CHAPTER 46: 46: MANIFESTED DUNGEON

Aaron stared at Nathan, his last words catching him completely off guard. There was something unsettling about the way he spoke—casual, calm, yet carrying weight like a thundercloud ready to split the sky.

---

Nathan

Strength: D-

Agility: E-

Vitality: F-

Stamina: F-

Mana: S+

Talent: Nil

Blessing of Sight: Blessed by the universe with sight, Nathan requires no physical eyes to perceive the truth. The very fabric of existence bends to his awareness. He is one of the rare beings loved by the universe.

All Sight: Nothing remains hidden from him. He can see mana, secrets, spirits, emotions, and even the essence of truth itself. Every layer of reality is peeled back before him.

Divination: At the cost of his lifespan, Nathan may glimpse into events not meant to be seen. The greater the change he makes to causality, the heavier the toll on his remaining time.

Protection: As one of the universe’s favored, Nathan is wrapped in its eternal safeguard. No harm can come to him until the exact moment his destined life ends.

---

"It’s not very nice to peek at someone like that," Nathan said with a serene smile, as though he hadn’t just violated every layer of Aaron’s privacy.

"Couldn’t help it," Aaron muttered, offering no denial. After all, how could he? Not when Nathan had already laid bare everything hidden within him.

He cast a glance around the vehicle. "So I’m in the same car with two people blessed by the universe. How nice," he added, gesturing casually toward Nathan beside him and Alice seated up front.

Alice’s position in the front seat was no accident. It was deliberate—a silent, enforced boundary to keep anyone from making the mistake of getting too close.

Nathan smiled. "We may be blessed by the universe, but you are even more special than us. You are, after all, blessed by something beyond it."

His words cut through the space like a blade, pulling Alice and Ryder’s attention to Aaron in an instant.

"Let’s call it even then," Aaron replied swiftly, trying to smother the growing interest before Nathan could blurt out more of his secrets.

Blessed by something greater? Aaron’s mind stirred. He didn’t know exactly what Nathan meant, but he had a strong suspicion it was about the system.

Speaking of which... he realized, I haven’t taken today’s draw.

He hesitated.

"System—no, never mind. I’ll do it later," he thought, pulling himself back. If Nathan’s powers were even half as terrifying as they appeared, then activating his draw now was too risky.

He couldn’t afford to let Nathan see the wheel. Or his rewards.

---

[Host does not need to worry. That pitiful blessing cannot see through the system’s draw.]

Aaron smirked inwardly. "How reassuring. You couldn’t help but brag, huh?"

[Host does not respect me enough despite my greatness.]

"Who are you, and how did I even get chosen?" Aaron asked, deciding it was time to extract some answers.

[It is too early for Host to know. You must level up the system to access more information.]

"Wait, there are levels to you?"

[Dumbass. You never asked!]

[You will unlock Level 2 upon reaching godhood. At that stage, you will gain access to God-rank and Sovereign-rank rewards through the Lucky Draw.]

"Bastard! You should have told me that already!" Aaron blurted aloud.

The car fell into sudden silence.

Aaron cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Cough, cough. My bad. Was having a conversation with, uh... inner me. You know how it goes."

Ryder muttered under his breath, "I knew it. No genius is ever fully sane."

---

The ride dragged on, hours ticking by until the vehicle pulled into a forgotten, dust-laden town nestled far off the main road. The place felt eerie. Too quiet.

Ryder squinted. "Strange. Was there ever a town here before?" he asked, genuinely baffled.

Nathan looked ahead calmly. "This isn’t a town. It’s a manifested dungeon."

Aaron leaned forward. "Manifested dungeon?" he repeated, clearly confused. He had done his research but hadn’t seen that term before.

"Yeah," Nathan began, "Unlike normal dungeons that appear in rifts, these ones manifest into the real world. They blend perfectly with their surroundings."

He continued, "It’s rare, but dangerous. You have to find the dungeon’s core—which can be anywhere within the area—and destroy it. If not, the dungeon keeps expanding until it becomes unmanageable. Like the Abyssal Dungeon at the bottom of the ocean."

Aaron’s eyes widened. "There’s a dungeon at the bottom of the ocean? Why didn’t I ever see that online?"

"Because," Alice chimed in, "everything on the net is tightly controlled by a global alliance. They’d never let word about the Abyssal Dungeon leak. It would cause world-level panic."

Aaron narrowed his eyes. "So how dangerous is it? Like... what makes it that terrifying?"

"Even if every awakened on Earth joined forces, we wouldn’t stand a chance," Alice said bluntly. "It houses a god-ranked being. Possibly more. We don’t know how many."

Aaron sat back, stunned. "Insane... Then why is humanity still standing?"

"Because the monsters are territorial," she explained. "They rarely leave their domain. As long as no one provokes them, we’re safe. For now."

Her tone made it clear that ’safe’ was only temporary.

Aaron grunted, opening the car door. "Great. Another ticking time bomb. Just what humanity needs."

He stepped out, stretching his legs. "Where are you going?" Ryder asked.

"To deal with the dungeon, of course. I’ve been cooped up in that cramped car for too long. Time to stretch my legs."

He turned back, walking confidently into the town.

"Oi, little seer!" he called over his shoulder. "Come along. I’m sure you can help find the core. No need for me to stumble around when I have you."

"Absolutely not! It’s too dangerous for him!" Ryder snapped, immediately objecting.

Aaron waved him off. "Oh, relax. The universe itself protects him. No one can touch him until his time is up. Stop whining. Come with us too—you’re a B-rank hunter, not some rookie."

Alice stepped out of the car without a word, joining Aaron calmly.

Aaron glanced back. "Coming or not?"

Nathan sighed, then stepped out as well. "I’m coming."

That left only Ryder in the car.

He groaned. "Hah... do I even have a choice at this point?"

Muttering curses under his breath, Ryder finally exited the vehicle and followed them into the ominous silence of the manifested dungeon.