I'm on my knee on the ground, staring up at a crystal.

The crystal reflects a man with brown hair and white clothes wearing a big smile.

That said, there is nobody behind me.

Which means the crystal doesn't reflect him.

He is IN the crystal...

But for some reason, my reflection blocks his appearance, as if he really was behind me.

"You won!

Congratulations on beating my little game!"

I keep staring at him.

What is this...

He is congratulating me?

Isn't he my enemy?

Why doesn't he fight me?

"Did you enjoy it?

You enjoyed it, right?

Because I enjoyed it a lot!"

Enjoy...?

What the hell is he talking about?

How could I possibly enjoy being trapped in here?!

"Ah, right right, I should tell you the statistics."

What?

"Ahem, here it goes."

"It took you 9423 deaths to finally get your bearings and overcome the gargoyles.

1343 more attempts to get past the ember slime.

Another 935 rounds to best the dark griffon.

1823 attempts to beat the purple slime titan.

I thought it was about time to spice it up, so I added a greater ember ogre to accompany the ember slime.

You died 105 more times before you successfully killed them!

Only 324 tries to triumph over the arachnea empress.

Then, it took you 710 deaths to defeat the anti...I mean the lightning skeleton.

And finally, to get through the nightmare dragon, it took you 332 tries.

All in all, just 14995 deaths to finally get here!"

"Just under fifteen thousand, quite good!"

...

I can't keep up with what this guy is saying...

He counted all of my deaths?

"Ah!

But don't you worry!

Since you enjoyed this so much, I prepared four extra stages just for you!"

Extra...what?

Does that mean it's not over?

But the skeleton said...

"...the last one wasn't..."

"Hmm?

Ah right, the anti-fun guy told you the nightmare dragon would be the last one right?

Well don't worry!

He didn't lie!

Because you ARE going to go out this dungeon for these extra stages!"

...what?

I'm going...outside?

"Right, right!

I see you are quite interested in this!

I KNEW you would be excited!"

I'm not excited...

Ugh, but I do want to go outside...

But I...

"Well let me explain it to you properly then!

These magic circles around this room!"

He points to one of the magic circles.

I follow his line of sight while finally standing up.

"Entering one of those will make you start its respective extra stage.

They will teleport you somewhere and set your spawn point there.

And then, when you look at your status screen, there will be details about the win and lose conditions."

Spawn point?

Status screen?

What is he talking about?

"Well then!

The choice is up to you!

Go into any one of these four magic circles.

I'm going now, byeeeee-"

...

He disappeared from the crystal's reflection.

...

What...just happened?

That was the one who trapped me here...?

...

Ugh, I don't get it at all!

Why was he so friendly?

What's a spawn point?

What's a status screen?

I want to ask him so many things, but he is gone now.

...

Shit...

I look intently at the crystal in front of me.

I wonder if I can break this.

Lifting my free hand, I go and touch the crystal.

When my hand makes a contact with it, the crystal briefly shines.

And then expels something right at me.

I instinctively jump back and prepare my sword.

...

But then I notice.

That 'something' was...

The green skeleton?

"...you...?"

The skeleton gets up and faces me.

"I'm here...to answer questions..."

...

That's...good...?

But why him?

Why couldn't it be that god guy?

...

Well at least it's someone who will answer.

"You can say things now?"

"...yes..."

He nods.

So he is free to talk now?

He won't say 'can't say' anymore?

"Then, who are you...really?"

The skeleton hangs his head.

"I was...like you..."

Like...me...?

"I...gave up on the slime..."

He...

He was like me...?

Gave up on the slime...?

...

He can't mean...

...

Trapped in this place?

Forced to try again and again to escape?

And finally giving up...?

...

The god called him anti-fun guy.

Is it because he gave up?

...

That god...

Was watching him just like me.

And when he gave up, he found someone else for this...

And that someone else was me.

...

Is that what it is?

"Why did that god...trap us here?"

"...for fun..."

...what?

I frown and hold my head with a hand.

For fun...?

You expect me to accept that?

I suffered through all of this 'for fun'?

...

Maybe the skeleton doesn't know the whole story...

Yeah...

Let's go with that.

"What's a spawn point?"

"The place you appear...when you die..."

Huh...?

That means I won't go back to the start when I die anymore?

Or rather, this 'start' will change?

...that's...good...?

But the god said it will be set to the place I teleport to.

If I'm teleported high in the air or something, it might not be that great.

...

"What's a status screen?"

The skeleton looks at me for a few seconds.

But then raises his gaze toward the ceiling and answers.

"Chant status screen: open...in your head..."

...?

Status screen: open.

Whoa!

I instinctively jump back and slash at the thing, which appeared in front of me.

But my sword went right through it like it didn't exist and it followed me as I jumped back.

???

I calm down and look carefully at it.

There is...text floating in the air?

What is all of this...?

Name: Reiza

Gender: Female

Race: Shadow wolfman

Status: Confused

Level: 4621

Health: 41452/41452

Mana: 223/98621

Vitality: 300 (max)

Strength: 350 (max)

Intelligence: 900 (max)

Stamina: 300 (max)

Speed: 500 (max)

...

Reiza...?

That's...my name...I think...

...it this...information about me?

...female, yeah, I'm a girl.

Race...shadow wolfman?

Status: confused...of course I'm confused!

Level...what does the level mean?

Health and mana...

Is that...real?

True, I healed myself after the dragon fight.

And it's also true that god drained my mana...

[Fireball]

I shoot a small fireball at the tunnel I came from.

Mana: 53/98621

It decreased...

...it seems to be real.

Now, what are these other things?

Vitality, strength...

And why is there (max) next to them?

Hmm...

If the mana thing is real, then these must be real as well?

The 'max' must mean maximum?

Does that mean I can't get any stronger, smarter or faster...?

Tch...

When I look around this 'status screen', I notice there are three words at the top.

Stats, quests, magic.

The word 'stats' seems to be white, while the others are gray.

What are these for?

When I focus on the word 'quests', the status window suddenly changes.

Quests:

Current quests: None

Completed quests: Conquer the Gundar's dungeon (claim reward here)

Huh?

It switched.

Now, 'quests' are white, while the others are gray.

I try focusing on stats this time and the status window turns back.

I see...

That's interesting...

Switching back to quests, I inspect what is written there.

'Conquer the Gundar's dungeon'?

Is that what this place is called?

Who is Gundar?

Could it be...the name of that god?

And what is this 'claim reward here'?

When I focus on that part, suddenly a surge of information flows into my head.

Following that, the text disappears, leaving only 'Completed quests: None'.

...

This...is...

Hmm, but I don't think I can try it.

I'm totally out of mana.

I'll try it later.

For now, let's look at the last one.

Magic...

The window's contents change again and suddenly it's flooded with text.

Wh..

What is all of this?!

There, I see all the elements I can use and all the spells of the elements I can use.

...

Huh...

Well, I know all these things already.

But seriously...

Did this always exist?

I had no idea...

...

Umm...

How do I get it out now...?

Err close?

Or, status window: close?

Oh there we go.

When It closes, I spot the skeleton standing in front of me.

I totally forgot about him.

Hmm, so...

What else do I ask him?

Something about that god?

Would he even know anything?

...

Argh, whatever...

So, what now?

Do I enter one of those magic circles?

Will they...lead outside?

I slowly walk to one of the magic circles.

But I'm stopped by something touching my shoulder from behind.

It's the skeleton.

"First...recover..."

...yeah, he is right...

I should rest up first.

...

Ugh...

My head hurts for some reason.

It must be from that god's infinite talking.

He said so much in such little time...

I turn around and head to the entrance.

While I do that, the skeleton approaches the crystal and touches it.

With another wave of blinding light, he disappears.

Just what is that crystal, I wonder?

I continue walking and reach the safe house again.

There, I put down my stuff and lie on the ground.

...

When I wake up...

I'm leaving this place...

Finally...

After so long...

For some reason, tears start flowing down.

Am I sad?

I don't think so.

After a few minutes, I fall asleep.

|= A nap and a hunting trip later =|

I had that dream again.

I get it now.

The white silhouette was that god.

I'm sure of it.

But what does the rest mean?

I don't know.

Maybe he kidnapped me from my family...

Maybe he tricked me by pretending to save me from something...

I don't know...

...

I said I would stop thinking about it, didn't I?

Well then, I have acquired some food by hunting back in the water area.

I also rested enough so now my mana is mostly replenished.

The status screen now says 'Mana: 97532/98623'.

It should be enough.

I walk back into the crystal room.

The skeleton isn't there anymore.

But I don't really need him for anything now.

Let's go.

Which one of those magic circles?

It doesn't matter.

I will probably have to do all of them eventually.

So who even cares which one will be first?

Walking up to the one closest to the entrance, I brace myself.

So...now I just step on it?

I'm about to step on it...but my feet won't move.

...

It's like a part of me doesn't want to leave this place.

But why?

I hate it here.

Why can't I just leave?

Isn't that what I desire?

...

Finally, after closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I make a step forward.

When I step on it, I start to have a sensation of falling.

But there is no feeling of wind hitting my face.

I keep my eyes closed.

And when that feeling finally stops, I feel a cold breeze assault my entire body.

Opening my eyes, I see...

Water.

A lot of water.

An endless amount of water.

Looking around, I am on a small piece of dry land with some tall plants on it.

It's dark, but despite that, I can see clearly.

But I can't spot any light source.

And then, I look up.

I see thousands of small lights on the ceiling...

...No...that's not a ceiling...

Where is the ceiling?

Ah, that's right...

I'm outside now...?

It this...how outside looks?

Yet again, I feel tears running down my face as my mouth forms a smile.

Bonus:

This marks the end of the dungeon arc.

Next time: the first extra stage.

"Oh man! She was so cute hesitating whether to leave or not.

She is so attached to this dungeon now!

She can't let it go!"

I think it's called the stockholm syndrome.