◈ 027. [Free Exploration] Anonymous
flash!
Passing through the gate with a flash of light, it was an old ferry by the lake. Right in front of me, I saw a lake with dark blue water.
This is where the monsters come from. A hell that vomits demons.
It is a black lake that blocks the south of the world.
Flash! Flash!
The party members who arrived later looked at the surrounding scenery and were amazed.
“This place… It really is that ‘lake’.”
Jupiter murmured in a trembling voice as he looked down at the surface of the vast lake. I glanced at Jupiter.
“Have you been here, Jupiter?”
“Twenty years ago. This is the story of the days when the Imperial Army was still stationed in Crossroads. The operation came down to fill the lake with soil.”
Did you try to fill up such a large lake with dirt? It seems there were stupid commanders even 20 years ago.
“The magic corps was mobilized and tried to fill the lake by carrying soil with magic… .”
“How did it go?”
“It was not filled. No matter how much dirt and rocks were thrown at it, the lake just sucked it up endlessly.”
Jupiter’s face, recalling that time, had a vague fear.
“There were rumors among the Imperial Army at the time that it seemed to be really connected to hell.”
“… .”
“On the first week of the operation, monsters began to appear in large numbers, and eventually the entire army retreated. The operation has failed.”
Jupiter extinguished his cigarette and looked around the lake.
“It’s the first time I’ve come this close since then.”
“You better relax.”
I looked back at the party members.
“Because we’re going deeper.”
The ominous glow of the lake was terrifying, but honestly the surrounding scenery was beautiful.
But since I’m not here for sightseeing, I’ll stop looking around here.
“let’s go.”
I took the lead. The party members came close behind me.
There was a ferry on the lakeside next to the gate. But there was no boat. I calmly went to the end of the ferry and stood
[Do you want to enter the ‘Lake Kingdom’?]
> Yes
> No
Suddenly, a system message popped up.
Of course Yes.
[※Warning – You cannot return until the next ‘base’ is opened. Are you sure you want to enter?]
> Yes
> No It
even raises a warning and asks one more time.
Regardless, I chose ‘Yes’ once again. Do you know that I played this game for a day or two?
Kururureung… !
The water of the lake parted in a circle and opened a black mouth inward.
If the gate you passed earlier was simply a road leading to the lake, this is the real entrance to the dungeon.
“Okay let’s go!”
I jumped into the lake first without katabuta explanation.
Frightened party members followed me one after another and jumped into the lake.
with a splash!
I was sucked into the pitch-black lake where no light shines through.
***
[Now Loading… You are entering the dungeon.]
[Tip – The number one cause of game over is ‘carelessness’. Don’t let go of the tension in any situation!]
***
It’s dark.
That was my first impression. dark.
Literally can’t see an inch ahead. A three-dimensional darkness filled the surroundings, as if you could touch it if you stretched out your hand.
fade. fade.
sounds in the dark
It’s the sound of an insect gnawing something.
sigh sigh… … .
The sound gets louder. I feel the darkness approaching.
I may be mistaken, but I felt as if someone was blowing breath on the nape of my neck.
I had goosebumps all over my body.
“majesty?!”
It was then. Lucas’s embarrassed voice came from afar.
no, is the back correct? is it next to The defense is not certain. The senses are floating.
“majesty? Where are you, Your Highness!”
“I am here. don’t worry.”
I raised my voice as I calmed down the flustered Lucas.
“Everybody stay calm and turn on the lights.”
After a while, the lights appeared one by one.
Fire, fire, fire.
Everyone lit the torches in their hands and held them up.
Among them, Lily was in a hurry to light up the darkness by creating fire at her fingertips with her own flame magic. You must have been very scared.
sigh sigh… … .
When the light appears, the darkness recedes.
making a gnawing sound.
I also found a light in my backpack and took it out.
Mine was a windshield, in short, a lantern. It looks strong, so it seems that Ader paid some attention to it.
It was only
when I lit the lantern and held it up that I could see a little of my surroundings.
“here is… ?!”
“What the hell is this?”
Listening to the voices of the surprised party members, I also swallowed dry saliva at the sight in front of me.
A huge stone city that is worn out and weathered and is about to collapse at any moment.
At the bottom of a dark lake the gloomy city sank, and we stood before its northern gates.
The red-rusted steel door remains firmly closed.
sigh sigh… … .
An ominous atmosphere emanated from the whole city. Lucas swallowed dry saliva and looked back at me with a nervous expression.
“Your Highness, this is… .”
“This is the Lake Kingdom that was stranded. It is a dungeon beneath the surface.”
Staring at the gates of the tightly closed city, I smirked.
“It’s the monster’s lair that we have to clear step by step from now on.”
I was laughing, but cold sweat ran down my back as well.
When I saw it in the game, it was just a bit spooky, but when I came in person, the atmosphere was quite scary.
An evil energy seems to emanate from the city itself.
Ancient magic surrounds the city like a dome, so the environment is the same as above. You can breathe and there are no restrictions on your movements.
But this place is definitely under the lake. In the distance, I could see the swaying surface of the water above my sight.
It’s new, so only a faint beam of light can barely pass through.
Embarrassed, Lily stuttered.
“How come there is such a big city at the bottom of the lake? And how can we move like this… … .”
“Shh!”
Then Lucas hurriedly interrupted Lily.
“Someone is coming.”
everyone saw it
Sabak. Sabak.
Someone was approaching in the dark far away. With footsteps like feathers.
Lucas drew his sword and Damian took aim with his crossbow. Jupiter also gathered electricity in his gloves.
“Hee hee hee!”
Only Lily, terrified and trembling, tried to run away with her wheelchair.
hey where are you going from here? I grabbed the handle of Lily’s wheelchair and held on.
“Everyone, don’t be too nervous. It will not be the enemy.”
Sabak. Sabak.
It was as I said. The person who approached was a human, not a monster.
It was a woman wearing an old cloak and a hood. The woman who came right in front of us looked at us slowly.
“Are they the grave robbers who entered the Lake Kingdom in search of treasure?”
A clear and refreshing voice came out of the woman’s mouth. It was an unexpectedly very young voice.
“There is nothing you want here. Let them return to the surface while their lives are still attached.”
To come to the bottom of hell and suddenly meet someone.
Surprised, the party members froze. But I was calm.
It’s a kind of tutorial event to help players not get lost when they first enter the dungeon.
‘When entering the dungeon for the first time, the NPC guides the way.’
NPCs.
Even in the dungeon under the lake, which has become hell, there are people who live without losing their ego.
It helps and sometimes hinders dungeon exploration.
Temporarily becomes an ally, recruited as a very friendly hero character, or becomes a very hostile NPC.
There are about 100 NPCs living in this dungeon, and one random person guides the player party to the first base.
‘By the way, is this the first time I’ve seen him?’
It was an NPC I had never met during the 742 iterations of the game.
‘Are there NPCs like this in this game?’
I was puzzled and took a closer look at the other person.
she was a strange woman
It is not enough to say that it is like rags. To put it a little harshly, the whole body was wrapped in a cloak that was no different from matting.
The tattered hood over the cloak was pulled down tightly to cover his face, and his gray hair tumbled out and dragged to the floor.
Their feet were bare and black with a lot of dirt and soot. Even jokingly, it doesn’t look hygienic.
And on his back was an old longsword.
It was a long sword of doubtful length that such a slender body could wield, but it was filthy and worn out.
I played < Defend the Empire > up to 742 times.
Of course, I met almost all the NPCs I could encounter while exploring the dungeon.
But this woman was the first one he had ever seen.
Suppressing the rising sense of incongruity, I stepped forward and spoke to the woman.
“We are from the ground. To destroy the source from which monsters pour out.”
“… .”
The woman stared at me intently. Even though it was hidden by the robe and hair, I could feel the clear gaze.
“The ground is suffering because of the invasion of monsters pouring out from here. We are here to end this.”
“… The nightmare of the Lake Kingdom never ends. No one can wake up from a nightmare. forever.”
The woman shook her head slowly.
“Great warriors and countless heroes have tried to lift the curse of this place, but all have failed. You guys are no different.”
“… .”
“Do not set foot in the darkness of this place. Get back to the surface before it becomes irreversible. Before being swallowed by the abyss, before going mad with regret… … .”
If he was going to go back saying that, he would have given up on the game and returned to Earth in the first place.
I didn’t back down and took a step closer to the woman.
“I am the lord of Crossroads, a fortress city that blocks monsters. I have a responsibility to protect the city and humanity from monsters.”
“… .”
“I am not afraid of the dark. We must go inside this city and destroy the source of the monsters.”
I pointed my hand at the locked city gates.
“So we came all the way here, but the doors are locked and we can’t even get into the city.”
“… .”
“If there is another way, may I ask you for guidance?”
The woman who had been silently looking at me then slowly nodded.
“What would be good? To see if your words are courage from the heart or mere reckless bravado.”
The woman who turned around quickly took the lead.
“Follow me. The road into the city is this way.”
I shouted at the woman walking in the dark and asked.
“What should I call you? What is your name?”
I asked because I thought that if I found out the name, I would be able to infer his identity by comparing it to the information I knew.
However, the woman’s reply was unexpected.
“I forgot the name.”
In a slightly sad voice, the woman added.
“I’m going to call you… … Call me Anonymous.”
