A linear corridor.

Although the structure was similar, calling it a corridor might be a bit misleading.

The length-to-width ratio might be comparable, but there was a huge difference in absolute width.

This place seemed at least three times larger than the Hall of Glory where knighthood was bestowed…

Swoooosh–

Even with the flare lighting the way, the end was nowhere in sight.

Dark shadows fell over the rows of statues standing in formation along the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.

‘Statues of the guardians…’

What on earth was this place for?

Surely, it wasn’t a place meant for solo play rather than party play?

While cautiously watching my surroundings for any hidden danger, the promised time passed and portals materialized in the air.

Whooosh–

Portals just large enough for one person.

Each portal opened briefly, expelled one person, then vanished as if its purpose was fulfilled.

“Fortunately, everyone came out safe.”

Amelia entered right after me.

“Ugh… this place is creepier than I thought.”

Next came Ainard, the warrior, showing no fighting spirit at all, looking completely unmotivated. After that, portals continued to open, letting our comrades inside.

“There might be traps nearby, so stay put and wait!”

Though all temporary 4th Squad members had entered, I didn’t start the exploration immediately but waited for the rear guard.

No harm in waiting until all preparations are complete before searching.

3rd Squad, 2nd, 1st…

Quietly waiting, over a hundred people entered in sequence, including the chief.

“Mages, secure sight first, and the rest, don’t act rashly–await orders!”

The chief shouted with Jerome Saintred’s face, his forced acting somehow unsettling, but at the same time, it brought a bit of relief.

Yeah, they really came in.

I had quietly worried if I’d be the only one thrown in.

‘Anyway, all have entered successfully…’

There seemed to be no limit or a very loose limit on the number of entrants here.

Of course, that wasn’t cause for pure joy.

Because in Dungeon & Stone, places like this usually had high difficulty.

“Baron Yandel, what should be our next move?”

The chief approached and asked, and I pretended to consider before passing instructions.

“Hmm… sounds reasonable.”

Trying not to reveal his figurehead status, the chief feigned hesitation briefly before ordering the deputy commander:

“We’ll first organize a search party and start investigating!”

The search began.

Initially, the knights scouted the area, calling mages to investigate anything suspicious instead of touching it carelessly.

Before I knew it, the map was complete.

‘Having many people to delegate to sure makes things convenient.’

It really felt like cheating.

If only our Anavada clan were here, making a map alone would have taken ages.

“No monsters detected within the radius.”

“Do not touch any statues! There is a faint but unknown magical reaction coming from inside!”

“Though we passed through the portal, it seems this is not inside the rift.”

“All terrain features here have restorative properties.”

A task that would normally take all day was finished quickly thanks to the manpower.

I simply stayed quiet, listening to reports with the chief, organizing and making judgments.

‘Is this… the taste of power?’

The convenience was so great it made my past barbaric expeditions look crude.

Instead of pen and paper, I racked my brain and summarized the collected info alone.

Three main points stood out.

If the mages’ guesses were right, these statues were no mere decorations.

They certainly had some role, and I had my suspicions–well, hopes, rather.

‘Not confirmed yet, so let’s skip for now…’

All statues represented guardians of fifth floor or below.

But peculiarly, among the statues was the vampire duke Cambormier, a sort of hidden boss…

Yet the real problem was different.

‘Why are some guardians here that I’ve never seen?’

These were not unidentified entities.

Even if guardians, just like Cambormier was essentially a Grade 5 vampire monster, most had finished their experience gain.

But here’s the issue…

‘Drakes shouldn’t appear as guardians, though…?’

Among all rifts, drakes never show up as ‘guardians,’ yet one proudly stood among the statues.

Were these statues only of guardian monsters? It didn’t seem so, but all others had guardian traits.

Look at the lycanthrope statue.

Only the tyrant Tarunbas from the Glacier Cave used an ice club like that.

“If that’s really a guardian… it means new guardian essences have appeared!”

“But nothing has been confirmed yet.”

“No, I’m sure! Just as Baron Yandel defeated the vampire guardian before and acquired its essence, these must be undiscovered guardians of unknown rifts!”

Maybe this was truly a case similar to the Blood Castle.

It’s hard to accept that so many rifts exist that I didn’t even know about.

But the longer I stayed in this world, the more I quietly accepted it.

I just knew far more than others.

Knowing everything about Dungeon & Stone is my arrogance.

The first basement alone was proof.

I didn’t even know that a restrained wish could upgrade vampire essence into ogre essence.

Anyway, next.

At the end of the corridor, past the statues, stood a huge stone gate impervious even to first-rank magic.

And…

Simply put, only by fulfilling certain conditions with what we’ve found can the gate be opened and the next stage accessed.

Therefore…

“Search is enough for now. Gather everyone. Novelight (Exclusive on Novelight) No, better to get them all together.”

I told the figurehead chief to assemble the troops.

That much clue was sufficient, right?

“Prepare for battle, all units…!”

The deputy commander shouted, commanding the troops, and I slowly approached the statues amid the tense atmosphere.

Then…

Step, step.

I first laid my hand on the easiest King Slime statue.

Ziiiiiing–

For some reason, I felt an electric current run through my fingertips.

I instinctively knew something had activated.

But…

‘This I didn’t expect.’

I only guessed the statues would come to life, so I was quite taken aback.

“…A portal?”

A portal appeared around the statue.

The portal opened.

The portal that appeared after opening the unknown stone gate in the first basement level.

It wasn’t hard to guess where this portal led.

“Is it a portal to the Green Mine…?”

“That seems highly likely.”

Hearing the whispers, other explorers seemed to share my thoughts.

But I didn’t rush to conclusions.

“We need to decide who goes through first.”

There was no guarantee the portal connected to the Green Mine, nor how many could pass at once.

So I began personnel selection with great care.

There were three portal types:

This includes dimensional steles.

Though in the rift, such portals haven’t opened yet, so unlikely here.

Typical for first-floor rifts.

When a rift opens, dozens of portals appear, and when five pass, all vanish.

The doppelganger forest on the 4th floor is this type.

Portals can be used only once.

If someone is bound nearby, they also move together.

This was proven long ago even for six-person bonds.

‘Okay, personnel selection is done…’

For teams of 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 18… arranged in multiples of 5 and 6, and order set.

Might all be useless, but I believed not preparing was a sin in the labyrinth.

But…

“Then I’ll go in first.”

After freshly casting the bonding magic, I carefully stepped into the portal, soon to be surprised.

“…”

Iron rails covered the floor.

Scrap materials scattered around.

A broken cart wheel and coal inside.

So far, no problem.

The place I arrived was indeed the Green Mine.

But if there was a serious problem here…

“What the hell is this? Why is no one coming?”

No matter how much time passed, no one entered.

“…”

I explored around just in case and waited longer, but the portal showed no sign of reopening.

My thoughts grew more complicated.

‘Why aren’t they coming?’

Is there a problem outside?

Could the chief be scheming again?

Or maybe everyone entered but at different start points, so we haven’t met?

“…I’ll proceed alone for now.”

Waiting here seemed pointless, so I slowly started theGong Lue .

This was no ordinary Green Mine.

Strong monsters could appear any moment.

Repeating caution in my mind, I moved carefully.

“…Huh?”

After just a short walk, a sudden clearing appeared.

And then–

[Kyuuiiiit-!]

The Green Mine’s guardian appeared abruptly.

Normally, I’d have to walk much further after defeating the mid-boss…

Crack!

As soon as it saw me, it charged, so I killed it with my hammer.

[King Slime defeated.]

[Guardian defeat bonus. EXP +3]

…Looks like I got proper experience.

Maybe just my imagination, so I put it aside.

Swoooosh!

I stared blankly at the portal that appeared right after the kill.

‘Is this the end…?’

A little anticlimactic, but it really felt like the end.

Unless some other event awaited beyond the portal.

Since the portal wouldn’t disappear immediately, I gradually regained composure and checked the fallen King Slime’s spot.

“Could at least have dropped a Rift Stone.”

The loot was a rainbow-colored essence proving it was a guardian’s.

Trash to me.

Even if I put it in a test tube and sold it, it wouldn’t be worth much…

And no mage would bother putting it in a test tube anyway.

Not like I’d consume it.

Thud.

Without any regrets, I tore my eyes away from the guardian essence and quickly exited through the portal.

“Ah, sir…!!”

Thankfully, I arrived back at the previous place through the portal.

“Bjorn…!”

“Thank goodness! Captain!!”

My squad members rushed to me worriedly.

Before telling my story, I first listened to theirs.

Why hadn’t anyone followed?

The answer matched my expectation.

Sadly indeed.

“They didn’t not enter, they couldn’t enter. Bjorn, the portal disappeared right after you went in.”

…So it really was a one-person rift.

Well, better than others being blocked by outside problems…

“Phew…”

I sighed.

Taking my eyes off my comrades, I scanned the statues in the corridor.

Different types, difficulties, and ways to fight–guardians below the fifth floor.

‘I have to kill all of these alone…’

I could already see the hard road ahead.