Going through the door, I walked down the cave-like passageway that looked completely different from the hallways of the infirmary behind me, which would make anyone do a double-take as if it were some sort of illusion.

After less than a minute of walking, I reached a familiar-looking door, which was the closed door in the secret boss room.

It was a metallic-looking door that looked worn down and heavy. When I approached it, it did not open for me, so I placed my hand on it to see if it would work, and it did.

However, as the doors opened, the secret boss room I was expecting was not there; instead, I saw nothing. The door that just opened revealed to me a place that was filled with nothingness, like a pitch-black void.

What the… This can’t be right. The boss room was supposed to be past the door; why isn’t it here? Did Lumina send me to the wrong place or something? No, that can’t be right either…

Hearing the sound of rushing water, I wondered what it was till I saw a massive amount of water suddenly fall into the empty void, and then the water suddenly began flooding the passageway I was in, somehow.

You have to be kidding me.

I felt the force of the rushing water slamming onto my body. Disoriented, I tried my best to hold onto something as the rabidly flowing water was trying to drag me with it.

I held onto the thing I was holding as hard as I could until the water stopped moving. Opening my eyes, I saw the passageway I was in was filled with water, and the empty void past the door was too somehow. I wonder if the infirmary is all right, but the doors should be strong enough to hold against the water slamming into it.

Looking out at my surroundings, I try my best to calm down from this absurd situation and quickly assess it.

Seeing the empty void outside the door filled with water, I saw what seemed to be sunlight starting to pierce through the deep, dark water.

Maybe that is where I can make my way out of here. I should decide now because I was on a time limit. In my past life, I could hold my breath underwater for 4-5 minutes while moving, so in this life I got about 2-3 minutes to see if the sunlight was a way out, and if it was not, I could make my way back to the infirmary for Lumina to let me in if it was the case.

Without a moment to lose, I began swimming. I remember my training to ignore my instinct to breathe as I continued swimming up to the light.

Going up, the sunlight began getting brighter and brighter, and I could see a glimpse of a bright blue sky.

It’s good to see that, but where does this lead me, and more importantly, why is this all happening? One thing after another keeps happening. It’s almost like I have the luck of the main character of a story, where things like this keep happening to them.

Maybe it’s because Alex’s own main character's luck is rubbing off on me.

Nearing the surface of the water, my hand broke through the surface tension, which made me feel relief that this wasn’t an illusion or something.

My head now out of the water, I gasped for air as I immediately turned my head to look at my surroundings.

I saw a familiar-looking sun and lots of sand. I then saw palm trees and, strangely, tents in the distance.

Am I still in the dungeon? Is this the third stratum?

Looking at the tents again, I confirmed that they were tents, which led me to believe I was on the 29th floor, specifically the water hole where the 29th-floor village was.

After realizing where I was, I couldn’t really complain because it’s better than nothing, and at least I know where I am.

I can’t believe I have the simultaneous bad and good luck of a main character. Today is not a good day because I need to go back to Clare as soon as possible.

Making my way to shore, I saw someone, with a hood covering their face, taking a nap.

That person really looked relaxed, like we weren’t in a dungeon or something, especially with the fact that he had a straw in his mouth.

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When I got close to the shore, he seemed to have woken up as I began dragging myself out of the water.

Rubbing his eyes from his drowsiness, he slowly looked at me.

It took him a moment till he said.

“Huh?... Nyx? Is that you?”

Hearing him say my name, I was stunned and deeply confused because how did he know my name, but, for some reason, that voice seemed really familiar.

I looked at him confusedly and on guard, so he then removed his hood, and I was surprised to see his face.

“Yes, and—”

With blonde hair and blue eyes, he looked to be someone in his mid-20s and had a face that could charm anyone, I said his name.

“You’re Eric, right?”

Standing up, he approaches me with a smile.

“I didn’t expect to see you. You looked quite different; I can see it in your eyes.”

Looking at Eric, I said.

“Yeah, me too, and what about my eyes?”

“Nothing really, just how different you look compared to the last time I saw you, but how did you get here?”

Listening to his question, I too honestly did not know how I got here because I went through one nonsensical thing after another, which I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them.

Plus, I would rather not let him know about the infirmary I just came from because I don’t want anyone to figure out where it is, since I haven’t fully figured out how it got here in this world, and I don’t think this world is ready for the technology of my old world, especially if someone manages to find their way to the hangers; it would not be a good idea.

“I don’t have the words to describe it, so I honestly don’t know.”

Since he asked, I was trying to say it in a way that a normal person in this world would try to explain what I went through.

I showed him some bewilderment that was mixed with my true feelings in my mind since he could guess my thoughts on the surface level.

“I see.”

He looked at me, still curious about where I came from, with a smile, but for some reason, I sensed there was a slight seriousness to his expression that was covered with a jovial expression.

“Yeah. If you don’t mind, could you please tell me the directions to the 28th floor? I need to get to the surface as soon as possible.”

I wasn’t hiding my desperation when I told him that, which he could tell under my expressionless face.

“Really? This is the third stratum, you know; the monsters down here are quite dangerous.”

“I know, but I have to get out of here.”

Eric looked at me as he placed his finger on his chin in thought and suggested.

“Why don’t I and my party help escort you out?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we don’t mind; we haven’t really gotten anything interesting to do, and we have a lot of time to waste.”

“Time to waste? Oh, you mean Kinwall, with your gear?”

When he said he had time, I guess it meant they were waiting for their gear to be remade, which had been postponed and delayed because of me.

I felt a bit guilty about it, but… I frowned and made a visibly displeased expression because I realized they were the party Kinwall told me about.

Seeing me make a frown, which I could also tell from the tension on my face, he asked, looking genuinely worried.

“What's wrong?”

“I generally do not like people with screws loose, which I realize are people in your party Kinwall had warned me about.”

Eric had a wry smile when I told that in front of him. I could not tell if he has a screw loose, but his entire party has a screw loose from what Kinwall told me.

“Is that really what he told you about us? I guess I can’t blame him because he doesn’t have a good impression of us with the amount of trouble we have given him.”

He said it with a casual smile and then said.

“But I think you should meet with everyone to see for yourself because you seem to have a really bad impression.”

“Okay, and sorry, it can’t be helped, mainly because of personal reasons.”

“I see. Why don’t you tell me how you got here and why you want to get to the surface so fast?”

Hearing his question, I debated whether I should tell him about my situation or not. He is a noble like me, but I sense no malice in his words, and the fact that he is one of Kinwall's patrons made me decide to tell him a rundown of mostly everything.

I told him that I was a runaway noble, how my family's black knights attacked me in the 2nd stratum and tried to drag me back, how I momentarily lost them but a passageway opened up that led to a secret boss room, how I beat the secret boss and how my family’s black knights died, how I was unconscious but a regeneration potion saved me from being on the brink of death, how I woke up in an unfamiliar place, and finally how I got here and why I wanted to go back to the surface.

Excluding the infirmary part and other stuff, Eric looked at me with that same smile like he actually believed me and said.

“That is quite the story and an interesting one at that; I believe you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it's not the most insane story I heard. I mean, if you want, why don’t I tell you some of mine?”

He said that casually, like he experienced things that were even crazier and more absurd than what I went through. I thought to myself, oh god, I was right; he really is insane.

“Anyways, let's meet up with my party; we'll have you back in no time.”