Entering The Abyssal Core

Mayor Lorelei laughed at my question.

“So, you’re curious about that,” she said, staring at me sharply.

Mikan, clearly frightened, hid behind me.

“It doesn’t matter. Whether you tell me or not, I’ll find out eventually,” I replied coldly.

She chuckled again and twirled her staff. “Kyouze, you really are an unpredictable existence. A blessing… or maybe a curse. Just like He said.”

I didn’t understand what she meant by that.

“Who is ‘He’?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Oops, that’s as far as I can go. But don’t worry, you’ll understand everything once you reach the tenth floor of the dungeon.”

“So it’s pointless to ask you anything.”

“Aw, don’t be mad. All I can say is… the two worlds, this one and Earth are beginning to connect. And you, of all people, already know that, don’t you, Kyouze?”

She said it like she already knew everything I’d been through.

Mikan looked shocked. She didn’t know anything about this. She turned to me with wide eyes.

I sighed. “I volunteered to log in and transmigrate into this game. I knew the risks. I knew I could die.”

I told her what happened on Earth when it all began. How I saw GOD 404 hovering in the skies over Tokyo, destroying everything in sight. 

He gave the world a challenge: clear this game, or the Earth would be destroyed.

If you think about it, it makes sense that Earth and this world are starting to merge. Or maybe they already have.

One thing is certain—if this world falls, Earth goes with it.

That’s why Mayor Lorelei asked me to save it.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner, Kyouze-san?” Mikan asked, her eyes serious.

“Because it wasn’t necessary.”

She fell silent.

Lorelei stepped closer.

“You still haven’t answered me. Be the world’s savior, Kyouze. Be a hero!”

“No. I refuse.”

My answer made her blink in surprise. She clapped her hands and sighed.

“You really never change, do you? Even when I practically begged you… you’re still as cold as ever.”

“You already knew my answer. Why bother asking again?”

She laughed softly. “Because I know you’ll do it anyway. No matter what.”

I didn’t care what she thought. I walked out. Mikan followed quietly behind me.

As we left, Lorelei called out, “I’ll be waiting for you at the Abyssal Core gate. I know you’ll come. And I’ll ask you again… maybe you’ll change your mind.”

“What a pain. She’s been a thorn in my side since the beginning,” I muttered.

Mikan glanced at me curiously.

“How do you even know her? A regular player being on a first-name basis with someone like Mayor Lorelei… that’s not normal.”

I explained that she knew me because I used to be the top player in this game.

I was the first to conquer floors 3 through 8 of the dungeon.

Lorelei kept insisting on giving me rewards. I turned them all down.

“Why?” Mikan asked.

“That crazy woman wanted to build a statue of me in the city. I never gave her permission. She needs my approval to do that. So she kept chasing me around, even had her N-Sec forces search for me. She even sent the most annoying agent after me.”

“That’s why I avoid the city whenever possible,” I added. “I’d rather live in the dungeon than deal with her.”

Mikan laughed softly.
…

We finally arrived at the Market District, located in the southern part of Netherbyte City.

It’s nestled between the Nethercage (PvP zone), the Residential Zone, and the Network Playground (entertainment for players).

I came here to stock up on supplies for the dungeon.

I needed HP Recovery, ST (Stamina) Recovery, EP (EtherCode Point), and SP (SystemCore Point) potions.

I was planning to spend most of my tokens here.

Mikan said she knew shops that sold recovery items with better effects.

She happily tagged along and helped me shop.

I ended up buying 20 of each: ST, EP, and SP recovery items.

That should be enough for six uses per dungeon floor.

Once we were done, we made our way toward the Abyssal Core at the center of the city.

On the way, I spotted the Faction Zone, east of Netherbyte City, where all the player factions are based.

It was oddly quiet today. Probably because most players were still trapped inside the dungeon during the last raid.

Nearby, northeast of the city, was where Mayor Lorelei was supposed to be running things.
So why was she at the Archive Spire earlier?

Suddenly, Mikan asked, “You know… if I went with you, you wouldn’t need this many items.”

She was trying to convince me to let her come along.

I sighed. “Why are you so determined to go into the dungeon?”

She paused for a moment before answering. “My grandmother is seriously ill… I need to finish this game and get back as soon as I can. That’s why I want to go with you.”

She looked confident and determined.

I felt a pang of sympathy for her… but I still said no.

"No, Mikan. You stay here."

Her eyes widened.
"But I—"

I didn’t let her finish.

"Just wait here." My voice was firm and colder than I intended.

"If you do… you'll see your grandmother again. I swear it."

A silence fell between us.

Then I looked away toward the endless dark hallway leading into the dungeon.

"Actually…" My voice dropped.

"There's someone important I need to save."
I drew a sharp breath, my voice low but unwavering.

"She’s trapped… along with the players who joined the sixth-floor raid. She's risking her life down there."

My hands tightened into fists.

"I can't be late. I won’t let her die down there."

I drew in a sharp breath, eyes burning with resolve.

"That’s why I have to go all the way, Ten floors. No hesitation. No distractions."

I clenched my fists. "If I’m alone, I move faster."

I couldn't look at her. I didn’t have the strength.

But I didn’t need to. I already knew what face she was making.

That look. The same one people make… right before they break.

“She, huh?” she whispered. “I see…”

Then she asked it with her voice trembling, barely more than a breath.

“Am I… a burden to you?”

I froze.

Every instinct told me to lie. To spare her.

To protect the warmth in her eyes.

But I couldn’t afford warmth right now.

So I answered, cold and quiet:

“…Yes.”

She didn’t cry. She didn’t argue.

She just nodded once silently..as if the light inside her had just… shut off.

…

We finally arrived at the Abyssal Core and began our descent.
This was the surface level, the starting point of the dungeon.

A giant gate stood ahead, leading to Floor 1.

This area also served as a rest zone for players before and after their dungeon runs.
There were recovery rooms, teleportation rooms (which were currently disabled), strategy meeting rooms, and communication centers for raid planning.

I could see chaos all around.

Mikan and I were both shocked by the number of injured players.

“What the hell is going on?” I whispered.

“Well, well… I knew you’d show up,” a familiar voice said.

It was Mayor Lorelei, stepping out of the command room.

“Just look at them… so many casualties. Even with this many people, they couldn’t get past Floor 5. Now the top-ranking players are trapped on Floor 6.”

The scene was horrifying. Some players were receiving treatment, but many of them still looked traumatized.

The limiter on pain had been disabled, making them feel real, agonizing injuries.
Their minds were breaking from it.

Mikan was trembling beside me.

Some players were crying, begging to go home.

Others said the dungeon was worse than hell.

This was far worse than I expected.

Suddenly, I sensed someone standing behind me.

A deep, menacing voice whispered,
“I finally found you… Azure Reaper.”

It was a towering man in full N-Sec combat gear, weapons strapped all over his back.

“Great… just the guy I’ve been avoiding this whole damn game,” I muttered.

....

..