Several hours had passed since Rohan’s group was swept into the dungeon by the Monolith.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, lunchtime had just ended.
The Elysium Security Bureau had swiftly detected the ominous magical fluctuations occurring within Academy City.
This was why Jooyeon, who should have been conducting lessons at the academy, found herself at the Security Bureau.
The officers displayed a video recording for her to review.
Her expression hardened as she watched, and she carefully uttered one word:
“Monolith...?”
“That’s correct. However, as you can see, the situation is slightly different. If monsters had appeared, we would have deployed immediately to handle them, but...”
Just as the officer explained, this wasn’t a typical case.
The Bureau’s response was limited to cordoning off the affected area.
“I must admit, we, too, are in the dark about this phenomenon. We’ve shared the incident with other nations and requested information, but we also wanted to hear the Grand General’s esteemed opinion.”
Dimensional rifts and Monoliths were cataclysms that wreaked havoc, sowing chaos and claiming countless lives.
Among those in Academy City, Jooyeon was unparalleled in her experience with such disasters.
Adding to the urgency, one of the academy’s cadets, who had been caught up in the incident, was a face familiar to the Bureau officers.
This cadet had recently gained attention for dismantling a human trafficking ring and rescuing victims. Naturally, the officers recognized him as one of Jooyeon’s students.
“...Play the video again.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
At Jooyeon’s request, an officer replayed the footage, navigating with a mouse.
The video, captured by a security CCTV camera in an alleyway, had no audio. Still, the scene was clear.
Jooyeon silently prayed it wasn’t true, but reality was often cruel.
No matter the angle, the cadet in the video was undeniably Rohan.
The footage showed him seemingly bidding farewell to an elven woman when the Monolith burst through the ground, radiating immense magical energy.
Then came the unexpected twist.
Normally, this would have been the moment when monsters poured out.
Instead, the three individuals vanished with the Monolith as if they had been engulfed in smoke. This was a marked departure from the usual phenomena caused by Monoliths.
Hoping it was merely a case of displacement, the officers tried calling Rohan’s phone.
There was no signal.
Even the Bureau’s location tracking failed. Officers scouring the area had also come up empty-handed.
“Hah...”
Jooyeon closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, striving to suppress her emotions and maintain composure.
She dismissed grim assumptions—there were no confirmed facts yet.
For the sake of the officers waiting for her guidance, she reviewed her prior experiences.
But no matter how much she searched her memory, she couldn’t find any definitive solution or insight.
“I’m afraid I can’t be of much help. This is the first time I’ve encountered such a situation as well.”
“I see... Could this mean that the Monolith in Academy City is unique in some way?”
The officers nodded, as though they had anticipated her response.
The fear of the unknown weighed heavily in the air.
Watching the video once more, Jooyeon broke the officers’ uncertainty with a commanding voice.
“There may be something to discern from the residual magic. May I visit the site?”
“Of course! We’ll escort you immediately.”
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Snapping to attention, the officers quickly donned their equipment, grabbed their keys, and prepared to depart.
***
Rohan woke up after what felt like an eternity of deep sleep.
As he opened his eyes, a doll-like face greeted him with a bright smile.
“Ah... Oppa! You’re awake?”
“You’re up?”
Shion’s approaching footsteps signaled the end of the fan Clara had been diligently using, crafted from vine leaves.
As Clara’s hands paused, warm air seeped into Rohan’s groggy awareness, reminding him they were still in the dungeon.
“Sorry. I’m fully recovered now.”
Rohan apologized and sat up, glancing down to find his shoes removed and his attire disheveled. It was clear what measures the two had taken to help him.
“No wonder I felt so comfortable...”
He began rebuttoning his shirt and fastening his belt, prompting Clara and Shion to avert their gazes slightly.
Once he had put his shoes back on and stood, Clara looked up at him with worried eyes.
“Oppa, are you really okay now?”
“I’m fine now. Sorry for worrying you.”
Reassuring Clara, Rohan pulled out his smartphone to check the timer running in real time.
And then, silence.
“...What the—?”
Seeing the timer, he almost did a backflip in shock.
Had he really slept that long? He rubbed his eyes, but the numbers remained the same.
What he thought would be a short nap had stretched to over five hours.
“I decided a ten-minute break wouldn’t be enough.”
Shion’s blunt statement was followed by Clara’s enthusiastic nod.
Rohan could only apologize. The damage was done, and the best he could do now was make it up to them moving forward.
“Everyone must be hungry. And we’re probably out of water too.”
With the intent to replenish supplies, Rohan moved, but Clara hastily stopped him.
“Oppa...! Wait a second!”
“Huh?”
Clara exchanged glances with Shion before turning back to Rohan with a serious expression.
“Oppa, can I ask you something?”
“Rohan, it might be a sensitive question, but we need to know for the future.”
“Did something happen while you were asleep?”
When Clara shook her head, her twin-tails swaying, she cautiously began to speak.
“That skill you use to get water...”
“Yeah?”
“...Did its cost cause you to collapse? Please tell us the truth.”
Understanding their concerns, Rohan gave a firm answer without overexplaining.
“No. That’s unrelated. Even though the skill has a cost, it doesn’t consume something like my lifespan.”
“...”
Shion and Clara fell silent at his definitive tone.
Though the unease didn’t entirely leave their faces, they refrained from prying further.
“Let’s eat, refill our water, and get moving. Wait here for a bit.”
Stretching his stiff body, Rohan stepped outside.
Under the scorching sunlight, he marveled at the intensity of the heat as he checked the shop menu.
He didn’t need to scroll far to find what he needed.
[You have purchased a large combat ration.]
The first-time purchase cost five points.
The description suggested the "large" ration was enough for one person, but it seemed sufficient to stave off hunger for all three of them. Buying another would provide a full meal, but overindulging before potential combat would be unwise.
“It’s self-heating? High in calories too.”
The packaging read, “Pull the string and wait 15 minutes!”
Fortunately, it required no water or fire, reminding him of both nostalgic and not-so-fond memories.
He added three bottles of water to his cart, spending an additional six points.
Carrying the supplies back, Rohan distributed the water before sitting down.
Clara’s curiosity was piqued by the unfamiliar combat ration, while Shion, though familiar with such items, was intrigued by its design.
“Just wait 15 minutes.”
Pulling the tab on the box, Rohan watched as white steam billowed out, eliciting a gasp of amazement from Clara.
Normally, he would have found her reaction adorable, but his mind was preoccupied, sorting through his thoughts.
“The man they called ‘Master’... What kind of master was he? And this body...”
Borrowing someone else’s perspective had its merits, but experiencing their emotions came with its own challenges.
While it helped clarify the situation, the negative feelings drained his mental strength and forced him to confront his sense of self repeatedly—a tiring ordeal.
“Still, there’s no turning back now.”
Curiosity had always been there.
What kind of life had this body led before entering Orion Academy?
His phone contacts were blank. The gallery contained no photos.
This body’s connections—or lack thereof—were a mystery.
“Once I’ve grown stronger, I’ll head south.”
Though he had no concrete answers yet, he felt like he was starting to find a path.
For now, that was enough.
“Alright, let’s eat!”
Rohan opened the paper container and poured hot sauce over the rice.
Curry and mapo tofu.
The aroma made the girls’ eyes sparkle as they swallowed their hunger.
“Wow...”
“Having a proper meal in a place like this is such a luxury.”
With crude spoons in hand, the girls began to eat.
Watching them enjoy their meal, Rohan felt both satisfied and grateful. He regretted not being able to provide more, but for now, it was enough.
“Let’s eat, rest a bit, and then move on. I’ll stay awake this time.”
Seeing the time, Rohan figured Shion and Clara could use a short nap.
After eating and letting their food settle, Rohan insisted they lie down, even if they claimed to be fine.
He fanned them gently as they drifted to sleep.
With their conditions vastly improved, Rohan’s group set off toward their increasingly visible destination.