"Ouch...!" I groaned as I struggled to pull Tyler up after the battle.
This old man didn't shed a single drop of blood, yet he was bruised all over like he'd just been hit by a truck three times.
I looked around and realized this place was starting to collapse.
"Ah shit... We need to move fast!" I shouted, dragging Tyler along as we staggered forward. For some reason, this illusionary world seemed to really hate us.
While fumbling around for an exit, I suddenly noticed a strange spot. It looked like... uh, how do I even describe this...
"Fuck, I have no idea how to explain it. Looks like Obito's ability, that's all."
"Obito who?"
"You don't need to know."
With no other options left, Tyler and I stepped into it, disappearing from that crumbling world.
Darkness engulfed us. And then—suddenly—we found ourselves crawling out of a cave.
I let out a relieved sigh.
We made it out of that damn secret area!
"Phew..." Both of us collapsed onto the ground, exhausted beyond words.
My new regeneration ability didn't seem to work on fatigue, and goddammit, my eyes still itched like hell.
I had no idea how to turn this ability off. Living like this was pure suffering!
"You okay? You look like someone just strangled you," Tyler asked, his face full of concern.
"Not okay at all! It's all because of this!" I pointed at the snake-shaped earring on my right ear.
Tyler leaned in, examining it curiously. "Why not just take it off?"
"First time wearing an earring. No clue how to remove it." I sighed.
"...You're kidding me. Alright, let me try."
Tyler stepped closer and reached for my earring.
Five minutes passed.
"Hmm... This is weird."
"What?"
"It's stuck. Like, completely. I think there's only one way..."
"...Huh?"
Before I could react, Tyler suddenly grabbed the earring and yanked it hard.
"AITATATATA—FUCKING HELL, THAT HURTS!!"
Blood spurted out, and I swore a piece of my ear just went with it.
"Shit... I might've pulled a little too hard... Uh, my bad!"
I glared at Tyler with murder in my eyes.
But before I could even cuss him out, my body suddenly convulsed violently.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I writhed on the ground like a fish out of water, blood gushing from my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears like a damn fountain.
Tyler stared in horror at the earring, which was now glowing ominously. It suddenly shot out of his hand, flew straight back to me, and—CLICK—reattached itself to my ear as if it had never been removed.
And guess what? Yeah. Another fucking wave of unbearable pain.
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!!!"
Eventually, I was completely drained, lying limp on the ground. Tyler shook me frantically.
"Uh... You good?"
I turned my head toward him, my eyes finally back to normal.
"My body... won't fucking move."
"...Yeah, I guess I'll have to carry you."
And so, with his already wrecked back, Tyler tried to lift me up. But since both of us were injured, our pace was as slow as a goddamn turtle.
And of course, being slow meant we were an easy target for monsters.
Suddenly, a jet of venom sprayed down in front of us.
Tyler looked up—and saw a massive snake slithering toward us, its mouth dripping with poison.
"...Sigh. This is bad, huh?"
Immediately, the snake lunged down like a lightning bolt, aiming straight for Tyler's neck.
But life ain't a dream—Tyler reacted just as fast, jumping back in a flash.
Dropping Kai with a soft thud, like tossing a sack of rice, he pulled out his revolver and checked the remaining bullets.
"Oh, Out of ammo?" Tyler frowned.
But then—miraculously—bullets materialized out of thin air, as if some invisible hand was reloading for him.
Nah, no miracle here. His gun was an Enchanted Gear, absorbing the wielder's mana to create bullets.
Too bad Kai's mana was weaker than soggy noodles, which was why he couldn't shoot when it ran dry.
"Hmph, expensive but worth every coin!" Tyler spun the gun stylishly before aiming at the snake.
BANG! BANG!
The snake twisted skillfully, dodging both shots.
But who would've thought—the bullets didn't just stop after hitting the ground. They bounced like ping-pong balls, ricocheting right back—straight into the snake's head.
Not even a final hiss, and the snake was done for.
Kai truly had no idea how to use a gun…
Tyler holstered his revolver, threw Kai over his shoulder, and continued escaping this dungeon.
But bad luck wasn't done with them.
Every few steps, another monster appeared. If they were extra unlucky, a full set of three would show up.
For Tyler, though, it was child's play—one hit, one kill, simple as that.
Until...
"So, this is it, huh?"
Before them stood a massive gate, radiating a dangerous aura.
Inside was the Floor 1 Boss.
Regular mobs? Tyler could handle them all.
Bosses? Now, that was a different story.
Not only were they absurdly tanky, but a single mistake could mean a total party wipe.
Worse, Kai still can't move. And Bosses loved their big-ass AOE attacks—no doubt Kai would end up collateral damage.
Tyler could win… if Kai wasn't deadweight.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and stepped toward the gate—
CLANG!
"Huh?" Tyler froze. A strange noise echoed from inside.
He carefully peeked through a crack.
"Oh..."
Inside, a young man with brown hair stood, gripping a knife. His hands were wrapped in worn-out bandages, and he wore a short cloak, giving off a drifter vibe.
Before him lay the corpse of a Boss—a massive, bull-like beast.
Blood covered the floor. With fluid, precise movements, he severed its head like he was chopping onions.
Then, slowly, he turned—his gaze locking onto the gate.
And then—WHAM!—he threw his knife straight at Tyler.
"!!"
Tyler wasn't one to just sit and take it—he drew his gun and shot the knife away.
The man narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
Tyler didn't back down either. He holstered his gun, signaling he wasn't looking for a fight.
Their eyes met, the tension thick as a blockbuster action scene.
Then, the man's gaze shifted to Kai.
"...You two are the ones the Adventurer's Guild is looking for, aren't you?" His voice was serious, wary.
Tyler sighed and pulled out an academy emblem. "Tyler and Kai."
The man took it, examined it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, whatever. Real or fake, doesn't matter—I'm not the guy saving you guys."
With that, he sheathed his knife, turned around, and stepped through the gate, disappearing into the next floor.
Tyler watched him go, then turned away.
Unnoticed in the shadows, a pitch-black slime silently slithered, following in secret…