Chapter 4: I’m Home!

The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter — LNCrawler · All chapters

Chapter 4:
I’m Home!

IT WAS NIGHT when I reached my hometown, with the crescent moon watching over me high in the sky. It had been a long journey, but it was finally over. I was home.

Of course, summer vacation had ended weeks ago, so I was certain Ms. Elena would have some choice words for me when I got to school, but it didn’t matter. I was too excited about the idea of seeing everyone again.

I hurried through the darkness to get home. The moment I opened the front door, a huge sense of relief washed over me.

“I’m baaaaack!”

No answer.

But I could hear people talking in the living room. Didn’t they care that I was home? As I slipped inside, I realized someone was crying. It was Alice. What had happened?!

“Please come home safe, Brother Dearest,” she said. “I would give my life to ensure your safe return. And Father’s life too.”

“Hey! You’d sacrifice me?!”

Looked like Father was a ball of energy as always. I walked into the living room to find he was swinging a sword around for some reason. Was he practicing in the house? If a stranger saw him acting like this, I was sure they’d think he was insane.

“Goodness!” said my mother. “Well, I suppose that I shall have to join you both!”

She was smiling. It was good to see her in such high spirits. There was a giant black lion next to her with a flower growing out of his head—although technically Tigerson was a monster, not a lion.

“Then take me with you!” Alice cried. “My dearest brother is calling me! I know it!”

She really was getting worked up. If I’d been gone any longer, they would probably have come out to find me for real! I was glad they were thinking about me, but I wanted to spare them any further anguish.

“Um, Alice?” I said, announcing my arrival. “I’m fine.”

“Did you hear that?!” she shouted. “I knew it! That was brother’s voice!”

“Noir! This is your father speaking. I’m fine too.”

The three of them were staring up at the ceiling. Did they think I was speaking to them from the afterlife? My mother was the only one who noticed me standing right there. She pulled something from the shelf and came over to me.

“Welcome home,” she said, smiling brightly. “I knew you’d come back safe. You’ve grown incredibly strong lately, haven’t you?”

I almost couldn’t bear to look at her. The second I saw her face, my chest filled with emotion and my eyes welled with tears. Her kindness and her warmth could heal any wound.

But Mother, I thought. What is that honeycomb you’re holding? And why is it packed with some strange red substance?

She must have seen me looking at it, because she handed it over.

“Here you go! It’s one of my latest creations. I saved it for you.”

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh? To think that I had traveled so far and fought so many battles when my greatest enemy was here in my own home all along.

Alice and the others were still listening for my voice with their eyes closed. I shook my head and came to stand between the three of them.

“Hello? Alice? Tigerson? I’m not in the afterlife. I’m home. I’m right here.”

“Brother?!”

<Oooh, Noir, you have returned!>

“Ahhh, my dear boy! Wait…why did you leave me out? Hey, why didn’t you mention me?!”

Alice hugged me and started crying, so I stroked her hair and petted Tigerson’s head. I even felt bad for my father. He had tears in his eyes, so I consoled him too.

When I told them I hadn’t had dinner, they set about treating me to all sorts of things—from food to shoulder rubs. My family was so warm and generous. It was so good to be home! I drank in the happiness as though I was parched. Although…I had to admit…I put off trying my mother’s honeycomb chili for the time being.

We sat down at the table, and I told them about what had happened. And of course, I didn’t leave out news of my elder brother. I told them everything without papering over the less flattering parts. Even so, my mother and father were happy. Maybe they were just relieved to see me back alive and well.

Apparently, they were having their own problems too. Our family shop, Stardian Rarities, had earned the ire of the other establishments in the area. They were probably just upset about how well we were doing, but Tigerson was scary enough to have kept the peace so far.

<However, we don’t know if they shall cause trouble again. They may even try to make a move when I am not around.>

“I guess I’ll just have to step in,” I said.

I wasn’t about to let anyone threaten my family, or our chance of improving our lot.

“Brother Dearest,” Alice said. “You ought to get some rest. Surely you must be tired.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan. Thank you for always looking out for me, Alice.”

“Nothing could make me happier!”

She was always so over the top!

I climbed the stairs to my room and found that there wasn’t so much as a single speck of dust on the floor. My sheets were fresh, and my shelves were all in order. Mother and Alice must have been in there to clean.

I collapsed on my bed, appreciating their efforts.

My bed was so comfortable, and I was so happy to be home, that I fell asleep right away.

***

The next morning, I woke up to tranquil silence. When I had stayed at the inn, I had usually awoken to the voices of the other guests, so I basked in the quiet for a while before heading downstairs. Tigerson was the only one there.

“Morning. Where’s everyone else?”

<They’ve already left. It is past ten, after all.>

“It’s how late?!”

I’d almost slept away the morning, and I was meant to be in school! I’d even been looking forward to going back to the Hero Academy last night.

I sat and wolfed my meal down as fast as I could. I’m sorry, Alice. I know how much work you put into this.

Then I got on Tigerson’s back and headed to school.

“You were planning to go to the shop today, right, Tigerson?” I asked. “Thanks for all the hard work you do for us.”

I had been out of the country for some time. Tigerson could replenish some of the stock by hunting, and Father could acquire a little more from his connections, but that would only last so long. It sounded like their supply lines were almost exhausted.

“I’ll handle it,” I assured him. “I’ll go back to the dungeon soon.”

I’d since learned that this particular dungeon was called the Infinite Labyrinth. It wasn’t the only one in the world, and I guessed that Tigerson had visited others in his time, but apparently while I was out of town, a new one had been discovered.

<It was found near the town of Korot,> Tigerson explained. <I’m told only those with special dispensation are allowed to enter.>

“I’m not even done with the Infinite Labyrinth yet, and another one’s been discovered?!”

That was exciting news, and Korot was close. I’d have to check it out when I had the time. Although…I’d probably never get permission to go in. Guess I should focus on finishing the Infinite Labyrinth first.

And besides, I wanted to see Olivia again.

A strong wind blew down the street as I was distracted with my thoughts, and I heard a group of young women shriek as it blew up their skirts. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Apparently, my Lucky Lecher skill had gone off again for the first time in a while. At least it earned me a little LP.

<Remember, don’t push yourself too hard.>

“You should take your own advice sometime, friend.”

When we reached the school gates, I climbed down from Tigerson’s back. As I neared to the classroom, I heard Ms. Elena’s voice. Apparently, it was a lecture day.

I slipped quietly inside, trying not to disturb everyone, and crept over to my desk. But I couldn’t help noticing Leila sitting nearby. What was she doing in S-Class?

And why were there flowers all over my desk?! I wasn’t dead!

As I got closer, I heard Emma mumbling to herself. “We’ll be together in heaven. I’ll never be with anyone else, not as long as I live…”

I couldn’t keep it in any longer. “But I’m not dead yet!”

“Noir?!”

“Wh-what…?”

I was cut off as Emma leaped up and hugged me. I was happy to see her too, so I wrapped my arms around her. I probably should have let her know I was back last night. Sorry, Emma!

“I’m so glad you’re okay! I thought you might have died!”

“All the same,” I said. “I think the memorial flowers are a bit much…”

“Don’t be silly! They’re for the safe return of a loved one. They don’t wilt easily, so they’re meant to bring you back safe. I guess they worked!”

Emma smiled at me tearfully. I really was home. There was so much I wanted to tell her, but my sudden return had caused quite a stir in the classroom.

“Sit down!” Ms. Elena shouted. “Who gave you permission to get out of your seats?!”

Nice to see she hadn’t lost her hard-nosed former-mercenary edge! When things settled down, Ms. Elena walked up to me and looked me over. Her eyes were much softer than I’d expected them to be. Was she making sure I was all right?

“I’m…glad you’re home safe.”

“It’s a long story,” I said. “But I made it out alive somehow.”

I mean, I had almost died more times than I could count.

To my surprise, Ms. Elena stepped in and embraced me. It was a shock, but it did feel nice. I relaxed into it. After a moment, she let me go and turned back to the other students.

“I’m sure you’re all aware that Noir and his friends went to a neighboring kingdom recently. They saved Honest from a monster attack, and Noir figured out what was causing it. So I’d like to invite you to give them all a hearty round of applause.”

The classroom erupted with clapping. Everyone’s eyes were sparkling and bright. Talk about embarrassing! I scratched the back of my head and tried to explain that I didn’t deserve it.

“Would you mind telling us a bit about it?” Ms. Elena asked. “I’m curious both personally and as your teacher.”

“Umm…okay.”

She didn’t even seem at all mad at me for missing class, so really, this was the least I could do.

I stood up and told them about my trip. I explained everything that had happened in Honest, but when it came to Iesu, I glossed over the details. I didn’t know if they’d agree that I should have let him go. To be honest, I still wasn’t sure about it myself.

When I’d finished talking, everyone started asking questions. Soon, I was exhausted all over again.

***

During break, I went to find Leila so I could ask why she was in S-Class all of a sudden.

“I switched classes while you were off on your little adventure.”

That made sense. There were a lot of good-for-nothing nobles in the Hero Academy, but the school did operate on merit. If your grades were bad, you’d go down a class, and the opposite was also true; excellent students quickly rose through the ranks.

“I’m glad we’re in the same class now,” I told her. “There are still so many martial arts techniques I want to learn from you!”

“I’d be happy to teach you!” said Leila. “Although I think there are more things that I’d like you to teach me.”

Before we could continue our conversation, Emma came over and pinched my arm.

“Aren’t you forgetting about your best friend in the whole wide world?” she asked, puffing out her cheeks.

“Of course,” I said. “I’m glad we can work together again. You’re like the air to me.”

“Th-the air?” Emma stammered. “O-okay…well, um…I-I guess I’m okay with that?”

She seemed a little confused. Had I said the wrong thing? I’d meant that she was as important to me as breathing, but maybe it hadn’t come across that way. I probably should have said something else, but I had never been very good with words.

Regardless, it was good to be back at school, especially because of all the incredible people in my class. But before I got any further with that thought, I was brought back to reality with a bang.

“Don’t let all your fancy adventures give you any ideas. You’re still just the son of some baronet. A nobody.”

It was one of the boys from my class. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember his name.

I shrugged. “I just want to live a life without shame. My rank doesn’t matter next to that.”

The boy snorted. “Preposterous.”

And that was the end of that conversation. I guess not everyone in my class was as kind as Emma and Leila.

There would always be people like him. I’d been running into them ever since I got accepted into the academy. It didn’t matter where you went—the world was still full of petty aristocrats who thought that rank and social status was a measure of individual worth, and those guys would always find me wanting. It worked well enough for them, but it only seemed to inspire arrogance and resentment…and people like Iesu.

Either way, I had other things to worry about right now. I headed over to the guidance counseling office and found Ms. Elena sitting there alone.

“Sorry to ask you here when you’re already exhausted,” she said. “But to be honest, I’ve been really suffering without you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I figured as much.”

Ms. Elena always had such sore shoulders. I suspected it was because she didn’t get much exercise now that she was a teacher. But I had the Shoulder Rub skill, so I put it to work and gave her a shoulder rub.

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” she said.

I worked on the knots in her back for ten minutes or so and, in exchange, she gave me a hug and helped me earn some more LP. She even gave me a pat on the head, even though I didn’t ask for it.

“I’ve been starting to think of you as a little brother,” she told me. “Not that I can give any of my students special treatment, of course.”

“I mean, you wouldn’t be the only teacher to play favorites.”

She smacked me gently on the head. “Watch that tongue, young man.”

It was true though. Some of the teachers acted more like servants around the children of high-ranking nobles, although Ms. Elena would never stoop so low.

By afternoon, school was done and I headed for the guild. I was still an adventurer, after all. I needed to report in, and besides, I wanted to see Lola.

Not much had changed in Odin’s guild hall—people chatted and drank beer, studied monsters, and gave each other hunting advice. The whole place was full of adventurers, but I never felt unwelcome there. It was an accepting place. The guild’s members would have made my master proud.

“Hey, Noir!” one of the veteran adventurers called out. “You’re finally back from your trip, huh? Good to see you again!”

“Thanks!” I called back. “Is Lola around?”

He pointed to a table at the back where Lola was arm wrestling with a bunch of adventurers—beating them one after another.

“She’s been like that ever since she came back,” said the veteran. “In a bad mood, if you ask me. And how does a receptionist even get that strong?”

Because she had a Superhuman Strength skill, of course! Plus I’d given her some other skills to boot. She’d have made a great adventurer herself at this point.

“Hi, Lola. I’m back.”

“Huh?!”

The second I said her name, Lola ran over and hugged me.

“Mr. Noooooooooir! I’ve waited so long for you!”

Lola, do you have to hug me so tight?! You’re hurting me!

I was happy when she finally let go. I could hardly breathe!

When she drew back, I saw that her eyes were wet.

“I knew you’d be okay. I knew it. But I was so worried about you. I had to do something to deal with my anxiety.” She looked back at the men she’d been arm wrestling. “Now that you’re back, I can finally be done with these guys.”

That was an intense way to deal with stress! The men didn’t even seem upset when she said she was done with them. If anything, they were almost weeping with gratitude. She’d hurt their arms, sure, but it had hurt their egos more to be beaten so thoroughly by a receptionist.

Sorry it took me so long to get back, guys!

Lola and I sat down together and had a long chat, but nothing much seemed to have changed at Odin.

“I just wanted to drop by and say hello,” I said. “But I’ll be back again tomorrow.”

Lola smiled. “I can’t wait.”

“Are you going to keep working as a receptionist?” I asked. “You’re so strong now!”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But I’m happy where I am. And besides, I want to help you get stronger too, Noir.”

She reached out and tapped me on the nose. This cute side was the secret to her popularity. I asked her about Luna, but as soon as I mentioned her, Lola’s expression darkened.

“Honestly, she hasn’t been by lately. I think she’s dealing with something pretty serious, but she won’t talk to me.”

If Luna couldn’t even speak to her best friend about a problem, then it had to be bad. Maybe Luna just didn’t want to trouble Lola with it. Or perhaps talking about it wouldn’t help.

“You may have a better shot of getting something out of her, Mr. Noir,” Lola said. “Just let me know how I can help.”

I promised I would and got to my feet, but Lola called out after me when I tried to leave.

“I-I wanted to give you this! Please feel free to use it at any time.”

She grinned and handed me a slip of paper on which the words “Naughty Game Ticket” were written. I asked what kind of naughty game she meant, but Lola just said I’d have to use it and find out. She loved doing stuff like this, so I tucked the ticket into my pocket for later and headed to the temple.

Luna worked mostly as a cleric, but she adventured on the side. Sort of like me. The townspeople all admired her for the great work she did, and it probably didn’t hurt that she was a beautiful half-elf.

When I arrived, the temple was overflowing with people coming there to be healed as well as to worship. You didn’t even have to be particularly devout to receive treatment, so long as you said you believed in the gods. As you might expect, that meant a lot of people came when they couldn’t visit a regular clinic for whatever reason.

Luna’s line was usually the longest, but I couldn’t see her today. I went over to one of the people standing in line and asked them about it.

“Is Cleric Luna off today?”

“No, she’s just on a break. I think she stepped outside, but you shouldn’t bother her.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

I left the line and headed around the side of the building. It seemed there was a rule about not bothering Luna when she was on a break, but I hoped they’d at least let me tell her I was home. I followed the wall around until I got to the back of the temple, wondering where she could be. But when I found her, she was with someone. I hid in the shadow of the building. Not because I shouldn’t be there—I just didn’t want to interrupt.

“I know I’ve mentioned it a thousand times, but it really is for your own good. At least give it some serious thought,” said the man.

“I know,” Luna said. “But…I’m still not ready…”

“Would you at least agree to a meeting? That way, at least I can save some face.”

He bowed his head to her, almost pleading for her help. He was a little older, perhaps in his fifties, and I’d seen him before around here. He was one of the priests at the temple.

“Well,” said Luna. “If it’s just a meeting, then…”

“Wonderful!” cried the priest. “Let’s make it next Sunday!”

He looked overjoyed and started to walk in my direction. In a panic, I hid behind a tree until he was gone. When Luna started to follow, I stepped out in front of her. She was walking slowly and hanging her head. What exactly did he want her to do?! It had to be awful.

“Luna. Luuuna!”

I waved at her, and her face brightened instantly. “S-S-S-Sir Noir! You’re home?!”

She raced over to me and grabbed my hands, jumping up and down excitedly. She was really pleased to see me! She almost never dropped her cool, collected exterior.

We chatted for a while after that. I reassured her that I wasn’t injured and gave her a brief summary of everything that had happened since I last saw her.

“I’m so glad you’re okay! I’ve been so worried about you. I’ve barely been able to sleep!”

Well, she did have dark circles under her eyes.

“I’m sorry if I made you worry,” I said. “Is there anything else that’s bothering you?”

Luna started. “Ugh…wh-what do you mean?!”

“To be honest? Lola’s worried about you. She said you seemed really down.”

Luna smiled a little. “I guess I can’t hide anything from her.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked.

Luna hesitated, then sighed and shook her head. “One of the priests I work with is trying to match me with a man, but I don’t want to get married! But…the priest has done so much for me… I can’t just say no.”

I nodded, and Luna kept talking. Apparently, the priest I’d seen her talking to was friends with a wealthy merchant, and the merchant’s son was looking for a wife. According to Luna, this guy was very particular and disliked regular humans. He wanted an elf, a half-elf, or a beast folk.

“Why does he hate humans?” I asked.

“He doesn’t want someone who’ll get old and unattractive,” Luna said. “I can’t understand that. Isn’t it better to see someone’s life when you look at their face?”

It sounded like this guy just wanted someone who’d stay young and beautiful forever. Unfortunately for him, most of the people in town were human.

“I think it would be best to meet him and turn him down gently,” I said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “Could you…maybe…pretend to be my little brother and come to the meeting with me?”

“Sure. What’s the plan?”

“I guess just…say lots of disparaging things about your big sister in front of him?” Luna asked.

Psychological warfare, huh? Convince him there was a massive disconnect between her physical beauty and ugly personality? It made sense, so we discussed the matter a bit further and decided to ask Lola if she’d mind playing Luna’s little sister. The meeting wasn’t until Sunday, so we had plenty of time to get our act together.

Luna went back to work after that, and I was left a little unsure of what to do next. The sun was already getting low. If I went to the hidden dungeon, it would probably be dark by the time I got back. Still…

“I’m going! I want to see my master! And Dory too!”

It’d been a long time since I’d laid eyes on either of them, and I was sure that they’d be pleased to see me.

I went straight there, recited the dungeon’s password, and headed inside. By then, I was used to taking out a few of the golden slimes that attacked me on my way in. The first time I’d killed one, I’d shot up a bunch of levels all at once. But I was so strong now that it barely even registered.

I headed down to the second floor and opened the door to Oliva’s room quietly, planning to sneak up on her.

<Uuh…it hurts…>

It sounded like she was in a lot of pain. I stopped in my tracks.

<It’s a little rough…today…>

She’d been bound in the same chains ever since I met her, and for a really long time before that too. Even though her eyes were closed, she must have realized that I was there, because she immediately snapped back into her usual, cheerful self.

But she was speaking more slowly than usual, and I could tell she was trembling. Olivia wasn’t the kind of person easily ruffled, so this was no joke. Also, if she didn’t want me to hear, why was she using telepathic communication?

I chewed that over, examining the Death Chains that bound her with my Discerning Eye for Items. They were S-Grade and designed to last as long as the target they were attached to. Olivia had already told me that she would die if they were severed, but I hadn’t known they hurt her too.

“Master, have you been in pain all this time?” I asked.

Guess I wasn’t going to get anywhere by questioning her. Clearly she didn’t want to talk to me about it, so I dropped the topic for now. Olivia seemed to have the same idea.

<I’m more interested in talking about how you abandoned poor, sweet Olivia down here for ages and ages. You know, if you want to try out new fetishes, I’d rather do it in bed!>

“You haven’t changed, I see. Honestly, I just ran into a lot of trouble on my trip. It wasn’t personal.”

Did she really think I was the sort of person who had one-night stands?!

In any case, I told her all about my trip, and we exchanged jokes about it. She seemed to enjoy the story, so I told her all about the situation with Iesu.

“Did I make the wrong choice?” I asked.

Olivia didn’t even have to think about it. <There isn’t always a right choice or a wrong one. Sometimes it just depends on your own sense of justice. That said, I probably would have done the same as you. That is, if the Great Adventurer Olivia still possessed all of her faculties!>

“Thanks!” I said, feeling the awkward lump in my throat dissolve.

I really was lucky to have her as my master.

I promised to come back and visit again soon, then jumped in my Dungeon Elevator and headed down to the seventh floor to see Dory. The Dungeon Elevator skill was really handy, but it was frustrating that I had to wait an hour before I could use it again. I couldn’t even Edit the cooldown time on it; the LP cost was way too high.

When I reached the seventh floor, I slipped through the verdant green forest until I spotted a girl of about seven or eight with emerald-green hair.

“Dory! How have you been?”

“Noir! You came back!”

Dryade might have been a monster, but she was a kind and gentle soul with the appearance of a little girl. She ran over and took my hand, and we spun around like we were dancing.

I joined in, but it wasn’t long before I started feeling dizzy.

“Ugh…the world won’t stop spinning…”

“I’ll make the bad go away!”

Dory stroked my head and…actually, that did feel better. We spent the next hour walking lazily around the forest and catching up with each other. When it was time for me to go, she seemed to remember something important.

“Noir, there’s something I need to tell you.”

I nodded. “You can tell me anything.”

“A while ago…a strange monster started appearing here. Just every now and then.”

A strange monster? How curious.

“Can you tell me more about it?” I asked.

“It’s definitely a monster,” said Dory. “But it looks kinda like a person, riding on a red horse. The human part carries a sword and wears a metal mask. It comes through this tear that just sort of…appears in the air and looks around a bit. If it finds any monsters, it attacks them. Once, I saw it fight a pack of wolf monsters. It killed them all in seconds.”

“But you were okay, Dory?”

“Yes,” she said. “It saw me, but it didn’t seem interested. It left right away.”

Maybe it wasn’t interested because she looked like a little girl. Did monsters hold that kind of sentiment? Or maybe it was just interested in finding strong opponents to fight. Regardless, the fact that it had only started visiting recently was worrying. Did it have something to do with me exploring the dungeon?

“I’ll keep an eye out,” I said. “But promise me you won’t get anywhere near it if it shows up again.”

Dory nodded. “I promise.”

Happy with that, I gave her a pat on the head and left the dungeon.

***

By the time I got home, it was completely dark, and my family had already finished eating. I was often late coming home, so they knew to go ahead without me if I didn’t show up for dinner.

“Noir, you’re back,” said Mother. “Let me get you something to eat.”

“Yes,” Father agreed. “I’ll help you.”

As I headed into the kitchen with them, I felt Alice glaring at me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

Before I could ask any further, she turned her back on me and sulked upstairs. It was unusual for her to be so angry. Normally, she was the first to welcome me home.

I asked my parents and Tigerson what was going on with her, but none of them had any idea. Well, even Alice could have bad days. It was probably nothing. I was sure she’d be in a better mood the next morning.

The next day, I woke up sorely regretting my naivety. I ran into Alice as I was leaving my room and reached out to put my hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“S-sorry.”

“Why are you like this?!” she snapped. “You really don’t think about anyone but yourself, do you?”

“Um, I’m really sorry if I’ve done something to upset you.”

“Are you?” she demanded. “If you were really sorry, you’d lock yourself in a nice safe room and never come out.”

She wanted me to become a shut-in? I didn’t understand, but she seemed really mad. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her that angry before. After breakfast, she headed straight out to school. I left the house to do the same, feeling dejected.

“Good morning!” Emma shouted, running up to me with a big smile on her face. “Let’s get going!”

I still hadn’t mastered the art of keeping my eyes off her chest when she ran.

“My eyes are up here, dummy!” Emma tilted my head up and flashed me another smile. At least she seemed to be in a good mood today.

“Hey… What about my LP?”

“Oh! Right!”

Emma hugged me tightly, just like she did every morning. But this time, it seemed to last longer than normal. I was glad for it, but it was a little embarrassing standing there in the middle of the street with everyone staring.

“I wish Alice were as happy as you are,” I said when Emma finally let me go.

“Is she mad at you? That’s odd.”

I nodded feebly.

“It’s probably just because you’re always putting yourself in danger, Noir. Alice just wants you to be safe.”

She was probably right. Emma was so perceptive about things like that. I mean, Alice had been really happy when I got home, but I guess once she had some time to think about it, she’d probably realized just how dangerous my adventure had been.

“I guess I’ll have to talk to her.”

“Yeah. Hang in there, ah ha ha ha ha ha!”

I smiled. “You’re excitable today. Why don’t we hold hands? Like we did when we were kids.”

Emma agreed at once, and we walked the rest of the way to school like that. Apparently, Emma was in such a good mood because she’d found a four-leaf clover. According to superstition, that meant she’d find happiness with the person she loved.

“I guess that’s what makes girls happy, huh?”

But as soon as I said it, I knew it wasn’t right. After all, “happiness in love” would hardly make my master Olivia happy—she wasn’t the type to devote all her love and energy to one person. Perhaps living in freedom was her idea of happiness? If that was the case, being trapped in those chains had to be hell for her.

“Emma, I’m going to call on the Great Sage. Will you help me if I get a headache?”

“Of course. What are you going to ask?”

“I want to know about the awful chains that my master’s been caught in all this time.”

Great Sage, I wish to break the Death Chains in the Infinite Labyrinth. Is there a way to destroy them without killing Olivia?

You believe? Tell me, Sage, how does it work?

Ouch. Yeah, okay, that was enough for now. The more difficult the question I asked, the more pain I tended to suffer as a result. If I hadn’t made myself an immunity skill, the pain right then would have been awful. More importantly, it was concerning that not even the Great Sage had an answer for me.

Emma saw the pain on my face. She leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. “Guess it was a tricky question, huh?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “But at least I got a lead.”

It might not have been a firm answer, but it had something to do with the fifteenth floor. Or at least, that was what the Great Sage believed. But the Sage wasn’t omniscient or infallible. I had to remember not to rely on it too heavily.

Still, I’d already reached the twelfth floor in the hidden dungeon, so the fifteenth wasn’t far. At the same time, the thought of all those weapons scattered about on the twelfth floor made my head hurt a little. Going back there would be more than a little scary.

The school day passed normally enough, without anything strange or unusual.

“Come on, you louts! You’ve been slacking over the summer, haven’t you?! When will you learn the only thing you can depend on is your own body?!”

Was Ms. Elena’s training getting harsher? It sure felt that way. We were running laps around the schoolyard while she smacked anyone who fell behind on the ass. By the time we were done, about half the class had thrown up, but Ms. Elena wasn’t finished.

“Now I want you to run out, run back, pick up a bow, and fire it at the target.”

It was easy enough to hit long-range targets with archery, but in an actual combat situation, you were often running around at the same time, trying to find a gap in your enemy’s defenses. We did as she said, taking turns to perform the exercise. I watched the first boy in our group run a short lap, pick up the bow, and fire the arrow, panting for breath all the way. The arrow flew up into the sky and disappeared, but Ms. Elena was giving us two chances, so he tried again.

“Zero points. Next!”

“Ow!”

As the boy slumped away, she kicked him in the rump and turned to us. We were all terrified of her, but she had some words of encouragement.

“Remember that I’m going easy on you. In a real fight, you get one shot or you’re dead, so take this seriously! Noir Stardia, you’re next!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I ran my lap, picked up the bow, and drew it. I sucked down a deep breath to steady my hands.

I’ve got this. I can hit a target at ten yards. No problem. I just need to stay calm.

Aaaand…bullseye!

“It hit?!” I gaped. I couldn’t quite believe it.

“Noir, have you been training in secret?” asked one of my classmates.

“You even nailed it right in the center. I don’t believe it,” said another.

I felt a little embarrassed by all the praise. Probably best not to mention that I’d acquired S-Grade Archery on my trip. Even Ms. Elena looked surprised.

“You cleared it in one try. You really have grown over your break.”

“Well, I did go through a lot…”

And I’d encountered a lot of strong people.

Ms. Elena nodded. “Lie on your back and accept your reward.”

I couldn’t exactly refuse, so I did as I was told. As soon as I was on the ground, Ms. Elena sat on my chest and ground circles against me. It was a little painful, but I earned 300 LP from it, so it was more or less a reward after all.

I wasn’t exactly sure how to react to the jealous stares from all the boys in my class, or the disgusted glares I got from the girls. In the end, I developed the utterly useless skill of half-smiling and half-frowning at the same time.

***

When I explained Luna’s predicament, Lola was adamant about playing the role of little sister. It was settled: next Sunday, we would try to ruin Luna’s reputation in front of this guy in any way we could.

Once we got that figured out, I headed back to the hidden dungeon to explore. First off, I snuck quietly into my master’s room, but I didn’t hear her talking that day. Was she suffering in silence?

I sighed. “You caught me, huh?”

<Don’t feel bad. Your dear sweet Olivia is just extra sensitive to your presence.>

“Master, I want you to know something: I’m going to release you from those chains, no matter what. I don’t want you to suffer anymore.”

I owed her that much, at least. She’d changed my life since we’d met, and not just with the skills she’d given me. Knowing her was slowly transforming me into someone capable of changing his life, no matter how much of a coward I was.

Olivia fell silent for a few moments, then started sobbing.

<Ooh, I’ve never been…so glad…to be alive…uuuhhh…>

I didn’t know how to respond.

<Waaaaaahhh!>

“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” I sighed. “I’m here trying to be serious, and this is how you repay me?”

All right, all right. Point taken. I knew I was developing slower than a turtle, and I wasn’t as audacious as my master, so I hadn’t even been able to save up much LP. But when I started to sulk, Olivia became more serious.

I shook my head.

“Got it. Besides, you know what kind of person I am.”

“Ouch! No need to be so mean about it!”

Olivia laughed heartily, and the cheer in her voice eased my nerves somehow. I took one last look at her, bound up in those awful chains, before taking my leave and summoning the Dungeon Elevator.

Just like before, the twelfth floor was covered in discarded weapons. I still couldn’t figure out what was going on, but the sight was disconcerting. The room itself wasn’t so different from the one Olivia was trapped in, with a single door at the back leading further into the dungeon. I was sure the real challenge was on the other side of that door, but I couldn’t go through it without selecting one of the weapons.

What made it worse was that the weapons themselves would not shut up.

<Hey! You’re back! You’ll pick me this time, won’t you, buddy?>

<No, I insist that you pick me.>

<Fuchonheraza, fuchonherami!>

They spoke in all sorts of different voices: a confident man, a young woman, an ill-tempered one, and one that spoke in some indecipherable language. There were forty-eight weapons in total, and I didn’t have time to interrogate them. The best thing to do would be to narrow them down to the ones I could actually use. A sword or a bow would probably be best, but that still left more than ten of them. I tried using Discerning Eye for Items, but none of them were particularly rare or had any special skills, so I just lined the ten of them up in front of me to question them.

“I’ve already destroyed plenty of weapons in my time,” I said. “If you displease me, I’ll destroy you too.”

It was Oliva who’d suggested threatening them, and it seemed to work. Most of them shut up. Seemed they really didn’t want to be destroyed. One of them was still particularly strong-willed.

The weapon that spoke was an unpretentious double-edged blade. It was just the right size for me.

“What’s on the other side of that door?” I asked.

They all answered at once. Apparently, there were monsters on the other side, as expected, but there were also a lot of traps. Unfortunately, none of them knew the particulars.

“How do you know about the traps?”

“So, in that case, there’s a good chance you might betray me.”

<No!> said the ill-tempered sword.

It sounded like he was telling the truth, although I’d have to be sure not to let my guard down. I went ahead and picked him up.

<What? Why me?> He sounded surprised.

“Because you’re the right size, and because you’re not trying to flatter me or win me over.”

He seemed really happy to have been picked, at least. Since we were going to be working together, I figured I’d better introduce myself.

“I’m Noir, by the way.”

“Okay, so how about Noname?”

It wouldn’t win any prizes for inventiveness, but the sword didn’t seem to care.

Gripping Noname in one hand, I took the door handle in the other and pulled. It had been sealed shut before, but now it opened easily. It turned out the weapons were right, and I needed one of them to move on.

The door opened into an normal-looking corridor that branched off just ahead of us. I couldn’t see any monsters yet, but Noname was average as swords went, so I made sure I had my favorite double-edged sword at my hip, just in case.

We advanced cautiously toward the first fork in the path, and when we reached it, I decided to turn right. I kept heading in, keeping close to the wall.

<Whoa!> Noname shouted.

“What do you mean a bad—whoa!”

Before I could finish, something grabbed my shirt. I panicked, casting around to work out what was going on, and found several earth-colored arms growing straight out of the wall, pulling me close.

What the hell? That’s disgusting!

I didn’t even have time to cry out. The wall was unnaturally warm. It sucked me straight into it.

“Ow…”

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself in a room on the other side. It had a thick, dirt floor and no way out.

I started by checking the wall I’d come in through, but it was solid now. Still, I had a mallet with the Stone Crusher skill in my arsenal, so I tried using it on the wall. It didn’t even leave a mark.

<It’s a trap,> said Noname.

“I guess it is.”

<Look.>

Plop…plop…plop…

Things were coming out of the ground, one after another. They were humanoid in shape, but their bodies were made entirely out of mud. I used my Discerning Eye on the one closest to me.

Name: Mudman

Level: 189

Skill: Bodily Reformation; Bodily Assimilation

I understood the reformation skill well enough, but what did Bodily Assimilation do? Did it only work on allies, or was I a potential target too? Either way, it sounded annoying. There were six of them now. Each of them was a different level, but they were all around Level 200. But just as things were looking bleak, Noname gave me some encouragement.

<Don’t be afraid! Use me! I’ll cut them down!>

“But they can just put themselves back together again!”

It was strange being yelled at by my own sword, but I did as he said—swinging the blade at the mudmen. They were thicker and heavier than I’d expected, and it was tough to get the sword all the way through, but I was strong enough now to cut the first one in half with my first hit.

The other mudmen stretched out their arms, trying to pull me in, but I couldn’t let that happen. If they caught me, I was pretty certain they’d absorb me, and I didn’t want to know what would happen then! I back stepped away and started taking them out one at a time.

Just as I’d expected, by the time I destroyed the sixth one, the first and second ones had reformed themselves. I had a look into destroying the skill in question, but it would cost over 7,000 LP to break them all. I had just about enough LP to do that, but I really didn’t want to waste it if there was another way.

Thankfully, the mudmen themselves were slow and weak. So long as I didn’t get exhausted in a drawn-out battle, I could figure a way through this.

I smashed the revived mudmen back into the ground, but I started to get the feeling that something was off. Not in a bad way, though. The mud just felt…softer? Like it was easier to cut them down now.

I took a moment to use Discerning Eye on Noname and was shocked to discover he’d somehow picked up the Sharp Edge skill. What in the…? I was sure he hadn’t had any skills earlier. I wasn’t exactly complaining though!

The mudmen kept coming back to life, and I kept on destroying them. When I checked Noname’s skills again, he’d acquired C-Grade Destructive Edge as well. Now I really needed to look into things.

Destructive Edge: Increases blade’s ability to destroy materials while also making the blade more prone to breaking.

Well, that seemed useful, although I didn’t like the idea of the blade becoming more prone to breaking. All the same, it looked like Noname really was getting stronger. Maybe he got better with each enemy I defeated?

<More! More! I’m getting more powerful!>

“Hang on, I need to think about this.”

If that Destructive Edge skill got him killed, I really would be in trouble. Although, the way things were going, maybe the skill would upgrade itself.

Urgh, these mudmen were so annoying! I fired off a Water Drop, drenching them through. Their muddy bodies absorbed the water, making them even slower. Perfect! At least that gave me some more time to think as I kicked them around the room.

I supposed I could use Editor to get rid of Destructive Edge, but the skill would probably just develop again. Making the blade stronger seemed like the better option, so I spent 2,000 LP to create the S-Grade Enduring Edge skill and another 1,200 LP to Bestow it on Noname. That still left me with about 5,000 LP.

I needed to find a way out of this room! I kept cutting down the sluggish mudmen, and Noname kept developing at an astonishing rate. In no time at all, he was an A-Grade weapon. I was almost afraid to think it but…wasn’t this all a little too easy? I had a sneaking suspicion that there might be some kind of catch. Although it was possible I’d just lucked out when I picked Noname.

<Yessssss!>

And with that, he hit S-Grade. Strangely, my level hadn’t gone up at all. Maybe because I hadn’t defeated any of the mudmen yet? Then again, I wasn’t sure that I could.

“It’s time to get out of here.”

I turned back to the wall we’d come in through and swung Noname as hard as I could.

Fwoooomp!

The wall collapsed almost right away. We’d done it! I hurried out of the room and back into the corridor.

<Hey! Those things are still alive!>

“There’s nothing I can do about that. They just keep coming back!”

Noname grumbled, dissatisfied with my answer, but I ignored him. Once we’d put some distance between us and that room, I glanced back over my shoulder, but the mudmen didn’t seem to be following us. They probably couldn’t leave the room. Good news!

I headed straight back down the middle of the corridor, careful to avoid any more arms that came out of the wall. We reached a three-way fork in the path, and each of them had different noises coming from them: moans, beastly howls, and extremely high-pitched shrieks.

“Yeah…my heart’s pounding too…”

Only mine was beating so fast because I was anxious. I had to pick a direction, but there was no guarantee where any of them would take me.

“Fine!”

I did as Noname suggested. The corridor ahead was clear and well lit. I was just starting to think that there was nothing there when…

“Grrrr!”

A beast suddenly shot past us. It looked like a brown bear, but it was clearly a monster. It was massive and extremely quick, and it had a fifth leg growing out of its back. It turned and reached us before I’d even had time to fire off a spell. Faster than I could track, it swiped at me with a thick, fur-covered leg.

This thing was strong, and human faces are frail. Before it could rip me to shreds, I rolled out of the way. Once I was clear, I tried to slash the creature’s back, but the extra leg moved swiftly to block me. I skipped out of the way again, but not before it caught me with its claws. I was bleeding, but it wasn’t a deep wound. I shouldn’t have gone in without a plan.

<Ooooh, a real challenge! This is great!>

Hold your horses, Noname! I needed to figure out how to deal with this thing. It was strong and could cover its back easily. Any attack I made would have to be decisive.

I started by using Magical Fusion to combine Stone Bullet with Holy Flame. The burning stone slammed into the creature, setting its fur on fire. The flames were persistent too. The bear ran around, slamming into the walls and trying to put out the fire, but it was useless. All I had to do was wait, and victory would be mine.

“We don’t need to. All we have to do is wait.”

Wow, this guy was annoying. But, well, even if his shouting was kinda intimidating, using him on the bear would make him stronger, so I waited for an opportunity and attacked. The blade cut into the bear’s neck, bringing a swift end to a rather underwhelming fight.

When I checked Noname again, he had the skill Flame Blade. He really was getting stronger! The new skill would allow me to use my magic to set him on fire. Whoa, that was super cool!

“I just wish you’d stop yelling so much.”

<Sorry. But the more enemies we defeat, the easier it’ll get for you, right?>

He had a point. And I did want him to get stronger. I just didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

I investigated the path behind the bear monster, but it was a dead end. We had to turn back and try one of the other forks. There, we found a single humanoid monster that was so weak, we killed it in a second, and a red crow that was making the shrieking sound I’d heard before. It was only about Level 5 and didn’t have any notable skills, but it did fly around a lot and attack me with its beak. I tried setting fire to Noname, but the crow was pretty skilled at getting out of the way. If I couldn’t beat it, it was time to back off.

“Roger that.”

I launched the flaming sword into the air, but my aim was a little off. All the same, it managed to contact one of the crow’s wings, and that was enough. Its feathers ignited, and a few seconds later, it had burned to death.

He was right. Now he had the skill Wave Slash too. This one would let me use my magic to fire off a blast of cutting wind. I tried it out and found I could adjust the amount of energy to control the strength of the attacks—reaching anything from five to twenty yards. As long as I had some magic left, that would be useful. Unfortunately, the third path was a dead end too.

“Maybe I made the wrong choice right at the beginning.”

Guess we’d have to go all the way back to the first fork again. This time, I took the other branch, but the enemies down there were almost identical. At least this time I had Wave Slash. It was a cakewalk, really. I took them all out at a distance and without any trouble, but it was exhausting to find another set of dead ends.

“Maybe the stairs to the next level are hidden.”

I retraced my steps, tapping the walls with my sword as I went.

Tnk, tnk, tnk, tnk, tnk, tnk, dnk.

Dnk.

Yep, I’d definitely found a spot that sounded different. I smashed through the wall and peered through the open hole. There was some kind of stone plinth inside with a wooden sign next to it…and nothing else. No monsters. No living creatures of any kind. I entered cautiously, keeping my eyes peeled for traps as I approached the sign.

Place a strengthened weapon on the plinth.

“I guess that means you, Noname.”

“Maybe. But I don’t see the stairs anywhere.”

<They’ll probably appear once you set me down on that thing.>

I guess… The plinth was just the right size for a single weapon, and I didn’t see anything else suspicious. Nothing else for it.

“Huh?”

The moment I put Noname down, he was absorbed into the plinth. Before I could say goodbye back, he was gone. The walls began to move, opening up a path to some stairs leading down.

“I guess I cleared it… But Noname had to…”

He’d grown so strong, it felt like such a waste. But he’d needed to get that strong to open the path. The infinitely regenerating mudmen must have been put on this floor specifically to strengthen the weapons.

Uh… But I still had a really bad feeling about it, even though I couldn’t work out why.

I descended the stairs anxiously. When I reached the next floor, the walls and ceilings were made of metal, and one straight path led forward. It was gloomy down there, but I could see a strong light at the end of the hall. Things seemed to open up back there.

Was it some kind of arena? I heard a large crowd murmuring, although the chances of the crowd being human seemed extremely low.

“I think this is far enough for today.”

I was already exhausted, so it was best not to push my luck.

I summoned the Dungeon Elevator and headed back up to the surface.