As I got to my feet, I finally noticed it. My lightning attacks had vanquished the werewolves and nearly depleted my mana battery. The giant creature looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes.

“HUNGRY!” he whined, his voice carrying a desperate edge. I felt a pang of guilt; he’d been instrumental in the fight, and now he was suffering for it. But I couldn't feed him until I reached the other room and revived my friends.

"Great," I muttered, feeling the weight of my mistakes settles heavily on my shoulders. The exhaustion was overwhelming; I didn't even have the energy to facepalm. Slowly, I shuffled towards the tavern. My limbs felt like lead, and every muscle ached from the strain. I knocked on the door, the sound echoing hollowly in the silence, signaling everyone inside that it was safe.

The door creaked open, revealing the villagers peering cautiously, their faces mixed with fear and hope. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Is it over?" One of them asked, their voice trembling with relief and disbelief.

"Yes," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, the weight of the night's events pressing down on me. "The werewolves are gone. You can come out now."

The villagers hesitated for a moment before slowly emerging, their eyes widening in awe as they took in the aftermath of the battle. The ground was scorched where the lightning had struck, and the air still carried the acrid scent of burnt fur and ozone.

I sank into the chair, feeling the weight of my body sink into the worn wood. The relief was immediate, the pressure lifting off my aching feet. "Crystal," I murmured, my voice barely audible, "let's hope the next battle isn't this tough."

[Agreed,] Crystal replied, her voice a soft murmur in my mind, soothing and comforting. [For now, rest and recover. You've done well.] Her words felt like a gentle caress, easing the tension in my chest. I closed my eyes, the villagers' celebrations fading into the background. A sense of peace washed over me for the first time in a long while. Together, we faced the darkness and emerged victorious. And with that comforting thought, I allowed myself to drift into a well-deserved sleep.

~ A While Later ~

This was it. I had one, maybe two rooms left, and then I would face the Djinn. Alone. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but I pushed it aside. No shields to get in the way this time. Just me, my wish, and whatever resolve I could muster. I could feel it intrinsically like I felt mana flow through my veins, that the wish wouldn't be enough to kill the Djinn outright. The magic came from him, so it probably had some safeguards. But if I could word it right, I could figure out a way to end him before he could kill me. This was my one chance to end this, to make the second floor the second floor again.

As my mana slowly replenished, I took a quick bite to eat, feeling the energy seep back into my body. The stale bread and dried meat did little to satisfy my hunger, but it was enough to keep me going.

I returned to the Goblin King's throne room, my mind racing with strategies and plans. If my guesses were correct, I had the Oasis room and the Djinn's room left. This dungeon floor was already absurdly large, and I couldn't afford to overlook any new threats.

Entering the Goblin King's room, a realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

I turned on my heel and rushed back to the entrance, my heart pounding. I gathered the corpses that the citizens hadn't even cared about. The stench of death clung to the air, a ghastly reminder of the chaos and destruction that had unfolded.

I was so used to whatever was wrong with my brain getting in the way of doing things right the first time that I didn't even let this lapse of judgment phase me. I was honestly relieved that the corpses were still there.

Back in the king’s room, I placed my hand on the Aerlyntium, feeling relief as it swirled to gather the corpses and everything else I had laid out. The orb's soft glow illuminated the room, casting long shadows on the walls. I watched in fascination as it absorbed the materials, the air buzzing with energy. I was glad I had the foresight to throw out some wood and metal, noting how the Aerlyntium picked those up, too.

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All in all, I removed about half of what I had gathered from the entire floor, an insane amount of materials that made my head spin. A notification flashed before my eyes, the text bright and crisp against the dim background.

I waved it away before it even formed. And pulled up my list of people to place. At the top of the list was a name I didn’t expect at all.

"Thumbs?" I repeated a mix of disbelief and hope flooding my voice. My heart raced as the diminutive goblin materialized before me, and without thinking, I scooped him up in a giant hug. "Oh, Thumbs, I am so sorry I let you get hurt." The goblin squirmed in my arms, but I held him close, feeling the warmth of his small body against mine.I let him go after a minute.

"Yes, yes, I's Thumbs!" He did the little jump thing where he stuck out his thumbs in a pose, his face beaming with pride. It was him. Relief and joy washed over me, the emotions overwhelming in their intensity. I felt my eyes well up with tears, and I blinked them away, not wanting to cry in front of him.

"You are?" I asked, my voice trembling with emotion. “It’s me. Rod. I’m your master, remember?” Thumbs nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with excitement. "Yes, Master Rod! Thumbs remember! Thumbs remember!"

I felt a wave of relief and joy wash over me. "I thought I'd lost you," I admitted, my voice breaking. "I thought I'd never see you again." The emotions were too much, and I felt a lump in my throat. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure.

I placed Thomas and then Klericho on the ground, breathing a long sigh of relief as they blinked into existence. Their presence reminded me that I wasn't alone in this fight. I had missed them, especially given how often I had become a god's plaything when they weren't around.

"What, how? Where are the demons?" Thomas's gaze was a bit bloodshot, and he looked rather confused. Klericho seemed scared, darting glances into the room's corners like he wasn't sure if everything was safe. We had been eaten by demons, after all.

"It's fine, Klericho. You're safe. I gave the demons something they wanted, and then a god vanished them." I explained, trying to calm him. The relief in his eyes was evident, but there was still a hint of wariness. Overall, my situation was great now. I had two powerful allies, a minion, and a few spells. I didn't have a way to recover mana, but luckily, I expressed this out loud, and Klericho spoke up.

"Oh, they sell those in the market, and unlike health potions, you can chug those all day. This is great since you finally got the mage build you've wanted," Klericho said, his voice tinged with excitement. The prospect of easily accessible mana recovery was a game-changer. I had been so excited for actual magic my entire time through the second floor, but when I finally had it, I didn't even have time to react the way I should have because I was so focused on what Malikap did to me and then on making sure I got the pieces I needed to clear out the Djinn.

This reminded me. I pulled out the lantern and showed it to Klericho and Thomas. The sparkle in their eyes was unmistakable. It was the same hunger I had seen countless times before—a thirst for power, for control. They wanted the Djinn lamp to serve their interests instead of the good of everyone. The realization made my stomach churn. The glint in their eyes was why I had always ignored religion. Bonrellum seemed great, but everyone who served him seemed just as self-serving as I was. I sighed, feeling a heavy weight settle in my chest. I didn't want to be that person who judged everyone when I knew just how well perceptions could alter one's opinion of anything, most definitely on matters of judgment and morality.

"Look, I know this lamp is powerful," I began, my voice steady. "But we have to use it wisely. This isn't just about us. It's about everyone trapped here." My words hung in the air, a solemn reminder of the gravity of our situation.

Thomas nodded slowly, though I could still see the hunger in his eyes. "I understand," he said, but his voice lacked conviction. There was a hesitation in his gaze, a conflict of interests that made me uneasy.

Klericho, on the other hand, seemed more earnest. "We need to be careful. The Djinn is powerful, and if we misuse this wish, we could end up worse off than before."

"Exactly," I agreed, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on my shoulders. "We have to think this through. No rash decisions. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Klericho said firmly, while Thomas reluctantly nodded. The tension in the room was palpable, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.

I turned to Thumbs, who had been listening quietly. "Thumbs, we're going to free you from Kingsley and defeat the Djinn, but we need to work together." The little goblin nodded, his eyes shining with determination.

Instead of letting my anger rise or getting mad at their looks of jealousy, I rushed forward and hugged my friends. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you all here. I promise I'll do better." The words felt heavy with sincerity, a promise to myself as much as to them.

Thomas nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but Klericho stiffened when I touched him. The cleric's reaction was unsurprising; we had never been close. But it wasn't worth the energy to dwell on it. He didn't have to like me, but as long as his god did, I knew he would accept me for who I was.

Eying the final name in my list, I said something to my friends."So guys, before we head to kill the Djinn, there’s a slight change of plans,"