Chapter 154: Prelude
'Did she recognise me? But that can't be... since I'm in disguise, and seeing through my ability is considered almost impossible. No... wait, I'm using Mr. Handsome's face, so there's a chance she recognised this face instead.'
Mistwalker's chilling gaze continued to rest on him. Even though he wasn't able to see her eyes, he could still feel it.
'Just how long is she planning on staring at me like that?'
As if answering his thoughts, Seraphina seemed to have sensed that strange pressure around her as well and subtly shifted her attention toward its source.
Noticing that, Mistwalker calmly looked away as if nothing had happened at all.
After a while, Seraphina straightened her posture, her presence naturally commanding attention as she slowly looked around at the gathered adventurers before speaking in her usual cold and steady tone, "At first, I would like to express my deepest gratitude, as the Knight Captain of Velhart, to all of you brave adventurers who volunteered for this quest despite being fully aware of the dangers that come with it."
She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in, then continued, "As you all know, our town is currently facing a great threat from the dungeon monsters. At the same time, we are lacking sufficient manpower to properly defend against a Dungeon Break of this massive scale, which is why this quest was issued in order to reduce the number of monsters from inside the dungeon itself. As such, our highest priority once we step inside will be to eliminate as many monsters as possible, without leaving a single one alive."
She lingered for a moment, carefully studying the expressions of the crowd, before continuing again, "I want to remind all of you once again that this dungeon is no longer the same dungeon you once knew. It has already been broken, and along with it, the ecosystem governing it has also been shattered, meaning that several floors may have merged together. As a result, do not expect anything favorable to come from it. What I mean by that is, do not expect the monsters to appear in orderly patterns like they usually do, nor should you expect them to wait for you to strike first, because they won't. Instead, you should prepare yourselves for the worst possible scenario, as there is a chance you might even encounter a boss from the fiftieth floor or lower right on the very first floor."
She slightly narrowed her eyes, then added, "Of course, with a distorted ecosystem such as this... there is hardly any chance that such bosses would appear alone. Besides that, there has never been a subjugation quest of this nature in our kingdom's history before, so no one truly knows whether the monsters inside will continue to appear endlessly even after being defeated or not. Therefore, keep every word I have spoken firmly in your minds."
Her tone grew colder as she continued, "I do not want anyone to hesitate even for a moment when facing an unknown monster you have never encountered before. Remember this clearly, if you hesitate, you will die in the most pathetic way imaginable. This will be a battle where it is either kill or be killed. If any of you lack the confidence to face such a situation, you still have the chance to withdraw from this quest right now. Anyone?"
She carefully watched the crowd after saying that, noticing the subtle changes in their expressions, the quiet murmurs spreading among them, with some adventurers clearly nervous and others visibly terrified. Yet despite all of that, not a single person stepped forward or voiced any intention to withdraw.
The corner of her lips curved upward ever so slightly before returning to her neutral expression, and she spoke once more, "Then… shall I presume that all of you are confident enough to face anything at any moment from this point onward?"
'Of course, confidence alone wouldn't be enough to win the upcoming battle, but it was still something absolutely necessary before stepping into the battlefield ahead.'
Almost in unison, they nodded briefly.
"WE ARE READY!"
Seraphina let out a quiet sigh, then looked at them calmly before continuing, "I will now proceed with explaining our formation. Considering that most of the upper floors of the dungeon are narrow and restrictive, fighting in a straight formation would be both impractical and dangerous."
She continued without pause, "After some discussion, we have decided to divide all of you into four different parties, with four members assigned to each party. We S-Ranked mages will act as your party leaders. There will be two frontline parties and two rear parties. This battle will be a long and dreadful one, and we must preserve our mana in order to continue fighting. Therefore, we will constantly rotate positions every few hours. While two parties are engaged in combat, the other two will rest in between, and this cycle will continue."
Her voice remained steady as she finished, "Mistwalker and I will lead the frontline parties, while the Mistress of Waves and Sir Valric will be in charge of the rear parties."
Hearing that, the crowd instantly turned their attention toward Mistwalker, with strange expressions spreading across their faces.
"What? Mistwalker will lead a party, and a frontline one at that? That's something unheard of. Man, I really don't want to end up in her party."
"Why not? I've heard she's pretty strong, though."
"So what? Strength alone doesn't mean she has leadership skills, you know. Besides, she rejected the Crownbreakers several times before, and everyone knows how arrogant and proud she is. Who would even listen to orders from someone like her?"
"He's right. The rumor also has it that she once failed to protect her comrades due to her lack of leadership skills. That's why she neither formed a party nor joined one after that."
"I've heard that too."
"Doesn't that make her an incapable leader? Why was she even chosen in the first place?"
"It's because there are no other S-Ranked combatants joining this quest, you idiots."
"What do you mean by that… oh, right. Now that you mention it, where's the fourth S-Ranked adventurer who was supposed to join us today? I don't see them anywhere."
...Standing amidst those careless whispers while continuously trying to ignore their nonsense, Kael frowned slightly as his gaze shifted toward the leaders seated behind the long table, his eyes narrowing in thought as he silently questioned the situation, 'Did the fourth one withdraw, or did the Guild decide not to send another S-Rank to balance the power between the town and the dungeon now that both Mistwalker and the Sword Princess are here? That decision would make sense, since the town still needs protection. However, it feels like they have made a rather serious mistake this time around.'
His eyes moved away from the leaders and slowly swept across the surrounding A-Ranked adventurers, carefully studying their equipment one by one as he observed the expensive armor, reinforced weapons, and combat-oriented gear they carried with them. Almost every single one of them appeared to be a combatant.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
'There's not even a single pure healer among us. What's the point of gathering parties filled with overwhelming combat strength when there's no high-ranking healer to deal with severe injuries? Wouldn't it have been more sensible for the Guild to send the only S-Ranked healer instead, or at least dispatch a few A-Ranked healers or dedicated support specialists? Looks like I'll have to keep my role as a secondary healer hidden, otherwise I won't be able to fight without restrictions.'
Meanwhile, Seraphina's attention remained fixed on Mistwalker, who stood calmly in place while acting as though she had heard absolutely nothing, her posture unwavering and her presence unbothered by the judgment and rumors swirling around her.
She was going to say something, but before she could... Valric, who had remained silent until now, lifted his head and slowly scanned the crowd before speaking in a neutral yet steady voice, his green eyes glinting faintly, "Calm yourselves, fellow adventurers. I understand that some of you may disagree with our decisions this time, but you will follow them regardless. I know it is difficult to place your trust in a leader you have never seen in battle, especially when you only know them through mere rumors. Still, doesn't the same apply to all of us here?"
He paused for a moment, then added with a dark expression, "Most of you have never witnessed our skills either, and yet you trust the Guild's judgment. Yes, Mistwalker has rumors surrounding her, but only fools place their faith in hearsay alone. Are you all fools? If you're not, then judge her by her actions and her strength, not by rumors. You will have the chance to see them soon enough, then you will decide whether she's capable of becoming a leader or not. Does anyone have any objection?"
A heavy silence followed as the adventurers exchanged glances with one another, their expressions conflicted and uncertain. Several of them briefly looked toward Mistwalker before nodding slowly, signaling that they had no objections.
'Why does he sound as if even he isn't fully confident in this decision?' Kael thought quietly while standing at the edge of the crowd.
Valric then turned toward Seraphina, offering a slight smile that immediately drew quiet reactions from a few girls nearby, before continuing in a composed tone, "The four parties the Captain spoke of have been arranged based on your individual capabilities. Archers, healers, and long-range mages will be assigned to rear parties, while most short-range combatants will form the frontline parties. We will now announce the party leaders and their members. When you hear your name, move to your leader's side and introduce yourselves."
'Well, that seems to be a good idea. But... I really hope I end up in Mistwalker's party,' Kael thought as his fingers tightened slightly at his side. 'That way, I might get a proper chance to ask her about that vision. Besides, as much as I would like to be near my wife, I absolutely do not want to end up in her party. She knows too much about my habits and movements, and she was the one who taught me sixth sense in the first place. If I use it even once, she will recognize it immediately.'
---
Some time later…
Standing amidst scattered debris while leaning against a broken wall that looked ready to collapse at any moment, Kael crossed his arms tightly over his chest and continued cursing everyone involved in this whole mess inside his head, even though his expression remained calm and composed to anyone watching from afar.
'Fuck?! Who the hell made this cursed list anyway, huh? Just tell me… tell me what the hell am I supposed to do in a rear party when all I seek is strength? I'm quite sure I clearly told them that I'm a close-ranged combatant with no supportive abilities whatsoever, so why did they still shove me here? And why exactly did it have to be her party of all people? Mistress of Waves? Am I really supposed to listen to her bullshit orders now?'
He narrowed his eyes.
Before him stood three individuals who were apparently meant to be his so-called comrades for this quest, though Kael felt little enthusiasm toward that realization.
The first was a broad-shouldered man who appeared to be in his early thirties, his soft black hair fluttering lightly with the passing wind while his eyes, matching the same dark shade, carried something unfamiliar that Kael could not immediately name. What stood out the most, however, was the absence of his brows, replaced instead by a long scar that stretched across his forehead, giving his face a hardened and battle-worn appearance.
He was currently engaged in conversation with a tall man nearby, one who carried a long spear strapped across his back, its lustrous steel surface decorated with elegant patterns that reflected faint glimmers of light whenever he shifted his stance. His neatly kept dark hair framed sharp features, while his ember-colored eyes burned quietly like molten iron, steady and focused even in idle moments.
Lastly, standing a short distance away from the others, was a woman whose posture alone suggested a casual indifference toward the entire situation, her hands resting near her waist as if always ready to draw steel at a moment's notice.
She wore a black and green outfit that barely covered her flawless skin, a fact that had clearly drawn more than a few wandering glances, though she seemed entirely unconcerned by the attention. Her short chestnut hair brushed lightly against her shoulders as it moved with the breeze, framing a sharp and beautiful face that carried neither warmth nor hostility.
Two weapons rested on either side of her waist, their oddly curved scabbards unevenly cut in a way that made it difficult to determine whether they housed long daggers or something else entirely. A massive bow was slung across her back, its presence alone hinting at her combat role.
What truly caught Kael's attention, however, was neither her attire nor her arsenal, but rather her cold hazel eyes and the narrow, snakelike pupils that rested within them.
'She's either a beastkin or a half-beastkin at best. But why do I feel like I've seen her somewhere before? Or am I just imagining things?'
That was when she suddenly approached him without any warning at all, or perhaps she had sensed his gaze on her. Every step she took appeared strange and unfamiliar compared to anything he had seen before, since she was carefully avoiding the debris scattered across her path while keeping her eyes fixed directly on him and nowhere else. Who knew what kind of element she possessed to be able to do such a thing, though?
Stopping right in front of him, she tilted her head slightly and showed an amused smile, "We meet again."
Kael looked at her with visible confusion, "Do you know me?"
She let out a small chuckle, "Yes, kind of. We both joined the quest at the same time, remember?"
He studied her face in silence, but no matter how much he tried, that familiar feeling refused to turn into a clear memory.
No, truly, he was not someone who would forget the face of a beauty so easily, so why had her image slipped through his mind so completely? That meant only two possibilities. Either he had not noticed her at all back then, or he had simply ignored her without giving it much thought.
'What the hell am I even thinking about...?'
He shook his head, then adjusted his glasses, which had loosened slightly, "I really don't remember. So speak, why did you suddenly approach me?"
She turned around halfway, tilting her head just enough to look over her shoulder, then answered calmly, "I don't have any particular reason. I was just feeling bored. The other two members of our party seem rather close, like friends, and the topics they were talking about weren't something I could join without embarrassing them, so I chose not to interfere. You were the only one standing still for a long time without talking to anyone, just like me, so I thought we could at least introduce ourselves a little, since we're going to fight side by side for a whole week. I need someone to watch my back, after all."
Kael straightened his posture and gazed at her calmly, the lenses of his glasses faintly reflecting her figure, "Watch your back, huh? But only weak people require someone else to guard their back. Strong ones never need such a thing to begin with. You never know who might end up stabbing you from behind, after all."
The woman laughed, her laughter sounding oddly light, then she leaned slightly closer to him, "You're quite the cautious one, aren't you? No wonder no one has tried to approach you yet. Still, you're mistaken about something, mister. Even strong people sometimes need someone behind them, especially those who carry heavy burdens on their shoulders. There are things that simply cannot be done alone. Of course, someone like you would never understand that. How could you, when you've never had anyone backing you up before, you loner?"
Kael's eyes widened just a little, "How?"
She lifted her gaze toward the bright sky with an unreadable expression, her chestnut hair swaying gently in the air as she chuckled softly, "I can always find my own kind just by looking into their eyes. It's a gift of sorts that I was given by the gods, or at least that's what it feels like."
Kael remained silent for a long moment.
Eventually, he released a cold sigh, "I see. But I've never regretted it, though. Fighting alone, I mean. Have you?"
She took a few steps forward, then shrugged lightly, "Neither have I."
After a brief pause, she clasped her hands behind her back and glanced over her shoulder, with a quiet smile appearing on her beautiful face, "By the way, if you wish to know my name, it's Asphy. You can call me that. Let's have some good hunts together."
'Asphy?'
Why did it sound so familiar to him? Had he heard it somewhere before? It was possible, since there could be many people with the same name. Yet despite that, it caught his attention far more than it should have. Why was that? What made it stand out so much?
'I'm certain I've heard it somewhere... but where? Ah, I guess... I can't remember.'
---
After the introductions between party members were concluded and the battle strategies were discussed under the guidance of their respective leaders, everyone eventually gathered at the entrance of the gate that would lead them into the dungeon.
A massive stone archway loomed overhead, its surface adorned with intricate carvings resembling ancient symbols that twisted and overlapped in unfamiliar patterns.
Kael found himself staring at them longer than he should have, often wondering what those symbols truly meant, even though there was no known way to decipher them. The language had long been forgotten, lost to time and history, leaving only speculation behind.
Then again, how could he even be certain that they were ancient rather than meaningless patterns formed by coincidence?
It was because the world itself seemed to acknowledge it as such, and besides, most dungeon entrances bore similar engravings carved into their structures, which proved that it couldn't be coincidence. Today, however, he was able to confirm it more thoroughly than ever before, since while studying the carvings without any particular reason, several of the symbols stirred a faint sense of familiarity within him, reminding him of the sigil he had witnessed when the hero's tomb opened itself.
If that tomb truly dated back a thousand years, then it was entirely possible that these symbols originated from the same era as well. If so, how could a newly appeared dungeon possess ancient engravings carved upon its entrance?
Were dungeons themselves remnants from a thousand years ago?
What exactly were dungeons in the first place?
How were they capable of endlessly rebirthing monsters for new challengers?
How did they transform monsters' deaths into magic stones so effortlessly?
Naturally, Kael had no answers to any of those questions, aside from vaguely attributing everything to the so-called dungeon ecosystem, a term people used whenever they could not properly explain anything about dungeons. His mind swarmed with questions, yet he knew all too well where the answers were believed to lie.
Not just him, but everyone knew it, though no one dared to truly seek them out. Those who had tried never returned, and even if some still continued their pursuit of truth, none had managed to grasp it.
Every answer lay in the same place.
'The last floor of the dungeon.'
Which floor was that exactly?
No one knew.
How could they have known, when humanity had only reached the ninetieth floor so far, while records clearly stated that there were still floors beneath it, floors that could be the final one, or perhaps only another step deeper into the abyss. As to why no one had deliberately tried to hunt down that supposed last floor in that particular dungeon, the reason was painfully simple, those who attempted it until now had never returned from the floor they stepped into.
On top of that, every dungeon differed from the others in various ways, which meant he had no real knowledge about what awaited him in this one.
'Besides, I am not an explorer, so, it doesn't matter if I gain answers or not... I don't really care. I'm here to gain strength... I'll just do that... but from the rear, how?'
At that moment, an eerie sensation washed over him like a cold breeze slipping beneath his skin, sending a shiver crawling down his spine.
That feeling always appeared whenever someone stood in front of a dungeon for too long, a silent warning that everyone had grown accustomed to. However, this time it was different, and anyone present could tell immediately. The eeriness had grown far more potent and terrifying than before. It was as though the dungeon itself had opened its eyes and was staring directly at them.
'No, no, it can't be. Ah, just my fucking luck!'
Everyone froze in place, and every single one of them understood what that sensation truly meant without needing an explanation.
"Captain... It's... it's a Dungeon Break... It's about to start at any moment."
"W-what? How could this be?"
"We've just arrived here... did something go wrong with the mana detector?"
"It was supposed to occur at least two weeks later... so how did it happen this damn early?"
"Dammit! What are we supposed to do?"
"What are your orders, Captain?"
Standing at the front of the crowd, surrounded by other S-Ranked adventurers, Seraphina rested her hand against the hilt of her sword, remaining still as the voices erupted around her all at once.
'How unexpected!'
After taking a slow breath, she spoke coldly, "Is the mana detector showing any suspicious signs?"
For a brief moment, silence followed, until a voice finally answered.
"No, ma'am! No abnormalities detected yet! However, the mana density around the dungeon keeps increasing rapidly, although not enough to indicate a full-scale break. At best, it appears to be an incoming wave."
Standing nearby, Valric turned his head toward her and asked in a calm voice, "What should we do?"
Seraphina stepped forward, her blade sliding free from its sheath as she spoke with absolute composure, "What else? Prepare for battle, adventurers. We will slaughter the incoming wave here. After that, we will proceed with our original quest as instructed. No exceptions!"
As she stepped forward, every single adventurer straightened their posture and hardened their expressions instantly, some drawing their weapons while others moved into battle formations, all of them preparing themselves for the incoming monsters.
However, before anyone could advance or issue another command, the sound of footsteps echoed clearly through the tense air, accompanied by the faint metallic ring of armor.
Step. Step. Another step.
"No need!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Kael lifted his gaze forward, only to see a woman walking ahead with the bearing of a true knight despite not being one, her presence alone commanding attention without effort.
Her soft blue hair flowed behind her like a cascading waterfall, and her navy-blue armor shimmered faintly under the bright sunlight. She passed right by Seraphina, who had been caught off guard by the sudden interruption, and continued onward until she stood directly before the dungeon entrance.
She unsheathed her katana, planting its tip firmly into the ground, and spoke without turning back, her voice cold and filled with an unsettling chill.
"I will handle them all by myself."
'Will? Not can?'
She looked over her shoulder, purple flames flickering ominously behind the visor of her helm.
"You all deal with the bugs that manage to slip past me... not that any will."
At that moment, the dungeon entrance burst open, and the instant it did, a swarm of terrifying monsters surged forward, charging straight toward the lone figure blocking their path.
...What followed could only be described as disaster.
'This woman... she's fucking calamity!'
---
(Chapter Ended)