BAM
Then, the dungeon doors slammed shut behind them with a deafening metallic crash.
The impact resonated for a long time, amplified by the echo of the invisible walls, as if the dungeon wanted to remind them that there was no turning back.
The silence that followed was heavy, almost oppressive.
The knight: "....."
On the other side of the gates, in the outside world, the knight remained motionless.
His gaze was fixed on the now perfectly smooth stone surface, as if nothing had ever opened here.
He inhaled slowly, then murmured in a low, almost respectful voice:
The knight: "You may leave now."
Brrrrrrr
The air around him seemed to shimmer.
A suffocating heat suddenly spread, making the ground vibrate beneath his feet. Flames erupted without fuel, swirling in a precise circle.
From this controlled furnace emerged a slender, unsettling figure.
An Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames appeared:
- His body seemed partially immaterial, enveloped in a cloak of dark flames with purple highlights.
- Abyssal symbols burned slowly around him, floating like living runes.
- Where his face should have been, there was only a dark mask, pierced by similar fiery glimmers.
- And eyes that watched the world with ancient contempt.
Archive:
Wielders of abyssal fire who pursue the meaning behind texts and scriptures.
The surface people have a slightly distorted understanding of what their name means, calling them "Lectors" when their name can also mean "exegete."
Reading the word of grace grants them great power.
Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames: ".... ".
The flames he controlled were not mere flames:
They radiated a corrupted, heavy energy, charged with hatred and destruction.
With each of his movements, the air warped under the pressure of the abyssal energy.
Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames: "They've entered?"
Said the Lector in a resonant, distorted voice, as if several echoes were speaking in unison.
The Knight: "Yes."
The Knight replied calmly.
The Knight: "And they suspect nothing."
The Lector inclined his head slightly, as if amused.
Abyss Lector: Fathomless Flames: "Then the sacrifice begins."
At that same moment, inside the dungeon, a shiver ran through Venti, though he didn't know why.
FFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffff
The wind around him imperceptibly changed direction, carrying a silent warning.
Something had just begun to move, something far greater than a simple dungeon.
From Venti's perspective:
The five adventurers reappeared abruptly, as if jolted from a dream, their feet landing on hard, cold ground with a slight dizziness.
Around them, the violet light slowly dissipated, revealing the dungeon's interior.
The setting was strangely familiar to anyone who knew the ancient ruins of this world:
- A long corridor supported by impossible structures that defied all architectural logic.
- The walls were covered in luminous geometric patterns, etched into the rock and traversed by lines of pale energy that pulsed at regular intervals, like a beating heart.
- The floor, made of perfectly fitted slabs, seemed ancient but surprisingly clean, as if time had little hold here.
There was no dust or debris, true to the dungeon's rules.
A diffuse light bathed the entire space, with no visible source.
It came neither from the sky nor from torches, but seemed to emanate from the runes themselves, creating an unreal, almost sacred atmosphere… and yet deeply unsettling.
Bram was the first to regain his composure.
He instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and scanned the area.
Bram: "Stay on your guard…"
He murmured.
Kael, already crouching, ran his hand over the flagstones, inspecting the joints and the glowing symbols.
Kael: "No immediate traps… but this place is too quiet."
Eron adjusted the strap of his alchemist's satchel, glancing quickly in all directions, as if afraid something might emerge from the walls themselves.
Lyra sensed the ambient elemental energy and frowned slightly.
Lyra: "The elemental flow is unstable… especially fire and ice."
Venti, for his part, remained silent.
He observed the dungeon with particular attention.
FFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffff
The wind here was different; it circulated, yes, but artificially, as if guided by an invisible will.
The currents didn't follow natural logic; they swirled around the platforms, stopped abruptly, then suddenly started again.
A slight shiver ran down his spine.
Venti: "...".
Without understanding why, he had the feeling that this place was watching them.
Before them stretched a long corridor that must surely lead to the first room.
The door through which they had entered had disappeared, replaced by a smooth stone wall covered with inert runes.
There was clearly no turning back.
The five adventurers exchanged one last look.
Bram: "....".
Lyra: "....".
Kael: "....".
Eron: "....".
Venti: "....".
Their formation naturally fell back into place, exactly as they had planned.
The dungeon was simple… on the surface.
But each of them sensed that this was only the beginning, and that every step brought them a little closer to the abyss.
A few minutes later:
As they advanced a few steps into the dungeon, Bram suddenly stopped.
Bram: "Hhmm."
He planted the tip of his sword in the ground, crossed his arms, and turned to the rest of the group with obvious seriousness.
Bram: "Before we go any further."
He said in a deep voice.
Bram: "There's one thing we need to make clear."
The others froze instantly.
Even the air around them seemed to stand still for a moment.
Bram: "Our levels."
Bram continued.
Bram: "In a dungeon, especially one that mentions the Abyss, that's crucial information."
"We need to know how far we can go… and who to protect first."
He was the first to answer, without hesitation:
Bram: "I'm level 41."
Kael nodded and immediately continued, in a calm but confident tone:
Kael: "Level 36."
Eron adjusted his glasses, slightly nervous, then declared:
Eron: "Level 38."
Lyra took a deep breath before speaking.
A faint electric spark ran through her fingers, betraying her elemental affinity.
Lyra: "Level 35."
A brief silence fell.
All eyes then turned to Venti.
Venti: "…"
He felt a subtle but very real pressure pressing down on him.
Compared to the others, he knew he was far behind.
He maintained a relaxed, almost carefree expression, even though his mind was racing.
Venti: "They're all above level 35…"
"If I tell the truth, I risk attracting attention."
"Too low for this kind of dungeon... and yet, my skills make up for it."
He hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Lying completely could be dangerous.
Telling the whole truth was just as dangerous.
Finally, he spoke, in a deliberately modest tone:
Venti: 'I'm level 11.'
The silence that followed was heavier than the previous one.
Kael blinked, clearly surprised. Lyra frowned in disbelief, while Eron let out a soft sigh.
Lyra: 'Level 11...?'
Lyra repeated. 'Are you serious?'
Bram didn't speak immediately.
He stared at Venti for a long time, as if trying to see through his calm smile.
Then he finally declared:
Bram: "That's… extremely low for a dungeon like this."
Venti shrugged slightly.
Venti: "That's why I'm staying in support."
He replied simply with a smile.
Venti: "I don't intend to go to the front lines."
Eron then spoke, trying to ease the tension:
Eron: "He's already shown he can be useful."
"His support skills are solid, even if his level is low."
Bram finally nodded slowly.
Bram: "Very well."
He concluded.
Bram: "But from now on, you stay behind us."
"No risky initiatives."
"If things go wrong, Kael's got your back and Lyra's got your back."
Venti: "Understood," Venti replied with a slight smile.
Inside, however, his mind He was on high alert.
He knew he was the weakest on paper, but also that this dungeon might be the perfect place to prove to himself, above all, that numbers weren't everything.
The group reformed and began to move forward again, still unaware that this simple exchange had just sealed expectations… and doubts that would soon be put to the test.
And they didn't know that this dungeon offered them a slim chance of survival.
A few minutes later:
The group advanced slowly down the long, suspended corridor, their footsteps echoing against the stone slabs in a steady, almost hypnotic rhythm.
The luminous patterns embedded in the walls moved in time with them, casting pale reflections on the tense faces of the adventurers.
No one spoke.
Eron: "....".
Everyone remained focused, attentive to the slightest change in the air or beneath their feet.
Eron, positioned in the center of the formation, silently watched their figures advance.
His gaze finally settled on Venti, who was walking at the rear beside Lyra.
The young bard seemed surprisingly calm for someone of level 11, especially in such an oppressive place.
He wasn't sweating, wasn't trembling, and his gaze followed the movements of the invisible wind that circulated between the pillars.
A thought then came to Eron's mind.
Eron: "He was the first to raise his hand..."
He remembered that when the knight asked who would volunteer for the mission, Venti was the first to raise his hand. Not a moment's hesitation.
While most of the adventurers at the guild had looked away or whispered amongst themselves, Venti had volunteered almost instinctively.
After a few seconds of reflection, Eron finally broke the silence:
Eron: "Tell me, Venti..."
Venti: "Hhmm?"
The group slowed slightly but continued forward.
Venti turned his head toward him, attentive.
Eron: "Why did you volunteer for this mission?"
Eron asked.
Eron: "With your level... you knew it was risky."
"Very risky."
Lyra glanced briefly over her shoulder, curious to hear the answer.
Even Bram, in the lead, seemed to prick up his ears slightly without turning around.
Venti remained silent for a moment.
His gaze drifted in the violet light of the corridor, as if he were searching for the right words.
Then he answered in a simple voice, without pride or hesitation:
Venti: "Because if I hadn't done it… no one would have."
Eron blinked, surprised by the frankness of the answer.
Eron: "What do you mean?"
Venti gave a slight, almost melancholic smile.
Venti: "At the guild, everyone was looking at the reward."
He explained.
Venti: "Volunteering, a dungeon linked to the Abyss, no Mora to be gained…"
"For many, it wasn't even worth considering."
He paused briefly before adding:
Venti: "But if no one goes, the problem doesn't disappear."
"Even worse, it grows."
His words echoed strangely in the corridor.
Even the wind seemed to slow around them.
Venti: "I thought that if everyone waited for someone stronger to make the first move."
He continued calmly, "then that 'someone' would never exist."
Eron remained thoughtful.
He observed again the boy with the bardic bearing, so frail compared to the others… and yet possessing a quiet but unwavering determination.
Eron: "You realize you could die here."
He murmured.
Venti: "Yes."
Venti replied directly.
Then, with an almost disconcerting nonchalance, he added:
Venti: "But at least I tried."
A heavy silence fell once more.
Bram slowed his pace slightly, without looking back.
Bram: "…Hmph."
He finally grunted.
Bram: "You might be a bit of a novice, kid."
"But you've got guts."
Lyra nodded gently, a faint smile on her lips.
Eron simply sighed.
Eron: "Very well."
He said.
Eron: "Then let's make sure your choice wasn't in vain."
The group resumed its normal pace, advancing ever deeper into the dungeon.
Behind his calm demeanor, Venti felt his heart clench slightly.
He didn't know exactly why he had answered that way… but deep down, he had the strange feeling that those words came from something far greater than this simple mission.
At the head of the formation, Bram and Kael advanced side by side, their silhouettes outlined by the pale glow of the corridor's runes.
Their voices were low, almost whispered, but in the dungeon's oppressive silence, they carried far enough to reach the rear of the group.
Kael: "Have you heard the rumors?"
Kael asked, his eyes fixed on the ground, alert for any sign of danger.
Bram grunted softly.
Bram: "If you're talking about the Ruin Gurd destroyed on the plains near Rillmont... yes."
Venti, who was walking behind Lyra, felt a slight inward start.
His steps slowed imperceptibly.
The Ruin Guard
He instinctively strained his ears, maintaining a perfectly neutral expression.
Kael: "The guards say it was pulverized from the inside out," Kael continued.
"Its core exploded cleanly."
"No signs of a typical fight, no group, no corpses nearby."
Bram: "A clean job."
Replied Bram.
Bram: "Too clean for an average adventurer."
Kael nodded.
Bram: "Some are saying it was a very high-level adventurer."
Others are thinking it was a creature from the Abyss that attacked another.
A brief silence followed.
Kael: "What do you think?"
Asked Kael.
Bram thought for a moment before replying:
Bram: "I think whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."
Venti: "Luckily they don't know the truth."
The truth Venti wanted to keep hidden was that he had no idea he'd stumble upon a Ruin Guard during his quest to collect sweet flowers.
Furthermore, he ended up confronting it, using two slimes to destroy its core.
Bram: "Using a powerful enough elemental reaction to destroy a Ruin Guard's core..."
He gritted his teeth.
Bram: "That's not something everyone can do."
Venti: "......."
In the back, Venti felt a slight warmth rise in his cheeks, thankfully invisible in the dungeon's violet light.
He looked away, staring at a luminous pattern on the wall, while pretending to listen to the wind.
Venti: "If you only knew..."
He thought, torn between amusement and unease.
Venti: "I was just running for my life."
"The strangest thing," Kael continued, "is that no one came to the guild to claim the reward."
Bram: "Which means one thing."
Bram concluded.
Bram: "That person didn't want the money."
"Either they're hiding… or they simply didn't want to draw attention to themselves."
These words hit Venti harder than he expected.
Venti: "........"
FFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffff
He felt the wind around him stir slightly, as if it were reacting to his thoughts.
Even though he didn't know how the wind could travel through a corridor.
Lyra glanced briefly over her shoulder, observing Venti a little longer than necessary, as if something about his demeanor struck her as odd.
Lyra: "......"
"Interesting."
Venti simply offered her a relaxed smile, true to his role as mere support.
Bram resumed his stride, his steps becoming heavier.
Bram: "Anyway."
He said.
Bram: "If this person truly exists, I hope they never turn against us."
Venti closed his eyes briefly.
Venti: "Me too."
He thought.
The group continued down the corridor, unaware that the mysterious adventurer they had been discussing was walking right behind them, hidden behind a carefree smile and carried by the wind.
The group pressed on until the long corridor finally opened onto the first room of the dungeon.
They stopped almost instinctively at the threshold.
Before them lay a vast room of imposing proportions, bathed in an otherworldly, bluish light.
The floor was made of perfectly aligned slabs, engraved with ancient geometric patterns that pulsed faintly, as if the dungeon were slowly breathing.
With each step, tiny particles of light rose into the air before vanishing, giving the impression that the space itself was reacting to their presence.
The walls rose high, adorned with slender pillars covered in unknown runes.
Some shone with a discreet gleam, while others remained dull, eroded by time or past battles.
The ceiling, almost invisible in the dim light, seemed to dissolve into the shadows, reinforcing the feeling of being watched by something greater than themselves.
Chapter 30: If I hadn't done it, nobody would have.
The End