Chapter 119 – A Quiet but Intrusive Thought
Chapter 119
A Quiet but Intrusive Thought
Date : Day 22 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The next morning, Hyoren woke first. His internal clock pulled him from sleep at the same hour it always had since his time in the Forest of No Return. The habit was ingrained now—waking before the suns, before the world stirred. His body simply knew.
He sat up slowly, careful not to disturb the sleeping bags too much. The fabric rustled softly beneath him. He scanned the surroundings. The camp was still. Everyone else remained asleep. Peaceful. The quiet rhythm of breathing filled the tunnel—steady, unhurried. That quiet–eased him.
No alarms. No sudden danger. Just the faint, constant pulse of the dungeon archway in the distance.
His movement stirred Elise. She shifted beside him, rubbing her eyes, her disheveled silver hair spilling across the sleeping bags. The strands caught the faint glow of the dimmed magic lamps. She blinked, orienting herself.
"Yawn... Morning, Hyoren."
Her voice was groggy. Soft.
Hyoren smiled and gently helped her sit up. His hand found hers, steadying her.
"Good morning, Elise."
They lingered like that for a moment—half-awake, gathering themselves. The tunnel air was cool against their skin. Stretching their arms. Blinking away the remnants of sleep. The transition from rest to wakefulness was slow. Gentle.
Then they made their way toward a corner of the main tunnel, where a water orb and other magic tools had been set up—a designated spot for washing and morning routines. The orb glowed in place, its surface shimmering with faint light. Clean water, ready for use.
They washed their faces. Fixed their hair. The water was cold, but refreshing. It snapped the last of the drowsiness from their minds.
Hyoren tied his hair loosely behind his neck. A simple, practical knot.
Elise gathered hers into her usual practical ponytail. Her fingers moved with practiced ease.
When they stepped out from the partition, they found Ina already there—just waking up as well. Her fluffy short brown hair was disheveled and her Adventurer's Guild uniform was rumpled. Her cat ears were slightly flattened, and her tail swished lazily behind her. She looked softer in the morning. Less composed.
Hyoren offered a small smile.
"Good morning, Ina. Sleep well?"
Ina returned the smile, though it was weaker than usual. The usual brightness in her eyes was dimmed by fatigue.
"To be honest... no."
She stretched her back with a faint groan. The sound echoed softly through the tunnel.
"Years of not using a sleeping bag..."
Her arms rose overhead in a long stretch before she let out a relieved sigh. Her spine popped audibly.
"I already miss my bed in Akela."
Then—her ears perked up again. A playful glint returned to her eyes. Something sparked beneath the tiredness.
"But hearing your morning greeting helps wake me up completely."
She leaned forward slightly, her tail swaying more energetically now. The movement was deliberate.
"Morning, Hyoren. Seeing you first thing in the morning feels nice."
She giggled. The sound was light. Teasing. And completely ignored Elise standing right beside him.
Hyoren's smile turned wry. He felt the shift in the air immediately.
He glanced at Elise, expecting the usual reaction—the hiss, the sharp retort, the territorial bristling—but it didn't come.
Elise simply turned her face away. Quiet. Too quiet. That–bothered him more. The absence of her usual fire was louder than any retort could have been.
Ina noticed it too. Her ears flicked briefly in Elise's direction. But instead of pressing it, she only smiled—soft, knowing. It's like she knew this kind of banter was still acceptable for Elise. Or their agreement included this. Some unspoken understanding.
She stepped closer and lightly touched Hyoren's arm. Her fingers lingered for a moment.
"Let me fix my appearance first. I don't want you seeing me like this."
Another small giggle. Then she turned and headed back toward the washing area. Her tail swayed behind her as she walked.
Hyoren watched her go for a brief moment—then shifted his gaze back to Elise.
"Let's go, Elise."
Elise turned to him. Her silver hair swayed with motion. Her smile was back—bright, natural. As if the earlier moment with Ina had never existed. Or, as if she had decided it didn't matter. The transition was seamless. Too seamless.
"Sure. We need to pack our sleeping bags. Then maybe I'll help Ina prepare breakfast."
She said it so casually. Too casually. Like nothing had happened at all.
Hyoren felt a faint chill run through him. This sudden shift—the lack of reaction—somehow unsettled him more than her usual irritation ever could. He knew her. The silence was wrong. The smile was wrong. But it looked so right.
But he said nothing. Better not to step on a landmine he couldn't see. He simply nodded.
They returned to their corner and packed their sleeping bag, folding the blanket and tarp with quiet efficiency. The movements were automatic. Practiced. Neither of them brought it up. The silence lingered—thin, but present. A thread of tension stretched between them.
Not long after, they made their way back to the center of the tunnel. The others had begun to gather around the large table, slowly waking and settling in. The smell of heating water drifted through the air. Quiet murmurs of conversation. The shuffling of gear.
Elise moved toward the makeshift kitchen without hesitation. She picked up a knife and started peeling vegetables. Her movements were smooth. Precise.
"I'll help, Ina."
Ina smiled brightly. The tiredness from earlier seemed to lift.
"Sure, Elise!"
Those two started cooking together. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they were two people who decided cooking together was the natural course for them. Side by side. Sharing tasks without needing to speak.
Hyoren paused for a fraction of a second—watching the two of them. The sight caught something in his chest. Then he turned away. He took a seat across from Fris and Robert, who were already chatting casually. Not about the archway. Not about the dungeon. Just, normal conversation. The news about recent journal published by Academy. The weather above ground. Small things.
It should have been comforting.
But Hyoren's thoughts didn't settle. His attention drifted—unconsciously—back toward the kitchen. Toward Elise. Toward Ina.
Seeing the two of them standing side by side, preparing breakfast together, something in his chest pulsated. Elise calmly peeling potatoes while chatting with Ina. Her mood was good, indicated by her pointed ears twitching occasionally. Ina also giggled beside Elise, moving from pot to pot, stirring it, adding spice and herbs. Her tail swished energetically.
The two of them created a feeling of domestic. A quiet warmth. A sense of home.
A thought surfaced in Hyoren's mind. Quiet. Dangerous.
It would be nice… If they could always be like that. Not bickering. Not clashing.
The dangerous thought kept spiraling.
Just… together. Cooking side by side. Every day. It would be nice…
He liked Elise's cooking. He liked Ina's too.
The warmth. The care. Elise's calmness which soothed him. Ina's brightness which gave him peace of mind. Both women also cared for him. Elise always worried about him during their dangerous quest. Ina taking care of both him and Elise while they were bedridden after the fight with Hifoppe.
The thought lingered longer than it should have. It settled into his mind. Refused to leave.
Then—Hyoren shook his head sharply. A small motion. Barely visible.
No.
The guilt came immediately. Heavy. Unforgiving. Elise trusted him. Loved him. And here he was—entertaining something like that. Wanting Ina to be part of it. Wanting both of them.
That wasn't just wrong. It was greedy. Selfish. He felt sick with himself.
What kind of man am I? Wanting two women for myself?
He exhaled slowly, forcing the thought down. Burying it where it couldn't surface again. Where it couldn't hurt anyone.
He needed a distraction. Something else to focus on. His eyes shifted to the two runic specialists in front of him. Yes. That would do. Focus on the dungeon. On the runes. On something concrete.
He inhaled deeply, steadying himself, then spoke.
"Hey, Robert. Fris. Mind if I ask you something?"
***
Robert's curious eyes shifted toward him, while Fris adjusted her glasses. The lenses caught the soft glow of the magic lamps, reflecting it back in small circles of light.
Robert spoke first. His voice was warm. Welcoming.
"Oh... Hyoren from the Freedom Party, right?"
Hyoren nodded. His hands rested on the table, fingers loosely clasped.
"I'm not bothering you two, am I?"
Fris leaned forward slightly, a small smile forming. She seemed more awake now. More alert.
"Not at all. We were just talking about random things to shake off the sleepiness."
She tilted her head. Her hair shifted with the motion.
"What do you want to ask, Hyoren?"
Hyoren gave a small cough. Truthfully, he hadn't planned anything.
This was just a distraction. Something to pull his thoughts away from where they shouldn't be. His eyes drifted for a moment—catching the faint, steady pulse of the archway in the distance. The pale light pulsed. Once. Twice. A slow heartbeat in the stone.
That would work. A question about runes. Something concrete. Something outside himself.
He turned back to them, as if the question had been on his mind all along.
"I've been curious for a while... What exactly are runes?"
He gestured lightly toward the archway. The movement was vague. Casual.
"I know they're needed to cast magic. And for creating magic tools through runic inscriptions. Even dungeons have their own runic writing."
He frowned slightly. The expression felt natural.
"But no one really explains why they're so important."
His gaze flickered—briefly—toward the makeshift kitchen. The sound of soft laughter reached him. Elise was laughing softly at something Ina said. The two of them, oddly at ease. Working together. It was like a natural situation for them. Like they had done this a hundred times before.
Hyoren looked away. His jaw tightened imperceptibly.
"I even asked my partner, but she didn't know either. She just said it was important."
Fris smiled at his question. The expression was knowing. The look of someone used to explaining complex things.
"That's not surprising. Most people don't really understand runes."
She rested her chin lightly on her hand. Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling for a moment, organizing her thoughts.
"They're used everywhere… in daily life, in magic tools, in dungeons... but properly studying them takes several semesters at a Magic Academy."
She turned back to him.
"So unless you're a scholar or a graduate, most people only know how to use them, not what they actually are. Or how to properly read them…"
Robert leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. His chair creaked softly beneath him.
"Where do I even start..."
He scratched his cheek with a small chuckle. The sound was self-deprecating. Amused.
"Took me months just to wrap my head around it myself."
He paused, glancing upward as if searching for the simplest way to explain something far too complex. His fingers drummed against his knee. Then his gaze returned to Hyoren.
"At the most basic level... runes are the universal language of the cosmos."
Hyoren's eyes widened.
The words landed with unexpected weight. What had started as a simple distraction—was quickly becoming something else entirely. Something fascinating. His attention sharpened. Fully drawn in now. The image of Elise and Ina laughing together in the background—the unease, the tangled thoughts—slowly faded from the front of his mind. The guilt. The confusion. All of it receded.
For now.
Hyoren leaned forward slightly, clasping his hands on the table. His body shifted toward Robert.
"A language of the cosmos...? Not just this world?"
Fris smiled at the question. It was the kind of thing every first-year student would ask. The kind of question that opened doors.
"Exactly."
She adjusted her glasses. The frames sat slightly crooked on her face.
"Scholars have studied this for millennia. Even the Pantheon of Kresneger, the Five Gods, the Pillars of Aethell,have confirmed it."
Her tone grew a little more serious. The playfulness faded.
"Runes predate even Aethell and this world itself."
Hyoren's eyes narrowed slightly at that. Predate Aethell? The foundational energy of the world?
Fris continued. Her voice took on the cadence of a lecturer. Precise. Measured.
"We know there are parallel worlds. 'Spirited Away' individuals appear from time to time. But for a long time, we couldn't confirm whether runes existed beyond our world."
She paused briefly.
"Most of those who came here had no knowledge of runes. Either their worlds didn't have them... or they simply never learned."
Her gaze shifted toward the distant archway. The pulsing glow seemed to breathe in the darkness.
"That changed a thousand years ago."
Robert picked up where she left off, gesturing toward the pulsating archway. His hand moved in a wide arc.
"When the Demon God Gidol descended."
His voice lowered slightly. The name carried weight. History. Fear.
"The demons that followed him, beings from another world... also used runes."
He tapped the table lightly. One. Two. Three times.
"That was the turning point. Same symbols. Same structures. Same principles."
Robert leaned back in his chair. The wood groaned softly.
"That's when scholars reached a conclusion. Runes aren't just our system. They're universal."
His eyes met Hyoren's. Steady. Certain.
"A language shared across universe."
Hyoren felt a quiet chill. It crept up his spine. Settled in his chest. If runes truly existed across worlds—then why had he never seen them before? Was Earth an anomaly? A world without that language? Or was something hiding them from humanity? From him?
He shook his head slightly. That world didn't matter anymore. He had chosen to live in Kresneger. Earth was behind him. A closed door.
He looked back at the two specialists. His expression settled. Calmer now.
"I see... that explains why the same runes appear in both dungeons and our magic."
Fris smiled. The expression was warm.
"That's the essence of it. Runes are a language. And the energy and foundation of this world, Aethell, uses that language to form magic."
She tapped the table lightly. Her fingernail clicked against the wood.
"That's why we need runic arrays. Whether it's casting spells or creating magic tools, everything is built on that foundation."
Robert let out a short chuckle. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes. That’s the gist of what runes are. And if you want the full picture? Go enroll in the Academy and suffer for a few years like I did."
He grinned. The expression was genuine. Almost nostalgic.
"Totally worth it."
Hyoren smiled faintly. The expression came easier now. He understood. The pieces were falling into place. Runes were a language. Aethell was the energy. Together, they formed magic. Simple in concept. Complex in execution.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps approached. Elise and Ina returned with breakfast. Bowls clinked against trays. The smell of hot soup drifted through the tunnel—vegetables, herbs, a hint of meat.
Helga, Rick, and Fiona—who had been talking nearby—also made their way to the table. The group gathered, the quiet tension of earlier replaced by the simple rhythm of a shared meal.
Bowls were passed around. Plates set down. The scrape of wood against stone. The soft thud of utensils.
Elise placed a bowl of steaming vegetable and meat soup in front of him, along with a piece of bread. The crust was golden. The broth thick and fragrant.
"Here, Hyoren."
She sat beside him. Her shoulder brushed against his.
"Thank you, Elise."
His thoughts—momentarily occupied by runes—began to settle. But not completely.
A part of him was still curious. About what Elise and Ina had been talking about. About why things felt–different. The ease between them. The laughter. The absence of conflict.
But he held it back. Some things were better left unknown. And the guilt from earlier still lingered—tight in his chest. He was afraid that if he spoke carelessly, something would slip. Something he couldn't take back.
So instead—he lowered his gaze to the bowl in front of him. And focused on the meal. The warmth of the broth. The softness of the bread. The simple act of eating.
The table settled into a quiet rhythm. The sound of spoons against bowls. Soft chewing. The occasional low conversation. The magic lamps cast steady light across the gathered party. Shadows pooled in corners. The archway pulsed in the distance—a constant reminder of what waited for them.
Hyoren kept his focus on the soup. Warm. Comforting. Simple. His spoon moved in steady circles. He didn't look up. Didn't look at the two women who had somehow found peace with each other.
Just eat. Don't think too much.
"So..."
Ina's voice broke through the calm from across the table. Light. Playful. A thread of something else beneath it.
Hyoren's hand paused slightly. His spoon hovered over the bowl.
"How is it?"
Her amber eyes glanced at him. They caught the light. Gleamed with something knowing.
"Our cooking, I mean."
She smiled, her tail swaying lazily behind her. The motion was slow and deliberate.
"Not bad for a joint effort, right?"
Hyoren looked up. For a brief moment—his eyes flickered between Ina and Elise. Elise was eating calmly beside him. Unbothered. As if this was completely normal. As if the usual bickering between her and Ina had never existed. She even nodded slightly, her ears twitching.
"It turned out well. Ina handled the seasoning better than I expected."
Ina let out a soft laugh. The sound was bright and pleased.
"Of course. I told you I'm good at cooking."
She leaned her cheek lightly on her hand, still looking at Hyoren. Her head tilted slightly. Waiting.
"So? What do you think?"
Hyoren swallowed. The answer was simple. It was good. It was really good. He would like to eat this every day. The flavors were balanced. The vegetables tender. The broth rich without being heavy.
But the way they were acting—the ease between them—somehow made it harder to respond. Made the words stick in his throat.
"...It's delicious."
He finally formed flat words. The sentence felt incomplete. Inadequate.
Ina's smile widened slightly. Her tail curled. Elise only hummed in agreement and continued eating. Natural. Too natural. Like they had agreement. Like they had reached some understanding he wasn't part of.
Hyoren lowered his gaze back to his bowl. For some reason—that bothered him more than if they had argued. The silence between them was louder than any argument could have been.
***
After the meal, the camp shifted.
The relaxed atmosphere of breakfast vanished, replaced by quiet, focused activity. Bowls were cleared. Utensils packed. The magic lamps dimmed one by one as the group prepared to move. Everyone was rested, fed, and ready.
Determination settled over the group like a weight. The tension was palpable—a shared understanding of the risks ahead. Shoulders squared. Jaw lines tightened. The occasional glance toward the pulsating archway carried something heavier than curiosity.
It helped. The structure. The preparation.
It pulled Hyoren's thoughts away from the tangled mess in his mind—from Elise, from Ina. The morning's strange ease between them. The lingering guilt.
For now, there was only the mission. Only the dungeon. Only what lay ahead.
He reached into his storage bag and drew out his new Mithril-alloy Broadsword and Steel Kite Shield.
The shield strapped securely onto his left arm. The buckles clicked into place.
The sword settled at his hip, the weight familiar and foreign all at once. He adjusted his grip. Tested the draw. The blade slid free smoothly.
The added weight felt–right. Balanced and natural. He wasn't the same fighter anymore.
Not the fast and evasive spearman who relied on agility. That version of him had died in the quarry—bleeding out at same time as Elise. He had chosen a new path. A tank. A guardian. Someone who stood between the danger and the people he cared about.
Beside him, Elise checked the tension of her new Moonveil Bow. She adjusted the string slightly, testing it with practiced ease. The bow hummed softly as she drew it back.
Satisfied, she slung it over her shoulder. The motion was fluid. Automatic.
She glanced at her quiver, counting the arrows one by one before giving a small nod.
Her silver hair was tied back—practical and neat. Her emerald mantle settled over her shoulders. Her eyes met his. Just for a moment. A silent acknowledgment.
Hyoren asked her.
“Ready, Elise?”
Elise patted the small pleated fabric at her hips—the miniskirt-like layer of her armor rustling softly.
Then she smiled.
“Ready, Hyoren.”
Around them, the others performed their own final checks. Armor tightened. Weapons inspected. Straps adjusted.
Rick and Helga moved with the efficiency of veteran scout and tank—checking their gear twice, three times.
Robert and Fris secured their runic instruments inside their storage bags, the desk and many apparatus went into void.
Even Ina moved with quiet efficiency—her short sword secured at her side, throwing daggers lined neatly along her belt. The defenseless guild clerk slash Vice Guild Master was gone. In her place stood something closer to a scout. Her cat ears were alert. Her tail swished slowly.
At the front, Fiona stood before the shimmering portal. Her greatsword rested against her back, her presence alone enough to anchor the entire group. She stood motionless. Her eyes fixed on the archway. The pale glow reflected off her armor.
She didn't waste words.
"Alright, everyone."
Her voice cut cleanly through the air. Sharp and commanding.
"Stick to the plan."
Her gaze swept across the team—sharp, unyielding. She met each person's eyes in turn. Making sure they understood.
"We enter. We secure the starting room. We get the rune analysis."
A pause. Her jaw tightened.
"No deviations. Let's move."
Fiona looked at her team—Ina, Rick, Helga, Robert, and Fris. Then, with a decisive nod, she stepped forward and placed her hand flat against the surface of the pulsating archway. The dungeon portal.
She stood tall, waiting—silent, unwavering—until every member of her party did the same. One by one, they followed her lead. Ina stepped forward without hesitation. Then Rick. Then Helga. Robert and Fris went last.
As each of them made contact, they vanished. No sound. No flash. Just gone. As if they had disappeared into thin mist— one moment there, the next, nothing.
Hyoren stared, his eyes wide with shock. There was no flash. No sound. No magical flare.
They were just—gone. Instant. And deeply unsettling. His heart rate spiked. His breath caught in his throat.
Elise urged him, her voice calm but firm.
“Hyoren, follow them.”
She stood beside him, her hand already reaching toward the archway.
He shook himself out of his stupor and stepped forward. His hand rose slowly—fingers hovering for just a moment— before making contact.
The surface was cold.
Solid. There was no give. No ripple. Nothing to suggest a passage beyond it. It felt less like a doorway—more like just a wall.
The moment his skin touched it, a voice, nasty and dripping with contempt, echoed directly inside his skull. It slithered through his mind. Cold. Mocking.
So, you are stupid human who thinks you are a hero? You want to enter my playground? Then please enter.... and die! Xixixi...
Hyoren flinched, his hand instinctively pulling back. The voice was like oil and razors, a psychic intrusion that felt both invasive and mocking. It left a residue of something foul. Something hungry.
Elise touched Hyoren's shoulder, trying to calm him down. Her grip was firm and grounding.
"Just think 'yes'. Just agree with it."
Her voice was steady. She had never entered a dungeon, but she already read about this before.
Gritting his teeth, Hyoren did as she said. He focused his mind, pushing aside the invasive presence and forming a simple thought. The voice lingered at the edges of his consciousness. Waiting. Patient.
Yes.
The moment he did, the world dissolved.
His vision went black, not for a second, but for an eternity and an instant all at once. There was no sensation of movement, no falling, no traveling. It was a complete sensory blackout, a void of absolute nothingness. No up. No down. No sound. No warmth. Just—absence. A moment where he ceased to exist in any meaningful sense.
Then, just as suddenly, light and sound rushed back in.
He stumbled forward, his boots landed on a solid stone floor with a loud clang. The sound echoed. His balance shifted. He caught himself before falling. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim, magical light of a vast, grand hall. Magic lamps embedded in the ceiling cast pale illumination across the space.
He was standing on a raised, circular platform, intricate runic array glowing softly beneath his feet. The symbols pulsed with faint light. The runes and lines formed patterns he couldn't follow. Couldn't understand.
All around him, the rest of the party was standing, scattered around the runic array. Fiona at the front. The others spread out behind her. Some had already drawn weapons. Some were scanning the space. Their faces were tense and alert.
Hyoren had arrived. He was inside the first dungeon he ever ever entered.