Zone 1: Delving In with Kaya
Just as we stepped into the dungeon entrance with Kaya, the whole world seemed to plunge into darkness for a moment—then a vast open space stretched out before us.
If it’s just appearances, the inside of the dungeon doesn’t seem any different from the game at first glance.
The Long Terror Dungeon was divided into a total of three zones, each further split into ten rooms. Those individual rooms were randomly one of four types: regular monster room, elite monster room, event room, or rest area. The tenth room was always the boss room.
Players marked them like 1-10 for Zone 1’s boss room, for example. Right now, Kaya and I were in 1-0. Not an official room, but excluding the random rest areas, it was the one guaranteed safe zone per zone…
In the game, you could retreat from 1-0 just once with no losses. In other words, from here, we could turn back and escape the infamous Long Terror Dungeon.
“Captain?”
“Ah.”
But that thought shattered at Kaya’s call. Her hesitant-free stride from our first meeting, the heavy armor, the ominous mace. Hearing her call me captain felt like she was urging me—what are you dawdling for? Lead the way already.
I’d made a vow just minutes ago, but…
Am I… scared?
They called it a “veteran” clear, but the success rate on hard difficulty was barely 10%. The game’s base difficulty was sky-high, packed with RNG elements everywhere, so the harder it got, the more bullshit situations piled up.
Even so, with just a 10% chance, it was dubbed “veteran.” Because clearing it at all was damn impressive.
But now, we had to clear an even harder dungeon—not with mouse clicks, but by running our bodies ragged in one try. What were the odds?
I guess my rationality had been quietly swallowed by those odds. There was no guarantee of a restart if we died. Death meant game over.
“Gotta stake our lives on it, huh.”
“…I’ll protect you, Captain.”
“Thanks.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say I’d protect her too. Felt like planting a flag.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Right after entering the first floor, I stopped Kaya and checked our key stats. With basic weapons and armor equipped, I could see the bonuses in parentheses.
Phew. Since the armor was level 1, my light armor gave me higher HP and defense than Kaya’s heavy plate—for now. My attack was higher, naturally.
Normally, the healer should stay back, but it felt a bit off somehow.
“I’ll take front row, you second. Let’s go like that.”
“…I can lead if you want.”
“The tougher one should be up front. Plus, for scouting or disarming traps, I’m a bit better than you.”
Kaya glanced at me for a moment, then nodded obediently. Good thing she wasn’t the type to recklessly show off her strength or courage.
I let out a silent sigh of relief and crept forward cautiously.
A damp, musty basement smell hung in the air. The surroundings were lit, but darkness closed in sharply just a short distance away.
Chiiik—
Brightness rising. Pushes back the creeping terror slightly.
Current Brightness: 94
Brightness affected everything—ambush chances, mentality drain on heroes, even rewards. In the game, you’d just click lantern oil from inventory when it dropped, but here I had to pour it manually. At least the magic kept the lanterns floating around me—no need to carry them.
On the way to 1-1, I thought I heard sobs, saw bones rolling around, but I couldn’t freak out over this already. Five seconds in the game, five minutes walking—we stood before the first room.
1-0 to 1-1 was always one-way, and this room was 100% a regular monster room.
“Kaya. Ready?”
She nodded, gripping her mace tight instead of answering.
“Opening it.”
Kiiiiiik— The grating door creaked open, and inside, a single regular monster from the first floor greeted us: a <Lay Believer>.
A humanoid monster, the lowliest worshiper in a cult revering the deepest, longest terror.
Thud!
The door slammed shut. I gripped my hand axe awkwardly at first, but my body naturally shifted into stance, facing off against the Lay Believer.
Yujin: 7
Kaya: 4
Lay Believer: 5
The speed check popped up in the corner of my vision. Higher speed meant your turn came sooner—didn’t matter friend or foe. So I went first, monster second, Kaya last.
Glared at the monster, and its stats appeared beside it in the air. I gritted my teeth.
HP bloated like that? For real?
To get a feel for combat, I decided to test the waters with skill 2: Flashbang.
2-Skill: Flashbang!
Debuffs 2 enemies
On hit: Blind (Accuracy -50%)
The moment I thought to throw the flashbang, my body pulled the pin naturally and hurled it coolly at the Lay Believer.
-1 HP
Remaining HP: 25/26
Lay Believer afflicted with Blind (1 turn)
“Nice.”
Successfully landed the accuracy-debilitating Blind. After my turn, the Lay Believer roared and swung at me, but blinded, it slashed wildly and missed, passing turn to Kaya.
She twitched her fingers toward it, waiting for my command. That confirmed it—the only difference was clicks versus voice; the core was the same.
No hesitation. “Let’s see some Battle Vestal action. Kaya, All According to God’s Will.”
She stared wide-eyed, then—for the first time since we met—flashed a bright smile as she crouched low.
Like a track star at the starting line, she exploded forward.
Crack!
All According to God’s Will
Critical Hit!
-17 HP
Remaining HP: 8/26
Kaya swung her mace with full force, smashing the Lay Believer’s skull. She returned to my side beaming, gore dripping from her weapon.
“Ahh, all according to God’s will…”
Sh-shit.
Too creepy to celebrate a crit in the first room. I forced a grin to match her smile, then prepped for round 2.
8 HP left. My attack 3~11, plus Head Crush’s +4 vs humanoids made it 7~15 effective. With 1 defense, expected 6~14 damage—2/9 chance to not kill.
Head Crush!
Body moved on its own again, axe high, smashing down.
Kwaduduk!
“Phew.”
-8 HP
Exactly 8 damage—close call on bad luck. I stepped over the split skull spewing brains everywhere.
Nearly puked, but ignored it and searched the corners. Just dust. No loot.
“Tch. Total rip-off. You okay, Kaya?”
“Yes.”
Back to stone-faced like nothing happened. I vowed never to piss her off as I opened the exit.
Chiiik—
Replenished brightness dimmed from battle, we trudged the eerie hall to the first fork.
As expected, no mapping proc. Only 16% chance anyway. If it had, we’d know the room type ahead, traps, secret rooms.
Short think—I took left.
Minimap in upper-right updated live as we went. I scanned floor, ceiling, walls.
Traps—always watch for traps…
“Krut!”
“Kaya!”
Kaya triggered a trap.
Afflicted with Poison (3): -1 HP per minute.
Remaining HP: 13/14
Kaya Mentality -9
Damn, poison trap.
Kaya clutched her shoulder, kneeling—looked in real pain. Up close, a long thin needle stuck through her armor gap.
“This’ll hurt.”
She bit her lip, pale. I yanked it out quick, poured half the antidote on the wound, made her drink the rest.
Kaya cured of Poison.
Cured, but her pallor worried me. Damn, if it’s like the game, make this game-like too. Why so vivid?
“Can you move?”
“…I showed disgrace. I’m fine.”
“Disgrace my ass.”
Just cleared 1-1 and already burned an antidote—hurt bad. Consumables weren’t infinite; no shopkeeper luck meant these had to last to 1-10.
But couldn’t skimp. Left alone, she’d lose 3 more HP—huge risk in a dungeon where anyone could drop anytime.
“Tell me if anything’s off.”
“…Yes.”
Clearly, this stoic Battle Vestal was already self-blaming. That -9 mentality probably from it. I clicked my tongue, proceeded even more carefully.
Terror from the dungeon’s deepest reaches targets cracks in the heroes’ courage.
Yujin Mentality -4
Kaya Mentality -5
As if mocking my caution, mentality drain hit. Kaya’s already at -14—better hustle, traps be damned.
Anywhere but rest areas, mentality chipped away constantly. The dread that endless terror could swallow you anytime, even standing still.
Absolutely. No one hits -100 mentality.
“Kaya. Full sprint ahead.”
She nodded with resolve. Counted to three—bolted.
Bold call paid off—or luck?—dodged traps before 1-2.
Boldly bypassed traps, gaining slight confidence.
Yujin Mentality +2
Kaya Mentality +2
Nice.
Fist clenched at the small but precious gain, I opened the second room’s door.
Kiiiiiik…
“Terror! Terror! Terror is cooooomiiiing!”
“Fuck me…”
Kuwoong!