"It’s here." Charles pointed at the bronze gate in front of him. "The voice is coming from this place."
"That’s the Boss Room," Alex commented.
This wouldn’t be his first time entering the bronze gate in front of them.
The rare sword and the few other items that could be obtained from defeating the Boss Monster in the Hidden Dungeon tremendously helped in the Dungeon of Beginnings. Ever since Alex learned of it, he had always visited it before taking the trial.
’A Rank 1 Queen Ant Boss Monster and two peak Rank 1 Ant Warriors,’ he recalled. ’They’re behind that gate. They should be easy to handle.’
But he was a bit bothered by what Charles had said about the voice speaking directly inside his head.
Alex had never encountered it in the game, so he was now very curious about what was waiting on the other side of the gate and if something different would happen this time.
"Don’t let your guard down," Cairo warned as his hand pressed against the bronze gate to push it open. "I’ll go first. Both of you stay behind me."
Alex and Charles nodded in understanding and stayed put.
The Catkin opened the gate, revealing the interior of the room. The light coming from the glowing crystals embedded in the Boss Room’s walls was dim.
Unlike Cairo, the two young men had no Dark Vision, so it took some time before their eyes adjusted to the lighting, allowing them to see what was in front of them.
At the other side of the Boss Room, three pairs of red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
It was none other than the Boss Monster and its two minions.
Monster Rank: Rank 1 Boss Monster
Monster Grade: Uncommon
Type: Dungeon Boss Monster
Note: Not all queens are regal. Some are monstrous, their love a curse that spawns legions of gnashing maws.
< Soldier Black Ant >
Monster Grade: Uncommon
Type: Ant Type Monster
Note: A single soldier is little threat, until the ground itself writhes with their kind.
The five-meter long Ant Queen remained calm as it eyed the invaders of its domain.
The two Soldier Ants by her side remained immobile, waiting for their Queen’s command.
Suddenly, Alex, Cairo, and Charles heard a voice directly inside their heads.
"Come, child of man," the Ant Queen said. "You, who challenge the laws of this world by simply existing."
The gigantic Ant Queen fixed her gaze on Charles, who was looking at her with a conflicted look on his face.
"You’re the one who called out to me?" he asked. "What do you mean about challenging the laws of this world by simply existing?"
"It is because you are an existence born inside a dungeon," the Ant Queen replied. "A being who shouldn’t have lived yet is still alive today.
"Whether it be by some sort of destiny or luck, the challenge you are about to face will certainly be your last. Unless... someone intervenes with your destiny."
The Ant Queen then shifted its attention to Alex. The two held each other’s gazes before a cryptic chirping sound escaped the Ant Queen’s mandibles, as if it was chuckling.
Charles was still unable to understand what the Ant Queen was trying to tell him. But he decided to ask the most important question right now.
"Why did you call out to me?" he asked. "What do you want?"
"To live," the Ant Queen replied. "Just like you, who wish to live."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Just come, and I will make you understand."
Unsure if he should listen to the Ant Queen, Charles glanced at Alex and Cairo, hoping to get their opinion.
Alex didn’t know what to say because this was the first time something had happened.
Cairo also had no idea if the Ant Queen could be trusted or not. However, he was confident that he could kill the Boss Monster without too much effort if he wished.
The only problem was that the Catkin hadn’t felt a single shred of killing intent from the Ant Queen and her two Soldier Ants.
They simply stayed where they were, not making any move to attack the intruders.
Since he couldn’t decide whether the Ant Queen could be trusted or not, Alex decided to ask the Dim Sum God what it thought.
"Dim Dim," the Dim Sum God said.
"Are you sure?" Alex inquired.
Dim Dim nodded. "Dim."
Charles could very much understand Dim Dim, so he decided to take a leap of faith and see what would happen next.
After taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, the teenager took a step forward.
He walked steadily toward the Ant Queen, his heart beating wildly inside his chest.
Cairo had already taken out his sword, while Alex had readied his shield.
If Charles’ life was in any danger, the Oathkeeper would instantly teleport in front of the teen and protect him, while Cairo would go in for the kill.
Dim Dim, who was still perched on top of Alex’s head, also took out a brittle vial, ready to throw it if something unexpected happened.
The two Soldier Ants protecting the Ant Queen moved aside, allowing Charles to pass through.
When the young man was only two meters away from the Boss Monster, the Queen spoke once more.
"Touch my head," the Ant Queen said before lowering her head. "You will understand the reason why I called you here."
Sensing that there was no malice or killing intent from the Ant Queen, Charles reached out his hand to touch its head.
Alex and Cairo raised their senses to the limit, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
But nothing happened.
The Ant Queen and Charles remained unmoving.
Even the two Soldier Ants didn’t move from their spots, making them seem like a part of a painting.
Only after ten minutes did something finally happen.
The Ant Queen and the Two Soldier Ants turned into particles of light, leaving behind their monster cores.
"What the..." Alex muttered. Despite his experience playing ELO, he could not come up with an explanation for what he was seeing. "They... died?"
Cairo frowned. He also had no idea why the Ant Queen and her two minions died without anyone attacking them.
But it wasn’t over yet.
A glowing orb, the size of a basketball, hovered above Charles.
It then slowly descended until the teen reached out to hold it before pressing it towards his chest.
At that exact moment, Alex heard a cracking sound reverberate inside the Boss Room.
As the walls and the floors suddenly fractured like a mirror, the young man was certain that something bad was going to happen next.
And then it happened.
The world around them shattered, sending pieces of glass flying in every direction.
The ground beneath their feet collapsed. Before they knew it, they felt weightless as they fell into a dark abyss.
But this fall didn’t last that long. The next second, Alex found himself looking at the clear blue sky.
"Huh?!" Alex immediately propped himself up and found himself outside the entrance of the dungeon.
Cairo had also stood up. He was looking at their surroundings, checking if they were in any danger.
"Are you alright, Alex?" the Catkin asked.
"Yes, Master," Alex replied. "What just happened?"
"That is what you call a Dungeon Collapse," Cairo answered. "It’s the phenomenon that happens when someone breaks the Core of a Dungeon."
The two then shifted their attention to Charles, who was standing a distance away.
The teenage boy had his eyes closed. His hands were still pressed to his chest.
"I finally understand," Charles said softly before opening his eyes. "The reason why my adoptive parents told me to never enter a dungeon and the real reason why I have Challenger’s Mark."
The teenage boy sighed deeply, looking very depressed.
Now that he knew what kind of fate was waiting for him inside the Dungeon of Beginnings, Charles was starting to think that perhaps his aunt knew about his secret. That might explain why she had insisted on him undergoing the Trial of Frieden Academy.
However, things had changed.
Since he understood more about himself, he would be able to plan better and use the power he had just acquired from the Hidden Dungeon to raise his chances of surviving the greatest battle of his life.