I gave a hearty chuckle. But it was no joke. I could see that their knight and two warriors were as serious as can be. I stroked Lila’s hair gently and looked deep into her eyes. “Do you know who I really am?”

“Hmm?” Lila smiled. “You’re someone strong enough to kill a death list monster by himself. That’s all we need to know.”

I stared at Mikaela, who I was admittedly fond of, and sighed. “Okay, I’m not sure whose idea it was to go to the dungeon, but I’m glad the entire party is here.” I stood up and rested Lila down gently. “What I’m about to say is backed by real experience. Can the group please have a seat?” I invited the two fellows standing near us to sit on the log that I used.

Now that they were all seated and I had their full attention, I got straight to the point. “I want to make this abundantly clear.” My eyes spent a couple seconds engaging everyone in front of me, then I closed them. “If we go to a dungeon, we will all die.”

One of the warriors scoffed. “I knew he was a waste of time.”

“We won’t know until we try,” the other warrior said, a tad aggravated by how quickly I shot them down.

I exhaled, shrugged, and had a look at the clouds up above to see what the weather was like. “Well, let’s just put it this way, unless each of you possess enough power to beat a death list monster ten times stronger than the chimera, you’ll die. And monsters aren’t your only enemies in a dungeon. It might be freezing there, sub-zero temperatures, or it might be scalding hot to the point where you die of thirst. Or, you just might fall to your death at the very beginning of the dungeon. If you’re all so infatuated with death, then I wish you the best of luck in meeting him.”

One of the warriors lost his cool. “You act like you’re a strong yet you’re the same worm that needed our help to get away from those pathetic slavers! I challenge you, worm!”

“Dude you’re acting like such a side character right now,” I shook my head. They were rather bewildered by what I meant, but I obliged him anyway. “Okay, how about this – if I win, you all forget about the dungeon. If you win, then I’ll go with you only if Lila becomes an expert wizard that can create portals.”

“You lose if you surrender, become unable to fight due to injury, or lose consciousness,” my opponent so eagerly set the rules.

I shrugged. “Alright, sounds good.”

Lila was all for it, but Mikaela was worried. The knight was a bit apprehensive and the other warrior thought it’d be an easy win for them.

“B-begin!” Doran refereed the match.

Immediately, the warrior charged in like the side character he was. His bastard sword came swinging down at me. I caught it in my hand and batted it away, which made him stumble in its direction a little. His rage only increased as he saw how little effort I put into the fight. His next attack was a lunge straight to my stomach, but I didn’t even need to do anything. I just stood there and took it. He couldn’t pierce my skin.

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His furor skyrocketed and he started swinging wildly and using skills to empower his attacks. The footwork, technique, feints, and incorporation of kicks, headbutts and even a couple backhands proved his worth as an adventurer; he knew how to fight. I made simple blocks and deflections with my staff until I grew tired of horsing around and simply smacked him across the chin with the end of my staff. He dropped like a sack of potatoes and lost consciousness.

Doran announced me as the winner then tended to the warrior whose jaw was shattered, making him as good as new in a few seconds.

“He’s a skilled warrior. He’d have stood a much better chance if he challenged me before I fought the chimera. Lila,” I sat down again, “the dungeon is nothing like this world. The weakest enemy there is at least B-rank. The strongest enemy is simply beyond the reach of what humanity is capable of. Please, don’t throw your lives away like that.”

She grunted in vexation and sucked her teeth. “Fine! I guess you’re right. But, did you actually go into a dungeon before? How’d you survive if the dungeon is so difficult?”

I laughed. “That’s the first thing you should’ve asked.” Even Doran and the cool and collected Mikaela hung onto my every word. “To put it simply, I survived because I beat the dungeon, but I didn’t beat the final boss.”

“Huh?!” Lila was flabbergasted. “You beat it? Wait, wait, so the monster that is ten times stronger than the chimera isn’t the strongest monster of the dungeon?”

I let out a loud guffaw again. “It’s more like a pet or familiar to the master of the dungeon. My circumstance was special, so I didn’t need to fight the dungeon master. Even now, I can’t say for sure that I could beat the dungeon master.” And that was very true. I had no idea how strong Lich Kaya actually was.

“Beyond humanity,” the knight interjected. “You said the strongest monsters were beyond humanity’s reach. Are you not human?”

I eyed him, but he had no ill will. “Asking the real questions, huh?” I stretched my arms upwards. “No, I’m not human.”

“Then what are you?” Lila asked for all of them, Doran included.

“Well,” I scratched my head, “there’s only one group of beings that can use spells and skills, right?”

“Hol’ up!” Doran stole a page from my amazing speech. “You’re telling me you’re really a monster? Then why in the devil’s anus did you help me?”

“What? Is it a crime to help people? There are intelligent monsters out there, you know. And besides,” I drew a stickman with the end of my staff, “I spent most of my life as a human before I was a monster. So, my behaviors and ways of speaking are still very human.” I gave them a warm smile. “And, I was originally a woman, so that explains why I moved so feminine sometimes. And yes, I knew you questioned it, Doran. So, there you go.”

Doran went quiet, and his eyes opened wider and wider as things began making sense to him. “Oh. Oh my. Wow! Oh! Oh my god!” He ogled me, but then shook his head. “Wait, that can’t be right. Female to male,” he muttered under his breath. “I know what you are!”

“Good for you, but I’m keeping that part secret the most, okay?” I tapped him on the shoulder. If one thought hard enough about it, one could figure it out. As far as I knew, other humanoid monsters weren’t capable of switching sex, but a lich wasn’t bound to either sex. “Anyway, I suppose we should get going.”

Doran picked his things up and I mine. But Mikaela wasn’t having it. Her eyes were fraught with uncertainty and doubt as she grabbed onto my arm and shook her head at Lila.