I stood over the girl, her body still on the cold dungeon floor. The decision wasn’t easy. Leave her, or take her with me? Neither choice felt right. Each came with its own set of consequences I wasn’t ready to face.

  I couldn’t help but wonder—what would Hirata do? What would a normal person do in this situation?

  I’d never been taught how to handle something like this. My father’s lessons were simple:

  "Victory is all that matters."

  His voice echoed in my mind, and I clicked my tongue. That old man didn't teach me anything useful.

  "A normal person would help her."

  I muttered, I could just introduce myself like a big shot and continue the harem story line.

  But then my father’s voice came back to me, clear and sharp:

  "Survival comes first, nothing else matters."

  I paused, staring at the girl. Ah-yeah, I am not a normal person. She wasn’t my concern. I didn’t owe her anything.

  "Yeah, you're right."

  I muttered under my breath, turning to leave. Well I didn't want any more troublesome work.

  I wasn’t going to waste time. The door ahead was leading toward my goal. My survival was everything now.

  But then, just as I stepped toward the exit, I heard it.

  "Uhm... Hm-mm!"

  I froze, my heart skipping. At first, I thought it was a trick of my mind, but then I saw her moving. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, and she groggily glanced around. I didn’t move, watching her closely.

  "Wait, if she's awake, I can't leave her here, can I?" I pondered.

  "You’re awake,"

  I said, trying to sound more collected than I felt.

  She wasn’t panicking, and wasn't scared. Her gaze was calm, like she’d woken up in stranger places before. Without hesitation, she reached up, and I instinctively offered my hand.

  "Do you need help?"

  I asked, my voice even.

  She started glancing at my hand for a moment before grabbing it firmly. But then her eyes started to glisten. Tears. Without warning, they began to fall, hitting the stone floor with quiet splashes.

  "H-Hey! Are you alright?" I asked, unsure what to make of her reaction.

  She quickly wiped them away, trying to regain composure.

  "I-I am... just scared,"

  She said, her voice shaky but managing a weak smile.

  "like I'd buy it."

  "Can you get up?"

  She nodded, steadying herself with my help.

  "Y-Yes."

  "Thanks for your help,"

  she said, glancing up at me, a small smile still on her face. Then, as if suddenly remembering, she asked,

  "Is... this a dungeon?"

  Her calmness was... unsettling. Most people would be freaking out by now, but she was acting as though she’d been in places like this before.

  "Yeah, looks like it,"

  I said, shrugging. It wasn’t much of an answer, but it sufficed for the moment.

  She seemed satisfied.

  “Umm—”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Before she could finish, I flashed her a bright smile. "Sorry, but I’m leaving now." I started heading toward the massive door.

  "Huh?!" she exclaimed, blinking in confusion. "Wait, but—"

  She narrowed the distance between us. "But, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Kusanagi Reha. You can call me Reha."

  The name hit me like a ton of bricks. Kusanagi... The daughter of the chairman of our school. Now this is more troublesome to have a 'Rich lady' with me.

  "Miss Sapien—Ah, I mean… Reha-san."l

  "You can just call me Reha," she insisted, her tone a bit too casual for someone with that last name.

  "Yeah, yeah. Reha. Anyway, I’m heading deeper into the dungeon."

  Her eyes lit up immediately. "Ah… okay!"

  I gave her a sideways glance. "It could be dangerous for a girl like you."

  "I don’t care," she said, almost too eagerly.

  I raised an eyebrow. "Could this girl be completely out of her mind?"

  "And staying alone in a dungeon is even more dangerous than being with someone,"

  She countered, stepping closer to me.

  With a look that almost made me think she was about to cry, she added,

  “Or… could it be that you’re the kind of person who just leaves a girl to fend for herself in a dungeon?”

  "Oh, for the love of—"

  I sighed dramatically, trying to fight the urge to roll my eyes. “No, I’m not… I was just, you know, concerned for your safety.” My smile was as fake as they come.

  She didn’t buy it.

  "Well, then, no problem with me tagging along, right?" Her grin told me everything I needed to know—she was enjoying this.

  "This brat!"

  " Then… Umm… "

  Asking for my name, well what can i do,

  "Hello. I’m... Ku—"

  I caught myself before giving my full name. I just... didn't want to say it.

  "You can… call me Sen."

  She nodded thoughtfully, then started to speak again.

  "Ah—Oh! Then, Sen-san, I—"

  But I cut her off, the urgency creeping into my tone.

  "We don’t have time to talk. We need to move."

  Just as I finished speaking, the heavy, ominous sound of a door creaking open echoed through the room. My instincts went on high alert.

  "Huh? What’s that?"

  Reha asked, clearly surprised, her voice laced with uncertainty.

  I didn’t answer. I was already scanning the doorway. A shadow loomed there. A tall, grotesque figure—at least seven feet—stepped through. Its skin was a sickly shade of rotting flesh, bones jutted out in places, and it wore a damaged chainmail chestplate. In its hand, it gripped a long, rusted sword. The stench of death hit me even from a distance.

  "Sen-san, this is…?" Reha took a step back.

  I stared, confused at first, but then the voice in my head spoke—clear as day.

  "High Ghoul—an evolved species of death skeleton. Difficulty: A-rank"

  The words were foreign, but I understood them. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew it was telling me exactly what I was looking at.

  "High Ghoul, except this one, these all chimps look very weak."

  "Lower Ghoul ─ Lower monsters obey their creator. Difficulty: C-rank"

  "So this stronger one might have summoned these chimps. What will happen if I kill the High Ghoul first?"

  "Summoned creatures vanish as soon as their master dies."

  "I see."

  I glanced back at the creature. It was staring directly at me, its decayed lips curling into something resembling a smile. I couldn’t make out its muttered words, but they were definitely directed toward me.

  Then, one of the smaller ghouls behind it took a step forward. It had the same sickening grin on its face, its body jerking with every movement. It let out a dry, raspy laugh—khe, khe, khe—before it slowly started advancing toward us.

  Reha immediately clung to my side, pressing against my shoulder, her grip tight. I felt her body tense, her breath quick and shallow.

  "U-umm! Sen-san. What... is this thing?" her voice, shaky.

  The smaller ghoul raised its sword. It was a rusty weapon, blunt and uneven, but it could still cause damage if it landed.

  "Reha, step back,"

  I ordered, my voice firm and confident, though I could feel the adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. alright

  "Bu-But! This is… alright" She hesitated first but, as if she understood something, she stepped back.

  I’d fought many armed opponents before. So I was ready. But I've never experienced a combat like this,

  The ghoul screeched, lunged forward as it brought the sword down,

  "But… evading a blunt strike is not much of a problem."

  Evading the attack, I slipped to its right. In a flash, wrapping my hands, I twisted its wrist with a sharp motion. Its humerus broke, and the sword flew from its hand, clattering to the ground.

  "As I thought."

  I muttered, my lips curling into a grin.

  Even though they are strong, their bones are not. Their rotten body has too much disadvantages.

  I grabbed the rusty blade off the floor, feeling its weight in my hand. The grip was uneven, but it didn’t matter.

  The ghoul didn’t hesitate. It lunged again, more reckless this time.

  "Kuehhh!" It howled, desperate.

  I sidestepped its wild attack. Stepping its side, I pierced through its heart, but it was not enough. I kicked it back, the sword was in motion before the ghoul could register what was happening. The blade cleaved through the air in a clean, unexpected arc, slicing through its neck in a single strike. The head came off with an almost sickening ease, rolling across the floor before the body crumpled.

  The fight was over but not truly.

  Next ///

  Chapter 5: A fierce battle & the Girl's...

  italic texts to describe internal thoughts.