Abyss Dungeon – 1

“I’m going to the Rune Dungeon today. Want to come with me?”

The clattering sound of plates and cutlery colliding stopped. Silence fell over the dining hall. Four pairs of eyes, each of various colors, turned towards me.

Iris, Claudia, Rije, and Erica, all stared blankly in my direction. Thud, the bread Rije was holding rolled onto the table.

“……A Rune Dungeon? What are you suddenly talking about, Delta?”

Rije was the first to regain her composure. She didn’t seem to care at all that the bread she had just dropped rolled all the way to Iris’s side plate.

“I went out for a bit this morning. That’s when I decided.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Haa, Rije sighed. Iris picked up the conversation.

“Delta. This isn’t the Empire, it’s the Holy Kingdom. Basically, Rune Dungeons are-“

“I already got permission a while ago. Directly from the Inquisitor, no less.”

“…….”

Since I said I received direct permission from the Inquisitor, they seemed to have nothing more to say. In terms of power, the Grand Inquisitor and the Inquisitor hold positions virtually directly below the two Popes.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you never thought we wouldn’t follow you from the start. Right?”

“That’s correct, Captain-nim Claudia. You’re quick-witted.”

“Is it Mr. Delta’s hobby to surprise us? You could have told us beforehand, you know.”

I answered with a smile. Seeing my smile, Erica shook her head, looking exasperated.

It was decided only 30 minutes ago, so there wasn’t enough time to tell them beforehand. When I finished talking with Selene and returned here, they were in the middle of preparing their meal.

“First, explain in more detail.”

Clink, Iris put down her cutlery. The other Captain-nims also seemed to have completely lost the desire to continue their meal.

It was just as I expected.

“Are you finished with your preparations?”

Selene, who had arrived at the meeting place early, along with her Battle Nuns, welcomed the Captain-nims. All of them were thoroughly armed.

Daggers dangled from the belts at their waists, and their hands gripped their rapiers firmly. Their holy vestments, which tightly hugged their bodies, were also exceptionally neat.

Their expressions, at first glance, seemed as emotionless as usual, but on the other hand, a clear tension was evident.

But no one blamed them. The Inquisitor also had a face that was stiffer than usual, and the Captain-nims’ every movement was also filled with firm resolve.

The only person acting normally here was Delta. Delta, as relaxed as ever, was fiddling with the weapon at his waist.

“You’re still the same, Delta.”

Seeing him, Iris spoke with a wry smile. Though, because of the helmet covering her head, she couldn’t show what her expression was.

“Me? Why me?”

“Everyone here is stiff, but you’re the only one with a perfectly normal expression.”

“Well, that’s true. You all look stiffer than usual too.”

“You, Delta, were the one who said the dungeon we’re about to subjugate is a very dangerous place. If you say so, its danger must surely be beyond imagination. Aren’t you even nervous?”

This was the very dungeon where the Holy Kingdom had sent subjugation teams multiple times, yet failed to acquire the runes, and tens of Holy Knights and Battle Nuns were sacrificed for nothing.

Due to its danger, it was a place where the surroundings were sealed off by special order of the Grand Inquisitor and the Inquisitor, and Holy Knights were stationed to guard it. To be honest, I hadn’t fully grasped the reality of it until I came here myself.

Because the face of the person saying those very words looked incredibly calm.

“Uh…… not really?”

Even now, nothing had changed. Delta’s words and actions were the same this morning as they were now. Calm. That was the word that best described Delta at this moment.

Before they knew it, the attention of those around them was focused on Iris and Delta.

“Why?”

“This is a place I suggested coming to, isn’t it? If the person who suggested coming here is nervous, what does that make you all who followed?”

Delta said that and smiled slightly. As soon as they saw the smile on his face, they felt their tension gradually release. At least, Iris did.

It was that smile. The smile that effortlessly turned seemingly impossible things, which everyone else considered absurd, into possibilities.

Iris composed herself. Since he was saying so much, all she had to do was trust Delta again this time. Hadn’t she heard all the plans that man had made just this morning?

Even if that plan was perfectly deserving of being called madness.

“I understand.”

Iris replied curtly and turned her body. Her helmet turned sideways. Selene, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two just moments before, subtly straightened her posture.

“Are we heading inside now?”

“Yes. I will issue the departure order immediately.”

Selene gestured to the Holy Knights standing before the white aura of light. The Holy Knights briefly stood at attention and then brought their spear tips to the aura.

The part where the spear tips touched began to distort. Soon, the point of contact gradually twisted and thinned, creating a gap large enough for one person to enter.

The Captain-nims peered into the space beyond. It wasn’t for nothing that the surrounding area had been sealed off; everywhere their eyes could see was stained a dark, murky color.

“May the moon watch over you.”

The divine catalyst emitted light. A thick, silver divine power began to swirl around Selene herself, her Battle Nuns, the Captain-nims, and Delta.

“From now on, please be especially careful. Near the dungeon-“

“Then I’ll go in first?”

“……Huh?”

Before Selene could even warn the Captain-nims, Delta abruptly cut in and strode into the gap in the divine barrier.

“Honored Guest-isiyeo! You mustn’t enter without perm-“

“It’s fine, nothing bad will happen.”

Tap, Claudia placed a hand on her shoulder. In contrast to Selene and her Battle Nuns, who looked incredibly flustered, the Captain-nims adopted an attitude that suggested they had expected this.

The reason, of course, was that they had heard Delta’s plan beforehand. If they hadn’t, they would have been far more flustered than Selene.

Selene, unable to shake off her bewildered feelings, followed Delta, then the Captain-nims, and finally the Battle Nuns headed inside the barrier.

“……It’s horrible.”

That was the first thing Rije uttered upon entering. And it was a sentiment everyone present agreed with.

Everything around them was stained with black liquid.

It wasn’t that all the grass and trees were withered and twisted, but they were covered in an unknown black liquid and had almost completely lost their original color, making them look no different from being withered and twisted.

Even the pouring sunlight felt somewhat blackish. Rije, feeling inexplicably unpleasant, ran her hand over her armor.

“Honored Guest, did you say your name was Iris?”

Selene approached Iris, who was frowning and looking around. Iris turned her head. Selene kept glancing repeatedly at Delta’s back as he walked ahead.

“That’s right. What is it?”

“Do you perhaps have any idea what that person is doing right now?”

Delta was muttering numbers softly and walking forward alone. Anyone who didn’t know the inner workings would certainly be puzzled.

Of course, Iris knew why Delta was doing that. It was a fact known not only to Iris but to all the Captain-nims.

This Rune Dungeon was a condition Delta had added with a request that he was absolutely necessary, boasting that he could clear it alone and that it wouldn’t take more than 30 minutes at most.

That he had to enter the dungeon first, and from the moment he entered, no matter what he did, they were absolutely not to speak to him or disturb him.

That was also why Rije, who would normally be sticking close to Delta and chattering away, was quiet. How could she dare to disturb him when he himself had told them not to?

“I don’t know. But he must have a plan, so it would be best not to disturb him.”

Iris shook her head, recalling the words that they should keep it among themselves if possible. Selene quietly retreated, as if she had some inkling.

But Iris, too, felt her curiosity piqued. Delta had clearly said that timing was the most important thing.

She circulated mana throughout her body to enhance her hearing and subtly eavesdropped on his muttering.

“66…… 67…… 68…….”

Delta was counting numbers.

Since the numbers were increasing regularly one by one, he was probably timing something. Then he would glance around, nod repeatedly to himself, and then move forward, repeating the action.

In fact, Iris wasn’t the only one whose curiosity was piqued. Many eyes followed his back.

“This place is called the Abyss Dungeon. The runes are at the very bottom.”

Delta’s actions were so attention-grabbing that, while staring at him, they quickly arrived at the Rune Dungeon. The blackness covering everything became much deeper.

Right in front of them, a massive pit unfolded. True to its name, Abyss, it was a pit whose depth was unfathomable. It seemed like hundreds of people would be needed just to surround its edge.

“……Surely we’re not going down that?”

“Yes. You’ve pointed it out correctly.”

Erica pointed to a bridge spanning the gap. No, it was questionable whether it could even be called a bridge in the first place.

The surface looked very slippery, and there were no handrails, let alone handles. Even roughly weaving planks to make a wooden bridge would seem more stable than this.

At least its surface wouldn’t be so polished.

“Be careful. Those are quite slippery. You must never run; you must always walk.”

“I don’t think I’d even consider it.”

Erica recoiled in disgust. The bridge was slightly angled diagonally downwards. This was the only path to descend into the dungeon’s depths.

At the end of the bridge was a cave-like opening wide enough for one person to enter, and such bridges were intricately intertwined, densely filling the bottom of the pit.

“Wow, if you slip even a little on this, you’ll slide right down, won’t you?”

Claudia, who had cautiously placed a foot on the bridge, shook her head in disbelief and stepped back. She had only put her foot on it for a moment, but the sole of her sabaton was already slippery. Claudia rubbed the bottom of her sabaton vigorously against the ground.

“Now, you must descend through here, defeating monsters until you reach the lowest level. I trust you know how to cross between bridges.”

“……We have to defeat monsters too?”

In response to Rije’s question, Selene quietly pointed downwards with her finger. Approximately 30 meters below, an undead armed with a spear and shield was patrolling the bridge.

Moreover, a creature holding a bow was visible nearby. Whether by spear or bow, if hit incorrectly, one would surely slip and fall endlessly to the bottom.

“What you see is not all there is. There are also monsters hidden in places that cannot be seen from here, obscured by the bridges, and whose locations can only be identified by descending directly.”

“Can’t we defeat them with ranged weapons?”

“We tried that already, but they vanished as if evaporating somewhere the moment they crossed a certain distance. We suspect it might be the dungeon’s own power.”

Erica closed her mouth as if speechless. This meant that the only remaining option was to descend these slippery bridges one by one and confront the monsters directly.

“……That’s truly nasty. I’d believe it if someone designed this on purpose.”

“I agree, Rije. That’s why this place is dangerous, and……”

Iris’s words abruptly stopped. Her silver eyes were fixed on the bridge. More precisely, they were fixed on Delta’s back as he walked on the bridge.

Delta walked onto the bridge as if it were nothing, skillfully crossed between them, and in an instant, leaped over three bridges, landing on the fourth. Then, from there, he stared intently downwards.

As if he were about to jump down there.

‘Now that I think about it…….’

At this moment, all the Captain-nims were thinking the same thing. The easiest and fastest way Delta had mentioned to clear the Rune Dungeon.

Step 1. Jump down.

“Surely that ‘jumping down’ wasn’t a metaphor but actually-“

“I’ll be back!”

Before Claudia could even finish her astonished remark, Delta threw himself off the bridge.