After Defeating the Demon King: The Enchanted Depths Below - The Hero's Boredom and the Fall into the Abyss

# After Defeating the Demon King: The Enchanted Depths Below ## Act One: Luxceil The Holy Sword Ministry. Seraphitis Headquarters. Capital of Luxceil. The throne room. White marble. Chandeliers blazing. Over a hundred gathered. Nobles. Merchants. Scholars. Priests. All eyes on Raewin Arceide. Three thin scars. Left cheek. Claw marks. The Demon King Zelvarn Karl's signature. Proof. He killed humanity's enemy. "You have labored well, Hero." Chancellor Heizel Fanon rose from his throne. Aged man. Former hero candidate. Now an administrator. Controlling legends. "Three months ago. You defeated Zelvarn Karl. Brought peace to the world. Your deeds will echo forever." Applause roared. Raewin nodded. He moved his eyes. Made expressions. All habit. Gray pupils. Faintly purple from mana backflow. Staring into nothing. The chancellor's words didn't reach him. Ears heard. Brain didn't. Every day since killing the Demon King was the same. Reports. Celebrations. Visits. Greetings. Always. The same. "Tonight, we host a court banquet. To celebrate your return. Please attend." "I'm honored," Raewin said. Someone laughed. More applause. That night. The Wandering Bird's Lamp. An adventurer's inn. Mid-tier. Three silver coins per night. Innkeeper Selina Pork remembered him. Bloodstained hero. The returned champion. Now he drank alone. Second floor. His room. Cheap wine. Barrel-bottled. Tasteless. Colorless. "Boring." Raewin whispered. He tilted the glass. Lukewarm liquid. His throat. Apathy dominated his chest instead. He looked at his left arm. Light-attribute mana marks glowed faintly. Holy Sword Ministry insignia. Proof of rank. Once pride. Now a shackle. "Like this forever?" He collapsed onto the bed. Stared at the ceiling. White. Nothing. Just white. Three months. Long three months. Yet nothing done. Nothing accomplished. Reports and greetings filled every day. Where did the adventurer go? Outside. Night. Street lamps. Stone pavement dimly lit. He once left this city. Sought unexplored lands. Trained in goblin lairs. Fought wolf packs. Teeth gritted at death's edge. He loved those days. "Caged." Raewin sat up. Decision came suddenly. Leave tomorrow. Tell no one. Abandon the ministry. Forget obligations. Shatter this boredom. At dawn, Raewin headed west. ## Act Two: Calbasse, the Decaying Gate One hundred eighty kilometers west. Four days by carriage. Eastern foothills of the Zelk Range. Calbasse. Population: six thousand. Once the front line against the Demon King's army. War scars remained on the city walls. Stone gouged diagonally. Black burn marks. Memories of defeat. Flight. Raewin wore a black leather coat. Entered the decaying gate. "Where's the Adventurer's Guild? Gray Bastion?" He asked a shop clerk. Old woman. Pointed with her thumb. North. The building resembled a fortress. Stone. Small windows. Heavy doors. Adventurers departed from here. Toward the Abyss Cavern Granadiel. Inside. Stacked applications on a desk. Branch Master Myra Kest. Thirty-five years old. Former B-rank adventurer. Now issued permits. "The Abyss Layer?" Myra frowned. "Raewin. You serious?" "Yes." "People die there. Shallow and middle layers are explorable. Beyond that? No data. No one knows what emerges. What traps exist." Raewin nodded without thinking. "I understand." "You don't. That's why you're saying this." Myra signed the document. Handed him the permit. "Don't die. A hero's corpse is no joke." ## Act Three: The Decaying Forest Vernoa Fifteen kilometers west of Calbasse. Vernoa. The decaying forest. Dim. Ground and bark indistinguishable. Giant trees exceeded forty meters. Roots blocked all light. Raewin drew his holy sword. "Kalevadia of the Dawn Chain." White silver blade. Gold mana marks. Anti-Demon King armament. He walked slowly. B-rank monsters roamed here. Animal breath audible. Distant. Somewhere. One hour. Two hours. Monsters appeared. Weaker than Raewin. Gray wolves. Five. Raewin finished them in three strikes. Blood scattered. Stink. Dark forest. Blood color invisible. Bored. Go deeper. Stronger things exist. Raewin advanced through narrow passages. Middle layer boundary. Ancient Demon King Army tunnels. Artificial marks on stone walls. Middle layer. Darker still. Mana density rose. Skin felt it. Air heavy. Breathing shallow. Beyond this. No explorer records. Raewin gripped his sword tighter. Advanced through the passage. Old traps. Demon King Army installations. Collapsed magic circles on the floor. Long defunct. He stepped forward. Wrongness. Floor glowed for one instant. The ancient trap released its final power. Raewin's feet left the ground. "——!" He fell. ## Act Four: The Fall Vision inverted. Up became down. Down became up. Everything blurred. "Tch——" Raewin drew his holy sword. Falling. Downward. Always downward. Walls visible. Dark walls. He stabbed his blade into stone. "Aaaaaaah——" Sparks. Fire. Blade tearing through wall. Slowing. But not stopping. He stabbed again. Still falling. Raewin burst through the middle layer's artificial section. Deeper. Further down. Collapsed ceiling visible. Mana crystals glowed blue-white. Impossible space. Then——a massive underground cavern. Unimaginable scale. Never seen before. Light itself distorted. "Ah——" Raewin's body landed on something soft. Moss carpet. Full-body impact. Organs shaken. Consciousness fading. "Where is... this...?" His last words. Darkness swallowed everything. A distant presence felt. But what it was——unknown. All turned black. ## Act Five: Awakening Pain. Full-body pain. Raewin opened his eyes. Unknown landscape filled his vision. Mana crystals hung from the ceiling. Blue-white glow. Stars scattered across the configuration. Impossible for normal dungeons. He slowly rose. Joints creaked. Pain shot through. But organs intact. Not fatal. Raewin stood. He surveyed the surroundings. Vast underground cavern. Ceiling distant. Invisible. Walls invisible. A palace of glowing crystals. Like——a world created by magic. Separate reality. Not a normal dungeon. Raewin's hand moved to his sword hilt. Then—— A gaze from behind. Sharp. Animal-like. More than that. Human-like. But not human. Raewin turned. Two silhouettes in darkness. One: silver hair. Blue eyes. Cold expression. One: red hair. Beast ears. Tail. "Who are you?" Raewin drew his holy sword. White blade caught crystal light. Gleaming. The silver-haired girl raised her hand. Ice magic circle deployed. "Intruder. Eliminate." Her voice was cold. Emotionless. Completely controlled. The red-haired girl stepped forward slightly. "Luna, wait——" "Stand back, Leia. This one is dangerous." Luna, the silver-haired girl, readied an ice spear. Raewin's alertness peaked. Front: silver-haired woman. Apparent age: early twenties. Actual age unknown. Pale skin. Cold eyes. Black robe. Spirit race, perhaps. That emotionless aura. Dark attribute aptitude. Left: red-haired girl. Apparent age: late teens. Beast-kin. Cat or fox type. Red fur. Tail swaying left and right. Animal instinct. Curiosity or caution. Unclear. "Wait," Raewin said. Both hands raised. "I don't want to fight. I just fell." "You're lying." Luna said. "Burst through the deep layer? To the Abyss? Impossible. Who are you?" "I just fell." Raewin repeated. Leia tilted her head. "I think he's telling the truth." "Leia, don't misjudge." Luna threw the ice spear. Raewin ducked. The spear cut air. Pierced the wall behind him. Shattered. "You were the Demon King's subordinate, weren't you?" Raewin asked quietly. "Why are you still here?" Luna's expression wavered slightly. For one instant. Luna's emotions broke. Her spirit magic control shattered. "——!" Ice erupted around her. Chaotic. Uncontrolled. Surging toward Raewin. Raewin reflexively drew his holy sword. Light attribute mana concentrated on the blade. Ice and light collided. ——BOOM Explosion. Shockwave. Surrounding crystals trembled. Smoke cleared. Raewin's sword lowered. "You didn't really want to kill me, did you?" Raewin said. "That was a control failure." Luna's face paled. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Fear? Or something else? Leia rushed forward. "Wait, you two!" Leia grabbed Raewin's hand. "Come to the Quiet Garden! We'll talk there!" "Leia, don't act on your own——" Luna protested. But Leia wasn't listening. Raewin was pulled deeper into the cavern. Luna reluctantly followed. "It's fine, it's fine! I can tell this person isn't bad!" Leia laughed innocently. Luna sighed deeply. ## Act Six: The Quiet Garden Within the Abyss Layer. An impossible space existed. The Quiet Garden——a residence the Demon King created for his subordinates. Area: approximately two thousand square meters. Central artificial spring maintained by mana. Stone buildings scattered. Bedrooms. Great hall. Bath. Kitchen. Ceiling mana crystals mimicked day-night cycles. Now night. Light dim. Shadows stretched long. Raewin paused. "An incredible place." Luna said. "This is our home. I should throw you out immediately, but——" "Luna, don't be mean!" Leia interrupted. Raewin observed everything. The Demon King Zelvarn Karl created this. His traces. Everything functioned perfectly. The mana-maintained spring flowed quietly, retaining warmth. Crystal light resembled moonlight. Impossible. The Demon King's subordinates——former enemies——still lived here. Raewin took a deep breath. His left arm's light attribute mark glowed faintly. The hero's instinct warned. Danger. Enemy territory. But—— Raewin smiled. Slightly. "What's with that grin?" Luna said. "I sense danger. But it's interesting." Raewin answered. "Is this the key to shattering boredom? I don't know. But it's not bad." Luna couldn't respond. Leia's tail wagged. "Will you stay with us?" Raewin nodded. "For now, yes." At that moment—— Luna's heart moved. Slightly. Certainly. Wrongness. This hero. Former enemy. But——something different. Luna looked away. "Anyway. You'll tell us who you really are. Until then, I'll tolerate you." Leia laughed happily. "Yes! Three of us now!" Raewin gazed at the Abyss Layer's starry sky. Without that fall, would he have rotted in the capital forever? He thought. Fate was strange indeed. What awaited tomorrow? Raewin didn't know. But it seemed interesting. For the first time, he thought so. Not boring days. Days filled with unpredictability. Stimulation. Time with two mysterious girls. Raewin walked toward the great hall. Smiling. Luna and Leia followed. The Abyss Layer's stars glowed blue-white.

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Episode 1

Name: After Defeating the Demon King: The Enchanted Depths Below
Author: Novelia

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