Epiphany

When Elion arrived at Elandor, he was struck with awe by the sight before him. Unlike Skywood, Elandor wasn't just a human village

It was a bustling city filled with diverse races coexisting seamlessly. He spotted elves with their graceful strides, beastmen with sharp features, and even hulking ogres, all interacting as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

'Maybe because I've only lived among humans, the reality of so many races living in harmony here in Alastor never truly hit me until now,' Elion thought, taking in the lively atmosphere.

[That's to be expected. Villages like yours, where only one race resides, are actually quite rare. Most of the native races of Alastor, except for the demons, who weren't originally from here, have lived in harmony for centuries,] Valen remarked.

'That's a good thing. Maybe the constant threat from the demons has only strengthened their unity.'

Elion looked around, taking in the bustling city. 'All right, first things first. I need to find an inn. After that, I'll head to the adventurers' guild and see if I can dig up more information about the dungeon.'

Elion wandered through the busy streets of Elandor, stopping by several inns along the way. Each time, the answer was the same—no vacancies. 

With the dungeon exploration drawing adventurers from all corners, every inn seemed packed to capacity. The sight of heavily armored warriors and cloaked mages filling taverns and inns was a stark reminder of the task that lay ahead.

After almost two hours of searching, fatigue began to creep in. 'I didn't think it'd be this difficult to find a place to stay,' he thought, slightly frustrated. 

Just as he was about to give up and consider camping outside, he spotted a smaller, less fancy inn tucked into a quiet alley. The wooden sign hanging from the door was faded, and the building itself looked worn down, but it would do for now.

He stepped inside, greeted by the scent of old wood and the warmth of a small fireplace. The innkeeper, an elderly beastman with wolfish features, looked up from behind the counter.

"Looking for a room?" the innkeeper asked in a gravelly voice.

Elion nodded. "Yeah, is there any space left?"

The old man eyed him for a moment as if sizing him up. "You're lucky, kid. We've got one room left."

Elion smiled. "I'll take it."

It wasn't the best inn by far, but after two exhausting hours of searching, it was a relief just to have somewhere to settle down. The price, clearly inflated due to the surge of adventurers, barely registered in his mind anymore. At this point, all Elion cared about was a roof over his head and a place to stay.

He took the key and made his way to the small, modest room. 'Good enough,' he thought.

After settling into the inn, Elion made his way to Elandor's adventurer guild. 

The building was much larger and grander than the one back in Skywood, bustling with adventurers of all races, elves, beastmen, humans, and even a few trolls. The sheer diversity of adventurers was impressive.

Walking inside, he approached the reception desk, where a short goblin was sitting on a high stool, scribbling furiously into a ledger. 

The goblin had sharp, intelligent eyes and wore a small pair of spectacles perched on the tip of his green nose. Despite his size, the goblin seemed completely unfazed by the crowd around him.

Elion stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I'm looking for information on the new dungeon that's been discovered."

The goblin glanced up, raising a bushy eyebrow. "Another one, huh?" His voice was surprisingly deep for his stature. "Everyone and their mother's interested in that dungeon. What exactly are you looking to know, kid?"

"I want to know what kind of dangers have been reported so far and if any expeditions are going in soon," Elion replied calmly.

The goblin adjusted his glasses, giving Elion a quick once-over. 

"Ah, you're a bit young for this, aren't ya? But no matter. Information, huh? Well, the dungeon's been causing quite the stir. From what we've gathered, it's likely an ancient ruin, filled with traps and creatures from the first to the third stages realm, at least in the outer layers. The exploration just started, and we still haven't received any report from the inner layer."

Elion nodded thoughtfully. "So, do we need to enter the dungeon as part of a group, or can I go in solo?"

The goblin leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Nah, you can go alone if you've got a death wish," he said with a smirk. "Plenty of folks try it, thinking they'll get lucky and snag some treasure before anyone else. Most of 'em don't make it back."

Elion remained calm. "I see. Thanks for the warning. Can you point me in the right direction to find the dungeon?"

The goblin gave him a curious look but shrugged. "Sure. Head east outta the city, and follow the path with a lot of hurt people going inside the city. You'll hit the dungeon's entrance soon enough. It's hard to miss, there'll be adventurers swarming the place like flies."

Elion gave a polite nod. "I Appreciate the help."

Elion left the adventurer's guild and followed the goblin's directions, walking through the bustling streets of Elandor. 

Elion quickly reached the edge of the city and ventured into the Forest, where the path twisted through the dense, vibrant greenery. 

As he neared the dungeon portal, he saw the aftermath of its peril, adventurers limping back toward the city, some clutching wounds, others with vacant eyes. 

A few needed to be carried by their comrades, bandages soaked with blood or armor dented from brutal encounters. The forest path had become a somber procession of the wounded, a stark reminder of the risk that lay ahead. Yet, despite the grim scene, Elion's resolve only strengthened.

After about half an hour of walking, the trees began to thin out, and in the clearing ahead, he saw it. A massive portal stood about five meters tall, shimmering with an eerie blue glow. 

The air around it seemed to hum with magical energy, and Elion could see adventurers constantly entering and leaving, some with excited expressions and others looking worn out from their time inside. 

The portal pulsed like a heartbeat, inviting all who dared to cross its threshold.

Elion stopped a few meters away, observing the flow of adventurers. Groups huddled together, strategizing, while solo adventurers stood off to the side, sizing up the competition. The atmosphere was intense, thick with anticipation and danger.

'So this is it,' Elion thought as he studied the scene. The portal to the unknown, a place where power and death intertwined. He couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement mixed with the weight of what lay ahead.

"Where are the people from the king? Shouldn't they have set up camp here looking for mana stone mines?" Elion muttered aloud, his eyes scanning the area.

A gruff voice answered from behind him. "You're lookin' for the royal expedition, kid?" Elion turned to see a battle-hardened adventurer leaning against a tree, bandaging his arm.

"They're about a ten-minute walk to the north. The kingdom sent around 50,000 men for this, but that's nothing much. It's a small-scale dungeon, after all."

Elion nodded in thanks as the man pointed north. "Thanks, but it's surprising that such a small-scale dungeon attracts so many people."

The adventurer chuckled. "Haha, must be your first time in a dungeon, huh? This is just the tip of the iceberg. Last year, I ventured into a medium-scale dungeon, and it was absolutely terrifying, so much so that I'd rather forget it. The kingdom sent half a million men for that one. I can't even begin to imagine what a high-scale dungeon would be like."

"That's truly impressive," Elion replied, clearly astonished.

He then turned and started heading in the direction the man had pointed, opting to bypass the portal for now.

[What's your plan, kid? Aren't you heading into the dungeon?]

'I am, but I heard that Princess Seraphina, who issued my royal badge, is here for training. I'd like to thank her in person if I can.'

[Sentimental, aren't we?]

Elion ignored Valen's comment and walked toward the camp's entrance but was halted by a guard.

"Hey, kid. This isn't a place for children. What do you want?" the guard asked, eyeing him..

"Hello, I'm looking for Princess Seraphina. I'd like to see her if possible. Could you let her know that Elion has come to visit?"

"The Princess? As far as I know, she isn't expecting anyone and isn't here at the moment. I can't let you in, but I'll make sure to inform her that you came by when she returns."

"That will be sufficient. Thank you," Elion replied, nodding in appreciation.

Elion turned away from the camp and made his way back to the dungeon portal.

[You just gave up like that? What was the point of that visit?]

"Well, it doesn't matter. She's likely in the dungeon, and since it's small, I'll probably run into her there."

[You might be underestimating what a small-scale dungeon really is. Even a small dungeon can be as large as one of the biggest cities in your world.]

"Wow, that big? This just keeps getting more interesting," Elion said with a smile to Valen.

As Elion approached the portal and stepped through, his surroundings immediately began to blur, and the light dimmed. The once vibrant world of Alastor faded from view as an eerie darkness engulfed him. 

Being a space mage, he quickly sensed the strange nature of the portal, it wasn't just a gateway, it was a tear in the very fabric of space, violently pulling him toward a distant plane, far removed from Alastor.

The sensation was unsettling yet familiar, like being yanked through an unseen thread that connected worlds. His body felt weightless, yet his senses heightened, allowing him to perceive the immense force bending reality around him. 

This was no simple shift in location; he was navigating space-time to a place entirely different, one that existed far beyond the realm he knew.

In that fleeting moment, as Elion was pulled through the portal, his grasp of space magic seemed to expand profoundly.

Though brief, it felt as if he experienced an epiphany, a sudden and profound insight into the intricacies of space and its manipulation. The transfer revealed to him a glimpse of deeper, more complex truths about the fabric of reality that he had never fully understood before.