Chapter 30: The Dungeon Beckons
Boruk’s deep voice rumbled through the air as he pointed at Marcus's Delve token. “Once you set this token, the dungeon will absorb it, and the entrance will activate. The system will recognize us as a party, and from then on, we’ll share experience.”
Marcus studied the token in his palm, feeling the weight of it. "And what else happens?"
Boruk’s gaze grew distant. “Time inside moves differently depending on the type of dungeon. And there are four major types.” He motioned to the others. “Each has its own rules.”
Vira stepped in, her eyes narrowing as she explained. "Labyrinths are endless. They have unending, ascending floors. Each floor gets harder, with monsters leveling up as you go. You can leave anytime, but you must clear the floor you’re on before you can exit.”
Marcus nodded, processing the info.
“Boss dungeons,” Boruk continued, “are about finding and killing a boss. Once it’s dead, you can leave, and you’ll get loot. But they vary in size, sometimes taking weeks or even months to clear. Time dilates to half of real time in those.”
“Good to know,” Marcus said, taking it all in.
“Environmental dungeons are the rarest,” Ragn added, stepping forward. “There are four floors, and each floor has an elemental guardian you need to defeat. But if you don’t finish in the set time limit, you’re ejected with nothing to show for your effort.”
“Sounds risky,” Marcus muttered, already imagining the pressure of ticking clocks.
“Resource dungeons are where the real experience farming happens. Nothing valuable drops, but there are plenty of beasts and natural resources. Almost no one can take advantage of it; you'd need ample storage to carry everything out. Most people walk out with as much as they can carry. Time dilation is also half of real time.”
“In any case, no matter which variant, they all have a special trait. The dungeon we’re entering has a trait that guarantees at least one elemental core will drop.”
Marcus nodded. “Alright. How do we know which type it is?”
Ragn grinned. “You don’t. You won’t know until you step inside.”
Marcus’s shoulders sagged slightly. He’d hoped for more certainty. But he listened closely as Boruk began speaking again.
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“Vira... Ragn, you two know the drill,” Boruk said, straightening and becoming more serious. “Marcus, you're part of our warband now, and that means you’ll follow our traditions.”
Ragn scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s just a silly ritual.”
Vira nudged him, smirking. “You like it.”
Ragn grumbled, crossing his arms. “Whatever.”
Ignoring their banter, Boruk moved to the dormant rune stones and motioned for the group to gather. They positioned themselves in a rough circle. “Alright, Marcus, focus on the words and repeat after us.”
“Alright!” Marcus said, eager to join in.
“Ael’Aron, Rukh-Taar, Ith’koran, Tal’vaan,” they chanted in unison.
Marcus repeated the words as Boruk instructed, feeling a strange resonance within the chant. As the last word left his lips, there was… nothing.
It felt almost anticlimactic.
“Just a silly ritual,” Marcus thought to himself, but as he looked around at his new family, he couldn’t help but smile. If he was honest, he’d be glad to do this little ritual every time, as long as it was with them.
“What does it mean?” Marcus asked with a smile.
Ragn scratched his chin. “It doesn’t really translate well, but essentially, it means: ‘Life is a fight, death is a fight, but I fight with my party.’”
“I like it,” Marcus said with a grin. “But why doesn’t the system translate it?”
Boruk grunted. “Ancient mystery. No one knows.”
“Now we’re ready,” Vira said, a smile tugging at her lips.
Marcus stepped forward to place the Delve token into the center of the arch. As soon as he set the token down, the dungeon reacted—light swirled around the stones and formed a glowing portal.
The party gathered, ready for what lay ahead.
The air hummed with energy as the last of the party stepped through. On the other side, the world felt eerily quiet. A strange chill crawled over Marcus’s skin.
The system’s voice rang in his mind: Party Status: Active. Experience Sharing: Enabled.
Boruk spat on the ground, hefting his axe with a grunt. “Nice. A boss dungeon.”
Marcus stood frozen, his heart skipping a beat as his eyes scanned the area. This place… I know it...
The group stood amidst the ruins of what seemed like a city. Dilapidated buildings loomed around them, their windows shattered, facades crumbling away. A cold wind swept through the deserted streets, carrying the scent of rust and decay. The sun was high in the sky, but its glow was a faint red hue, and the sky above was a foggy black.
The environment was haunting, yet somehow, it stirred something deep within Marcus.
He stepped forward, his boots crunching on broken glass and debris. His gaze caught something partially buried in the rubble. He approached, crouching to get a better look.
It was a strange device—technology unlike anything he had seen, even in his former world. Angular and dark, its surface cracked. He brushed dirt away from it, revealing faint markings etched into the metal.
"Black Horizon Industries," Marcus read aloud, confusion spreading across his face.
He ran his fingers over the words, but they made no sense. He didn’t recognize that name…
“What is this?” he murmured, standing up and looking around the ruined city once more.
“This place…” he whispered. I know this place.
The wind howled again, almost as if mocking his uncertainty. He glanced at the others, but their attention was focused elsewhere.
Ragn gave him a sideways look. “Something wrong?”
Marcus shook his head, still uneasy. “No. It’s nothing.”
Boruk grunted. “We need to keep moving. This is a boss dungeon, after all.”
The party pressed forward, the silence of the ruined city around them growing oppressive. As Marcus moved deeper into the dungeon, he trembled, his heart
racing in his chest.
"What happened to Earth?"
