Chapter 454

After walking for three full days, Zeon’s party arrived at the region where the Dungeon of Darkness was located.

The Dungeon of Darkness had been discovered in a place that, before Earth was desertified, used to be the sea, an area that had once been thousands of meters deep under the ocean.

Naturally, to enter the Dungeon of Darkness, one had to descend thousands of meters below the surface, as if descending a mountain in reverse.

Because of the extreme difference in elevation, even reaching the dungeon from El Harun was no easy task.

No human other than those specially dispatched from El Harun’s elite forces could even approach the place.

Liala looked down toward the depths where the Dungeon of Darkness lay and murmured,

“I never thought I’d come here again…”

“They say you can receive rewards inside the dungeon, right? Then wouldn’t you have to come here several times?”

“This place is different from other dungeons. You can only enter once.”

“You mean each person only gets one chance?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s unusual.”

“It’s certainly unlike an ordinary dungeon.”

Liala nodded slowly.

It had been over five years since the Dungeon of Darkness was first discovered.

During that time, countless people had entered it, ranging from low-level Awakeners to high-ranking ones.

The rewards granted within the dungeon varied for each person.

The rewards for low-level Awakeners who succeeded in clearing it were not that great, at best, a low-grade item. But the high-ranking Awakeners were different.

They received rare and powerful items.

The higher the rank of the Awakener, and the greater the difficulty of the trial they overcame, the more exponentially valuable their reward became.

The best item to have ever come out so far was an item called Karrikal’s Dagger.

Karrikal’s Dagger had a beautifully curved blade like a crescent moon.

In its hilt was set a blue gem of immeasurable value.

By infusing mana into that gem, the wielder could unleash ice magic.

Its power was said to rival that of an A-rank Awakener’s spell. For that reason, Karrikal’s Dagger was classified as an A-rank item.

Although no S-rank item had yet appeared, many believed one would emerge someday if the Dungeon of Darkness continued to be conquered.

Since the Dungeon of Darkness opened only once a month, it could be entered just twelve times a year.

Because of its limited accessibility, El Harun placed it under special management.

Only those personally selected by El Harun were permitted entry.

By coincidence, the day Zeon arrived was the very day the Dungeon of Darkness opened.

After descending thousands of meters, they reached the dungeon, and then, hidden figures revealed themselves.

“Stop right there.”

They were elf rangers wearing camouflage uniforms.

These elves had been stationed here to guard the Dungeon of Darkness.

Liala stepped forward and spoke.

“I am Liala, Head of the Hall of Guardians.”

“Ah, Lady Liala! You came in person?”

“Yes. I personally escorted Lord Zeon.”

“I see.”

The elven ranger captain guarding the dungeon, Karon, turned his gaze to Zeon.

But his look toward Zeon was far from friendly.

He disliked that a precious opportunity to enter the Dungeon of Darkness was being handed to a human outsider rather than one of El Harun’s own.

Why did it have to be a human who gets such a chance…

He knew that opening the Dungeon of Darkness to Zeon was a reward for slaying the Dark Queen, yet it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

If it were up to him, he would never have allowed a human to enter. But orders were orders.

Karon spoke.

“About a hundred meters farther down lies the entrance to the Dungeon of Darkness. The entrance will open in ten minutes.”

“Then we should hurry.”

“Will Lady Liala also be entering the dungeon?”

“Not just me. Everyone who came with me will enter as well. Why? Is there a problem?”

“None at all. I hope you successfully clear it and obtain fine items.”

The elves stepped aside to clear the path.

Zeon walked between the ranks of elf rangers.

He did not miss the way Karon’s expression stiffened as he passed.

The elf clenched his jaw tightly, clearly displeased at having to let Zeon through.

The other elf rangers were no different, some had clenched fists, others did not bother to hide their hostility.

Any ordinary human would have been cowed just from being under their gaze.

Fortunately, the humans accompanying Zeon were no ordinary people.

Not only Liala, but Uslan, Jupiro, Alonso, and Criden, all were elite warriors, each worth a hundred men.

They were long accustomed to the hostile stares of other races.

A bit of animosity like this was nothing, they could brush it off with a smile.

On their faces instead was an expression of excitement.

It was their first time setting foot inside the fabled Dungeon of Darkness.

Normally, a human might have to wait years for such a chance.

Even though discrimination was never stated outright, valuable opportunities always went to the other races first.

Humans were next in line.

Perhaps someday they would be given a chance, but it would be a very long time coming.

Thanks to Zeon, however, they had been granted that chance now.

If not for him, they might never have received it.

They silently vowed to make the most of this opportunity, to come away with something truly valuable.

Then Zeon suddenly glanced back. Liala, noticing his movement, asked curiously,

“What is it?”

“Their faces are too tense.”

“The elf rangers?”

“Yes. I can feel they’re overly nervous.”

“They probably don’t like that we’re entering the Dungeon of Darkness out of order.”

“Even so, it feels excessive.”

“Really?”

Liala turned her head and looked back.

The elf rangers still stood there, their expressions stiff, eyes fixed on them.

To Liala, it was a look she had seen countless times before, and so she noticed nothing strange about it.

“Looks the same as always to me.”

“Perhaps I’m being too sensitive, then. Let’s enter the Dungeon of Darkness.”

“Alright.”

Liala nodded.

Before them stretched a dense darkness.

Unlike other dungeons, there was no portal or visible entrance.

That darkness itself was the gateway.

As Zeon and the others approached, the darkness rippled like water, then split apart.

Beyond the parted veil was more blackness, an even deeper darkness awaiting them.

Jupiro bit his lip, his nerves showing.

“Damn it.”

“What, getting scared now that we’re here?”

Alonso smirked at him.

Jupiro bristled.

“Who said I’m scared? It’s just, we don’t have any intel at all.”

“That’s what fear is. When have we ever had proper intel before? We figure things out with our own bodies.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a genius.”

The two bickered lightly, easing their tension.

Liala called out to them.

“That’s enough chatter. Let’s go in. We don’t know what’s waiting for us, so everyone, stay sharp.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t worry, my lady!”

They replied in unison, as if they had never argued.

“Let’s go.”

Zeon entered the Dungeon of Darkness first, followed by Liala and Uslan, then the rest in turn.

Jupiro, Alonso, and Criden hurried after them.

The darkness swallowed them all, and the Dungeon of Darkness returned to its original stillness.

Where Zeon’s group had vanished, the elf rangers appeared once more.

They looked toward the Dungeon of Darkness with conflicted expressions.

Karon spoke.

“They’ve all gone in.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Then let’s begin preparations.”

“Are you sure… we can really do this?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

Karon turned a cold gaze toward the subordinate.

The subordinate shrank back but still managed to speak.

“It’s just… since even the Head of the Hall of Guardians went in, I wasn’t sure if we should really proceed.”

“I don’t know what those above are thinking either. But we’ve been given orders, so we carry them out. Max.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Stop thinking. Thinking isn’t your job. Just follow the order. I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Yes, sir.”

The ranger answered weakly.

Karon gave orders to the rest.

“Set the explosives and retreat immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

＊＊＊

Zeon furrowed his brow deeply as he looked around.

Neither Liala nor Uslan and the others were anywhere to be seen.

He was alone inside the dungeon.

“Looks like we were all transported into separate spaces the moment we entered.”

There were some dungeons like that, annoying ones that scattered entrants even if they entered together.

Apparently, the Dungeon of Darkness was one of those.

Still, Zeon wasn’t worried.

As long as everyone was alive, they would naturally meet again during the course of the dungeon.

And since Liala and Uslan’s group were all skilled Awakeners, he had no real reason for concern.

“So I just need to handle myself well, then.”

First, he needed to grasp the dungeon’s nature and environment.

The Dungeon of Darkness was said to have no fixed form.

Its environment changed every time someone entered.

Some reported encountering a labyrinth, while others claimed there was a vast castle within.

Every person who had entered described it differently.

That meant it wasn’t a fixed-type dungeon, it was variable.

Like a living organism, it altered itself in response to the intruder’s level and abilities.

This kind of dungeon was the hardest to conquer.

Because it constantly changed, no fixed strategy could be used.

One had to improvise constantly; without adaptability, survival was impossible.

Such dungeons had caused enormous casualties.

“Then let’s see what kind of tricks you’ve got.”

Zeon began to walk.

Everything in sight was gray.

As though wrapped in thick fog, his entire field of vision was blurred.

He strode forward into the gray expanse without hesitation.

As he moved, the gray space rippled in response, shifting endlessly, as if testing Zeon’s strength, distorting his vision.

Tsshh! Tsshh!

The rippling space emitted a strange noise that echoed through the dungeon.

It was a sound unlike anything he had ever heard before.

Every time he took a step, that eerie noise reverberated, raising the hairs on his neck.

Tsshh! Tss-tss-tss!

It was an unnerving, bone-deep sound that could easily drive a weak-minded person mad.

Even Zeon, who prided himself on his exceptional mental fortitude, found himself unconsciously biting his lip.

“Hm.”

He gave a small shake of his head and kept walking.

More than ten minutes passed, and nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, he sensed something strange.

The noise had grown several times louder than before.

“So the more I walk, the more the sound layers upon itself?”

If that was the case, then in another thirty minutes, the sound would be as loud as thunder.

At that point, anyone’s eardrums would burst under the pressure.

Even now, Zeon’s ears were constantly assaulted by pain.

If it weren’t for his endurance, he would already be writhing in agony.

“Interesting.”

Zeon murmured softly.

The dungeon was already reacting to him, attacking him.

Tss-tss-tss! Tss-tss!

The noise of the dungeon continued to amplify and overlap.