“Hey, I heard you weren’t going with the expedition,” a voice drew Damien’s attention behind.

Turning around, he came face to face with a young woman. She had blonde hair, brown eyes, and a scar cutting across her right eye. She played with a dagger as she strode right up to Damien.

Her name was Emily Locke, and she was a [Rogue]. Roughly around Damien’s level at Level 30.

“I am not,” Damien replied with a shrug.

“But why not?” Emily asked with a raised brow. “We could use your strength with this expedition. According to some reports, the last expedition lost nearly half their members before they defeated the Exiled One.”

“And how do we even know that?” Damien crossed his arms. “The surviving expedition members would’ve passed through to the next ten floors at that point, wouldn’t they?”

“That is true, but there are some members who fled the boss room before it was over, thinking they would die.” Emily explained, before she shook her head. “Anyway, that doesn’t answer my question: why don’t you want to come with us? You’re one of the highest-leveled people around in this floor… you’d be a great asset to us all.”

That was true. Alongside Emily, Damien was one of the highest-leveled individuals around. Certainly, he was not the highest-leveled person ever. But that was because his main focus was not leveling up. Rather, it was overcoming the challenges placed before him.

And that was why he couldn’t offer his help to Emily.

“I’m sorry. But there are three other hidden boss rooms in this floor that I have yet to discover. Until I clear them all, I’m not leaving anywhere. And as you and I both know, once we defeat a real boss, we can’t go back.”

Damien gave her an apologetic look. In response, Emily pursed her lips.

“But are you really sure you want to just… stay here? You’ll be alone. You’ll have nobody with you anymore.” Emily slowly lowered her dagger as she met his gaze.

For a moment, Damien hesitated. Then he nodded. “It’s fine. I’m used to being alone.”

He thought that his response was enough to get Emily to drop the topic. But she stepped forward and grabbed him by the hand as she held his gaze.

“What about me?” she asked the question as she refused to look away from him.

Damien paused. He looked back at her brown eyes. Here she was, the first ever person to offer him any help since he arrived in this tutorial tower. All this time, he had run mostly into bloodthirsty murderers, looking to capitalize on weak folks who didn’t know any better.

But she was like an angel, saving him when he was at death’s door. And she brought him to her encampment, accepting him with open arms.

Damien had never fallen in love with anyone before. But for the first time ever, he wondered if he felt that way with Emily.

Unfortunately, despite his feelings towards her, he couldn’t commit to this.

“I can’t, Emily,” Damien said as he shook his head. “But I don’t feel like I’m ready to be responsible over the lives of others— not especially when there’s so many people who will be relying on me too.”

“But—” Emily started as her eyes grew wide.

“I’m sorry.” Damien lowered his head. “This is my final decision.”

“I…” And Emily’s gaze darkened. Her hands dropped to the side, before she sighed. Turning around, she replied in a barely audible voice. “I understand. Then this is goodbye, huh?”

“I guess… I guess it is.” Damien nodded back at her.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Goodbye, Damien. Until we meet again.” Emily glanced back at him one final time, before drawing away.

“Bye, Emily. Thank you for everything.”

And the very next day, Emily set off with the expedition to continue ascending the tutorial tower. Meanwhile, Damien remained there for another three months until he cleared out the remaining hidden bosses in that floor.

***

Emily Locke.

It had been a long time since Damien had heard that name. He hadn’t known what happened to her after they parted ways. He hadn’t even known if she had survived the tutorial tower, or if she died to some trap or to a random monster.

Damien had oftentimes wondered what happened to her. After they separated, he hadn’t even formed a close bond with anyone else in the tutorial tower. Mostly because nobody else truly seemed to care about anyone other than themselves.

Not that Damien blamed anyone who had that mindset. He felt the same way. Especially with how many psychotic murderers were running around, drunk on the power they were given. Which was why Damien became a recluse who only spent all his time hunting down the hidden bosses.

And hearing Emily’s name brought back many memories. Memories which Damien had almost forgotten. He smiled as he lowered his head, before whispering under his breath.

“Emily, huh? I’m glad to hear she’s still alive…”

“You know her?” Lucas asked as he blinked.

His voice immediately broke Damien out of his stupor. The half-naked man cleared his throat as he took a step back. “Uh, that’s right. I met her back in… Medul.”

“You did?” Lucas’s eyes sparkled when he heard that. “Is she doing well? What’s been going on with her?”

“She’s doing… fine?” Damien lied as he shrank back. “Anyway, that’s beside the point. What do you even want me to do? Just tell her that you’ll get to her eventually?”

“Yes!” Lucas nodded eagerly. Then he paused, before he tilted his head back. “Actually, I change my mind now— I want you to take me to Medul!”

“Absolutely not,” Damien cut the [Monk] off immediately.

“Come on, please?” Lucas begged as he got to his knees.

Damien sighed as he massaged his temples. He tried to change the topic. “Did Emily tell you anything about navigating the mist wall to get to the edge of the world? And did she, uh, ever tell you what her goal in Medul was?”

“Would you let me tag along with you if I told you this?” Lucas asked hopefully.

“No,” Damien said flatly. “Now answer my question, or I won’t deliver your message to her.”

“Aw.” Lucas’s shoulders sagged, before he took in a deep breath. He rose to his feet and explained, “She said she wanted to find the Elder of Medul for whatever reason. And as for the mist wall, I cannot help you with that. Emily never told me anything.”

“Great.” Damien rolled his eyes and took a step back. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll be heading off now.”

“Wait, but—” Lucas started.

And Damien waved as he hopped up above the alleyway. “Bye.”

All Lucas could do was watch as Damien disappeared overhead.

***

Damien found Aria and Lena a few streets away. They had stopped right before a cat, which Aria was inching closer to pat. Lena was doing her best to coax the cat to not run away. Unfortunately, the moment Damien landed there in the middle of the side street, the cat scurried off in a panic.

“Papa! You’re back!” Aria exclaimed as she ran up to Damien.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Hopefully that didn’t take too long.” Damien smiled as he accepted the little demon girl’s hug.

“So what happened?” Lena asked with a raised brow.

Damien waved a hand dismissively. “It’s nothing too important. Lucas just wanted me to deliver a message to someone… who so happened to be an old friend.”

“An old friend, huh?” Lena blinked, before grinning. “I’m surprised— I didn’t know you were capable of making friends.”

“And I didn’t know you were capable of making jokes.” Damien rolled his eyes back at her. Then he ushered Aria forward as he gestured for the Leviathan to follow. “Now come on, we’ve had enough detours, let’s go check up on Elana.”

“Right, right.” Lena nodded as she trailed along.

***

And up atop a nearby rooftop, Lucas watched as Damien headed towards the palace in the distance. The [Monk] chuckled as he sat down, his figure beginning to shift. The disguise he wore disappeared. For he was no [Monk], nor was he a human from Earth. It was merely a disguise he had put on to lower Damien’s guard.

Instead, a shroud of shadows overcame the figure’s body, and his eyes glinted with a crimson glow.

“Oh, what a fool you are,” the man who claimed to be called Lucas whispered. “So easy to be tricked, a pawn to be deceived. But worry not, for I will not harm you or your family. Instead, I will aid you in your journey to Medul, even if you do not know that I am there.”

His figure began to flicker, turning to ashen motes of shadows that blew with the wind. He laughed, all the while his voice echoed and faded away.

“I have already gotten rid of Overlord Trystan, just for you. Now, all you have to do is lead me to your former friend, and we’ll be even…”

With that, the man that called himself Lucas disappeared from the streets of Verne. All the while, Damien remained none-the-wiser.