[And it won't happen again if we don't risk stealing.] Crystal paused, clearly waiting for a response from me. But I couldn't focus.

I slumped down, not caring, as my arm banged heavily against the altar. What had I just seen? Four different loops of myself and my parents killing each other in horrifying ways. I couldn't understand what had really happened. Did my parents kill each other? Did I kill my father in self-defense? Did they drop dead of food poisoning? The memories all contradicted each other and made no sense.

I put my head in my hands, tears streaming down my face as the pressure built in my skull like a rodent trying to force its way out of a trap. I sniffled and leaned my head back against the smooth, cold stone.

How long had it been since I entered the dungeon? Though I knew it had only been a few days, it felt like an eternity. Time was a blur here. It couldn't have been much longer because of how long it took to clear each room. These memories were tearing me apart.

I wanted to be done with this place. I wanted to be back home, even with my parents’ constant arguing. I wanted to be with my friend, experimenting with magic and annoying the guards around town. I wanted my life back.

[Unfortunately, Rod, there is no going back. Dead is dead,] Crystal reminded me, her tone gentle yet firm.

"You people always say that, but what about Elric, the founder? He found a way back home," I retorted, desperation creeping into my voice.

[And like all rules, this one was made to be broken,] Crystal replied.

“Why can’t I be the one to break the rules? The Triumvirate is already messing with me. Who's to say we won't make it?” I argued. A flash of anger sparked briefly as I thought of Rellum forcing me to do his task.

[Look, all I am saying is don't expect it. That makes things more challenging in the long run,] Crystal cautioned.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Slowly, I picked myself up off the ground, using the altar for support. "Whatever. We should stop wasting time. I'm determined and won't let anyone determine my fate again. Rellum, Aurentum, Malikip—they built Penance for a reason. We were taught growing up that it was a test to determine who should lead the world. That we get a final wish at the end. If there's a chance, I will take it, and no amount of negativity or fear on your part will prevent me."

If Crystal still had a body, I could imagine her shaking her head, but I ignored my mental image. There were two exits to the room, and there was still a second secret to find. I had figured it would be here in the boss chamber, but a quick glance at the map parchment showed it was two rooms away, in the furthest room from the entrance. Before moving any further, though, I had to detour to the Necromancer room to recover my mana and summon a new pet.

~Run 6, Necromancer's Room, Floor 1, Sewers of Aerlyn~

I sat on the altar, the premier place in the dungeon. From my vantage point, I cast an Elemental summon. The uncontrolled magic swelled in my belly as if I had overeaten, then flowed up and through my arms and fingertips. A die rolled.

A fire, a living fire, rolled out of my fingertips and onto the ground. The flame bubbled up like a liquid and came alive in an explosive burst. A mouth and nose formed on the flame, elongating as it morphed from a bubble-like blob into an all too familiar shape: a dog. Another fire elemental.

"Fire!" the flame dog barked, running around the room and leaving a trail of flames in its steps. "Fire!" the dog kept yapping before it came up to me and sat down expectantly. Coal came running and pushed the imposter out before barking happily at me. "Fire!" Coal said. The new dog pushed back against Coal, barked, and growled.

“There are two of them!” I exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief. “Did you know that could happen?”

[It was always in the realm of possibility, yes,] Crystal responded calmly. I was blown away. I was also stuck; what would I name a second fire dog? Should I dismiss the dog and try for a third element? A brilliant plan for making this dungeon even easier came to mind.

“Crystal, Scan works from doorways, right? Before the gate slams down?” I asked, excitement building in my voice.

[You have done so a couple of times by this point,] Crystal replied.

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"Brilliant. Let's go; come on, Pearl, Coal, Coal 2," I said, gathering my companions.

[Did you seriously name your second fire dog Coal 2?] Crystal asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

"Yes," I said innocently, smiling to myself.

In my mind, I imagined a humanized version of Crystal shaking her head.

[I don’t look like that!] Crystal interjected, catching my thoughts.

“Oh, did I touch a nerve? I know you can create images with these parchment things. What did you look like on E-arth?” I asked, curious.

[It's pronounced Earth. And no, I'm not going to show you what I look like, you pervert!] Crystal snapped.

“What, no? I—never mind,” I said, giving up on the line of questioning. It was time I left for the second floor.

I stepped through, leaving the first floor behind. Coals 1 and 2 flanked me on either side while Pearl dozed at the top of the stairs. The fresh air, crisp and cool, was a balm for my frayed nerves, the stress of merely glimpsing that super boss lingering like a bad dream.

Emerging from the dank, oppressive sewers into the open air of Aerlyn was a relief. The city was a beautiful sight, especially in contrast to the horrors I had just left.. I made a beeline for Klericho's house, the cobblestones clicking under my feet with every step.

When I pushed open the door, the familiar creak of his door announced my arrival. Thomas and Klericho were seated at a table, and there, unsettlingly, was my unlooted corpse.

“Hey guys!” I called out, trying to ignore the sight of my own lifeless body.

"Rod! How'd you get back so fast? That was barely an hour. You must have set a new record," Klericho exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise.

"Haha, hardly. But it was easy with the class I just unlocked. It's called Conjurer, and it—"

"You don't find that class hard to use? It was powerful, but getting the pets to attack immediately was difficult," Thomas interrupted, shaking his head. "I pretty much gave up every run I had with that class."

“Didn’t you say the same thing about the archer class, Klericho? That it was too difficult to use properly?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

“I did, too; keeping track of arrows was annoying and didn’t always lend itself to feasible battles,” Thomas replied with a sigh. “Especially when the enemy was resistant to arrows. I always had to skip the necromancer room when I got the archer class.”

“How do you skip a room?” Klericho asked, looking puzzled.

“You just go the other way. Hadn’t you noticed that the first floor was a giant circle?” Thomas said, gesturing in a circular motion.

"I guess not," Klericho responded, scratching his head. "We got your corpse for you, but now that you're back on the floor, everything will have respawned."

"How were you all able to get my corpse? Crystal said non-penitents couldn't touch corpses," I asked, curiosity piqued.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Thomas laughed as I kicked my corpse, sighing in relief as my items re-entered my inventory.

"Thanks for that. This should be easier now. I figured out a way to make the summoner class feasible," I said, enthusiasm creeping into my voice. "I figured out a way I could easily switch out my pets because I looted that Astral scroll and the lunar amulet. I got two of both, so now we must discuss strategy."

"What are those?" Thomas leaned forward, eyes gleaming with interest.

"The scroll makes it nighttime in a single room for the duration of the zone, and the amulet creates a slow but steady mana and health regeneration under the moonlight," I explained, pulling out the items to show them.

“And you have two? Of each? You have the merchant’s luck,” Thomas remarked, shaking his head in amazement.

"You're not the first to say that. I've been oddly lucky," I replied with a shrug.

"I think we can give Klericho my second amulet and heal up between fights, but where should we make it nighttime? I don't want to inconvenience anyone, but how would people react if it was suddenly perpetually night here?" I wondered aloud, looking between Thomas and Klericho.

“You don’t know about the curse, do you?” Thomas's voice dropped to a whisper, eyes darting nervously.

"What are you on about? This is Penance. There are no curses here because we are all already cursed," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "What's the worst that could happen? We die? We already know I can bring you back. Everybody else respawns when I restart my run. We need a room for the night."

"The djinn cursed this city so it would never be night again. If his curse were to fall... horrible monsters would attack," Thomas said, his voice trembling slightly.

Klericho snorted before I could respond. "What a load of malarkey. There are no curses in Penance. Who even told you about this curse?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Jackiel. Remember him? He managed to get the Level Bypass to spawn off the King and left the floor that way," Thomas replied defensively.

"Level Bypass?" I echoed, intrigued.

"Like the Blood Ruby the Goblins on the first-floor drop," Thomas explained.

"If there's a level bypass, why are you both still stuck here?" I asked, frowning.

"Look, this conversation is getting off track. We need the moonlight to—" Klericho began.

"Then let's clear the Textiles room and make it nighttime there. I'm telling you this is a bad idea," Thomas said, looking genuinely scared.

"It's two against one, Thomas; we're going to do it," Klericho said with an air of finality.