Chapter 28
Even when I first met her, Mea wasn't particularly talkative, but today she was exceptionally quiet.
I had heard only five phrases from Mea today,
You came? Follow me. Here. Work. Let's go.
It was questionable whether this could even be called a conversation.
But trying to strike up a conversation wasn't easy either.
Mea's utterly expressionless face was like a barrier pushing people away, telling them not to approach.
She had dark circles and half-open eyes as if she was sleepy.
Looking at Mea's face covered in fatigue, I felt guilty about trying to start a conversation.
Still, we can't just keep going on like this.
It was a quick trip from the Eastern District of the outer city, where the Telema School was located, to the Southern District, the commercial area.
This was because the Telema School was already on the southern outskirts of the Eastern District.
As we entered the Southern District, the noise created by the bustling crowd filled my ears.
The Southern District has a port along the river that passes through Res Limen.
I heard that the Southern District began as a commercial area when markets sprang up around the port.
As we crossed through the crowd and entered the shopping area, I tried speaking to Mea again, "Um, Instructor Mea?"
"...Just call me Mea."
"Okay, Mea. So what should we buy first?"
"Potions."
Right, you can't go to the Abyss without potions.
Though potions, unless they were elixir-grade, only increased recovery speed, even that was a miraculous effect from the perspective of modern medicine.
A gaping wound from a sword or knife would stop bleeding and heal after roughly a day if you poured some potion on it, drank some of the potion, and wrapped it in bandages.
I hadn't tried it yet, but I heard that with top-grade potions, one could see the healing in real time as they applied it.
"Here. It's good."
"Oh, is it?"
I looked around the interior of the shop Mea had introduced.
It wasn't a large store, but it made efficient use of the space.
The shelves were packed with various potions, but without any explanatory text, it was hard to tell what was what.
I could only guess that the red ones were health potions and the blue ones were mana potions based on their colors.
What's that?
There were quite a few potions with small snake-like things inside the bottles.
It looked like a display of medicinal liquor.
I thought I had looked around enough and turned to see what Mea was buying, but Mea was just staring at me from behind.
"Aren't you buying?"
"...Am I supposed to buy?"
Mea tilted her head as if it were the strange one.
"Isn't that right?"
Mea mumbled, avoiding my eyes as if she was a bit embarrassed to say it herself, "...I don't have money."
"Ah, well..."
I had known that since I saw the empty liquor bottles filled with water, but still.
"You'll be the only one using them anyway. Just buy your share. If you think about staying for one night, two small bottles of health and mana potion should be enough."
It seemed she didn't get her instructor qualification for nothing.
Mea unexpectedly gave quite helpful advice and meticulously explained the potions needed when descending into the Abyss.
I gathered the potions Mea had selected and placed them on the counter.
The owner, who had been silently guarding the counter until then, suddenly asked Mea, "Your disciple?"
"No, just a trainee."
"An apprentice, then."
"Yeah."
It was an interesting conversation where the owner, who looked to be at least 50, used semi-formal speech, while Mea, who looked at most to be in her mid-teens, spoke casually, "Hey, apprentice."
"Yes?"
"Give me 1000 lupe. It's originally 300 each, totaling 1200, but I'll give you a discount since you're an apprentice."
Considering that a meal at the inn in the suburb outside the city walls was 30 lupe, if we assume 1 lupe = 100 won, it was quite expensive.
Still, potions were essential items.
I took out ten 100 lupe copper coins.
As we were leaving the shop, I asked Mea, "Did you know him?"
"Yeah."
"If I may ask, what kind of relationship..."
"We went to the Abyss together a few times."
Mea cut off her words abruptly as if to say, “That's all?”
...The owner didn't seem to think that way.
While they were talking, I had been observing them from the side.
Mea was as emotionless as she was with me.
But the owner was different.
He was looking at her with pity.
It was such strong sympathy that even I, a stranger, could notice it.
It was too much to dismiss as just a retired person looking at someone still in active service.
Mea was also a Devil Sorcerer.
And from my experience, the reputation of Devil Sorcerers was at rock bottom.
Despite that, for him to show such sympathy, they must have been quite close.
She was too indifferent.
Is it simply because Mea has no particular interest in human relationships?
Or is that her price?
If the latter was correct, the price paid by Devil Sorcerers must be more cruel than I initially thought.
I hadn't thought much of that Maleb-something who took fingers as payment.
"Roman."
Is it our turn already?
Identity verification to enter the inner city.
The line was moving incredibly fast.
Is it because they're using magic?
When I showed my temporary license, Mea and I were immediately allowed through.
It literally took 3 seconds.
"I'm thinking of going straight to the Abyss. Do you have anywhere else to stop by in the inner city?"
"No, I don't."
My mind was already down in the Abyss.
All that remained was for my body to follow.
Mea and I walked briskly in silence, finally reaching the deepest part of the inner city.
Although there were no separate walls, we stepped into the plaza called the central area.
The center point of Res Limen, the circular city.
The very middle of the city.
There it was.
A massive gate connected to the world beyond.
"So that's the Gate."
I saw it for the first time.
Now I understood why this city was called Res Limen.
Why the name of the world's largest city was called a mere “threshold”.
It's because this city exists solely to support that gate.
"Don't get too absorbed."
"Ah, pardon?"
"It's just a gate. Don't forget that it's a place we should tread on, dig through, and stir up, not an object of worship."
"Ah..."
I see.
The overwhelming awe inspired by that gate.
And some became so absorbed in the infinite mysteries of the Abyss that lied beyond it.
Abyss Worshippers.
Mea was telling me not to become like them.
"Of course."
"Good. Then that's settled."
With that, Mea moved her short legs and trotted forward.
I immediately followed behind her.
Perhaps because the gate was open 24 hours.
The line of people waiting to descend into the Abyss was surprisingly shorter than the queue in the inner city.
"Senior-grade explorer Mea. Affiliated with the Telema School. Purpose is training. Confirmed."
After completing the final procedure, I stood in front of the gate leading to the Abyss.
Finally, we're going in.
At last, I crossed the threshold.
§
I learned about yet another world.
"Is this... the Abyss?"
Blue sky.
Islands floating above it.
Grass covering the ground and trees sprouting here and there.
Mountain ranges faintly showed off their elegant ridgelines in the distance.
Except for the absence of a sun or moon in the sky and rock islands floating instead of clouds, it wasn't much different from the outside world.
And above all else.
"It's bright."
Contrary to the name Abyss, which suggested a place without a single ray of light, this world was surprisingly full of light.
"It's the surface layer."
The surface layer Mea mentioned was also a nickname for the first floor of the Abyss.
The official name of the first floor of the Abyss was Garden.
Indeed. True to its name, this place was like a garden created at the boundary between the current world and another.
"It's amazing. Can we go up to those islands over there?"
"If you can fly. Didn't they teach you at the training center?"
"I did learn, but seeing it with my own eyes makes it hard to believe."
Everything was new.
The scenery of a world I had never seen on Earth or in this other world.
The air pressure, which wasn't severe, subtly pressed down on the body.
The concentration of mana flowing in the atmosphere was much denser than outside.
Everything.
"We can appreciate it as we go. First, let's move."
"I know. When entering the Abyss, the first thing to do is go to the main base. I learned that at the training center."
"We'll arrive within a day."
Unlike the outside world, where mana flowed in somewhat regular patterns, in the Abyss, mana flowed irregularly.
The transfer point of the gate also changed fluidly according to this flow.
However, even the irregular flow was within a certain spectrum, so the main base was located at a distance that could be reached within a day, no matter where one was transferred to.
As we walked, Mea started asking me questions related to the actual training.
"Have you mastered all five basic spells?"
"By five basic spells, you mean... Light Emission, Fire Ignition, Water Gathering, Warning Sound, and Far Sight?"
"You know well."
"I've mastered all except Fire Ignition."
"That's enough."
Besides, our position as Devil Sorcerers was far from support anyway.
"Then, about how to behave in the Abyss... wait a moment."
It was just as she was about to start the real training.
Ahead of us, a group of people was approaching.
The number is... four.
One vanguard with a sword and shield on his back.
One holding a bow.
And two mages holding staffs.
A standard composition.
With two mages, it could be said to be quite a solid team composition.
They seemed to have noticed our presence as well.
They started approaching us directly with a cautious attitude.
When we were close enough to clearly see each other's faces without using Far Sight magic, they spoke to us first, "We haven't seen you before, did you just enter today?"
I glanced at Mea.
But Mea remained still.
Instead, she crossed her arms as if to say she would watch from behind to see how I would handle this.
"Yes, that's right. And you?"
"Ah, we're just setting out from the base. If you're heading to the main base, just keep going straight. There should be signs."
"Thank you."
"By the way... is it just the two of you?"
When I didn't answer immediately, the other party seemed more flustered and waved their hands.
"Hahaha, don't misunderstand. I'm just curious. Usually, teams are formed with about four people like us. With just two people, you must be quite skilled."
"We're here for training."
"Oh, training? That brings back memories. It feels like just yesterday that I was in training. Have you heard of the Gravediggers? It's quite a famous guild."
"I think I've heard the name."
There was one guy who said he was going to train there when I spent the last night with my classmates.
"Since we've met like this, how about it? Want to move together? There's not much to do even if you go to the main base anyway. It might be better to experience the Abyss a bit more instead."
"I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to follow the rules. I'll just accept your goodwill."
"Well, if that's the case, we can't help it. Good luck with your training then, and let's meet again if we have the chance."
I returned the same hand signal, wishing good luck to the other party that had greeted us.
After this brief conversation, their group and ours passed each other.
As we walked, when I thought we had put some distance between us, I looked back.
I relaxed the mana I had accumulated in my bones for physical enhancement.
But even then, Mea's mouth remained closed.
Not yet.
It's not over?
At that thought, I immediately turned around.
What I saw when I turned my head was not their backs as it should have been, but...
"Huh?"
The faces of those guys approaching with drawn swords, muffling even their footsteps.
The blade reflecting light.
Hostility overlaid on expressionless faces.
And clear killing intent in their eyes.
"First rule of conduct in the Abyss."
Mea's voice, completely different from the scene I was seeing, emotionless and without any change in tone, pierced my ears, "Trust no one."
The moment Mea's words ended.
A shadow pouncing on the approaching swordsman entered my field of vision.
It was pitch black, as if shrouded in shadows, taking the form of a giant wolf.
The wolf, black all over like a shadow, opened its mouth wide and bit into the swordsman's arm.
Grrrr!! Keoong!!
From that moment, the world that had slowed down regained its original speed.
"I already knew that."
At the same time as my perception of the world’s time was restored.
A magic bullet lodged into the head of the swordsman who had stopped, bitten by the wolf.
Crack!
A sound as if it had shattered not only the helmet but also the skull.
They seemed to think it was over when I relaxed my mana for physical enhancement.
Unfortunately, my Devil magic was now on two tracks.
The mana loaded into the magic bullet was not Seir's, but Leraje's.
Unlike Seir's mana, which I had been openly displaying, the magic bullet that had been quietly waiting for an opportunity like a hunter hidden in the bushes coldly pierced the swordsman's head.
"I never trusted anyone to begin with."
Unconditional distrust of others.
That’s the first thing I learned after falling into this world.