Chapter 387: The Retired Ones
[Sure would be nice if that was enough to make her stop throwing herself at the hundredth layer…] Tsutomu thought as he glanced back, recalling the way Stephanie had simply swallowed her tears rather than breaking down like she once had. [But judging by her expression, it’ll just end up being a moment of weakness, not the end of her efforts. She’s not going to spiral like before.]
Back in his room, Tsutomu passed the time casting [, sealing it within a [, and dispelling it immediately after.
His suspicions were now stronger than ever; the abnormal power of the Corroded Elder Dragon and the forced ejection from the Dungeon suggested that the hundredth layer held something unlike anything before. And after confronting death so directly, enduring that paralyzing fear for a good chunk of a day, he had come to accept it.
He no longer needed sacrificial lambs to move forward. Though, of those whom he had considered such, the only one he could not help but keep in mind was Stephanie. Had she broken down completely, things would have been easier. But she had already shaken off her cult-like obsession. Her foundations had hardened, and so she had not taken a fatal blow.
[Guess there’s no avoiding it, then. I’ll just have to beat her with results… and I DON’T think I’ll lose on that front. Worst-case scenario, I just go back to learning through death like in Live Dungeon. But I’d hoped to nip that anxiety in the bud…]
He no longer needed to play like it was a no-death challenge run. The fear was still there, but if push came to shove, he could accept it. That shift alone meant he could fight with greater freedom, even against something like the Corroded Elder Dragon. Even if its power was on par with a Secret Dungeon Boss, there had to be a way through.
[Give it a few more tries, and I’ll figure out its patterns. It’s the aftermath that worries me… What happens after the hundredth layer? Will I get sent straight home from there?]
Given the painstaking buffs that Dragon had received, it seemed inevitable that something would happen once the hundredth layer was cleared. Whether it opened a path back to Earth or didn’t, either option left a sour taste in his mouth.
If the way home opened, he would have to part with this fantastical world and the comrades who had shared it with him for nearly two years. But if it did not, he would remain in limbo, plagued by the fear of sudden ejection and the gnawing sense that he should be returning to the real world, rather than soaking in this lukewarm dream.