Over the Mountain, Over the Mountain, Over the Mountain

As soon as I erased the ritual mark, our God of Blood and Revelry became quiet.

Serves you right—who tries to hit on someone who's already spoken for?

Well, even if he hadn't tried to hit on me, I would have erased the ritual mark anyway.

Leaving traces of the "evil god" is unsettling for many reasons.

Besides, isn't this directly beneath Iushil? If something happens here for no reason, I'll be in trouble too.

"Ugh...!"

Serena grimaced at the sight of the entrails scattered around the ritual mark.

"Brother Dmihtan."

Despite her reaction, she briskly strode to the center of the ritual circle and looked around as she spoke.

You are frightened, aren't you?

"What was this ritual for? I think the necromancer we encountered in the dungeon before performed a similar ritual..."

After hearing Serena's words and looking around once more, I realized it really did seem that way.

But compared to that dungeon, there was less of Mortis's power infused here. Most likely, there was a lack of time or sacrifice.

"I think they serve the same evil god as that necromancer... But why do necromancers who worship this god always seem to be performing rituals?"

After looking at the ritual, Serena deduced that the previous necromancer and the dead necromancer here served the same god.

She hadn't played 《Dungeon God》 like me, nor could she see the "text" as I did.

Impressive perception, honestly.

"I don't know either."

I answered Serena's question plainly.

In the first place, "Mortis" is a monster god, so players normally have nothing to do with him, and information about him is very limited.

So, how would I know?

Maybe suddenly all these necromancers have developed a deep filial piety and are trying to call their mom or something.

"Perhaps..."

Serena drifted into thought. She pressed her lips together and finally spoke.

"Could it be that their god has disappeared?"

In 《Dungeon God》, a "god" can be said to exist as long as there is 'faith'.

Faith gives them power.Lack of faith weakens them.

And if there are no devotees to provide faith, the god ceases to exist.

Serena was probably wondering if the necromancers' dwindling faith had made their god vanish.

"That's not it."

This time, I could answer her with certainty.

Mortis hasn't disappeared.

Why? Because just a short while ago, he was literally begging me to summon him.

"Mortis exists."

Hmm.

Now that I've said that, does it sound suspicious?

Serena will probably ask, "Brother, how can you be so certain?"

If I said, "The evil god worshiped by necromancers spoke to me,"

I'd look like a real weirdo.

"We haven't killed him yet."

Let's just cover it up like this.

Sounds kind of cool anyway.

Plus—

"R-right, brother Dmihtan!"

"And we also know how to kill a god!"

I figured saying that would make the two of them happy.

Leaving the necromancer's corpse behind, we collected the crystal ball and prepared to leave the underground waterways.

But something felt off.Were there always this many ratmen in the Iushil sewers?

There were even some that looked like 'Ratman Warriors'.

'Ratman Warriors' can spawn in the Iushil underground sewers, but they don't appear this close to the surface.

They're tough for beginners because of their size, so you'd only see them deep below.

"Uh, let's get back quickly! We should show the Camilla Adventurers just how amazing our party is!"

Aren't you just upset Camilla threw you out? I glanced at Serena with that in mind.

"A-and I want to prove to Camilla that I'm a skilled cleric, too!"

I thought so.

But while Serena urged us to leave, my curiosity was already drawing me deeper into the underground waterways.

"There's something I want to check."

"Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?"

Without giving a proper explanation, I started walking, but Serena and Barkal began following me.

As we advanced, more and more ratmen shadows appeared. But they didn't try to attack like before.

Serena and Barkal.Their killer auras are impressive, sure, but the ratmen must have seen us kill the necromancer.

"Brother, what is drawing you further inside?"

This time, Barkal asked.

"There is an unusual energy here."

Hearing my serious tone, Barkal nodded.

"If you wish, I will confirm it with you."

We went deeper into the underground sewers.

I never realized I'd feel so uneasy when things deviated even slightly from what I knew. In any case, I felt like I needed to clarify the cause of this unease to feel at ease.

And not long after, I found the source of my anxiety.

"I-I think... it's a dungeon?"

What we discovered was the entrance to a dungeon.

The problem was its size.

How big does it have to be to draw even the 'Ratman Warriors' from the lower sewers up here?

"So this unusual presence Brother Dmihtan sensed—that's this, isn't it?"

I hadn't sensed an 'energy', just something odd, but I just answered yes.

"This seems way bigger than normal. It might be a really old dungeon..."

Even Serena was starting to look worried.

She must know what happens when a dungeon is left alone for too long.

There's a reason the major cities in 《Dungeon God》 are so desperate to eliminate dungeons.

If a dungeon is neglected, monsters can leak out, and some dungeons grow and truly threaten their surroundings.

But what's truly dangerous is something else:If a dungeon is left alone for too long, "Abyssification" occurs.

"We should report this to the Adventurer's Guild first—more important than the commission."

For once, I agreed with Serena, and we went straight to the surface to report to the guild.

"Adventurers of Dungeon God, thank you for reporting. Rewards will be calculated based on the dungeon's rank, so please wait one day!"

We had found a neglected dungeon, but hadn't confirmed with our own eyes that "Abyssification" was underway.

Well, the rest would be up to the Adventurer's Guild to confirm.

* * *

"Branch Manager, we have the results of the investigation into the underground sewer dungeon."

The assistant, Orland, entered carrying a thick report. His face was grave.

"How is it?"

The Branch Manager of the Iushil Adventurer's Guild,Blaz Deepster, turned away from the window to ask.

"It's bad. The dungeon has been classified as 'silver-rank'..."

Flipping pages as he spoke, Orland continued.

"What's worse is that the dungeon has entered the early stages of Abyssification."

"Are the signs of Abyssification confirmed?"

Periton from the Evaluation Department asked in a startled voice. Orland nodded and continued.

"Our investigators found evidence of Abyssification inside."

Periton's face darkened further as he listened.

"The monsters' activity is unusually high. Even Ratman Warriors have been sighted on the upper levels of the sewers..."

"What happens when Abyssification is complete?"

Periton's voice was heavy with worry as he asked.

"The whole city of Iushil will be in danger. The monsters emerging from the Abyss are nothing like those from normal dungeons..."

"And furthermore."

Blaz continued from Orland.

"Abyssification blurs the boundary between the inside and outside of a dungeon."

"What does that mean...?"

"The more Abyssification progresses, the higher the chances that more dungeons—or abysses—will spawn near it."

Blaz's serious words left Periton pale-faced.

"So the city of Iushil itself is at risk."

Blaz nodded. Periton spoke urgently.

"Then shouldn't we take action immediately? Mobilize all silver-rank and higher adventurer teams in Iushil!"

"That's the problem."

Blaz stroked his beard as he responded.

"How many veteran adventurer teams are currently based in Iushil?"

Assistant Orland leafed through another document.

"'Steel Shield' left for a northern commission, 'Silver Arrow' is on royal guard duty, and 'Wind's Blade' is on a dungeon exploration chain right now..."So that means the highest tier left in Iushil is...?"

"Silver-rank, 'Blue Coral'."

Hearing this, periton began to realize the scale of the crisis facing Iushil.

A risk the entire city's survival rests on.The only available force is a single 'silver-rank' team.

Of course, silver-rank is strong. But, as mentioned, this is a crisis that could end the city.

Against such a threat, silver-rank is pitifully insufficient.

"S-should we summon the Blue Coral party?"

"One team isn't enough."

Blaz's expression became even more grave.

"It's risky enough as a silver-rank dungeon, but if Abyssification is in progress, we'll need at least two teams."

"Then we'll have to request aid from other adventurer guilds."

Blaz shook his head at Periton's suggestion.

"The speed of Abyssification is unpredictable. If we wait for aid, it could become uncontrollable."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Finally, periton spoke cautiously.

"T-then, besides Blue Coral, I'll summon all silver-rank parties currently in Iushil."

"And—"

Blaz, rubbing his beard and looking thoughtfully out the window, turned toward Periton.

A certain adventurer party that's been making waves recently came to his mind.

Dungeon God.

They reached 'bronze grade' in record time and even overwhelmed silver-rank adventurers.

There are rumors they defeated 14 barbarians.

And they were the ones who just discovered and reported this dungeon.

"Dungeon God—summon them too."

"You mean... but they're only bronze grade?"

Periton wanted to argue it was too dangerous, but seeing Blaz's resolute eyes, he could only nod.

* * *

"After investigation, the dungeon has been identified as a silver-rank dungeon."

About half a day later, a guild attendant approached.

"Here's your reward of 30 silver coins."

Just for reporting a dungeon, 30 silver coins—not a bad haul.

But there's something even more important than that.

"The dungeon seems to have been abandoned for a long time. Is Abyssification in progress?"

When I asked, the attendant gave a flustered smile.

"Uhh... I'm sorry, but that's confidential."

Confidential?I wondered why, but quickly realized.

If an Abyss appeared directly under the city, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the city would be razed.

If this were made public, Iushil's residents would panic for sure.

If it wasn't true, they'd deny it. So, in other words, the dungeon beneath the sewers is undergoing "Abyssification."

This is dangerous.

The Abyss.In 《Dungeon God》, a place closely linked to the game's ending and unrivaled in its danger.

Even the best parties in 《Dungeon God》 don't touch dungeons going through Abyssification.

"What are you hiding from us!!"

Barkal charged toward the attendant at the word "confidential."

I stopped him before he could grab the guy by the collar, but maybe the attendant had heard Barkal's reputation among barbarians—he was already shaking.

"It was our party that discovered the dungeon!"

Barkal seemed genuinely angry.

Could it be he's frustrated over the city hiding information that could threaten it?

So you do have a heart, Barkal.

"There must be all kinds of things in there for us to make a name for ourselves! That's why you're hiding it!"

There it is.

"For the Journey of Proof, we must destroy this dungeon, brother! Leave it to me!"

"Barkal, my brother! For now, let's hear him out."

"Understood!"

What a hot-blooded guy.Still, I appreciate how well he listens to me.

Anyway, they said it's a "silver-rank dungeon," right? Our party, as bronze grade, is no longer involved.

Since our report is done, let's go return Camilla's equipment.

We killed the necromancer, and after subtracting the advance, the remaining payment should be about 3 gold coins, right?

It's a bit of a shame, but still.

"A-actually, before you go, I have something to tell the Dungeon God party regarding this!"

Just as we were about to leave, the attendant stopped us.

"Blaz Deepster, the Branch Manager of the Iushil Adventurer's Guild, wishes to speak with the Dungeon God party!"

The words from the attendant were completely unexpected.

The Branch Manager wants to meet us?Us, just bronze grade?

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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