The following day, this event was sadly named "The Catastrophe of Nirès," forever engraving its memory into the history of the continent. The number of victims, both civilians and soldiers, had reached a horrific figure. To these countless losses was added the death of a remarkable man, an emblematic figure whose reputation extended far beyond the walls of the capital, plunging the entire kingdom into even deeper sorrow.
Élias, a man whose heroic exploits during his past adventurer career had drawn the attention of the kingdom itself, to the point of being personally recruited. His feats and unmatched experience quickly led to him being entrusted with the heavy task of leading the defense of the city of Nirès.
Thanks to his courage and unwavering determination, the monstrous creatures were held back a little longer. Without his ultimate sacrifice, the toll would have been far worse: the entire city and all its inhabitants would have been mercilessly annihilated, leaving behind only ruins and desolation. Élias's name would henceforth be honored forever, an eternal symbol of bravery and selflessness in the memory of Nirès and the Kingdom of Sigma.
While the ruins of the city were still smoking, the painful task of recovering the bodies had already begun, in order to give the victims a proper burial and return their remains to grieving families. Many corpses were painstakingly pulled from the rubble, their bodies horribly charred, bearing witness to the merciless violence that had struck Nirès. And yet, these blackened and disfigured remains were still among the best preserved, for in far too many cases, almost nothing remained, only a few indistinct fragments and ashes, leaving loved ones with only the cruel emptiness of a disappearance without a trace.
Farther from the city, where the people had fled, the monsters had lashed out with terrifying savagery. Devouring their victims without the slightest restraint, leaving behind a macabre spectacle of blood, torn flesh, and spilled entrails. Some bodies had been mutilated beyond recognition, missing even their faces; eyes hung miserably out of their sockets while jaws had been savagely torn off.
The news of the catastrophe spread like wildfire throughout the entire kingdom, quickly crossing borders to reach neighboring lands. Never before had the rupture of a dungeon been witnessed; this unprecedented event was the first of its kind on the entire continent of Astra.
A few days after the tragedy, the group led by Mélodie was summoned before the royal court to provide a precise and detailed account of the events. Before the king and his advisers, they meticulously recounted every stage of their journey, from their perilous climb inside the tower to the fateful moment when the dungeon suddenly collapsed, plunging Nirès into chaos.
They described in detail to the court how, three weeks after entering the dungeon, very slight tremors had begun to manifest. These vibrations were so weak and insignificant that they had initially paid no attention to them, deeming them inconsequential. It was only after a few more weeks, when they reached the twentieth floor and fought the first boss a regular troll, though imposing, equipped with solid armor and wielding a large menacing axe that they noticed them more.
Shortly after their victory over this creature, the tremors became slightly more pronounced. However, their intensity still remained too moderate to arouse any real concern. Throughout their ascent, these vibrations became more and more frequent, but remained relatively weak, to the point where they were eventually ignored.
It was only upon reaching the thirtieth floor, after defeating the second boss, that they truly began to question it. The tremors had by then increased in intensity, becoming clearly noticeable. For the first time, the group felt some apprehension in the face of these strange manifestations. However, as no immediate danger or major event seemed to follow, they decided to continue their progression without informing the guild. In fact, abandoning their climb to report these phenomena would have meant having to start the exploration all over again from the very first floor, once again facing every monster they had already defeated. Thus, they pressed on, unsuspecting of the imminent tragedy.
However, although the members of the group had not immediately alerted the guild, they had taken care to carefully record in a small notebook each occurrence of the tremors, noting in detail their duration, frequency and relative intensity. At the same time, they had also noted several worrying anomalies observed during their progression: some monsters encountered along the floors seemed much stronger than expected. Even more alarming was the unexpected appearance of minor mutations, such as goblins with red skin, taller and sturdier than normal, or black soldier spiders with unusual characteristics.
The moderate tremors eventually became a familiar routine for them, almost trivial as they continued their climb. Until the fateful day when everything changed: as they reached the 47th floor, the dungeon was suddenly seized by violent tremors that lasted several long minutes. After a brief stop, the vibrations resumed with even more devastating intensity, marking the inexorable beginning of its total collapse.
During this collapse, the monsters began to gather and move in hordes through the crumbling floors, multiplying the chaos and further intensifying the carnage. Once the dungeon was completely destroyed, Mélodie noticed with horror that some monsters had undergone a brutal and spectacular evolution: spiders had evolved into formidable generals, others had become imposing queens, and even some goblins had risen to the rank of generals, endowed with frightening strength and intelligence.
At the end of their report before the royal court, a quick and obvious conclusion was drawn, accompanied by several troubling hypotheses about the causes and consequences of this unprecedented catastrophe:
The early signs of a dungeon collapse are characterized by gradual and repeated vibrations, increasing progressively in intensity.In the case of Nirès, the final rupture occurred exactly one month after the appearance of the very first notable tremors, which had begun in the fourth month of the dungeon's existence.These vibrations, initially weak and imperceptible, had gradually increased in strength and frequency, heralding the imminence of disaster.The more the tremors intensify, the closer the dungeon dangerously approaches its critical breaking point. And when it occurs, the consequences are dramatic: the dungeon releases a wave of unstable energy, causing the sudden evolution or accelerated mutation of many monsters that remained inside.Fortunately, if floor bosses are defeated beforehand, they cannot leave the dungeon at the time of rupture. However, a worrying hypothesis emerged during the investigation: the Lich at the heart of this disaster might not have initially been a true Lich, but rather a higher undead that evolved into this much more formidable form as a result of the dungeon's imminent rupture.
These observations were quickly recorded and shared across the entire continent of Astra so that everyone could better detect the warning signs of a dungeon rupture and avoid such a tragedy from happening again.
The surviving adventurers were warmly thanked and praised for their bravery and their valuable information. Finally, a solemn tribute was paid to Élias, the hero whose sacrifice had prevented the total destruction of Nirès. His body was exhumed and brought back to the capital during a grand official ceremony, crowned by a heartfelt speech from the king, honoring his memory and exemplary courage forever.
"First of all, I want to thank everyone present here. As you know, some time ago a terrible catastrophe befell one of our cities. Nevertheless, even if the losses and damage were catastrophic, we were able to avoid the worst. All this thanks to a man and his sacrifice, to whom you have come to pay tribute today. Élias was a great man; despite the threat of death weighing on his shoulders, he fought with pride and honor, with the goal of defending the city under his protection. His unwavering devotion led him to the ultimate act of sacrifice. Facing a gigantic army of monsters, he gave his life and allowed a great number of citizens to be saved," declared the king in a solemn tone before his citizens.
While the crowd listened silently and with deep respect to the solemn speech delivered by the king, Zem stood among the mourning citizens. At his side was Cynthia, the daughter of his late brother. Overcome with pain, the young girl could not hold back her tears, crying bitterly not only for the death of her father, but also for that of her mother, now also gone. Cynthia was now an orphan, and Zem had taken on the heavy responsibility of welcoming her into his home. He had made the promise to watch over her, ensure her education, and do everything in his power so that she would never lack anything.
However, in the eyes of the king and the leaders of neighboring kingdoms, the catastrophe of Nirès had highlighted an urgent need: to prepare effectively to face possible future dungeon ruptures. Faced with this previously unknown threat, a radical solution was considered and soon adopted: the summoning of heroes from another world. These heroes would become a new, powerful, and providential armed force, capable of effectively protecting their kingdoms from catastrophes similar to the one that had just devastated Nirès.
In a place dazzling with light, with an atmosphere imbued with divine majesty, a man bowed humbly as he addressed a figure haloed in splendor.
"Oh my goddess," he murmured reverently, "the moment is approaching when we will have to call upon your divine power. I beg you, may you have mercy on us."
The goddess, radiating an aura both sublime and intimidating, replied with icy indifference:
"I will lend my help to summon your heroes when the time comes. Now, begone! Your presence greatly offends me!"
The man lowered his head even further, accepting without protest the deity's severe and condescending tone:
"Yes, my goddess," he simply replied before withdrawing, leaving the divinity alone in that sacred and silent space.
The man then withdrew, while the space around him gradually lost its divine radiance. The supernatural light dissipated, and his hands, which had remained clasped in prayer throughout the exchange, slowly separated. He now stood in an immense hall of grandiose architecture, adorned with multiple rows of richly carved benches. The sumptuous decor, dominated by a deep blue mingled with pure white and accented with refined gilding, gave the place a solemn majesty.
A voice then rose, breaking the silence:
"How did your brief audience with the goddess go, Pope Horgos?"
The old man, draped in heavy robes adorned with sacred symbols, replied in a calm tone:
"It was brief… but she agreed to lend us her power, if everything goes as planned."
He paused, then slightly turned his head.
"And our little projects… how are they progressing?"
"They are advancing," replied the other in a neutral, almost mechanical tone.
A satisfied smile then appeared on Pope Horgos's face.
"Perfect. I am convinced the goddess will appreciate our efforts..."
His gaze drifted for a moment into the void, thoughtful and even calculating.
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Next chapter Logan is back. ;-)
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