[Looking at the trembling survivors, you decide—]
[Option 1: Grant them peace]
[Option 2: Leave behind an item strong enough to protect them]
[Option 3: Leave immediately]
Darrick didn't hesitate for long. Guided by his conscience, he chose Option 2, leaving behind an item capable of protecting the survivors.
[You chose to leave behind the Silver Necklace. This divine artifact bestowed by Lord Gwyn can repel all Abyssal corruption, forcing the darkness of the Abyss to retreat. It will surely protect the surviving citizens.]
…Wait. Gwyn!?
The moment that name appeared, Darrick suddenly realized just how precious the silver necklace he had left behind truly was.
What kind of knight could receive a divine artifact from the Lord of Cinder himself?
From an omniscient perspective, the knight's identity was obvious. But from Darrick's point of view, the lack of crucial information made it impossible for him to connect this figure with that wolf knight.
He didn't even know that "traversing the Abyss" was a unique ability granted only by forming a pact with Abyssal beings.
A trace of regret surfaced in his heart. From the item description alone, he could tell the necklace was an incredibly powerful weapon against the Abyss. Without it, the journey ahead would be unimaginably dangerous.
Darrick was the type to become fully immersed in what he read. Even now, he was already thinking hard about what he should do next.
[You made the choice your heart believed was right. No matter what consequences it brings, you will not regret it.]
[You and your companion delve deeper into the kingdom devoured by the Abyss, slaying countless monsters as you press resolutely toward the darkness where the Abyssal Lord resides.]
[But without the protection of the Silver Necklace, attacks from Abyssal creatures gradually taint your body. You begin to be corrupted.]
[Blessing Obtained: Abyssal Infection]
[The darkness of the Abyss corrupts you. The dosage is small, but it will still drain your life and affect your mind. Each time-space jump deepens the infection.]
[Blessing Obtained: Survivors' Praise]
[The survivors you saved will forever remember your heroism. They pray for you, and their sincere gratitude may trigger unexpected effects.]
Before the event ended, Darrick saw "himself" fighting aberrant monsters in the depths of darkness. Each abyssal spell slammed into his body, deepening the infection—yet he never stopped, cleaving every abomination apart with his greatsword.
The scene shifted.
Survivors knelt around the Silver Necklace. Bathed in its holy light, they pressed their hands together and bowed their heads, praying for the knight.
Beyond the light's reach, the Abyss churned restlessly, watching them like predators eyeing prey—foreshadowing their eventual fate.
When the event ended, Darrick remained dazed for a long while.
What did that ending mean?
Did it imply that, in the end, the survivors still couldn't escape being swallowed by the Abyss?
His mood sank.
It felt like… every story in Dungeon was a tragedy.
Whether it was the First Flame, the Abyss Watchers, or now the knight and the survivors—no future seemed to hold any hope.
The Flame was passed on again and again through sacrifice, but… what if one day there was no one left willing to carry it on? Even now, scholars still didn't understand the Flame's true condition.
The Abyss Watchers were corrupted during their endless war, one by one losing their minds until the group devolved into meaningless infighting. Only one remained, waiting alone for an inevitable end.
The survivors could rely on the Silver Necklace for a time—but they had no power to escape the corrupted kingdom. All they could do was cling to life in a doomed land.
Their final fate… was despair.
Damn it.
Couldn't Dungeon give him one story filled with love and light?
The more Darrick thought about it, the more suffocating the ancient age felt, dragging his mood down with it.
"There's still hope," Leon said after listening to Darrick recount the event.
"The knight has gone to challenge the Abyssal Lord. If he wins—no, he will win—then the survivors will be saved."
Darrick lifted his head, thinking Leon was just trying to comfort him.
But Leon's expression was serious—radiant, even. Filled with faith, with certainty that justice would triumph, and absolute trust in the knight.
Darrick's mouth twitched. In the end, he said nothing, only complaining inwardly:
How can someone so bright and righteous be so… sneaky in combat? No—"cautious."
Leon was full of contradictions. His heart was just, but his fighting style was underhanded—yet somehow, it wasn't annoying.
Actually… it was kind of fun.
Darrick felt he was someone worth getting along with.
Getting along is fine.
But there's no way I'm learning that fighting style.
Absolutely not.
Compared to Darrick's dramatic event, Leon's encounter was simple. He met a mage who asked whether he wanted to spend Souls to learn magic.
Souls obtained inside the roguelike area were separate from those earned elsewhere—they could be used as currency in specific locations.
Leon checked the available spells. There were only three:
Glintstone Pebble
Swift Glintstone Shard
Glintstone Arc
The price wasn't an issue.
The real problem was—he didn't have a staff.
Learning them would be pointless.
So he learned nothing.
If Gapar were here, he'd be thrilled—he'd always wanted to learn magic.
These "glintstone" spells sounded familiar. Leon vaguely recalled the Magic Association professors mentioning something like this. They'd probably be very interested in this place.
Leon thought it over. He didn't interact much with the Magic Association, and rumor said their professors had terrible tempers. Better to tell Drew and let him decide.
Though Drew would probably refuse. Leon had once heard him curse those professors for an entire night—without repeating a single insult.
After defeating the second elite monster, no painting fragment dropped again. Maybe the drop rate was just low. Leon's earlier success might have simply been luck.
"You okay?" Leon asked, noticing black sludge beginning to streak across Darrick's body.
"I'm great! Never felt better!" Darrick replied energetically.
His Abyssal Infection had already passed halfway, and he felt like he had endless strength.
Leon didn't know how to respond. He opened the teleport chest and stepped into the next room.
Combat… or an event?
Hopefully an event.
But what appeared made his knees nearly give out.
This wasn't another identical room.
It was a massive canyon, swept by violent winds.
They stood at the edge of a cliff. Across from them was something—maybe a platform?—but the distance was nearly a full kilometer.
And in between… nothing.
How were they supposed to cross that?
Leon suddenly missed Drew. If only they had a flight spell.
[The mages of Raya Lucaria Academy have developed something known as the Invisible Bridge and invite you to act as testers.]
[The farther you walk on the Invisible Bridge, the greater the reward you will receive.]
[But beware—the traps on the bridge are invisible as well.]
"Invisible… bridge?"
Leon had read about these in Adventurer Guild reports. Many had encountered similar traps in the old lower mines of Sein Dungeon—but he'd never seen one himself.
"Whoo—"
The wind roared violently. Even standing still felt dangerous. Leon glanced down—the canyon was bottomless. One fall, and he'd be lucky to die instantly.
So the question was—
Where did the bridge start?
Apparently, guessing wasn't necessary.
A glowing stone floated in midair, clearly marking the starting point.
"Found something," Darrick said, lifting a stuffed bag from the ground. Inside were rainbow stones—glowing markers used to test paths.
"Then… shall we?" Leon licked his dry lips.
Embarrassingly, he suddenly realized he was afraid of heights.
Probably Maru's fault.
They tossed a rainbow stone forward.
It landed solidly—suspended in midair.
Leon dropped to his hands and knees, carefully feeling the surface to gauge its width.
Two meters.
Not bad. Wide enough to dance on.
With rainbow stones marking the path, they advanced slowly but safely.
Leon shuffled forward in tiny steps.
Totally not because he was scared.
After a while, something nagged at him.
Where were the traps?
If this were any other dungeon, he wouldn't worry. But this was Sein Dungeon—the last place you'd ever relax.
"I think I see a trap," Darrick said suddenly.
Leon followed his gaze—and fell silent.
Less than fifty meters ahead, several small, hooded monsters hovered in midair, clearly lying in wait for passing adventurers.
It was ridiculous.
"Why aren't the monsters invisible?" Leon muttered.
"That's just stupid."
"One each."
Darrick walked over casually. The monsters didn't react until he was right in front of them, slowly hauling themselves upward with spindly arms.
He kicked one off the bridge—and clearly enjoyed it.
Leon sighed. The trap quality had really dropped. No tension at all.
Sein is running out of ideas.
He joined in.
Honestly—it felt great.
One by one, the monsters screamed as they plunged into the abyss.
A pure bonus stage.
Leon wiped his sweat and stepped forward—
"Gululu…"
A strange rumble echoed.
Something heavy was rolling toward them.
Huge.
Round.
Fast.
…No way.
A giant iron boulder!?
Leon's face froze in horror.
Come to think of it… something had felt off earlier.
Those monsters—
Were bait.