Shun POV:

“Do you perhaps... know if... Zinyul is single?”

A finger tilted the brim of the wizard hat toward the ceiling. The shadow it cast highlighted the dark eyes that narrowed.

“Do I look like Cupid to you?”

Dibla’s pupils dilated. Their enlargement destabilised the pace of her breathing and stiffened her limbs. Hands flew to avoid—to escape Death’s gaze. She compressed herself against the wall in an effort to hide the tremors. Tremors that threatened to turn into convulsions with every second that passed.

“A-apologise... I-I... a-apologise...”

Her round lips formed a half opening beneath the hands blocking her view. Whispers carried the softness of her voice forward; however, Dibla didn’t understand that Death had knocked on a different door today.

“He’s single.”

“Thank... you...”

The innocence was restored. True servitude had been acknowledged, but all that remained was a deep scar. Water peeled away from the external, leaving the internal untouched. It dissipated along with Wizard’s attire, and sweat fell.

The last of my strength was used to heal Dibla.

‘...’

I watched her crawl to the side on all fours. The ground darkened every time she moved; it told the same story Dibla had lived. A shadow replaced the tears, but the flames of Hanzo brightened the area. Light welcomed her, and I ignored her gaze until it shifted to the blood on clean hands.

Dibla cried.

The flames dwindled. They dispersed as fast as they came, but this was enough.

“May I... please... know your name...?”

I spun Hanzo’s Blade V8 around my fingers before sheathing it on my back.

“Kurosawa Shun.”

The doors slammed shut behind me, and I collapsed against it. Phoebe opened her mouth, but the explanation I gave first was accepted by the party due to the ‘Hidden Room.’ However, I knew the question they all wanted to ask: why did I run?

The answer?

This was my fight, not theirs.

***

Sunlight added to the green vibrance. A gentle breeze carried their enjoyment beyond the large community they were a part of. Distant trees bundled together in certain areas and made the faint incline of the landform more noticeable.

“Woah... This is a Safe Zone?”

Gerard raised a hand to block out the sunlight before squinting his eyes. Stone walls formed a large circle that contained hundreds of houses. Fields were organised, and the produce grew under ideal weather conditions.

It was a settlement.

Byeol couldn’t enter the 64th Floor, but the stairway she took to reach the 65th Floor wasn’t present. In its place stood a double door that led to a brick pathway. After opening another door at the end, we arrived on top of a hill, and the path behind vanished once everyone stepped out of it.

A dungeon that emphasised free movement between the Floors now forced its participants to enter not just any Floor but a Safe Zone.

These details mattered.

‘It’s random.’

Despite being noticed by others, no one tried to rush toward us. I surmised that the entry position wasn’t based on the number of Adventurers already on the Floor. That meant trying to enter a pathway the Adventurer didn’t come from could trap them in, leaving the person in limbo.

I continued to sort out information into the appropriate categories when a man waved us over. He didn’t approach, yet was eager for us to hurry toward him.

‘...’

My gaze shifted to Phoebe. She was preoccupied with the beautiful scenery, but Aiden’s lack of reaction masked the detailed observations he was making.

“We should speak with the people here to get a better understanding of this place.”

The moment Katherine opened her irritating mouth, my eyebrows fell. The veins along the side of my forehead popped at her stupid suggestion.

‘Katherine...!!’

I calmed myself down. I stabilised the agitation that compounded before following behind the party. This was only one dungeon after all.

“W-welcome! M-my name is Sai! A-actually, the people here gave me that name since it sounds s-similar to shy. H-haha...”

The young man’s brown eyes refused to settle in one place. Beads of sweat coated his forehead until he lowered his gaze. Sai fiddled with his fingers; their speed increased in tandem with the blood accumulating across the bridge of his nose.

“Please take your time.”

A gentle smile almost took the strength out of his knees, yet a soothing voice supported him. Sai’s reaction was normal. Katherine’s beauty extended to all areas of her character; it came from the inside first, then added to the exterior. The result was a woman that no man could resist.

But I didn’t care.

She was...

‘Tch.’

“T-thank you...! May I... show your party around?”

“We will be in your care.”

Katherine’s bow made Sai step back. He looked around, unsure if it was right for someone like her to lower their head to someone like him. He couldn’t understand that this was Katherine; it wasn’t an act to break the ice between them or garner favour.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Phoebe remained silent throughout the entire interaction. She seemed to have no intention of getting involved with the tour guide’s plan.

“Y-you should be able to advance to the next Floor by passing through the empty gate over there.”

Sai pointed to a stone gate far from our current location. A dozen Adventurers stood guard in a circular formation: the gate in its centre. It was identical to the one that appeared in Safe Zones but lacked the whirlpool of white light.

“This area is called a Safe Floor.”

Animals were protected inside the settlement. People conversed with one another. Buying, trading, and selling: all normal practises of a functional society.

“A-all of the people you see here have participated in Arcane Dungeons all over the world.”

“...Does that mean Safe Floors appear in every Arcane Dungeon?”

The slight narrowing of Aiden’s eyes was enough to frighten Sai, but that didn’t change the importance of the question asked. The only reason he didn’t make a move was because of Phoebe. For some damn reason, she hadn’t said a word since our arrival.

“J-just the low rank ones, I think. Maybe... the beings that made dungeons thought it’d be too hard and wanted to give us a chance...”

“Or maybe they thought it’d be easier to kill everyone in one place.”

Sai and the rest of the party turned their heads toward me. This naïve idiot was wasting my time. Time that would lead to the growth I needed.

“N-no! I’ve... been here for two months, and aside from the Night Waves, there aren’t too many threats...”

“I see hundreds of threats right in front of me.”

At first glance, the settlement seemed normal. People laughed and communicated with one another in a cordial manner, but that was only on the surface.

When they laughed, their eyes remained open. Their bodies shifted into better positions to see those around them. When they communicated, angles were considered as well as the individuals nearby.

Every Adventurer here was on guard, and that included Sai. He walked in front but spent 98% of the time looking back.

“Shun...”

“...”

Vibrant amber eyes forced me to look away. Katherine crouched down beside those who were injured or sick. Her sweet smile lowered their defences, yet she still asked for permission to aid them. Gentle words of comfort empowered the water that swept over their bodies.

“She’s like an angel...”

Sai was mesmerised to the point his shyness no longer played a factor in admiring Katherine. Aiden gave a firm nod in agreement before Gerard let out a laugh.

“That’s our Katherine!”

I peered down at the sick approaching Katherine. This damn woman was a beacon. She drew unnecessary attention to us on a Floor where caution was needed.

“Let’s go to the next Floor.”

“M-maybe it won’t be so bad to have another break, right?”

My eyes swivelled toward Phoebe. She knew I wasn’t satisfied. She also knew the battle with Dibla had left me drained, and that was the reason she kept quiet. Phoebe believed I would assess the situation with her rationale, opting to rest my body before pursuing the growth I needed.

But she was wrong.

“We had a break on the 62nd Floor. Phoebe, why are you deliberately trying to waste my time?”

I cocked my head to the side when a shadow fell. Darkness consumed the vibrance, trying to penetrate it. Bloodlust threatened to spiral out of control, invigorated by irritation.

A reply never came. Phoebe simply bit her lip and looked to the side.

“...Shun, just one night won’t hurt.”

“Take it easy, Shun.”

“...”

I spun around and walked off. I would ‘take it easy’ after Chloe’s lifeless body laid in front of me. I would ‘take it easy’ after I ripped out Koli’s heart and crushed it the same way she crushed me.

“Wai—“

A thicket of trees far from the settlement surrounded me.

“I’m sorry! I ju—“

“You just what? You thought I looked tired?”

Phoebe’s body stiffened in response to the accurate read. It didn’t matter how high her EQ was since I already grasped her character. Yet somehow, the visible distress within that soft gaze cooled my rising anger.

“Why don’t you come back to the others, Shun?”

Her thin lips spread into an affectionate smile that encouraged me to concede. I wasn’t stupid. I was aware of how effective Phoebe’s approach to forming a relationship was.

The compliments: you’re hot.

The honest intent: I want to be someone special to you.

The caring desire: I want to support you.

The physical contact: Hands.

Aside from strength and power, they often symbolised protection and stability. Whether Phoebe knew this or not, her actions proved the sincerity of her words.

For example, why did she choose to rest her head on my shoulder instead of my lap? Biblically, the shoulder represented power as well but also responsibility. ‘A shoulder to cry on.’ ‘A shoulder to lean on.’ Both phrases indicated an individual had the importance of supporting another, regardless of whether they had the capability to do so.

I would never rest my head on Phoebe’s shoulder. That was why she put hers on mine. Shoulder to shoulder: I’m here for you, Shun.

Did Phoebe consider all of these aspects before she did anything?

No.

She didn’t need to.

‘...’

The shimmer of her eyes produced a faint heat. It emanated from the darkness over my chest.

“One. Night.”

I walked past Phoebe.

“Right. One night.”

Her soft chuckle made the corners of my mouth rise. Phoebe was beautiful.

***

An abundant array of stars coated the dark blanket that swept over the sky. Some contained hues of red. Others had traces of blue, but both offered light to the settlement below.

I sat beside the flickering fire; my arm rested over my raised knee. Katherine sat opposite the flame with her hands on top of one another on her lap.

“An ambush. That is what you are concerned about, Shun.”

I stared into her pure blue eyes. They looked at the world in a clean way based on her morals and beliefs. Katherine was kind but not a pushover. She could be stern if it meant the safety of others would be guaranteed.

“Why did you even heal them? Some of these guys are probably at Boukyaku or higher.”

“There is nothing wrong with helping those in need.”

My fingers curved inward until they pressed against the palms. Slight vibrations emanated from the faint swaying motions they made.

“How nice.”

Eyebrows fell with the rising wave that turned the sway into a shake. The surge of irritation reached its final peak.

“It must feel great to be a person who can play that role!”

The shadows darted away from Katherine’s face, reluctant to cling on to the radiance it offered. Her perfect posture moved with the lowering of her head.

“If I have angered you in any way, I apologise.”

Shadows rushed toward my face, eager to cover it in its entirety. I stood above the fire and the light before lips parted.

“Why are you so damn nice?!!”

Katherine’s mouth opened but no words came out.

“WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU, KATHERINE?!!!”

Ki tinged with the darkness erupted out of my body. The light it added to the surrounding was tainted by the form I was in. Tears streamed down my face; they poured out of an open chasm, released from a deep pit.

“IF I HAD YOU!!”

I crashed down into a chair.

“IF I… HAD YOU...”

My head drooped like a withered flower.

“If... I... had you...”

Memories of the past blocked out those turning their heads in my direction. The hand that went to lift her chin up would have been caught by the wrist. A lecture on manners. A reprimanding necessary to be brought back to the reality of the situation I was in.

Then... an offer of kindness. She wouldn’t ignore the rags I wore and would go out of her way to aid me in this new world.

A true companion.

A genuine friend.

I bit my quivering lip at the different possibilities when two hands wrapped in gentleness held onto mine. They gave me the strength to raise my head, but the look in her eyes gave me compassion.

Droplets of water splashed against the earth; its descent rhythmic and pure.

“I am sorry.”

Katherine searched the darkness. She navigated through its thickness, not for answers, but for life. Her outstretched hand dispelled the barricades in her path until my body quaked.

“But Shun, I am not omnipresent. If I had the power to help everyone at once, I would do so in a heartbeat. And yet, that is not how people grow. That is not how people learn.”

She stopped in front of the remaining shadows.

“My master: a Magi, an Epithet Holder, and a controller of time itself. Even he... even he had to make a sacrifice in his life.”

I didn’t want to hear this. I already knew that I had made a mistake! However, The System still played me! Chloe Ravendawn still....!

Tremors dispersed the anger in a form, unable to be released.

“Shun, we are only human.”

Yeah.

And this is only justice.

The shaking stopped with the fall of my gaze. Radiance vanished, and the steps she had taken were rescinded.

“...Sorry. Forget I said anything.”

Katherine added a slight force to her grip, unwilling to let me regress any further. This regression was necessary for my existence; nothing else mattered.

“Shun, I am concerned about your condition. I’ve noticed it deteriorate the more we enter these dunge—“

“I said, Forget it! I don’t care about anyone or anything other than what I have to do! I need... to do.”

Katherine glanced back at the party members sleeping before moving her hands away.

“...As you will, Shun.”

[The Night Wave is about to commence.]

‘Good. Very good.’

I ignored the solemn expression on Katherine’s face and walked past her toward the sound of roaring in the far distance. My lips reached the corners of my eyes before I bolted forward alone.

‘Come! Take me to the next level!!’