Chương 17: Chapter 16: Outbreak

After ending the call with Aaron, I stare at my smartwatch for a few seconds longer than necessary before lowering my hand. The conversation itself is already done—favor requested, groundwork set—but the implications of it linger quietly at the back of my mind. Work. Money. Relocation. Responsibility.... Yeah. I really did step into something troublesome. I exhale slowly and shift my attention away from it, because overthinking it right now won't make anything easier.

Instead, I glance toward the dining table, where the three of them have just finished eating. As expected, Karin looks satisfied, Hikari is still talking about something in between imaginary bites, and Ruri sits properly, finishing the last of her drink with quiet composure. I stand up and begin cleaning the table, moving automatically as I gather the plates and utensils. It's simple work—mundane, even—but it gives me just enough space to think without being overwhelmed by it.

While rinsing the dishes, I let my gaze wander around the apartment. It's... decent. For one person. Comfortable enough. Quiet. Functional. Exactly the kind of place I chose when I wanted nothing more than a slow, uninterrupted life. But now— I glance over my shoulder at the three of them. —this isn't enough. Not even close. No proper space. No proper environment. No room for three growing children with questionable definitions of "safe behavior." I let out a quiet sigh as I place the last plate on the rack.

"... Yeah," I mutter.

"I need money. Fast." I dry my hands and turn back toward the living room, where the three of them are now sitting on the carpet, completely immersed in their own little world. Hikari claps enthusiastically.

"Hikari likes that one! It's shiny!" Ruri listens quietly beside her, nodding occasionally and adding small comments here and there—soft, measured, thoughtful. Karin, meanwhile, is fully invested, already reenacting whatever she just imagined.

"... And then—boom!" Karin swings her arm dramatically.

"No boom inside the house," I say immediately. All three of them turn to look at me. I pause.

"... Outside boom is negotiable." Karin grins. That was a mistake.

"... We should try that someday," she says.

"No," I repeat.

"... Not inside the house." That clarification matters. I walk over and lightly ruffle their heads one by one. Karin leans into it like she earned it, Hikari giggles like it's the best thing ever, and Ruri blinks in surprise before smiling softly.

"... Are you girls bored?" I ask, watching the three of them as they sit together on the carpet.

"Bored?" Karin echoes like the idea itself doesn't make sense, while Hikari immediately perks up, her eyes lighting with interest.

"Go out?" she adds, already leaning forward. Ruri doesn't say anything at first, but she looks up at me with quiet anticipation, her expression hopeful in a way that doesn't need words. I sigh lightly, rubbing the back of my neck as I consider it.

"... Do you want to head out for a bit?" That's enough to set them off. Karin jumps up immediately.

"Yes!" Hikari raises both hands.

"Hikari wants to go!" Ruri nods, her smile small but bright, clearly just as excited even if she doesn't show it as loudly. I pause for a moment, thinking it through—money, time, energy—before letting out a quiet breath.... Yeah. I can afford this.

"... Alright," I say.

"Go get ready." They don't hesitate. All three immediately rush to the room, their footsteps quick and chaotic as they disappear down the hallway. I watch them go, standing there for a moment longer than necessary.

"... Just a few days ago," I mutter to myself, "I was doing absolutely nothing—peacefully, efficiently, without chaos." Now... this. Shaking my head slightly, I head to my own room and change into something simple but decent. A clean shirt, light jacket, cap, pants, and proper shoes—nothing flashy, just enough to look like someone who has his life together. When I step out, they're already waiting.... Impressive.

Karin looks like she's ready to sprint the moment I say go, Hikari is practically bouncing in place, and Ruri—"... Papa," she says softly, her eyes widening slightly.

"You look really handsome." I pause.

"... Do I?"

"Hikari thinks Papa is cool!" Hikari adds immediately, while Karin crosses her arms and nods.

"Yeah. Not bad."... Good enough. A small smile slips out before I can stop it.

"... You girls look good too. Let's go." We step out together in the same formation as before—Hikari in my arms, Ruri holding one hand, and Karin holding Ruri's other hand. It's surprisingly stable for something that shouldn't be. As we walk, the questions begin almost immediately, overlapping and coming one after another.

"Papa, are we riding a bus?"

"Are we eating?"

"Can we play?"

"Can we burn something?"

"... No," I answer instantly to the last one, not even thinking. The rest I handle one by one, keeping my tone calm despite the increasing pace of their curiosity. Karin, however, isn't done.

"... Why not burn something?" she presses.

"Because we live there," I reply. She pauses, then nods.

"... Fair." At least she understands that part. By the time we reach the mall, I'm already mentally preparing for chaos—and right on cue, the moment we step inside, Karin bolts. I catch her instantly by the back of her dress without even looking.

"... No." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I was testing my speed!" she protests.

"You failed." Hikari spins slowly, looking around in awe.

"So big..." she murmurs, while Ruri tightens her grip on my hand slightly, clearly overwhelmed but still trying to stay composed.

"Papa... there's so many people..." she says quietly.

"... Stay close," I reply.

"Papa... can we play?" Hikari asks again, more focused now. Karin is already trying to escape for a second attempt, but I keep hold of her.

"... Yeah," I say after a moment.

"Play area first. Food after." The reaction is immediate—Karin pumps her fist, Hikari cheers, and Ruri nods, her excitement still contained but obvious. As we walk toward the play area, I notice something I didn't expect. They're... excited. Not chaotic, not destructive—just genuinely happy.... That's new.

"... Alright," I mutter under my breath.

"Maybe this isn't so bad." Karin glances back at me.

"What was that, Papa?"

"... Nothing." We arrive at the play area, and I immediately regret every decision that led me here. There are too many kids, too much noise, and far too much potential for something to go wrong. I look down at them. They look up at me. Eyes sparkling.

"... Stay where I can see you," I say.

"Yes, Papa!"

"Hikari will behave!" Ruri nods seriously. Karin just grins.... This is going to go wrong. I can feel it. But for now, I let out a quiet breath and gesture forward.

"... Go ahead." And just like that, they run off. I stay where I am, watching them for a moment, arms loosely crossed as I keep track of their movements.

"... Yeah," I mutter.

"This is definitely going to cost me later."

Two hours pass without anything exploding, collapsing, or catching fire, which—considering who I'm supervising—counts as a small miracle. I remain by the railing near the play area, arms loosely crossed, keeping all three of them within sight while pretending I'm not actively monitoring every possible disaster scenario. At first, I expect something to go wrong within minutes. It doesn't. That alone feels suspicious. Ruri sits quietly at a small table, carefully assembling a structure out of blocks.

What initially looks like a simple toy build quickly proves otherwise the longer I observe it. The structure is layered, balanced, and reinforced in ways that suggest actual understanding rather than random stacking. There are entry points, elevation differences, and even what appears to be a defensive perimeter surrounding a central structure. A fortress.

"…Ruri," I call, stepping a bit closer.

"What exactly are you building?" She looks up at me, calm as always, then gestures lightly at her creation.

"A fortress, Papa. The dragon protects the center." I follow her gesture. There's a dragon figure placed at the core, positioned like a final line of defense.

"…Of course it does," I mutter.

"…But you just hatched..." That thought lingers longer than it should. Nearby, Hikari is completely immersed in the sand pit, laughing with a group of children she somehow befriended instantly. She shapes something that begins as a castle but evolves into something far more elaborate, proudly presenting it to anyone willing to look.

"Papa! Look!" she calls out, waving both hands at me.

"Hikari made a kingdom!" I walk just close enough to inspect it. Towers. Walls. Random structures that somehow make sense only to her.

"…That's not a kingdom," I say.

"It is!" she insists.

"…Alright," I correct myself.

"It's a kingdom." She beams. Then there's Karin. I shift my gaze—and pause. She's standing on an elevated platform, arms crossed, issuing instructions like she owns the entire place.

"You defend here! No, not like that—like this! You—yes, you—follow me!" The other kids move. Immediately. Without hesitation. I rub my temple.

"…That's more concerning than anything else," I mutter.

"She didn't join the play area. She conquered it." I consider stepping in. I don't. Nothing is burning. That's already a win. Time passes slowly after that, the noise of the mall settling into something almost peaceful. I find myself relaxing slightly, though I'm not entirely sure if that's a good idea. Eventually, the energy fades. Hikari is the first to run back.

"Papa!" She launches herself forward, and I catch her without thinking, settling her onto my lap as she immediately relaxes.

"Hikari is tired," she says.

"…I can tell." Karin and Ruri follow soon after, both clearly worn out in their own ways. Karin still tries to maintain her composure, while Ruri simply stays close, her quiet presence unchanged.

"Papa, can we eat now? I'm hungry," Karin says. Ruri nods in agreement. Hikari raises her hand slightly.

"Hikari is also hungry."

"…That was expected," I reply, exhaling softly.

"Alright. Let's eat."

"Food!" Karin immediately perks up.

"What are we eating?" Hikari asks.

"…Something reliable," I answer.

"Not cooking?" Karin adds suspiciously.

"…Definitely not cooking." We leave the play area and head deeper into the mall. I keep them close as we move, already scanning for the nearest place that can feed three bottomless pits efficiently. As we walk, the conversation resumes naturally.

"I led everyone," Karin says proudly.

"I noticed," I reply.

"That's exactly why I'm concerned."

"You're just jealous," she says.

"…Of what?"

"My army."

"…Right."

"Hikari made a kingdom," Hikari adds again, because repetition is important apparently.

"With citizens?" I ask.

"Yes!"

"…I see." I glance at Ruri.

"…Did you enjoy it?" She nods softly.

"Yes, Papa. It was fun." That's enough. For a moment, everything feels… normal. Then I feel it. It starts as a subtle shift. A pressure in the air. Something that doesn't belong. The kind of distortion most people would never notice. I stop walking.

"…Of course," I mutter.

"Papa?" Ruri asks quietly.

"Yeah. I feel it." Karin looks around.

"What's wrong?"

"…Trouble," I reply. The pressure intensifies. Mana density spikes unnaturally, thickening the air to the point where even breathing feels slightly heavier. Then the alarm blares. Loud. Sharp. Immediate. The mall erupts into chaos.

"Attention—dungeon manifestation detected—evacuate immediately—""… Dungeon formation," I say under my breath, already analyzing the situation. Normally, when a dungeon manifests, it condenses mana into a stable core and forms a gate—an entrance that anchors space in place. That gate acts like a boundary. Everything inside stays inside, and everything outside stays outside. Hunters enter, clear the dungeon, destroy the core, and the entire structure collapses safely.

But this—this isn't stabilizing into a gate at all. The mana flow is uneven. Chaotic. Instead of condensing into a single point, it's spreading outward, like the system itself failed to properly construct the boundary.

"This is wrong…" I mutter, watching the distortion ripple unnaturally.

"The core hasn't anchored yet." That's the problem. Without a stable core, there's no fixed center. Without a fixed center, there's no controlled gate. And without a gate— There's nothing stopping what's inside from coming out. The distortion doesn't compress. It tears.

"…Unstable manifestation," I continue, my eyes narrowing as I track the flow of mana.

"The structure's incomplete. It's forcing itself open without forming a proper boundary." Space fractures like glass under pressure, and something darker seeps through the cracks.

"…Outbreak," I conclude. An outbreak happens when a dungeon forms in an environment with excessive mana but fails to stabilize properly. Instead of creating a controlled entry point, it ruptures, turning the surrounding area into an extension of the dungeon itself. Monsters don't stay inside because there is no 'inside' yet—only expansion. Which means—"They're going to spill out," I add quietly. And that makes this far worse than a normal dungeon. Because now, it's not contained. It's spreading. Karin blinks.

"Monsters will come out, Papa?"

"…Yes."

"Oh." Hikari grabs onto my clothes.

"Papa…?"

"…Stay close," I say. I move immediately, pulling all three of them into my arms.

"We're leaving." But before I can take a step— The distortion shifts again. Not outward. Inward.

"…That's worse," I mutter. The space collapses violently, swallowing everything in range.

"…Seriously?" We're pulled in. The transition is instantaneous, like being dragged through reality without distance. One moment—mall. The next— Something else. I stabilize my footing immediately, tightening my hold on them.

"…Stay close." They do. Good. I look up—and pause. The sky is wrong. Not dark, not cloudy—just heavy. The ground is cracked and saturated with dense mana, and the air itself feels corrupted, alive in a way it shouldn't be.

"…Abyssal Realm," I mutter. That explains everything. I scan the surroundings, confirming the scale, the density, the pressure. Then sigh.

"…S-rank." Of course it is. Of course, during a simple outing, this happens. I look down at the three of them. They look back at me, waiting, trusting. I ruffle Ruri's head lightly, adjust Hikari in my arms, and keep a firm hold on Karin.

"…Alright." A small breath leaves me.

"…Looks like we're working today."

End of Chapter 16 Retirement Status Report: Owner: Ren Arclight Former Occupation: Demon King Slayer / World-Saving Archmage Current Occupation: Emergency Response Unit (Unpaid) Peaceful Life Goal: Take children outside without triggering world-level incidents.

Today's Activities: *Successfully prepared breakfast (no casualties) *Managed three children during morning routine *Conducted financial planning and relocation assessment *Accepted high-risk dungeon employment *Took children to mall (critical error) *Maintained supervision in high-risk public area *Observed: – Ruri constructing defensive fortress – Hikari establishing civilian kingdom – Karin leading organized militia *Confirmed children exhibit leadership tendencies (concerning) *Initiated food acquisition phase *Detected abnormal mana distortion *Identified unstable dungeon manifestation *Confirmed lack of core stabilization *Diagnosed outbreak scenario *Failed evacuation (environment collapse) *Forcefully transferred into Abyssal Realm *Threat level reassessed: S-Rank New Developments: *Dungeon system instability spreading beyond isolated cases *Outbreak-type manifestation confirmed in civilian area *Boundary failure allows uncontrolled expansion *Children exposed to S-rank environment *Ren forced into immediate combat scenario (no preparation) *Public safety compromised *System integrity: questionable Environmental Status: Location: Unknown (Abyssal Subspace) Stability: Low Containment: None Threat Level: Extreme Peaceful Retirement Stability: ERROR ERROR ERROR SYSTEM HAS STOPPED RESPONDING Current Retirement Status: Irrelevant Immediate Consequences: *Direct confrontation with S-rank entities *Protection of three high-risk dependents *No external support *Potential large-scale civilian casualties (outside) *Increased likelihood of identity exposure Operational Assessment: Mission Type: Survival + Containment Difficulty: Unreasonable Preparation: None Emotional Status: Resignation - Focus - Mild Irritation Future Outlook: Violence Imminent Archmage Personal Statement:"I just wanted to buy food."

Reality's Response:"Fight."