A somber chill, oppressive dampness, impenetrable darkness, unspeakable odors, walls streaked with gri that reflected the burning torches, and long corridors where the occasional drip of water echoed.
This place matched every conception of a dungeon.
The dampness and the streaks on the walls ca from moisture seeping through the bedrock, for this place held only those the Inquisition deed "anomalies," and naturally, it was never cleaned.
The only new feature was the sealed cells, their tal walls described as being made of bronze.
After the developnt of alchemical materials similar to Deep Sea Stone that could block anomalies, the Inquisition's dungeons were the first to put them to use.
Prusius, Ophelia, and the rchant, Antony, were locked in separate cells along the way, while Lu Li was escorted to the deepest part of the dungeon.
"Eleven hours left."
As he entered the cell, Lu Li turned to the captain of the guard standing out in the corridor.
The guard captain lowered his oil lamp, and his only reply was the slow swing of the heavy bronze door as it closed.
Thud—
The cell door sealed shut, the faint footsteps outside faded away, and silence enveloped the cramped cell, illuminated by a single oil lamp.
What was the Inquisition planning?
Vinnelag, which wasn't cut off from information, already knew that the Deep God had attacked Midnight. Lu Li had then relayed a warning to Mayor Matteus about a potential attack on Vinnelag, and shortly after, he had arrived in person. Yet the shadow of the Deep God still lood over the city, and the twenty-four-hour countdown had begun.
What was suspicious was that Vinnelag hadn't lost its ability to fight. The warships in the port that had threatened Lu Li were proof that the city's forces remained intact—they could have even set an ambush for his arrival.
Was the Inquisition ignoring the Deep God, acting with so kind of confidence, or did they have so connection to the entity?
The key might lie in the entity the Inquisition worshipped, but unfortunately, Lu Li had no idea who that was.
In any case...
Lu Li surveyed the cell, which was impossible to break by human strength alone.
He had to find a way out.
Lu Li leaned against the bronze door, where the oil lamp sat, and allowed himself to fall asleep, slipping into the dreams of Prusius and Ophelia.
The bronze couldn't block the power of a Cursed Title. Following the path from mory, Lu Li summoned Prusius into the dream, then made his way toward Ophelia's cell.
However, in the chaotic dreamscape, which was as difficult to navigate as a thick fog, Lu Li misjudged the distance and accidentally slipped into the dream of one of the Church of Shadows cultists also imprisoned in the dungeon.
Lu Li told the ecstatic cultist to wait, exited the dream, and located Ophelia.
Her powers were contained by the bronze cell and so strange device used by the Inquisition, rendering her no different from an ordinary human.
"Your... thod... what is it?"
"I enter dreams."
Leaving Ophelia's dream, his consciousness returned to his body. He waited a mont to get his bearings, then sank back into sleep, navigating the chaos toward the hall where he rembered the inquisitors were stationed.
Valentin's constant glances at the clock revealed his anxiety.
The anxiety and the thrill of guarding such an important figure didn't make him any more alert; on the contrary, a profound drowsiness washed over Valentin, causing him to nod off repeatedly.
"I need soone to take my shift..."
Valentin whispered as he stood up. Suddenly sensing sothing, he lifted his head and stared at the bronze door that led into the dungeon.
Lu Li, who had just been escorted behind that sa bronze door and locked away, was standing in the shadows before it.
Valentin stared at Lu Li in astonishnt, then at the securely shut bronze door. As realization dawned, he asked:
"How did you get out?"
"This is a dream of my creation," Lu Li said, stepping out of the shadows.
"So I was already asleep..."
Valentin fell silent, his expression complex as he gazed at Lu Li:
"Have you truly fallen under the influence of an anomaly?"
"It's the power of the Cursed Title, 'Dreamwalker'."
Whether in reality or illusion, the Cursed Title cut through the layers of fog and manifested clearly in Valentin's mind.
"So, you sought
out to..."
"Open the door."
"We don't have the keys."
"Who does?"
"The ones upstairs... on the surface."
"Is there any other way out of the cell?"
"No... If you truly haven't been corrupted, why not wait for the higher-ups to verify it?"
"There's no ti. The Deep God needs twenty-four hours to corrupt the city's faith. We only have eleven hours left."
The dream hall fell silent for a mont before Valentin couldn't stop himself from asking:
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell the Inquisition Guard?"
"I did."
"And they did nothing...?"
"Nothing."
Valentin sank into an even deeper state of turmoil.
"They placed an oil lamp in my cell," Lu Li said then.
Valentin's eyes lit up. "They'll have calculated the ti and will co down to add more oil! In about seven hours... Will that be enough ti?"
"If there's no better option," Lu Li said, then asked again, "Who does the Inquisition worship?"
"The Sun God."
It was a deity he had never heard of, and there was no way to know if it even existed—sun worship was common enough in human civilization.
Lu Li prepared to exit the dream to plan his escape for when the Inquisition ca to refill the lamp.
"Wait... Are you sure I won't turn you in?"
Valentin suddenly called out to him.
"Because this isn't about saving . It's about saving Vinnelag."
The calm words slowly faded, and Valentin gradually awoke.
The cold touch of the floor beneath him confird that what he had just experienced was a dream... a very real dream.
He subconsciously glanced at the bronze door leading into the dungeon. It was still locked tight.
Valentin, once called the successor to One-Eyed Vic, grew anxious, tornted by the long wait.
After eight hours that felt like eight days, the Inquisition Guard arrived. They walked past Valentin, who feigned composure, unlocked the bronze door, and entered the long dungeon corridor.
As Valentin watched with a certain sense of expectation, a silhouette soon appeared before the bronze door.
A white shirt beneath a black cloak.
"There's another hall outside. Inquisitor Vic is on duty... He won't let you pass," Valentin warned, his expression conflicted.
"Is he a knight?"
"Uh... just an ordinary man, like ."
Lu Li nodded, thanked Valentin, and continued up the steps to the next level.
After ascending several dozen stone steps, Lu Li ca upon Inquisitor Vic, the man Valentin had ntioned.
"I knew you'd escape."
He was sitting in an armchair, one eye covered by a black patch like a pirate's. Staring at Lu Li with his good eye, he suddenly tossed him a brass key.
"Open the door, turn left. You'll see a section of wall that's a lighter color. Turn the candlestick on it, and you can get out through the secret passage."
"Should I knock you out?" Lu Li asked.
"No need."
One-Eyed Vic waved a dismissive hand, watching Lu Li disappear up the steps before turning toward the sound of approaching, heavy footsteps.
"Where is the prisoner!"
The pursuing captain demanded coldly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," One-Eyed Vic said with a shrug.
"The exorcist, Lu Li."
"He left."
"The Inquisition will punish you for this betrayal," the captain said icily, leading his n onward in pursuit.
"You sound like a villain when you say that."
One-Eyed Vic remarked sarcastically as the squad of knights filed past him.
"I used to think politicians were ugly and corrupt, but looking back now, I realize how wrong I was... We're the ones who are truly ugly and corrupt."
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