"Dammit, dammit, dammit...!"
I screamed as I sprinted through the dungeon.
Hot on my heels was an A-Rank monster: a Headless Mule.
It was an equine beast wreathed in flames, missing its head entirely.
Dozens of these Headless Mules roamed this floor, and though I’d been moving with the utmost caution to stay out of sight, my luck had finally run out.
I was running for my life, but the gap was closing fast.
"Ah—"
The syllable had barely left my lips when the monster’s tackle slammed into me. I died instantly.
◆
"Ha...!"
I gasped as time rewound. I realized immediately that the scene before me was different than usual.
I was standing right at the exit of the room where the treasure chest had been.
Previously, every death had sent me back to the moment just before that first Bugbear ambushed me. Now, it seemed my Return by Death checkpoint had finally updated.
The thought of having to slaughter those Bugbears every single time I died was enough to make my spirit break, so this was a massive relief.
That said, I still had to conquer this new floor to progress.
No doubt another series of hardships was waiting for me.
◆
Trial count: roughly 520.
After being slaughtered by Headless Mules more times than I could count, I’d managed to map out enough of this floor to learn a few things.
First, there were no stairs leading up or down.
Instead, I found—
"A teleportation circle..."
A geometric pattern was etched into the floor ahead.
There was no question about it; stepping onto it would warp me elsewhere.
"There's another one over here, too."
It wasn't just one.
"Three teleportation circles in total."
To move forward, I’d likely have to pick one of the three. I was at a complete loss; I had no way of knowing which was the correct path.
Then again, there was no point in agonizing over it.
If I picked the wrong one, I’d just die and Return by Death.
I stepped onto the nearest circle without a second thought.
The teleportation deposited me at the start of a single, linear hallway. I followed it, pushing forward until I came across something that looked entirely out of place in a dungeon.
"A girl...?"
But it wasn't as if she were simply standing there waiting.
The girl was asleep, encased in a barrier that clearly served as a cage. On top of that, heavy chains were wound tightly around her body.
"She’s beautiful..."
The words slipped out of my mouth unbidden.
With her refined features and pale skin, she was more stunning than any girl I had ever seen. She wore a dress trimmed with prominent white lace.
Almost reflexively, I reached out my hand.
A sound like shattering glass echoed through the hall.
"Ah."
I recoiled, stunned that the barrier had broken so effortlessly.
The moment the barrier dissolved, the girl’s body twitched. Then, her eyelids slowly fluttered open.
"Ah, so you are the one who woke me."
I recognized that voice.
It was the same voice as the Shadow that had granted me the <Save & Reset> skill right before the Bugbears reached me.
"Was it you? Did you give me that skill?"
"Yes, I did," she confirmed.
"...Who are you?"
"Ageha Tsubaki. I suppose you could call me a Sealed Former Hero. And your name?"
A Sealed Former Hero? What the hell was that? Despite my confusion, I answered her.
"Kiska."
"Kiska. That’s a good name."
She looked me over, her eyes scanning me with interest.
"Hey, would you mind crouching down for a second?"
"Uh, sure."
I didn't understand what she was after, but I did as she asked.
"Mmph."
My eyes went wide.
Before I could react, she had pressed her lips against mine.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" I barked, pulling away from her.
"It was meant as a thank you. Was it no good?"
She tilted her head slightly. It wasn't a matter of whether it was "no good" or not—the gesture just made no sense to me.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Nothing special... Oh, that reminds me. You want to get out of the dungeon, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
"Then follow me. I'll lead you outside."
She turned and began to walk away.
To be honest, there was something eerie about her presence, but if she could actually get me out of here, it was more than I could have hoped for.
I decided to trust her.