Several days had passed since Hikawa Reina's eerie visit.
So far, my daily routine hadn't changed. I still dragged Momo through dungeon runs, came home in the evening, and ate dinner with Misaki.
It was almost like that strange encounter had been a dream, and life had slipped back into its calm rhythm.
But peace never lasts. One evening, without warning, the illusion shattered.
I was half-zoning out in front of some variety show when the screen suddenly blared with a shrill alarm. A red ticker slashed across the bottom: Emergency Broadcast.
"Breaking news. At approximately 4 p.m. today, the Adventurers' Guild has issued a state of emergency."
The camera cut live to the Guild's front steps. The anchor's face was tense, and behind him armed adventurers rushed into the facility in waves.
"Reports indicate that in the dungeon's middle floors, a massive unexplained monster riot—commonly known as a [Stampede]—is underway."
A stampede. I knew the term. When monsters lose all restraint and rampage en masse.
But what came next made me frown.
"The creatures in this case are undead—skeletons, zombies, and the like—numbering in the thousands. Experts are calling this an unprecedented crisis."
The feed switched to grainy surveillance footage from inside the dungeon.
Even with bad resolution, the horror was obvious. Corridors overflowing with skeletal soldiers and rotting corpses, all marching in eerie formation.
Not a mindless riot. A coordinated army.
"The Guild has issued an emergency summons to all B-rank and higher parties. However, the sheer number of undead has already stretched defenses to the breaking point."
My stomach tightened.
The lower floors were crawling with low-rank adventurers like me and Momo. Evening was the worst time—newbies heading home after their first day's haul, or cautious beginners venturing in when things were supposed to be safer.
If they ran into that army... the result didn't need spelling out.
Right then, the doorbell rang.
I opened it to find Momo, pale and frantic.
"Sato-san, did you see the news?"
"Yeah. Just now."
I pulled her into the living room. She stared at the screen, lips trembling as the undead hordes rolled past in monochrome.
"T-this is awful... That's the floor we used to work on. There have to be so many newbies still down there..."
Her voice shook, equal parts fear and helplessness.
The anchor delivered another blow.
"We've just confirmed the Guild's third defensive line has collapsed. The undead army is now approaching the entrance to the lower floors."
Not good. If the lines fell here, the dungeon could collapse entirely. Monsters spilling into the streets—into town itself.
All I could do was stare at the TV.
This was trouble. Huge, world-class trouble.
I just wanted to earn steady coin, live quietly with my daughter. Why did it always have to come to this?
And then Reina's words surfaced in my head.
"Your power won't stay off the Guild's radar forever."
The panic on-screen. Momo's eyes, clinging to mine, pleading silently.
I bit down on my lip.
Trouble. Danger. No profit in sight.
But still—
"Shishou..."
Momo's whisper clung to me like a chain.
I let out a long, heavy sigh.
And when I realized I couldn't peel my eyes from the dungeon's map on-screen, I knew.
The only way out of this nightmare... was already taking shape in my head. Unwanted. Inevitable.
The one path forward only I could see.