One week has passed.

Since then, I’ve cleared 32 rooms. From room 19, I’ve since made it through to room 51. I've also made sure to fully clear the previous rooms, too, from room 18 down to room 1. It may seem like a lot for a short period of time, and yes, it was. I tirelessly pushed through each and every room. I fought all kinds of monsters. Some were weak, some were strong, and some were really strong. I’ve not come across any other boss rooms since.

As my day-life progressed slowly and peacefully, my dungeon life continued to push the pedal. With my new assortment of weapons, the boss dungeon loot, I’ve been able to storm through the dungeons with relative ease.

That’s the wrong way to say it, actually. I had a tough time dealing with many rooms, but the weapons allowed me to gain the extra edge needed to win, or at least not die. On the topic of loot, it’s not actually limited to boss rooms. I’ve learned much more things about this dream dungeon since my arrival:

It’s confirmed that waking up and returning refreshes your body – as far as injuries go. Cut clothing or hair or accessories don’t heal, nor any other previous minuscule marks before entering the dungeon, for example, a small scar. I found this to be extremely helpful, because then I wouldn’t have to needlessly run through potions, especially my dark red reward boss vials. In a pinch, when I’m in serious danger of dying in the dungeon, is where the potions should be used. I don’t know when I’m in such serious danger that I’ll either wake up or die before I do, so it’s best to be safe and have the potions in hand. You leave the dungeon when you wake up. Yes, that already seems obvious, but I did some further testing. Anything that will interrupt slumber in the real world will affect your presence in the dungeon world. That means you can 'set up' when you want to leave the dungeon, although there's no practical way to tell time yet in the dungeon. There’s no hint of sun, so no primitive methods like measuring shadows, and I’ve not come across any artificial suns in dungeons yet. I’m sure that’ll be a thing, soon enough, considering the expansiveness of the dungeon. No clocks yet either, but I’m sure at some point there will be some innovations. This also means any unexpected interruptions can pull you out of the dungeon. Say you were traveling with a friend and you got pulled out while fighting monsters, leaving him/her alone. That would be awfully unfortunate. More reason to be safe. All rooms give loot, normal ones included. Once you clear a room of all monsters, the stars will appear above the door signifying its difficulty, in gold stars as opposed to a boss room’s black stars. Before the incident, we didn’t notice it due to the fact that we failed to clear all monsters in a given room. It drops a similar looking but less extravagant treasure box, which contains similar but less extravagant loot. It can range from anything. I found lower potions (light-red) and other items like equipment and gear. Regarding my lack of upper body clothing, that’s been solved. I picked up a standard lightweight adventurer’s garb, fashioned in dark blue and black. It also displays what I assume to be the dungeon’s insignia. I noticed after venturing into more and more rooms, this insignia is apparent in all the loot clothing. I’m sure in due time tailored and custom clothing will become possible, as I passed a room fashioning spiders with heaps of silk. If that day ever comes I’ll welcome it for a change. For now, I have other problems to attend to. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across a rarer item every now and then. I picked up a golden apple from a chest before, which granted regenerative powers for a limited time. I was able to restore amputated limbs from a rather "sharp" group of enemies. It wasn't as potent or effective as the high-grade potions from the boss room, but its effects last longer, which was helpful during my ongoing struggle that took time to resolve. By the end of the course, I was fully healed and resolved. I also wanted to save those potions for the more dangerous emergencies where lower grade healing wouldn't accurately suffice. I must always be prepared. As for people - I’ve seldom seen any. Probably because this dungeon’s so vast that even with millions of people, for example, it’d be hard to find others. I’m sure it’s possible to find people frequently, but I presume this dungeon has a very unforgiving mortality rate. I’ve only come across traces of people. Let’s leave it at that.

I slice off a monster’s head in one fell swoop as I think about this. I’ve become more accustomed to fighting in this short time. I’m nowhere near stellar, but I’m learning and adapting well enough not to get me killed. The main credit is my two weapons: Cheryl and Ringarde. Cheryl is practically overpowered when it comes to any ‘living’ monster, and when it comes to non-living, especially hard monsters like the rock golems in rooms 35 and 37 or the liquid Cyclops in room 27, Ringarde takes care of the job splendidly. As far as weaponry goes, I’m decked.

I still need to work on my combat. Fundamentals, physical prowess, etc. These are all important to my survival – strong weapons aren’t going to cut it. Although Cheryl will cut things, and fantastically at that, there’s more to fighting than just pure strength. I myself need the ability to wield these weapons. I’ve become practicing and training both alone and on monsters to become stronger. It’s coming along, but somewhere inside, I wish for it to proceed faster. Death won’t wait until you’re strong. I need to reach out and grasp my survival.

I will become strong.

I clear out the remaining monsters. The monsters in this room, room 51, are all three-headed snakes. Some of them are purple, while a majority of them are red. I assume that the purple ones contain poison, so I treat them with extra caution and safely take care of them. Their eyes reflect the torchlight in an almost mesmerizing manner. Without hesitation, I finish each of them off. They’re just monsters… anyway.

After clearing the last monster, I hear a familiar click and turn around to see the treasure chest. I wipe the blood off the sword with a cloth, take a small sip of a low-grade potion from my belt (courtesy of dungeon 41’s loot chest, it has holders for potions – very handy). I don’t know when I got used to killing monsters so easily. At first, I hesitated slightly, but now, it feels very natural. I made an oath though to never kill a person. Never.

I cannot cross that line. Even if it’ll make me stronger.

I open the chest and investigate the contents. I didn’t check to see what tier this room is. It only shows up after you clear the room, which means you never know what you’ll be getting yourself into until you engage. Out of the 32 rooms I cleared, 29 were 1-star. The other three were 2-star. A one-star difference might not seem significant, but trust me, in this dungeon, it’s a huge jump. Right now, I can clear 1-star dungeons with relative ease. Not as good as her, even with, well, her, but I can pretty much run through the dungeons like going through the motions. Not second-nature, and not a walk-in-the-park, but somewhere approaching it. Two-star dungeons are much harder. It’s really hard to solo those rooms, the need for a proper party with balance is pretty much required. Without my new weapons, I’d have died instantly in my current state. That’s why I need to become stronger. Much stronger. I fought some horrifying monsters, not boss-level horrifying, but horrifying enough. It’s not a stretch to say I was lucky. Though, in general, it’s not a stretch in the slightest to say I’m lucky. I haven’t died yet. That in itself is a miracle worth being thankful for.

But that attitude won’t make you strong, at least I don’t think so. I take out the contents of the chest – a mage’s robe especially fitted to fire users with its spicy design, a dagger lined with paralyzation, some ingredients for which I assume is for alchemy – or cooking, I haven’t ruled out either – a sharp, fitted, steel broadsword, and a mana potion. I haven’t seen a mana potion yet actually. This loot is much useful for a mage, and unfortunately, I haven’t the slightest knowledge of the sort. It actually makes me curious. I should learn some magic. I wonder if there are spell books – there must be, this is a dungeon after all. I hope to come across one in the near future. They’d be very useful. I keep the potion and the robe – just in case- and I leave the rest. I examine the potion. Yep, that distinctive blue hue is definitely for mana.

Which means there’s confirmed magic. Well, not confirmed, but unofficially assumed. I hate to admit it, but whoever or whatever designed this dungeon has good taste. If this were a game, I’d have no qualms with it. It’s a pretty well-designed dungeon. In another life, where this is all a game and not life-or-death, I’ve no doubt I would’ve enjoyed this.

It’s a shame. She would’ve…

Stop.

I shake my head. Focus. I need to progress to the next room.

But, first a break.

Today, I progressed through 5 rooms. A good number, I say. The novelty of collecting loot has died out somewhat after I realized the loot system isn’t so convenient in real life since the carry size is much more limited. I’d kill a monster for a carrying bag. That’d be extra convenient. Hear that, dungeon-master? One carrying-bag please! It’d be much appreciated! Thank you very much in advance.

I don’t know what I’m doing.

I take a drink from a vial. It’s spring water I collected from room 30. There's a nice spring filled with very refreshing pure water. I use one of the larger empty potion vials to scoop it up and contain it. As far as I know, hunger or thirst is not a problem, but I do know that eating and drinking does fill you with extra energy. I imagine some consumables in chests would grant special buffs, in the form of delicious foods hopefully. Fighting monsters to the death is some hard work. I’d like to be rewarded in some ways, it’d be sweet if there were some nice sweets.

But I digress.

I’m still filled with unexplainable anger, but I’ve calmed down somewhat. Enough to joke around, at least. In the real world, I’ve been studying diligently, moreso than before, so I wouldn’t have to worry about school and focus on the dungeon. I’ve been staying ahead of the curriculum, which garnered some praise from my family – especially from my little sister. Despite our constant bickering, we’re actually pretty close. We’ve come to a silent acknowledgment to each other’s reliability and need over the years. That sort of unsaid sibling relationship, where you can easily tell the mood with just one glance, is in a gist the relationship we've accrued. She especially has been congratulating me. I feel awfully proud, so much so that I’ve even begun helping her with her homework, to actually doing her homework. That might’ve been her original intentions though, which means in actuality I’ve been tricked…

Clever girl.

Schoolwork’s not an issue for me. I could’ve been further ahead originally if I hadn’t been wrapped up in games so often. I’ve filled up my schedule with studying mostly and exercising too. I don’t know if it’ll help to exercise in the real world. I haven't the slightest whether physical training carries over to the dream world. I mean, my new clothes and my battle scars I so valiantly received from my monster of a pet – my cat – don’t translate into the dream world. Just in case, I exercise well in both the dream and the real world. Earlier today, I was talking about it with Mark, who promptly pointed it out.

“You serious, man?” Mark chews on food from his boxed lunch, talking in between gulps.

“Yeah. Just something I’m going to do. Nothing heavy, just some light exercise, to work the muscles. Got to make use of this young body somehow – lest I regret it.” I take a bite out of my BLT from a similar little, convenient box.

“’Lest’? Really? Talk normally. And what do you mean ‘young body’? What are you, middle-aged? Are you 30?”

“First of all, 30 is not middle-aged. Second of all, I mean everything I said. In hindsight, I actually do need to take care of my body while it’s still developing and fresh, not only for the future but for now.” I play with my bangs indifferently, which in the real world is not terribly cut off due to a life-and-death battle with a nonliving being. On the topic, I definitely need to pay attention to my appearance, too. I look very unrefined.

“Hmm… I understand it and all, but honestly, I don’t think you can do it. It’s one thing to say it - to commit is entirely different. I’d like to see you do it for a full month. Then I’ll acknowledge it.” Mark points at me matter-of-factly.

I look away distractingly. “Suit yourself.” My eyes wander, eventually gravitating toward her seat. It’s empty, as usual.

I flick my eyes away. I'm too late, as Mark already notices my blatant gestures.

“Who knew that Cheryl actually transferred away. It was a bit sudden and odd actually. I have a suspicion that there might more to it…” Mark frowns. As if shifting gears, he switches to a more pleasant face and pats me on the back. “Don’t worry about it, man. There are plenty of other girls if you’re worried. She might’ve been your first, but it’s certainly not over. I heard her father’s coming by to wrap things up and sign some paperwork for her transfer. Who knows, maybe she might show up again. She did leave so suddenly, without saying goodbye. This is your chance to break ties. I suggest you go for it.”

I refrain from speaking. My eyes light up in caution. Her father’s dropping by? I had already taken the necessary precautions to hiding my phone number and covering my communicative history. It wasn’t too hard. Some of the parts I needed help for, in which I contacted an expert in the field. I also changed phone numbers just in case. There shouldn’t be too many leads to me since I, truthfully, was only a classmate, and that’s it. I didn’t actually commit any crime, so even with his security background, it should take a while to track me. That is, temporarily. I’m fully aware I’m just stalling for time. I noticed some police cars outside the school too this past week. Her death should’ve been unnatural, but it shouldn’t have hinted at murder. I have to give credit to him for his expert secrecy. Rumors around hint at some delinquents and their issues. Nothing at all pointed towards her disappearance. I see he’s well versed in these sorts of things. Who else can hide an investigation in plain sight?

While chatting with Mark, I notice a tall man’s figure outside the classroom windows leading into the hallway. His figure's tall with a slightly crooked bridged nose. Other than that, his other features – his build and his face – are ordinary, nothing that would garner immediate suspicion. You could even say he's quite handsome for his age. I can see that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

Most importantly, what stands out is his demeanor. Sharp eyes that can cut through anything. That’s the initial impression. He’s walking behind a faculty member, pointing his head downwards and silently scanning the surroundings. The faculty member in front of him seems slightly nervous. It appears they may know the truth.

I’ve tried my best to act normal and keep appearances ever since the incident. Distraught as I may be, it’s no good if I act flustered and give it all away. Especially now, it all counts. Outside the door is a man who threatened to kill me. I continue to talk to Mark while silently observing his every movement.

He seems to be talking to the staff member about something. After a while, the faculty member points toward our door and opens it for him. The man, dressed in a stylish trench coat and a similarly matching hat that looked like it belonged to the Sicilian Mafia, walks in and stands there with his arms crossed. His gaze instantly shifts to be even more piercing. I'm not the only one who notices him, voices all around me die down somewhat in uneasy unison.

The man continues standing there, gazing at us and scanning us, without saying a word. I can tell he made special notions to observe the boys in the room, his eyeballs jumping toward and focusing more attentively toward the boy-dominant groups. More than half of students present are male, just due to circumstance. I try my hardest to blend in and conceal my presence. At one point, I thought he was looking straight at me. I don't know for certain if he was or wasn't. I wince.

Fortunately, after some time passes, all he does is click his tongue and walk out. The faculty member hastily apologizes and follows after him. The teacher present in the room, who is also my next period's teacher after lunch, raises an eyebrow and returns to his computer work. I sigh inwardly with relief. I knew I couldn’t hide forever. For now, I should be safe.

“I wonder what that was about. He was seriously scary, that guy," Mark says. “Ah!” Mark pounds on his fist displaying some sort of sudden epiphany. “You lost your chance just now! It’s not too late to follow him. I think you should go.”

“It’s… it’s alright. Really. Thanks though for your concern,” I reassure him.

“Hmm… Okay then. If you say so. I didn’t see Cheryl with him anyway, so I guess it’s fine. You wouldn’t want to label yourself as a creep before the girl’s father.”

I nod uneasily. The bell rang, and we say our farewells. I continue thinking back to that event. Those events took place yesterday. I wonder what would've happened if I were caught. I shake my head. That doesn’t matter now.

After resting enough, I get up. I equip my potion belt, pick up my weapons, fasten my gauntlet, and check my blade for any additional splashes of blood, wiping them accordingly, being careful not to incur any cuts. I pat off the immediate dust and dirt off my garb and immediately progress to the next room. The first thing I always do is check for traps, which there has been no absence of. I scan my immediate surroundings. No traps this time. Thankfully, things will be less tricky this time around.

I walk forward with slight caution into the next dungeon room: room 52. I wonder what type of monsters I will encounter. I hope there are some magic books in the chest, I’d love to learn some magic. Support classes were my specialty in the RPGs I played, so some support magic would be useful.

But then again, I’m alone, so I’m unsure how that would work out.

Suddenly, I hear a loud grunt.

Not a monsters grunt.

I’m certain.

It’s a person’s.

I rush forward. If I can increase the odds of making it in time and saving someone's life, even if a little, I’ll jump at that chance immediately. I wasn’t able to save a friend from the past. I can't let anyone die in front of me, no more, no more within my available grasp.

With those thoughts, I rush forward recklessly.