“Dungeon Master 07, are you still with us?” one of us asked.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” I replied.

“Oh, I see. I thought you were gone. Sorry.”

“Yeah, I can’t blame you. Do I do a countdown before I go, or…”

“Yeah, do a countdown. It’ll definitely be more suspenseful.”

“Okay, I guess… 3… 2…” Just as I was about to reach one and use Greed and Resurgence, I heard Dungeon Master 04 say, “Don’t die out there, okay?” That would be the last thing I heard. “Why would you say that?” I wanted to complain, but before I could, I fell into a strange and eerie silence.

Huh? What happened?

Ah, right, I used the authority as I reached “1,” so is this it?

I tried to summon the interface, but nothing showed up. I tried to move what I imagined would be my limbs, but nothing moved, and at the same time, nothing was felt.

“Did I make it to the other side?” I couldn’t help but wonder, a little more nervously.

This has to be it. This didn’t seem like anything else than that. Now that I think of it, what else would it be other than the other side? What would it be? Death?

At that moment, at that thought, I couldn’t help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

No, this isn’t. This clearly isn’t? My situation was, compared to the experience from back then, nothing in comparison. A cold but rejuvenating shiver ran down my spine, reminding me that, after all, I still existed, dispelling any hint of worry from my heart. Bathing in a newfound confidence, I felt veiling upon me a familiar dull weight that, at first contact, I assumed to be mere exhaustion. But as it came to envelop me through and through, I finally came to realize it for what it was: drowsiness. I wanted to sleep, and it took me a long time to be completely overwhelmed by it into a complete slumber.

***

Falling into a deep slumber. I slumbered; for how long exactly? I couldn’t tell, and it was not an "I couldn’t tell" like it was back then but more like I couldn’t simply tell because I’d slumbered far too long to be able to. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, I finally broke free of that slumber, but not on my own. Instead, I was woken up by something, something rough, so rough that I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell was happening to me.

Slowly, I woke up feeling absolutely confused. Everything was fuzzy, and I could barely make out distant sounds, like a muted lullaby. I felt like I was in a snug cocoon, and I sensed a gentle pressure all around, like whatever it was just tight and weird.

I started to notice myself, but I felt floaty, like I had no weight. Moving was a distant idea, and I, much like I did that day when I awoke as a Dungeon core, was still figuring out what my surroundings, edges were like.

Then, something changed. I felt a pull, like I was being carried somewhere. The muffled sounds got stronger, and there was, alongside it, a steady beat—one that I couldn’t help but notice more than anything else.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Suddenly, warmth surrounded me, so cozy and inviting. It felt like a friend's hug—how I imagined a friend’s hug: warm and reassuring, drawing me closer to something reassuring. Even though I couldn't see anything, I sensed a shift, like I was moving from an open space to somewhere more enclosed.

In that warmth, reality became clearer. In that surge of clarity, I heard another sound that I immediately came to associate with a heartbeat. It synced with my own rhythm, for yes, the rhythmic beats I’ve been hearing were that of my own heart.

Somehow, I found myself in a snug spot, safe and cared for. It was then that my eyes, which had been closed tight, opened for the first time. And in the arms of someone gentle, I saw the world with fresh eyes.

As my eyes adjusted to the newfound light, shapes and shadows began to take form. I could make out the silhouette of a woman, a figure with curves and warmth. She emanated a soothing presence, and her touch was tender, cradling me in a cocoon of safety.

Her face, akin to a blurred mosaic, gradually became more distinct, but not to an extent that I could see what she really looked like. Soft features framed by strands of hair, and I sensed a gentle gaze that seemed to peer into the very core of my being.

Returning the stare she locked me into, I gazed back into her yet-to-be-unblurred eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling that this woman, who held me with such tenderness, was likely the mother of the body I now inhabited.

Remembering why I brought myself into this side of the world, I conjured the little mental energy I felt like having and called forth the interface. To my first command, nothing came out. Instead, everything that I felt was a strange surge of fatigue; no drowsiness, I felt like sleeping right then, but nonetheless, I pressed on.

I was very much aware that I, in this form, was no longer a Dungeon Core. Nonetheless, I was aware that I, as a human, should at least be able to conjure an interface like other humans do. And, fair enough, as I tried some more times, it appeared before me.

_____________________________

Name: Dungeon Master 07

Level: ???

Race: HighBreed

Class: N/A

Title: N/A

Experience: 0 / 150

[Status]

- H.P: 1 / 1

- M.P: 1 / 1

- S.P: 1 / 1

- Fatigue: 49%

- Defense: N/A

- Offense: N/A

[Skills]

[Abilities]

『Expand』

_____________________________

Staring at the status screen in front of me, as a Dungeon Master who’s seen what a top dog is truly about, I felt like a multi-billionaire getting to experience the bidonville life, seeing my very miserable stats.

“I guess that’s just how it is and should be for a baby,” I thought to myself, reassuring myself by thinking that “he,” having used Greed and Resurgence countless times, most likely went through a similar step in the past. However, I overlooked the fact that today I, unlike him, was missing something very essential: the authority itself.

In that moment, staring at my status screen, I saw my level of fatigue rising alarmingly. With a mental command, I dispelled it, thinking to myself, “I guess this journey of mine is just beginning. For now, I’m wasted, that’s enough for today, I’ll do better tomorrow.” I closed my eyes, allowing drowsiness to claim me into a deep slumber.