“Rohan, I have a canteen with about one sip of water left. It’s shameful and something I deeply regret that I didn’t resupply drinking water before leaving Academy City…”
This was a place where the availability of food and water was uncertain.
So, the suggestion was to collect urine while their bodies were still in a healthy, hydrated state.
That was what Sion meant.
Makes sense.
Under normal circumstances, considering the situation, Rohan would have had to wrack his brain and seriously ponder over such a suggestion, no matter how far-fetched it sounded.
But for Rohan, it wasn’t a concern.
Because I have the Shop.
In Abyss City, the skill that used to be limited to replenishing consumable items based on proficiency and control had now become a shining beacon in this real-life dungeon.
Even the monsters he had already dealt with on the way here had provided enough resources to ensure the girls could have food and water.
Owning the Shop skill was practically a blessing for survival in the dungeon. The mineral water Sion was so worried about could be bought for just 2P.
As Sion finished speaking, a tug on his sleeve caught his attention.
“Oppa…”
Clara, with her knees pressed together and her toes pointing inward, stood trembling as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Her reaction made it clear she was ready to move and follow directions, depending on what was decided. It was admirable of her.
In reality, Rohan found Clara’s reaction both cute and amusing, and for a moment, he considered observing her a little longer.
But he instinctively knew that playing around in this situation would lead to trouble. So Rohan made a swift decision.
“Sion, don’t worry about the water. Just take Clara and go. I have a way to handle it.”
“Understood.”
“I-I’ll be right back…!”
Without questioning him further, Sion accepted his instructions and began scanning the area for a safe spot, then started to move.
Clara, with her face flushed red, glanced back at Rohan repeatedly as she reluctantly followed Sion.
“If anything happens, either fire a shot or yell for help!”
The two girls nodded their heads and each gave their own form of acknowledgment.
Once they were gone, Rohan turned around, opened the Shop, and scrolled all the way to the bottom of the inventory. There, he made a purchase.
[You have bought mineral water.]
Rohan reached into the shimmering void and pulled out a cool bottle of water.
The mineral water, which he purchased for the first time, came in a label-less plastic container and held 500ml.
Rohan felt a sense of relief and satisfaction knowing that the shop skill worked without any issues.
There’s no way I can let them go without food or water, even for a few days.
It wasn’t as though he had a large group of people to look after in the dungeon, nor was the estimated time to escape so long that it would stretch into months.
Keeping the two girls in optimal condition wasn’t just for their sake; it was beneficial to him as well.
If I keep it vague and drop just a light hint, they’ll accept it. Besides, both of them know how to keep a secret.
Moreover, it wasn’t something he could hide forever from Clara and Sion. Especially not from them.
Not when considering what lay ahead.
[+1P]
[+1P]
[+1P]
As he contemplated, a notification window popped up, and Rohan let out a dry chuckle.
“Just how far did they go?”
He had only heard faint, barely noticeable noises. Small enough to miss if he wasn’t paying attention. And yet, it seemed the girls had already taken down a monster, as his points had increased.
The points consumed were effortlessly replenished by the girls.
Rohan leaned against the shade, avoiding the sunlight, and waited.
Before long, Sion and Clara reappeared. They both looked to be unharmed.
“No issues, right?”
“There were monsters, but they were weak ones, so there was no problem.”
Clara, on the other hand, remained silent. Her expression was a mix of relief and a lingering embarrassment that was hard to describe.
Rohan wanted to reassure her, to tell her it was natural and nothing to worry about. But he hesitated, afraid that such words would only make her feel worse. Instead, he handed Sion the water bottle he was holding.
“Here, fresh water.”
“We were only gone for a few minutes, yet… this is impressive. There’s no sign of impurities or foreign substances either.”
To Sion’s eyes, it looked like clean water. When she opened the lid, she did not detect any particular odor.
As he watched the girl go through her verification process, Rohan told her the truth.
“This is my skill. We won’t ever run out of food or water until we make our escape.”
“!”
“…You have an incredible ability.”
“But I can’t draw it out indefinitely. There’s a price to pay.”
“I figured as much. Even so, thank you for disclosing your skill like this.”
“Oppa. Thank you…”
For Clara, it had literally been a narrow escape from death. Just thinking about it made her dizzy, so she was incredibly relieved.
Anything else would have been fine, but the thought of Rohan drinking her urine was so embarrassing she couldn’t bear it.
Rohan urged them onward again and added a few words to the girls.
“Even though we might be thirsty, there’s no need to ration. Just make sure you both maintain your condition.”
“Mhmm!”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sion and Clara were quite perceptive about matters like this.
They were the kind of girls who wouldn’t ask what price was being paid unless Rohan brought it up first.
They also didn’t ask whether he had created this mineral water or simply taken out something he had stored beforehand.
They clearly knew that prying into someone else’s skill was bad manners.
··
··
Rohan had considered making a direct break for the target point to save time.
However, he dismissed that idea because, if they ended up attracting dozens or even hundreds of these monsters without taking them out first, not even those two could guarantee a flawless victory.
So, the group continued moving steadily at a swift pace.
As the three of them proceeded along the path, the monsters gradually started growing stronger.
Their numbers also began to increase.
“Haap!”
–––Kwoom!!!
A refrigerator that had been walking around on vines was shattered by Sion’s folding baton and went rolling away.
[+2P]
At some point, Rohan’s point gain had increased from 1 to 2.
This surely must have been influenced by the monsters’ level.
“Look at this. Its parasitic form is on full display.”
Sion called the other two over to look at the now-inactive monster. The refrigerator door had been blown off, revealing its insides clearly.
Vines extended inside it like blood vessels. It was likely the same for the hidden internal components.
There was no better word for a creature that could power an appliance without electricity and launch bizarre attacks than “monster”.
“Because it’s not just an ordinary plant; it’s a type of monster.”
In fact, Rohan already knew.
The name of this plant-type monster was Parasitic Ivy. It was a vine that lived up to its name by feeding off its host.
Its power varied depending on what object it latched onto, though of course there were limits.
After finishing her inspection, Sion wiped away the sweat from the heat and put away her baton.
Then she voiced the suspicion that had been on her mind.
“And this is just my personal impression, but it’s like they’re trying to block us from heading in this direction.”
“It definitely feels like we’re heading straight for the center.”
“Oh, so the place you suggested first, Oppa, might really be the correct one…!”
Rohan didn’t shoot down their flawed guess; instead, he affirmed it.
He felt it was important to maintain a positive spirit and atmosphere at times like this.
Besides, this path was indeed the right one.
…
…
“”………””
Before they knew it, more than five hours had passed since they had fallen into the dungeon.
The oppressive heat still bore down on the area. At some point, the temperature had clearly surpassed 40 degrees Celsius.
Step. Step. Step.
All three of them moved on diligently without stopping.
After repeated battles, sweat dripped from the tips of Rohan’s and Sion’s hair.
Even Clara who normally didn’t feel the heat began to sweat a little.
“Oppa.”
“Yes?”
“Um, I was just thinking…”
“Go ahead. Speak freely.”
It was rare for Clara to offer her opinion like this.
Despite the sweat pouring down, Rohan smiled and listened attentively, while Clara hesitated and looked up at the sky.
“Here… I don’t think the sun is moving…”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Quite a bit of time has passed, hasn’t it?”
Sion also sensed that something was off and lifted her head to look up.
We don’t have any way to check the time, yet she realized it. Smart.
Rohan wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, then raised his head to look at the sun hanging in the sky.
Just like she had pointed out, this world was a place where the sun never set.
Just when he decided to affirm Clara’s guess—
Rohan, who had been focused on the current situation, suddenly recalled a question he had buried deep in his mind.
But why is this dungeon related to Solarea?
It wasn’t something he had ever thought about while playing as the protagonist.
Even when users posted speculation threads about it, he had skipped over them, knowing they weren’t based on anything definitive.
But now that Rohan himself was directly entangled with Solarea, he couldn’t ignore the matter any longer.
It’s related to the country, but I haven’t moved south or anything like that…
As Rohan mulled it over, he carefully sifted through the connected information.
The temple where he had first opened his eyes suddenly came to mind. Its image lingered vividly in his memory without resistance.
A country devoted to the worship of the sun. As he continued searching for a link to Solarea, his thoughts deepened.
[Rohan’s story is now unlocked.]
Recognition and realization.
An anomaly seemed to have been triggered the moment Rohan became aware of the matter.
Ah…
A sentence seeped into his mind.
It demanded that he speak it aloud. It urged him to solidify it in his memory.
“When the dark races committed their relentless sins, we were certain.”
Words spilled from Rohan’s lips in a murmur.
The girls turned their heads toward him.
“Oppa?”
“Hmm?”
Though Sion and Clara didn’t understand the sudden words, their gazes focused on him.
But Rohan continued to stare blankly at the sky with blank eyes.
“…They are afraid of this power.”
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