Just Extra

Minerva and Naviga slipped quietly into the spatial cave. The large ships above didn't notice them, Minasa had stayed behind; she would not step into the dungeon. Her role was to watch from outside, ready to act if anything unexpected happened to them.

The moment Minerva and Naviga passed through the gate of the spatial cave, the world around them shifted. At first, everything was pitch black. It felt as though they were standing in a void where sound and light had been swallowed whole. Then, in the blink of an eye, Light spread out. The dungeon revealed itself.

The entrance behind them faded as if it had never been there. Instead, they stood on an endless plain. No mountains here, no hills, no forests in there—only a flat terrain, scorched land stretching as far as their eyes could see. The air was dry and heavy, heat pressing down like a furnace.

Scattered across the plain were corpses, both human and monster. Some were fresh, blood still seeping into the cracked earth. Others were little more than dried husks, bones picked clean. Above the sky Winged beasts circled in the sky, their screeches echoing across the emptiness as groups of magus cultivators fought desperately below.

It didn't take long before trouble found them too. A sharp squeal tore through the air. From the cracked ground ahead, a creature scurried forward on four clawed legs. Its fur was an unnatural shade of green, blending with the faint glow of its eerie eyes. The beast bared its teeth, saliva dripping, as it darted toward them with surprising speed.

"That's a Verdant Fang Rat," Naviga said under her breath, recalling its name. She had read of it before—low-ranked monster, but vicious in groups. Alone, it was already quick and hard to pin down. Its glowing green eyes locked on Minerva and Naviga, hungry and unafraid.

The two girls exchanged a look. The Verdant Fang Rat welcomed them, A second phase monster.

The Verdant Fang Rat hissed and lunged forward, its green eyes glowing faintly in the dim heat. Its claws scraped across the cracked ground as it darted toward them, fast but not nearly fast enough.

Naviga didn't even flinch. For her, a beast at the second realm phase realm was nothing more than a minor annoyance. She lifted her hand slightly, her expression calm, almost bored. The flow of universal essence surged through her body with ease, her aura stirring the air.

The rat leapt, its teeth aiming straight for her arm. Before it even came close, Naviga's essence lashed out. A sharp burst of universal essence energy cut through the air, slamming into the creature's chest.

Crack!

The Verdant Fang Rat let out a strangled squeal as its body twisted midair and crashed heavily onto the ground. Its fur was scorched, its chest caved in from the impact. A faint green glow in its eyes flickered once, then it vanished.

Naviga lowered her hand, the faint ripple of essence fading away. She brushed an invisible speck of dust from her dress, as if she had merely swatted aside a fly.

" It not dangerous," she said softly, her tone casual. "Too weak."

Minerva watched quietly, her red eyes scanning the empty plain. Though her face remained calm, there was a sharp glint in her gaze. "If that was just a stray, then the real threat hasn't shown itself yet."

Naviga gave a small nod, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Indeed young miss,then let's see what else this spatial cave have."

The plain stretched endlessly, shimmering under the burning heat. Naviga and Minerva had already been walking for nearly an hour, yet the scenery never seemed to change—flat land. Just dry air pressing down on them, making the dungeon feel more like a sealed desert than anything else.

Sweat barely touched Minerva's forehead, her body hardened through cultivation, but even she felt the stifling weight of the heat. Naviga, her light dress clung faintly to her form, the heat outlining her curves and making her presence strangely dangerous, like a blade hidden beneath silk. Each step she took carried a quiet confidence, and it made others hesitate to approach too closely.

After the chaos at the entrance—blood, monsters, cultivators clashing—the deeper parts of the dungeon were eerily quiet. No monsters appeared, no traps triggered. Only silence, stretching further than the eye could see.

The groups of magus cultivators who had entered with them were no longer together. The dungeon had scattered them, breaking large crowds into smaller groups. Some still tried to gather allies, whispering, scheming, forming temporary bonds. Others simply walked, testing the strange land with caution.

But Naviga and Minerva were different. They moved together, not seeking company, not explaining their path. When others noticed them taking the leftward trail across the plain, many hesitated. Some tried to follow, hoping to curry favor—if they could walk behind the two beautiful make them more proud.

Yet every time someone drew near, Naviga's gaze would meet theirs. Cold, sharp. That single look was enough to freeze their steps. Her eyes carried the weight of someone who had seen death too closely, and no one dared test whether she would tolerate followers.

One by one, the would-be allies faltered. They whispered excuses to each other, drifted to the right or backtracked entirely. Soon, the path to the left belonged to only two people—Minerva and Naviga.

The silence deepened. The plain still stretched without end. And the heat only grew stronger.

Naviga shaded her eyes with one hand, staring out over the endless shimmering plain. The heat pressed down, but still nothing moved.

"Miss," she finally said, her voice low but casual, "is this really a dungeon? Other than the monsters that destroyed Silverbend Town and those we saw at the entrance… there's nothing here."

Minerva walked a few steps ahead, her robes brushing the dry ground. She didn't answer right away, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon as though searching for something hidden. The silence stretched until only the crunch of their boots on the baked earth could be heard.

At last, she spoke. "A dungeon isn't always what people expect. Sometimes it's not traps, or treasures, or swarms of beasts waiting at every turn." She paused, her expression calm but unreadable. "Sometimes… the danger is exactly this. An emptiness that makes you doubt what's real."

Naviga's lips curved faintly. "So the dungeon itself wants to play mind games?"

Minerva gave her a small glance, the corner of her mouth lifting. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it's just waiting for the right moment."

The words lingered in the heavy air, and Naviga found herself watching the horizon again, half expecting something to finally break through the endless plain.

After a hundred steps, the walk across the plain suddenly felt… different.

Naviga slowed first, her boots dragging against the dry ground. A faint shiver ran down her spine. Minerva also stopped, her head tilting ever so slightly.

"It's strange," Naviga muttered, glancing back over her shoulder. "We didn't really move far, but it feels like we just passed through something."

The land behind them was the same—flat, cracked earth stretching forever under the burning heat. Just empty space.

Minerva's brows drew together. She raised her hand slightly, her fingers brushing the faint outline of a talisman hidden in her sleeve. "Like an invisible barrier," she said. Her tone was calm, but her sharp gaze scanned the area carefully.

Naviga let out a quiet breath and shifted her stance. The weight of silence around them grew heavy, almost unnatural. Even the heat seemed to still.

Then—

BOOM!!!

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