Chapter 148: The Dungeon Is Undergoing an Alteration

"Pix... What do you mean by the dungeon undergoing an alteration?"

Liam remained seated on the stone platform, staring at the system message that had just appeared before his eyes.

Lydia was also looking at the dark space surrounding them.

Neither of them understood what was happening.

Then, a series of tiny sparkles appeared in front of them.

The flashes began gathering in one spot, slowly forming a small silhouette.

It was Pix.

The little pixie appeared among the sparkles and, without saying a single word, began looking around at everything surrounding them.

First, she looked at the platform.

Then the portal.

Then the small lights floating in the darkness.

Pix approached one of them and observed it for several seconds.

Then she flew toward another.

Then she returned.

Then she moved away again.

She seemed completely fascinated.

Liam watched her in silence for a few seconds.

Finally, he raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Pix."

The little pixie continued flying.

"I asked you something."

Pix stopped in midair.

Then she turned toward Liam.

"Oh."

The little pixie smiled.

"Sorry."

Liam crossed his arms.

"So?"

"I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

Pix looked around again.

"It’s much more interesting than I expected."

Lydia moved a little closer.

"What’s happening, Pix?"

The little pixie finally stopped moving.

Her expression became serious.

"I think this dungeon is evolving."

Liam and Lydia looked at each other.

"Evolving?"

Pix nodded.

"Yes."

She paused for a moment.

"And if my calculations are correct, you’ll soon find yourselves inside an SS-Rank dungeon."

Liam blinked.

So did Lydia.

"SS-Rank?"

Pix nodded again.

Liam slowly stood up.

"Wait."

He pointed toward the vast darkness surrounding them.

"An SS-Rank dungeon?"

"Yes."

Liam put a hand on his head.

"What do you mean, an SS-Rank dungeon?"

His voice began to rise.

"It took us everything we had just to clear an S-Rank dungeon!"

Pix looked at him.

"Technically..."

"We had to combine three entire squads just to clear it!"

Liam remembered that raid perfectly.

An S-Rank dungeon was not something that could be taken lightly.

Even the strongest hunters needed to work together to clear some of them.

And now...

They were inside a dungeon that was evolving into something even worse.

Lydia looked at Pix.

"Is that really possible?"

Pix smiled.

"Of course."

Liam frowned.

"Of course?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Pix pointed at Lydia.

"Your slime evolves."

Then she pointed at the platforms floating around them.

"Why couldn’t a dungeon do the same?"

Lydia stared at her.

"That comparison makes no sense."

Pix puffed out her cheeks.

"It makes perfect sense."

Liam raised both hands.

"Okay."

The two stopped arguing.

Liam sighed.

"I believe you, Pix."

Pix smiled in satisfaction.

"Good."

But immediately afterward, she looked around the place again.

"Besides, this dungeon seems quite unusual."

Liam frowned.

"Unusual?"

Pix pointed toward the darkness.

"It seems like there’s a temporal alteration in here."

Lydia tilted her head.

"A temporal alteration?"

"Yes."

Pix began explaining.

"As you already know, a dungeon is like a connection between two dimensions."

Liam and Lydia exchanged glances. Both looked surprised.

Pix continued.

"The inside of a dungeon is another dimension."

Liam remained silent.

That was something they had never heard before.

Of course, he had suspected that the inside of dungeons couldn’t simply be a physical space located somewhere within the city.

But they had never received confirmation.

Pix looked at them.

"How do you not know that?"

Liam raised a hand.

"We could assume it."

Pix narrowed her eyes.

"But you didn’t know."

"It wasn’t confirmed."

Pix sighed.

"It’s pretty obvious."

Liam raised his hand again.

"Pix."

"What?"

"Calm down."

Pix frowned.

"How can you have been studying dungeons for so long and not know something so basic?"

Liam moved closer to her.

"I’m sure the researchers have their own theories."

Pix crossed her arms.

"I come from another dimension."

Liam blinked.

"Yes, we already know that."

"And there are multiple dimensions."

Pix pointed toward the space surrounding them.

"That’s why it’s obvious that dungeons are portals to other dimensions."

Liam fell silent, thinking.

It made sense.

But it also meant that the existence of dungeons was far more complex than humans believed.

Liam looked at Pix.

"I understand."

Pix was still standing there with her arms crossed.

"You should have known."

Liam smiled.

"Okay."

Pix looked at him.

"What?"

"We understand now."

Liam extended a hand toward her.

"But calm down a little."

Pix looked at Liam’s hand.

Her annoyed expression slowly disappeared.

"Okay. Sorry."

Lydia watched the scene from the side.

A small smile appeared on her face.

She watched as Liam tried to calm Pix down.

’He’d make a good father.’

The thought appeared spontaneously in her mind.

Lydia felt a little embarrassed thinking about it, but she couldn’t help smiling.

Pix moved a few inches away.

"Anyway, I have a recommendation."

Liam looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Get out of this dungeon while you still can."

Liam’s smile disappeared.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

Pix nodded.

"Very."

Lydia looked at Liam.

But before either of them could respond...

"Boss!"

A voice echoed from the distance.

Liam raised his head.

"What?"

"Boss!"

The voice was heard again.

"Please, help us!"

Liam and Lydia immediately stood up.

Both looked toward one of the distant platforms.

There was a figure standing there.

A young woman with gray hair.

Lena Walters.

The young woman was desperately waving her arms.

"Boss! Boss! Please, help us!"

Liam’s eyes widened.

"Lena?"

Lydia stood completely still.

"How...?"

Liam quickly looked at the portal behind them.

It was still there.

It hadn’t disappeared.

But Lena hadn’t entered with them.

None of the others had appeared after they crossed through.

Then...

How could she be there?

Liam looked at the young woman again.

’Is it an illusion?’

After all, this was a dungeon, and they had already experienced illusions before.

But Lena looked completely real.

Her expression.

Her voice.

Even the way she was waving her arms.

Everything seemed authentic.

"Lydia..."

"Yes."

She was just as confused.

"I don’t know if that’s really her."

Liam clenched his fists.

"Neither do I."

Then they heard another voice.

This time, it came from a different platform.

"Liam."

Liam turned his head, and his heart skipped a beat.

Emily was standing on another platform.

She had an injury on one of her arms, her clothes were worn out, and she looked completely exhausted.

Emily raised her gaze.

"Liam, Lydia..."

Her voice sounded tired.

"Where have you been?"

Liam remained motionless.

Emily took a step forward.

"We’ve been fighting for hours without you."

Liam felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Hours?"

He looked at Lydia.

She looked just as bewildered.

Then Liam looked back at Emily.

Then at Lena.

Finally, he looked at the portal through which he and Lydia had entered.

He didn’t understand anything.

’How is this possible?’

They had only been there for a few minutes.

But Emily said they had been fighting for hours.

And they hadn’t even entered through the same portal as them.

Liam felt that something was terribly wrong.

"What’s happening here...?"