Professor Gemstone has to choose... part 2 (35)

Ezera guided Ilya through the tunnels. They were both silent, this time. Ezera remained quiet in apprehension. And he knew Ilya could already feel the dark matter rolling in waves around them.

Ilya could recognize they were close to the chapel. He only threw a glance at Ezera, who bobbed his head, a gesture of acknowledging and tension.

It wasn't long before their heavy walk came to an end. As they stepped closer and closer to the anomaly, Ilya tensed, he went to stand in front of Ezera, his jaw set and his gaze focused.

"Be careful," he warned, to Ezera who remained impassive.

They came into the sight of the impossible breach in space, drawing air and flowing it out as it turned visible, a breach the color of... What shouldn't be seen. Was it magic, or the universe? At any rate, it oozing with darkness, a breach like a katana hit that remained frozen there. There was something very bright, yet very dark, that Ezera could only call black light.

He felt a pull.

"That's it," Ezera announced soberly. "What do you think?"

Ilya spared him a single look, before frowning, taking a step forward. His sword wasn't drawn, and Ezera deduced from that that there should be no immediate danger, but he still found himself ready to grab his daggers.

"You. Don't move from here. Do not get any closer," Ilya stressed insistently.

Ezera nodded grimly while Ilya walked around the anomaly, his eyes analytical in their appraisal. He observed, felt, almost touched all the while Ezera remained, vibrating with an electric energy. The pull felt stronger the instant Ilya's fingertip almost connected with the break in space, but Ilya immediately retreated to a safe distance.

"So?" Ezera asked once Ilya came back to him, looking grim as well now.

Ilya confirmed his fears.

"This is a dungeon."

As expected. Ezera sighed heavily.

"Of course, this couldn't be as simple as a teleportation vortex, just go in it to see where it goes then come back... Of course not."

"My apologies."

"Why are you sorry, it's not your fault. Any idea why Luversten has a dungeon hidden under their castle?"

Ilya shook his head.

"In the first place," he said, "it is simply not possible to create or summon a dungeon. If it is intentionnal, then it is unprecedented."

Ezera frowned, feeling that it was time for some clarification.

"What even is a dungeon? How is it supposed to behave?"

"A dungeon... This is what we call a space where a certain set of species live and co-exist. There have been very little to be known about dungeons for centuries, therefore my intel may not be very informative. Its appearance is generally precedented by a progressively rising flux of dark matter in the air and space around its location. As for the reason of its existence..."

Ilya's voice faded for a minute, as he lost himself to his thoughts. His answer was categoric.

" We theorized it was due to an excess of dark matter, but it remains unproved. In other words, we don't know."

Ezera hummed.

"What about the space inside? Did anyone figure out where it is situated? Perhaps somewhere between the space of our reality?"

Ilya once again shook his head.

"That is also unknown. What is known, however, is that dungeons are notorious to be a major source of monster income in a country, especially in Kyur."

Ezera narrowed his eyes.

"I see. Then, the giant snake we encountered in the forest..."

"It is likely to have escaped from here. I think it is because their kind of life feels the call of the firelight that inhabits our bodies. It might be attracted to it."

"That is not good news."

"As for why it is here and it hasn't been taken care of in one way or another..."

They both fell in a thoughtful silence.

Ilya had been clear that a dungeon could not be summoned. And the amount of dark matter that predicted his appearance somewhere was only a fore consequence of its opening. Yet, it was obvious that Hortensius had had something to do with it, especially as he was able to manipulate the flows of dark matter with his organ.

"The organ is on a direct line to this place," Ezera informed Ilya absently.

"This doesn't make sense..."

Then Ezera remembered something.

"Did you say that Luversten had been overcome by a crisis a few years back? Monsters invasion?"

Ilya immediately caught on to his line of thoughts.

"You think the dungeon might have been this crisis."

"Dereck told me the kingdom was lacking in men at this period," Ezera recalled. "They might not have had enough military strength to deal with it. Which reminds me, how is a dungeon usually taken care of?"

"The army endeavors to exterminate the dungeon's population and regulate it afterward. Sometimes, it disappears after some time."

"But now that they have the power, Luversten does not take care of it. Rather, the crisis they were facing was overcome when the new Church came to be!"

Ilya agreed that this could be connected.

"If this is in link to their manigances... Who is to say that they are not hiding more inside the dungeon?"

Ezera and Ilya exchanged a glance at the thought.

Ezera had known this was the most likely possibility.

"Since no one is taking care of it, whether or not it is part of a bigger plot..."

Ilya nodded.

"It must be dealt with."

"And if no one will do it. We will have to. Is that it?"

Ilya didn't answer; it wasn't necessary. Of course, this dungeon was also their biggest lead on what was going on in the kingdom, it was naturally an obvious step in their investigation.

Ezera was only moderately afraid of facing new powerful species of creatures that would be after his life. He was doing this to protect his children, and that was motivation enough. However...

"Tell me, how long does a dungeon takes to be cleaned?"

"Generally from ten day to six months. Unless this squad sent in is exterminated instead."

Ezera chuckled.

"How reassuring."

It was all the confirmation Ezera needed to know he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. To leave the students so long might be paramount to abandoning them to Luversten's hands.

He trusted Dereck... But would it be enough?

"Can we... Wait a few days?"

Between protecting his students from the enemy in their own ranks, leaving a catastrophe in the making to become a greater threat, and taking care of it while he could but abandoning the ones who needed him. He didn't think he'd ever have to think of such a choice.

But Ezera had to choose.

Ilya regarded him with an underlying softness and understanding, even if his features were neutral as he stared upon him.

"Of course."