The Abyss’s Floor (1)
”…I see.”
I had suspected it might be the case.
While paladins often get criticized for being rigid and inflexible, they’re not entirely oblivious.
Akasha, who had been indifferent to everything since his youth.
Felber, who maintained his composure through countless battles.
It was unusual for them to show such emotional turmoil, and the odds of both experiencing it simultaneously by chance were slim.
It was more likely that they shared a common link.
And that link was none other than their connection to Dalen.
“I’ve heard that when a true dragon hatches, it perceives the first true dragon it sees as its parent, forming a soul bond. And you, Master of the Tower, survived a deathly crisis as Dalen’s familiar.”
”…That’s right.”
“What exactly does it mean when the connection is severed?”
Lucia asked. Felber sighed lightly and explained.
“There are two possibilities. Either Dalen has gone to a place where the soul connection can’t reach, or… he’s dead.”
”…And this place?”
“When we first returned from the labyrinth, the connection was still intact. Even the deep layers of the labyrinth, where time flows differently, couldn’t sever it. So…”
So this severance likely means Dalen’s death.
Though he didn’t say it outright, the drawn-out end of his sentence implied as much.
After a moment of silence, Lucia shook her head. She spoke.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Hmm?”
“I believe in Dalen. No matter how dire the situation, he’s surely handling it well.”
Drip. Drip.
Raindrops fell sporadically on the smooth cobblestones of the Golden Street.
Felber lifted his gaze from the ground. The eyes of the paladin, moist with emotion, burned with a strength greater than ever.
“A new evil god or whatever might be blocking his way. He’ll have to traverse the unknown realm of the Abyss alone. But when hasn’t he faced such challenges? Wasn’t it always a fight for survival before?”
‘I am afraid too.’
Lucia clearly remembered.
The words Dalen had spoken in a tent lined with animal skins during their march across the frozen tundra of the northern continent.
‘I fear death. I fear being forgotten.’
‘I’ve always taken the easy way out. But in the end, that turned out to be the hardest path.’
‘I won’t do that here.’
The cold wind that seeped into the tent couldn’t chase away the warmth inside.
Feeling the solid warmth against her skin that day, Lucia held Dalen’s words deep in her heart.
‘I’d rather fail than kneel powerlessly.’
‘I can’t lose twice.’
She couldn’t fully understand.
What kind of loss he had suffered. And how he had overcome it.
But instead of understanding, she chose to believe.
He had proven himself time and again by overcoming seemingly impossible battles, and she was sure he was doing so again.
“All we can do is believe in him. While Dalen fights his battle, we must do our best in our own fields.”
”…I was short-sighted. You’re right, Dame Lucia.”
Felber lifted his head and smiled. It was a low but powerful laugh.
“Comrades are those who trust each other and do their best. I believe in Dalen too. What other answer is there?”
The golden hue returned to the old man’s brown eyes, befitting a grand mage of the tower. Lucia smiled gently.
Even a large but still young dragon needs encouragement. She wiped her eyes with her hand, cleared her throat, and spoke.
“I should talk to Akasha too. As a child who followed his father well, he must be more heartbroken than anyone.”
’…It’s cold.’
And dark.
That was the first thought that came to him.
Dalen was swimming in a sea of darkness. The darkness enveloping his body was not merely the absence of light.
‘I can’t move.’
The soft, murky void penetrated beyond his physical body into the realm of essence.
It was a darkness that sought to engulf his mind, soul, and very existence.
‘How much time has passed?’
Unable to move his unresponsive body, Dalen calmly recalled his memories.
The last scene that came to mind was the clash of two flashes.
The lightning flash bursting from his outstretched fist. And the gleam of the sword wielded by Dalen, turning ashen.
The collision of the two forces once again shattered the unstable boundary of the labyrinth’s descent.
And what emerged from the crumbling, lava-boiling seabed was an endless sea of darkness.
’…The sixth floor of the labyrinth. The Abyss.’
Is this the Abyss where Dalen met his end?
Having experienced it firsthand, he now understood why the warrior who faced the five evil gods fell so helplessly.
The darkness of the Abyss had the nature of a sharp razor, severing all connections.
Body and will are separated, mind and soul are divided.
Senses remain, but the body cannot move, and despite owning the mind, one cannot summon the domain—a sense of alienation.
He tries to lift his head even slightly, but his body doesn’t budge, as if bound by chains.
Only his consciousness feels as if it’s lifting its head. His body continues to drift aimlessly in the darkness.
The powerless monotony slowly gnaws away at the remaining sanity.
Just as a weary body succumbs to a sticky sleep on a hot summer day, he was about to let go of the thread of consciousness.
’…Hmm?’
A faint pull was felt. From above.
A peculiar sensation as if someone was calling him.
His fading mind regained some clarity. Gathering his remaining will, he focused on the pull.
A familiar voice.
Trying to speak calmly, but with a hint of emotion.
I believe in Dalen too.
…Yes. Father will overcome any obstacle. I almost forgot, deceived by shallow senses.
Believe? Of course! I haven’t forgotten the promise Dalen made in front of Vizalina’s corpse!
The resolute muttering of a mage. The trembling voice of a true dragon. The boisterous declaration of a dwarf.
And though spoken as if in passing, the witch’s deep-seated resolve was evident.
The faint pull transformed into a tingling exhilaration.
His fading consciousness became clear, and as if his soul was leaving his body, his vision began to rise.
’…!’
He soared.
Passing the sea of boiling lava, rising over the mist-covered mountains.
He flew over the swampy areas and deserts above the sea, and even the scenery of the first floor of the labyrinth flashed by in an instant.
Despite the dizzying acceleration of his vision, there was no pressure or burden from the speed.
His body was still cooling in the Abyss, and a part of his consciousness was acutely aware of it.
’…’
He steadied his scattering focus.
His vision, which had been soaring endlessly, had now risen beyond the labyrinth to the continent.
At the end of the oppressive darkness, a blinding light shone.
Under the sunlight rising from the horizon, he saw the city of the labyrinth, densely surrounded by the demon army.
Boom!
Boom-boom-boom!
The earth-shaking roar of cannons.
Red artillery fire filled the sky.
The bronze walls, which had withstood the Empire’s grand offensive, crumbled helplessly.
Dalen, in the form of a mere observer with only consciousness remaining, watched the entire scene from the distant sky.
Boom! Rumble…
The bronze walls, unable to withstand the hellfire’s heat, melted and flowed.
Buildings, losing their strength, collapsed like houses of cards onto the streets where molten stone flowed like streams.
Kya-ha-ha! Ugh!
Krumba! Enaxagus!
Blood! Flesh! Molten metal! Skulls!
Monsters poured onto the scorched streets.
Fortunately, most residents had evacuated in time, leaving only a few vagrants in the bronze district.
Even as the end approached, the humans, staggering under the influence of alcohol and drugs, couldn’t resist the death that loomed before them.
Perhaps the alcohol and drugs that numbed their brains provided some relief from the pain, if that could be considered fortunate.
Blood! More blood!
Offer your hearts! Enaxagus desires this city!
Prepare the way! Tear down the walls!
Following the swarm of monsters, demons leading a more orderly army occupied the streets.
The demons quickly set up altars in the main squares of the bronze district, capturing any unfortunate survivors to offer as living sacrifices.
Screams, wails, the noise of torture, and the laughter of demons created a horrific cacophony.
The dreadful scene was shattered by a golden radiance pouring from deep within the city.
“Domain Unleashed: The Hand of the Earth Rewinding the Clock”
Golden concentric circles adorned the sky.
Atop the towering spire in the heart of the Golden District, Felber Valentino and his apprentice, Tommy Valentino, stood with their arms spread wide.
Below them, thousands of wizards were simultaneously casting spells.
A kaleidoscope of incantations and magical energies illuminated the plaza, their power surging skyward and swirling into a massive golden vortex.
“Domain Resonance.”
“Universal Origin Cannon.”
A deafening roar erupted as the gathered spells shot outward.
Starting from the center of concentric circles, the barrage split into tens of thousands of paths, bombarding various parts of the distant Bronze District, several kilometers away.
From Dalen’s vantage point high above, the scene resembled a colossal golden tree, its branches spreading across the city.
At the tip of each branch, vibrant fruits formed—each one a spell with firepower surpassing that of a cannon.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
The monsters were torn apart.
From secret techniques passed down through generations to standardized spells from each magic tower, the diverse array of incantations, each with its own attributes, range, and destructive power, shredded the hellish creatures, creating a storm of crimson and black.
Then, a portion of the golden barrage visibly distorted. At the same time, hundreds of massive figures surged into the inner Bronze District.
“Mere mortals dare to meddle before the source of mystery!”
Dragons.
Dozens of true dragons, with even more lesser dragons following.
Leading them were two particularly enormous true dragons, far larger than the others.
Effortlessly parting the waves of golden bombardment, the dragons swiftly crossed the city, crashing into the silver walls with their immense bodies.