Trapped as an NPC in a Dating Sim - Chapter 100: C-rank Instant Dungeon: Ember Rift!
Chapter 100: C-rank Instant Dungeon: Ember Rift!
In the world of Gaia, there were dungeons, and there were gates.
When these gates affected the outer world, they could reshape the surrounding ecology, turning entire regions into dangerous hunting grounds.
However, beyond these, there also existed various strange realms, hidden, unknown, and mysterious.
Though they existed near Gaia, they did not easily manifest within the world as proper dungeons.
The exact reason for this was unknown. Even Soren didn’t fully understand it. The game didn’t provide this information after all.
He only had a theory that these realms were like infant dungeons, incomplete existences that had yet to fully anchor themselves into the world.
Perhaps, one day, they would manifest as full-fledged dungeons.
Maybe that was why new dungeons continued to appear across Gaia even now.
Still, despite roaming without any fixed entrance, these realms were not entirely inaccessible.
On rare occasions, hunters could enter them through special items or unique triggers.
That was why they were called Instant Dungeons.
But Soren never thought that he would enter one so early and so suddenly.
*Thud*
On top of a barren cliff with only sparse vegetation, two figures dropped to the ground out of nowhere.
“Ouch!”
They were Soren Kingswell and Elise Vans, sucked into the portal by the A-rank item, Voidgate Amethyst.
“Where am I?”
Elise couldn’t help but ask, rubbing her sore buttocks as her eyes darted around in shock.
For a moment, she was completely disoriented, thrown into an unfamiliar place without warning.
“Hey, S-Soren, w-where is this?”
Her voice trembled slightly as she took in the surroundings in total shock.
How could she not when they were on the edge of a bottomless gorge, with no end in sight? Its darkness swallowed any hint of what lay below.
For a moment, Elise couldn’t help but step back, a bit scared by the sheer height.
*Roar!*
“Watch out!”
Just at that moment, a deep guttural roar echoed around, followed by a violent wind so strong that it lifted Elise off her feet and pushed her toward the gorge.
In an instant, she found herself falling toward the depths she had just seen, her body plunging into the seemingly bottomless abyss.
“Ahhh!”
It was so abrupt that she couldn’t even react.
Fortunately, just in time, Soren lunged forward with the wind and grabbed her waist, yanking her back while his other hand threw a long whip.
*Clang!*
Simultaneously, its pointed end found a crevice above, embedding itself firmly in the rock, allowing both of them to dangle in midair and saving them from plunging into the darkness below.
“W-what the heck h-happened?”
Elise was so scared that she hugged Soren and cursed.
A moment ago, she was with her sister, returning to the camp, and now she dangled on the edge of a cliff with a bottomless abyss below.
Did this even make sense?
Elise was about to ask again when Soren suddenly stopped her.
“Shsss…don’t talk.”
Soren ordered, his eyes extremely solemn, flickering as his gaze fixed on the sky above.
For a moment, Elise went silent, her eyes following Soren’s gaze while taking in the grave seriousness etched on his face.
*Swoosh!*
*Roar!*
The moment she gazed above, the violent gale returned again, rattling the entire area above, followed by the loud flapping noise.
Then a huge figure suddenly appeared above, its shadow engulfing the entire area.
No, Elise realized that it wasn’t just one figure as dozens of them flew rapidly above, roaring wildly, their aura alone pressing down on the entire area like a storm.
Fortunately, they were now below the cliff and didn’t get hit directly. Otherwise, even Soren might struggle to avoid plunging into the gorge under the sheer wind pressure.
As for using an artifact or skill to fly away?
With the rank and level of the monsters above, it would be incredibly stupid.
—
[Monster: Storm Drake]
[Level: 70]
[Rank: C]
[HP: 25,170/25,170]
[Special Trait:
> Static Surge – Its scales store static electricity from the air. Each flap of its wings releases a shock that can stagger nearby enemies.]
—
’A level 70 monster? What kind of Instant Dungeon is this?’
Soren gulped nervously as he looked at the massive figure flying rapidly above, when suddenly, he heard the ’Voice of the World’.
—
[You have entered a C-rank Dungeon: Ember Rift]
[Dungeon: Ember Rift]
[Rank: C]
[Type: Instant Dungeon]
[Origin: An unknown rift of ancient origin, long abandoned and shrouded in mystery, now inhabited by draconic creatures with a trace of dragon bloodlines.]
[Objective: Finish the race and reach the core of the Dungeon.]
[Primary Threat: Draconic Beasts]
[Elite Units: Storm Drake | Lightning Drake | Fire Drake]
[Boss Unit: Ember Wyrm | Stormclaw Drake]
[Boss Level: Lv. 90]
—
[Note: You may exit the dungeon at any time once you reach the core region, provided you are not engaged in combat.]
—
“What? C-rank? Level 90?”
The moment Elise saw the panel in front, even though she heard Soren’s warning, she couldn’t help but shout in horror.
Fortunately, the monsters above were too fast and had already left this place, seemingly racing to somewhere deep.
“H-Hey…S-Soren…w-what should we do?”
But that didn’t mean they were safe now.
If anything, the dread had only started. Especially when Elise saw that, unlike the Academy’s dungeon, there was no option of leaving the dungeon ahead of time.
It seemed the only way to leave this place was to clear the objective.
But to clear it, they need to reach the core area of the dungeon. And with the monsters’ level and the dungeon rank she just saw…
“H-How is this even possible?”
Elise had never felt so much despair as right now.
Even though Soren saved her from falling, mentally, she felt like she was still plunging, abandoned by the world.
For a moment, she felt as if all hope had been ripped away.
Why was she suddenly thrown into such a dangerous dungeon all of a sudden?
She just couldn’t understand.
“Calm down, Elise.”
