Chapter 56 - The Fog Core

With the reward announcement echoing through the guild hall, one by one, adventurers began moving out—vanishing into the thickening fog outside.

"Moving around in this fog is dangerous," I warned. "Princess Maya, stay here with Miss Kaelyn."

"But Sir Alve…" she started to protest, her eyes pleading.

I cut her off gently but firmly. "I'm sorry, Princess. We don't even know what's waiting outside. It's better if you remain here for now."

"Very well," she sighed, clearly not happy with the decision.

"I'll keep her safe," Guild Master Kaelyn assured us. "You two go. We'll hold things here."

With a nod, I turned and followed Miss Sera out the door.

The moment we stepped outside, it was as if the world had been swallowed. The streets were blanketed in fog so thick, we could barely see a few feet ahead. Everything looked blurred and muted—as if the city itself had gone quiet in fear.

Running close behind Miss Sera, we headed back toward Central Street Market.

What awaited us there stopped us cold.

The street—once vibrant with stalls and voices—was now a scene of destruction. Debris was scattered everywhere, shops crushed or blown apart… and in the center stood an ominous object.

A massive, spherical structure, almost the size of a small house, pulsed faintly in the haze.

"What is _that_?" I asked, staring at the eerie sphere. "It's almost… alive."

"I don't know either," Miss Sera muttered, her voice tense. "I've never seen anything like this before."

The closer we got, the colder the air became. I could feel it—_mana_. Dense, raw, and oppressive. My breath came out in short, white clouds.

Then, the weight hit me.

My limbs grew heavier, and a strange sensation crawled over my skin.

No... it can't be.

"Don't tell me… this is a _dungeon core_," I whispered.

"What? What are you talking about at a time like this, Alve?" Miss Sera turned to me sharply.

I rolled up my sleeves—and there it was again. The faint, glowing blue veins running up my arm.

Her eyes widened. "Your hand… Alve, your veins—"

"I know," I cut in. "But this time… it's not corroding with mana and turning pale white. It's just glowing. I think I can manage."

She frowned. "You should _evacuate_. If your body reacts to mana like that, it's not safe for you to stay!"

I let out a sigh. "I'd love to. But if this fog keeps spreading across the capital… where do you suggest I run _to_?"

Before she could answer, an unearthly _screech_ echoed through the mist.

Then another. And a _roar_.

They were close.

"Master… we're in trouble," I said grimly. "This dungeon core… it's too big. The mana density isn't normal. It's not just fog—it's birthing monsters."

Miss Sera drew her sword, her stance tense.

"And with this much mana," I added, "they won't be ordinary monsters."

The silence that followed was broken only by the distant thud of something moving—something heavy.

The dungeon had already begun.