Dungeon Maze

The labyrinth—

The most iconic feature of the Mysterious Continent.

Its appearance ushered in an age of grand adventure.

It nurtured countless powerhouses.

Brought unimaginable treasures.

Introduced new technologies—

And even artifacts from other worlds.

Like a catalyst, it transformed the entire continent.

Kingdoms fell.

Systems evolved.

Now, only six nations remained—

Along with territories controlled by the demon race.

And right now—

The commercial metropolis of Alana, where Ye Yousheng stood, housed one of these labyrinths.

The [Dungeon Labyrinth].

The only super-large labyrinth within the Krune Kingdom.

Four hundred years ago—

Alana had been nothing more than a small village like Xinyou Village, known for sheep farming.

Then—

A labyrinth appeared nearby.

Adventurers flooded in.

Commerce exploded.

And over time—

It became a metropolis with a population of over a million.

Looking at the bustling city—

Dozens of times larger than Xinyou Village—

With crowded streets and endless traffic—

Ye Yousheng almost felt like he had returned to his original world.

He turned back to glance at the teleportation hub—

Six stories tall—

Connecting dozens of towns.

“This is… way more convenient than airplanes…”

He had expected a week-long carriage ride for a 600 km journey.

Instead—

They arrived in seconds after lunch.

Though Lulu had mentioned—

Only a few major cities were allowed to install teleportation arrays.

So this world’s magical civilization…

Was just as advanced as science back home.

Maybe even more dangerous—

Especially with Travelers introducing “science” into magic.

“Hey, stop standing there like an idiot!”

“You look like a country bumpkin!”

“Come on, we’re going to my shop first.”

Lulu called out, dragging Anqi along.

“Your shop?”

“You have a shop here too?”

Anqi jumped in proudly.

“Of course!”

“Grandma’s potion shops are famous across the whole continent!”

“Inbas-brand potions are super well-known!”

“Affordable and effective!”

Ye Yousheng raised a brow.

“Oh… damn.”

So Lulu wasn’t just strong—

She was rich.

Very rich.

Then why was she living in a tiny village?

Lulu shrugged.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“I barely manage them myself.”

“It’s all thanks to Emma.”

“Emma?”

“My agent.”

“And an old adventure partner.”

“Oh, and—she’s a total clean freak.”

“If she sees you like this, she’ll lose it.”

Ye Yousheng scratched his head.

His clothes—

Still stained with blood.

His white T-shirt now looked like abstract art.

His jeans were torn beyond saving.

Back home, maybe “fashion.”

Here?

Straight-up beggar.

Thankfully, Lulu had given him a cloak—

Or he’d already be surrounded.

“Let’s go buy clothes for big brother!”

Anqi excitedly grabbed their hands and dragged them forward.

“Hey, Anqi!”

“…Well, whatever.”

“We’ll go to an equipment shop first.”

“I lost my hat anyway.”

“And good gear can save your life.”

“Especially since you don’t have magic.”

“You should fully equip yourself.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

Ye Yousheng didn’t even know how to thank her anymore.

Saved his life.

Fed him.

Gave him shelter.

Now buying him gear too.

“Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“This is a loan.”

“Once you become an adventurer, you’re paying me back.”

“Of course.”

“I won’t forget.”

He meant it.

He always repaid his debts.

Lulu clicked her tongue but didn’t argue.

To her—

This money meant nothing.

The three of them walked side by side.

Like a family.

…A dad with two daughters.

After crossing West Street—

They reached the city center.

No grand buildings.

Just—

A massive circular pit.

Surrounded by stalls selling weapons and gear.

Fewer civilians.

More adventurers.

The atmosphere—

Heavy.

Serious.

“That’s the central entrance to the Dungeon Labyrinth.”

“There are two more entrances—north and south.”

“They’re all connected.”

“Monsters used to come up sometimes.”

“But now the first floor is secured.”

“The Adventurers’ Guild operates there.”

“You can register there later.”

“…Wait.”

“This city is built on top of a dungeon?!”

That sounded insane.

A monster nest—

Right under a city?

Lulu shook her finger.

“Nope.”

“You’ve got it backwards.”

“The dungeon was built under the city.”

“…Huh?”

“Think about it.”

“Who would build a city on a dungeon?”

“It was already there.”

“So someone built the dungeon underground.”

“…Dungeons aren’t natural?”

“No one knows for sure.”

“But I lean toward the ‘constructed’ theory.”

“Stuff like ‘divine creation’ or ‘spatial anomalies’ sounds like nonsense.”

“Logically, something that big doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.”

That… actually made sense.

But then—

Who built them?

Lulu continued,

“No one knows.”

“Every so often, a new dungeon just appears somewhere.”

“Adventurers gather.”

“The economy grows.”

“This one appeared 400 years ago.”

“It’s one of the Seven Great Dungeons.”

“It used to belong to a small country.”

“Now it’s part of Krune.”

“Only seven?”

“Small ones exist too.”

“Like the goblin cave we went into.”

“But the Seven are the massive ones.”

“Three are ancient—older than human history.”

“The other four appeared later.”

“And—”

“Every Heaven-Mending War coincides with a new dungeon appearing.”

“I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

“There’s definitely a connection…”

She drifted into thought, muttering to herself.

“Grandma…?”

Anqi tugged her sleeve.

Lulu snapped back.

“Ah—sorry.”

“Got carried away.”

“Let’s go buy equipment.”

“I know a good shop nearby.”

She walked ahead.

Anqi followed.

Ye Yousheng smiled faintly and followed—

Then stopped.

His eyes widened.

His expression turned sharp.

His body tensed.

Through Lulu and Anqi—

Through the crowd—

Through the pit—

He saw it.

A red velvet hat.

Without hesitation—

His hand gripped the Whisperwind Dagger.

“Wind Step.”

He burst forward.

A gust of wind swept past Lulu, forcing her to hold down her skirt.

She looked up—

Just in time to see him sprinting away.

“Hey! Where are you going?!”

He didn’t answer.

His eyes locked onto the figure in the red hat—

Vanishing around a corner.

Because—

That person—

Might have the answers he was looking for.