part1 · 083-ep83
Episode 83: The Way Back
Ren opened the door, slowly.
—Rumble...
Letting out a heavy groan, the giant door swung open to either side.
And beyond it—
a broad room spread out.
"..."
Ren entered carefully.
Clearly unlike any floor before it. Walls and floor both were made of a material he'd never seen.
No sign of monsters. It was quiet.
Too quiet.
"...What is this place."
Ren looked around.
Then—
he noticed a single treasure chest sitting at the center of the room.
"...A treasure chest?"
Ren approached warily. Just in case, he used 《Appraisal》.
《Name: Treasure chest》
《Type: Treasure chest》
《Status: Good》
《Trap: None》
"...No traps."
Ren reached for the chest. And slowly opened the lid.
Inside was—
a single small vial.
Inside the clear vial swirled a liquid that gave off a pale glow.
"...Medicine?"
Ren took the vial in hand and used 《Appraisal》.
《Name: Elixir》
《Type: Potion》
《Status: Good》
《Effect: Completely heals all wounds and status ailments》
《Revival effect: Revives a human who died within the last 10 minutes》
"...Revival?"
Ren's expression changed. He checked the display again.
"It brings the dead... back to life?"
He'd never imagined such a thing could exist.
Ren stared at the vial.
Fundamentally different from every potion he'd found until now. This didn't just heal wounds.
It could bring back even the dead.
"...Amazing."
Ren stored the elixir in his 《Item Box》.
《Elixir stored.》
"...So this is the end?"
Ren looked around the room.
One treasure chest. Inside it, only the elixir. Nothing else at all.
"......"
Floor 100. A room lying past the fallen Ancient Dragon. What he'd gained there was this elixir.
Which meant—
was this the end of the dungeon?
That was the moment he thought it.
—Riiiing...
"...?"
A small sound rang through the room.
Ren swept his eyes around at once. No sign of monsters.
But.
Something at the back of the room had begun to glow.
"...Light?"
In the empty air, a pale light was gathering.
At first it was small. But little by little, little by little, the light grew.
"......"
Before long, it was big enough for a person to pass through.
White light.
Nothing could be seen beyond it.
Ren approached, wary.
"《Appraisal》."
Information appeared in his vision.
《Name: Dungeon exit》
《Type: Exit》
《Status: Normal》
《Appearance condition: Slaying the floor-100 guardian》
《Details: An exit connected to the dungeon's exterior》
"......"
Ren's feet stopped.
He read the words on the display once more.
《An exit connected to the dungeon's exterior》
"...Outside?"
The word escaped him before he knew it.
Ren stared at the light.
Outside.
How many times had he turned that word over in his mind?
Since entering this dungeon, he had wanted out — again and again and again.
But no matter how far he walked, no matter how many floors he descended, no exit ever appeared.
Eventually, just staying alive had taken everything he had.
Push to the next floor. Kill monsters. Secure food. Sleep. Fight again.
He had repeated that, for ten years.
"...Really."
Ren drew slowly closer to the light.
"I can... get outside?"
The light answered nothing. It only swayed, quietly.
Close enough to touch if he reached out. A few more steps, and he could be inside it.
"......"
And yet, Ren's feet had stopped.
Ten years.
It had been so long.
The fifteen-year-old he'd been had lived in this dungeon, all the way until twenty-five.
He had been hurt countless times. Come within a breath of death countless times.
And still, he had made it here.
"...It's over."
Ren murmured.
There was no next floor anymore. No more need to push on, either.
Through this light, and he could go home — outside.
Ren took a step, slowly.
Closer to the light.
Almost there.
And waiting beyond it was—
the world he hadn't seen once in ten years.
Ren stopped before the light.
"......"
Then, slowly, he reached out.
His fingertips touched the white light.