Reverse Dungeon

“So... why wasn’t it there?” Ian asked carefully, probing to see how much she actually knew.

“I don’t know. The old man had moments where he rambled nonsense. Perhaps he simply remembered incorrectly. But # Nоvеlight # my kin failed to understand my intention to restore a new World Tree, so they exiled me.”

Genea, the game’s most beloved character, answered without a trace of mercy.

At the very least, it seemed she didn’t know Ian was the one who had stolen the World Tree branch.

Relieved, Ian softened his expression and spoke more gently.

“I see... So they didn’t even try to hear you out?”

“There was no conversation.”

“...?”

“Did you at least leave a letter behind?”

“Elven prisons do not provide paper or pens. It was an urgent situation, so I escaped swiftly and in silence. Judging by how chaotic the prison became afterward, I believe it demonstrates the excellence of the village’s Elf Guard.”

Genea spoke coldly, pride gleaming unmistakably in her eyes.

‘Right. Your village really is impressive.’

That same “impressive” force was currently hunting her down.

Ian wanted to shout, What kind of disaster did you drag in here?! but managed to restrain himself.

“So what exactly do you want help with?”

If Genea suddenly said, Return the World Tree, thief, Ian was fully prepared to shove her into a prison corner while he desperately figured out his next move.

But Genea’s answer was completely unexpected.

“Please find and punish the beast responsible for withering the Sacred Tree of our Shadow Village. If you do, I shall devote the rest of my life to serving you, Lord Ian.”

“...?!”

A four-star character had practically fallen into his lap.

Ian nearly accepted on the spot, but the remnants of his conscience barely managed to stop him.

“Is there... anything else you’d like to request?”

For example:

Return the World Tree, you thief.

“There isn’t?”

Genea blinked slowly, as though genuinely confused by the question.

For a brief moment, Ian’s closest aides were certain of one thing:

There was absolutely no way Ian would agree to this request.

Surely he would say something like, Do I look like a volunteer charity worker? We’re barely surviving ourselves, and throw the elf out immediately. Afterward, he would probably lecture the dungeon guards for believing the ridiculous myth that elves could never lie.

From a defensive standpoint, however, the current arrangement was not entirely bad.

Perhaps maintaining the underground structure permanently wouldn’t be such a terrible idea.

Contacca, in particular, secretly hoped the hidden entrance would remain. Momisia had spent days obsessively designing it, and dismantling everything now would only break her heart.

Then suddenly—

Ian grabbed Genea’s hand.

“...?!”

“Of course I’ll help. The gods command all races to unite against the invasion of the Demon Tribe. The enemy of the elves is my enemy as well, and anyone who harmed the Sacred Tree is equally a sinner in my eyes.”

“As expected of Lord Ian... To step forward for a matter unrelated to yourself, risking both your life and the hostility of the Elf Village... Your reputation is truly well-earned.”

Genea looked at him with pure admiration.

Meanwhile, Ian’s aides stared in stunned disbelief.

“You may call me Ian the Wise King.”

Ian granted permission generously.

Genea was serious, sincere, and disastrously gullible.

She had an especially difficult time recognizing lies.

Players could usually avoid obvious traps through dialogue options, but without them, Genea had a frightening tendency to get swept away by anyone with a tragic backstory and a convincing expression.

Her signature phrase was practically:

“Let us trust them.”

“P-Please forgive the robbery! Spare my life! Sob... There’s actually a tragic reason behind all this... If the hero helps me, I’ll never forget your kindness!”

“That is indeed a sorrowful tale. Very well. Let us trust them.”

It always went something like that.

Whenever Ian played Genea’s route, he spent most of the game screaming internally:

Stop trusting everyone you meet!

Even so, it remained a mystery why Reverse Dungeon players adored such a stress-inducing character.

Her popularity was almost as incomprehensible as Keith’s.

Granted, Ian himself wasn’t exactly a well-balanced character either.

Terrible stats.

No starting items.

Absurdly punishing difficulty.

The only saving grace was that Ian himself had almost no defined personality.

Once players survived the miserable early-game experience, things became much easier—but modern players lacked that kind of patience.

Not that it was their fault.

If the developers had at least made Ian visually appealing, more people probably would’ve tried his route.

People needed a taste before they committed to the full course.

Ian forcefully reset his thoughts before they spiraled further into bitterness.

In any case, Genea currently looked less like an elf and more like an angel descending specifically to boost Ian’s reputation.

With complete sincerity, she said:

“Yes, Lord Ian the Wise King.”

Ding!

[The ‘Prisoner’ Genea thinks of you as a Wise King.]

Ian smiled with satisfaction.

“That’s nice to hear. Not that I’m asking because I want to hear it again or anything.”

“Wise King Ian.”

Ding!

[The ‘Prisoner’ Genea thinks of you as a Wise King.]

“Hmm.”

“Wise King Ian.”

Ding!

[The ‘Prisoner’ Genea thinks of you as a Wise King.]

“That really is an excellent title, don’t you think?”

“Wise King Ian. Wise King Ian. Wise King Ian. Wise King Ian. Wise King Ian...”

Ding!

[The ‘Prisoner’ Genea thinks you enjoy flattery.]

Ding!

[The ‘Prisoner’ Genea thinks of you as a Tyrant.]

“...”

“Alright, you can stop now.”

Ian hurriedly cut her off before his reputation deteriorated any further.

“So, Genea, who tied you up like this?”

Ian looked toward Louise.

Given Louise’s cautious personality, Ian assumed he might have taken advantage of an opening to restrain her.

But Contacca answered instead.

“She tied herself up.”

“...What?”

Ian blinked in surprise.

The restraints had seemed excessive from the start.

Was all this really necessary?

Genea answered calmly.

“Regardless of my intentions, taking a close-combat mage hostage in order to negotiate is still a serious crime. Since you trusted my warning and prepared for the coming invasion, I determined it was necessary to eliminate myself as a potential internal threat.”

“Louise. Untie her.”

Ian decided there was no point trying to argue with her logic.

He simply ordered one of his most trusted aides to release her.

The boy from the traitor tribe loosened the restraints around Genea’s wrists and ankles before finally removing the black cloth covering her eyes.

Sssk—

Her hair spilled downward in a smooth cascade.

Genea brushed it back with slender fingers, finally revealing her face.

“Wow...”

Even Momisia unconsciously gasped.

‘Well... the character design team definitely did their job.’

If Keith was the face of the male cast, then Genea was unquestionably the face of the female characters.

Both were infuriating to play.

Both possessed fanatically devoted fanbases.

Still, if Ian had to choose between them—

‘At least Keith’s route is easier on the nerves if you’re only here for the visuals.’

Genea’s prologue began simply enough:

One day, the Sacred Tree under her protection suddenly withered.

Branded a criminal, she was imprisoned by her own people.

She insisted on her innocence and escaped—

Only to be immediately recaptured and thrown into the deepest level of the prison.

There she endured a miserable existence until, one day—

The village was attacked by mamool.

Without the Sacred Tree, the Elf Village had become vulnerable.

The elite Elf Rangers fought desperately, but there were too few warriors to properly protect the civilians.

In the end, the villagers released their most dangerous prisoner—Genea—and entrusted their survival to her.

The prologue made one thing painfully obvious:

Genea was both the tank and the main damage dealer.

Her core skills were Spirit Magic and Martial Arts.

Listening to all this, Ian couldn’t help thinking:

‘This route completely derailed the moment she failed to get recaptured.’

Instead of reconciling with the villagers, earning back their trust, and transforming the forest into a giant dungeon—

She somehow ended up here instead.

“How was the journey?” Ian asked. “Was it difficult?”

“I nearly got caught by the pursuers near the temple. Fortunately, your dungeon was close enough that I barely escaped.”

“I see...”

Ian found himself at a loss for words.

He couldn’t exactly ask:

Why didn’t you just let them catch you?

The ruined Temple of the Elf Goddess truly was nearby.

That was why Ian had been able to borrow the World Tree branch during the early stages of the game.

Even experienced players hesitated before making the trip there.

And now, because Genea’s village was located nearby, she had apparently heard rumors about Ian’s growing “fame.”

‘Well, I have cleared several major quests already. I guess it makes sense the rumors have started spreading.’

It was slightly awkward that she only mentioned Ian while completely ignoring Keith’s existence.

At that moment, Genea suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Lord Ian, I apologize for requesting more after claiming I had no further demands, but may I ask one additional favor?”

“What is it?”

At the very least, Ian figured he should hear her out first.

Genea placed a hand against her chest.

“Please capture the pursuers from my village.”

“...?”

“I wish to speak with them.”

“...?”