Chapter 206 206: Dungeon Break Explained!
If you're wondering why Val thought he would be able to satisfy Eliana if he made breakfast for her, let's reflect on Eliana's past.
With her family annihilated by devils, Eliana became a street urchin with a younger brother to provide for and take care of. Having no parents or a guardian to look after them in a cruel world where the strong were respected and the plight of the weak was typically overlooked, they were worse off than orphans.
Thus, every day was a fight for survival where she had to ensure she and her brother wouldn't starve to death or get killed.
So how could she have the time to experience other things?
Eliana... she experienced what it meant to be cared for after she awakened and Val started providing for her. He was doing it out of selfish motives but she didn't know that as he had carefully masked his true intention behind a flawless facade.
Being the old fox he was, he could read simple and naive humans like Eliana like an open book. He was certain that providing her with a bit of warmth would move her heart, inciting a surge in his position in her heart.
Besides, while they were spending time together, he had noticed one of the greatest joys of her life was having a fulfilling meal with the person she loved. Although he couldn't be there to accompany her, he had no doubt she would feel grateful once she finds out what he had done for her. After all, there's something undeniably touching about waking up to find that one's beloved has prepared a meal just for them.
The breakfast he whipped up for Eliana was nothing extravagant. It was a simple egg toast paired with a few slices of bacon, bread, and beans.
It was, however, far better than what she used to have in the past. After all, before they became a couple, Eliana would often settle for hard, plain bread for breakfast, always putting aside her needs to save every penny to ensure her brother's enrollment into the stronghold. At that time, she had not awakened as a priestess, thus making earning a few pennies challenging for her.
Once they began dating, Val noticed she was malnourished and improved her diet.
As his personal asset, her health was a great deal. While the holy power in her blood could ensure a supernatural rate of recovery from physical harm inflicted on her, it didn't mean her health won't deteriorate if she didn't eat appropriately.
After he took it upon himself to ensure she was better nourished, every morning, he'd insist she has at least two eggs, refined bread, and a glass of milk. And he made sure she ate well three times a day. This had not only improved her health but also deepened her feelings for him.
Val was confident that she'd be elated to see a hearty breakfast prepared by her lover once she awakens.
'Given the events of the previous night and this morning's breakfast, perhaps she might even say a prayer for me, bestowing upon me a powerful blessing. I will be looking forward to it,' The thought put a warm smile on his face.
After setting aside breakfast for her, Val left the house and started moving towards the coliseum.
The Coliseum was located in the southern district of the lower city. It was towering and majestic, boasting a vast arena surrounded by rows of ascending seats, able to accommodate thousands. Its main purpose was to allow citizens of the frontier to earn contribution points by engaging in battles or placing bets. Battles could be held against fierce beasts or fellow humans, the choices were numerous. The spectators could place a bet before the battle begins. If the one they bet on wins, a bunch of Contribution points would be credited to their cards.
"It's like the one in Rome.'
Val arrived there after a quarter of an hour and noticed a huge crowd was already gathered at the coliseum.
Val thought, 'Looks like the notification issued by the authorities piqued the interest of many.'
The people around him were engaged in conversation. Without feeling shy, he overheard their overheard, wanting to get a clear picture of the situation.
"We're called here for the dungeon break. I bet it's to rally forces to destroy the seed of infection and prevent the dungeon break from spreading."
"Seed of corruption? What's that?"
"You don't know what a seed of corruption is? You must have not paid attention in school."
"How rude of you to assume I have a privileged upbringing!"
"???"
"What does being privileged have to do with the fact you're ignorant?"
"I never went to school because I couldn't afford it! If I had a choice, do you think I will be so ignorant?"
"I feel sorry for you."
This was said sarcastically.
"If you're done jabbing at the boy, why not explain it?"
The man who had spoken must be someone important because the person dressed like an official straightened up his back and saluted the man, "Sir, yes sir!"
Val saw how quickly the official had changed his behaviour because his superior intervened. He couldn't help but think, 'The lower city might not be as grand as the upper haven, but no matter where you are, being in a position of power can make the people around you behave pleasantly or however you like. Just look at how a single sentence from Marshall made the official behave more politely. That says a lot about the current state of society.'
In this world, the strong were respected unconditionally. On the other hand, there was no need for a reason to look down on the weak and the people of lesser status.
However, Marshall only liked bullying bullies. So he stopped the official working for the same master as him from being a jerk.
"When a dungeon break happens, it doesn't mean a spatial crack has opened up in space, allowing monsters inside the dungeon to invade the world. It means something entirely else," The official explained to the gathered crowd to complete his order.
"Stop trying to be mysterious by talking in a roundabout way!"
"Yeah, get straight to the point."
"Okay, okay, I will. The dungeon break is classified as a unique phenomenon by the court wizard as it means the integration of the world inside the dungeon with our world. That's how a dimension is formed. With the appearance of a dimension, the dungeon core takes root in the world, transforming into a Seed Of Corruption, which not only stabilizes and sustains the existence of a dimension but also feeds on the world's energy to grow and strengthen the dimension. If left unchecked, the dimension will grow and the monsters inside it will become stronger, growing in grade. But this process usually takes a lot of time."
"Is there a way to stop it?" Rowan asked. Rowan was the boy who hadn't gone to school because of his financial situation.
Val glanced at him, feeling he stood out from the crowd. It might be because he was well over 7 feet. But he could also sense he was strong. Call it the instinct of the strong. As he cast detect on him, he realized that although Rowan comes from humble origins and was dressed in plain clothing, he was a level 2 bloodline user. If he was really as poor as he said, the reaching such a level at the age of 22 was special. His bloodline purity must be quite high. As soon as Val realized this, he decided to leave an impression on him.
"There is." Val said, "You need to enter the dimension and destroy the seed of corruption. But it is not an easy feat. Just like how a dungeon core is protected, the seed of corruption is also protected by the strongest monsters of the dimension.'
"Can't a powerful bloodline user invade a dimension and destroy it?" Rowan asked again.
"It's not possible," Val replied.
Marshall nudged the official to do the explaining. Commanded by the most traumatizing superior of the lower city, the official spoke like a parrot, "A dimension is surrounded by a barrier that not just anyone can bypass. Only beginner-stage bloodline users can enter a lesser-grade dungeon, which is formed when a dungeon break of danger levels 1 to 4 occurs. And even if the barriers are somehow breached, the dimension has its own laws. It will crush the violator if possible or expel them from the dimension. But it's considered challenging for advanced-stage bloodline users to harm the barrier of a lesser dimension. And why would they do that when they have better things to do?"
After hearing the explanation, Rowan seemed to be enlightened, "Dimensions are really something."
"They are indeed," Val continued, "A trip inside a dimension may be perilous, but it can also be rewarding. Except for monsters, a lot of exotic treasures form in the dimension. They can be a life changer if you come across one and obtain them," Val said with glints of desire flashing in his eyes.
"Thank you for sharing valuable information with a nobody like me," Rowan said.
Val smiled warmly, "You're welcome."
A ray of light shot out of the Upper Haven. Marshall gazed turned sharp.
The special event was about to begin!