The Demir of Grandeur
Emilia's eyes darted through the guild book, scanning the pages for any mention of what they had just experienced. But the details remained unchanged, exactly as she had read before.
The third entrance was infamous for being overrun with monsters, yet it lacked any peculiar traits. Adventurers often used its regenerating creatures as training dummies, a convenient yet unremarkable feature. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing about the dungeon reversing itself.
She looked down at the slashed goblins, their bodies twitching in their final moments. "So we really went back in time"
Pasta secured his blade, then knelt beside one of the dying creatures. His fingers hovered over its chest, feeling the faint remnants of life. "Same lifeforce as before… so it's likely."
Jiji remained silent, deep in thought. Spatial manipulation was one thing, but actual time manipulation? This was an entirely different phenomenon.
Mr. Swordsman took a few steps forward, his mind elsewhere. "Something is definitely wrong here. We need to move."
They rushed back toward the platform, but Emilia couldn't shake the nagging thought in her mind. She had seen it, one of the pillars glowing just before everything shifted. That wasn't natural. Something foreign, something beyond this world, had tampered with their reality. But why?
Upon their return, Lily wasted no time, sprinting toward Mr. Swordsman and wrapping her arms around him.
"I was just about to look for you guys, then suddenly… the same monsters appeared again," she mumbled against his shoulder. This time, he allowed the embrace, accepting the warmth without hesitation.
Jiji's eyes narrowed. "That confirms it. The dungeon didn't just shift us, it reset itself. We're lucky to still have our memories intact"
She looked down at the scroll, containing just a little information about the dungeon. "Others weren't that lucky. Still looks like we didn't actually go back in time. That's highly unlikely so the best reason we got so far, is the dungeon resetting itself.
Lily blinked. "Reset? Wait, so this isn't some kind of trick?"
Kabal slammed his axe into the ground. "Will someone explain what in the nine realms is going on?!"
Shot sighed, behind him. They just did, moron.
Emilia ran her hand along the nearest pillar. "The pillars… they glowed right before we disappeared. I think they're maintaining this platform. If we figure out their secret, we might be able to reach the second floor. Maybe the reversal was just a one-time thing—"
Pasta's excitement nearly overpowered his hunger. A dungeon, a dragon boss, and now a puzzle? This was exactly the kind of adventure he lived for.
"I know you're as excited as I am, Emilia," he said, leaning lazily against a pillar. "Now we just have to crack this thing wide open."
Her fingers traced the intricate floral carvings along the stone, their design strangely familiar. A memory surfaced, she had seen these same patterns at the first entrance.
"The Goddess of the Elves," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with recognition. "A being whose power transcends even death… one of immeasurable strength."
Mr. Swordsman stepped beside her. "You sure know a lot about this stuff. Not that it's surprising."
Emilia chuckled. "Yeah, I might have an unhealthy obsession with these tales, not just the elf lore at least. Still… can't deny that I'm a little bit excited."
She looked toward the sky, past the endless clouds. "The world is so much bigger than the Nine Realms. You wouldn't believe how shocked I was when I first realised the Supreme Being isn't the only god out there. The Elven Goddess is just one of many."
Lily twirled over. "Okay, but what does this goddess have to do with the dungeon resetting?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Emilia said, adjusting her glasses. "She harboured an intense hatred for humans, but no one knows why. If she's tied to this dungeon, then—"
Before she could finish, the pillars began to glow once more.
And then.
They were back at the entrance.
#
Kabal snarled, slamming his fist against the stone wall. "Damn it, not again."
Pasta groaned, clutching his stomach as a low growl escaped him. His gaze met Emilia's, and she could only sigh, tilting her head.
He stepped forward, his hand tightening around his sword. "So we're back to square one, huh?"
Turning slightly, he glanced at Mr. Swordsman. "This kinda reminds me of the Icy Castle."
Mr. Swordsman's sharp eyes flickered toward him. The boy had a point. Emilia might not have sensed it, but there was something eerily similar between this dungeon and the castle, something fading, a lifeforce teetering on the edge of death.
And if this was anything like that place… whoever was behind this wasn't just some ordinary foe.
A sudden crash echoed through the chamber. The ceiling split open, goblins tumbling down in a chaotic frenzy, their wicked grins flashing in the dim light.
Pasta remained still.
With a single step, a fierce gust of wind bursts upward, taking him with it. He twisted through the falling enemies, his body moving fluidly between their flailing limbs as he landed on the floor.
He unsheathed his blade with a click.
"How about Wind Cutter?" he murmured with a smirk.
The air itself sharpened, slicing clean through the goblins in an instant. Their bodies fell apart midair, the dismembered limbs clattering against the stone below.
Pasta turned at their bodies. A simpler version of the technique he had practised last autumn—a trick inspired by Mr. Swordsman's Blade Tempest. A refined, swift execution designed for aerial combat.
Kabal crossed his arms, watching the boy with interest. "That kid…" he muttered, glancing at Mr. Swordsman. "He's strong. Your student, perhaps?"
Mr. Swordsman remained silent for a moment before speaking. "That boy has forged his own strength. I am nothing more than a guardian… offering guidance when needed."
His gaze lingered on Pasta. "He learns fast. Trains hard. But he's still missing something. Without it, he'll never know true strength."
Kabal followed his gaze. "Well said. A blade without purpose is as good as blunt steel."
Meanwhile, Emilia ran her fingers along the intricate carvings on the wall, lost in thought. Jiji stepped beside her.
"Shouldn't we be moving forward to assist the disciple?"
Emilia's glasses gleamed under the dim light. "She's on the same level as Mr. Swordsman. A few monsters won't trouble her," she whispered, her focus never wavering from the symbols. "But something isn't adding up. There must be a reason the reversal always starts here."
Her mind raced. Pasta had compared this place to the Icy Castle, both held the presence of something… dying. That must be the only similarity since that's the only thing she couldn't sense and Pasta isn't actually the observing type. Still...
The dragon beneath them could be the cause. Yet, every clue pointed toward the Elven Goddess.
Why?
Emilia held her chin, frowning. The ancient texts she had read as a child spoke of the close relationship between the dragon and the Elven Goddess before the Great War. The Nine Realms had seen its share of battles and chaos, but that war had been… different.
Her eyes widened.
Pasta. The Naga Blade.
That was when her ancestors found the sword.
She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. There was no time to dwell on it.
"We need to move," she said, stepping forward. "I think I know how to stop the reversal."
The others fell in line behind her.
The symbols on the pillars… they weren't all the same. She had only inspected the one that bore the Elven Goddess's emblem.
If they could find the right one—
The question was: which one was it?
And how much time did they have left to find it?
She noticed the few skulls clattered on the floor, sending a chill through her spine. "I rather not find out"
#
Lily wiped the sweat from her brow, standing amidst the lifeless remains of fallen creatures. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head.
"You all sure took your merry time getting here."
"Sorry about that," Emilia replied, barely sparing a glance at the pile of bloodied monsters. Her attention was already elsewhere, on the towering pillars that surrounded them.
Hundreds of them. Some identical, others unique, each etched with ancient carvings and unreadable text.
Unreadable to most, at least.
Unlike the ones in the great hall, these inscriptions were far easier for her to decipher. As her eyes traced the engravings, she felt her heart race with excitement.
One pillar spoke of the warmth of family, another recounted tales of hatred and execution.
And then...stars.
Millions of them.
Moons upon moons.
Worlds where the heavens had collapsed onto the earth.
Every pillar told a story. Even the ones depicting sickness, experimentation, and suffering… yet somehow, they didn't feel tragic to her. No, they felt like they were part of something bigger. A grand design.
Almost like a fun game of sorts.
Her fingers trembled as she brushed across the ancient text.
Who was the Elven Goddess, truly? And what was her connection to the dragon lurking beneath this dungeon?
The questions swirled in her mind, and she suddenly realized—
They were running out of time. The reversal wasn't permanent, it will eventually come to an end. How many trials do they have?
Was it three, or five or was this their last chance? These questions raced through her head as her body trembled.
Emilia gritted her teeth and clenched her fist already sick of it all. This was just another hurdle, another situation to solve. And a puzzle no less.
She gave a quiet chuckle. I am a huge fan of puzzles after all, even when it may kill me, guess I can be a little reckless.
She stole a glance at Pasta, wondering who was the cause of this.
"Alright then," she muttered, flipping open her journal. She adjusted her glasses with a flick of her fingers, smirking. "Let's solve ourselves a mystery before I overdo it with the cheerful banter."
Lily sighed, watching her with crossed arms. "So, one of these pillars is the cause of all this chaos?"
"Seems like it," Mr. Swordsman replied, stepping forward. "Emilia's a sharp one. She'll figure it out."
Kabal scoffed, jamming a finger into his ear. "Who cares? If the pillars are the problem, we'll just cut them down."
Shot groaned. Here we go again. This guy and his reckless ideas… isn't that the last thing we should do?
Kabal raised his axe, taking aim at one of the pillars.
Emilia's breath hitched.
A faint glow flickered across the stone's surface.
Her eyes widened. "Kabal, wait!"
A sharp, piercing sound rang through the air, splitting reality itself and for a fleeting moment, Emilia saw nothing.
Only darkness.
A presence stirred behind her, a small figure, barely reaching her waist. The feeling of tiny fingers brushing against her sleeve.
She spun around.
But before she could catch a glimpse, the darkness shattered.
Emilia gasped, stumbling as she found herself back at the dungeon's entrance. The others were there, blinking in confusion, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.
They had been reset.
Again.
#
Emilia exhaled sharply, shifting her grip on her sword as she scanned the walls. The ancient text stretched across the stone in uneven lines, some characters faded with age.
Behind her, Pasta wiped the blood from his blade, the last of the goblins crumbling at his feet. Kabal, meanwhile, sat on the floor, head bowed, steam practically rising from his scalp as he muttered apologies to Emilia.
She paid him no mind, her attention locked onto the inscriptions before her.
This was an ancient language, one her family had studied and passed down for generations. And yet…
Her brow furrowed.
These words weren't in her vocabulary.
Unlike the engravings on the pillars, which had been easy for her to decipher, the ones here felt jagged. Disjointed. As if written by someone unskilled in the craft, or perhaps… by someone who hadn't wanted their message to be easily understood.
"This just keeps getting better and better," she said under her breath. "Looks like someone decided to add their own little piece to history."
Jiji leapt down from Mr. Swordsman's back, landing gracefully beside her. The feline studied the text, ears flicking in thought.
"You may be onto something," she said, glancing up at her. "These markings are completely different from the ones on the pillar. This must be the work of a storyteller. An amateur, even. Which means…"
Jiji sighed. "You've just wasted a lot of our time."
Emilia chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, guess you're right."
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this text was important. Even if it wouldn't help them solve the time reversal mystery, it might reveal the history of the dungeon itself. And the way these words were thrown together, almost nonsensical, hinted at something deeper.
Something exciting.
Without another word, she pulled out her journal and began scribbling furiously, her pencil flying across the page.
Jiji blinked. "What are you doing?"
Emilia smirked, not pausing her writing. "I'll need to decipher this later. We don't exactly have the luxury of time right now."
She snapped her journal shut, slipping it back into her satchel.
"Which means we can't let ourselves get reversed again."
She adjusted her glasses, her voice firm. "Who knows how many more times we'll be given that option? And besides," she turned to the group, a glint of understanding in her eyes.
"I think I know why it keeps happening."
-
They arrived back at the chamber.
Emilia darted between the towering pillars, her sharp eyes scanning each one, careful not to lay a hand on them. The pillars reacted to touch, but not all of them.
She had memorised exactly which ones had been triggered during their time reversals and others touched by the gang that didn't reverse the dungeon. Still, during their first venture here, too many had been touched, forcing her to observe them all carefully.
There's a pattern to this.
Scribbling in her journal, she took note of the engravings.
A particular set of pillars spoke of those bound by fate, their destinies intertwined by unseen strings. Others depicted stories of opposition, of a taint upon the world, an eternal clash between light and shadow.
Emilia flicked her glasses up the bridge of her nose, letting out a quiet chuckle.
"You don't need a genius to figure out which pillars cause a reversal," she said, turning to face the others.
Kabal sat on the floor, looking impatient, while the rest of the group observed her intently.
She waved a hand. "Almost there!"
Mr. Swordsman folded his arms, his expression calm. He knew Emilia would solve it. This kind of challenge was nothing to her. If anyone could get them out of this mess, it was her.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as Lily stole a glance at him, then quickly averted her gaze, her fists clenched at her sides.
A loud growl shattered the silence.
Pasta clutched his stomach. "Does anyone have something I can chow down on?"
The group turned to him, collectively shushing him.
Meanwhile, Shot's gaze drifted to the swirling clouds above.
"A dungeon that manipulates space like this… I've never seen anything like it."
Lily turned to him. "Dungeons like this were common hundreds of years ago. Back then, adventurers could even find entire hidden worlds within them. Must've been exciting."
Shot's lips curled into a smile. "Yes… it must have been."
Jiji, however, remained silent, her eyes fixed on Emilia. A faint shimmer glowed within them.
Emilia pressed forward. Now that she had identified the pillars that triggered the reversals, the next question was—what now?
She glanced around. The pillars weren't placed randomly. There was a pattern. Something about it felt… familiar.
Lily's voice cut through her thoughts. "Hey, Pasta, can I ask you something?"
Pasta nodded.
"Emilia was the one who solved the statue situation at Pyrovile, correct?"
"Yes. Why?"
Lily shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking… It won't be long before she figures this one out too."
Emilia barely heard them. She was too deep in thought.
These pillars held stories, tales of warmth and burning flames, of things even the ancient storytellers had tried to conceal.
The girl she had seen in the void. That wasn't Ponmi.
…Or was it?
She embodied ice. Yet, the dragon with flames…
Frozen statues, hundreds of them locked in despair.
Mr. Swordsman's tyranny.
The fractured leadership of Pyrovile.
The Protectors of the Nine Realms and their mission.
The Supreme Being.
Each of these pieces played a role as she remembered the deciphered words. 'Not of this world'
Emilia tapped her pen against her forehead, deep in thought.
Pyrovile had served the flames, and it was a town built upon the remnants of a forgotten civilisation, lost to time.
Until the disciples.
Her breath caught.
She scrambled through her bag, pulling out the same book Kot had found for her back in Pyrovile.
Her fingers flipped through the pages, stopping at an illustration, the arrangement of the statues across Pyrovile.
This was how they had found everyone back then.
And now… it might be the key to everything.
Emilia sprinted across the platform, carefully noting the placement of each pillar. She meticulously marked the reversal pillars and the ones that didn't trigger the effect, then overlaid the arrangement of the disciples onto the same diagram.
Her breath hitched.
"Some of these are identical to the normal pillars," she muttered, clicking her tongue in frustration. "Last time, the king was the final key, but now he doesn't fit any of the pillars… just like a few others here." Her brows furrowed. "Who are these specific disciples?"
Without hesitation, she turned on her heel and dashed toward Lily, stopping just short of her face.
"You're a disciple, right?!"
Lily flinched, throwing up her hands. "Y-Yes? What's up?"
Emilia shoved her journal forward. "Do you recognise any of these disciples? Anything useful about them? Even the smallest detail would help."
Lily's expression hardened. "I'm sorry, but that's classified information. I can't share it."
Emilia's shoulders tensed, her grip on the book tightening.
Then…
A gentle pat on her head.
Lily sighed. "But I can tell you about one of them," she murmured, leaning in. "I'm sure she wouldn't care if her info got spilt. In fact… between you and me, I think she'd love it."
Straightening up, Lily tapped a figure in the book. "The one with the veil over her hat, holding a star? That's Mercury. She wields the Gift of Constellations, an ability that lets her bend logic and space however she pleases." She tilted her head. "Hope that helps."
Emilia stared at the sketch, deep in thought. That's similar to the whole point of this dungeon-defying logic but what more is there to it?
Lily exhaled. "She also harbours a deep hatred for her own race."
Emilia's head snapped up.
Lily's gaze darkened. "Mercury despises humans."
Emilia's breath hitched. Her eyes trailed back to the parchment, to the star in Mercury's hand and the sharp, unwavering glare directed at—
She turned.
Her gaze locked onto a lone pillar in the distance.
One she had studied before.
Its carvings depicted a world engulfed in flames and a frozen heaven above, with hundreds trapped in suffering.
Her lips parted. "Ponmi…"
It was just like the illustration in the icy castle's stained glass window.
Hatred for humans.
Her gaze flickered toward Mr. Swordsman.
He had nothing to do with this dungeon, yet Ponmi must have drawn inspiration from here. This wasn't just about the past, it was about the tales of gods and goddesses themselves.
Emilia stepped forward.
Placing her palm against the pillar, she inhaled deeply.
Then, she spoke.
Words woven in an ancient tongue, invoking the laws of the heavens.
A whisper of sin.
The space around her shattered.
Her eyes turned pitch black.
"What the—"
Jiji gasped, running forward. "Emilia's in trouble!"
The group sprang into action, racing toward her.
She stood frozen, her hand still resting against the pillar.
Shot clutched his hair. "What do we do? Is she... dead?!"
Mr. Swordsman and Pasta remained silent, their eyes fixed on her.
Then, the boy stepped forward.
"She isn't," Pasta murmured. "Emilia isn't that reckless."
—
Inside the void, Emilia drifted through an endless expanse.
A single pillar floated beside her.
She reached out, trailing her fingers along the engraved patterns, a serpent curled among ancient symbols.
Destroying it could have dire consequences.
Instead, she pulled out her guidebook, flipping to the dungeon section.
The path forward would only reveal itself upon solving the puzzle.
A single question echoed in her mind:
"Not of this world?"
Many things didn't belong here.
But two stood above the rest, gods and gifts.
The answer was obvious.
Emilia pressed her hand against the pillar.
"…Gifts."
Light erupted from its surface, engulfing her in a radiant glow.
#
Emilia blinked as her vision cleared, the sight of her friends filling her view. They gathered around her, voices brimming with relief and joy.
Mr. Swordsman, Pasta, and Jiji stood at a distance, watching her with quiet satisfaction.
Then a low grumble echoed around them.
Pasta clutched his stomach. "I swear, that's not me."
The rumbling grew and the very air trembled.
The pillars began to spin, and the platform beneath them lurched violently.
Jiji's ears shot up. "Hold on to something stiff, everyone!" she yelled, wrapping herself around Mr. Swordsman's leg.
Then—
They plummeted.
The fall was blinding, a rush of wind screaming past them as the world became a blur.
Jiji whooped with laughter, embracing the freefall. Lily, completely unfazed, stretched her arms out, enjoying the sensation of weightlessness.
The rest were busy screaming for their lives.
The drop slowed.
The violent descent eased into a gentle drift, as the platform slowly landed on the third second floor.
Jiji gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Then, she grinned.
That was amazing.
No, beyond amazing.
She wanted to do it again.
Twice.
No, ten more times.
"L-Let's go!" she stammered, wobbling on shaky legs.
Mr Swordsman scooped her up, effortlessly settling her on his back before stepping off the platform.
Pasta staggered forward, looking deathly pale.
Emilia sat motionless, her legs still too weak to move.
Shot extended a hand, but she raised hers in refusal, only to steal a glance at Pasta, her lips forming a pout.
"I feel like throwing up," Pasta groaned, swallowing hard to keep his nausea at bay.
Shot smirked, only for his expression to twist in horror as he abruptly doubled over, emptying his stomach onto the floor.
Kabal folded his arms, nodding to himself. Though his entire being was on the verge of fear.
Jiji pumped her fist in the air. "Those ores aren't going to mine themselves now! Chop chop, let's move everyone."
The crew collectively groaned.
Pasta took a single step off the platform and vanished, reappearing somewhere else.
A chilling presence surrounded him.
A whisper, deep and ancient, slithered through the void.
"Naga..."
Pasta froze.
The weight of the voice crushed the air from his lungs as his fingers shook with fear around the hilt of his blade.
It was overwhelming.
Suffocating.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think.
Only tremble.
A dark shape loomed before him, its form obscured by shadows.
Then…
Massive, obsidian wings unfurled, stretching wider than sails.
Two glowing eyes ignited in the darkness, sharp and unyielding.
A dark dragon towered over him.
Its voice rumbled through the space, deep enough to shake his very soul.
"Naga..."