Prologue

The hole lies in the middle of Acttio, the country's capital. Ever since the hole appeared 100 years ago, it has brought misfortune to Acttio and Lernei, causing disease and draining the very life from the country, slowly growing in size every waking second. Within the hole, there are mysterious structures, advanced technology, and treasures that hold the potential to pay off one's entire bloodline. However, the hole also harbors horrific creatures and treacherous environments, capable of easily killing a person. Despite the risks involved, there are those who venture into the hole, commonly known as adventurers, in order to fulfill their wishes. Some even aspire to achieve the unprecedented feat of reaching the bottom, a task that has never been accomplished in history...

I wake up around 4:00 am to the sound of my alarm blaring in my ear. I got a solid 2 and a half hours of sleep last night, so I wasn't feeling the worst in the world. Slowly, I get up from my bed, or, to be more accurate, I get up from the towel on my floor and let out a yawn before wincing in pain.

"Argh, my back."

My back always hurts because I sleep on the floor, but I wasn't about to waste my hard-earned money on a bed. Last night, when I got home, I didn't take off my dirty clothes, so as I get to my feet, I grab my gray coat, kick on my boots, and immediately walk out of my door. I lost my keys a while ago so I don't bother locking my door anymore. Not that it matters, there's nothing worth stealing inside anyway.

I still have a bit of time before my shift at the local convenience store starts, so I walk over to the Dock, a massive dock that overhangs the Hole. This is the main place where ships and adventurers enter the Hole. It does cost a bit to depart from here, especially if you have a ship or a large party of adventurers. The dock has numerous floors, and I am currently on the top floor, also known as the "departure floor." The floor below this, "Floor 2," is also a departure floor, but it is only for smaller-scale operations. You'll never see a ship on that floor.

I make my way to the elevator and press the button for Floor 6. This floor is completely exclusive for restaurants, cafes, bars, and anything food-related. It's a culinary floor. Since adventures and ships can come back into the dock at any time, many places on this floor are open 24/7. Thankfully, my favorite cafe, "Teal Coffee," is one of those places that stay open. Teal is my favorite place for multiple reasons. Firstly, the customer service is great and always makes my mornings a little better. Secondly, they make amazing, affordable coffee. And thirdly, they have a massive window in the corner that allows you to look into the Hole. Since I come here so early, I always get a window seat.

When I arrive, I am greeted by an extremely kind waitress. I order my usual, and since nobody else is here, I get my order quickly. Because there is no one else around, I also get my favorite window seat. There's something about sipping my steaming coffee while peering down into the Hole so early in the morning that brings me comfort. I let out a sigh... "I'm going to miss this."

"Um, sir."

I turn my head towards the soft voice, pulling my eyes away from the Hole. It's the kind waitress who took my order a few moments ago. I respond to her, "Yes, is something wrong?"

"Sorry if I'm disturbing you, but I was wondering if I could ask you something." The waitress fidgets with her hands.

I'm genuinely curious about what she wants to ask me. "Of course," I reply, waiting for her question. Maybe she'll ask for my number or something. Before she asks, I take another sip of my coffee.

"Every time you come in here, I see you staring down into the Hole. Sure, customers stare because it's a spectacle, but sometimes you stare at it for up to 30 minutes. I was just curious..."

"Heh," I chuckle before responding. "So that's what you wanted to ask. Well, you see, one day I plan to go down there, and no matter what, I'm going to reach the bottom."

"Oh, I see. Are you planning on joining the Sinker Corps?" The waitress asks as if it's an obvious thing, which technically it is. If someone says they want to reach the bottom of the Hole, it's assumed they want to join the Sinker Corps.

I wave my hand back and forth, indicating a no. "Oh no, I don't plan on joining them. I'll be going alone. If those guys can't reach the bottom with all that money and all those people, there's no way they're trying."

The waitress looks at me like I'm nude and covered in honey, which might've seemed less crazy than telling her I'll reach the bottom of the Hole by myself.

"W-Why alone though?" The waitress looks completely perplexed and speaks faster than before. "You could at least find a partner! Matter of fact, why do you even want to see the bottom? What's your motivation? Do you even have one?"

There's a brief pause before I respond. "Nah, It's for the same reason you asked me a question in the first place." A foolish, ridiculous smile comes across my face.

"I'm just a bit curious."