Chapter 89: Escape from the Dungeon

Vell held the dungeon core in his hands, feeling its immense power pulse through his body. The corrupted mana inside it was incredibly strong, maybe even stronger than what Mother had shown. He could not help but smile as he thought about using this against the queen.

[We should get ready to leave. The dungeon will start collapsing soon now that you have taken the core.]

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said, placing the core in his inventory. He looked back at the bodies of the king and the girl one last time. At least they died together like they wanted.

The ground started shaking beneath his feet. Everything started rising into the air, heading up far into the sky. The whole place was falling apart.

“Time to go get my kids,” he said, dashing back the way he came. He moved like lightning, dodging rocks and debris. The corrupted monsters he passed were already starting to disappear, turning to dust as the dungeon’s power faded.

When he reached the clearing where he had left his group, they were already standing, looking worried at all the shaking.

“Master!” Wren called out when she saw him. She was supporting Sia, who had woken up but still looked weak.

Yenna had Mia on her back. “Faster than I expected,” she said, relief clear in her voice.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, rushing over to them. Without hesitation, he scooped up Sia from Wren’s arms. “The whole place is about to collapse.”

As if to emphasize his point, the trees and ground around them began to warp and twist, reality itself seeming to bend. The corrupted mana that had permeated the air was dissipating rapidly, leaving behind an eerie emptiness.

[The dungeon’s collapse is accelerating. We have approximately two minutes before complete dissolution.]

“Hold on tight,” he commanded, making sure he had a secure grip on Sia. He glanced at Yenna, who adjusted Mia on her back. “Everyone stay close.”

The forest floor beneath them trembled, patches of grass and earth floating upward as if gravity itself was failing. The trees around them began to fade like mirages in the desert, becoming transparent before vanishing entirely.

“Master,” Sia mumbled against his chest, her voice weak but conscious. “Did you win?”

He smiled down at her. “Of course I did. I got something that will help us deal with the queen too.”

[Ten seconds remaining.]

The dissolution was accelerating now, reality unraveling around them like threads. The clearing itself was starting to blur at the edges, the boundaries between what was real and what was not becoming increasingly unclear.

Then, with a sensation like the world turning inside out, everything shifted. The warped, fading landscape snapped back into focus, replaced by the familiar sight of the queen’s forest. They were standing in the same clearing where they had first entered the dungeon, though now it was completely unchanged, as if the dungeon had never existed at all.

Mia stirred on Yenna’s back, finally regaining consciousness. “Did… did we make it?”

“We made it,” he confirmed, carefully setting Sia down but keeping a supportive arm around her. He looked at each member of his group, checking them over. They were battered, exhausted, but alive.

’Good, now to deal with that queen-’ He sensed an attack coming from above, which he easily blocked. He grabbed the leg and threw the attacker at a tree. “Hm? Oh, it is you. Sorry about that.”

“Ouch, could not you have thrown me a little softer, Master?” Jia got up, holding her side in pain.

“Glad to see you are doing well,” he replied, walking over towards her. He wanted to pat her, but a voice caught his attention.

“Uncle?”

Bad memories flooded his mind, and his predator eyes activated, looking in the direction of the voice with intense bloodlust. “What are you doing here?” They all noticed the tension, confused at what was going on.

“U-Uh… I…” Her thoughts were not coming out. She came all this way to apologize, but seeing the look in his eyes scared her. It was a look that threatened to devour her. ’What is that power coming from him? I feel like one wrong word and he will kill me. What should I do?’ She clenched her hands and pushed through her fear. “I came here to apologize for all the wrong things I have done-”

“Stop. I have moved on from all that stuff,” his tone got colder. “Do not remind me of such disgusting things. One more word, and I swear to god, I will kill you.” His words were like a sledgehammer to her chest.

She fell to her knees and began crying, all the while the others just continued to stare, still confused. ’What the hell is going on? I thought they were friends,’ Jia thought, nervous that he would blame her for this.

Yenna knew who Kana was, but she did not know she had a relationship with Vell. Before she could think deeper, she saw someone that also shocked her. Another girl showed up, looking down with shame.

“Jolly?” Yenna called out, her heart a whirlwind of emotions.

She looked up slowly at the mention of her name, her eyes looking around and spotting Yenna. She opened her mouth to speak but could not muster up the courage to say anything. ’Dammit, this was a bad idea. They will not forgive us,’ she thought, turning to leave, but her body became stiff.

“You.” Vell’s voice sent a chill down her spine. “I have been wanting to see you.” She turned around, and Vell was already inches away from her. He flicked her on the forehead, sending her flying, and appeared behind to catch her. “…Would you look at that? You have no mana at all. Who freed you?” He dropped her and crouched close to her face as she held her head in pain.

“I-It was a strange bird. It just removed my mana and disappeared. It seemed to know you too.”

[Huh, they met an administrator?]

’You know about the bird?’

[Yeah, he is a low-rank administrator. He mainly watches over the first few floors of the tower. He is no real threat, well, to them maybe, but you should be able to handle him.]

’Interesting… So she is free from the control?’ He looked deep into her eyes, noticing that the color had changed, but the wounds all over her face also caught his attention. “What happened to your face?” Kana flinched, afraid Jolly would tell him.

“Oh… I almost got killed by a monster. It is nothing serious.” He clearly knew she was lying, but he could not be bothered to argue.

’Even her way of talking has changed. It is like she is a different person.’ He got up and called Yenna over. “Do you remember what you did to us?” A cold sweat ran up her cheek.

“I do,” she bowed hard, hitting her head against the hard ground. “I AM SORRY. I WAS NOT MYSELF. I COULD NOT CONTROL MY ACTIONS, AND I KNOW IT WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. I AM TRULY SORRY AND WILLING TO DO ANYTHING!” She went silent, waiting for his response before she could move.

“What do you think?” He turned to Yenna, who did not seem to care as much as he expected.

“I am over it, so you can do what you want with her.”

Vell smirked like someone up to no good.

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