Do Problems Hatch from an Egg?
"No matter. I've been imprisoned here in the body of a monster, my soul consumed, becoming the fodder of heroes, over and over again. And now, I'm acting as a hero once more, simply on a hunch? To save a world that isn't mine?"
"It's laughable. Now that they're all gone, I'll savor this final shred of freedom and do whatever I desire."
"I don't know who you are, nor what you're seeking, nor what you'll do. Take my power, and I hope that one day you'll encounter my enemies. I'm certain they will oppose you."
Pelticus's story was profound, and he was confident that the monster before him would eventually meet those enemies. It wasn't even a matter of chance—they were bound to be adversaries.
Particles gathered around the monster, forming a shell like an egg. Inside, a fetus grew, becoming a child.
Hero's Bureau
The marked monster, Chimera Amon, was defeated, and the dungeon collapsed.
Quest failed.
Chreíos shattered his wine glass, a vein bulging on his forehead as rage consumed him.
"Who dared to steal my stock of EXP?"
He rose, shouting furiously, recklessly unleashing his murderous intent. Servants throughout the estate fainted, some suffering seizures, while others stared lifelessly, as though gazing upon death itself.
In fact, the hero had already challenged this dungeon at the beginning of his journey. He had learned from it, and his pride drove him to personally take on the boss of the final floor. It was, in a way, his nemesis, and now he felt as if his vengeance had been stolen.
Meanwhile
"Did you feel that?"
"Yes, that vibration wasn't normal!"
"Should we continue the operation?"
"Of course, but stay vigilant. Something feels off with the dungeon today."
Igor addressed his team members as they stood on the ninth floor.
"Now that I think about it, there's a story that says the world trembled when the first hero arrived," Elea interjected, steering the conversation elsewhere. She disliked silence, and being stuck with men made it even more unbearable.
The area they were in was free of monsters, a so-called neutral zone. While they remained on guard, they could afford some relaxation here.
"Yes, I've heard of it," Melki continued. "It's a well-known legend in my village."
Danor, the former pugilist, merely listened; this story was new to him.
Igor leaned in.
"I love hero-related anecdotes. What does this one say?"
"I'll tell you," Melki replied enthusiastically. If not for his almost nonexistent oratory skills, he might have aspired to be a bard.
"They say the world was in chaos, mysterious structures appearing all over the land. Then, the earth shook, as if to welcome the first hero."
"Sounds far-fetched," Igor remarked.
"Perhaps, but dungeons have endless resources. Adventurers can explore them but never close them. Only the hero, by conquering the final floor, can destroy these structures."
"This proves there's a connection between dungeons and the hero."
"If we could avoid an overflow, it might even be wise for the hero never to conquer the final floor."
"You should stop thinking like that, Igor," Elea teased. His love for money was immense.
"I digress," Melki resumed. "Anyway, dungeons appeared suddenly, as if preparing for the hero's arrival, according to our elder. And I won't hide that this theory didn't sit well with the priest. According to him, the goddess summoned the first hero to destroy the dungeons and the source of evil, as the church believes."
"The Demon King..."
The Demon King, the incarnation of evil for humans. The first hero, unlike the others, was summoned by the deity herself, and the summoning ritual was taught to humans of that time.
"Alright, break time's over. Let's move on!"
"Okay, let's go."
As they moved toward their next destination, a light burst from the ground—so fast, so sudden, they had no time to comprehend it, let alone react.
From the ninth floor, the outside of the dungeon was now visible.
Woush! Woush!
A middle-aged man swung his sword vigorously in a large courtyard. Black hair, neatly styled, and a determined gaze that betrayed his ambition—he was a man of drive.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his extremely well-toned body was evident as he was shirtless.
This man was Sazarin, a renowned merchant and, incidentally, one of the professors at the Royal Academy of Sun-Kouch.
The Kingdom of Sun-Kouch was a small kingdom, much like Celestial. The two shared a long history, but recently, tension had risen between them.
"Yes, I received the information—the Amon Dungeon has collapsed. That hasn't happened in quite some time."
He stopped and approached someone holding a white towel, taking it to wipe his face.
"Yes, but it wasn't because of the hero. It's not widely known yet, but it collapsed on its own," the other person replied.
His role might easily be mistaken for that of a butler or servant in the estate.
The fact that the dungeon had collapsed on its own was shocking—news that would soon send the entire continent into a frenzy.
"This is surprising. I assume the guild is already on it. And what of BBM's Silver Branch?"
"They entered the dungeon illegally after their mission. Currently, they're missing, possibly dead."
"That's a problem."
"Investigate their last operation's purpose, their previous operations, and report all related information to me."
"Yes, it will be done. And about the dungeon?"
"Don't worry about that. While it's a priority, it's not your task to handle."
His merchant's instincts allowed him to sense opportunities and foresee potential disasters. No matter how he analyzed the situation, the man before him wasn't suited for this task.
"But I must resolve the situation quickly. The church, the kingdom—everyone is surely already on this, including the hero."
His thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke again.
"Well then, I'll take my leave!"
The man turned and departed.
Sazarin sighed, picked up his clothes, and left the courtyard as well.
Rarely does this phenomenon occur: monsters emerge from dungeons, corrupt the land, and wreak havoc. This disaster is called an Overflow¹, a phenomenon that happens when a dungeon nears its limit.
When the hero conquers the final floor, the dungeon's fate is sealed, preventing any overflow. The dungeon reverts to an ordinary structure. This phenomenon is called a Collapse².