Atlas and Lilim left the clothing store, making their way through the fleeing and shouting crowd that surrounded the mysterious portal. The air buzzed with energy and panic, yet some people stood their ground, not in fear —but in excitement. The contrast intrigued Atlas.
After reaching the crowd, he gently tapped one of the men who seemed particularly thrilled by the sight of the portal. "Hey, what exactly is going on?" Atlas asked, his tone calm but commanding.
The stranger turned toward him, looking puzzled —almost as if Atlas had just asked the most obvious question in the world. His brow furrowed, and he hesitated before answering, eyes scanning Atlas's unusual attire as though trying to piece together what kind of person stood before him.
Atlas noticed the hesitation. "I'm not from here," he clarified, his voice smooth and neutral.
The man's expression shifted —his eyes widened slightly, and then he nodded in understanding, as though something clicked in his mind. "Oh… you're a survivor," he said, lowering his voice with a strange mixture of awe and pity. "That explains why you don't know what this is."
"Right," Atlas replied simply, deciding that playing along was the best course of action. A survivor? Of what exactly? he thought inwardly, filing the term away for later.
Now convinced, the stranger's tone grew animated, and he seemed eager to talk. "This—" he gestured toward the swirling rift "—is a dungeon entrance. After the Great Catastrophe fifty years ago, these things started showing up all over the world. They're basically rifts —portals connecting our world to another dimension filled with monsters. Nasty creatures, ranging from E-rank all the way to S-rank, depending on the dungeon's difficulty."
Atlas's eyes gleamed faintly with interest, while Lilim's attention sharpened. The man continued, clearly enjoying his role as the one delivering information.
"With the appearance of dungeons came something else —humans started awakening powers, gifts that let them fight those monsters. Those people became known as Hunters. Every Hunter is ranked by strength —again from E-rank to S-rank —using a system developed by the Hunter Association. They're basically the only line of defense between us and complete annihilation."
He paused to catch his breath, his excitement bubbling over as he noticed Atlas's calm demeanor. "Each dungeon has to be cleared before a Dungeon Break happens. If it's left alone for too long, the monsters inside burst out into the real world —and that's a total disaster. Cities have fallen to those before."
Atlas nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, though his mind was already turning. Rifts connecting worlds, monsters, and people evolving to match them… this planet really has changed. And what exactly did he mean by fifty years? It wasn't like this ten years ago.
The stranger, now visibly curious about Atlas, leaned in slightly. "Every citizen gets scanned by the Hunter Association to check if they have powers. You should get tested —who knows, maybe you awakened abilities from whatever dungeon you survived."
Atlas gave a small, polite smile, his eyes glinting with silent amusement. "Perhaps I will," he said.
Lilim, who stood beside him, said nothing —but her gaze remained fixed on the rift, sensing the faint divine echo still emanating from it.
Something about this "dungeon" felt wrong, and her instincts whispered that it wasn't merely a mortal phenomenon.
Atlas moved away from the crowd, his expression thoughtful. Lilim followed closely behind, her steps silent but graceful, her eyes occasionally glancing back at the chaotic crowd still gathering around the portal.
"Lilim," Atlas began, his tone carrying a faint hint of curiosity, "does time flow the same in all realms?"
Lilim tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes thoughtful as she responded, "No, Master. Time differs from realm to realm. In sub-realms —such as a god's personal domain— time does not exist in the same way it does in mortal realms. It's a static plane, where time only moves if its creator wishes it to. In contrast, in higher mortal realms than this one, time flows more slowly compared to lower ones. Essentially, the higher the realm stands within the hierarchy of existence, the slower its flow of time becomes relative to others."
Atlas's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the revelation. "But that doesn't make sense," he said, frowning faintly. "Luminaria's sub-realm clearly has both day and night. I've seen the stars move, and I've felt the passage of time within it. So, time does pass there… doesn't it?"
Lilim smiled faintly, the corner of her lips curling with amusement. "Not exactly, Master. What you perceive as the passage of time in Luminaria's sub-realm is merely an illusion —a personal aesthetic, if you will. That realm behaves according to her will alone. If she desires to have the sun rise and set, then it shall. If she prefers a perpetual twilight or eternal dawn, then it shall be so. In truth, time there is not a natural law —it's merely a design choice, one of her little indulgences."
Atlas blinked, then exhaled softly, realization dawning on him. "So that's what it is… that must explain why fifty years have already passed in this world since my death —maybe even more." He spoke the words quietly, almost to himself, his gaze drifting toward the crowd.
He stood there for a moment, lost in thought. "No wonder so much has changed," he muttered, his voice low but edged with both nostalgia and detachment. "The structures, the people, the technology —it's a completely different world now."
After a brief pause, he turned to Lilim, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Either way, Lilim… I'm curious. I want to see just how much this world has evolved —to see what humanity has become in my absence."
His eyes gleamed faintly, a dangerous yet intrigued light within them. "Depending on what I find… I might reconsider my plans for this realm."
Lilim nodded softly, her tone reverent yet calm. "Whatever path you choose, Master, I shall follow. Whether this realm is spared or reduced to dust, your will alone shall define its fate."
Atlas smiled faintly at her words —a smile that held both pride and quiet amusement. "Then let's see if Earth can still surprise me," he said, his voice steady and almost amused, as the two returned to the crowd.