Chapter 601: The Role-Playing Dungeon

The three days of rest passed more quickly than Nick and Ember had expected.

The Erebus Guild's office, which had originally been nothing more than a small room with a few rolls of parchment and an old wooden desk, had suddenly become the center of attention for the entire Happy TV Network. New believers came streaming in, each with their own reason, their own story, their own faith—and Nick, who only enjoyed socializing when Silvanus was around, found himself reluctantly pushed into the role of welcoming them.

Ember had no such patience. He simply sat in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, his amber eyes observing each person one by one. Every now and then, he would tap his fingers against the tabletop whenever a believer became a little too loud. That alone was enough to keep everyone in line.

And then there was Luka.

Luka had decided that the Erebus Guild's office needed to be "decorated to match the stature of a great god." He bought a pile of colored paper, drawing pens, and a few spools of thread, then began covering the walls with little paintings—scenes of the night sea, the stars, and a few pieces that were... so abstract that no one could make heads or tails of them.

Nick stood staring at one painting filled with streaks of black and green weaving together like a raging storm. He tilted his head to one side, then to the other.

"Luka... what is this supposed to be?"

Luka looked up from his pile of colored paper, his silver eyes sparkling with pride.

"That's Erebus!" he said excitedly. "I painted him engulfing the world in his darkness, yet also serving as the guiding light for lost souls."

Nick looked at the painting again. Then he looked at Luka. Then back at the painting.

"...I don't see Erebus anywhere."

Luka sighed, as though Nick had just said something painfully mundane.

"You have to feel it, Nick. Art isn't about seeing. It's about feeling."

From the corner of the room, Ember spoke in his hoarse voice.

"Looks like a puddle of spilled ink."

Luka turned to Ember, his silver eyes widening. Then he smiled.

"I like the way you see things, Ember. It's very... raw. But also very honest."

Ember: "..."

He had never heard anyone turn an insult into something quite so poetic.

He snorted and said nothing.

Nick sighed. He no longer knew whether these three days had been a blessing or a curse.

But then, amid the laughter, chatter, and bizarre paintings, another sound rang out—a sound that all the Artists had grown far too familiar with.

TING!

[System]: The next dungeon will open in 24 hours!

[System]: Dungeon Type: Role-Playing Dungeon — Rank: S!

[System]: Number of Participants: 10.

[System]: Player list has been finalized!

Nick froze. He looked up at the notification panel hovering in midair, his brown eyes widening.

His name was on it.

And so was Luka's.

"We..." Luka whispered, his silver eyes lighting up. "Are we going to participate together?"

Ember rose to his feet and walked over to Nick. His amber eyes swept across the list, and his brows furrowed.

"I'm not on the list."

Ember spoke slowly. "Looks like we won't be able to go together this time."

He had been assigned to a different dungeon.

Nick turned to look at Ember. He didn't know what to say.

Luka smiled at the two of them. "Don't worry. Erebus will bless us."

On the player forums, posts about the upcoming dungeon had already flooded the boards.

[A Role-Playing Dungeon? And it's Rank S, too! I heard the death rate for these kinds of dungeons is insanely high!]

[I've been in a role-playing dungeon before. It wasn't that bad. As long as you stay in character, you'll be fine.]

[You make it sound way too easy. Dungeons have gotten a lot harder lately. Didn't you see Carnival of Desire?]

[That was an exception. Most dungeons still have the same difficulty as before.]

[But the death rate is rising. I don't want to become the next statistic.]

[Who's on the list this time?]

[Nick and Luka from the Erebus Guild. I heard Luka is a new believer, but he's the same rank as Nick and Ember.]

[Looks like they're trying to establish their position.]

...

The day the dungeon opened came sooner than Nick had expected.

He stood in the waiting hall, wearing a new outfit Luka had picked out for him—a light-gray coat adorned with intricate silver embroidery.

Don't ask why Nick had to agree to this.

Luka stood beside him, his silver hair neatly tied back, his silver eyes gleaming with curiosity as he looked around the waiting hall.

"There are quite a lot of people," Luka said, his voice brimming with excitement. "I hope we'll have some interesting companions."

Nick nodded. Feeling everyone's eyes turning toward them, he couldn't help but wish Luka would lower his voice a little.

He looked around the waiting hall. There were about ten people, including himself and Luka.

A tall man with black hair and cold gray eyes stood in the corner of the room, arms crossed. His arrogant gaze swept over everyone as though he were judging who was worthy of his attention. His name was Damian.

A young girl with pink hair and green eyes sat curled up in a chair, clutching a small notebook tightly in her hands. Her eyes were red and puffy, as though she had just finished crying. Her name was Mia.

A middle-aged woman with short brown hair and calm gray eyes leaned against the wall, holding a small cup of tea. She took a sip every now and then, showing no concern whatsoever about the upcoming dungeon. Her name was Helena.

And there were the others—several young Artists, along with a few more experienced ones. They were all waiting in the hall with different expressions on their faces: anxiety, fear, arrogance, resignation.

Nick knew most of them because he had practically gone over the information of every Artist participating in this dungeon several times.

Luka felt someone's gaze on him. He turned his head and found Damian staring intently at them.

"Erebus Guild," Damian said, his voice low and cold. "I've heard you've become quite famous lately."

Before Nick could say anything, Luka stepped forward with a bright smile.

"Hello! I'm Luka, and this is Nick. It's a pleasure to meet everyone!"

He turned toward Mia, who was still curled up in her chair.

"Are you okay? You look really nervous."

Mia raised her head, her red-rimmed eyes meeting Luka's. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but then lowered her head again without a word.

Luka wasn't discouraged. He turned toward Helena, who was still calmly sipping her tea.

"Hello, ma'am! You seem awfully calm. You've been through a lot of dungeons, haven't you?"

Helena looked at Luka, her gray eyes devoid of emotion.

"Enough to know that worrying won't help."

Luka nodded as though she had just delivered some profound piece of wisdom.

"I like the way you see things."

Nick grabbed Luka by the sleeve, his face turning red.

"Luka..."

Luka turned to look at Nick, his silver eyes widening innocently.

"But I'm just saying hello."

"I know. But... could you just stay still for a moment?"

Luka looked at Nick's embarrassed expression, then nodded.

"Alright, if that's what you want."

He stood still, but his eyes continued darting around the waiting hall.

Just then, the notification sound rang out.

TING!

[System]: Dungeon [Elysia-9] will begin in 3... 2... 1!

A flash of light erupted.

Nick felt his body being pulled away. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and then the ground beneath his feet disappeared.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing aboard an ancient wooden ship.

The old vessel, its tattered sails hanging limply, drifted across a sea shrouded in thick, bitterly cold fog. The water was a dull gray and completely still, like a hazy mirror reflecting the gloomy sky above. There was no wind, no sound except for the creaking of the ship's wooden hull.

Nick looked around. The others had appeared on the ship as well—Damian, Mia, Helena, Luka, and everyone else. They were all standing on the deck, their eyes filled with caution.

Nick looked down at his hand. A small brass compass was strapped to his wrist, but its needle spun wildly, refusing to point in any direction.

Luka stepped over and handed him a map.

It was completely blank.

"Where are we?" Mia whispered, her voice trembling.

No one answered her.

Then, through the gray mist ahead, a shape slowly began to emerge.

An island.

A rocky gray shoreline. Sheer cliffs rising steeply from the sea. And atop the highest point stood a towering lighthouse, its eerie green light sweeping through the fog like an eye searching for something.

And their ship was slowly drifting toward the island.