"I sent my love with the morning sunlight,
But you slept until the afternoon and never knew…"
"What are you saying?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about how to use this in a future lecture," Tyler said while roasting some strange monster.
Oh, right—Tyler is a literature teacher.
"Anyway, how's your training going? If you're not done, don't even think about eating," Tyler glanced at me.
I was currently doing a handstand, sweat dripping down my face.
Since we were both transported to the second floor, Tyler took the opportunity to start training me right away.
As for getting out of here?
"Nah, don't worry. They'll find us eventually. Why not use this time to let me help you instead?"
And so, I ended up receiving both lessons and physical training at the same time.
And let me tell you—it was exhausting.
I'm terrible at studying. I never went to school, so suddenly having to learn high school-level knowledge is pure torture.
But if I don't study, the academy's tests will absolutely destroy me, so Tyler's doing this for my own good.
As for training… I have no talent whatsoever. Developing any stat besides physical strength is nearly impossible for me.
Not to mention, I can't use any weapons either.
It's the worst…
Or maybe not.
Tyler doesn't use any fixed weapon either—he fights with whatever he can get his hands on. And he's planning to teach me the same dirty fighting style.
Coincidentally, I don't have any honor to lose.
So Tyler decided to make me go all-in on a single stat: Physical.
For one simple goal—
"Imagine your enemy unleashing a massive attack, setting everything around you on fire… and you just walk out of the flames with nothing but a few minor burns. Cool, right?"
Tyler's eyes sparkled.
…Okay, that is pretty cool.
"Alright, stop!" Tyler called out. I immediately collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
Then, the scent of food hit my nose. I looked up to see a plate placed in front of me.
"A well-earned reward for a hard day's training. Worth it?"
"Worth your ass!" I snatched the food and devoured it.
Tyler just chuckled softly, his eyes gentle as he watched me.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Why not?"
"Just don't."
I grabbed my shirt and was about to put it back on when Tyler stopped me. He looked at my stomach, then poked it.
"Hey, I'm not gay."
"I know. Just checking your progress… Not bad."
I quickly put my shirt back on and watched as Tyler put out the fire.
"Let's keep exploring!"
"I'm tired."
"Not my problem."
"..."
And so, Tyler and I continued walking, taking in the sights of this place.
***
"Huh?"
As we kept walking for a while, suddenly, a hidden passage appeared on the wall.
I blinked, curiosity filling my mind. But just as I was about to ask—
Tyler, who was always cheerful and loved teasing me, suddenly turned deadly serious.
"This place…" he muttered, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Tyler turned to me, his tone much colder than usual.
"This is a hidden zone. The monsters inside will match the strength of the strongest person present in the dungeon. But in return, the treasure here is top-tier."
Hearing that, I immediately processed the information. Monsters as strong as the strongest person here? Just look at Tyler—if he's the strongest one in this place, then… yeah, we're screwed.
I decided: Nope. Not going in.
"Uh, let's just skip this. I don't see the need to take such a risk—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Tyler suddenly turned to me with a grin.
"Honestly, I've never been inside a hidden zone before, meaning the chances of encountering one are even rarer than finding a completely loyal partner in a relationship."
That smile sent a chill down my spine.
"Hey… don't—"
I quickly turned to run.
But before I could take half a step, Tyler grabbed the back of my collar effortlessly—like picking up a kitten.
"Let's go! A real man should have the spirit of adventure!"
"NOOO!!"
Ignoring my struggles, Tyler dragged me into the secret passage, triggering the dungeon's mechanism.
The heavy stone door slammed shut behind us.
Darkness engulfed us.
A shiver ran down my spine.
And then—
We found ourselves in a very familiar place.
"...Isn't this our city?" I looked around, stunned.
But then I noticed Tyler's face...
Shadows covered most of his features, leaving only his sharp blue eyes glimmering with something… unsettling.
And then he smiled.
"Interesting… So this damn place used my memories to create this world?"
…He looked terrifying as hell.
Then he turned to me, still smiling.
"Kai, welcome to Blue Cloud City. This is five years ago, back when you hadn't moved here for academy yet."
"And this is the moment… I decided to become a teacher! Exciting, right? Of course it is! Ahaha!!"
I stared at him rambling, his unstable energy growing stronger by the second.
"...So, what do we do now?"
Tyler looked at me.
"For now, I don't care where the monsters are. I want to see my house first."
"For what?"
"What kind of question is that?" He smirked.
"I want to see my wife and child, of course."
The aura he gave off wasn't good at all...
So, I followed him—to his house.
"STOP!!! PLEASE, DON'T HURT MY CHILD!!!"
A desperate scream erupted from inside, making me freeze.
Blood.
I looked down and saw blood dripping from Tyler's hand—he was clenching his fist too tightly.
Then, in an instant, he bolted into the house at an inhuman speed.
The screaming stopped the moment he opened the door.
The eerie silence that followed made me anxious. I hesitated but still stepped forward.
Tyler stood motionless in front of the open door. Sweat dripped down my back as I peeked inside.
...I regretted my decision.
Before me, a naked woman lay dead, stabbed from behind.
...She had been shielding a little girl. The child was dead, too.
Judging from the scene, it was obvious what had happened.
Some bastard had rape her and then killed them both.
And if this was Tyler's house…
I stepped back, my eyes shifting to Tyler, who remained frozen in place.
"...Just as I thought, you can't interfere with memories. What's done is done." He ran a hand over his face, tilting his head back.
When his hands fell away, his eyes were emptier than ever.
"This world is amazing… every day, a new sorrow."