Inside the dimly lit inn, Jan sat at the bar counter, his body stiff with unease.
The place itself was nothing special—just plain wooden tables, simple chairs, and worn-out decor. But it felt alive. Laughter rang out across the room, voices rising in conversation, and the clinking of mugs echoed against the wooden beams.
Despite its modest appearance, the inn was a sanctuary.
Townsfolk, knights, and merchants gathered here every night, drinking away their worries, losing themselves in song, or sharing tales of adventure. The warmth of the place wasn't in its structure—it was in the people.
The innkeepers worked with effortless grace, their knowing smiles and practiced hands bringing food and drink to every weary soul. They didn't need to ask what someone needed—they just knew.
Bang!
A mug slammed down in front of Jan.
"Drink this, adventurer!"
Jan flinched slightly, looking up. The knight who had escorted him earlier grinned, nudging the ale closer.
"It'll take the edge off," the knight said.
Jan hesitated.
He wasn't exactly the drinking type. He was still underage, had never touched alcohol, and usually avoided places like this altogether.
But after everything he'd been through—dying over and over, failing to escape, the sheer mental exhaustion pressing down on him…
For a second, he considered it.
His fingers twitched toward the mug—then pulled back.
"No, thank you. I can't drink," Jan finally said.
The knight raised a brow, "Why not?"
"I'm underage."
The knight was silent for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"Hah! Underage? I don't think that matters here!" He slapped the counter, still chuckling.
Jan just sighed. "I'd rather not."
"Well, if you won't drink, then at least eat! You must be starving."
Jan opened his mouth to refuse but hesitated.
"I… don't think I can afford it."
The knight waved him off. "Don't worry about it! It's on me, brave adventurer."
He turned to the bartender—a broad-shouldered man with sharp eyes and a commanding presence. "Give him something warm."
The bartender nodded, and within minutes, a steaming bowl was placed in front of Jan.
"Eat up," the bartender said, his voice gruff but kind. "I promise—it'll be the best thing you've ever tasted."
Jan hesitated for a second. Then, hunger won over.
He grabbed the wooden spoon, scooped up a bite, and—
His eyes widened.
It was good. Maybe it was because he hadn't eaten all day. Or maybe it was just that well-made. The warmth seeped into his chest, comforting in a way he hadn't realized he needed.
His mother rarely cooked back home. Always busy, always away. Home-cooked meals weren't exactly common for him.
He swallowed.
"…Thank you."
It was a quiet statement, unclear to whom he was speaking, almost an afterthought, but both the knight and bartender smiled proudly.
They didn't need to ask what he meant.
Jan barely spoke when he entered the inn, but they recognized that look in his eyes. They had seen it before.
People who came to Valkeries City always carried that same haunted expression.
The knight leaned forward. "So?"
Jan blinked. "So… what?"
"The Endlescape. You went out there, didn't you?"
Jan's grip on his spoon tightened slightly.
"…It was hell."
The knight gave a slow nod. "Yeah. It is."
Jan narrowed his eyes. "You tried to warn me."
"I did," the knight admitted. "But some things can't be taught with words. You had to see it for yourself. So that maybe one day you will remember this place."
Jan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"When you reach the 100th floor."
Jan's breath caught.
"…What? I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to leave this place."
"But you can't truly leave this place," the knight continued, "until you head there."
"Head where?"
"The tower. Don't you know about it?"
Jan stiffened.
Tower?
He hadn't heard a single thing about a tower.
"The hell are you talking about?" Jan asked, his voice wary.
The knight raised an eyebrow. "I thought heroes already know this! If you climb the tower and reach the 100th floor, you will be able to leave this place and—"
Hearing this for the first time, Jan shot up from his seat with widened eyes, nearly knocking the bowl over.
"WHAT?!"
The knight flinched at his sudden outburst, looking at him like he'd grown two heads.
Jan didn't let him speak.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me this from the start?! Where is this damn tower?!!"
The knight, caught off guard by his intensity, stammered, "T-The portal's on the far west side of the city—next to the guild building."
Jan didn't wait.
He hurried out of the inn, leaving the knight blinking after him in confusion.
The bartender, watching Jan's retreating figure, let out a low whistle. "You think he'll be okay?"
The knight kept his gaze on the door, his expression unreadable.
He didn't answer.
***
Outside, in the heart of Valkeries City—
Jan ran like a madman.
His breath was ragged, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes darted frantically from street to street, searching.
"Far west side… He said it's near some kind of a building, right? It should be here somewhere!"
He sprinted through the dimly lit streets, weaving between confused townsfolk who barely had time to react before he was gone.
Then—
A glow.
A bright, otherworldly light flickered behind one of the larger buildings, far brighter than the torches lining the streets.
Jan skidded to a halt.
He took a step forward, rounding the corner.
There it was.
A massive portal.
Swirling with shifting colors, its luminous form pulsated like a living entity, illuminating the night far brighter than the moon.
Jan barely reacted. At this point, nothing surprised him anymore.
Instead, his body moved on instinct.
His legs carried him forward, his breath steadied, and a single thought repeated in his mind—
"I can finally leave this place."
He stepped through.
WHOOM!
***
[Floor 1]
When the light faded, Jan found himself standing in complete darkness.
A bone-deep chill settled over him.
The air was thick, heavy with an unsettling silence. It was the kind of silence that made his own breathing sound deafening.
Jan swallowed hard.
'This place… feels wrong.'
Even before his eyes adjusted, he could feel it—something about this dungeon was far more menacing than the Endlesscape.
As his vision cleared, he took in the jagged stone walls surrounding him. They were uneven, slick with damp moss, and etched with strange, eerie markings that pulsed faintly, almost as if alive.
He exhaled sharply.
For the first time, doubt crept into his mind.
Should I go back?
He had no clue where he was. No weapons. No idea what was waiting in the shadows.
But then he remembered the knight's words.
"If you reach the 100th floor, you can leave this world."
Jan clenched his fists.
That was his goal.
That was the only reason he stepped through that portal.
Maybe if he kept walking, he would find some stairs and eventually make his way out. That hope drove him forward.
"…I have to see this through."
He took a shaky breath and forced himself forward.
The tunnel opened into a forked path.
Three separate entrances stretched before him, each leading into pitch-black corridors. A maze.
"One wrong turn and I could be walking in circles forever."
The thought of dying in such a place was far from comforting.
He hesitated, and then a hollow chuckle escaped him, "Hey at least I can always come back to life again. It can't be worse than ending up in the hands of those green creatures."
Making up his mind, Jan took a deep breath, "Okay… think logically."
He then picked up a small rock and held it tightly in his palm. If he was going to do this, he needed to leave markers to track where he'd been.
Then, he analyzed his options.
Three paths. Left, middle, or right.
'Most people tend to go right first when given a choice. If I were designing a maze, I'd make the right side a trap—it's the obvious choice.'
He crossed right off his list.
That left middle or left.
'In high-stakes scenarios, people tend to avoid the middle. Same in sports—most football players shoot left or right when taking a penalty, and goalkeepers dive the same way.'
Jan narrowed his eyes.
'So… if the designer of this place expected that hesitation, then the middle might actually be the safest bet.'
Decision made.
He pressed a marker into the stone wall, then stepped forward, choosing the middle path.
The tunnel stretched on, narrow and suffocatingly dark.
Doubt started creeping into his mind.
What if he made a mistake?
What if he should've chosen the left path instead?
No.
Second-guessing won't help.
Even if he turned back now, he'd just pick the middle path again.
Keep going.
Jan moved cautiously, his hand lightly brushing the rough wall as he walked.
Then—
A light.
Faint at first, but steadily growing stronger.
Jan felt a surge of hope.
He quickened his pace, drawn toward the brightness at the end of the tunnel.
Then—
A low, guttural growl.
Jan froze.
His stomach twisted.
The light revealed a wide-open chamber just ahead. But he wasn't alone.
He already knew what was waiting before he even saw them.
A group of large, hulking shapes emerged from the dim glow, their glowing yellow eyes locking onto him.
Jan gritted his teeth.
"…I knew it."
[Lost Wolf - Lv. 3]
The same wolves from before.
But this time—
There was nowhere to run.
"At least it's not those green creatures," Jan muttered under his breath.
He stood at the entrance of the chamber, his body tense. The wolves hadn't noticed him yet. He could turn back now.
But then what?
Stay in that town forever?
That thought alone made his decision for him.
No.
He scanned the bright, cavernous space. There was only one path leading forward.
And it was blocked.
The wolves prowled near the passage, their massive bodies positioned between him and his only exit.
Jan exhaled sharply.
"I know I can outrun them."
He had done it before. But that only led him into worse situations.
What if the next room held those green creatures?
He shuddered.
Being trapped between the wolves and those monsters would be a nightmare.
He needed a plan.
Fast.
His eyes darted around the room. That's when he saw it.
Against the left wall, a skeleton sat slumped over, its bony fingers still clutching a shield and a rusty sword.
"I think I can sneak in and take them."
The weapons looked old, but functional. If he could just get to them, he might stand a chance.
Jan took another shaky breath.
He had to move.
He pressed his back against the entrance wall, crouching slightly. His legs trembled. His hands shook.
Memories of dying to these wolves came flooding back.
The sensation of fangs tearing into his flesh.
The agony of claws ripping him apart.
His breath hitched.
He clenched his fists.
"Come on, man up!" he whispered harshly.
"What's the worst that can happen? Dying? You'll just come back in the city anyway!"
He tried to shake off his fear.
It didn't work.
But he moved forward anyway.
One step. Then another.
Halfway to the skeleton, one of the wolves lifted its head.
Jan froze.
Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto him.
'RUN!'
Adrenaline kicked in, and Jan exploded into a sprint.
The wolves barked—snarling, lunging—but he didn't stop.
His heart hammered in his chest as he closed in on the skeleton.
Almost there!
He dove forward, grabbing for the shield.
It wouldn't budge.
"Shit!"
He yanked again. Still stuck.
The wolves were coming—fast.
Jan glanced up, his heart racing. Too late.
The first wolf leaped.
"I have no choice!"
With desperation fueling him, Jan stomped down on the skeleton's arm and ripped the shield free, snapping the brittle bones in the process.
"Got it!"
He barely had time to strap it on before—
WHAM!
A wolf crashed into him.
Jan slammed onto his back, the shield barely absorbing the impact.
GROWL!
Hot breath blasted his face. The wolf's teeth snapped at him, inches from his throat.
Shit! Shit! SHIT!
He gritted his teeth, pushing back with every ounce of strength he had. The shield shook in his grip.
The other wolves were closing in.
If they surrounded him—it was over.
Jan's eyes darted left.
The sword.
It was within reach.
He lunged for it, fingers stretching—praying it wasn't stuck too.
It wasn't.
He grabbed the hilt and, without hesitation, drove it deep into the wolf's side.
The blade sank through muscle, piercing clean through to the other side.
The wolf howled in agony.
A window flashed before his eyes.
[You have leveled up!]