Concrete_Jungle Dungeon Day 6 Part 1

"Got any ideas as to where exactly are we, Mifumi-sama, Felin?"

"This underground is not on the map so we're more than just literally in the dark. We're also moving blind."

"Mhm!... Dark and Blind."

"Well... Let's just keep on moving until we find a way up and out of this underground."

""Mhm!...""

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It's already been 12 hours since we ran away from the Golden_Golem and started moving towards the darkness of the underground path.

The fight with the Golden_Golem happened around midday yesterday. With an additional 12 hours of aimlessly moving here in the underground, we're now on our sixth day inside the Concrete_Jungle Dungeon.

And how would I know that without seeing the sun setting at the horizon and the sky turning into nightfall?

Well, my Slime_Watch is a watch itself for obvious reasons. It's a replica of the Relic called Rolex_Watch after all.

It's another Magic_Item gifted to me by my blacksmith instructor, Master Berlin, who is now spending his old days of retirement studying and replicating the Relics found all over the floating islands revolving around our world.

Before our group left our town two weeks ago, I promised Master Berlin that I would discover more Relics once we became students of the Adventurers' Academy and be allowed to travel to other floating islands.

I'm gonna find more Relics for Master Berlin to enjoy his retirement life...

"Don't speak like Berlin-sensei is living at the end of his days. He's old but not that old in terms of Dwarf-kin years."

"Mhm!... He's a grandpa but not a real grandpa!"

"But I'm already bored!... We have been walking for 12 hours and there's still nothing else to find in this underground path."

At first, I thought that there might be undiscovered Relics since it's underground. But so far yet, we haven't encountered anything.

"Don't jinxed us by asking for an encounter. We're definitely at a disadvantage if we're going to fight here."

Yep... We're definitely at a disadvantage.

Aside from the already mentioned fact that our surroundings are in complete darkness with only our two Magic_Lanterns as our source of light, we have also been traveling for 12 hours straight without any rest or sleep.

We're tired... Not just from continued walking or from the recent fight with the Golden_Golem. We're tired from spending 5 days straight inside the Dungeon.

But we can't stop. If we don't hurry up and get out of this underground. Then we're going to fail the Adventurers' Academy Entrance Exam...

"This is not good. Let's stop and rest for now."

"Mhm!..."

"Uh-huh?... What happened to let's immediately find the way out of this place and get back to the entrance exam? Mifumi-sama, Felin?"

"I know... But if we encounter a monster, we won't be able to fight properly if we're all tired."

"I guess you're right, Mifumi-sama. Let's just rest for now."

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[I can't believe that you put your friends in danger because of your greed. If your Misaki-sensei learns about this, you're gonna be hung on your feet at the center of the town's square.]

"Zzz.... Zzz... Zzz..."

[Wake up, you greedy child!]

"Uh-huh?... Onee-chan?..."

When I woke up, I found Onee-chan standing in front of me.

Since Onee-chan is here, then it means that I'm back in my dream.

But I don't remember going into my sleeping bag. Did I somehow fall asleep while our group was resting?

[That's right... You and Mifumi-chan fell asleep as soon as your group set up your tent. Right now, Felin-chan is the only one awake.]

"How did you know that, Onee-chan?"

[Uh-huh?... I have my ways... Anyway, just look around first... What do you think? It's another amazing place, right?]

Following Onee-chan advice, I got up from the ground to look around and find something amazing.

We're standing on top of a hill and what's in front of us is another scene that could rival the view of the rusted city of metal skyscrapers that I saw in my dream. Or the view of the ruined city of concrete skyscrapers that I saw at the third layer of the Concrete_Jungle Dungeon.

Of course, the greatness of those gigantic skyscrapers that soar at hundreds of meters into the sky is marvelous but this didn't come short in terms of how amazing it is. After all...

"It's an underground rainforest!"

[You're right... It's an underground rainforest beneath the rusted city of metal skyscrapers.]

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"Is this perhaps a part of the world that you once knew, Onee-chan?... Are the people of your world that amazing to build those hundreds of meters of metal skyscrapers and this underground rainforest?..."

[Relax and take a chill potion, Vier-chan.]

"Chill_Potion...?"

[What I mean is calm down and listen to me.]

"Mhm!..."

[I'm sorry to let down your expectations but the rusted city of metal skyscrapers and this underground rainforest is not part of the world that I once knew.]

"But you said before... Isn't the Statue of Liber a big evidence that this Dungeon was once a part of your world?"

[I know, I know, I know... So listen carefully... I'm gonna explain everything properly so you better listen.]

"Mhm!, Mhm!, Mhm!..."

[I said calm down!... You, greedy child!]

After forcing me to calm down by stretching both of my cheeks in the opposite direction, Onee-chan finally began explaining her theory.

According to her, the Statue of Liber and the other ruins at the outermost layer of the Dungeon along with the ruined city of concrete skyscrapers at the third layer of the Dungeon is a part of the world she once knew.

However, the underground part where our group together with the Golden_Golem falls after the road collapse, at the Golden_Golem's fault, is not a part of the world that Onee-chan once knew.

[I don't remember seeing or hearing any news about an underground this wide being there or built during my life]

"But the people of your world can do it, right?... I mean you already built those concrete skyscrapers so you can make something like this underground rainforest."

[I don't know, Vier-chan... It's not impossible but it's very challenging to maintain life in an underground like this. Besides I don't think my world has something like that.]

Onee-chan guided my eyes towards the hundreds of giant pillars supporting the ceiling of this underground.

[If it's only making a giant pillar then the people of my world can make it. But making it glow and produce light like the sunshine itself is something I never knew during my life.]

The light that illuminates and gives life to the entire underground comes from those hundreds of giant pillars.

It's the same giant pillars in the underground where Mifumi-sama, Felin, and I are currently except that their glow is already gone.

"If this place is not a part of the world you once knew, then what exactly is this place that I see in my dreams, Onee-chan?"

[Then want to hear my guess, Vier-chan?]

"Mhm!..."

[Listen, Vier-chan... This place that you see in your dreams is a fragment of burning Memories...]

[...A shard of flaring Knowledge...]

[...A wisp of flickering Emotions...]

[...An Ember of the world it was once before...]

[...A Soul_Ember which exists at the heart of the Dungeon_Core.]

"What do you mean, Onee-chan..."

...SLAP!...

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...SLAP!...

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... It hurts... What's happening?"

"Shush... Quiet, Vier..."

"Wake up, Vier-chan... This is an emergency... Something is lurking in the dark."