MTLNOVEL Chapter 5
— RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE —
Something heavy was vibrating through the air, and the tremors reached my body.
The temperature around me was stiflingly high, and even standing still caused sweat to pour down my face.
“If only this were just a dream…”
I tried to escape from reality, but when I glanced to my side, I saw magma flowing, bubbles rising from its molten surface, releasing waves of heat with every pop.
“A Dual Dungeon, maybe?”
It reminded me of something I had read about in stories.
Dual Dungeons, also known as hidden dungeons, only activate after clearing the first dungeon and removing its dungeon core. Once triggered, a new entrance appears within the dungeon, leading to this secondary, much more dangerous area.
It seemed that the Pandora Switch earlier had activated the teleportation magic circle leading to this place.
“Now then, what should I do?”
To calm myself, I began talking through my options.
“The situation is… the worst.”
The monsters in hidden dungeons were significantly stronger. Facing them now would be impossible for someone like me; it was a certainty that I’d be no match. I needed to quickly come up with a plan.
“I probably can’t count on anyone following me…”
For a moment, the thought crossed my mind that Rex and the others might come after me.
“No, that’s unlikely, isn’t it?”
We were trainees. In unforeseen situations, we were supposed to report to our superiors first.
Sure, Miranda might insist on rushing in for a rescue, but if Rex and Selene were thinking clearly, they would have headed back to the dungeon entrance by now to call for help in town.
That meant it would likely take at least half a day for reinforcements to arrive.
“For now, I can’t just stay here. I need to move.”
Simply standing still was draining my stamina in this heat. Even if I planned to wait for help, this was not the place to do it.
I began walking, looking for a place where I might be able to rest.
After walking for a while, I seemed to have left the magma zone, as the temperature dropped to a much more bearable level.
The surroundings were dim, with the only light coming from the faintly glowing walls.
Thinking this might be a good place to take a break, I started to settle down when—
— THUD THUD THUD —
The sound of massive footsteps made me leap into the air in panic.
Something enormous was moving, and it was heading in my direction. If I stayed where I was, I’d inevitably run into it.
“This is definitely bad news.”
Panic surged as I glanced behind me.
The path I had traveled was a straight corridor with no places to hide.
“Grrrrruuuuuhhhhhh!”
“!?”
A deep, guttural roar echoed, distinct from the footsteps.
I hadn’t noticed it before, distracted by the sound of the massive creature, but now it was clear—something else was very close.
Maybe it was running from whatever those footsteps belonged to?
Either way, any creature in this dungeon would be far beyond what I could handle.
Judging by the sound, I had only seconds before I’d come face to face with one—or both—of them.
“This is bad!”
If I didn’t think of a solution, my second chance at life would come to an abrupt end.
Desperately, I forced my brain into overdrive—