“So…?”
Adam glanced at X, meeting her curious—almost smoldering—gaze. “So… what?”
“Are we pretending that didn’t just happen?” she muttered, flicking her eyes back toward the road they’d left Mikan on.
“I was merely showing proper devotion to a Bishop,” Adam replied, smirking.
“Bullshit,” X snapped. “You expect me to believe that?”
Adam shrugged, unbothered.
“You weren’t even looking at Mikan,” she pressed. “You were staring at the man beside him. Don’t insult my intelligence—you know him.”
“You should be more concerned about how Mikan was looking at you.”
“What?” X’s expression darkened instantly.
“You’re perceptive,” Adam said mildly. “I’m sure you understand what I’m implying.”
He turned his attention back to the fog-choked road ahead, leaving her no room to respond.
Are Igor and Bricteva aware that one of their dogs is running with the Scavengers?
The thought gnawed at him. From what little he knew of the pair known as Erik Gilmore, ignorance wasn’t in their nature. If they were involved—directly or otherwise—then this rot went far deeper than he’d anticipated.
The more threads he pulled, the uglier the tapestry became.
Adam glanced back at X. She knew exactly what Mikan’s lingering gaze meant. She simply refused to acknowledge it.
“Who was the man with Bishop Mikan?” Adam asked.
X scoffed. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Go ask him yourself.”
“You misunderstand,” Adam replied calmly. “That wasn’t a request. Protocol C is still active.”
Her glare could’ve cut steel, but Adam merely smiled.
He didn’t fully understand how Protocol C worked. Only that once activated, the recipient’s resistance became… nonoptional.
X exhaled sharply, falling back into step beside him. “All I know is that he visits Bishop Mikan regularly,” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t have the authority—or the desire—to question who he is.”
“Do you know anyone named Igor or Bricteva?”
X stopped dead. Her head snapped toward him. “How do you know those names?”
“I’m still the one asking questions,” Adam said lightly. “Go on.”
She hesitated, then relented. “They’re the guild’s biggest patrons in Dratol. But…” Her brows furrowed. “They’ve been absent for months.”
She paused.
“…Their disappearance lines up with that man’s arrival.”
Adam kept his expression neutral—but inwardly, his stomach twisted.
So they’re connected.
Even secondhand involvement with Erik Gilmore made the situation exponentially more dangerous.
“That’s all I know,” X said curtly, brushing past him and disappearing into the fog.
Adam chuckled under his breath as he watched her go.
The more I learn about this world, the more deranged it becomes.
“Hey!” X called from ahead, arm raised. “Don’t blame me if you get lost!”
Adam’s smile turned dry. She was flipping him off.
Minutes later, they arrived before a dilapidated barn swallowed by weeds and rot.
Adam peered through the shattered doors. Rusted tools. Moldy clothes. Scattered shoes. Weather-bleached bones. All came into view, no signs of anyone recently approaching the abandoned building.
“We don’t have all day,” X huffed, stepping inside.
Adam followed, silent and alert. She’s definitely pissed off.
His gaze swept the interior. This reeks of a portal front.
He deliberately lagged behind, watching carefully as X crossed the threshold.
Nothing happened.
…Just a barn?
He doubted it.
“You need to stay sharp from here on,” X said without turning.
“Sure,” Adam replied. “But why here?”
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She only smirked and walked toward a stack of hay bales.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Then she vanished.
Adam froze.
“What the—”
He rushed forward. The moment he reached the same point, his vision warped—space folding inward.
The barn dissolved into an underground cavern.
A vast grotto opened before him, rivers of emerald water steaming softly as they flowed through crystal-lined banks. Luminous veins pulsed in the stone walls, bathing the cavern in an otherworldly glow.
Hundreds of robed figures—black and crimson—moved freely through the space. Some glanced at him, but none lingered.
An underground network…
Expected of a dark guild, but still unsettling to witness.
“How long are you planning to stand there?” X’s voice echoed faintly. “We’re traveling for months. Don’t make it longer.”
Adam spotted her ahead and joined her quickly. “What is this place?”
“We call it the Valley,” she said, scanning their surroundings with caution.
Adam stayed silent.
“Even if the borders were open,” she continued, “this would still be the safest route.”
“Why?”
She smiled faintly. “No one can track us here.”
Adam nodded. “And the trip?”
“Better you experience it yourself. Follow me.”
She skipped ahead—far too cheerfully.
She’s up to something, Adam thought.
She stopped before a strange rock formation—black and gray stone standing out starkly against the brown earth.
“Rub your hands on the black rock,” X instructed. “It’ll guide us.”
Adam studied her carefully. She met his gaze without blinking.
Definitely a trap.
Still, he stepped forward. The rock was smooth, damp—almost warm.
He reached out.
“HEY! Who gave you permission to touch me?!”
Adam recoiled instantly.
The stone shuddered. Purple crystalline eyes opened across its surface, followed by a craggy, scowling face.
What the fuck—
All around him, the surrounding black stones opened their eyes as well.
Golems.
X’s muffled laughter echoed through the cavern—bright, delighted, and entirely unapologetic.
She clutched her stomach with one hand, the other pressed over her mouth as she doubled over, laughing with reckless abandon.
“You naughty child!” the rock grumbled. “You’re still playing these pranks? How dare you tell him to touch me?”
The golem’s scolding went entirely ignored. X was far too busy enjoying herself.
“Dhuglu, you’re always complaining about being lonely,” she gasped between laughs, “and now you’re rejecting someone willing to make you feel good?”
Adam shot her a glare, but she didn’t even notice. A few nearby golems had joined in, their deep, rumbling laughter echoing through the cavern as they mocked both Adam and Dhuglu.
Though he was the target of the prank, Adam found the situation… oddly amusing. His expression, however, remained stony.
She almost made me grope a fucking golem.
A shallow smile tugged at his lips. From appearances alone, he would never have pegged X as a prankster.
“Brat,” Dhuglu snarled. “What are you smiling at? I don’t swing that way! What is wrong with you humans?”
Adam’s smile stiffened. The golem had clearly misunderstood.
X’s laughter only intensified.
Golems are simple-minded, Adam mused. Explaining this will only make things worse.
X stepped closer to Dhuglu. “Don’t be like that,” she coaxed. “Do you really want to grow old alone? Let him give you some love.”
More passersby slowed to watch, some openly laughing.
Adam stood his ground, a dry smile fixed on his face. Judging by the reactions, this wasn’t X’s first offense.
“Child!” Dhuglu roared. “I will ban you from using the—”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” X cut in quickly, hands raised, still fighting laughter. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
“That’s what you said last time. And the time before that,” Dhuglu grumbled. “Why should I believe you?”
“I know, I know,” X said earnestly, straightening. “But I mean it this time. I really do.”
“Oh,” Dhuglu hummed. “Then I forgive you.”
Huh? Adam blinked. Just like that? She’s obviously lying.
X caught his look and flashed him a grin, winking before turning back to the golem. She cleared her throat. “Dhuglu, please open a path to—”
“I won’t do anything until that brat apologizes for having wicked thoughts about me,” Dhuglu interrupted, glaring at Adam.
“What? Me?” Adam muttered. “She’s the one who told me to—”
X clamped a hand over his mouth. “Just apologize,” she whispered urgently. “They’re stubborn. You don’t have to mean it.”
Adam glared at her. If looks could kill, she’d have been buried ten times over.
“Don’t you want to leave?” she hissed.
He exhaled slowly and stepped toward the golem. Bowing stiffly, he said, “I apologize… for having wicked thoughts about you.”
“Pfft—”
X barely managed to cover her mouth before Adam’s bloodshot glare snapped toward her.
“Good. I forgive you,” Dhuglu said magnanimously. “Now, where are you headed?”
X stepped forward, stifling laughter. “Please open a path near Vohmir.”
“Hmmm… Vohmir.” Dhuglu’s crystalline gaze shifted between them. “Based on your ranks, I’ve selected a suitable path. Proceed.”
The ground between the golems trembled violently. A crack split the stone, widening until a dark passage formed.
X tapped Adam’s shoulder. “Let’s move.”
She didn’t wait for a response—hooking her arm through his and dragging him into the tunnel.
X retrieved a black box from her cloak and flipped it open. Yellow luminescence spilled from the orb inside, illuminating the polished stone walls.
Adam frowned. It was the same box she’d brought with his clothes the day before.
I knew it looked familiar… Why does it resemble a dungeon shifter?
He’d read about them—devices that alerted Awakened parties when they entered a dungeon.
“Is that a shifter?” he asked. “How long does it take to register, and where does this passage lead?”
“Oh?” X teased. “I thought you weren’t talking to me.”
“Just answer,” Adam sighed.
She chuckled. “Yes, it’s a dungeon shifter. Three to four hours once we arrive.” She glanced at him. “This passage is called the Bridge.”
“The Bridge?”
“Most dungeons aren’t isolated,” she continued. “If you know the routes, you can travel between them.”
Adam stiffened. “Wait—what are you saying?”
“With the guild’s notoriety,” she said, “we need to be careful. The Bridge lets us move unseen.”
Adam nodded, thoughtful.
There’s still too much I don’t know.
Neither Varidan nor Erik Gilmore had mentioned anything like this.
“So we’ll jump dungeons until we reach Vohmir?”
“Correct,” X said brightly. “Aren’t you thrilled to spend months with a goddess like me?”
Adam’s expression soured.
This is going to be a problem.
His passive title—The Hated One—ensured that dungeon creatures would swarm him relentlessly. If dungeons were their only route…
“Relax,” X said suddenly. “We only need to pass through one dungeon. Once we’re out of Dratol, we can board a flying ship.”
She studied him. “Dungeon travel would take months. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not.”
She inched closer. “But it’s up to you to decide.”
“Flying ship,” Adam said immediately.
X slung an arm around his shoulders. “This is why I like you.”
He shrugged her off. “Get off.”
She did it again. He shoved her arm away again.
[You have entered a Dungeon!]
[Beings in the dungeon have detected a Hated One!]
Adam stopped.
X draped her arm over him once more. “Finally stopped pretending?” she teased. “I knew you liked it.”
“How fast can you run?” Adam asked sharply.
She blinked. “What does that have to do with—”
“You’ll find out.”
He smirked—and then exploded into a sprint.
“Hey—what the hell?!” X yelped, chasing after him. “Are you that mad—”
A thunderous roar shook the tunnel.
X’s expression hardened instantly.
Did he know we entered the dungeon? But how?
