Death Guns In Another World

Chapter 2044: The Monster and the Dungeon

The night at the hot springs had passed quietly, though Alex would never forget the wall of shadow that robbed him of even the simplest pleasure the past few days. Still, he had to admit: sharing that silence with Nyx was oddly comforting. By the time morning arrived, the weight of fatigue had loosened its grip on his body.

Alex stepped out of the innʼs gate at dawn, the mountain air crisp, pine trees swaying gently. Steam still drifted faintly from the springs behind him, carrying with it the scent of minerals and warmth. He stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders, savoring the feeling of being alive without the ache of wounds or the sting of Nyxʼs blade across his flesh, despite having completely healed.

”Not bad,” he murmured, glancing at the horizon where the sun was beginning to climb. ”A couple more days of this and Iʼll actually feel human again.”

Behind him, Nyx walked silently. She wore the same dark gothic dress as always, her expression unchanging. If she had found the hot springs relaxing, she didnʼt show it. Her eyes seemed already elsewhere, drifting beyond the mountain peaks, searching for something only she could see.

They descended the narrow trail toward Avila. People greeted Alex with bows — word of his Black Rank had spread quickly, and already the common folk saw him as someone beyond mortal reach. Alex, however, offered them only nods in return. Fame never mattered much; he preferred silence to praise.

Yet as they drew closer to the city, something unsettled him. The birds had grown silent. The wind carried not just the scent of pine but a subtle undertone, metallic and sharp, like blood spilled in the earth. Alex frowned.

”…Do you feel that?” he asked.

Nyx didnʼt answer. As she had sensed the unusual aura faster than her master.

And then it came — a sound like the cracking of the world itself.

The ground trembled beneath Alexʼs boots. Rocks tumbled down the slopes. In the distance, a deafening roar split the air, primal and savage, carrying enough force to make the mountain birds scatter in panic. The sky itself seemed to ripple, a faint distortion spreading outward like waves on water.

At the same time, another phenomenon occurred: a column of dark blue light erupted into the heavens from the far side of the mountain. It pulsed like a heartbeat, twisting and bending the space around it. The air grew heavy, oppressive, filled with the unmistakable scent of mana gone wild.

Alexʼs eyes widened.

”…A dungeon?!”

It was unmistakable. His second time seeing one. A tear between the mortal plane and something far more sinister. Dungeons didnʼt just appear randomly; they were born when the world itself reacted to imbalances of mana, when chaos and destruction demanded a vessel.

But this one… this one was different.

As the dungeon manifested, Alex felt something else stirring. From deep within the mountain came a second surge of power, raw and ancient, unlike the dungeonʼs distorted pulse. It was alive.

Nyx finally spoke, her voice quiet yet chilling in its certainty.

”…A monster is being born.”

The city of Avila erupted into chaos almost instantly. By the time Alex and Nyx descended the last stretch of the trail, bells were tolling within the walls. Adventurers poured into the streets, some rushing toward the guild hall, others scrambling to the armories. Merchants closed their stalls in panic, and villagers ran to take shelter.

Alex pushed through the crowd, his expression grim. The adventurersʼ guild was already overflowing, adventurers shouting, guild staff scribbling reports.

The vice guild leader — a sharp-eyed woman in silver armor with a scar running across her jaw — stood on the balcony overlooking the chaos. Her voice cut through the noise like a whip.

”Silence! All of you!”

The guild hall fell quiet.

She pointed toward the mountain range.

”A new dungeon has been born in the northern peaks. High-level. Mana readings are unstable — Black Rank threat minimum. On top of that, our scouts report something else. A monster, powerful enough to rival the dungeon itself, is stirring in the same region.”

Murmurs erupted again. A dungeon and a monster, both at once? Such a coincidence was unheard of. A great upheaval was coming.

The vice leader slammed her fist against the railing.

”This is no coincidence. Something is happening in this land, and if we fail to respond, Avila will burn. I want all powerful below just below Black-Rank adventurers and above deployed immediately. Black Ranks…”

Her eyes swept the room until they fell squarely on Alex. ”…youʼre at the front.”

Alex stepped forward, the chatter dying as adventurers turned to watch. His presence alone carried weight; the Black Rank card at his waist was proof enough. He met the vice leaderʼs gaze calmly.

”Do we know what kind of monster weʼre dealing with?”

She shook her head.

”Only fragments from the scouts. They didnʼt survive long enough to give full reports. What we do know is this — itʼs something born of pure mana. An abomination of nature.”

Her eyes flicked to Nyx, who stood at Alexʼs side like a shadow given form. Some adventurers shuddered at her presence; most didnʼt even dare to look her in the eyes.

”Are you going?” the vice leader asked bluntly.

Alex smirked faintly. ”Do I have a choice?”

The vice guild leader didnʼt comment on that. She felt like she couldnʼt do nothing if Alex decided to back out from this, she was secret glad he didnʼt. After all this man was extremely powerful, maybe on par of their guild leader, she had this feeling. Beside that black haired girl with eyes deep as the abyss give her a dangerous feeling, the feeling of being unfathomable, the scent of some standing at the absolute apex, that is the scent Nyxʼs gave her. Shaking her head she discarded any unwanted thought.

The march began at dawn the next day.

Dozens of adventurers assembled, their armor gleaming, weapons sharp, eyes filled with determination and fear alike. Caravans of supplies trailed behind them, guarded by mercenaries. Mages chanted protective wards as they walked, their staffs glowing faintly.

Yet Alex walked at the front, Nyx beside him. He didnʼt speak much to the others — most gave him a wide berth anyway, intimidated by the silent woman at his side.

The closer they drew to the northern peaks, the heavier the air became. Mana surged unnaturally, distorting colors, warping sounds. The trees bent unnaturally, their trunks twisted, leaves shimmering with hues that didnʼt belong in the natural world. Birds with too many eyes watched from the branches, only to scatter when Nyxʼs gaze fell upon them.

And then they reached it.

The dungeon loomed like a wound in the world. A jagged fissure in the mountainside, glowing faintly with shifting blue light, its edges lined with crystalline growths that pulsed like veins. The air around it crackled with unstable mana, warping the ground into unnatural formations.

But even that was not the worst of it.

From deeper within the mountain came the sound of something moving. Something colossal. The ground quaked with each shift, stones rolling down the slopes. Then, with a roar that split the sky, it emerged.

A monster, but unlike any Alex had ever seen. Its body was massive, reptilian yet malformed, scales jagged and shimmering with raw mana. Its eyes glowed like molten stars, its breath carrying smoke and sparks of energy. Horns twisted from its skull like blackened trees, and its tail slammed against the rocks with the force of an avalanche.

The adventurers froze. Some gasped. Others gripped their weapons tightly, sweat beading on their foreheads.

The vice guild leaderʼs voice rang out.

”Hold formation! Donʼt falter!”

Alex, however, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he drew in a slow breath.

”…So thatʼs the monster. Born of mana itself.”

The beast roared again, its cry shaking the very heavens. The dungeon pulsed in response, as though the two were connected.

And in that instant, Alex knew — this was no ordinary coincidence. The dungeon and the monster were one, two sides of the same birth. A calamity given form.

He tightened his grip on his weapon.

A true battle.

And his blood began to boil.

”Alright then,” Alex muttered, a grin tugging at his lips. ”Letʼs see what youʼve got.”