“Rohan. I have a water bottle with just a sip left. I’m ashamed and should reflect on my carelessness for not restocking on water before leaving the academy city…”
This is a place where the availability of food and water is uncertain.
So, let’s collect urine while we’re still healthy and not dehydrated.
That was the gist of what Sion meant.
‘Indeed.’
Under normal circumstances, given the situation, I would’ve had to rack my shallow knowledge and seriously ponder over it.
But Rohan is fine.
‘Because there’s a shop.’
In Abyss City, depending on skill level and control, it would’ve just been a skill for replenishing unused consumables. But in this dungeon turned reality, it’s a skill that shines brilliantly.
Just the monsters we’ve dealt with on the way would provide enough food and water for the girls.
Having the shop skill is like being the human rights champion of the dungeon. The water Sion is worried about can be bought for just 2P.
As Sion finished speaking, a hand tugged at the hem of his clothes.
“Oppa…”
Clara, who had gathered her lower body into a cross-legged position, was trembling and looked like she was about to cry.
Even with this reaction, it’s admirable that she’s ready to act based on the decision.
Honestly, Clara’s reaction was cute and amusing, so I thought about watching a bit longer.
But I had a gut feeling that messing around with this would lead to trouble. Rohan quickly made a decision.
“Sion, don’t worry about the water. Go with Clara. I have a way.”
“Understood.”
“I-I’ll be back…!”
Sion nodded without further questions and started moving, looking around for a safe spot.
Clara, with her reddened face, kept glancing back at Rohan as she followed Sion.
“If anything happens, shoot or shout!”
The two girls signaled their understanding, each with their own big or small gestures.
Rohan turned around and opened the shop, scrolling down to the bottom to purchase an item.
[You have purchased bottled water.]
He reached into the shimmering void and pulled out a cool bottle of water.
The first bottle of water he bought was a label-less plastic one, 500ml in size.
Rohan felt relieved and satisfied that the shop skill was working without a hitch.
‘We can’t go starving for days.’
The number of people he’s responsible for in the dungeon isn’t large, nor is the expected time to escape long enough to last months.
It’s in Rohan’s own interest to ensure the two girls maintain their best condition.
‘A light hint should be enough for them to understand. Both of them are tight-lipped anyway.’
Especially since it’s Clara and Sion, who he can trust to keep things quiet.
You can’t even count them.
If you think about the future…
[ +1P ]
[ +1P ]
[ +1P ]
Rohan let out a hollow laugh at the notification window that popped up while he was deep in thought.
“How far did it go?”
A tiny noise you wouldn’t even catch unless you were paying attention. Just hearing it somehow counted as defeating a monster, and points rolled in.
It easily covered the resources the girls had used while they were away.
How long had Rohan been standing in the shade, avoiding the sun?
Sion and Clara appeared, looking perfectly fine.
“Everything okay?”
“There were monsters, but they were weak, so no problem.”
“…”
Clara’s expression was a mix of relief and indescribable embarrassment.
Rohan wanted to comfort her, saying it was natural and no big deal, but he worried it might backfire. Instead, he handed the water he was holding to Sion.
“Here, some drinking water.”
“We were only gone for a few minutes… Impressive. No visible impurities or foreign substances.”
To Sion’s naked eye, the water looked clean. Opening the lid, there was no strange smell either.
Watching her inspect it, Rohan came clean.
“It’s my skill. We won’t run out of food or water until we escape.”
“!”
“That’s an incredible ability.”
“But it’s not unlimited. There’s a cost.”
“Of course. Still, thanks for sharing even this much about your skill.”
“Oppa, thank you…”
For Clara, it was a literal lifesaver. Just thinking about it made her dizzy, but she was beyond relieved.
If nothing else, the thought of Rohan drinking her… well, she couldn’t bear the embarrassment.
Rohan urged them to keep moving, adding a word of advice.
“Still, don’t hold back if you’re thirsty. Keep your condition in check.”
“Okay!”
“Got it.”
Sion and Clara were quick on the uptake when it came to things like this.
They wouldn’t ask about the cost or how the water was created—whether it was conjured or stored.
They knew better than to pry into someone else’s skills.
…
…
They even considered cutting straight through to their destination to save time.
But if they couldn’t shake off these monsters and ended up surrounded by dozens or hundreds of them…
No matter how strong these two are, a complete victory can’t be guaranteed, so it’s dismissed.
The party moved steadily and quickly.
As the three of them walked further, the monsters gradually started to get stronger.
The number of monsters also began to increase.
“Gasp!”
───KABOOM!!! A refrigerator that was walking around using vines as legs was smashed by Sion’s three-section staff and rolled away.
[+2P]
At some point, the points earned increased from 1 to 2.
Surely, it must be influenced by the level of the monsters.
“Look at this. The parasitic form is blatant.”
Sion called the other two over to look at the monster that had stopped moving. The refrigerator door had flown off, clearly revealing its insides.
Vines stretched inside like blood vessels. The unseen internal parts were probably the same.
There’s no other word for it but “monster” to describe something that activates without electricity and launches bizarre attacks.
“It’s not an ordinary plant but a type of monster.”
Rohan actually knows.
The name of this plant-type monster is Parasitic Ivy. Literally, a parasitic vine.
Its strength varies depending on what it latches onto, but even that has its limits.
After finishing her observations, Sion wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead and put away her staff.
She voiced the speculation she had been pondering.
“And personally, it feels like they’re trying to stop us from going in this direction.”
“It does feel like we’re heading straight for the center.”
“Oh, so the place you suggested we go to first must be the right one…!”
Rohan didn’t dismiss the flawed speculation and agreed.
Maintaining positive morale and atmosphere is important at times like this.
Besides, this path is indeed the correct one.
“…”
Before they knew it, more than 5 hours had passed since they entered the dungeon.
The heat in this space was still intense. It was clear that at some point, it had surpassed 40 degrees.
Step. Step. Step.
The three of them kept moving diligently.
After repeated battles, sweat dripped from the tips of Rohan and Sion’s hair.
Even Clara, who isn’t usually affected by the heat, started to sweat a little.
“Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“Um, just a thought…”
“Feel free to say it.”
It’s rare for Clara to voice her opinion.
Rohan listened attentively while sweating, and Clara hesitated as she looked up at the sky.
“Here… the sun doesn’t move, does it?”
“It seems like…”
“Now that I hear it, you’re right. Hasn’t quite a bit of time passed?”
Sion also felt something was off and looked up.
‘They never showed the time. Clever.’
Rohan wiped the beads of sweat with his sleeve and looked up at the sun hanging in the sky.
As he said, this world is a space where the sun never sets.
Just as he was about to agree with Clara’s speculation,
Rohan, focusing on the current situation, recalled a curiosity he had buried in his consciousness.
‘But why is it a dungeon related to Solarea?’
It’s something he never thought about when playing as the main character.
He didn’t read the speculative posts written by users because they weren’t certain.
But since Rohan himself is involved with Solarea, he couldn’t ignore it.
‘There’s a connection to the country, but we didn’t move to the south…’
Rohan pondered over the related information.
The temple where he first opened his eyes came to mind for some reason. He remembered the background without rejecting it.
A country that worships the sun. It was the moment he continued to ponder, searching for a connection to Solarea.
[Rohan’s story is now open.]
Awareness and realization.
The anomaly appeared based on Rohan’s recognition of the matter.
‘Ah…’
A sentence seeped into his mind.
It forced him to utter it out loud and firmly engrave it.
“When the dark clans persistently commit sins, we were certain.”
Mutterings poured out of Rohan’s mouth.
The girls turned their heads.
“Oppa?”
“Huh?”
Sion and Clara, unable to understand the sudden words, focused their gaze.
But Rohan was still staring blankly at the sky.
“…They fear this power.”
