Volume 3 Chapter 158: The Dungeon That Shouldn’t Exist

The desert wind greeted Rio and Ryota the moment they arrived on Floor Two.

A wave of dry heat rolled across the vast landscape, carrying fine grains of sand that brushed against their armor and clothing. The sunlight above them was almost painfully bright, turning the endless dunes into a sea of gold beneath the clear sky. Far in the distance, enormous rock formations rose from the desert like the remains of an ancient civilization, while the occasional silhouette of a player or merchant caravan moved slowly across the horizon.

Compared to the peaceful streets of the Town of Beginnings, Floor Two had an entirely different atmosphere.

Everything about the desert felt harsher. The monsters were stronger, the environment itself could become dangerous, and even experienced players had learned not to wander too far without preparation.

Rio adjusted the weapon hanging at her side before opening the map beside her. The translucent interface floated in the air, displaying the surrounding terrain and the various landmarks she had already memorized.

Ryota stood beside her, raising one hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

"So," he said, glancing at the map, "where are we going first?"

Rio lowered the interface slightly.

"There's somewhere I want to check."

Something about her voice immediately caught Ryota's attention.

It wasn't the tone she used when she was curious about a new location or simply wanted to explore. There was a quiet seriousness behind her words, the kind that usually meant she had noticed something that bothered her.

Ryota looked at her for a moment.

"The dungeon?"

Rio nodded.

"The one where you and Fayzan fought Apollonius."

Ryota's expression immediately became more serious.

"Apollonius..."

He looked toward the distant desert as though he could still remember the enormous flame warrior standing before him.

"The First Ray."

Rio nodded.

"I want to see it."

Ryota didn't ask why.

If Rio wanted to inspect the dungeon, there was almost certainly a reason. He had learned by now that when she became this focused, there was usually something important hiding beneath the surface.

"Alright."

The two began crossing the desert.

They followed the route Ryota remembered from his previous journey with Fayzan. The trip itself was relatively uneventful. A few low-level monsters wandered between the dunes, occasionally watching them from a distance, but neither Rio nor Ryota paid them much attention. The difference in their strength made the creatures little more than an inconvenience.

As they continued deeper into the desert, the landscape gradually changed.

The endless dunes began giving way to enormous stone formations. Jagged cliffs rose from the sand, creating narrow valleys between them. Some of the rocks were so large that they resembled the remains of ancient buildings that had been swallowed by the desert centuries ago.

Ryota slowed down.

His eyes moved across the formations.

"I remember this place."

Rio glanced toward him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

He pointed ahead.

"We went through there."

They continued forward until the familiar landscape finally came into view.

Ryota stopped.

"Here."

Rio followed his gaze.

At first, the entrance looked almost like another ruined formation buried beneath the sand.

Then she realized what she was looking at.

The dungeon entrance.

Or, more accurately, what remained of it.

The enormous stone doorway had been completely destroyed. Large chunks of rock had collapsed across the entrance, while fragments of the surrounding walls were scattered across the sand. Deep cracks extended through the remaining stone, spreading outward from the ruined doorway as though something incredibly powerful had struck the structure from within.

Sand had already begun accumulating around the debris, partially swallowing the remains.

Ryota stared at the destruction.

"Yeah."

He slowly nodded.

"This is definitely where we fought."

Rio didn't answer.

She had already begun walking toward the ruins.

The closer she got, the more her expression changed.

At first, there was only curiosity.

Then confusion.

Finally, something resembling disbelief crossed her face.

Rio crouched beside one of the broken stones and brushed away the layer of sand covering its surface. Ancient markings slowly appeared beneath her fingers.

Her eyes narrowed.

She stood and moved farther around the collapsed entrance, examining the remaining walls one section at a time. She studied the shape of the stone, the magical residue lingering in the air, the arrangement of the surviving structures, and even the way the entrance had been constructed.

Ryota remained several steps behind her, watching silently.

He knew better than to interrupt her when she was examining something.

Rio continued until she had circled almost the entire ruined entrance.

Then she stopped.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

Ryota finally spoke.

"What is it?"

Rio didn't respond immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ruins.

"This isn't right."

Ryota frowned.

"What isn't?"

Rio pointed toward the collapsed entrance.

"This isn't the hidden dungeon I remember."

Ryota's eyes widened.

"...What?"

Rio turned toward him.

"Ryota."

Her voice had become unusually serious.

"We need to destroy this area."

Ryota blinked.

"Destroy it?"

"We need to bury everything."

He stared at her as though he wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

"Why?"

Rio turned back toward the ruins.

"Because this place shouldn't exist."

Her voice was quieter now.

"This dungeon was not located here."

Ryota slowly looked back toward the collapsed doorway.

"What do you mean?"

Rio took a slow breath.

"Apollonius."

She paused.

"The First Ray."

Ryota's expression hardened.

Rio continued.

"That's the Floor Ten Boss."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The desert wind continued moving around them, but the conversation had suddenly made the enormous landscape feel strangely empty.

Rio stared at the ruined dungeon.

"Even now, there is no possible way for anyone in Evermount to defeat Apollonius without the equipment and preparation available on Floor Ten."

Ryota's eyes widened.

"But we fought her here."

"I know."

"And Fayzan survived."

"I know."

"And this dungeon existed on Floor Two."

Rio shook her head.

"That's the problem."

She stepped closer to the collapsed doorway.

"Why is a pathway to Apollonius's hidden dungeon on Floor Two?"

Ryota had no answer.

He looked at the ruins again, trying to reconcile what he remembered with what Rio was telling him.

Rio's gaze followed the cracks spreading through the stone.

"This isn't supposed to happen."

Her expression hardened.

"Someone placed it here."

Ryota narrowed his eyes.

"You think someone created the dungeon?"

Rio slowly nodded.

"Or moved the pathway."

She looked across the surrounding rock formations.

"Either way..."

Her fingers tightened around the weapon at her side.

"Someone made this."

A voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Because someone wanted it here."

Rio and Ryota immediately turned.

Several meters away stood a familiar figure.

Golden armor reflected the harsh sunlight, and a faint radiance surrounded the warrior's body.

"Auram?"

Rio's eyes widened slightly.

The World Legacy Guardian stood calmly in the desert, while Indra was beside him. The small dragon familiar looked toward the ruined entrance with unusual seriousness.

Auram began walking toward them.

"I felt the disturbance."

His gaze shifted toward the collapsed dungeon.

Then he stopped.

Something changed in his expression.

The calmness that normally surrounded the ancient guardian disappeared.

Auram stared at the markings carved into the remaining stone.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then his hand slowly tightened into a fist.

"I know these symbols."

Rio immediately turned toward him.

"You're certain?"

Auram nodded.

"There is no mistake."

He stepped closer to the wall, raising one hand until his fingers hovered just above one of the ancient markings.

"The symbols on this wall..."

His voice became heavier.

"They are the same symbols found inside the World Legacy Hidden Dungeon."

Ryota's expression changed.

Rio immediately understood the significance.

There was only one person who came to mind.

"There is only one person who could have done this."

Auram's eyes darkened.

"Liblee."

Rio answered the name before he could say it.

Silence settled over the ruins.

Even Ryota, who had heard the name before, could feel the weight behind it.

Liblee.

The fairy who had betrayed Auram, Girsu, and Lib during the Forgotten Era.

The same being who had manipulated the remnants of the World Legacy.

The same enemy they had encountered within the World Legacy Hidden Dungeon.

The same entity who had possessed Lib.

The same enemy who had captured Girsu and transformed him into a gem.

And, most importantly, a being who had survived for far longer than any ordinary player or NPC should have been capable of surviving.

Rio looked back toward the destroyed dungeon.

"I never expected her to make a move like this."

Auram's voice remained tense.

"Neither did I."

He turned toward Rio.

"Lady Rio, we need to be more careful."

Rio met his gaze.

Auram glanced toward the ruined entrance again.

"There is no telling what Liblee has planned next."

Rio nodded slowly.

"You're right."

Ryota crossed his arms and looked toward the remains.

"And if she can create something like this..."

His expression became serious.

"...then she's probably not going to stop here."

Auram nodded.

"Her possession of the corrupted World Legacy gives her power beyond what she should possess."

His expression darkened further.

"There is no telling what she will attempt next."

Rio remained silent for several seconds.

Her gaze moved from the ruins to the endless horizon beyond them.

Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.

It wasn't a careless smile.

It was the calm, confident expression Ryota had seen countless times before—the expression Rio wore whenever she had decided that something frightening was simply another obstacle that needed to be overcome.

"Then we'll be ready."

Auram looked toward her.

Rio continued.

"We'll get stronger."

She glanced toward Ryota.

"Again."

Her smile remained.

"And again."

Then she looked back toward the ruined dungeon.

"And again."

Ryota smiled.

Rio turned toward him.

"We'll keep moving forward."

"Exactly."

Ryota looked toward the ruins.

"Whatever she's planning..."

He clenched his fist.

"...we'll be stronger when she finally tries it."

Auram stared at the two of them for several seconds.

Then a faint smile appeared on his face.

"That's the answer I expected."

The guardian stepped backward.

Golden particles began gathering around his armor, slowly breaking his body apart into countless points of light.

Indra followed silently.

Before Auram completely disappeared, he looked toward Rio one final time.

"Be careful."

Rio nodded.

"We will."

A moment later, both Auram and Indra vanished.

The desert became quiet once again.

Rio remained still for several seconds, staring at the empty space where the guardian had stood.

Then she turned toward Ryota.

"Destroy it."

Ryota blinked.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

Rio pointed toward the collapsed entrance.

"Every stone. Every remaining structure. Every trace of the pathway."

Her expression hardened.

"And bury it deep."

Ryota's lips curled into a small smile.

"You want me to use it?"

Rio nodded.

"Your Unique Skill is perfect for this."

Ryota stepped forward and cracked his fingers.

"Finally."

He grinned.

"Something useful."

Rio sighed.

"Just don't launch the entire dungeon into another city."

Ryota looked offended.

"That happened once."

"Once was enough."

He laughed.

"Fine."

Ryota walked into the center of the ruined entrance.

He raised one hand.

The atmosphere around him changed.

A strange pressure began gathering around his body, subtle at first, but quickly becoming powerful enough to disturb the sand beneath his feet. Small stones began trembling across the ground.

Rio stepped backward to give him room.

Then the earth shook.

Ryota activated his Unique Skill.

[Unique Skill: Scalular Impact]

The force within the surrounding earth suddenly changed.

The remaining stone structures fractured.

Cracks raced across the walls before entire sections collapsed inward.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The dungeon entrance disappeared beneath an enormous avalanche of stone and sand.

The ground itself sank as Ryota manipulated the force holding the surrounding earth together. Massive slabs of rock were crushed beneath their own weight and driven deeper into the ground.

But Ryota didn't stop.

He continued applying force.

Again.

Then again.

Every remaining structure was destroyed.

The collapsed entrance vanished beneath layers of stone. The surrounding rock formations were pushed inward, filling gaps and sealing whatever remained of the hidden passage.

Eventually, there was no doorway.

No corridor.

No visible structure.

Nothing remained that resembled a dungeon entrance.

Only an enormous stretch of disturbed desert.

Then the sand itself began to move.

Thousands of tons of loose earth slid downward, swallowing the final remnants of the dungeon. Stone disappeared beneath the surface, followed by broken pillars, ancient walls, and every remaining trace of the path.

The desert slowly reclaimed the area.

After several more seconds, the shaking finally stopped.

Silence returned.

Ryota lowered his hand and looked toward Rio.

"...Done."

Rio carefully examined the area.

There was no visible trace of the dungeon anymore.

"Good."

Ryota brushed sand from his clothes before looking back at her.

"So..."

He tilted his head.

"What now?"

Rio smiled.

"Now?"

She opened her inventory.

"We need a weapon."

Ryota raised an eyebrow.

"A weapon?"

Rio nodded.

"Something specific."

She closed her inventory and opened her friends list instead.

Her eyes moved through the names one by one.

Then they stopped.

Cynthia.

Rio's expression brightened slightly.

"Cynthia..."

Ryota leaned closer.

"The legendary crafter you told me about?"

"Yeah."

Rio's expression softened.

She had met Cynthia before.

Even in the original timeline, Cynthia had possessed an unusual talent for crafting weapons and equipment. She understood the mechanics behind equipment far better than most players at her level, and more importantly, she possessed the patience necessary to create something that couldn't simply be purchased from a normal shop.

If Rio wanted the weapon she had in mind, Cynthia might be the only person capable of making it.

Rio opened the message window.

Her finger stopped above the screen for a moment.

Then she noticed Cynthia's status.

Online.

Rio blinked.

"...She's online."

Ryota looked at the interface.

"That's good."

Rio was about to send a message when she noticed something else.

There was no guild affiliation beside Cynthia's name.

Her expression changed.

"Cynthia isn't in a guild."

Ryota raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't she part of Oblivion Pledge?"

"She was."

Rio stared at the status for several seconds.

"What happened?"

She didn't know.

And she wasn't going to assume she did.

Instead, she opened the message window and typed a simple question.

[Rio]: Are you free to meet?

The message was delivered.

Several seconds passed.

Then a reply appeared.

[Cynthia]: Sure!

A second message followed almost immediately.

[Cynthia]: I'm on Floor One. Near Dragon's Peak.

Rio stared at the location.

The exact place where they had met before.

The same mountain.

The same region.

The same place where Cynthia had first crossed paths with her.

A faint smile appeared on Rio's face.

"She's near Dragon's Peak."

Ryota nodded.

"Then that's where we're going."

Rio closed the message window.

"Yeah."

She looked toward the teleportation plaza in the distance.

"We'll meet her there."

The two began walking across the desert.

Neither spoke much during the journey, but Rio's mind was already working through everything that had happened.

A new weapon.

Cynthia.

Liblee.

The strange dungeon.

Apollonius.

And the increasingly unnatural changes appearing throughout Evermount.

There were too many irregularities.

Too many things that shouldn't have happened.

In her previous life, Rio had known Evermount's future almost as though she had memorized a book. She remembered the floors, the major events, the strongest players, the famous guilds, the hidden dungeons, the discoveries that had changed the game.

But this timeline was no longer following that path.

Something had changed.

Someone was changing it.

And Liblee's involvement made the situation even more dangerous.

Rio had no intention of simply waiting to discover what happened next.

They eventually reached the teleportation plaza.

An enormous crystal stood at the center of the stone platform, glowing with blue magical energy. Players continuously appeared and disappeared around it, their bodies dissolving into light before reappearing in distant regions.

Rio stepped onto the platform.

Ryota followed.

She opened the destination menu.

Floor One.

Rio selected the destination.

The teleportation crystal immediately responded.

Blue light spread across the platform and surrounded both of them.

The desert disappeared.

For a brief moment, there was nothing but the sensation of being suspended between locations.

Then the world returned.

Green grass stretched beneath their feet.

Cool air replaced the desert heat.

Massive trees surrounded the area, their leaves moving gently in the breeze.

The familiar landscape of Floor One had appeared around them.

Rio looked toward the distant mountains.

Dragon's Peak.

Somewhere near those snowy slopes, Cynthia was waiting.

And this time, Rio wasn't going there to ask about guilds.

She wasn't going there to recruit anyone.

She had another purpose.

She needed a weapon.

A very specific weapon.

And if Cynthia could make it, the meeting might become the beginning of something much bigger than either of them expected.

Rio adjusted the weapon at her side and started toward the distant mountains.

Ryota followed without hesitation.

Behind them, the teleportation crystal continued sending players across Evermount.

Ahead of them, Dragon's Peak waited beneath the clear sky.

And somewhere beyond the mountains, the next stage of Rio's journey was already beginning.