Morning light filtered through the clean glass windows, spilling into the third-floor corridor of the academy's affiliated hospital and casting bright patches of light onto the polished floor.
The smell of disinfectant in the air was fainter than it had been during the night, mingled with the faint aroma of food drifting from the breakfast hour.
Nurses pushed medicine carts by with soft footsteps, and occasionally, early-rising patients were seen moving slowly through the hallway, supported by their family members.
Everything was orderly, imbued with the vitality and tranquility unique to the daylight hours.
However, the atmosphere in private room 306 was completely at odds with this serenity.
Victoria had woken up early—or rather, she had hardly slept all night.
A dull, persistent ache throbbed from the wound on her right shoulder, but what truly unsettled her was the fact that Silvia and Greg had not returned all night.
It was already dawn... and they still weren't back.
She sat leaning against the headboard, her gray eyes watching the sky gradually brighten outside the window as her brow furrowed involuntarily.
Her concern for Silvia was pure and intense.
That simple-hearted friend of hers, who lacked practical combat experience, had ventured deep into the dangerous and unknown layers of the dungeon. Would she encounter a threat she couldn't handle?
While Greg seemed to have some skill, could he really protect her?
When she thought of Greg, her feelings were far more complicated.
A mixture of wariness and a flicker of awkward gratitude—one she was reluctant to admit even to herself—made it impossible for her to worry about his safety as purely as she did for Silvia.
That guy... surely he wouldn't do anything reckless, would he?
Since he dared to go, he must have had some confidence...
Just as Victoria was being plagued by these contradictory thoughts, a sudden, somewhat noisy chatter approached from down the corridor, breaking the hospital's silence.
"...Have you heard? About the dungeon!"
"Apparently, there was some major movement from the deep area. The entire first layer was shaking!"
"More than just shaking! Someone near the entrance said it felt like the ground was swaying! The Academy Patrol Team and several professors have already rushed over!"
"Could it be a monster riot? Or maybe... some treasure has appeared?"
"Who knows? Anyway, a lot of people are gathered at the entrance square right now, all trying to find out what happened..."
The voices hurried past her door, carrying an irrepressible sense of excitement and curiosity.
Clearly, many of the hospitalized patients, visitors, and even some medical staff had been drawn in by this sudden news.
Some were already unable to contain themselves, leaving their rooms or posts to run toward the rumored front line to see for themselves.
Victoria's heart sank instantly.
A massive disturbance in the deep area of the dungeon... and the two who hadn't returned by dawn...
She was almost certain that this sudden anomaly was definitely connected to Greg and Silvia.
What on earth had they done in the dungeon?
What had they encountered?
To cause such a massive commotion that even the academy professors were alarmed?
Her worry for Silvia's safety instantly overwhelmed all other emotions.
She hesitated no longer. Enduring the stinging pain in her right shoulder, she quickly threw back the covers and climbed out of bed.
Over her simple hospital gown, she only had time to grab a coat and drape it over her shoulders before pulling open the door and quickly merging into the crowd of people streaming out of the hospital.
She had to go to the dungeon entrance. No matter what, she had to confirm if Silvia was safe.
...
Completely unaware of the commotion the deep-layer tremors had caused in the outside world, Greg finished organizing all the spoils from this adventure. After a brief rest, he followed the path in his memory to begin the return trip from the deep area.
When his figure finally reappeared near the exit of the safety passage leading to the middle layers, a pink figure darted out from the tunnel like a bird returning to its nest, arriving before him in an instant.
It was Silvia.
Her face still bore traces of lingering tension and a flush from her frantic movements. The moment her pink eyes saw Greg unharmed, they lit up brilliantly, followed by a layer of misty relief.
"G-Greg! You're back! Thank goodness... thank goodness..."
Her voice trembled slightly with obvious lingering fear.
"Earlier... the entire cave was vibrating, and the sound was so loud... I-I thought... I'm so glad you're okay..."
Greg looked at the girl who had clearly been terrified for a long time, and the slight annoyance he had felt from his plans being disrupted dissipated.
He softened his tone, speaking reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a small accident, but it's been handled. Sorry for making you worry."
After giving Silvia a few brief words of comfort, Greg's gaze moved past her toward the entrance of the passage behind her.
There, three figures stood huddled together at the edge of the light and shadow, looking at him cautiously with complex, unreadable expressions.
It was Alvin, Leonard, and Leah.
They hadn't left yet.
Seeing this, Greg felt a secret sense of relief.
Good, they were still here.
If they had run off on their own, it would have been more troublesome later.
He turned to Silvia and said in a low voice, "Wait here for a moment. I need to have a few words with them in private."
"Ah, okay."
Silvia nodded. Although she was a bit confused, she obediently stepped back a few paces to give them space.
Greg stepped forward toward the three upperclassmen.
As he approached, Alvin and the other two instinctively tensed up. Their faces showed clear fear, mixed with an instinctive respect for the strong.
The Greg before them was a completely different person from the arrogant, incompetent former noble's son who relied only on his family name.
He could handle three powerful deep-layer monsters on his own and had even successfully escaped the terrifying pursuit of the first layer's Floor Boss.
This level of strength was already far beyond their understanding and imagination.
Greg stopped in front of them and didn't waste any time, cutting straight to the point:
"Listen. After we leave the dungeon, do not mention a single word about me. If anyone asks who saved you or what happened, keep your stories straight—it was Silvia who saved you. Understood?"
The three of them looked at each other, their faces filled with obvious confusion and surprise.
This was clearly a golden opportunity for Greg to wash away the stain of being a failure and rebuild his image. He might even receive a commendation or special attention from the academy for it.
Why would he give such a massive credit entirely to that timid-looking first-year girl?
But Greg didn't give them time to ask questions or hesitate.
His gaze swept calmly over the three of them. In the dim light, those amber eyes seemed to carry an invisible pressure that instantly suppressed the questions they were about to ask.
"I don't want to repeat myself."
Greg's voice was flat, yet it sent a chill down the spines of Alvin and the others.
"U-Understood!"
"We definitely won't say a word!"
"It was Silvia who saved us!"
The three of them nodded frantically, almost competing to show their compliance.
Only then did Greg nod slightly, his expression relaxing a fraction. "Good. Remember your words."
With that, he stopped looking at them and turned back to Silvia.
"Let's go. We're heading back."
Although Silvia was curious about what Greg had said to them, she was sensible enough not to ask. She simply nodded and followed by Greg's side.
Alvin and the others quickly followed as well, maintaining a subtle distance.
After walking for some time, they finally stepped back into the relatively familiar and safe shallow layers.
The light seemed a bit brighter, and the constant tension in the air eased slightly.
Silvia leaned in toward Greg a bit nervously and asked in a small voice that only the two of them could hear:
"U-Um, Greg... did I... did I help out properly this time?"
Her voice was laced with obvious insecurity and anticipation. Her pink eyes stole a glance at Greg's profile, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Almost the instant her words fell, Nightmare's voice, full of unbridled mischief and a desire to see the world burn, rang out in Greg's mind:
"Hehehe... here's your chance to humiliate her! My other half, quick! Tell her in your coldest, most heartless tone: 'That's right, you didn't help at all. In fact, you were nothing but a nuisance! Is this all the so-called Messenger of the Goddess amounts to? How disappointing!' I can't wait to see what kind of expression that little face will make!"
Rate on N.U.
