A New Dungeon (4)

Dungeons are mirror dimensions created when two dimensions collide. Generally, they have the features of the places where the dimensions collide, and they swallow the living beings nearby at the moment of their creation.

So, what happens when a dungeon appears in a place filled with people?

All the people nearby are swallowed by the dungeon.

That was what happened just now.

Around me, I could see many people running in a panic, trying to understand their current situation. Some of them seemed to have come to the realization that they were inside a dungeon, and their faces immediately became ashen.

"… A dungeon?" Andrew's face was pale. "Impossible, in this place? But there was not an announcement."

"This one was an unannounced dungeon. They happen occasionally when the current dungeon-detection technology is unable to detect the dungeon beforehand."

"I-Is it so?" Andrew calmed slightly when he heard my words, but even so, his hands were trembling slightly.

He was not the only one. My ex, Karime, had turned completely pale, and her little sister, Jessica, seemed about to cry.

I sighed and tried to calm them down first.

"… Calm down, the mana inside this dungeon doesn't feel that abundant, so this dungeon should not be that dangerous. The four of us are Awakened. If we are careful, our lives should not be at risk."

The three of them calmed slightly when they heard my words.

"… You sure look calm, huh, Jane." Andrew smiled wryly.

A bitter smile appeared on my face.

"This is not my first time, after all."

The three of them looked at me with complicated expressions.

After Andrew, Karime, and Jessica calmed down, I looked around to check the situation.

Right now, we were still inside the mall. However, it had become dilapidated, with trees growing all around us, and pillars of rocks rising in some parts of the mall.

Actually, this mall is not the same mall as the one outside. This is a replica created by the dungeon based on the real one. As for the rock pillars and the trees, they must be things that existed in the other world.

After looking around for a few seconds, I sighed in relief.

Fortunately, it looks like there is nothing dangerous nearby.

Just then, a middle-aged woman approached us with a cautious look.

"… Umm, sorry, I could not help but heard that the four of you are Awakened, is it right?"

I was startled before instinctively nodding.

The woman smiled in relief.

"Thank god… Can I ask you for a favor?" She then took a note that she just finished writing and put it in my hands. "Give it to my son, please? Tell him that I love him."

I stiffened completely.

For an instant, I felt my body becoming heavy. My throat felt parched, and my eyes stung.

This woman was giving me her last will.

"W-Wait a moment, Mrs. Y-You should give it to him yourself. Y-You should not lose hope so easily." Andrew hurriedly said when he understood the woman's implication, but the woman just smiled resignedly.

"… Stop… I know what it means for someone like me to fall inside a dungeon. You don't need to console me."

Andrew's body froze.

I sighed slightly before nodding with a complicated expression.

"I understand, I will help you."

"Thank you, you are a good boy."

She then walked away weakly.

But as soon as she turned around, tears started to run down her cheeks.

"… Sorry, I can do nothing to help you." I apologized to her softly.

Dungeons are terrible places filled with berserk mana, and only Awakened can survive inside.

As for the unfortunate normal people that fall inside, they are destined to become mindless monsters filled with a thirst for blood.

"… Sorry…" I apologized to her again.

"Brother-in-law, is there nothing that we can do?"

I looked at Jessica sadly and shook my head.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do. Let's go, we should leave this place."

"… Where are we going?" Karime asked after she calmed down.

"To a place without humans. Soon, this place will become hell."

"That is…" Karime's expression became complicated.

"Let's go," I said firmly and started to walk away, forcing the other three to follow me.

Even if it looks merciless, this is the best choice. Otherwise, we will have to fight against hundreds of mindless humans

However, someone shouted at that moment.

"They are Awakened!"

My expression changed immediately.

"Dammit, run!"

The others were startled, but when they saw that I started to run, they followed me.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"S-Stop!"

"W-Where are you going!?"

"P-Please help us!"

As soon as the people of the mall learned that we were Awakened, they rushed at us crazily.

"Jane, they…!"

"Stop! Don't think about it!" I stopped Andrew before he could finish. "We can't do anything for them!"

"You… Are you going to abandon us just like that!?" One of the people that heard my words roared in rage. "How can you be so selfish!?"

"Yeah! How can you be like that!?"

"You must help us! Are you not an Awakened!?"

"Stop them! Don't let them escape!"

My expression turned ugly when I felt their hostility. Dammit, this is bad.

Andrew, Karime, and Jessica stiffened. Seeing the bloodshot eyes of the people rushing towards us, they became pale.

Just then, a man managed to grab Jessica's wrist.

"Sister!"

"L-Let me go!"

Karime and Jessica cried out, but the man did not let Jessica go.

"S-Stop there! You must help me!"

"N-No, I…"

"You must help me!!!" The man's expression became violent.

I could see that he was not the only one. Many of the people around us had similar expressions.

They had become crazy due to their fear of death and the influence of the berserk mana.

"You need to help us!" An obese man shouted at me as he tried to tackle me, but I kicked him away.

"How do you dare to hit him!?"

"Murdered!"

"Catch him!"

Dammit. At this rate, things will get out of control.

[What are you hesitating for, boy?]

'Shut up, demon!' I growled in my mind and grabbed the container in my back.

Then, I took out my spear and filled it with lightning.

The next second–

*Bam!*

I stabbed it on the floor, causing an explosion that flung several nearby people away!

The people charging towards us stopped abruptly in fear, and even the man holding Jessica's wrist was frightened and let her go.

I then lifted the lightning-clad spear and stared at them coldly.

"If any of you want to die, then step forward."