Peaceful Adventurer Gallery
The crunch of leaves underfoot echoed unnaturally loudly. "This dungeon's theme is definitely a forest," said Karon, the analysis team's leader, furrowing his brow as he scanned the surroundings. Towering trees, the damp scent of soil. And endless darkness stretching out. It was the textbook image of a forest-type dungeon.
"But doesn't it feel a bit off?"
"Yeah, it does."
It was too quiet. They'd explored countless dungeons. But this sense of wrongness was a first. Normally, there'd be the faint stir of monster breaths or the flow of mana—some subtle pulse of life. But here, it was dead silent. Like stepping into a taxidermied space where time itself had frozen.
"Leader, this doesn't feel right."
A researcher trailing behind whispered in a low voice. They were all veterans who'd seen it all, but now they hunched their shoulders, tense as strung bows.
"What do you mean?"
"I feel eyes on us. Like someone's... watching us constantly."
Karon felt it too. From the darkness, behind the trees, between the bushes. A sticky sensation, like countless unseen eyes fixed on them. But whenever he turned, nothing. Just dense black trees.
"......"
But Karon shook his head. "Ignore it. We're in a dungeon. Nothing that happens here is out of the ordinary."
Dungeons were like that. Places where anything could happen without raising an eyebrow. That's why even the analysis team had come in fully armored. He pushed down his unease and quickened his pace.
"Hold up."
One of the lead researchers halted. With a trembling hand, he pointed ahead. "There's... something there."
Karon's gaze followed. In the darkness, under faint moonlight in a clearing. A small shadow huddled, child-sized. A hazy form like black smoke.
"Monster?"
"No mana signature. Just... a blob of shadow?"
The researchers murmured. After all that tension, the pathetic sight brought relief mixed with odd irritation. Had they gotten spooked over that?
"Go check it out."
At Karon's order, they approached, weapons raised, encircling and staring it down. What was it? Any weaknesses? Their analyst curiosity kicked in hard.
"Looks like just smoke."
"Poke it?"
One prodded it with his blade tip. No reaction. Just a wobble.
"Boring."
Karon clicked his tongue. All that hype about overwhelming power, and it was just this crude illusion? He didn't hide his disappointment, turning away.
"Whoa, Leader, wait."
One researcher urgently called him over, holding a magitech analyzer to it, eyes narrowed. "This thing... its structure's weird. Not made of mana—pure darkness coalesced."
"Pure darkness?"
"Yeah. And... isn't it bigger now?"
"What?"
Karon looked again. It had been child-sized moments ago; now it matched an adult man's height.
Imagination?
No. Even as they watched, it writhed, expanding.
"What the...?"
They stared, mesmerized. Half fascination, half fear. The more they focused, the faster it grew. 2 meters, 3, 5... In seconds, it towered over the trees, looming down.
"What is that thing! Why's it still growing?!"
Now they backed away. But they couldn't look away. The bizarre, overwhelming spectacle glued their eyes.
And those eyes were the monster's perfect feast.
Kuoooooh—
The mountain-sized shadow slowly bent its head. A faceless visage inches from their noses.
"Gah, aaaah!"
Terror-stricken, they screamed and unleashed attacks. Fireballs slammed it, but it dispersed like smoke, reforming bigger.
The true nature of Aiden's shadow human in the dungeon: the Ahdokshini. It lived on attention. The more eyes on it, the larger it grew. Even their assaults counted as focus.
"No... stop! Don't look!"
Karon instinctively realized and shouted, but too late. It already blotted the sky. Overwhelming mass. Not magic or tech—pure force.
Boom—
A massive foot crushed the ground. The forest shook like an earthquake. The shockwave uprooted ancient trees; researchers scattered like leaves.
"Kuhk... ack...!"
Karon rolled, vomiting blood. He looked up to hellscape. Those crushed underfoot were unrecognizable mush. Armor meant nothing. Just red gore soaking the dirt.
"S-save... me..."
A researcher with pulverized legs crawled, hand outstretched. But Ahdokshini showed no mercy. It scooped him up like a child grabbing a toy.
Crunch—
A gruesome snap; the body folded in half. Blood fountained, staining its black hand. Bored, it tossed the corpse aside.
"You... monster bastard..."
Karon gripped his sword with shaking hands. His legs wouldn't move. Overwhelming terror. Not fear of death, but powerlessness—their prized strength and knowledge meaningless before this darkness.
"W-what the hell did you make?!"
Before entering, Baal had said one thing: Belial Enterprise built this dungeon. Our plan: dissect it from top to bottom. It seemed easy at first. But that was a miscalculation, realized too late.
"What is that monster?!"
Karon's scream shook the forest. The shadow before them—a monster? No. Different essence. Then what?! He couldn't comprehend. How was the dungeon made? What editor produced this?
It's over.
The beast approached slowly. Karon squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to run, but terror paralyzed him. He had to report to Lord Baal—damn body wouldn't obey.
"Fuck."
He clenched his eyes. The shadow's fist descended.
Kwaang—!
The forest fell silent again. Only a massive footprint remained, with elite remains pulverized inside.
No more eyes on Ahdokshini. Attention gone, it shrank from mountain to tiny shadow, melting into the dark. As if nothing had been there.
"...They haven't come out yet."
An hour since entry. Elite analysts should've mapped it and grabbed the core by now. But no researchers emerged.
"Send in the suppression team."
Baal's order was curt. If analysis failed, brute force it. Heavily armed orcs stormed the dungeon.
Thirty minutes later, they returned. Faces pale as ghosts. In their hands, not the core—but bloodied lumps.
"Master... look at this."
The suppression leader set down unrecognizable orc-meat piles. The analysis team.
"Enemies?"
"None. We searched—no monsters, not even an ant. Just... these bodies and huge footprints."
The leader's voice shook. Invisible foe. But its traces showed unimaginable destruction.
"......"
Baal silently eyed the corpse heap. Pure meat. Not magic—crushed by sheer mass and power.
"No core?"
The leader shook his head. "Not enough time..."
Truth: even they felt fear. No desire to delve deeper after that.
But Baal wanted the core for dungeon intel. Layout, placements—rough idea at least. Recovery vs. not made huge analysis differences.
"Ha..."
Silence broke with Baal's laugh. "Hahaha!"
Anger? No. Pure glee.
"Excellent. Truly excellent!"
He kicked a corpse. Total wipeout. Diendi Make's pride crushed by unknown foe.
"Aiden."
The kid perfectly met his demands. No tricks—pure power pulverizing intruders. Method unknown, but he'd unravel it slowly.
"Satisfactory."
Baal's eyes burned red. Praise for the dungeon that slaughtered his men. Good makers deserved respect—even enemies.
"Prep the second analysis team."
"Now?!"
"Yes. Double the personnel. Top gear, suppression team too."
Surrounding gasps. Fresh off a wipeout, send more? This was slaughter, not analysis.
"Master, the risk is too high. We should identify the cause first—"
"To identify the cause."
Baal cut coldly. "One fails, try twice. Twice? Ten times. Keep throwing until his dungeon cracks."
Mad grin. "Disposable pawns are endless anyway."
Baal eyed the entrance, laughing. Aiden's riddle. He'd burn lives like firewood to solve it.
"Look forward to it, Aiden. I'll peel back every secret."
Baal's obsession was just beginning.
Which means that Yellow Room stuff from the mansion? Might not be total BS.
Bonus: Cleared a dungeon today. Fr, nothing there. Just a lone doll. Bailed. Fact check complete!
Adventurer Gallery ablaze over Logan's disappearance. But still, a peaceful Adventurer Gallery today.