Chapter 26: Anomalous Oscillation

The space inside the ring vibrated. A small silver gate appeared in the middle of the void, existing only for a few seconds before vanishing, but Kei had seen it clearly.

The magic circle had identified the spatial structure outside.

It could record the coordinates of the Dungeon gate’s entry and exit point the moment a hunter stepped into the Dungeon, and it could open a path back the instant the ring was destroyed.

It had succeeded!

Kei set the ring down on the table. His entire body immediately lurched forward, his two arms spread out across the table’s surface. Sweat soaked through his clothes, and his chest heaved violently.

Sora hurriedly steadied his shoulder.

"Kei!"

"I’m fine..."

Kei panted heavily, not lifting his head.

He was so exhausted that even opening his eyes had become difficult. But in those eyes gleamed an undeniable joy.

After days of research and countless calculations, having to use every precious drop of mana to inscribe upon a tiny space, he had created a ring that could help others return from the Dungeon.

Kei clenched his fist gently.

"It worked..."

From today onward, he could save others just by crafting these small items!

Sora curiously picked up the ring from the table, turned it over and over, then brought it close to her eyes to examine it.

"Kei, why can’t I see anything strange about this ring?"

The silver ring looked no different from an ordinary piece of jewelry. No gemstones, no glow, and even the pattern on its surface was so simple it was hardly noticeable. And compared to before Kei had modified it, it looked exactly the same.

Kei smiled.

"If I don’t explain the ring’s effect, no one would ever be able to discover it."

"What effect?"

Sora immediately sat up straight, her eyes lighting up.

"What do you mean? What is this ring for exactly? Can it store extra items? Or can it turn people invisible? Can it shoot fire?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

Sora leaned in closer, her face almost pressing against Kei’s.

"Kei, just tell me already! You can’t craft something this impressive and then stay quiet about it."

"Actually, it’s not as impressive as you think."

Kei rested his chin on his hand, looking at the ring in Sora’s grasp.

"But it can help hunters return from the Dungeon."

Sora was stunned.

"Return from the Dungeon?"

"Yeah. Even if the Dungeon gate is destroyed, or the ring itself breaks, the wearer can still open a path back to the original location."

The room fell silent instantly.

Sora looked at the ring, then back at Kei. The curiosity in her eyes quickly turned into astonishment.

"Wait... are you saying that if someone wearing this ring gets trapped in the Dungeon, they can still come back?"

"In theory, yes."

"Then this is no ordinary item anymore!"

Sora hugged the ring tightly to her chest, her face flushed with excitement.

"Kei, do you know what you’ve just made? If the Guilds find out about this, they’ll definitely be fighting to buy it. No, they might even come straight to the shop begging you to craft one for them!"

"Don’t exaggerate like that. This thing takes a lot of time to craft, it can’t be mass-produced, at least not for now."

"I’m not exaggerating at all!"

Sora set the ring down on the table and immediately grabbed Kei’s hand, shaking it back and forth.

"Does this ring have any limits? How many times can it be used? How many people can it bring along? Does it need to record coordinates beforehand? What if the Dungeon changes its structure? If the wearer dies inside, does the ring activate automatically?"

A rapid stream of questions poured out, leaving Kei momentarily unsure which to answer first. Looking at Sora’s eager expression, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.

"You really ask a lot of questions."

"Because this is a really important matter!"

Sora said seriously, but her expression was just like a child who had just discovered a new toy.

Kei let out a soft laugh.

"Alright. I’ll tell you a little about the secrets inside this ring."Just as she was about to pick up the ring, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong!

Sora startled and turned her head to look outside.

"We have a guest!"

She quickly stood up, fixed her hair, and ran toward the front of the shop.

"Kei, we’re not done here! You have to tell me everything later!"

"Got it."

Sora ran while turning her head back, pointing a finger at him in warning.

"Don’t you dare run off!"

After Sora’s figure disappeared behind the curtain partition, Kei looked down at the small wooden box placed beside him.

He quietly thought for a moment.

Originally, Kei had planned to hand this ring to a large Guild for testing, but after hearing what Sora said, he realized this matter could no longer be delayed.

If the ring really could save hunters trapped in the Dungeon, he needed to get it into the hands of those who needed it most as quickly as possible.

Kei put on his jacket, placed the ring back into the box, and carefully closed the lid.

Before heading out, he turned his head to look toward the shop. Sora was busy attending to a new group of customers, her face beaming with a smile as if she had completely forgotten what had just happened.

Kei quietly shook his head.

He didn’t want to bother her while she was busy, so he decided to put off the explanation for now.

Kei took the box and headed toward the marketplace.

The afternoon in Dong-San was as bustling as usual. Pedestrians hurried back and forth, hunters in combat gear stood in front of stalls inspecting items, and transport vehicles kept driving toward the Dungeon management area.

Kei was walking when he suddenly stopped.

Ahead of him was a Dungeon gate sealed off by metal barriers. Management staff were checking documents, while a team of hunters had just finished their preparations and begun entering inside.