insects were found in the jungle.
Plants usually found in the dark continent were growing.
Rusty iron scraps were found on the ground.
Such seemingly trivial information could be useful someday, and I recorded it carefully.
I made a decision after all reports were finished.
"Prepare for deployment after the meeting."
"Are we going to the temple?"
"Yes."
Since the temple was the only place found nearby, I planned to go myself and check it out.
If it wasn't dangerous, we'd expand the search radius again from there.
'No matter what, making a map first is the best.'
Thus, the exploration began.
Over a hundred people maintained formation as they crossed the jungle, eventually reaching the temple.
There were dozens of stone buildings, with a huge temple in the center.
"Hmm… somehow this looks familiar."
"Me too. It feels like somewhere I know."
"When was the last time I visited a place like this?"
Judging by the squad's reactions, I knew I wasn't mistaken.
"…Panthelion Ruins."
"Huh?"
"The ruins we saw there gave off this exact feeling, didn't they?"
"Oh! If those ruins were still intact, I think it would look just like this!"
If my guess was right, the place we were at was the Panthelion Ruins in the 7th floor of the Dark Continent. Or more precisely, a prototype of that place.
"Well then, let's check the temple first."
So, we headed straight to the temple as soon as we arrived.
The central staircase wasn't very high, and the entrance was located roughly at the level of the third floor.
It was a stone door that looked like it could open sideways or up and down.
"Expedition leader, is there any other way to get inside?"
"No. The dimensional disruption phenomenon isn't limited to this stone door but seems to cover the entire temple…"
"I see. Then you don't need to participate in the exploration; just keep investigating the temple."
"Baron… no, Commander, where are you going?"
"Not now. I plan to expand the search radius around here for a few days. It's easier with a map."
I left the investigation to them and concentrated on making a map.
Each squad sent several members to widen the search radius, prioritizing map creation.
After a week-long search, we didn't learn much.
'It's huge.'
Unlike rifts where dimensional disruption is visible near the edges, this place is enormous.
And…
'A river.'
A river flows east of the temple.
Assuming this was the Panthelion Ruins, this could be the Aribeona river mouth…
'But it's quite different.'
It was so different from the Aribeona river mouth I knew that I'm still confused.
'We'll decide later whether to search beyond the river…'
Though exploration and investigation had been slow, Raven's research department, where he served as head, made an unexpected discovery.
"These iron scraps found in the forest… they're not ordinary iron."
"A new kind of metal?"
"Yes. I don't even know if this can be called metal. Rust corrodes metal, but no metal in this world decays like this."
Showing me the sample, it looked like rotten flesh, blackened and giving off a foul odor.
"You can see the corrosion shrinking its size."
"…A strange metal indeed."
At first, I just reacted mildly, but Raven's next words changed my perspective.
"But… when I saw this, it reminded me of something."
"What?"
"The study of alchemy. Apparently, alchemy was originally a science aimed at creating 'humans'."
I'd heard that story before.
Nowadays, alchemy is just a technique to use magical stones to create resources.
"So?"
"I was interested and studied it before. Do you know why ancient alchemy failed to create humans? Because it couldn't create flesh."
"Flesh?"
"Yes. Flesh, skin, muscles… those things. So no matter how you breathe life into it or do whatever, it wouldn't become human. Unless it was a magical golem with a soul. You know about the Melt-Eye statue, right?"
"The steel golem that protected the palace during the Iron Wall Rebellion and was destroyed?"
"Yes. Melt-Eye is a representative golem made by inserting a human soul. But making golems with souls is now illegal, and no one dares research it."
Oh, I didn't know that.
"…Enough, so what are you trying to say?"
I asked bluntly, and Raven looked embarrassed but summed it up in one sentence.
"I just wonder if such metal existed back then, maybe those things could have been possible."
It was an unsettling story, sticky in my mind, and kept coming up again and again.
Maybe we had just discovered a new material that could be useful someday.
"Raven, research it well. Think about where and how it could be used."
"Yes."
That was the end of my conversation with Raven, and as time passed, my interest in the new material naturally waned.
But…
"Commander!"
A few days after that story, I was abruptly woken by an urgent report.
I was stunned and frozen.
"Humans!"
"…?"
"An unidentified group of humans was discovered near the river mouth!"
For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was the conversation I had with Raven.
-x-X-x-
A river flowed east of the temple.
Beyond that river, a group of humans was discovered.
Though everyone suspected with high probability that they were humanoid "monsters," regardless—
"We tried to make contact, but they quickly disappeared, so the attempt failed."
"I see…"
Though information was scarce, it was still a positive sign to have discovered something.
There had been almost no progress in exploration for about a week.
"Commander, may I ask your plan for future movements?"
"What plan?"
I smirked and said to the deputy commander,
"I was just about to start exploring beyond the river. This works out well. Prepare the expedition."
"The expedition, sir…?"
"I'll leave the main force here. Having too many people can be cumbersome."
I judged it wasn't too late to lead the main force across the river after confirming what lay beyond.
"Oh, and this time I'll be going too, so don't try to stop me."
"Yes… Then I'll prepare suitable personnel from those you mentioned."
The swift scouts with keen senses were naturally all included, and we added mages, priests, and combat personnel to form a 36-member task force.
For reference, Ainard filled one of the combat slots.
"Pnnelin should probably stay behind."
Scout captain Amelia seemed uneasy about Ainard, but I couldn't help it.
Just having him nearby was helpful.
We didn't know what kind of new monsters might appear, so 'beginner's luck' to increase essence drop rates was needed.
"Deputy commander."
"Yes. Don't worry; I'll take good care of the main force."
"Then I trust you."
That wasn't just polite talk—I really trusted him.
The deputy commander would manage well without incident in my absence.
"Scout captain, speed up."
Once the expedition began, we moved quickly like a speedrun.
We'd already confirmed there was no immediate danger nearby…
If we didn't hurry, it would take ages just to reach the river mouth.
"Stop! We camp here today and depart again tomorrow morning!"
We adopted a style of moving all day, then setting up camp at night to rest.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Baron!"
"Hey! I'm a commander, not a baron! Don't you know I smile brightly every time you call me that?"
"Oh, right, Commander! Then I'm going to rest first because I'm tired!"
Since the journey was long, everyone's faces had become familiar, though it still felt a little strange.
Only three members of Clan Anabada joined this expedition: Misha, Amelia, and Ainard.
"Bjorn. Can I ask you something… is that okay?"
While patrolling the camp, the secretary quietly handed me some late-night food and cautiously spoke.
"Ask away."
"Why did you leave that kid behind?"
"You mean Elwen?"
"Yeah."
Secretary Misha nodded and spoke softly.
"By ability and everything else, I don't see any reason to leave her behind. That's why it seemed a bit strange."
She wasn't wrong.
Elwen had keen senses perfect for exploration and top-tier combat power—she was very suitable for this mission.
But…
"She said she wouldn't come."
What could I do if she chose to rest in the main camp?
Though it felt unlike Elwen, she probably needed the rest after recent hardships.
"Oh… I see?"
Misha seemed surprised by my answer.
Still, she didn't press further and left.
"I see… then, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, rest well."
After Misha left, I ate my late-night meal alone, sorting my thoughts.
Nearby, I heard voices.
Checking, I saw Amelia quietly speaking to scouts in a remote spot.
I couldn't catch the details, but—
"Yes, captain. Understood!"
The last shouted salute reached my ears clearly.
'When did she get such discipline?'
She was quite skillful.
Though she seemed clumsy at times, she never shirked any orders.
"Is it over? Looks like she was scolding them."
"Not scolding. Just warning them about the formation breaking during today's movement."
"Oh, I see."
We considered that "scolding," but there was no reason to argue, so we let it be…
"By the way, did you decide to keep wearing the eyepatch?"
I asked as I saw her toss it off with one hand; Amelia flinched and replied,
"…Only during exploration."
"Really? Wouldn't it be better to get used to wearing it all the time?"
The [One-Eyed] effect that enhances vision doesn't consume resources, so there's no need to remove it.
In fact, constantly activating it reduces sensory error.
"…"
"You seem to wear it only during combat and live without it otherwise. Is there a reason?"
A question asked out of pure curiosity.
Amelia sighed deeply, then answered with a bitter tone.
"Isn't it strange? For a woman like me to wear an eyepatch…"
It was an unexpected answer.
But on the other hand, very Amelia.
She was surprisingly shy about many things and seemed to care about others' gazes despite appearing blunt.
She quickly changed the subject.
"…But why didn't you bring that kid?"
"Oh, Elwen?"
Amelia tilted her head.
"No, that kid. The… cute one…"
Ah, she meant Hamshik.
After about three days of travel, we arrived at the river mouth.
But seeing it in person made me question whether it deserved to be called a river.
"It's really as black as they said…"
Like the Taean Sea covered with spilled oil.
You couldn't even drink from it safely, and you'd better avoid touching the water.
'It's about as wide as the Han River…'
In fact, the river had been known for some time.
But the reason we hadn't crossed it yet was simple.
We wanted to study the river first before expanding our search area…
'They say the depth is extremely deep.'
The depth was disproportionately deep compared to its width, so it took a long time to confirm nothing was below.
It seemed they even investigated the black water.
"It's not dangerous to touch, but be careful not to come into contact just in case."
We carefully launched small boats we'd brought onto the river.
Originally, the boats would sink, but thanks to some magical measures by the mages, they floated fine.
And how much time passed?
'Thankfully, nothing happened.'
No accidents occurred while crossing.
But the problem started after crossing.
Boom—!
The moment we set foot on land and spread out, heavy vibrations rippled through the bushes.
Any experienced explorer would recognize the sound of a 'large monster' immediately.
"Prepare for battle."
We secured a retreat route by boat just in case and got into combat formation.
Boom—!
The distinct footsteps grew louder, and finally, the beast revealed itself from the bushes.
Boom—!
A frame slightly larger than an ogre.
Unlike typical crustacean monsters, it had smooth iron-like armored skin and numerous hose-like tubes around its neck.
And…
Flash—!
Red glowing eyes like infrared.
"…A mechanical giant."
"A grade 3 monster appearing in the Panthelion Ruins."
Fortunately, it wasn't a new species.
Though rare, I'd caught one before on Library Island.
"One is not too hard to handle…"
Still, we decided to be cautious.
This one might have unusual abilities, or other enemies might appear.
"Expand vision and keep alert!"
So, instead of pouring all our energy into the fight, we stayed vigilant for any surprises.
Though a high-ranking grade 3 'mechanical giant,' it wasn't particularly difficult. I'd leveled up a lot since arriving on the first basement floor.
"Behel—laaaaargh!!"
Aegis Barrier.
Its biggest weakness—anti-magic—was compensated by consuming Bellarios essence.
「The mechanical giant cast [Magic Beam].」
「The mechanical giant cast [Support Request].」
「The mechanical giant cast [Reactor]…」
No matter what it did, I blocked it effortlessly and held it in place.
Scouts guarded the surroundings and protected the dealers.
Thanks to this, the dealers could unleash their power safely, steadily dealing damage until the battle ended.
「Mechanical giant defeated.」
The battered mechanical giant's body sparkled and vanished.
And…
"Essence…!"
An essence dropped.
When I'd killed one before with Beginner's Luck active, it hadn't dropped.
Though a rare grade 3 essence, I didn't feel much excitement.
After all, I'd gotten several grade 3 essences just from the first basement floor.
By now, I'd lost count of how many seasons this was.
No doubt the influx of supply would lower the price of grade 3 essences significantly.
The high price was mostly due to leftover effects from the previous dimensional collapse.
"Store the essence in a vial."
I ordered, and Raven, part of the exploration team, approached and collected the essence.
Though not as excited as when we got the Aegis Barrier, it was still somewhat fascinating.
'Even if you work hard at farming, these are hard to get, but here we get one casually.'
The mechanical giant essence was quite good.
Aside from the base stats and active skills, the passive skill [Mechanization] was valuable.
With it, one can consume mana stones to recover MP. The efficiency was terrible, so it cost a lot of money…
'But the potential peak was huge.'
If you had enough money, your MP could effectively become infinite.
"By the way, there's no sign of that human group?"
"We need to search the area thoroughly."
After the battle, we earnestly expanded our map and territory.
But finding the human group the investigation team had spotted that day was difficult.
They surely hadn't mistaken it.
'And since killing the mechanical giant, no monsters have appeared…'
Please, just show up already—something, anything—.
"Yandel, come here! The scouts found footprints!"
"What?"
Hearing Raven, I immediately headed to the outer formation where the scouts were.
"Ah, you're here."
Amelia looked up from inspecting the ground, bending over.
"So, footprints?"
"Here."
Checking, I saw a perfectly ordinary human footprint clearly imprinted in the soil.
"Not a group, just one person."
"Where are they heading?"
"We'll find out by following. The print looks fresh."
"Then let's go."
Amelia led the way, following the footprints, and we trailed cautiously.
And…
"They stopped."
The footprints, which had continued for hundreds of meters, ended abruptly in the middle of a clearing.
"Did they notice us following and erase their trail?"
I asked, but Amelia didn't answer.
She just scanned the area with a focused gaze and muttered coldly,
"…It was a lure."
Damn it.
"Are we surrounded?"
"Most likely."
Even Amelia, an expert, was uncertain.
But the mystery was soon solved.
"It's true—we're surrounded."
"…Prepare for battle!!"
As soon as we formed up, naked figures resembling humans emerged from the forest.
Seeing them, I exhaled deeply.
'They said they were humans…'
But they were not.
Some had pointed ears, others were short and stocky, and some had animal ears on their heads.
-x-X-x-
Pointed ears.
Short, stubby legs.
Animal ears and scaly skin…
Those surrounding us had appearances reminiscent of the heteromorphic races of Lapdonia.
But…
"What exactly are these?"
"Who knows. Probably monsters?"
They were distinctly different from the heteromorphic races.
Closer to an uncanny valley, perhaps?
They resembled heteromorphic races but possessed differences so alien they were unsettling.
"These are… the most horrible monsters I've ever seen."
One with pointed ears had horns sprouting from its forehead.
Some had stubby legs but normal upper bodies.
One had animal ears yet was covered entirely in scales like a dragonkin.
Some had extra arms or legs growing from strange places; others were fine except for an abnormally large head.
All of them had severely asymmetric faces, so at first glance it was clear they weren't normal…
"When the gods created life from clay, maybe if they shook it together with monsters in a pot, something like this would come out."
Someone muttered, and that seemed apt.
It felt like everything was rolled by random dice at birth.
A few more traits:
[Kyahaaaaaak—!]
They had enough intelligence to lure enemies but seemed to have no language system.
Also…
"Begin combat!"
"Everyone hold your positions! First, we need intel on the enemy… huh?"
Contrary to their threatening appearance, they were incredibly weak.
Thunk! Crack!
Heads shattered by hammer strikes swung in defense fell like autumn leaves.
'…What's this?'
I expected difficult opponents since they surrounded us while dodging even Amelia's and the scouts' senses.
"These guys are not much at all!"
"Kill them…!"
Once each squad member realized the enemy was insignificant, they began attacking more aggressively.
I tried to caution them not to become careless… but—
Crack! Slash! Kraaang!
No unexpected events happened until the area was cleared.
'Why are they so weak…?'
Their physical abilities were superior to normal humans, but that was all.
They didn't summon spirits like the elves, didn't use Number's items like dwarves, nor wield the powers of contracted souls.
They also didn't use essence power.
Only one unusual detail existed.
"Raven, did they cast any distortion magic?"
"No. They didn't."
"But their bodies remain…"
Dozens of crushed monsters lay sprawled on the clearing, heads, arms, legs all mangled.
"Are they alive?"
"Not breathing, and their hearts have stopped."
I approached cautiously, and aside from the corpses not disappearing, they were definitely dead.
"Check them out."
Putting remaining forces on alert, I ordered the mages to investigate the bodies.
For proper study, preservation magic would be needed before returning to base…
'No wonder none looked like barbarians.'
Even from a brief investigation, one obvious fact emerged.
Besides looking like an 8-ton truck ran over them, these monsters shared one more thing:
"Hearts."
Hearts.
"Very similar to a barbarian's heart."
They had warrior hearts.
Thoughts grew heavy.
I had learned a secret from talking with the vampire man.
[Duke… what race do you think I am?]
[…Obviously human, right?]
In the duke's era, 'heteromorphic races' did not exist.
Lapdonia's history wrote that heteromorphic races lived on this land even before the witch's curse blanketed the world.
What was going on?
Among many possibilities I thought of, the most plausible was this:
'Similar but different worlds.'
Like Earth's parallel world theory, maybe that was it.
A world accessible through dimensional gates where labyrinthine exploration is possible.
It didn't sound impossible.
But now, things were slightly different.
[Alchemy started as a science to create 'humans'.]
Alchemy.
[Oh, didn't know? Ancient records sell for high prices to royalty.]
Ancient history was actively collected, yet strangely much was lost.
[Humans can wield any power: aura, divine power, magic, spirit arts.]
Humans' trait is potential for all races.
And…
[It was different from magic or essence. It was like the voice itself held power, imprinted from birth in my blood and soul. That one is my king, my master.]
Even the king's mysterious special ability was veiled.
[Oh, and the old man of the magic tower only revealed his identity after we knelt and followed suit.]
Many bits of information gathered during the journey pointed to one possibility.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
The five heteromorphic races besides humans were artificially created.
For someone's need.
Or more precisely…
'The royal family. It can't be anything but the royal family.'
Though I felt like a conspiracy theorist, thinking backward made it somewhat convincing.
In a way, heteromorphic races are slaves to humans.
Slaves who enter the labyrinth, mining mana stones based on superior physical abilities.
'Even their taxes are high.'
Though the high taxes had historical reasons.
Now I even doubted that history itself.
Not doubting the history existed, but—
'Did that history have no mastermind behind it?'
Someone secretly pushing heteromorphic races forward, orchestrating events from behind.
It wouldn't be hard for a royal family with countless agents.
"…Why do you suddenly think like that?"
"I was just wondering what kind of jerky to eat later."
I dodged Raven's question.
Though I was convinced, it was still only a possibility…
If true, it was a heavy secret better left unspoken.
"Ahem, anyway, cast preservation magic on all the remaining corpses and store them well. We'll return to base for proper research."
"Are you planning to return immediately?"
"Of course not. Exploration continues. We haven't figured out much here yet."
After the battle and preliminary investigation, I led the troops to resume ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) surrounding exploration.
One day, two days, three days.
Expanding the search widely to make maps, we encountered many monsters.
Numerous mechanical monsters from the Panthelion Ruins, and several mechanical giants.
Among them were 'Doppelers.'
By the way, 'Doppler' was Raven's name for monsters resembling heteromorphic races…
Its etymology was simple in the ancient tongue:
'Different beings.'
Raven's characteristic flair for dramatic naming showed, but the meaning fit well enough—.
"Yandel."
Ah, startled.
"Make some noise if you're here. Have you finished scouting?"
Amelia nodded and got straight to the point.
"We found a strange artificial structure connected somewhere during scouting. We should go check it at dawn."
"An artificial structure?"
I asked Amelia for details. After everyone heard, I felt a strong intuition that we finally had some results.
But since everyone was tired, we agreed to rest well and inspect it in the morning per Amelia's advice.
"Here."
The next day, following Amelia, we arrived at an ordinary jungle.
No different from any area we'd explored so far.
But…
"Need to watch the ground more carefully from now on."
"We were lucky to find this."
Clearing brush up to knee height revealed something previously hidden.
A hatch resembling a manhole cover installed directly on bare ground.
It had a handle on top, as if designed to turn open.
"We didn't touch it, fearing it might be trapped."
"Good call."
I asked the mages to investigate. Soon, a report came back saying no major danger was detected.
Phew, so it was really just a matter of opening it?
Click, click, creak, thud—!
Turning the handle, I heard the lock release at a certain point, and the hatch opened.
Inside was a cylindrical structure with a ladder on one wall leading downward.
'Depth…'
Using a light orb spell, I checked: about 20 meters.
But I couldn't see below due to the angle.
"Well then, I'll—"
"Nonsense. I'll go down."
Before I could say anything, Amelia interrupted and stepped forward.
She didn't look like she'd back down no matter what I said.
We locked eyes, an unspoken battle of wills.
"What strange worries you have."
Raven chuckled and inserted himself between us.
"I'll check it out."
"What?"
"Ah, with magic, of course."
"Ah…"
Amelia and I stepped back awkwardly as Raven summoned a recording crystal, lowering it down safely instead of risking a person going down.
But such tools have their limits.
"There's a straight corridor below, blocked by an iron door at the end."
Since the door blocked the way, no further info could be gathered this way.
Therefore…
"…Don't even think about going in first. I'm the scout captain of this expedition."
It was decided Amelia would enter first.
'Funny how she was mad about the weird name before.'
Anyway, Amelia climbed down, followed by a mage.
After securing some safety, I was to enter.
"…"
Even after releasing [Giant Form], the narrow space made climbing down the ladder quite uncomfortable.
Shoulders were so cramped they nearly touched the walls.
'Barbarian misery.'
Such racially discriminatory architecture exists in all eras.
"This way, Yandel."
After a tough climb, Amelia called me from inside the corridor.
"Unlike upstairs, there's no locking mechanism here. And nothing gets scratched when I touch it with aura."
Hmm, if aura can't even scratch it, that's effectively physical damage immunity…
"How about magic?"
I asked, and the second entrant, a mage who was the expedition leader's right hand, answered cautiously.
"Besides the dimensional disruption, a weak special magical flow is detected. Its density is low, so it's unlikely to be a trap. It probably just controls the door opening and closing."
"And?"
"Interestingly, the dimensional disruption covers beyond the door, not the door itself."
"Hm, so the aura's ineffectiveness isn't due to the disruption?"
"That's how it looks."
"A metal that aura can't scratch…"
I knocked on the door like a tap.
I couldn't know what was hidden inside, but even this iron door felt valuable.
"Deputy chief of investigation."
"…Are you talking to me?"
"Yes. Can you remove this whole thing? I think it'd make excellent armor if melted down."
"Uh… I think it's worth a try. Even aside from making armor, it's clearly a rare mineral."
Okay, got it.
Though I don't know why making armor is ruled out, the mage agreed to attempt removing it.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a faint vibration echoed from the door.
"Yandel, step back!"
Startled by Amelia's shout, I stepped back.
But what happened next was unexpectedly minor.
Drdrdr, drdrdr.
Something turned inside, and with a soft click, the round door smoothly opened.
「Primary record access permission confirmed.」
「Entry permitted.」
What the…?
"Do you know why it opened suddenly?"
"No idea. When we tried contacting it earlier, there was no response."
"I see…"
Slightly dumbfounded, but now two possibilities existed: someone opened it hearing my knock, or—
'Some condition unknown to me was met.'
Personally, the latter seemed more likely, but it didn't matter.
While the mage used a message stone to report the situation upstairs, I slowly entered beyond the door.
And…
'Huh?'
A problem arose.
Suddenly, I looked back to see Amelia pressed right against the door.
She had her palm flat in the air as if miming something.
Her mouth moved but no sound came out.
"What? You can't come in?"
"How did you get in?"
Sensing something strange, I hurried outside and asked. After several tries, one fact was confirmed.
"The door opened, but the dimensional disruption remains active as usual. I just don't understand…"
For some reason, only I could enter beyond that door.
Therefore…
"Wait here. I'll check quickly."
"What? Wait—"
Before Amelia's nagging could start, I rushed back inside.
Flare—!
It was dark inside, but activating Barbarian Candle mode helped.
'Feels like being inside a submarine…'
Every surface was covered in steel plates, with unknown pipes and cables everywhere.
Clunk, clunk.
No forks in the path; only straight ahead. After walking about 100 meters, another ladder appeared to go down.
But instead of descending blindly, I decided to open the iron door next to it first.
Clunk.
Luckily, it opened easily without sticking.
Peeking inside, I slowly blinked.
"Phew…"
A long corridor stretched out, seemingly endless.
Test tubes filled with green liquid lined the walls.
Honestly, it was hard to believe.
I didn't know why the genre suddenly changed to sci-fi…
'Doppler.'
Monsters resembling heteromorphic races named by Raven crouched in test tubes, glaring at me.
-x-X-x-
A test tube filled with green culture fluid.
Inside that test tube, dozens of dopplers curled up, all glaring at me simultaneously.
It wasn't just a coincidence.
Some blinked their eyes, and when I took a step, their pupils moved accordingly.
"…They're alive?"
From a modern person's perspective, it was such a grotesque sight that I involuntarily shrank back.
But…
"Why are they staring like that?"
Having endured countless hardships inhabiting the body of a barbarian, the sensibility of a modern person was now hard to find in me.
Of course, not completely gone…
"Hey, is this your first time seeing a barbarian?"
If I were to measure it precisely, maybe it's similar to truffle mushrooms added to truffle oil?
After scanning the surroundings briefly, I started moving forward.
Step, step.
Every time I passed down the corridor, their gazes followed me, but I didn't particularly mind.
After all, when it comes to grotesqueness, nothing beats a corpse golem.
Even then, this barbarian body moved indifferently without shrinking back.
Thud.
As I briskly walked, the end of the corridor appeared.
There was another room, and when I carefully opened the door and entered, it looked like a laboratory inside.
A huge test tube stood like a pillar at the center, filled only with green culture fluid…
Swish.
Turning my head sideways, I saw a bookshelf.
The wall was fully covered with shelves crammed with thick old books.
"Nothing here, huh."
I opened all the books from top to bottom hoping to find a clue, but there were no letters written in any of them.
They looked like props used for decoration.
'Well, not really surprising…'
Actually, empty books like this were often found during labyrinth explorations.
That's why sometimes books with actual content sold for high prices in the city.
Like the 'Necronomicon' coming from the Bloody Fortress.
'But… what is this?'
Turning away from the bookshelf, I approached the center of the laboratory.
In front of the giant test tube filled only with culture fluid was a lever of unknown purpose.
If this were a game, an interaction button would pop up as soon as I got close.
Naturally, I couldn't resist.
Clack, clunk!
Pulling with moderate force, the lever moved fully and caught at the end.
And at the same time—
Flash—!
Light burst out from the test tube.
It wasn't a blinding flash harsh enough to hurt the eyes.
But when the light subsided, something had appeared inside the culture fluid in the test tube.
'Doppler.'
The monster trapped inside the test tube in the corridor.
It was surprising that pulling one lever instantly generated a doppler inside the tube, but that was all.
Maybe it made sense in this world?
My attention soon shifted elsewhere.
'If the left lever is the generate key… then what's the right one?'
Looking at the other lever, I reached out my hand.
Because really, how could I resist?
Clack, clunk!
Like a true barbarian, I grabbed and pulled the lever at once.
And…
Flash—!
Light burst out from the test tube again, just like before.
Only this time, the result was completely the opposite.
'It disappeared.'
As the light faded, the doppler inside vanished without a trace.
'Is this the delete button?'
Hmm, I'm not sure.
Maybe it's a teleportation button or something.
Well, it wasn't really important at this moment.
'…So what exactly is this place?'
That was the biggest question after confirming the effect of both levers.
A generate lever and a delete lever.
I understood all that.
But why was a place like this hidden underground, and how had I managed to get here?
It couldn't be that someone made a place like this to come down alone and just play with levers…
"Hmm."
Come to think of it, when playing [Dungeon & Stone], there were these kinds of hidden pieces within hidden pieces.
Don't other online RPGs have those too?
Like a notebook or a note dropped on the path, and picking it up reveals someone's story.
Sometimes hidden quests would start from those, but ultimately the essence of those devices was to naturally reveal the game's worldview.
And if this is such a case…
'To give clues about the truth that the demi-humans were artificially created?'
That was the only thought that came to mind.
I had already roughly guessed the secret of the demi-humans even before coming here, but that was just luck.
If it hadn't been for that conversation with the vampire guy back then, I wouldn't have reached that conclusion.
'…Hmm, maybe this really is a place that exists for that purpose?'
By the way, there was another reason why this hypothesis felt plausible.
Is it because most of basement level 1 has this kind of atmosphere?
The more I explored, the more I felt something.
Like an invisible force was leading me somewhere, trying to tell me something.
'Anyway, it'd be a shame if this is all there is…'
Having dropped the lever, I searched the entire room thoroughly.
But despite the effort, I gained nothing notable, and there was only one thing left unchecked in this room.
"Sigh…"
I sighed and stared at the giant test tube filled with green culture fluid.
Even for a barbarian, known for boldness, this problem was a serious concern.
Because the only thing left was that one test tube.
'If I break it… will something come out?'
If I were playing a game, I would have pressed the attack button immediately.
Even if it became irreversible, I'd be satisfied with gaining information and would retry.
After all, [Dungeon & Stone] was that kind of game.
But…
'Not trying means I won't know anything.'
I hesitated but didn't take long to decide.
Ping—!
I flicked a 100-stone coin I carried in the city with my thumb.
If it landed heads, I'd toss it again.
If tails, I'd smash the test tube mercilessly with a hammer—
Roll roll roll.
The coin spun on the floor and stopped.
It was tails.
'Okay, no need to feel guilty then.'
As if waiting for that, I swung the hammer and smashed the glass of the test tube.
I worried there might be a "cannot be destroyed" option, but luckily the test tube shattered with a clear tinkling sound like ordinary glass.
Shshshshsh—!
Green liquid poured out through the broken glass cracks.
Since it was unknown what it was, I climbed onto the desk to avoid getting wet.
Although I got a little wet when breaking it with the hammer, the parts touched didn't sting.
Step.
The liquid wet the floor but quickly drained away, as if there was an invisible drainage below.
Only then did I get down from the desk and approached the test tube.
And…
Grin.
I smiled as I saw a mysterious stone buried among the glass shards.
'Yeah, I knew there'd be something.'
Damn, I've been playing this game for years.
The cracks that looked like lava flowing inside leaked a red light, clearly not an ordinary item.
Swish.
So I bent down and picked up the stone with my gloved hand.
And then…
"…Huh?"
I lost consciousness.
[Character acquired 'Philosopher's Stone.']
[Malignant genetic factors engraved on the character's body have been removed.]
When I opened my eyes, the first thought that came to mind was one thing.
I'm hungry.
I felt a hunger stronger than ever before, which raised a question.
'How much time has passed?'
I shouldn't be this hungry just from fainting for a moment.
First, I steadied myself with my hands on the floor and stood up.
There were glass shards everywhere, but thanks to my high physical resistance stats, it didn't sting.
"…"
At first, nothing around me had changed.
The test tube was smashed, and the bookshelf on one wall was a mess since I had pulled out the books.
The only difference was…
"Where's that thing?"
No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find the stone.
I clearly lost consciousness while holding it last, but when I came to, it had vanished like foam.
Two possibilities immediately came to mind.
Someone stole the stone while I was unconscious.
It was a consumable used immediately upon acquisition.
I didn't know which was true, but I judged the latter was more likely.
After all, this type of item or event isn't unheard of in [Dungeon & Stone].
'The problem is, there's no way for me to know its effect…'
Whether it's a potion, curse, or buff.
Since I couldn't check the character log, I had no idea.
There were no obvious changes in my body either.
'By the way, how much time really passed?'
Putting the stone aside, I checked my watch.
The hour hand was about seven hours ahead of the last time I checked, but it was too early to be relieved.
The advanced explorer's watch even shows how many days have passed.
"…No wonder I was hungry."
When I realized more than ten days had passed, I sighed.
Sigh, just imagining how much the comrades would scold me when I return.
Creak, creak.
Since it was like this, I slowly chewed on some jerky to fill my stomach.
Then I got up and left the laboratory.
As when ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don't copy, read here) I came here, as soon as I stepped into the corridor, the dopplers trapped in the test tubes glared at me.
Given the background, it wasn't annoying enough to be frustrating.
But…
'I guess I have to break these too.'
Once an idea popped up, a barbarian's spirit is to act.
I smashed the test tubes along the corridor, crushing the heads of the crawling dopplers.
But aside from relieving my stuffy feeling a little, I gained no other results.
"Oh, that reminds me."
As I passed through, I noticed another hole leading downward.
Now that I was this late, I might as well check it before going back.
Amelia would probably be furious, but anyway, she'd be mad even if I returned now.
I climbed down the ladder and searched below.
It was similar in structure to when I first entered this bunker-like space.
A straight corridor ending in a round iron door.
The only difference was that knocking, touching, or yelling loudly didn't open the door.
'…There must be some condition to open it. But then, why did the first door open immediately?'
I didn't know, but there was nothing else to do here.
With that thought, I climbed the ladder and returned the way I came.
It didn't take long to reach the point where the dimensional rupture phenomenon blocked Amelia from following me.
But…
"…What?"
For some reason, no one was there.
An ominous feeling.
I never dismiss such feelings as superstition or mood.
There's a saying that bad premonitions never miss.
And in fact, bad premonitions are often correct.
Feeling that way means my unconscious mind already sensed it.
A discrepancy between what my eyes and ears perceived.
Thump, thump—!
My heart raced.
Amelia or anyone else should have been here.
Normally, if a barbarian like me acted recklessly and disappeared, comrades would worry and wait here.
But now, why was there no one?
Even if they moved somewhere, it would be rational to leave at least one person here.
'I guess something must have happened.'
With that in mind, I quickly climbed the ladder to the surface.
But even on the ground, thick with bushes, no one was in sight.
"Emily! Ainard! Raven! Misha…!!"
No matter how much I shouted, no answer came back.
It was too quiet, so quiet that I wondered if I was the only one left in this world.
Whatever the situation, I needed to check the main base temple first.
As soon as possible.
Tat-tat-tat.
Thinking that, I ran madly, and after a day had passed, I reached a river I had passed before.
It was the biggest obstacle to reaching the temple.
I didn't care whether the water was harmful to my body or not.
Barbarians can't swim.
The boat dependent on me was destroyed during the rainy season and couldn't float.
The boat I left behind was nowhere to be seen.
Still, it wasn't a hopeless situation.
I just couldn't swim, but barbarians could walk through river water.
Like this.
Splash—!
I jumped as far as I could, submerged, and waited until my body sank all the way down to the bottom.
And…
Thunk—!
Once my feet touched down, I trusted my lung capacity and walked as fast as possible.
"Huff—huff!"
Damn, I really thought I was going to die.
I couldn't see ahead and didn't know if I was going the right way.
"Huff, huff."
After barely crossing the river, I ran toward the temple without even shaking off the black water.
-x-X-x-
A temple I barely reached after running day and night for several sleepless days.
"..."
The temple was eerily silent, not much different from when I left it.
The barracks set up for a long stay and the cooking facilities were intact.
Only the people were gone.
Thump—
What on earth had happened here?
There were no signs of battle.
In fact, the pot still contained thick stew, as if cooking had been in progress—
'…The door's open?'
Only then did I notice the temple door, which should have been closed, was wide open.
Could this be connected to the recent events?
I cautiously moved toward the temple.
["Bjorn Yandel…!!"]
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"…Hamsik?"
As soon as I turned toward the voice, Hamsik flew at me.
["Why did you come only now! I was scared to death…!"]
It was the first time I'd seen him so startled.
But I had no time to calm down and listen carefully.
"What exactly happened here?"
["I-I don't know! Suddenly, light burst from the temple, and everyone seemed out of their minds, getting up and entering that temple!"]
"You mean they went in on their own…?"
Had they fallen under some charm or mind control? That would explain the absence of battle traces…
["Yes! Again, their eyes were strange, staggering as if they didn't even see me next to them!"]
"Calm down."
["..."]
"So you were the only one who stayed sane in that situation?"
["Yes."]
"Did you see the expedition members who crossed the river with me?"
Trying to stay calm, I asked, and Hamsik's voice steadied slightly.
["Ah…! They entered the temple a few days ago, carried by some strange flying object…"]
Flying object? Could that be the drone I saw before?
"So were they unconscious?"
["No, their eyes were open. Like the others, their souls were completely gone, though."]
"Damn, what kind of range is that?"
["…Hmm?"]
"Oh, just talking to myself."
Obviously, the source of the mind control was the temple.
But that it affected even across the river was unexpected.
Though I was safe inside the bunker with dimensional rupture, why was Hamsik unaffected?
Maybe because he was classified as a 'monster'?
I didn't know, but focused on getting information from Hamsik.
"So you haven't gone inside the temple and don't know what's there?"
["I was just waiting because I thought you'd come! Not because I'm scared!"]
"Sure."
["..."]
Unfortunately, Hamsik was just a witness, not someone actively investigating the incident.
So that was all I could learn from him.
"The rest I'll have to find out by going in myself."
There was no choice but to go on foot now.
[Character has entered the 7th Records Archive.]
The temple's interior was very simple.
Upon entering the open stone gate, stairs appeared.
Going down further, a heptagonal hall appeared.
Except for the stairway I came down, there were six stone gates on each face…
"All but one are closed."
["More than that, it feels creepy."]
"What's that?"
In the center of the hall was a desk-like structure.
No, more like an altar?
Its surface looked and felt like stone, with seven rectangular grooves carved in.
"I guess something's meant to be placed here, but I don't know what yet."
["I said it feels creepy."]
"Ah, do we get something for breaking these one by one?"
["Hey… do you… not hear me…? Right…?"]
While sorting my thoughts, Hamsik's anxious voice caught my ear.
Normally I would have joked pretending not to hear, but since my comrades were kidnapped, there was no time.
"I hear you."
["…Then why won't you answer?"]
"You have to have something to say first."
["Huh…?"]
"What's creepy about it? Do you want me to sympathize?"
["No, not really…"]
"Fine. Be quiet for a bit. I need to think."
Luckily, Hamsik understood and stopped rambling.
Thanks to that, I could quietly focus.
'The size fits perfectly…'
I immediately took out the golden book.
It was the one looted from Hamsik's house after clearing Library Island, also mentioned briefly in the chief's ghost story notebook.
Swish.
I carefully placed the golden book into one of the grooves; it fit perfectly with no gaps.
…Could this be a coincidence?
'No way.'
I recalled the phrase from the chief's notebook:
[The golden book won't help you with your goal.]
I interpreted that as the golden book having no relation to 'escape.'
My goal was always escape.
Then why was such a device appearing while conquering Rainbow Island, the core of escape?
[Nothing is happening…?]
"Of course not, it looks like something will happen only when all slots are filled."
["Ah…"]
"Anyway, be quiet for now. I have more to think about."
I had gotten the golden book only after clearing Library Island.
Where would the others be found?
'The simplest guess is that each island cleared grants one.'
Library Island, Stone Gate Island, Tree Island, Giant Island, Chief Island, Rock Island, and Rainbow Island—the seven islands in this layer.
Though this theory wasn't without contradictions.
Stone Gate Island, with guardian statues and a final ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) crack opening.
Though cleared, the golden book wasn't found in the reward room reminiscent of Hamsik's house.
'Well, maybe because I haven't seen the true ending yet…'
Then what about Rock Island or Chief Island?
Giant Island had the colossal giant, but Rock and Chief Islands had nothing notable.
'The chief's already dead, so no connection to clearing.'
No matter how much I thought, no clear answers came, only growing anxiety.
So I ended this worry for now.
Swish.
Putting the golden book back into the pocket dimension, I approached the firmly closed stone gates and examined them carefully.
'How can I open the other gates?'
No clue yet, but it felt too soon to worry.
At least one gate was wide open.
Starting there would probably lead to clues.
The way to rescue my kidnapped comrades was surely beyond that gate.
"Let's go, Hamsik."
Without wasting time, I moved toward the open gate.
Beyond it was something smooth blocking the view, not a portal, but more like an air curtain.
Swish.
Pushing carefully inside, my hand slid through a soft, squishy sensation.
It felt like immersing a hand in liquid, but I didn't get wet.
A little sticky, but with no other choice, I went in.
Thud.
My toes touched the ground, and a strange sight spread before me.
'A prison…?'
The place I arrived at was a prison.
Not like the underground prison below the Explorer's Guild, but closer to a modern prison structure.
Or more precisely, a futuristic prison?
Drdrdrdrd—!
Drones flew in the corridors where guards would pass.
In the center of the hall, a large mechanical wolf made of machine parts was sleeping.
Various monsters, with dazed eyes, were being led somewhere by the drones…
"…Am I invisible?"
Like an invisible man, the drones, monsters, and mechanical wolf ignored me and went about their tasks.
["W-what is this place…?"]
"Like I'd know."
First, I turned to check the walls.
The smooth curtain I passed through was attached to the wall, so going back and forth freely was possible.
Swish.
Okay, my hand fits in well.
At least I secured a retreat path just in case.
["Bjorn Yandel…"]
Then Hamsik, perched on my shoulder, called me.
I was about to ignore him thinking he'd fuss again, but—
["This place… feels familiar."]
It was impossible to ignore.
["Maybe… a place I came to before losing my memory."]
"What…?"
["…Be quiet, I'm thinking."]
Is this what it means to get back what you gave?
"Ah, got it."
I kept my mouth shut to not disturb Hamsik's concentration and continued exploring.
No point rushing.
He'd tell me if he remembered anything.
Step, step.
As I walked around, I realized I'd misunderstood something.
The drones, the mechanical wolf, the dazed monsters.
They didn't ignore me because I was invisible.
'They do see me.'
Drones hovering nearby paused, zoomed in on me through their lens-eyes, then quickly went back to ignoring me.
'Hah… I'd rather just fight outright.'
If they had attacked immediately, I wouldn't have had to bother with all this thinking.
…Is that too barbarian of me?
'Whatever, let's just follow them.'
Carrying pensive Hamsik, I followed the monsters lined up under drone control.
["Hey, go down there."]
Hamsik suddenly tapped my shoulder.
"Now?"
["Hurry!"]
The sudden suggestion surprised me, but I left the line and took the stairs next to us down.
After some time…
["Here."]
Descending a flight resembling an emergency exit, Hamsik stopped me.
["Look carefully at the wall."]
His voice wasn't teasing, so I obeyed rather than ask why.
Then what was this?
Thud.
Touching the wall, I felt a hidden groove.
I took out a dagger, inserted it in, and pushed; a tile fell off the wall.
And…
["There really is something…"]
Inside the space hidden by the tile was a mysterious card.
Not plastic like commonly used now, but metal with some weight.
"…What is this?"
["Don't know."]
"You told me about it but don't know?"
["I only recall fragments of memories. At some point… I hid this here."]
Hamsik said it was very important to him but didn't even remember the card's use.
"…Alright."
I pocketed the card into the dimension, closed the tile, and left.
"Where to now?"
["Further down… there should be something further down. I always kept going down here."]
"…"
Since Hamsik seemed to know something, I didn't press him and descended the stairs.
After some time…
"There's nowhere left to go down."
["Then this must be it."]
At last, I reached the bottom and cautiously opened the door.
Fortunately, it wasn't locked…
"..."
Beyond the door was a totally different atmosphere from the prison above ground.
A dome-like space reminiscent of a soccer stadium.
But the first thing I thought was a factory.
Zzzzzzt.
A monster stopped while riding rails.
And…
Flash—!
A mechanical device above it glowed, and the monster vanished without a trace.
For some reason, a single magic stone lay alone in its place…
Zzzzzzing.
The rail began moving again, carrying the stone into a box at the end of the rail.
Once the box was full,
Drrrrr.
The box slid along another rail, moving somewhere.
But I couldn't see where.
["Hey! Over here! Over here!"]
I turned quickly at Hamsik's shout, and immediately froze.
Zzzzzzing.
On the moving rail was a familiar face.
"…Raven?"
Raven was standing dazed on the rail, being moved.
Flash—!
Toward the device that transformed monsters into magic stones.
-x-X-x-
A device that turns monsters into magic stones.
What happens if a human is put into that device?
I don't have data on that yet.
But…
Thud—!
The moment I saw Raven, I pushed off the ground and shot forward.
The fact that the kidnapped Raven was standing on that rail already proved something: that device doesn't turn only monsters into magic stones.
Zzzzzzing—
Luckily, pulling Raven off the moving rail wasn't too difficult.
There were no restraints to begin with.
All I had to do was grab Raven's waist from above, lift him, and set him down…
"Raven! Raven! Snap out of it!"
No matter how much I shook his shoulders, he just stared blankly into space, refusing to wake up.
Thud, thud.
I didn't stop at shaking— I slapped his cheek firmly, but it was the same—
"Ugh…"
What, is this working?
Seeing him groan like sleep-talking, I slapped him harder.
Smack, smack.
"Ugh…"
Thunk! Thunk!
"St… stop…"
Raven's condition seemed to improve as he muttered barely formed words.
Maybe the condition to break the charm requires a certain amount of damage.
With that in mind, I hit him harder.
"Raven! Raven! Get up!"
Thunk! Thunk!
"St- stop…"
Thunk! Thwack!
"St- stop… it…!"
"He's awake!"
My effort paid off as intelligence slowly returned to Raven's eyes.
"You okay? Can you move? Anything strange? Where are the others? Ah, want some water?"
"…Water."
"Here. I'll tilt it for you—drink slowly."
I brought the water pouch to his lips like a baby bottle, and Raven fully regained consciousness.
"Thank you for saving me."
"No need to thank me. It's what I should do."
"My jaw is sore, but my mind is clear now."
"There's a saying 'a beating is a medicine.'"
"A bit bitter medicine, though."
Okay, judging by the jokes, he seemed fully fine now…
"So what happened?"
"…It seems like some kind of mind control. Not long after you entered, we all lost consciousness."
"So you don't remember anything?"
"No. Not completely unconscious…"
Raven slowly began explaining, vaguely remembering things as if dreaming.
"It felt like being controlled by something else while heavily drunk."
When I touched the strange stone and fainted,
Raven and the others who lost consciousness just staggered and stood blankly with other members.
Then flying objects came from the sky,
They were carried across the river and dragged to the temple.
"After that, it felt like waiting for something. While gathered, one by one, people were dragged away somewhere. And this time, it was my turn…"
"One by one."
"…What?"
"Dragged away one by one…?"
My heart sank.
But Raven didn't seem to notice my serious expression.
"Phew… better to see it for yourself."
I headed toward where Raven's rail was going—
To the place with the device that turns monsters into magic stones.
Flash—!
Monsters transformed into fist-sized magic stones by the beam.
"Wh-what…?"
Raven's face went pale realizing that if I had been a moment later, I'd have passed that place.
Did he also realize the cause of my grim expression?
"Could it be that all those dragged away before were…"
Raven couldn't finish the sentence, afraid his words would summon misfortune.
It was time for me to steel my mind and confirm.
"Raven, how many were dragged away?"
"I don't know exactly, but definitely more than ten."
"Who were they…?"
Frowning, Raven strained his memory and named them one by one.
Then suddenly he stopped speaking.
Thump—!
My heart jolted strongly.
My subconscious, hardened by countless misfortunes, already guessed why Raven stopped talking.
"Tell me. Who were they?"
Raven's small lips parted, and the bad premonition was realized.
"Emily Raines…"
Damn it.
My heart raced.
Thump—!
Though the heart should evenly supply blood, it felt like all the blood gathered in my head.
"She was right before me…"
In other words, it was already too late.
Still, I forced myself calm and confirmed what I could.
"Where are the remaining people…?"
"I don't know well. I don't remember everything… It was a large rectangular space, though…"
The priority was rescuing the remaining members, but sadly Raven didn't know the way.
'So I have to search the whole building…'
The problem was the rails.
If the rails kept working, victims would keep appearing as I searched.
So…
Kraaaaash—!
I struck the rails with ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) my hammer.
Screech, screech—
The rails broke with sounds and stopped operating.
At the same time—
Beeeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!
An alarm blared as drones headed this way.
I thought maybe the drones would finally recognize me as an enemy and attack.
But oddly, they just passed by and stationed themselves in front of the broken rails.
"They seem to be trying to repair it?"
"…"
"What will you do?"
"For now, I'll leave it be."
I had a feeling destroying the drones would be a waste of time.
They'd probably come again to fix it.
'Better to find out exactly how long repairs take.'
"Raven, follow me for a bit."
"Uh, where to?"
"I need to find out what this place is."
I led Raven along the stopped rails.
Soon we found other rails working normally, carrying boxes full of magic stones somewhere.
"But… wouldn't it have been better to wait here? Wouldn't others have come?"
"…That's one way."
"Ah… you didn't think of that."
No matter how calm I tried to be, it wasn't easy.
Everyone has a breaking point.
"Anyway, look around carefully. There might be a way to rescue those who went ahead."
"Yes…"
Following the rails that carried the boxes, we came to a place with three unknown machines.
Hooks, like those in claw machines, hung from the ceiling, picking up magic stones and putting them into the machines.
Thud, roll.
A magic stone rolled into the machine's inlet.
Something on the ceiling glowed, and when the light faded, something had formed beyond a transparent glass plate at the center.
"..."
It was a monster.
It had features of goblins, orcs, and ghouls combined.
A grotesque monster I'd never seen in the labyrinth.
"What… what is that…?"
"If we follow it, maybe we'll find out."
The monster, created by the machine, boarded the rails that started moving again, and we cautiously followed.
Then I fully understood the factory's structure.
Flash—!
The monster rode the rails back into the machine and was turned back into magic stones.
Strangely, there were three stones, not one.
Flash—!
The three stones passed through the machines once more, and were reborn as goblin, orc, and ghoul…
'What kind of stupid nonsense is this?'
After all the procedures, the monsters came under drone control and were taken upstairs, locked in a prison.
"Could it be that… this repeats endlessly?"
"…Seems so."
More confusing than when I knew nothing about this place.
What is this place?
Why do they keep repeating this pointless cycle?
Still, I felt some relief.
"If that's the case… maybe everyone's still alive?"
"…Let's hope."
"Anyway, repairs seem almost done."
When we went back down, the badly damaged rails had been partially restored.
So I thought about breaking them again…
"How about listening to me? We don't even know where the others are trapped."
Following Raven's advice, I held off breaking the rails.
"I'll stay here and try to rescue people. You go search around. Isn't that more reasonable?"
It was indeed safer thinking ahead.
Even if I couldn't find the trapped spots, more comrades could be saved.
Though I still felt uneasy.
"It looks okay now, but something dangerous could happen while I'm gone."
"That's true, but…"
"I'll stay with you. After waking about ten more, it'll be fine even if I'm not here."
"Oh… that might be better."
After agreeing on that, we sat by the rails, waiting for comrades.
One hour, two hours, three hours…
Waiting without a clear end, we kept exchanging thoughts.
"You lost consciousness the moment you grabbed that stone, right?"
"Yes. But when I woke, the stone was gone and ten days had passed."
"No physical problems?"
"Not yet."
Raven's face grew serious hearing what happened to me, but he couldn't offer much advice.
"Do you know what that stone was?"
"No. I don't know. But…"
"But?"
Raven hesitated, then asked.
"Do you know what a homunculus is?"
"Of course. An eighth-tier monster, right?"
Mainly found in the Witch's Forest on floor three, but can appear anywhere unexpectedly.
I caught many of them.
But Raven shook his head at my answer.
"I meant the alchemical homunculus."
"I don't know that."
"In alchemy, a homunculus is an artificial life form—or more precisely, an artificially created 'human.'"
"True… the homunculus in the Witch's Forest was humanoid."
"In form, yes. But as it walked, its skin dripped, genetically closer to slime than humans."
"So what's your point?"
"Just… I started doubting the magic stones themselves. We saw monsters turn into magic stones, then stones become monsters again."
"But what about it?"
"I wondered if the legendary 'Philosopher's Stone' really exists, maybe magic stones share very similar properties…"
It sounded like a wizard's fantasy.
Or maybe not just fantasy?
'Magic stones…'
Just as I felt that ticklish sensation, a flutter like a feather inside my head…
"Uh…?"
Raven's eyes widened, staring in one direction.
I quickly looked that way.
A comrade was entering on the rails.
A loyal knight who joined the Islock expedition.
"Sir Meland Kaislan!"
Seeing him, I quickly approached and got off the rails.
And was about to slap his cheek…
"Wait!"
Raven stopped me and pulled out something from the pocket dimension.
That thing was called…
"Crown of Anguish?"
"Yes. I thought it might help him regain consciousness."
Hmm, that might work…
"But isn't there already a proven method?"
"Yes, but I still taste blood in my mouth."
"Ah…"
No wonder his cheeks were swollen compared to usual.
I nodded, signaling to proceed.
Raven carefully placed the crown on him.
After a while…
"Ugh…"
Kaislan regained consciousness.
-x-X-x-
"Here, here we are..."
"Kaislan, are you coming to?"
The one who regained consciousness still looked dazed as if dreaming, but after I slapped his cheek once, he fully woke up.
"Ahhh...!"
Yeah, this works instantly in many ways.
"Yandel...! I'm glad you're safe!"
Honestly, it was touching to see him relieved as soon as he regained consciousness and saw me.
But...
"You're the commander."
"Heh, commander. I'm glad you're safe."
"Can you stand up?"
After exchanging a bit of banter, I helped Kaislan up. Then I shared all the information we'd gathered so far and asked if he had any new details.
"…I don't really know. Unlike Miss Raven, I can't remember anything."
"Do you usually forget what happened after drinking?"
"…Not really. I'm not one to like drinking that much anyway."
"Well, it seems memory differences vary from person to person."
"No, it might also be due to distance. When everything happened, Lord Kaislan was near the temple where the main force was, unlike me."
"Well, maybe that really is the reason."
Since everything is still just a hypothesis, we need more samples.
So from then on, we kept guarding the rail like gatekeepers, waking comrades as soon as they appeared.
Thanks to that, we learned something.
"Hmm… You vaguely remember, huh? You must have been near the temple then."
Memory seemed unrelated to distance, just an individual difference.
After all, some people vividly remember their dreams, right?
For reference, I'm not good at remembering dreams.
From what the others say, I grind my teeth and talk in my sleep, but when I wake up, I don't remember anything.
"…Are you talking about that prison where we were?"
"Well… I can't really remember. Sorry."
Unfortunately, even those who remembered faintly didn't know where exactly they had been imprisoned.
Therefore...
"At this rate, it should be safe even without me."
After rescuing over ten people and gaining minimal forces, I told my comrades I planned to explore alone.
"Commander, wouldn't it be better to wait a little and move together?"
Kaislan expressed concern, but I couldn't waste any more time.
Though I didn't show it, my insides were burning black even at that moment.
"Well, they said the scout leader who went ahead might be fine—"
"Possibility, right?"
"...?"
"I mean, I don't want to just wait here and hope they'll be safe like that."
"…I misspoke."
"No. Take good care of this place while I'm gone."
Relaxing his expression, I smiled and tapped his shoulder; Kaislan chuckled and saluted me.
"I obey your orders."
Geez, maybe that's how soldiers are?
Even though it looks like a joke, the posture is sharp.
"Raven."
"Yes, speak."
"When more troops gather, investigate the surroundings as far as possible. Ah, but don't force it if conditions don't allow…"
"Pfft, got it. I know what you mean."
"Still, I had to say it. Your safety is priority over some investigation. Understood?"
"Yes. So go ahead."
Phew, I said it clearly, so they wouldn't overdo it.
Exchanging a knowing glance with the reliable Kaislan, I left this damn factory.
Every second counts.
Even thinking that, I never rushed.
Remembering the Korean saying "The more urgent, the more detour," I started by understanding the building's layout.
'The factory runs at the very bottom, and there are four staircases leading down here.'
But there are other routes besides the stairs.
This building has hundreds of rails whose origin is unknown, and all connect to the factory's rails underground.
So I thought about backtracking the rails one by one…
'No, this won't work.'
Seeing the rails branch off dozens of times during backtracking, I gave up. Searching the whole building would be more efficient.
So I started from the underground factory and mapped each floor as I went up…
'Nothing.'
Despite completing 100% of the map, I couldn't find the room where my comrades were trapped.
But I didn't despair.
It probably doesn't really not exist.
It's more likely a hidden room not on the map, and such a room can't be found by simple means.
'Should I go inside the rails and backtrack one by one?'
That thought crossed my mind but I shook my head.
I didn't think I could find a deliberately hidden room this way.
So now, there was only one thing left to do.
"Hamsik, do you remember anything?"
[…If I do, I'll tell you.]
Something hidden.
In other words, I need to find the hidden piece.
Just like when we got that strange iron card by tearing off a stair tile based on Hamsik's memory.
If I search thoroughly, surely something will catch my eye.
'There must be a way to use this card somewhere.'
While wandering the whole building again, inspecting carefully, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind.
"Finally found you, Yandel."
Startled since I didn't feel anyone's presence, I turned and saw an unexpected person.
"…Amelia?"
"Whether inside or outside, I told you to call me Emily."
Her calm words drained the strength from my body for a moment.
"Ha…"
So she's alive.
"What happened? Your body? Are you okay? Did you also turn into that magic stone—?"
"Calm down. I'll explain everything."
"Ah, I see."
As I settled down and started listening, Amelia recounted everything that had happened.
"Unlike the others, I was able to regain consciousness midway."
"What? How?"
"Well, I don't really know either. Maybe one of my essences resisted this kind of attack."
I know more about Amelia than Amelia herself.
Amelia doesn't have mental resistance essences.
But if I had to pick a candidate…
"It's most likely thanks to Twin Hydra's [Dual Dominion]."
[Dual Dominion] is a passive skill splitting the ego into two.
In the game, when linked with skills like [Self Replication], the target gets a higher AI level and skill performance boosts…
'Maybe it had some other unknown effect.'
In Dungeon and Stone, that sometimes happened.
"Oh? This skill blocks that skill?"
These were advanced details you couldn't predict just by reading the description—you had to experience them firsthand.
Anyway, that's not important now…
"Can I continue?"
"Ah, yes. Go ahead."
When she regained consciousness, Amelia was on the rails.
She was moving somewhere, backtracked the rails to escape, and searched the building alone.
Naturally, she found the underground factory…
"Luckily, a few people had already regained consciousness."
That was after I woke Raven and Kaislan.
So after getting briefed, she followed me to find me…
My tension relaxed again and my legs weakened.
Supporting her by the shoulder, I said,
"I'm really glad. You're safe…"
Amelia just looked up at me silently without replying, and I slowly removed my hand from her shoulder.
Or rather, tried to.
Tap.
Her soft hand gently covered mine.
Small and fragile but with deeply calloused skin.
Tap, tap.
She patted my hand soothingly and then firmly gripped it.
And then…
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
A short time passed, and my mind cleared.
'What the…'
Something about this felt strange.
This felt like a couple getting along well.
Since the incident with Misha, I had resolved to treat comrades strictly as comrades, so this vibe was uncomfortable.
So I quickly pulled my hand back.
'Is she… fine with this?'
Amelia's expression didn't change.
She just kept looking at me like that, then—
Pow!
She punched me hard in the stomach.
"Why the hell?"
More shocked by the sudden attack than by pain, I dared not argue when she said,
"I told you to wait."
"...?"
"You rushed inside ignoring me completely. This is your punishment."
Ah…
She really can't let debts go unpaid.
"Hmm… Anyway, I'm glad! Glad! I was so worried you might have turned into that magic stone."
Changing the subject, Amelia seemed to think it wasn't the time to nag, so she spoke immediately.
"I heard about the magic stone. It's a very strange place."
"…Yeah, it is. Hey, you said you searched the building too? Did you find anything?"
"I did. About three things."
"Three?"
Really three?
I hurriedly urged her to tell me, and Amelia chuckled.
"One is the exit door. It felt different from a portal, but going through it leads outside the temple."
"That's the place I came in looking for you all. So the second?"
"The second is this staircase area. There was a small groove, and when I looked inside the wall, there was an empty space. Big enough to hide a small item, but unfortunately, nothing was inside."
Ah, that.
But how did she find that?
Hamsik told me to look for it, but she just noticed it passing by?
"What's with that look? Do you know something?"
"I do. I found that before."
"…You?"
I showed Amelia the item I found inside the wall.
"Indeed… that must have been it."
For some reason, Amelia looked convinced as soon as she saw the card.
"Could it be you know what it's for?"
"Not sure yet."
"What? Tell me quickly."
"It's related to the third thing I was going to mention. I found a hidden door but couldn't open it."
"Do you think this is the key?"
"If my guess is right. There was a groove beside the hidden door, and this fits perfectly."
"Hmm, I see."
Arguing about whether it's the key is meaningless.
I just have to try it myself.
"Where is it? Let's go."
"The top floor."
Following Amelia, we arrived at the empty hall on the building's top floor.
I had been here before while making the map, but found nothing.
However…
"This seam on the wall looks unnatural here."
Amelia kindly took me to the wall and explained, but I still didn't get it.
Where exactly is unnatural here?
"When hiding secret doors, they arrange seams like this. It's rare to see seams so visible."
"Really?"
"More importantly, there's a groove here, right? Seeing this convinced me there's a door."
Indeed, on the wall was a small slit just big enough to fit this card.
I hadn't noticed it when searching alone, and even if I saw it, it was thin enough to ignore.
"So… insert it?"
Amelia nodded slightly at my cautious question.
After exchanging a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) glance, I immediately slid the card into the slit.
Click.
It felt like inserting a card into a vending machine, something caught at the end.
And then…
"What, nothing's—"
"Step back, Yandel."
Dr-r-r-r-rrr-!
After a brief pause, the wall indented and revealed a secret passage.
"…It really was there."
Exchanging a glance with Amelia, we cautiously stepped into the passage.