In Abyss City, the way monsters appear varies by type.
Some monsters increase their numbers through reproduction among their own kind, while others, like machines or spirits, don’t have a typical reproductive process and come into this world through special means.
These special means can be broadly divided into two categories.
First, there are dimensional rifts, believed to be connected to other worlds.
Most of these rifts appear out of nowhere in the air and cause damage, but the most talked-about example is the Void Whale.
This monster, with its massive maw that creates dimensional rifts, wiped the powerful southern nation of Solarea off the map.
The second case is the black monolith, Monolith, which swallowed Rohan and two girls.
Originally, this monolith had the same trait of spawning monsters, though its form differed from dimensional rifts.
But starting from a certain day, it began causing strange phenomena, transporting passersby within a certain range to another space.
“Why did that day have to be today?”
The space guided by the monolith would later be called a dungeon, which is just the natural order of things in Abyss City.
It’s an intuitive naming that makes sense even without visiting the place.
“…”
Rohan, who had been lying unconscious, opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the bright sun shining above.
He turned his head left and right to check his surroundings, and thankfully, no dangerous creatures were in sight.
All he saw were shattered statues, broken stained glass, and walls cracked and gaping, letting in sunlight.
“This isn’t a church. It’s that temple…”
The structure suggested there should have been a ceiling above these walls.
Vines of unknown plants clung to the statues and walls, indicating the place had been abandoned for quite some time.
On top of that, the temperature felt as hot as midsummer.
The faint breeze coming through the cracked walls carried a scorching heat that could be called a heatwave.
In any case, it was obvious to anyone that this wasn’t the academy city of Elysium.
“Huuu…”
“Ugh…”
Rohan patted the backs of Clara and Sion, who were lying on top of him, drooling.
They must have hugged each other to avoid being separated, which is why they ended up like this. He was lucky to be at the bottom.
‘They don’t seem hurt.’
Clara and Sion seemed to be simply asleep.
Both were breathing regularly, their soft touch and sweet scent stimulating Rohan’s senses.
In a normal situation, he’d have to calm himself by mentally singing the national anthem.
But Rohan’s mind was already as cold as if someone had poured ice water over it.
The ominous aura emitted by the monolith. The tension from that mysterious stone still left his muscles stiff and rigid.
“Phew…”
Rohan let out a long sigh and began to organize his thoughts while waiting for the two girls to wake up naturally.
A brief moment of quiet meditation.
His mind was too jumbled, so he needed to sort through the information.
‘Originally, the first dungeon was something the protagonist experienced.’
If this was the first appearance of the dungeon caused by the Monolith? No, there was no need to assume that. Rohan knew this place.
Could he simply dismiss being caught up in this as a mere coincidence?
Rohan couldn’t ignore the feeling that he was replacing the protagonist’s position with this one incident.
[The Nation that Worships the Sun]
◇ Quest Content: A Monolith, the symbol of anomaly, has appeared in the academy city. Escape the twisted space safely with your companions!
◇ Category: Sudden
◇ Success Reward: 3,000P, Full Party Recovery, 1 use of Seneca’s Luck
◇ Failure Penalty: None
‘The nation that worships the sun… and the temple…’
Rohan carefully read the notification window that appeared before him and pondered the information.
He remembered what kind of dungeon this was.
Although it might be possible to clear it smoothly in terms of difficulty, having information was the greatest luck.
‘Points are always better the more you have. Full recovery is obviously good, but what’s Seneca’s Luck? Never seen it before.’
While pondering the mystery in the rewards.
Clara and Sion began to stir and move.
“Ugh… O-oppa…?”
“Huh! Where is this…?”
At Rohan’s patting touch, the two girls lifted their heads with dazed eyes.
“Are you both okay? No injuries?”
Clara, startled, quickly got up from Rohan, while Sion blinked and swiftly checked her body after sitting down on the stone floor.
“I-I’m fine…”
“All equipment is intact, and my physical condition is fine. The problem is where we are.”
Having regained his freedom of movement, Rohan slowly sat up and, at the same time, turned on his smartphone’s timer to keep track of time.
After completing that series of actions, he checked outside through a crack in the wall.
‘As expected.’
Apart from the current location, which reminded him of some cultural heritage, outside were modern-style buildings comparable to the academy city.
But there were no pedestrians, and no sense of liveliness.
All the windows were shattered, and signs were either crumpled or overgrown with vines. There was no place that seemed to have electricity.
The ground was a mix of asphalt and paving stones, with some areas completely overturned.
‘There are definitely problems.’
Problems were recognized as soon as they were faced.
In Abyss City, dungeons progressed in stages, but the size of the materialized dungeon…
There’s no skipping the basics.
It was just ridiculously vast.
After Rohan finished checking and pulled his head away from the wall,
Sion and Clara were waiting for him to explain what he had seen.
“Oppa. We…”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry, Clara. I’ll figure something out.”
First things first, calming Clara down, who was feeling particularly uneasy about the mysterious place and phenomenon, was the priority.
Only then could her abilities truly shine.
“Rohan. Did you see anything?”
“For now, no people, and no monsters in sight either.”
“Hmm.”
Sion stepped forward herself and checked outside through the crack in the wall.
“The temperature is off. This isn’t the weather of the academy city.”
“It’s almost midsummer. Isn’t it hot?”
At Rohan’s question, the girls hesitated. It was a good thing.
“I’m weak to the cold, but I can handle the heat just fine.”
“This much is still bearable. Though I might sweat a bit if I move around.”
Clara kept staring intently at Rohan and followed him around like a shadow,
while Sion began to look around.
Convinced that the building outside and the current location were of different styles, Sion showed curiosity.
“This building might be a religious facility.”
“Similar.”
“Oh? You sound like you know something. Do you have any information?”
“It’s a temple that worships the sun.”
“The sun?”
“Yeah. That thing up in the sky.”
Rohan’s finger pointed to the ceiling of the world.
Clara understood faster than Sion, who followed his finger. The girl’s eyes widened in surprise.
She couldn’t help but recall her connection to Rohan.
“A temple that worships the sun? The only country that comes to mind with such a faith is Solaria… but that country is already…”
“Right. It’s a country that no longer exists. You know it well.”
Rohan affirmed Sion’s muttering smoothly,
and under the princess’s gaze that demanded an explanation, Rohan continued.
“But this isn’t Solaria.”
“Your confidence is impressive. Have you been to the south before?”
“It’s my hometown.”
“…!”
Seemingly shocked by the sudden confession, Sion’s hidden mouth under the veil slightly opened.
Rohan, acting as if it was no big deal, headed towards the door tangled with vines.
*Thud! Thud!*
Pulling off the tough vines that remained lively despite the intense sunlight,
he calmly prepared to open the door.
“Oppa. I’ll do it…!”
Clara, who had been holding onto Rohan’s collar, pulled out a balisong from her pocket.
In the hands of a skilled person, even a short blade is more than just an ordinary jungle knife.
With a light flick! She swung it effortlessly.
The gap was precisely cut by the blade. The vines were cleanly severed, and with a bit of force, they could be pulled open to create an entrance.
After securing the entrance, Rohan turned around before opening the door.
“Before we head out, let me explain this phenomenon. I’ve studied about the Monolith at the Academy, and I also have some additional knowledge.”
“Useful info, I guess. I’m clueless about this kind of experience, so I’ll listen carefully.”
“Me too…!”
Rohan didn’t need to explain much. The method to escape a dungeon created by the Monolith is simple.
Just smash the Monolith somewhere in this vast space. That’s all there is to it.
Whether it creates the space or transports us to this location is unclear.
But once the Monolith exhausts its magical power, it becomes weak enough to destroy, unlike when it first appeared.
“Even if we don’t see anything now, there’s a high chance monsters are outside.”
“Got it. I’ll be ready.”
Hearing that they could return, Clara seemed to regain her composure.
Her eyes didn’t show fear of battle or monsters.
“Does anyone have a weapon I can use?”
“W-wait a second…!”
Clara fumbled to pull out something other than her balisong, but before she could do anything, Sion handed Rohan the dagger she was holding.
“I have a spare. Use this.”
“Thanks. I’ll ask Clara next time.”
“Okay!”
Rohan was quick to notice. The girl, who was about to pout in disappointment, nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Last thing before we move—does anyone need more time? Speak up.”
“Rohan.”
Sion’s voice drew their attention.
Rohan and Clara naturally turned their heads toward her.
“How many days might it take to escape from here?”
“Could be.”
“Hmm…”
At Rohan’s answer, Sion stroked her slender chin and let out a thoughtful sigh.
Her face clearly showed she was troubled by something.
Clara didn’t understand Sion’s hesitation, but Rohan immediately realized the issue the princess was facing.
