CHAPTER 11 — THE JOURNEY BEGINS
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The torch fire mounted on the stone wall flickered, its flame had shrunk to a small orange circle of light, barely illuminating a few meters around them. The shadows of the three figures were cast large and swaying on the rough, damp stone surface, as if they were shadow dancers witnessing the silence that had descended after the battle. The atmosphere in the small room felt heavy, but not from danger—rather from exhaustion and settling thoughts. They sat forming a perfect triangle, chewing dry rations slowly. The sound of chewing and soft breaths were the only melody in the oppressive silence of the Abyssal Dungeon.
Kyoichiiro stared at the flame before him. He had wedged the torch into a crevice in the stone, and its flickering light created the illusion of movement on the stone walls—as if their own shadows were moving without them. He didn't speak. There was no need. He just observed.
To Kyoichiiro's left, Amura sat cross-legged. His usually nimble hands, which held a sword with ease, now only held a piece of hard bread with listless movements. The bread was half-eaten, but he didn't continue—he just held it, like an insignificant object. His eyes, usually sharp and alert, were now empty, staring at the flame as if his soul had flown far away, leaving his body still trapped in the earth's depths. An unusual gloomy expression clung to his face, contrasting with his usually more open or spirited nature.
Kyoichiiro, with his always-alert instincts, caught even the smallest changes in his surroundings. In a world as dangerous as a dungeon, shifts in mood could be a sign of cracks within the team, or—worse—a symptom of the dungeon's mental influence itself. He decided to test the waters.
Kyoichiiro: (Voice flat, without rhythm, deliberately neutral so it wouldn't sound like an interrogation) "What's wrong?"
The question was enough to break Amura's reverie.
Amura flinched slightly, blinking a few times before his focus returned to reality. A thin, somewhat forced smile graced his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were still weary, still full of something he couldn't express in words.
Amura: (Light voice, but sounding thin and fragile) "Ah—it's nothing. Just... thinking about unimportant things."
His tone was light, even trying to sound cheerful, but it came out thin and fragile. It was the tone of someone lying, or at least holding back something heavier than he admitted. Kyoichiiro observed him for a moment, then looked away. He understood that forcing trust was the fastest way to destroy it. If Amura wasn't ready to talk, pushing would only make him retreat further. The wisdom of silence was sometimes more effective than a thousand questions.
His gaze then shifted to Aetheria before him. The contrast she displayed was so extreme it was almost comical. In the middle of this grim, deadly environment, Aetheria sat neatly, her two small hands firmly holding her cookie. Her cheeks were slightly puffed full of food, and she chewed earnestly, her brows furrowed slightly as if eating was the most important task in the world. Her movements were innocent, childlike, and completely at odds with the image of a mage who had just fought a three-headed monster. There was no trace of fear on her face—only full concentration on the food in her hands.
Without realizing it, the corner of Kyoichiiro's usually tight, closed lips shifted. It lifted slightly, forming a very subtle curve. It wasn't a wide smile, just a small flash of warmth that escaped from the fortress of his indifference. A tiny, almost invisible smile that appeared without his awareness.
However, Aetheria, who seemed to have radar for anything related to Kyoichiiro, caught it immediately. She lifted her head, and her emerald green eyes—or more precisely, Scarlet Luminis, warm pink—met Kyoichiiro's gaze.
The world seemed to stop for a fraction of a second for Aetheria. Blood rushed to her face, warming both cheeks that suddenly turned bright red. Her eyes widened, full of surprise and flooding embarrassment. She had just realized she'd been caught—that Kyoichiiro had seen her eating in such an unrefined, childish manner.
With an awkward reflex, she spun her body 180 degrees, turning her back to Kyoichiiro, and resumed chewing with determination—now with her still-bright-red ears visible behind her silver hair. She tried desperately to look normal, even as her heart pounded like a war drum. She didn't know why she was embarrassed. Perhaps because she wasn't used to being noticed. Perhaps because Kyoichiiro rarely smiled, and that smile felt like an unexpected gift.
Kyoichiiro didn't comment on it. Only a short exhale escaped his nose, more like held-back wind than a sign of frustration. He then leaned deeper into the cold stone surface behind him, one arm supporting his head, which was beginning to fill with heavy thoughts.
His mind wandered, leaving the room's silence and his two new companions. He returned to the fundamental questions, the questions that had gnawed at him since the first time he opened his eyes in this unfamiliar world.
Kyoichiiro. That name is still the same. The name that clung to me even before I took my first breath in this world. But everything here... doesn't make sense.
He focused his thoughts on language. The language Amura and Aetheria used, the language written on the city's signboards, the language he magically understood completely. Not just vocabulary, but complex grammatical structures, idioms, even the emotional nuances behind each sentence. He mastered it instantly, without going through any learning process at all.
This violates all logic. Knowledge doesn't appear from nothing. If this world can violate the basic principle of knowledge acquisition like this... then the laws of reality itself must be malleable, manipulable. There is something—or someone—with power far beyond my understanding, playing behind the scenes.
His memory drifted to the moments before the void. His death. No light at the end of the tunnel, no gentle voice calling, no heroic pain. Only... a stop. A sudden, total end to all consciousness.
If death is only nothingness... then why am I here? Is there truly an entity like God? Or perhaps a cosmic system that allows the transfer of consciousness? If so... then this is a second life. A chance that shouldn't exist. And if this is a chance... then dying in this world—
He cut off his own thought. Letting that thought linger was a path to despair. He let out a long breath, its sound clear in the silence, as if he were expelling all the doubts and fears residing in his chest.
That breath caught Amura's attention, who had been quietly observing the changes in Kyoichiiro's expression. The furrow in his brow, his distant gaze, and that heavy exhale painted the picture of someone at war with their own mind.
Amura: (His tone full of question marks and genuine curiosity) "Hmm...?"
Kyoichiiro turned, his sharp eyes refocusing on Amura.
Kyoichiiro: "Are you done eating?"
The question was simple, a subtle diversion from his own reverie.
Amura blinked, then looked at the bread in his hand, only half-finished. A small, more genuine smile appeared on his face this time.
Amura: "Ah... I think so."
Then, almost simultaneously, both Kyoichiiro and Amura turned toward Aetheria. The scene presented was still the same: Aetheria, with full concentration, still engrossed in chewing, a few crumbs adorning the corner of her lips. There was a purity and innocence in the way she ate that made the dungeon's danger momentarily forgotten.
Kyoichiiro and Amura exchanged glances. No words were spoken. Only a brief exchange of looks, followed by nearly simultaneous blinks. A non-verbal message was perfectly conveyed: She's cute, isn't she?
However, their silent exchange lasted too long. Aetheria once again felt the sensation of being the center of attention. This time, she spun her body with a firm movement, her brows furrowed into a pouty expression she thought looked fierce, but actually made her appear like an annoyed kitten.
Aetheria: (Defensive tone, but her wide, blinking eyes radiated innocent confusion) "Is... is there something wrong with the way I eat?"
Their reflexes kicked in immediately. As if scolded by a teacher, they answered in unison, voices slightly louder than necessary.
Kyoichiiro & Amura: (In unison) "Nothing at all!"
The synchrony of their answers only made the situation more awkward. Aetheria looked at them alternately, her pout gradually melting, replaced by a confused small smile, and finally a light burst of laughter. The sound of her laughter, like tinkling bells, filled the room, erasing the remaining tension. She then returned to her eating activity, as if that little episode had never happened.
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STRATEGY AND TRUST
After the atmosphere had calmed and their stomachs were full, Amura was the first to take the initiative to discuss something important. He sat upright, his face showing the serious expression of a leader planning strategy. His red eyes—Crimson Iris—were no longer weary, but sharp and calculating.
Amura: (Firm voice, no longer as casual as usual) "The battle earlier... showed that our strength is still lacking if we act alone. I think we need tighter coordination. How about we arrange formations and roles clearly?"
He then explained with enthusiasm, his hands moving to illustrate formations in the air. His fingers pointed to various points around them, like a general planning a battlefield.
Amura: "I'll be the primary attacker, drawing attention and looking for openings. When the enemy focuses on me and I retreat to dodge, that's when you, Kyoichiiro-san, come in from the opposite direction for the decisive strike. Aetheria, you focus on support. Put a protective barrier around Kyoichiiro-san when he starts his attack, to protect him from sudden counterattacks. Meanwhile, I'll use mid-range magic to divert or disable other threats that might approach."
His explanation was detailed, full of enthusiasm, even somewhat fiery. However, it was precisely that detail that made Kyoichiiro frown. A potential weak point was visible in that plan. He didn't reject it immediately, but he considered it—weighing the risks, calculating the possibilities.
Kyoichiiro: (Calm, analytical voice) "Wait. There's one thing that bothers me."
He looked at Amura with unblinking eyes.
Kyoichiiro: "You said a barrier to protect me. That assumes the counterattack will come toward me. What if the situation is reversed? What if the enemy ignores me and focuses on attacking you while you're busy diverting it? Or if the enemy has an area attack that sweeps all positions? A plan that's too rigid can fall apart in a dynamic battle."
Amura was silent for a moment, hearing the objection. His smile faded slightly, and he turned his face away briefly, as if embarrassed that the holes in his plan had been exposed. When he looked back at Kyoichiiro, his expression had changed entirely. No longer the confident youthful enthusiasm, but a deep, serious resolve. There was something in his eyes that Kyoichiiro couldn't read—a certainty, or perhaps experience.
Amura: (Admitting honestly) "As for those technical details... I don't know what to say either."
He took a deep breath, and his gaze pierced directly into Kyoichiiro's eyes. There was no doubt there. Only conviction.
Amura: "But, what I meant wasn't just combat strategy, Kyoichiiro-san. This is about trust." His voice became lower, but no less clear. "We have to trust the person beside us. If we're busy thinking about every worst-case scenario and can't trust our comrades to watch each other's backs, we'll never be able to move forward, let alone face greater threats deeper in this dungeon."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
Amura: (Continuing, full of conviction) "I don't care how dangerous this dungeon is. I've chosen to trust you and Aetheria. And by trusting, I'm ready to bear the risk. I'll protect you as best I can, and I believe you'll do the same. That's enough for me."
Those words echoed in the small room. It was no longer tactics, but philosophy. A sincere confession and request for trust. Kyoichiiro was silent for a long time, processing Amura's words. In his calculating and skeptical self, those words were like stones thrown into a calm pond, creating ripples that disturbed the surface. However, he also saw the logic behind them. A team that didn't trust each other was a team that would crumble from within.
Finally, he sighed, a sign of acceptance.
Kyoichiiro: (Resigned tone, but within it a small grain of willingness to try) "Alright... alright. I understand what you mean."
Amura smiled, this time a relieved and satisfied smile, reaching his shining eyes. As the tension between them melted, a small, hesitant voice came from the side.
Aetheria: (Soft voice, slightly anxious) "Umm... are we going to keep sitting and talking here? I... I'm starting to feel cold."
The girl shivered slightly, reminding them that they were still inside a damp, cold dungeon. Kyoichiiro and Amura exchanged glances. Once again, without words, their communication happened through body language. They nodded almost simultaneously, then both blinked, a signal that the discussion was over and it was time to act.
Kyoichiiro: (Standing) "You're right. Time to move."
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THE JOURNEY DEEPER
Kyoichiiro stood, his previously rested muscles tensing again, ready to face whatever awaited. Amura quickly followed, the signature confident smile back on his face. Aetheria hopped up, standing and brushing the dust from her skirt.
Amura: (Raising his left hand, with a whispered incantation, a fist-sized fireball appeared and hovered above his palm) "Let's go. We continue our journey."
The fireball's light was brighter and more stable than the torch, illuminating the path ahead better. They reformed their formation: Kyoichiiro in front with watchful eyes, Amura on the right with his fireball, and Aetheria in the center, ready with her magic.
They resumed walking through the silent stone corridor. The sound of their footsteps echoed, sounding louder in their ears due to the enveloping silence. No more dripping water sounds, no wind sounds. Only their own steps and steady breathing.
A few minutes passed without incident. Then—
"ARGHHHHHH—!!"
A piercing scream, full of suffering and pure terror, cut through the dungeon's silence from somewhere far away. It wasn't the sound of a monster, but the sound of a human—or something very human-like. That voice was filled with pain that couldn't be faked, the pain of someone dying.
The reflex was instant. Aetheria and Amura, startled by the sudden scream, instinctively sought protection from the nearest figure they considered most capable of protecting them: Kyoichiiro. Aetheria grabbed his right arm, while Amura grabbed his left, both clinging tightly.
Kyoichiiro, who was also identifying the source of the sound, paused for a moment at their grip. He looked at them one by one, with a flat expression that was slightly confused.
Kyoichiiro: (One word, spoken in his typical flat tone) "Hey."
Just one word, but enough to snap them both back to reality. Amura immediately released his grip, stood straight and pretended to brush off his collar with feigned busyness, his face slightly flushed. Aetheria, on the other hand, released her grip shyly, both index fingers twirling nervously in front of her chest, her cheeks bright red.
Kyoichiiro: (Flat tone) "Alright. Move on."
They continued their journey, this time with slightly more distance between them, the embarrassment still hanging in the air. The next fifteen minutes were spent walking through increasingly wide but empty corridors. No monsters, no traps, nothing. Only stone, darkness, and the sound of their own footsteps. This empty silence was even more suffocating than a monster's roar. An empty silence meant something was deliberately avoiding—or waiting.
Amura: (Tired and beginning to get bored) "How long are we going to walk aimlessly like this...?"
Kyoichiiro didn't answer immediately. He stopped for a moment, his eyes scanning the high ceiling of the corridor.
Kyoichiiro: (Flat) "Usually, in situations like this..." He paused, listening. "...something is about to happen."
As if the dungeon heard him and wanted to prove his words, the stone ceiling ahead of them—about twenty meters—suddenly emitted a loud cracking sound, followed by a rumbling roar.
CRRAAKK—BOOOM!
A large chunk of rock and debris fell from above, crashing onto the dungeon floor with a force that made the ground tremble. Dust billowed in a thick cloud, filling the corridor. They stopped abruptly, a small magical barrier instantly deployed by Aetheria to block the debris and small stones.
After the dust began to settle, Kyoichiiro approached the collapse site carefully. Fortunately, the large boulder had fallen right in the middle of the corridor, blocking the path, but not hitting them.
Kyoichiiro: (Observing) "Lucky it was far enough. We weren't hit."
However, his sharp eyes caught something strange. Beyond the dust curtain, above the newly formed mound of rubble, there was a gap—a hole yawning toward the ceiling or perhaps a higher level. And from that gap, reflecting Amura's fireball light, there was a brief glint of something... metallic.
Kyoichiiro: (Curious) "What's that shine?"
His curiosity, a mixture of adventurer's instinct and vigilance, awakened. He approached the pile of debris, then began climbing agilely, using his right hand to shield his eyes from the still-swirling dust. After reaching the top of the rubble and looking into the gap, his eyes widened slightly.
Kyoichiiro: (Looking down) "There's a room up here. And there's something."
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THE HIDDEN ROOM
Kyoichiiro: (To them) "I'll go up to check. Wait here."
Amura: (Worried) "Wait, alone? That's dangerous!"
Kyoichiiro: "Just a quick check. If there's danger, I'll come back immediately."
Without waiting for further response, Kyoichiiro jumped, his hands gripping the edge of the gap, and with his upper body strength, he lifted himself and disappeared into the darkness above.
Amura, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed. With a more graceful leap, aided by a slight push of wind magic at his feet, he floated up and entered the same gap.
Aetheria, still below, watched them disappear anxiously.
Aetheria: (Panicked) "I-I... I can't jump that high!"
From above, Amura's voice sounded.
Amura: "Use your wind magic, Aetheria! Gather air beneath your feet and push yourself up!"
Aetheria nodded, even though no one could see. She closed her eyes, concentrating. The air around her began to spin slowly, then faster, forming a cushion of wind beneath her boots. Carefully, she directed the push upward.
Her body lifted from the ground, floating up toward the gap. However, her control wasn't perfect. At the peak of the push, just as her head passed the edge of the gap, her concentration wavered. The wind pushed her too strongly forward.
Kyoichiiro: (Startled) "Eh—?!"
Kyoichiiro, who had just stood up and was examining the empty room above, only had time to see Aetheria flying uncontrollably toward him like a released arrow. There was no time to dodge.
THUD!
Aetheria crashed into him with her full weight. Kyoichiiro, unprepared, fell backward. Behind him, Amura, who was checking the other side of the room, turned and—thud—was also flattened by Kyoichiiro's falling body. A chaotic pile of human bodies formed on the stone floor.
After a few seconds of struggling, they managed to free themselves. Aetheria immediately stood up with a face as red as a tomato, bowing repeatedly.
Aetheria: (Trembling voice, almost crying from shame and guilt) "Sorry! I'm so sorry, Kyoichiiro-san! Amura-san! I lost control...!"
Kyoichiiro: (Standing, brushing the dust from his clothes) "It's okay. No one's hurt. That's what matters."
Amura: (Smiling wryly, also standing and adjusting his sword) "Yeah, relax. Good warm-up."
They then looked around. The room was small, square, and empty. No doors, no corridors. Only plain stone walls.
Amura: (Observing) "Hmm... seems like there's nothing here. Just an empty room."
However, as he said that, he noticed something. Kyoichiiro wasn't beside him. He turned around.
Amura: "Kyoichiiro-san?"
No answer. Aetheria pointed with a trembling finger toward the darkest corner of the room, behind the shadow cast by the fireball. There, crouching before something, was Kyoichiiro.
They both approached him. What Kyoichiiro was looking at was a chest. Not an ordinary treasure chest, but a chest made of dark wood carved with intricate patterns, faded by time. It was about the size of a small coffin. And what was most striking was the large lock hanging at its front. The lock was made of rusted metal, but its shape was strange. Not an ordinary keyhole, but a deep indentation, clearly shaped like... a spider.
Amura: (Slightly annoyed) "Hey, let us know when you find something."
Kyoichiiro didn't answer. He was too focused on examining the lock. He touched the spider-shaped indentation with his fingertip. Cold and rough. Amura and Aetheria bent down beside him, looking in the same direction. A bad feeling, born from adventuring experience, began to creep into their minds.
Almost simultaneously, in a whisper, they uttered the same words.
Amura & Kyoichiiro: (Whispering) "Don't tell me…"
And right at that moment, from the ceiling of the room, which had seemed plain, a large shadow descended silently. Its large, hairy body landed on the floor without a sound. A giant spider, its body dark brown with striking patterns of blood-red spots across its back. Its eight pitch-black eyes reflected the firelight, staring at them with terrifying intelligence.
Their reflexes worked. All three jumped to the side, dodging to the right corner of the room. Aetheria, in her panic, dropped her bag containing the remaining cookies. The cookies scattered on the floor.
The spider didn't attack immediately. It tilted its head, as if studying its prey. Then, with movements unnatural for a spider, it ran—not crawling fast, but actually running on all four pairs of legs—toward them!
Kyoichiiro: (Startled) "Huh? A spider... running?!"
His logic was momentarily disrupted by this unusual sight. But his survival instincts were faster. He saw Aetheria still frozen in fear near the scattered cookies, and the spider was speeding toward her.
Without a second thought, Kyoichiiro grabbed Aetheria, lifting her easily, and pulled her into a carry.
Kyoichiiro: (Quickly) "Sorry, emergency!"
He then turned and ran around the room, with Amura beside him. The spider, with astonishing agility, changed direction and chased them. When the distance was close enough, the spider's abdomen contracted, and from its spinneret, a thick white web shot out toward them!
Aetheria, even in the carry, still had the presence of mind to act. She stretched out her hand.
Aetheria: (With a trembling voice) "Barrier!"
A semi-transparent energy wall formed right behind them. The spider's web stuck to the barrier, stretching but not breaking through.
Kyoichiiro, while continuing to run, narrowed his eyes. He wasn't looking at the barrier, but at the spider's abdomen, specifically the area below the spinneret. There, among the coarse hairs, something protruded. Something sharp, shiny, and bright red, like a giant bee's stinger.
Sharp... red... like a needle. That's not where the web comes out. That's... another weapon? A weak point?
Kyoichiiro's thoughts spun quickly. If Aetheria's barrier could hold the web, perhaps offensive magic could be used for other things. And Amura had fire.
Kyoichiiro: (Shouting) "Amura! Look at its abdomen! There's a sharp red spot! That might be its weak point!"
Amura glanced in the indicated direction, and his eyes sparkled with understanding.
Kyoichiiro: "When it shoots its web again, burn the web with your fire! Try to make the fire spread and hit that red spot!"
Amura nodded, his hand already heating up. The spider, seeing its first web attack fail, prepared to shoot a second. Its abdomen contracted again.
Once more, a white web shot out. Simultaneously, Amura aimed his hand.
Amura: (With a firm voice) "Burn!"
A smaller but denser fireball shot from his hand. Not directly at the spider, but at the web flying through the air. When the fire touched the flammable web, whoosh! The entire web instantly became a trail of fire that quickly traveled back to its source—straight to the spider's abdomen around that red spot.
SCREEEEEECH—!
The spider let out a deafening shriek as the fire burned its fur and pierced the soft area around the red stinger. The flammable bodily fluids within made the fire grow larger. The spider thrashed in pain, slamming its body against the walls, but the fire was already too late to extinguish. The smell of burning flesh and scorched chitin filled the room. Its movements grew weaker, until finally the giant body collapsed, still engulfed in flames, before slowly turning into a pile of ash and fragile carbon remains.
From that pile of ash, the sound of a metal object falling was heard. When the fire died down, they approached carefully. In the middle of the ash lay a small metal object. Kyoichiiro picked it up. It was a key—or rather, a perfect spider-shaped metal medallion, with very fine details.
Kyoichiiro examined the metal key, then turned toward the dark wooden chest with the spider-shaped lock. Without a word, he walked toward the chest. Amura and Aetheria followed, curious.
He knelt before the chest. Carefully, he compared the shape of the metal medallion in his hand with the indentation on the lock. Exactly the same. For the first time since entering this dungeon, a clearer smile, full of satisfaction and anticipation, appeared on Kyoichiiro's face. The smile of a puzzle solver who had finally found the last piece.
He raised the medallion, and with a certain movement, placed it into the indentation on the lock.
CLICK.
That sound, though small, echoed loudly in the silent room. The lock opened. And inside the chest, hidden from the world for perhaps centuries, something waited to be discovered.