The silence of the borderlands didn't last long. It couldn't. Nature abhorred a vacuum, and Lencar Abarame had just punched a hole in the fabric of the world.
Lencar lay flat on the jagged edge of the cliff, his body pressed so tightly into the dirt that he could smell the iron in the stone. He felt the vibration before he saw it—a low, rhythmic thrumming that traveled through the earth like the heartbeat of a waking giant. It shook the pebbles near his face, making them dance and skitter across the rock.
Then, the visual spectacle began.
Down in the canyon, the air where the dungeon entrance was hidden began to distort violently. It wasn't a subtle fade; it looked like a heat haze on a blistering summer road, rippling and tearing at the scenery. The illusion of the solid rock wall wavered, fighting to maintain its hold on reality, but the chaos Lencar had sown inside was too great.
CRACK.
The sound was like a thunderclap, distinct and shattering, echoing off the canyon walls and rolling across the badlands for miles.
The ancient concealment barrier shattered. It didn't dissolve gracefully; it broke like a pane of glass struck by a hammer. Shards of blue mana rained down, glittering like falling stars before dissolving into sparks just inches above the ground. The magic that had hidden this place for centuries screamed as it died.
And there it was.
The entrance to the Kiten Dungeon.
It was massive. Foreboding. A gaping maw of carved stone that looked like the mouth of a subterranean beast, leading into the dark underbelly of the world. The architecture was alien, sharp angles and spiraling columns that defied the style of the Clover Kingdom, hinting at an origin that predated the current civilizations.
The mana that poured out of it was visible to the naked eye—a thick, purple fog that rolled over the rocks like dry ice. It was heavy, suffocating, and rich with the scent of ozone and ancient dust. As the fog touched the sparse grass of the canyon floor, the blades withered and turned grey instantly. Small lizards and rodents scurried out of their holes, fleeing in blind terror from the predator that had just awakened.
"Beautiful," Lencar murmured, his voice barely a breath.
He wasn't looking at it with the eyes of a tactician for a moment. He was looking at it with the wonder of a person seeing a wonder of the world. It was terrifying, yes, but the sheer scale of the magic involved was a masterpiece.
Then, he blinked, and the wonder was replaced by the cold calculation of the operator.
He turned his attention to the players on the field. The reaction to his "invitation" was instantaneous.
To the west, the Diamond Kingdom spies didn't hesitate. They were drilled for this. They lived for this.
Lencar saw three figures in earth-toned cloaks burst from their cover in the deep shadows. They were moving fast, surfing on waves of manipulated rock. The earth rose up beneath their boots, carrying them forward like surfers on a wave of stone. They moved with a predatory grace, their wands drawn, their eyes fixed on the prize.
One of them, a tall man with a scar running down his mask, skidded to a halt near a large boulder. He pulled out a jagged, red crystal—a long-range communication artifact. He shouted into it, his voice carried by the wind to Lencar's sensory net, clear and frantic.
"General! The signal is confirmed! The anomaly has breached! The dungeon has materialized! Coordinates 44-North! The mana density is immense—it's off the charts! This isn't a ruin; it's a Treasury-Class Dungeon!"
Lencar smiled grimly beneath his wooden mask. Diamond is in play. The report is going straight to the top. That means Mars is coming.
He could almost see the Diamond General receiving the message—the stoic, crystal-armored monster who had been experimented on until he was more weapon than human. Mars wouldn't send a squad; he would come himself. He was the hammer the Diamond Kingdom used to smash locks.
To the east, the Clover Kingdom scouts were scrambling.
They were less organized than the Diamond spies, likely surprised by the suddenness of the appearance. They had been expecting a gradual reveal, not an explosion.
A mage in the distinct, high-collared robes of the Golden Dawn stumbled out of his hiding spot, coughing as the purple fog rolled over him. He pointed his wand at the sky.
"Light Magic: Golden Signal!"
A flare shot into the heavens—a bird made of brilliant golden light that shrieked as it climbed, illuminating the canyon in stark, blinding relief. It hung in the air, a desperate beacon calling for aid.
"Commander Vangeance!" the scout yelled into a handheld communication mirror, his voice pitched high with panic. "We have a dungeon breach! It's huge! The mana pressure is causing structural instability in the surrounding area! Requesting immediate backup! The Diamond forces are already moving on the entrance!"
Lencar watched the chaos unfold from his perch. It was exactly as he had calculated. The variables were aligning perfectly. But seeing it happen—seeing real people panic, seeing the imminent violence—felt surreal. He had pushed the domino. He had forced the hand of fate. He was the playwright watching the actors recite lines he had written in the dark.
The spies converged on the entrance.
A skirmish broke out immediately. The Diamond mages arrived first, but the Clover scouts were desperate to stop them from claiming the door.
"Earth Magic: Stone Bullet!"
"Wind Magic: Cutting Gale!"
Spells flew across the canyon floor. The air filled with the sharp cracks of stone hitting stone and the whoosh of wind blades slicing through the air. The Diamond spies and the Clover scouts clashed in a messy, panicked firefight at the mouth of the dungeon. Explosions lit up the night, casting long, dancing shadows against the cliff walls that looked like fighting giants.
One of the Diamond mages raised a wall of obsidian, blocking a volley of wind blades. His partner flanked, sending a wave of sharp spikes erupting from the ground, forcing the Clover scouts to retreat.
Lencar didn't intervene. He didn't twitch a muscle to help the Clover mages. This was just the prologue. These were the pawns fighting for position before the kings and queens arrived. If he stepped in now, he would reveal himself. He would become the target.
He watched for another ten minutes. The Diamond spies were ruthless and efficient. They managed to push the Clover scouts back to the ridge, securing the perimeter of the entrance. They began setting up mana-draining wards—glowing red posts driven into the ground—trying to claim the prize before reinforcements could arrive.
They're trying to lock it down, Lencar noted, a flicker of amusement crossing his mind. They think a few wards will hold the door. They have no idea what's coming.
When the Black Bulls get here... when Yuno arrives... those wards will be torn apart like wet paper.
He rolled onto his back, looking up at the stars. The adrenaline that had fueled his break-in was beginning to fade, replaced by a heavy, leaden exhaustion that seeped into his bones. The cost of splitting his life was high. He had been awake for twenty hours straight. He had worked a full, grueling shift at the restaurant, teleported across the kingdom, broken into an ancient magical facility, and started a border incident.
His eyes burned. His muscles ached with a dull throb.
"Three days," Lencar calculated, staring at the indifferent moon. "Maybe four. The Captains will receive the message tonight. Vangeance will dispatch a squad immediately—likely Yuno and Klaus. Yami... Yami will probably sleep in, then send the Black Bulls because they're the only ones crazy enough to go."
He closed his eyes for a second, visualizing the timeline like a flow chart in his mind.
Mars will be the first heavy hitter. He's likely already stationed near the border with his detachment, waiting for this exact signal. He'll enter the dungeon and secure the interior.
Yuno will arrive, arrogant and powerful, flanked by Klaus and Mimosa. He'll engage Mars in the treasury.
Asta will arrive late, loud, and absolutely necessary.
And I...
Lencar clenched his right hand, feeling the phantom weight of the black iron gauntlet he had stored away in his ring.
I will be the shadow. I will let them fight. I will let them bleed. I will let them grow.
It was a cruel reality. He was essentially setting them up to be beaten within an inch of their lives. But growth required stress. Asta needed to be pushed to his limit to awaken his potential. Yuno needed to realize he wasn't invincible.
And when Mars thinks he has won... when he pushes them to the brink... I will step in.
He needed the loot, yes. The dungeon was a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, gold, and scrolls that could jumpstart his plans for the Scarlet Kitchen and his deal with Dominante.
But more than that, he needed the test.
He needed to face Mars.