Dungeon Break (2)
"They're all dead serious."
The Survivor Gallery was burning up in real time. Comments flooded in from people declaring they'd head to the dungeon Magic Girl had mentioned, recruiting others to join.
The board was heating up with a strange sense of camaraderie. Some comments showed real determination to actually go.
"...Our first meetup might actually happen..."
I was staring at the monitor in disbelief when the festive vibe in the gallery got doused with cold water.
Two bold trading posts appeared one after another.
"Sowon... new trading posts..."
Haseon's voice trembled faintly as she spotted them at the same time I did. My brow furrowed as I checked them out.
"Devil... Lord..."
A sigh escaped my lips.
...But why the second kill? Does that mean someone's already taken out one?
Anyway, it reeked of constellations paying attention. They were starting to meddle via trading posts.
After those, the board's vibe turned weird. The flow shifted.
Should we really go? Isn't it too risky?
"I hope they read those and get scared off..."
"...But there still seem to be more people set on going."
"Hmm... Should we head over too?"
"For real?"
If I didn't go and the gathered survivors turned on each other, that'd be a disaster. Or if one of those malicious constellations' posts pushed someone to attack the elf—that'd be even worse. It could make all humanity her enemy.
I wasn't confident I could stop it perfectly, but if I went, I could monitor and intervene with drones if a fight broke out. Or snap a photo first with a drone to defuse things.
"Haa..."
I sank deep into the cockpit chair, pinching my brow.
In the end, I came too.
Would the gallery survivors actually gather at that dungeon? For a chance to see an elf, despite vague rewards and all my warnings about the danger?
"...Why wouldn't they?"
After a while, judging the timing right, I launched a recon drone from tracks a bit away from the dungeon.
I narrowed my eyes at the feed on the monitor.
"They're really there."
Magic Girl hadn't lied. In the middle of a half-destroyed road shimmered a massive, pale purple dungeon rift—unlike any normal one.
And people were already gathered in front of it.
Checking the gallery, someone had even made a post for chatting at the rift.
I alternated between the drone feed and comments, letting out a hollow chuckle.
The survivors on screen were clustered within three meters of each other. Yet not one uttered a word aloud. Heads down, glued to their phone screens, chatting only via comments.
'Typical gallery folks...'
Or maybe not just that. Those creepy trading posts might have them wary even of talking face-to-face, sticking to phones.
As the chat continued, three more awakeners joined. Total nine.
'If they just greet and split, perfect.'
But with a decent crowd, someone suggested in comments.
Heads snapped up over phones at "constellation reward." They stared blankly at the rift.
Then, a woman with arms crossed, eyeing her phone, spoke first. Tattoos dotted her body; tall with healthy tanned skin.
"We might actually die, you know?"
Her sharp words were brutally real. No telling what lurked inside, remember the constellation posts—it's dangerous.
But... majority tipped the scale.
"Tch..."
With tattoo sis's tongue-click as finale, the nine stepped toward the massive forest entrance like moths to flame.
The purple rift swallowed their backs.
"...They went in after all..."
I tapped the cockpit panel, lowering the drone's altitude. No choice—I'd follow.
One of the nine gulped and stepped beyond the rift. The other eight held breath, watching—
"Gaaahhh!"
The first guy screamed, flung back out like repelled by something. His face pale with terror.
"Wh-what? What's inside—"
"R-run! The things inside... everything in the forest is charging this way!"
"...Huh?"
As they gawked, the massive purple rift rippled wildly before them. It ballooned like about to burst, swelling to building-size in seconds.
"Wh-what the hell..."
"The rift's... still growing—"
Boom!
A balloon-pop sound, gale-force wind blasting from the rift. Even the recon drone at a distance shook wildly, camera wobbling.
As they staggered in the blast, surroundings transformed.
Crunch, craaack—!
"Huh?"
Unseen before, drone captured it: From cracks in wind-swept asphalt, dark green moss and nameless wildflowers sprouted. Vines exploded around abandoned cars, engulfing them; same for streetlights.
Trees magically burst from crumbled concrete, widening gaps. The barren street turned lush green forest in seconds.
Then, forest beasts emerged.
"Grrrrowl—!"
From green-overrun alleys and streets near the rift, animal-shaped monsters appeared—fangs and claws freakishly developed. As if always there.
Sabertooth wolves, boulder-sized boars, horned rabbits. They crouched, glaring at humans, ready to charge.
"Run!"
"What?"
"Damn it... Run!"
Someone yelled. Seasoned survivors of this ruined world, the nine moved in sync. Hesitation brief.
They dove into half-vined shops and buildings, evading the sudden monster horde. Drone confirmed all nine safe inside. No stragglers—good. But situation sucked.
Outside monsters multiplied; city greened over. Those beasts at least low-grade like lizardmen—
"Sniff sniff..."
Some sniffed the ground, tracking survivors.
Close recon drone picked up voices.
"H-haa... D-did you see that?"
"Grass everywhere suddenly, then monsters—!"
"Shit, that boar was boulder-sized...!"
They caught breath, sharing the scene.
"This is it, right? What the gallery said..."
"Dungeon break..."
The tattooed woman murmured.
Dungeon Break.
Long-ignored dungeon hits limit, monsters burst out. The phenomenon everyone suspected but never seen—happening live before their eyes. The one that wiped safe zones.
"...Insane. Shoulda stayed home scrolling gallery..."
Overhearing regrets, I recalled the recon drone. Couldn't abandon those nine in the thick of it. Save first, sort later. Then guide them via path drone.
"Be right back. Gotta rescue them first."
I prepped drones and artillery golem, grabbing spear and gear.
But recon drone wasn't returning.
Glanced at cockpit screen.
"Should be back by now... Huh?"
Drone feed shook violently. Wind again? Watched closely—seemed grabbed, dragged.
"Bird nab it...?"
Shake stopped, lens focused.
I gasped.
"...!"
The entire car-1 monitor filled with... a face.
Excessively pale skin, sharp nose, keen eyes. Uniquely long ears unlike human.
Staring straight at me from the screen—the elf those nine sought.
Her eyes fixed on the drone lens, not 30cm away.
Click.
"..."
Entranced, I snapped the photo.