Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Dimensional Forge (1)
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"Hoo..."
I heaved ragged breaths.
I'd wrung every last drop of mana from my body, leaving my mind feeling utterly hollow. My vision swam dizzily, and my legs trembled beneath me.
Mental exhaustion.
I barely suppressed the impulse to collapse right there.
Dropping now wouldn't be wise.
There were too many eyes around—someone sharp might even reverse-engineer my mana reserves from what I'd done.
I checked the status of the Whispering Shellbugs and the Abyss Door.
"Good thing there's not much left."
Thousands of the bugs lay reduced to ash before the shattered Abyss Door, drifting down like dust.
At my current level of magic, this would have been utterly impossible.
It had only worked because barely a tenth of the swarm had crossed over from the Abyss Door.
If the entire horde had come through, Chain Lightning might have just bounced right off them.
Bug swarms only grow stronger the more they cluster.
Deeper into the Underground Labyrinth Dungeon, mana density thins out, demanding even more power for the same output.
So unlike this first underground floor, pulling off something like this on the actual fifth floor—where the Whispering Shellbugs live—would be out of the question.
Even a tenth of this power would be lucky.
"Spread out those bugs as much as you can! They get tougher the more they clump together!"
Over by the boss room entrance, the battle with the remaining swarm was in full swing.
It wouldn't take long to mop them up.
Fifth-floor monsters or not, with five knight-class fighters stuck to them and only a fraction of the original swarm left, it was over.
*Shaaak.*
Moments later, the rest of the swarm was wiped out.
And then—
Just like that, signaling the battle's end, the Status Window popped up swiftly.
At the same moment, crimson orbs rippled out from the Abyss Door, extending toward everyone who'd taken part in the subjugation.
For boss monsters, rewards auto-distribute like this once the fight wraps—based on contribution.
The orbs varied in size, but one stood out.
Mine was by far the largest.
Obviously—since I'd landed the killing blow.
I lightly grasped the orb that settled in my palm.
The reward flowed in naturally.
[Great achievement accomplished.]
[!] EXP greatly increased.
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
— Current Level: 7 → 12
[Last-hit bonus received.]
— Abyss Fragment
[Rarity: Rare]
[!] Material Item
— The core of the Abyss Door, a door wandering the rifts between dimensions. It holds unstable spatial power.
"......!"
The Abyss Fragment was a material item you could only get by defeating an Abyss Door—a key piece for crafting special staves.
Pair it with Eldea’s Final Leaf from that auction, and it looked like I'd have a solid staff on my hands.
I stowed the Abyss Fragment in my inventory and glanced at the rest of the subjugation team.
The fight was over, but...
Something still nagged at me.
'SSomeone opened the boss room first.'
Whispering Shellbug swarms were fifth-floor monsters.
During a fight with the Abyss Door, after forty minutes, monsters from below the fourth floor start crossing the gate.
But the subjugation team hadn't even begun until less than five minutes in.
Meaning someone had been fighting solo for about thirty-five minutes before we arrived.
I carefully scanned the team members, making sure no one noticed.
In the process, my eyes met one person's.
"......"
"......"
Ilana.
She was quietly observing the scene, using her purple bangs as a shield.
Unlike her timid demeanor before, she gave off a cold, calculating air.
Sensing our eye contact, Ilana subtly turned her head toward where the Dawn Guild members had gathered.
The incongruity with her prior behavior stood out, but whether she was behind this? No way to tell.
That was when—
*Thud. Thud.*
Footsteps approached me.
I turned to find Guard Captain Den looking my way, his expression complicated.
"Are you alright, Explorer?"
His voice was steady, but his eyes probed me more deeply than ever.
He'd noticed the anomaly with the Abyss Door too—and was hunting for the culprit.
"Yeah."
I gave a short reply.
Truth be told, no. A light push would send me toppling.
"That was... incredible magic. As expected of someone from the Astria Family."
Had he spotted the family crest on my shoulder?
The Guard Captain named my house.
From his vibe, he knew something about the Astrias.
"Rain Astria, was it?"
Den confirmed my name.
"You remembered."
"It was recent. Of course."
Den gave a wry smile.
"You still haven't joined a guild."
"Correct."
"After seeing your magic, I guess my worries were unfounded."
"Luck was on my side this time."
It really had been.
Only possible because the Whispering Shellbugs came in absurd numbers.
Against a single-target monster, even just fourth-floor mobs would've had me screaming and fleeing.
"I see."
Den chuckled softly at my words.
"The power you showed today, Explorer—it'll be burned into everyone else's minds too. For better or worse."
His gaze swept over the surrounding guilds.
Already, a few guild leaders were whispering orders to their underlings.
Most likely, commands to dig up dirt on me.
They'd be a pain going forward, but outright sabotage wasn't feasible, so no big deal.
"You must be exhausted. Best head back now. If you want, our guards can escort you safely to your lodging. It'll deter any unwanted approaches."
Oh. Sharp guy.
No reason to turn down an offer like that.
And besides.
"...Mind coming with me for a moment?"
The Guard Captain murmured quietly.
Seemed he had something to say.
---
"Subjugation team is dismissed. Feel free to exit via scrolls. Those coming with us, this way."
With the Guard Captain's words, the guilds and mercenary bands scattered.
Left behind were a handful of temp hires like me, plus two knights and three guards.
I could've scrolled out, but since the Guard Captain had business, I stuck with them.
They cleared the path out, mindful of our post-fight fatigue.
We reached the exit, crossed the gate.
*Hummm—*
Soon, we emerged before the central cavern of the village.
The others all dispersed there.
"This way, if you would."
The Guard Captain called me over.
We exited the cavern proper.
[Achievement complete.]
— Your footsteps are etched into the dungeon.
[Dimensional Forge unlocked.]
"The Forge?"
Another new system had opened.
I paused briefly, and the Guard Captain called out.
"Something wrong?"
"No."
Too risky to check now.
I meekly followed behind him.
We arrived at the guard outpost.
For a outpost, it was surprisingly well-built.
Following the Guard Captain through the door revealed a surprisingly spacious, comfortable interior.
"What'll you have to drink? It's no fancy spot, but we've got coffee."
"I'm good."
He told me to speak up if I needed anything, then settled into a seat with his own cup.
"You might not remember, but this isn't actually our first meeting, Explorer... or should I say, Rain."
"...Is that so?"
"It's been over fifteen years—you were just a kid. I met the head of the Astria Family back then."
That explained the familiarity. He'd crossed paths with my house.
Problem was, I knew zilch about the Astria Family.
"Too young to remember."
"Figured as much."
The Guard Captain chuckled softly.
"Ah, been to the second floor yet?"
"Planning to tomorrow."
"Ah... not yet, then?"
He sipped his coffee.
"Well... want a preview? The knights' trick for nabbing criminals."
The knights' trick for capturing criminals.
What he'd promised when we first met.
Tell me once I reached underground floor two.
"Yes."
No reason not to hear it.
The Guard Captain set down his cup and began.
"Obviously, the neutral zone rules only apply inside the city limits. Step one foot out, and even if knights make an arrest, the zone stays hands-off."
Makes sense, really.
Neutral rules only while you're in the city.
"Spend your whole life never leaving? Tough ask. But even a brief venture outside..."
"That's when knights swoop in for the capture... right?"
"Exactly. Depends on the crime, of course... but the worse the offense, the more tails you'll have on you. All knights, so spotting them's no easy feat."
He took another sip.
"I've seen it plenty: fake high-reward quests to lure them out, or posing as foreign knights to draw them in. All targets had beef with the kingdom's king."
The Astria Family was a noble house of the kingdom.
And from his tone... he knew my family had political troubles too.
Not that it mattered to me now.
I wasn't plotting revenge on the kingdom or anything.
"Got it."
I replied plainly.
No deeper meaning in hearing more.
As I moved to stand, he added one last thing.
"Oh, one more. How knights dispose of criminals."
The guard pulled something from his pocket.
A structural signal artifact.
The necklace bore faint bloodstains.
"They say some criminals who reach underground floor four get quietly killed where no one will ever know."