It can't be.
I didn't feel any presence of Chaeyoung and Seonyeon. It was like they never existed because there were no footsteps on the ground.
There were only my footsteps.
I was just talking to Seonyeon, wasn't I? I was panicking. My heart was beating so fast.
I started gasping as the horror started invading me. It's not a place where we can be safe. There are mana beasts roaming in jungles, dungeons in caves. Even lakes are poisonous. It was valid for me to panic like this.
[ The Void: Don't panic, otherwise the souls will gain control of you. ]
[ The Void: It might be the work of those alive dungeons. ]
[ The Void: You might be near one. ]
Alive dungeons..? Alive dungeons are the dungeons that can make multiple traps outside their dungeon area. Usually, lower-rank dungeons do these kinds of things.
But there was something unusual.
I can't feel any mana coming from around this area. Usually, a lot of mana can be felt around a dungeon. Can a dungeon really exist that can suppress its mana?
There's a flaw in my knowledge—I know nothing about the hunting ground. Because I never fully described it in the original novel. My knowledge can't be utilized here.
But, mana-suppressing dungeon..? How can something like this even exist?
It's an alive one too..!
I better hurry up.
I started running towards the direction we came from.
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There were no traces of someone walking here. I stopped.
Just what is going on?
[ The Void: ... ]
"What?"
[ The Void: Look behind ]
Huh..? I looked behind.
My eyes widened.
Gulp.
My footsteps were gone. I was running the whole way, so how are they gone..?
I looked at my legs to see if I'm on the ground or not. I was.
Just what is going on..? I looked down in order to see the ground.
How can something like this even be possible?
The ground below me was gone. There was just a hole.
I noticed it too late.
I fell.
"Kuh..!"
I was in a dark cave. I couldn't see anything except darkness.
What is this place?
[ Fire Element Lvl.1 has been activated ]
I lit a small amount of flames on my right hand and lifted it up in order to see the surroundings around me.
Fire Element is really helpful in these times..
The cave lit up a bit. I looked up and around me.
I need to see how big this cave is.
I made some fireballs and threw them upwards and around the cave to mark the boundary.
I saw a bit of a small dot of light upwards. It might be the ceiling. But the light dot seemed so small. The ceiling was higher than I expected, then how'd I survive that fall?
Some other dots of light were also visible around me. 5.. 6. There are 6 dots around me. There was an unusual thing about this.
That the size of each dot was the same. The dot above was the same size as the dots scattered around me. Overall, it wasn't a cave.
It was a room.
A big one.
Suddenly, multiple light dots started lighting across the room, making the room completely visible to see.
Huh..?
It was just a normal dungeon cave. Then what were the small dots I was seeing..?
This hunting ground was never completely written by me, so there were a lot of unusual things even I don't know.
It's an incomplete realm. Those small light dots which I saw were probably glitches. That's right—glitches can actually happen in a world if it's incomplete.
Without getting complete development of the world, the world tries to complete itself, which isn't possible, resulting in multiple portals opening and glitches occurring.
I can sense mana. The guardians and the boss must be somewhere around here. I should hurry.
I started walking deeper into the cave.
How should I suppress my mana? I never read any magic-related or isekai novel, so I don't know about it.
How many souls do I have?
[ Your number of souls has been reduced to zero because of your absence from the dream for 3 days ]
...
Do system hate me?
Wait, wait, wait!! I'll die for real! I-I need to do something.
[ Agility - Lvl.1 --> Lvl.4 ]
[ Stamina - Lvl.2 --> Lvl.6 ]
[ 700 Coins have been used ]
[ Total coins remaining - 3800cc ]
This should be enough. I'm not sensing that much mana, so it should be around D or E rank.
I can feel myself becoming strong. I can do this.
The dungeons in the Endless Dream were kinda different. There are no mana beasts at the entrance nor in the passage. You'll find multiple passageways. They all lead to the same place.
The boss room.
Guardians, mana beasts, and the boss are found in the boss room. Multiple in numbers. That's why no one can solo a dungeon. You need a party for the raid—at least about 8–9 people.
...
Goblins wandered across the boss room. Several mid or low-sized mana beasts were also spawning in the room. In the Endless Dream, mana beasts are made from the corrupted souls of the dreamers. So basically, they are just a dreamer.
The boss was a large goblin standing in the center, holding a large sword. Seonyeon was behind him, laying unconscious on the ground.
Goblins' ears flickered a bit. They flicker when a mana presence stronger than them is getting close. All of them stood still, looking at one of the passages.
Someone was coming from one of the passages. Their mana presence was stronger than any other invader.
"70.. No, 80."
A tattered cloak flying in the air. Flames flickering from the hands. Hair waving.
"There's 80 of you who's going to get massacred today."
It was the one and only author of this story.
Kang Hong.
***
A large orc was laying dead. Its hands were cut off, and multiple sticks were stabbed in its eyes, nostrils, and mouth, making it too painful to see. It was a dungeon boss.
The person who killed it was standing on top of its corpse while cleaning the sword. She had black hair. Her hair was visible because this time she wasn't hiding her face, but her face still wasn't visible.
"Anna! Are you done?"
She looked back. She had green eyes. Her face still wasn't visible.
"Yeah. Let's go."
She stopped after seeing a message from the system.
[ You've acquired a D-rank Dungeon ]
[ Your status has been promoted ]
[ Current Status - Main Character ]
[ 5,000 coins have been redeemed for your achievement ]
[ You're currently the strongest dreamer in the whole Seoul ]
".. Strongest, eh?"
***
Flames were bursting from my hands at the goblins constantly.
"Gyaaaah!"
Fwoooshh!
"Grahk!"
"Skreeee!"
I was using all my strength in Fire Element.
"Gyaahh!"
Fwoooosh!
They kept coming at me constantly. Mana beasts were also attacking me. The boss was just standing still, looking at me suffering.
"Urgh—!"
I backed off a bit and started running across the walls. The goblins and mana beasts kept chasing me. My stats are much higher than before—I won't die easily anymore!
"Rrrrrk!"
"Keeek!"
"Graaaoo!!"
I started running at full speed and gained a distance between me and them.
Flames started gathering around my arms for a powerful attack.
"Rrrrk!"
"Keeeeek!"
I aimed my hands at the goblins and mana beast.
I noticed something.
They weren't coming from the same direction anymore. They were rushing at me from every direction.
Firing flames in one direction won't do. I know what to do.
FWOOOOOOSHHH!!!
Can you imagine flames bursting in all directions?
Yes.
For some people, it might seem new.
The Dungeon Boss was startled and started going back a few steps in fear.
For some, it might seem old.
"K-Krah?!"
The person took a few steps, looking straight at the girl laying on the ground. He was ignoring the boss.
For some, it might be aura farming.
He lifted the girl in his arms.
He looked straight in front of the boss.
"But, for me it's Companionship."