The world shifted from the present to the past. Then, looking down from the sky like a bird, I surveyed the area around the large hole. The vision of the past and my spatial awareness magic seemed to be functioning normally. After confirming this, I calmly observed the world of the past.
At this time, the area around the large hole had not yet been burned and melted, and people dressed in elaborate attire were walking around cheerfully. On the inner side of the large hole, there was an artificial platform resembling a spiral staircase, and it seemed that people were using it to head toward the entrance of the Dungeon at the bottom.
Over the past year, the explorers must have attempted this Dungeon many times. Though the staircase would be terrifying for an ordinary person—a single misstep would send you plummeting into the abyss—the explorers walked with ease. Without much tension, they discussed today’s exploration plans with their companions as they descended the narrow scaffolding.
However, I witnessed the moment when the explorer’s routine suddenly came to an end. First, a scream rose from the bottom of the large hole. Naturally, the explorers walking above gazed down with puzzled expressions.
Down the stairs, burly explorers were rushing out one after another from the side tunnel that served as the entrance to the Dungeon. Everyone was cowering in fear, as if they had encountered a monster, and running around in panic. Those who made their living fighting monsters were climbing the stairs as fast as they could, showing no shame or regard for their reputation. Everyone looking down understood the abnormal situation.
And soon, the cause of the abnormality began to ooze out from the entrance to the Dungeon. Like blood flowing from a wound, red mud began to flow from the side tunnel. Those looking down were confused by the unknown substance.
Then, flames erupted from the entrance. At that moment, people realized that the red mud was lava. The first thing that came to mind at that sight was a volcanic eruption. Even those who had only heard about it through word of mouth knew what kind of phenomenon it was. They knew how much death and destruction it would cause.
Those who knew the horror of an eruption began to scream in terror. The screams filled not only the bottom of the large hole but also the outside as the terror spread to the town aboveground. The explorers who had been attempting to challenge the Dungeon turned on their heels and ran away at full speed to avoid being caught up in it. Seeing this, the townspeople panicked while the soldiers tried to assess the situation.
The second Dungeon town, Dahrill, was swallowed up by the vortex of chaos. And there, at the center of that vortex, a black-haired, black-clad girl emerged from the Dungeon entrance at the bottom of the abyss, which had become as still as the eye of a storm. It was immediately clear that this girl was the monster the fleeing explorers had seen. First, the magical power emanating from her body was unimaginably immense, as if she were bearing darkness itself. Additionally, crimson-black flames constantly erupted from the gaps in her black clothing.
The weapon she held in her hand was also abnormal. A pitch-black scythe flickered like a shadow, and it was easy to see that it was a weapon forged in an extraordinary manner. Her eyes were wrapped in bandages inscribed with some kind of spell, and a red pattern floated on her neck. The meaningful spell and pattern were ominous enough to suggest that they were sealing something sinister within. Furthermore, even with that seal in place, the terrifying magical power erupting from the girl’s body showed no sign of stopping, so even an average explorer would likely scream in terror.
There was no doubt that this black-haired, black-clad girl was the one who had created the lava. Not only the explorers, but even I, observing from above, was certain of it. Then, the girl walked across the lava and glanced up at the sky. More precisely, she looked at the last of the explorers who were lagging behind.
A spell was spun from her small, cute lips. “Midgard Blaze.”
The flames erupting from her body gathered and transformed into a giant dragon of fire. Immediately, the dragon took flight, scorching every part of the inner rim of the great hole. No, with its intense heat, it melted everything in its path. Fortunately, by the time the flame dragon had finished melting the spiral staircase, all the explorers had escaped to the outside of the great hole. At the last moment, a catastrophic disaster where people were burned to death was averted.
Watching the scene calmly from the sky, I realized that the girl had deliberately allowed the explorers to escape. Her purpose was likely to keep them at a distance. In her own way, she had driven them away by threatening them with the fiery dragon.
However, even if it was an act of kindness, the scene was still horrifying. The rock face of the hole had melted, and lava flowed like a river. The heat warped the air, and the overwhelming magic transformed the bottom of the great hole into the bottom of a hellish cauldron. It was clear at a glance that no one could ever pass through there again.
After confirming the devastation, the girl extinguished the flame dragon and began moving the lava at the bottom of the great hole with magic. The lava cooled and solidified, creating a beautiful path in front of what appeared to be the entrance to the Dungeon. And then, as if she had finished her work, the girl wiped the sweat from her forehead and let darkness, not flames, spill out from her body. That darkness gathered and took shape, just like the dragon before.
The darkness took the form of a young girl, who, like the girl who controlled flames, pretended to wipe the sweat from her forehead and spoke in a cheerful voice.
“Phew! Good work! During this Dungeon exploration, I’ve learned to use my magic in various ways, but this is a bit tiring, you know.”
“I’m fine though,” the flame girl replied. “There’s no one here now. Let’s call Sheer and the others soon. I’ll adjust the temperature so they don’t burn. Heat. Flame.”
The culprits who had caused this disaster were my companions, Maria and Reaper.
Maria’s outfit and magic abilities had changed, so it’d taken me a little while to recognize her. Perhaps I’d wanted to believe, even until the very last moment, that my companions weren’t the ones who’d melted this area.
After I had that realization, I saw two other people exit the Dungeon. I also recognized them. One was a timid-looking young man with brown hair and the other a petite but cheerful girl—Glenn Walker and Sheer Regacy. I was surprised by this strange combination of Snow’s brother and Palinchron’s niece.
As soon as the two emerged from the Dungeon entrance, they gaped at the horrific scene around them.
“Wow, this is terrible!” Glenn said.
“What?! How did this happen? Everything was fine when we went into the Dungeon, right?” Sheer asked.
The two, who were relatively levelheaded, seemed unable to believe the devastation caused by Maria and Reaper.
But Maria spoke up, her voice indifferent. “I just blocked the entrance to the Dungeon a little. More importantly, Sheer, please focus on Harmonize. The information we have so far isn’t enough to trust.” She pointed to the pendant hanging around Sheer’s neck.
“That was the limit! No more information will come out of it!” Sheer said.
“No. Try a bit more. I’m not saying you have to be like me. Just trying a little more is enough.”
I realized that the pendant Sheer was wearing was Tida’s magic gem. Next, from the word Harmonize, I remembered the deaths of Alty, the Thief of Fire’s Essence, and Tida, the Thief of Darkness’s Essence. They’d also used the word Harmonize. I didn’t know the circumstances behind it, but it seemed that Sheer Regacy, the niece of Palinchron Regacy, was trying to Harmonize with Tida’s magic gem.
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. At least we know that blood ties alone aren’t enough. Let’s call it a day for now. But we should hurry south. We need to burn Yggdrasil, the World Tree, in Whoseyards as soon as possible. If it’s really as you say, Sheer, there should be some kind of reaction. It would be ideal if Apostle Deiplachra showed up...” Maria said.
“Burn it?!” Sheer gasped, tensing up and taking a step back. “The Apostle will react—or rather, be surprised! No, not surprised—the Apostle inside will die! Maria!”
“Then we’ll catch him when he comes out after being threatened and hear what he has to say. If he doesn’t come out... Well, it’ll just end up the same as here,” Maria said.
“The same as here?! At the center of the mainland—Yggdrasil is at the heart of the Holy City! Are you going to do the same thing there?!” Sheer observed the destruction around her, her face contorted with emotion.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no one gets hurt next time. Besides, if Apostle Deiplachra is there, he’ll show himself before that happens. We’re in a hurry, so let’s not be picky about our methods. Let’s not waste time chatting either. Come on.”
Sheer was at a loss for words when she realized Maria was being serious.
Seeing that there were no more objections, Maria addressed the last person present. “So, Glenn, what will you do?”
Glenn was just as confused as Sheer, but he seemed to recover a little faster than her. He immediately became serious and answered, putting a hand to his head. “Well, I’m also concerned about the Apostle. Plus, lately, I’ve been hearing voices. A voice echoing in my head that won’t stop...”