Mandatory System Event in 00:00:01.
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System Call: Citywide Secret Dungeon Tiendas City Opening Now!
All Hunters Must Enter Within One Hour Of Gate Load Or Suffer System Punishment!
Main Quest Story Unveiled: There Can Only Be One!
1st Objective: Defeat Demon Lord Belziarde In The Depths Of The City!
Every single person outside of Tiendas City, from the previous residents, to Hunters who just happened to be passing by, wakes up for this announcement. All around the city, gates in the wall which were sealed off by green barriers of light suddenly open as the barriers fade away. A great roar erupts from what seemed to be possibly over a million people and shakes the world.
"LET'S GO!!!"
"KILL IT!"
"IT'S ON!"
The enthusiasm of so many people, some trying to reclaim their home, some trying to survive, and many trying to level up is undeniable. In the corner of everyone's vision, a certain number appears. I stare at it and even I felt shock at how high it was.
Tiendas City Hunter Counter: 1,532,781!
Counter Refreshes In One Hour.
Yin looked around wildly in every direction but makes no move to get up. She's remembering my words from last night, which is good. I stand, and dust myself off, before extending a hand.
"I thought we weren't going to go in first?" She takes my hand with a look of confusion. I look around, observing the masses ahead, charging inside. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tripped and was crushed in the stampede. It's like watching a herd of sheep go wild during feeding time. Everyone wants to be the first in.
"We're not. But it'll look suspicious if we're too calm. Come on, there's some space opening up. Let's get a better view." I hug the terrified girl close. Hopefully I didn't destroy her fighting spirit by revealing the truth. I think I know Yin, even if she does manage to surprise me a lot. Somewhere inside her, there's a warrior. It just needs time to come out.
"Okay."
We let the waves of people surge on by, acting like we're scared. To be fair, the gate in front of us is massive. The System has obviously changed the city's layout and composition. Whatever it originally looked like, that no longer applies. Now the place looks old, almost gothic in atmosphere. Skyscrapers crumble despite being built less than a decade ago. At the top of the entrance, a brilliant archway covered in stone gargoyles gleams. Once people would have lusted after the precious gemstones set in their eyes. However, in the Calamity, no one cares for such trinkets. Waves of people charge in, and shouts of surprise come.
"My god! It's totally different! What happened to Ashton Boulevard!"
"This isn't how I remember! How can it be so big?"
"It's all changed! Completely changed!"
People scream as they discover how the System has remolded their city to suit its purposes. I'm not surprised. This was commonplace before. The power of the System is beyond human comprehension. And this is no mere dungeon. It is a Citywide Secret Dungeon.
I shake my head as after half an hour, the stream of people finally begins to slow down. Yin and I are one of only a few people still standing outside this particular archway. Though there are others still waiting, it doesn't mean anything. Many are just ragtag people too afraid to enter. Over a dozen gateways just like this are arranged all around the city walls, so whoever instigated the stampede could be at any of them. Cocking my ear, I notice that the sound of footsteps has grown faint.
