DUNGEON FILE 006:
THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TRUST ISSUES
As we walked, the ravine deepened, tide pools reflected the dimming light from above with an oily sheen. The air grew heavier, the salty tang replaced by a damp, earthy smell. A foggy mist began to hang over the pools, clinging to the air like a damp cloth.
At first, it was thin, a light veil over the water. But as we continued, the mist thickened, swirling and coalescing. It clung to the rock walls, beading with moisture, and hung in the air like a soggy blanket, muffling the sounds of dripping water and the occasional scuttling Lustrous Nautilus.
"This is like being inside a cloud. I can't see a thing," I admitted, my hands blindly brushing against the damp rocks along the ravine's edges.
"Here, if you must," Mendell extended his gloved hand. After a moment's hesitation—don't think about the fact he murders people with these disgusting hands—I took it.
As we moved further into the depths, the air began to change. What had once been stiflingly cold now warmed gradually, like the soft heat of a candle in the dark; For all its strange beauty, the environment felt entirely unnatural. The mist, while still uncomfortably thick, seemed to glow the gold hue of a lantern. It wasn't enough to see clearly, but it was enough to dispel the absolute darkness, and the warmth was certainly not terrible.
"What kind of place are we heading to?"
"[Sanctuary]. There's many across the Dungeon, but this is the one at the Sunken Ravine," he said simply.
I frowned. "What's [Sanctuary]?"
"You'll see."
Mendell motioned for me to follow, and against my better judgment, I did. The warm rolling mist stretched ahead, solid under my feet but completely see-through, like walking through air as the strange Hunter gently guided me through.
The path wound downward, and with each step down, the air grew noticeably warmer and yet warmer, shedding the damp chill of the upper ravine. It wasn't an oppressive heat, but a gradual, comforting warmth that spread through the air, a sensation akin to approaching a hearth's fire.
At last, the fog became close enough to see through nearing a cliff's edge, and we stepped onto a massive stone bridge carved into the rock. The rest of the golden fog flowed down the cliffside like a thousand tiny waterfalls into the fathomless depth below.
Approaching the bridge, I saw it—a sprawling underground city glowing with soft, golden candlelight.
The cavern the [Sanctuary] was situated inside was massive, bustling with activity and people of all different nations.Towers and crude stacks of buildings rose from the cavern floor, and the entrance was a plaza lined with markets, taverns, restaurants, inns, or whatever service an adventurer would require.
Stalls lined the pathways, and merchants hawked their wares with loud, enthusiastic shouts I could hear before even properly stepping foot inside:
"Rare ATK spells! Fresh off the black market! Get 'em while they're hot!"
"High stat weapons forged from the bones of Dungeon beasts! Guaranteed kills!"
"Need protection? Hire the best mercenaries in the Sanctuary! Prices negotiable!"
My head reeled as I tried to take it all in. Caravans of moving shops spilling light and noise onto the packed cave tunnels, blacksmiths hammering sparks into the air, shady alchemists hawking bubbling potions… it was everything a desperate Descender could possibly need.
"This is insane."
"It's the only safe place in the Dungeon," Mendell explained, dragging my hand down through the crowded street. "Humans and beasts are incapable of killing eachother here thanks to 'Anti-PVP' spells, a type of warding magic, developed by the first to civilize the Dungeon. These places are called '[Sanctuary]'... If you're smart, you'll stick close to here until you figure out how to survive. Nobody can kill you, even if they want to." He glanced at me, his smirk returning. "So you can stop looking at me like I'm about to shove you off another cliff."
Tch! "I wasn't thinking that," I scowled but didn't argue.
"I never thought about what it was like down here," I continued in a mutter, more to myself than to him. "The bodies… well, the people, the ones the countries discard. I always thought the Great Well, this pit… it was just for disposal. Corpses too inconvenient for a proper grave topside. I don't think anyone Topside even knows. That they're not dead. That they're… down here. Living. Cursed."
I took a deep breath, ready to ask him more about these thoughts, but Mendell spoke first:
"Aya," his voice cut through the market noise, suddenly serious again.
"Hmm?" I blinked, pulled from my thoughts.
"I helped you," he stated flatly, stopping in the middle of the crowded street, forcing others to flow around us. "Because I need something from you."
My heart did a painful little skip-thump. Oh Gods, here it comes. The catch. I opened my mouth, but he held up a gloved hand, silencing me.
"You've asked me why I'm doing this, haven't you? Bringing you to the [Sanctuary] instead of slaughtering you for your [Essence]? I'll tell you." His voice was low, almost reluctant. Almost… vulnerable. "It's simple, really. You're not like them."
My brow furrowed in confusion. "Them? Who?"
Mendell paused, his gaze flicking to the merchants around them, as though checking to see if anyone was listening. Then he spoke, leaning in close, his voice quiet.
"Because let's be real… You're a total pushover! I've never seen a newcomer as stupid and gullible as you," he suddenly broke into a howling laugh. "I mean, if any Hunter other than me found you? You'd totally be stuck in a death loop right now. It's basically a Hunter's lucky day if they ever found a new upper-crust noble lady as weak and pathetic as you, so you should be grateful, really!"
Heat flooded my face. Wha—?! That absolute…! "You… You don't get to say that!" I sputtered, clenching my fists. "You can't tell me I should be grateful you chose not to murder me for fun! Are you actually proud of being such a… such an unmannerly, dishonorable asshole?!"
Mendell grinned, the smile not reaching his cold eyes. He shrugged nonchalantly as if my feelings didn't matter at all.
"You admitted it yourself, didn't you? You're soft. You don't know shit about surviving down here," His voice was still stern, but with something else beneath it—something like amusement, which pissed me off even more, though he hid it well.
"I'm messing with you a little, but maybe you should actually think for a second. You are here because you don't know anything. You are here because you've been protected your entire life. So yeah, maybe you're not cut out for this world. But that doesn't change the fact that you have potentialto survive if you'd get your head out of your ass."
I opened my mouth to snap back, but all that came out was a frustrated sigh. "You can't joke like that, telling me I'd be easy to kill when that's something you actually do. God, you really know how to piss me off."
"Good!" he said, turning away with a slight smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips. "Means I'm doing my job right!"
"...Tch!" This guy! Seriously!
I glared at his back, small tears welling in the corners of my eyes. "It's a lot to take in, you know! And I still don't understand why you're so invested in my survival! I'm clearly not strong! You prey on the weak! I'm a noble from the Empire you seem to despise—Damn it, you even know a lot about the Obsidian Kingdom's policies and inner workings for a foreigner!"
My voice rose with each point. My fists clenched tighter.
"So tell me the truth. And stop messing with me! Just who are you, and more importantly, who the hell am I to you?"
…
The question hung heavy in the air between us. People glanced our way but kept moving. Mendell slowly turned back, the smirk finally gone, replaced by something unreadable. He took a long, slow breath.
"...You really don't remember, do you?" he asked quietly, his voice oddly flat. "You come from one of the richest families in the Obsidian Empire. Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you immediately?"
"W-What? What in the Gods' name are you going on about?"
"I suppose I should reintroduce myself. Hello, I am Mendell Gagnepain. I was born in the Silver Country. But I didn't grow up there."
I tilted my head. I couldn't get where he was going with this yet.
"Well, yes. You mentioned briefly living in the Obsidian Kingdom and having been executed there at a young age, right?"
"I left when I was eight," he continued without missing a beat. "Took my younger brother, Ardenne, with me. We crossed the Southern border and begged for work. Anything was better than what we left behind." He chuckled bitterly. "Finding work at the Tallón estate… that felt like a miracle." His voice trailed off.
Tallón estate…?
"Wait. You worked for my family?"
Shit. We had so many servants over the years… I have no idea who this guy is.
"That is alright. I wouldn't expect you to remember. I did spend most of my time taking care of my brother, after all."
"Oh Gods, so why not tell me earlier you knew who I was?! That you worked under my family? Did you think it was funny or something, seeing someone above you struggle so desperately?"
"That's not it at all!" Mendell squeaked, almost offendedly. "I assure you, I have nothing but the purest of intentions! Sixteen years is… a long time to be dead, but the truth is, I don't have many people on my side. Not even my brother is with me anymore."
"You want pity or what?"
"People as kind as your family are hard enough to come by on the Topworld, much less here! I don't expect you to remember me, but seeing you again… I figured we could come to some sort of strategic alliance." Mendell made an expression of feigned pleading and widened eyes.
"Don't make such a pitiful expression!" I replied quickly, without thinking. "I see your point. But what could someone like you possibly have to gain from me? I'm kind of useless down here, I fear."
He turned from me then, pacing towards the edge of the plaza overlooking a lower tier of the city. "I'm painfully aware. But I do know you are a kind person! Much kinder than I am. People aren't exactly inclined to help me down here, seeing as I'm a Hunter and all, but you? A helpless cute noblelady who would get killed in an instant by people like me? I promise, I can… uh, help-you-help-me-help-you."
"I suppose that adds up…" My head was spinning. "Okay. Okay. But then… Your younger brother, Ardenne? What happened to him? Can't he…?"
Mendell went utterly still, his back to me. "Ah. Ardenne…" When he spoke again, his voice was distant, hollow. "Remember what I told you? About King Haghni? About the Four Sinners?"
A cold dread seized my heart. "Where the hell are you going with this, Mendell?"
"He was executed a few months after me for some reason or another," Mendell continued. "I never managed to find him when I first… arrived… down here. Took years. The rumors started maybe a decade ago, of a new power rising from the deeper levels. Someone young, ruthless, accumulating [Essence] at an unnatural rate."
"And that was Ardenne?"
"Allegedly the Fourth Sinner. I never got the chance to meet him after he died, but I've been searching for him. I'm sure he's quite powerful. so I can't exactly confirm any of those rumors. It's my best lead, and yours too, if you want someone with power who knows this dungeon well."
"You called those people the most loathsome beings in this Dungeon! What help can your brother possibly be if he's that far gone?"
"Correct."
"He can't be older than 27 by now. Just what did he do to gain that much strength and [Essence] in the last sixteen years, to be amongst the same rank as King Haghni?"
"...I wish I knew. But it's certainly an impressive feat, isn't it?" He stated almost wistfully.
Does he truly think about nothing but strength?!
"Mendell!"
"LadyAyauhcihuatl," he spoke with a terrible, sarcastic bluntness.
How can he speak so casually about his own brother allegedly becoming nothing short of an actual monster?
It was almost infuriating to hear him say these things. In a sudden surge of impatience, I gripped his shoulder with a great deal of power and stopped his incessant pacing.
"Listen," I spoke more harshly than intended. "If Ardenne is down here, and he's truly become… like that… don't you think he's more so benefit to be from the dungeon than anyone else? He can't possibly help my goal in figuring out how to save the people here if he's powerful from it!"
Mendell blinked, looking down at my hand on his shoulder. He tried to gently pry it off, but failed. Then, he broke into a laugh. "Everyone fucking benefits from the Dungeon! They don't care about being saved anymore."
"Even you wouldn't try to save this world?"
"I need to save my damn brother first. Aya, why do you think I became a Hunter in the first place? It was the fastest way to gather [Essence]… I wouldn't be able to catch up to him, to even reach him, any other way…"
"I see…" my voice softened. "I think I understand now. So if I help you find your brother, then you can convince him to help study the curse with his powers?"
"Then it might be worth wasting time on that pipe dream of yours, yes. It's not like there's much to do around here, and like I said, the only one with a chance of understanding the curse is my brother. He was always obsessed with studying magic…"
"Why haven't you ever formed a [Party] to find him? I believe that is a thing people do when they don't have enough strength on their own, do they not?"
"A reasonable suggestion, if it weren't for the fact people don't work with Hunters." Mendell motioned to his sword. "A member who might kill off the entire [Party] in their sleep and run off doesn't have much value."
"You seem like the type to do that…"
"Oh come on. Have I given you a reason to not trust me?" Mendell smiled cheekily.
"…Several."
"Well, I can't trust many people around here either, okay? At least I know you're too weak and stupid to betray me, and you're likeable enough that you can convince stronger people not to betray me either."
"Very eloquently put. I feel truly respected as a person when you say it like that…"
"You know what I mean."
"…Fine!" I forcefully grabbed Mendell's hand, dragging him back to the bustling market streets. "If this is the plan, let's get to it. No take-backsies, you gotta help me get good now." As annoying as this guy was, he was clearly strong. If he's offering, it makes sense to take as much advantage of that power as I can get!
"...Going where, precisely?" Mendell asked, allowing himself to be towed along, head tilted in confusion.
Oh, right. Good point. I had no idea where anything was.
My forward momentum faltered. "I— Ah," I mumbled, cheeks heating up again. "I would be grateful if you could… perhaps recommend a reputable establishment for acquiring basic survival supplies? I'm not entirely sure what one needs down here, but… anything to help me live? Or get stronger? That would be… splendid."
Mendell smiled. "If you still have any heart left in you, Aya, you'll certainly live anyways. You've always been a good person. You'll get stronger. And you'll survive this Dungeon without becoming like me." He gave a small, solemn grin for a quiet moment.
Suddenly, he perked back up to normal. "Say, there's a poem about the fall of the Silver Country, actually. In case you wanted to know more about Haghni and the old Silver-borns, hm? I'd highly recommend it. If we ever come across a bookshop, we could totally pick up a scroll! I believe they call it, 'The Folly of King Haghni'..."
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EXCERPT:
The Folly of King Haghni
Written By
Author Unknown
To men in peaceful ages / is brought a tale of dread,
Of sin and vile indulgence, / of countless souls long dead
In days when blooms still budded / 'pon meadows high and low,
There gleamed a Silver Castle / with walls like driven snow.
It stood atop the grassland / blessed like the verdant Spring,
The lords composed its council / and Haghni hight the King.
Their sports were rape and torment, / their hunts the hearts of men,
The hounds they loosed were famine / to plague each ruined fen.
Thus came the Gods in silence, / with wrath upon the skies,
And all the stars wept bloodied / for earthly shame and lies,
Each viscount shrieked in torment, / the maids in horror wailed,
As limbs were torn asunder / and all the wretches flailed.
But all the Lords around the King / cried out with cursed breath,
"Thou bringer of our sorrow, / thou seller of our death!
What oath did we dare bind to, / what blood-bound devil's jest,
That made our hearts grow hollow / within thy cursed nest?"
"Gods' wrath upon thee, Haghni!" / the tortured Lords did cry,
"As dogs we followed laughing, / and now like dogs we die."
"I curse not joy or pleasure, / nor whore nor ruby red
Regret is but for cowards, / and I was King instead!"
"I feasted on thy daughters, / I drank thy father's blood,
And now I pay the wages, / I cannot curse the flood.
Let Gods send fire eternal, / let Lords denounce my name,
My heart shall bear no burden, / I curse them just the same."