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Translator: Barnnn
Long ago, in that once prosperous land, there stood a Dungeon. Not just any Dungeon, but a Rank 1 — one of the most formidable and vast of all. None had ever reached its innermost chambers.
When a Deluge, the catastrophic overflow of the Dungeon’s monstrosities, was drawing near, ten individuals were summoned from Earth.
They had been strangers to one another, travelers who had crossed paths by chance at an airport in Europe. Each was from a different walk of life, with different nationalities, ages, and backgrounds.
Two among them were individuals from nations that had been locked in a bitter, unending conflict.
Another was a soldier, his body and spirit bearing the scars of war, simply hoping to return to his homeland.
One was a woman on the cusp of a new life, weeks away from marriage.
Each of the ten had their own burdens, their own reasons for feeling ill-equipped to face the otherworldly crisis they had been thrust into.
Yet, the reality remained: the Deluge had to be stopped at all costs.
Conciliation, persuasion, temptation, even deception — the land where the Dungeon lay did everything it could to push these otherworlders into action.
But rather than engaging the Mystic Beasts upon the surface, they were assigned the far more perilous mission of braving the Dungeon’s depths.
Thus began their expedition, an endeavor that stretched on endlessly, fraught with treacherous twists and turns.
From the very outset, the daunting nature of the Dungeon’s conquest had been abundantly clear.
Compounding their struggle was the party’s internal discord.
The two representatives of rival nations clashed repeatedly, their animosity putting everyone on edge.
The woman, reeling from the loss of her future, sought comfort in the arms of several of the men, creating further discord.
The soldier, broken by the horrors of war, was unable to endure the terrors of the dark. He suffered frequent breakdowns, his desperation only further complicating the mission.
Arguments erupted at every turn, frustrations festered, and distrust spread like invasive weeds. Fatigue bore down on them, both physically and mentally, and all the while, the threat of the Mystic Beasts kept them on the knife’s edge of fear.
Then, like a soap bubble bursting under the weight of reality, the party disintegrated — a collapse that felt almost predestined. And before any of them realized, the Dungeon unleashed its full fury, the Deluge transforming the world above into a waking nightmare.
The land that had failed to contain the Dungeon found itself facing catastrophic losses, its territory decimated and its capital consumed by the onslaught of Mystic Beasts in a single night.
Those who survived fought back as best they could, but they were no match for the beasts. Their numbers further dwindled with every battle.
Salvation came not from victory, but from the nature of the Mystic Beasts themselves. As they strayed further from the Dungeon, their power waned, and the weakest among them could not survive at all.
The neighboring nations, what would later become the Kingdom of Lazulseed and the Republic of Adoghan, decided it was best to let the beasts die off on their own. They resolved to never set foot in the Forsaken Land, opting only to hunt the beasts that escaped the ruined territory.
“That Dungeon has wrought immense, enduring harm,” the Goddess said, her voice and expression heavy with regret. “To this day, it retains power, ensuring the region remains uninhabitable.”
Confronted with the truth of the past, Ize found herself rendered speechless.
She had been saved by the summoning, while those ten had seen their lives forever shattered and, in the end, tragically lost.
While her mind swirled in conflicting emotions, Hal managed to keep his composure.
“Was there nothing you could have done, Goddess?” he asked.
“Unfortunately, those otherworlders were summoned into this world as adults; I could not intervene directly in their lives. The most I could do, in the end, was to implore the God of the Alternate Dimension to sever the Dungeon’s connection to its energy source.”
Hal’s brow furrowed. “So… other Dungeons still maintain their connections?”
“Yes. Even when a Deluge ceases, the Dungeon remains, sustained by the constant flow of energy from the Alternate Dimension. As for the Sea of Decay’s Dungeon… it still lingers, its dark influence spilling over the land, because its internal reserves have not yet run dry.”
“So eventually, when that energy runs out, the land will return to how it once was?”
The Goddess nodded. “Over the past few centuries, the contamination has gradually diminished. Although… humans seem to be slow to recognize this change.”
“I can see why. With such a vast area affected and the changes occurring over multiple human lifetimes, it’s difficult for people to perceive any real difference.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s fair enough.”
“…Well, whatever the case, I now see that the land hasn’t been forsaken by you, Goddess,” Hal said, his voice resolute. “It will become habitable once more — perhaps not in our lifetimes, but someday, surely.”
The Goddess’s face twisted slightly at his words, her expression bittersweet, as if she were caught between smiling and weeping.
In time, even in that desolate place where all hope had seemed lost, life would bloom again — no matter how unfathomable that might seem in the present moment.
“…And now, I shall return you both to the church,” the Goddess said, her tone shifting to one of finality. “Ah, but I suppose time must be rewound as well. Shall we say… five minutes after your departure?”
“Whoa! Time manipulation!? That’s so… God-like!” Ize exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.
“She IS a real Goddess, you know,” Hal reminded with a little chuckle.
“I know, but still…!”
“Hehe… I’ve truly enjoyed our conversation. I wish it didn’t have to be the last time, but… I do hope to see you again at your respective Coming-of-Age Ceremonies.”
Hal’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Absolutely! I’ll be thinking long and hard about the skill I want by then.”
Before the moment could pass, a hint of longing crossed Ize’s expression. “Goddess, would you mind if we… even outside of the ceremony… would it be all right if we visited the church, just to talk? I know you’re always watching over us, but I might feel like… catching up, from time to time.”
“Oh…” The Goddess’s eyes widened with surprise, and then her face blossomed into a radiant smile. “I wouldn’t mind at all! Yes, please come! I would be absolutely delighted!”
There was something so warm, so tender in that moment that both Ize and Hal couldn’t help but glance at each other, laughing in the same sense of joy.
They nodded in unison, turned to face the Goddess once more, and bowed deeply in gratitude.
“Well then,” Hal said, “It’s been an honor, Goddess. Thank you, truly, for bringing us into this world.”
“Thank you so much!” Ize echoed his sentiments.
“And from the depths of my heart, I thank you both for embracing this world. May the path you tread be lined with happiness. Even when the road is barred, even when trials rise before you, I pray you will always find strength in each other. Hal and Ize — as Norkelesia, Goddess of Diocerne, I bestow upon you my blessings and protection for the journey that lies ahead!”
With the Goddess’s resonant words, a warm, kaleidoscopic light enveloped them, radiating outward in waves of color. The glow intensified, until even their silhouettes faded from view, and the entire space around them became awash in its brilliance.
And then, just as swiftly as it had come, the light disappeared, leaving nothing but an empty, silent space where they had stood.
When the blinding whiteness finally receded from their eyes, and they blinked to clear their vision, Ize and Hal found themselves in the familiar quiet of the church, standing once again before the statue of the Goddess. And just as she had promised, only five minutes had passed.
“So, next up is my Coming-of-Age Ceremony in a week,” Hal said.
“The Goddess mentioned she’d let us choose our own skills. We’ve got to make sure we think this through — make our choices count.”
“Yeah.”
After offering their gratitude to the Padre, the two stepped into the crisp evening air, walking side by side along the path toward their inn.
Though dinner was still hours off, the rich indulgence during their earlier encounter with the Goddess had left them nearly full. They decided to enjoy only a light snack as they made their way through the street.
“If we’re having street food,” Ize started, her voice lightening, “we’ve got to try the grilled skewers — It’s basically mandatory, even in another world!”
“You know, in the capital, they mostly serve regular animal meat, but they actually use Mystic Beast parts quite a lot in towns near Dungeons. Some are supposed to be incredible, but others are… well, for the brave, let’s just say. We should do some research before trying anything too exotic.”
Ize rolled her eyes, though the smile never left her lips. “Still can’t shake your supply manager habits, I see… or maybe it’s that corporate drone in you clinging for dear life. Next thing I know, you’ll be reviewing dishes on a stage, shouting, ‘I’m really feeling it!’ like you’re Shul—”
“Quiet, my dear Ize,” Hal muttered, mimicking the Goddess with an exaggerated grumble.
“Aye, aye, sir!” Ize teased with a playful salute. “Though, that reminds me, who could have imagined the Goddess would look like… THAT? She was like an ultimate edition sumo wrestler, inflated to three times the size with helium…”
“Pffft–geh, cough! Gah!” Hal sputtered, nearly choking on his laughter.
“Seriously, though, I shouldn’t have made any assumptions… I was already shocked by her first words to me, and after seeing her… well, let’s just say I’m impressed you managed to keep a straight face, Hal. That must be what makes you the mature one here.”
“Cough, cough–!” Still struggling to catch his breath, Hal waved a hand weakly.
“Huh, you okay, Hal?” Ize asked, offering him a cup of water. “I mean, I know you love meat, but you’ve got to pace yourself and chew properly — some of these skewers can be pretty tough.”
“Ize…” Hal’s voice was strained as he took the cup and drank. “Just… shut up. You’re being very rude right now.”
Ize grinned, entirely unbothered. She settled herself on the edge of a nearby fountain, kicking her legs idly as she watched Hal recover with amusement.
“You know, I’m still a little scared,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on the water, shimmering in the warmth of the sunset. “I can’t forget how terrified I was, standing at the top of those stairs. I kept thinking about what would happen if I fell… how much it would hurt.”
Her sudden seriousness caught Hal off guard. He glanced over at her, the soft orange light of the fading sun painting her features in shadow.
He was about to say something, but before the words could form, she spun around to face him, her sudden movement so abrupt that he flinched.
“But look!” she exclaimed, “I’m alive! And so are you! That’s something worth celebrating! If either one of us had been missing, we might have died! I mean, come on! This kind of bond — it’s practically divine! Don’t you feel it!?”
Hal blinked, momentarily speechless. “Divine…? I guess that’s… one way to put it…”
“Hehe… now THIS is what makes the soul cry!” she declared, tilting her head with the playful mischief of a cat.
The gesture should’ve been irritating — on anyone else, it probably would have been — but with Ize, it was simply… endearing.
With a long, exaggerated sigh, Hal reached over to ruffle her hair. Ize, closing her eyes in contentment, slipped out an odd, soft chuckle.
“All right,” Hal said after a moment, standing up. “Let’s head back to the inn.”
“Yes! And next time, let’s try that fried… pumpkin-looking thing,” Ize replied, springing up beside him.
“Apparently, it’s not pumpkin, but a mushroom the size of a rafflesia.”
Ize’s eyes went wide. “Wait, really!?”
For better or worse, this was their life now; they had no choice but to remain here.
There was still so much to do in the capital, and they couldn’t afford to loiter around forever.
Their life in this new world was just beginning, and tomorrow would bring a new adventure.
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