Chapter 27: How to Use the Dimensional Pub

A new door had appeared inside the Dragon Lair.

To avoid confusion with the other doors, it had a picture of a beer mug drawn on it.

I stood in front of the door and grabbed the handle.

[To use the Dimensional Tavern, you need a Dimensional Tavern Pass.]

[Would you like to use a Dimensional Tavern Pass?]

[Using Dimensional Tavern Pass.]

The handle, which had been firmly locked, turned smoothly. With a click, the door to the Dimensional Tavern opened.

The interior came into view.

Round tables made of wood were scattered throughout, and there was a neat bar made of black marble.

I took a step inside.

It seemed no one was here yet, as not even a single hair could be seen. I strolled around, looking curiously.

“Welcome to the Dimensional Tavern.”

At the pleasant voice, I turned my head to see someone walking out from the door by the bar.

A beauty with braided red hair.

She wore a red dress.

A woman radiating a captivating aura was smiling brightly.

‘The owner of the Dimensional Tavern. Rose.’

She looked exactly like the illustration I’d seen in the game.

I’d thought the illustration was pretty, but was it possible for someone to be this beautiful in real life?

“You think we look the same, right?”

“…So everyone says that?”

“Some say it, while others, like you, show it with their expression.”

Rose smiled and gestured to the bar in front of her.

“Come sit here. I’ll explain how to use the Dimensional Tavern.”

I went over to the seat Rose indicated and sat down.

Maybe it was because I was closer, but I could smell the strong scent of roses from her.

Rose pulled a small box from under the counter.

With her small hands, she took out the cards inside and shuffled them skillfully.

“It’ll take a bit to prepare. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Questions, huh.

What should I ask first?

There were a few things, so I hesitated, but in the end, I asked what I was most curious about.

“Did the Dragon God create the Labyrinth and Dungeons?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then what was the purpose of creating them? Did the Dragon Gods make them out of boredom after becoming gods?”

“No. They haven’t become gods yet. To be exact, they’ve reached the realm of demigods.”

I’d heard a similar story from fragments of memory.

“Because they split up the Lord’s power. Does that mean they couldn’t become true gods?”

“Correct.”

With a slightly surprised look, Rose set the cards down on the table.

“To become true gods, they need powerful souls. So, think of the Labyrinth and Dungeons as created to select those with strong souls.”

“Then the Apostles…”

“They’re Executors. Soul harvesters who seek out those with strong souls and offer them up as sacrifices.”

“…So the Successor of the Lord is meant to stop those Apostles and, furthermore, prevent the Dragon Gods from becoming true gods?”

“Exactly.”

Rose fanned out the cards on the table.

“That’s enough for question time. Shall we get back to your original purpose for coming here?”

It didn’t seem like she’d answer if I asked more, so I nodded.

“Yes.”

“This will be a little different from the game. I’ll explain more as we go. Please draw five cards from these.”

Rose gestured to the cards with her palm.

A golden background with a dragon-shaped emblem was drawn on each one. All the cards were identical, so there was nothing to distinguish.

I simply picked the ones that felt right—one from the left, one from the center, one from the right.

Swoosh.

Swoosh.

Swoosh.

Then I picked two more from the center. With five cards in front of me, I looked up at Rose.

Rose gathered up the remaining cards and placed her hand on the one farthest to the left.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?”

She flipped the card, and a word appeared.

“Advice?”

“It’s been a while since someone picked this card first. Let’s check the others.”

With an intrigued expression, Rose flipped over the rest of the cards.

Hero.

Direction. Passion.

Calmness.

A string of words that didn’t seem connected. I was curious how this would work.

“The cards you just picked are Dimensional Cards. They open a path to dimensions with Guardians that have those keywords.”

“Dimensions with Guardians?”

“Exactly as I said. You’ll go to the dimension, and bring back a Guardian who matches the keywords you picked.”

With a snap of her fingers, Rose turned the five cards into glasses. The drinks inside shone with various colors.

She placed the five drinks into a golden shaker and shook them.

“Guardians you contract with through the Dimensional Tavern have incredible abilities. But that also means they’re hard to obtain.”

“In what way are they difficult?”

“You can’t make a contract unless the Guardian matches the keywords. Even if you find them, they might refuse.”

“From what you’re saying, it sounds like I have to search for the Guardian myself…”

“Right. It’d be nice if we could just have you meet and contract right away, but there are complicated circumstances on this side too.”

Rose opened the shaker and poured the mixed drinks into a large glass.

I watched the shimmering drink and asked,

“What if I find them but they don’t like me?”

“That’s unlikely. The Dimensional Card creates a path to the Guardian you need. If it still doesn’t work out, you’ll have to get another Pass. We don’t do refunds.”

Rose pushed the drink toward me.

“Here. Just drink this.”

I reached for the shimmering drink. I gently swirled the glass and glanced at Rose.

“Is there any tip for finding a Guardian?”

“Trust your instincts.”

My instincts, huh.

I raised the glass to my lips.

And drank what was inside.

The moment it passed down my throat,

My head spun and a powerful pressure crushed my entire body. It felt like being swept up in a raging wind, my senses growing faint.

In the blackened world, white letters appeared.

[Dimensional transfer complete.]

With that, my eyes shot open.

“Haah!”

I gasped for air and looked around. The Dimensional Tavern was gone, and before me stood an enormous building I’d never seen before.

It looked like something out of the Middle Ages.

At what appeared to be the main entrance, the name of this place was written.

[Rotes Kingdom Hero Academy.]

Hero Academy

Just then, an elderly man in armor who had been guarding the main gate approached me.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Still, just in case, why don’t you come sit here for a moment?”

The place the old man led me to was a shaded area, like a rest spot for the guards.

As I sat on the bench, a cool breeze blew by.

Sure enough, after a short rest, the initial anxiety and confusion faded quickly.

‘Another dimension.’

If Rose was right, somewhere in this place was the Guardian I needed.

My gaze drifted to the plaque at the main gate.

Hero Academy.

Just reading the name, it was clear this was a place for training heroes. In other words, a place where powerful people would gather.

‘At a glance, it seems likely they’d be here.’

While I was lost in thought, a carriage pulled up to the gate.

The old man walked over to the carriage.

“How may I help you?”

“I’ve come to spectate the Martial Arts Tournament. Which way do I go?”

“If you go inside, you’ll find the tournament hall. Go further in, and the students will guide you.”

Their attire was dignified.

So was their speech.

Was this what nobles were like?

One by one, such people appeared and entered the Academy through the gate.

‘A Martial Arts Tournament…’

A contest of martial prowess.

That meant there’d be powerful participants.

Maybe the one the card had pointed to was a Guardian among them.

First, I needed more information.

If I looked around the Academy, I could probably learn a thing or two, and when the tournament began, I could go spectate.

“Are you feeling better now?”

The old man returned and checked on me.

“Yes. Thanks to you, I’m fine.”

“I’m glad. So, what brings you here today?”

“I heard there’s a Martial Arts Tournament, so I came to watch.”

“Ah, I see. The matches will be starting soon, so you should head in. Have you been to the Academy before?”

“This is my first time.”

“Follow this path and you’ll pass the Path of Heroes and see a fountain. If you go left at the fountain, the students will guide you.”

Thanking the old man again, I started walking. Making sure no one was around, I quickly checked my condition.

‘Only magic is available.’

I couldn’t summon a Guardian, nor open the Dragon Lair. The only things I could use were Dragon Heart and magic.

Also, Gold Dragon’s Eye wasn’t activating.

I couldn’t obtain any information about anything.

‘So that’s why Rose said to trust my instincts.’

Having grasped the situation, I started walking again.

“Wow, this is the Path of Heroes?”

“It really is grand.”

“Mom! I want to become a great knight when I grow up!”

Looking up, I saw people gathered.

They were standing on a long stretch of marble, lined with statues of people on either side.

I strolled along, looking at the statues.

Arbant the Arcane Lord.

Ludvin the Iron-Blooded Sword.

Haruan the Storm Spear.

Pedro the Pilgrim of the Sword.

Each statue had the name and title of its subject, along with an inscription of their achievements.

And at the very end,

A giant statue placed at the center of the Path of Heroes.

The one with the most people gathered around it.

I checked the name on the statue.

Odenberk the Hero King.

It said he was the Hero King who defeated the Demon King’s Army bent on destroying the world, and the hero admired by all others.

He was also the founder of this Academy.

The statues behind him were of those who walked the Path of Heroes, following in Odenberk’s footsteps.

‘…Hero.’

One of the keywords I’d drawn.

I headed off to find the fountain, searching for someone who embodied the other keywords as well.

Just as the old man had explained, there were young people in uniforms.

“The Rotes Martial Arts Tournament will begin soon. Spectators, please take your seats.”

Following the path they indicated,

I found myself at a huge circular arena.

The seats were already filled with people.

‘So many people.’

Squeezing through the crowd, I barely managed to find a seat. Soon after, the Martial Arts Tournament began.

“We now begin the Rotes Martial Arts Tournament! The first match is a big one! Introducing first, Rotes Academy’s Student Council President and strongest talent, Artina Blossentia!”

“Waaaaaah!”

One of the arena doors opened, and a woman with braided blond hair walked out.

Her looks were striking, but more than that—

How should I put it?

She felt as sharp and polished as a well-forged sword.

“Her opponent, representing Rowen Academy and known as a genius of martial arts, Bella Stingam!”

“Waaaaaah!”

She was no slouch, either.

The two faced each other in the arena, and it felt like the place was filled to the brim with their presence. Each drew their weapon.

One drew a sword.

The other, a pair of gauntlets.

“Let the match begin!”

At that moment, both moved.

Sword and fist charged at each other.

Artina’s sword was heavy and fierce, while Bella’s fists were swift and brilliant.

Clang!

Clang!

After sizing each other up,

They began drawing upon their mana.

Artina’s sword strikes glowed with blue energy. Blue lines rose like smoke, swirling together and forming a giant blade.

With a sweep, Artina slashed the air with her sword wind.

Kwagagagagang!

The line cut the ground in half and sent Bella Stingam flying out of the arena.

Seeing that, a grin spread on my lips.

‘This is going to be interesting.’

Who would be the Guardian I’d find here?