To be fair, the new and improved view was not the problem.

Actually, if there was anything remotely calming about the current situation, it was the fact that everyone had just witnessed the birth of something most of them had previously only read about in books.

The sea.

Not that they had never seen bodies of water categorized as such before, but there was a big difference between just seeing one and knowing they could safely experience it.

A sea untouched by chemical treatment, had not been man-made, and yet one that carried no fear of accidental contamination.

With something so unusual, who among them—people who had lived protected inside human domes that even had to manufacture their own oxygen—wouldn’t cough up a lung upon learning that such a place existed?

Take Theo and his rapidly beating heart, for example.

Short of risking the tremors and getting cut into pieces, he felt that he would have no regrets meeting his ancestors if it meant he could throw himself into the sea, even for just a short while.

More importantly, not even the famed historical images of Vespera’s ancient tourist destinations could compare to what they were currently witnessing.

To think they were only seeing it through D-29 at the moment. And yet, call them crazy, but to them, the newest landmark could only be described like this:

The view of the beach stretched before them like a pristine ribbon of powdery white sand that glowed almost like crushed pearls beneath the light.

Then, blanketing the shore in gentle waves, was water so breathtaking it almost looked unreal.

Near the shore, it shimmered in crystal-clear turquoise before gradually deepening into a rich sapphire blue farther out.

It didn’t matter that they knew boundaries surrounded it because, at that moment, even through the system’s eyes, the sea looked endless, with the water and sky merging into one seamless line that created an almost unbelievable horizon.

Gentle waves rolled toward the shore in a calming rhythm, their frothy white crests brushing the sand with soft whispers that somehow soothed the lingering tension left by the tremors.

And all that was even before their feet could experience the waves for themselves.

It was in that moment that everyone seemed to let out the same sigh, their bodies relaxing as though simply looking at the projection was enough to ease them.

Honestly, Luca had expected some sort of saltwater body considering their latest discoveries and exploits.

But what he hadn’t expected was for an entire beach, together with the sea, to appear. Much less one that looked even better than the ones he used to see in advertisements back in Tesseris!

Because of that, he honestly felt the increased price was justified.

The little money-grubber gulped while thinking that two million CP for generous access to something like this might actually be worth being thankful for.

The place looked so inviting that even Luca himself—despite having an entire mountain of things he needed to inspect and tinker with—immediately wanted to visit the beach first.

And it was almost as if the heavens had heard his desires because, just like that, the tremors plaguing the dungeon finally ceased.

But if he wanted to go, then what more the sea-starved beings of the Empire?

__

The people around Luca wobbled slightly as they regained their footing before immediately checking their surroundings in excitement.

Assuming the upgrade process had already concluded because the ground tremors had finally stopped, several people were just about ready to ask the golden-eyed cadet whether it was safe to head outside already.

Because honestly?

Just as predicted, they desperately wanted to see the beach up close.

At this point, everyone could already tell it was going to become one of the most beloved locations in the dungeon.

There was no doubt that someone would attempt to live by the sea in the coming days or even weeks.

However, just as Duke Leander—who ironically loved water so much he honestly might have been a fish in a past life—was about to take his first step forward, he abruptly stopped.

Because out of nowhere, his precious son suddenly looked like he was about to faint.

It happened so quickly, too.

One second earlier, Luca had sparkling eyes while staring at the projections.

The next—

He wilted like a dying leaf.

"Luca? Son?! Are you alright?" The worried father immediately rushed over.

But Luca’s gaze remained fixed somewhere ahead of him, as though he were staring at something only he could currently see.

And honestly?

That was probably for the best.

Because nobody else needed to be sent to the medical bay today.

__

See, earlier, when the Host had been hesitating over the newest prompts, D-29 hadn’t stayed silent simply for the sake of being silent.

And to be clear, that silence was definitely not born from disrespect. If anything, it was quite the opposite.

It was just that...

D-29 had concerns.

Concerns that even the guardian mecha would’ve likely understood and perhaps even offered comfort for, had he been privy to the dungeon manager’s dilemma.

So what exactly was the big issue?

Well, it was because the little system genuinely did not know how to explain the other pending prompts that had suddenly appeared in its queue.

And while they had expected the possibility of unplanned expenditures arising, it was becoming increasingly clear that the numbers were straying far too much from their original projections.

"..."

"..."

The innocent dungeon manager found itself wondering whether the sparkling waters, the beautiful beachfront, and even the unfamiliar creatures now emerging from the newly upgraded ecosystem would be enough to sustain the joy—

And possibly the life of its Host.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t like D-29 actually had a choice in the matter.

Because swearing upon the success of Mariana’s revenge, the little system could confidently say that if it did have a choice, it absolutely would not have announced things in such a crude manner. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Unfortunately, the unbelievable prompts bursting from the system interface did not particularly care about its concerns and expressed wishes.

And so, despite D-29’s desperate attempts to hold everything back, the notifications still appeared anyway.