The Valley of Unsetting Stars

After walking for another half-day, just as the sky was beginning to darken and after surviving a few encounters with monsters, we finally reached our destination.

A place that conjured the illusion of a ceaseless torrent of stars pouring down from the night sky between the sheer, towering walls of a long canyon.

This was the reason it was called the Valley of Unsetting Stars.

Ancient trees, their gnarled trunks whispering of the passage of centuries, lined the canyon. Lush, overgrown moss carpeted the earth like a natural rug.

Small streams branched out and trickled along the valley floor, while the faint, distant roar of a massive waterfall echoed from somewhere far ahead.

Radie let out a soft sigh as he watched a swan lazily preening its feathers on the water's surface.

"Seriously... no matter how many times I see it, I just can't get used to the sheer scale of this dungeon... It feels like we've stepped into another world entirely."

"Indeed. To think such a vast space was hidden away in a corner of the first layer... I had heard it was a suitable spot for camping, and though it is a bit out of the way, the scenery is undeniably magnificent. The air is remarkably crisp as well."

"..."

"Doran, are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, of course. It really is as wonderful as they say."

I offered a half-hearted agreement while quickly scanning our surroundings.

Although I had subtly guided the group here, my mind had been racing at top speed from the moment we arrived.

Peering closely at various spots throughout the canyon, I caught the glint of polished armor reflecting light and the distant flicker of campfires.

Proof that other adventurers had already staked out their spots and scattered across the area.

For adventurers with decent combat capabilities to be loitering in a remote place like this at a time like this...

...There's definitely another reincarnator mixed in among us in this world.

Either one of them was hiding in that crowd, or someone had subtly leaked the information.

With a new dungeon having just opened, any normal adventurer would be frantically hunting rare monsters and stripping them for materials. The fact that they were idling away in a remote corner like this made it certain.

They were likely aiming for the event that was about to trigger here.

But even for a reincarnator, very few people should know about this place...

Don't tell me they all received the same quest too?

...No, maybe not.

If they had swarmed here because of a quest, it would be far more crowded than this.

Most of all, I didn't feel any of the tension characteristic of players undertaking a high-stakes quest.

Any player sick to death of Velheim's sheer malice would have immediately suspected a trap the moment they saw the system message, just like I did.

To verify my theory, I slipped closer to a group of shabby-looking adventurers and eavesdropped on their conversation...

"I heard the fishing guild next door caught a real monster of a fish here last night. They said its body was as thick as an ogre's forearm..."

"But didn't we come in a bit too deep? I'm not confident in my fighting skills... What if we run into a monster out here?"

"Don't worry. They say the only things that spawn in this canyon are Horn Rabbits at best. Instead of worrying about that, check if you've got a bite yet."

"..."

It was clear they had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.

As I was busy analyzing the adventurers, Malton, who was climbing a slope in the distance, called out to me.

"Doran, what are you doing over there? We must hurry if we want to pitch our tents before the sun sets completely."

"Just leave him be. He's probably daydreaming about something useless anyway," Radie chimed in. "By the way... how does this dungeon actually get dark and bright? What's the mechanism behind it?"

"I heard there are bioluminescent plants clinging to the ceiling of the dungeon."

"Really? I wonder if they're rare plants that feed on the dungeon's mana... I suppose cultivating them artificially would be difficult? It would be so convenient if we could just stuff them into a lantern and carry them around..."

We found a suitable spot and quickly set up camp.

However, even after laying down his sleeping bag, Radie busily bustled around the perimeter of our tents.

He tied tiny bells to silk threads and drove sharp blades into the ground along paths where monsters might approach, meticulously setting up traps.

He's incredibly thorough... and he seems to know how to handle a wide variety of traps.

Honestly, it was extremely convenient having him take the initiative to handle the tedious sentry work that we would normally have to split among ourselves.

Despite his youthful appearance, it was clear he had spent a long time operating solo and building up his experience as an adventurer.

But as I watched him work, a mischievous, slightly sinister thought began to creep into my mind.

What if I just suddenly blew up those traps he's setting up so diligently...?

I'd get a massive stat boost in an instant, wouldn't I?

As I had realized back when I threw those novice adventurers into a panic in the Radgit Caves, I didn't necessarily have to agitate an enemy to trigger my Chaos skill.

Sometimes, simply throwing my own allies into utter confusion was enough to massively inflate my stats right before diving into battle.

Besides, from what I'd seen, this kid was quite straight-laced. The shock value would be off the charts, which meant I'd rake in a ton of stats.

Plus, teasing him was just plain fun.

"...What? I suddenly felt a really unpleasant gaze."

"It's nothing, keep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doing what you're doing. ...Want some help with the traps?"

"No thanks. A novice helping would only get in the—wait! Why are you pulling that out?! I worked so hard to secure that!!"

"Oops. My bad."

As I bickered with Radie, who was actively trying to kick me in the shins, Malton let out a yawn with a chuckle.

"Well then... I am quite fatigued, so I shall turn in first. Ah, and here is the pocket watch you requested."

"Thanks. I'll take the first watch, so go ahead and get some sleep."

"Very well. ...But why do you require that watch? It is unlike ordinary timepieces, so using it to measure standard time will prove difficult..."

"Oh, just... keeping watch gets boring. It's nothing major."

"Is that so? Then I shall rest easy."

Not long after Malton crawled into his tent, his rhythmic snoring began to echo.

In this world, there exists a concept known as 'Mage's Time.'

It was a system that cataloged events affecting magic into specific cycles, much like the Gregorian calendar.

For instance, during the Week of Fire, fire spirits would run rampant, causing frequent forest fires, and mad mages would go around committing serial arson.

Conversely, during the Week of Water, floods would occur, keeping the beaver beastmen busy, the mermen would wage wars, and graduate students from the Magic Tower who failed their exams would throw themselves into the river, causing the water levels to overflow.

And the upcoming cycle, the Blue Comet Week, was a period when a blue comet passed close to the planet.

Occasionally, 'special lifeforms' influenced by the comet would awaken.

"It should be starting soon."

I pulled out Malton's pocket watch, crafted with precise dwarven craftsmanship.

Click. As I popped open the brass lid, numerous reliefs modeled after stars and planets rotated smoothly, driven by the intricate clockwork gears.

As I quietly killed time with only the campfire for company, the needle, which had been completely motionless, finally began to tick.

And at last, the moment the pocket watch's slender iron hand reached its designated position—

BOOM—!!!

Simultaneously, a miniature model of a blue comet rose to the front of the watch face. The dungeon shook violently, and a sudden change swept across the pitch-black night sky.

Like a tidal wave, a streak of blue fire left a long tail in its wake, tearing through the darkness on the horizon and sweeping toward us.

"Doran, what is happening?! I heard a tremendous roar just now...!"

"Is it a monster?!"

As Malton and Radie scrambled out of their tents in a panic, I silently pointed toward the sky.

"Oh! Is it a meteor shower? That massive one looks like a comet!"

"Wait...! We are inside a dungeon, so how can we see a comet...?"

"Could it be that they have perfectly replicated the sky of the surface world here?! Truly marvelous...!"

Malton and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Radie stared up at the night sky, letting out continuous gasps of awe.

The dungeon shimmered, radiating a beautiful, ethereal glow centered around the comet.

Throughout the canyon, bioluminescent plants sprouted and glowed softly, while fireflies, startled by the noise, took flight all at once, creating an unparalleled spectacle.

It looked as though the Milky Way itself was flowing through the entire valley.

But...

We have to move fast starting now...!

Anyone mesmerized by that beautiful light would meet a gruesome end.

I quickly packed my gear and stood up.

"Malton, something's not right. Let's get out of here."

"Hmm...? Very well."

"Kid, pack up your traps. Quick."

"What? Where are we going in the middle of the night... Fine, I'm on it."

Radie looked reluctant, but after seeing the serious expression on my face, he packed up his things without another word.

We packed up our sleeping bags and tents and headed down into the valley, which was already in an uproar with mercenaries and adventurers who had been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠jolted awake.

"What is this...?! Suddenly there's light everywhere..."

"It could be an ambush! Stay sharp, everyone!! Wake up those sleeping bastards over there!"

"Oh, Mage! Mana is surging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the earth all around us! What on earth is happening right now?"

"How should I know?! Just get the parchment out and record everything that happens from now on without missing a single detail! This is huge... This is my ticket to escaping my life as a Magic Tower researcher!!"

While the crowd shouted in confusion, the light enveloping the valley grew increasingly intense.

Before long, the thick moss was torn apart as blue crystals wriggled and crawled out from beneath the earth.

Mysterious monsters whose entire bodies were composed of blue crystal.

Right on cue, new notifications flashed across my log window.

Tring!

Just as I thought. You bastards were the ones who wiped out the vanguard.

I curled my lips into a cold sneer, glaring at the golems.

[Cerulean Golem]

A rare monster that only appeared during the Blue Comet Week.

Back when I played Velheim, I had come across the records of the very first expedition team that entered this dungeon.

Their journal detailed how, as soon as the comet appeared in the night sky, mysterious crystal golems poured out of this canyon, causing massive casualties.

At the time, they had no way of identifying the monsters, so it was treated as an unsolved mystery. But now that I had transmigrated into the past, I was facing the reality of it firsthand.

This was the exact moment I witnessed the trap laid out by that malice-filled quest to get me killed.

Damn quest... This was just a blatant attempt to murder me.

Suppressing the anger rising from deep within my chest, I watched as the Cerulean Golems slowly stood up as if awakening from a long slumber, their heavy footsteps beginning to echo as they roamed the canyon.

"W-What is that...? Is it a golem?"

"I've never seen a golem made of crystal before..."

As a few adventurers tried to approach the golems with a mix of curiosity and caution, Malton stepped forward to stop them.

"It would be wise not to approach them rashly. There is no telling what kind of abilities such rare monsters might possess."

"But... just taking down one of those looks like it would fetch a fortune, doesn't it?"

A mercenary licked his lips, staring at the golem with greedy eyes.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

Idiots. Do they really think that's just a harmless lump of crystal?

The Cerulean Golem was a monster that boasted an incredibly hard outer shell and devastating physical strength.

Charging in half-cocked was a one-way ticket to being turned into minced meat.

And it possessed one more extremely troublesome trait.

"You bunch of cowards! Out of my way! That thing's materials belong to me! O raging hellfire, dwell within this blade...!"

As a mercenary chanted his spell, crimson flames erupted and surged along the blade of his longsword.

With a face full of confidence, he lunged forward and drove his sword straight into the golem's head—

"H-Huh...?"

Without so much as a scratch on its body, the golem brought its massive arms crashing down.

The mercenary who had charged in so boldly was instantly pulverized into a bloody pulp, sending the surrounding adventurers scattering in sheer terror, their faces pale as sheets.