Chapter 123
Irene knew this better than anyone.
The archives were filled with records of unstable dungeons that had appeared in the past.
The distortion dungeon they were in now was also one of those unstable dungeons.
Unlike other dungeons, it had a tendency to disappear even before it was conquered, so as soon as any signs of its disappearance were observed, they had to escape immediately.
This was basic knowledge that every purifier and knight knew.
āIf we donāt escape before it disappears…ā
The archives also contained records of those who hadnāt managed to escape from unstable dungeons.
Most of those who vanished with the dungeon never returned.
Most, but not all.
There were rare instances where those who had disappeared returned, but none of them…
āNone of them returned alive!ā
Irene bit her lip.
The ones who had vanished with the dungeon were found years or even decades later, reduced to skeletons in abnormal dungeons that reappeared.
āMichael!ā
Irene immediately looked for her pair.
Perhaps it was thanks to her shout, but the focus returned to Michaelās dazed eyes.
The other pairs had already begun frantically running down the visible paths.
There was no guarantee that any of these paths led back to the entrance they had come through.
Even so, they couldnāt just stand still and wait for death, so they ran like mad, following whichever path they could.
Michael grabbed Ireneās hand without hesitation and sprinted toward one of the paths.
Seeing this, the others, who had been heading in different directions, quickly changed course and followed Michaelās lead.
The path he had chosen was the widest of the visible ones.
Thanks to this, they could see the ones who had run ahead in the distance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A sound like something huge was chasing after the pairs could be heard behind them.
But no one dared to look back.
The fear of being trapped here forever with the monsters, should they fail to escape, was greater than the fear of death itself.
They ran for what felt like an eternity.
Just as everyoneās breath was catching in their throats, they saw a swirling black vortex at the end of the path.
āThe exit!ā
The normally unsettling entrance of a dungeon now appeared to be a savior in the eyes of the people.
Everyone rushed toward it in a mass. Irene and Michael were no exception.
They were almost at the exit whenā
Whoosh!
The sound of something slicing through the air came from behind.
Thud!
With a dull thud, Irene turned to see what had happened and immediately stopped in her tracks.
A long tentacle, whose origin she couldnāt even begin to guess, had wrapped itself around Michaelās ankle.
āMichael!ā
āGo! Get out of here!ā
When Irene called out, Michael gestured for her not to worry, drawing his sword and cutting the tentacle.
Sliceā
With a sound like a sharp pair of scissors cutting through cloth, the tentacle holding him was severed.
But relief lasted only a moment.
Instead of losing its strength, the tentacle moved again, this time wrapping itself around Michaelās other leg.
Unlike before, the tentacle now thrashed wildly, determined not to let him go.
Michael lost his balance and fell to the ground.
āMichael!ā
By now, everyone except Irene and Michael had escaped the dungeon.
They needed to get out too, and quickly…
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The heavy sound that had been approaching from the path they had run down was now drawing closer.
āDamn it.ā
Michael, knowing exactly what was coming, cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth.
He reached out to Irene.
āIrene, could you lend me the dagger from your bag?ā
āHuh? Dagger? Oh…!ā
Irene, initially confused by his sudden request, remembered the dagger that had somehow ended up in her bag and hurriedly opened it.
The dagger, which she had stuffed at the very bottom, was now sitting right on top, as if it had known she would need it.
There was no time to question it.
Irene grabbed the dagger and handed it to Michael immediately.
āNow, leave!ā
At his words, Irene bit her lip.
As he had said, it made sense for her to leave as quickly as possible.
Staying here wouldnāt help much in this situation. In fact, she might end up being a burden instead.
āBut if I leave him like this…ā
Just as she was hesitating, about to flee, a crashing sound came from above, and rocks began to fall in front of Irene.
