16 Escape and Sorrow

I looked around frantically hoping for something to happen. It would be more helpful if the skill would stop announcing itself and actually do something! The whole area seemed to turn into a glitched screen before I found myself unable to move.

Not only me, but also the giant tiger in front of me froze midair. I looked around frantically, but every single thing around me had frozen. A figure of light popped into existence around the entrance of the exit corridor.

[It seems that the system didn't take into account the difficulty of the dungeon. You see this floor is much too hard for a second floor. It's a shame. That player should have lasted a lot longer than that.]

The figure teleported to the side of her friend Kei and crouched down. It pointed the tablet-like object of light at him and a light like it was scanning his body zoomed back and forth over him. After finishing its scan it walked over to the tiger and tapped its side.

A large panel popped up out of the tiger and the figure began moving strange bits of writing across it. I could not tell what kind of language it was in. It also didn't seem like the figure was aware that I could see what was going on.

It carried out its task like nothing was out of the ordinary. Also, the voice I heard from it was not aloud. Instead, it was like its voice was being projected into my mind somehow. If only I could move or even talk I could ask what the hell was going on here.

[Ok, for now we will need to wait for the player to leave the level to do more diagnostics. Honestly, it was supposed to be my day off. Why is it always me being called in to deal with complaints! I can't just let the player win, but I can tone down the stats on this one and allow them to get a head start on an escape. What a headache. I will have to shut down the floor and totally recalibrate this place.]

The panel it was working on was gone with a tap of the figure's hand and soon the figure itself blipped out of existence. The inner monologue was not wasted on me though. I tensed my muscles to head straight for the exit.

I wanted to save my friend, but I knew there was no coming back from being dead. Why had he decided to fight a losing battle? It frustrated me to no end. Didn't you think your life was important too? Moisture from my eyes fell down my face as I leaped through the door.

Rock being torn up by the tiger behind me let me know I had just barely made it to the exit. I looked back at the terrifying scene of the angry tiger who just realized its prey had escaped. I would ingrain this scene in my memory so that I would never forget.

The system made mistakes. I didn't want to believe it. Not only did I learn this horrible truth, but I also learned that there was someone or something managing the dungeons in the background. The question was why were they here and why Earth? Was it some kind of sick joke? An alien invasion? Or just some messed up form of entertainment?

All of her questions left a bad taste in my mouth. Or maybe it was the bile that once again rose up in the back of my throat at the scene of my friend in pieces. I wanted to draw my blades and destroy the tiger who killed the first person I had ever entrusted my secrets to.

The worst part is I knew how dangerous new floors could be. I foolishly thought if it was just the two of us that we could somehow make it out ok. How foolish am I? There was no excuse for it. I bowed my head in Kei's direction.

"I will get revenge for you someday. I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Pain flooded my chest as I processed the pain of losing my first friend. From the beginning I decided not to help anyone or warn them. I should be used to this feeling by now.

Even without my help, somehow this life was different than the last. Since it was so different I must have grown complacent. With my eyes now dead, I turned towards the teleportation circle and crossed over the line. Light flooded my vision and I ended up in the plain white room.

However, the look of awe I gave it the first time was filled with disgust now. Whoever created this system needed to pay. It wasn't as simple as you shouldn't have gone into the dungeon then. If they didn't continually go into the dungeon then outbreaks would happen, bringing those fierce monsters into the world.

Humans were just trying to survive. If that meant I needed to go into the dungeon a thousand times I would do so. It was the only way I could repay the debts I had accumulated. It was the only way the dead could rest. If only I had the strength to bring my dead friend back, so I could at least give whatever family he had something to bury, then maybe this burden wouldn't feel so heavy.

I don't know how long I stood in that empty room before I finally left it. I walked through the faintly glowing doorway and scanned my badge just outside the lobby. My footsteps were heavy as I made my way to the association office.

My walk felt like a blur since I didn't remember how I made it to the desk to report dead hunters. I was suddenly there. The attendant was saying something, but I couldn't hear the words. Finally, a form slipped into my hands. I stared at it, but I felt the tears fall from my eyes once more.

Water droplets hit the form and soaked into the paper. I felt a kind hand on my shoulder and I had somehow ended up in some kind of reception room. The form was crumpled up in my hands and I tried to smooth out the paper.

"Don't worry about it. Now that you are feeling more calm, may I ask with whom you needed to report today?"

I stared up at the kind voice to see a young woman. She seemed young to be working at the guild.

"Kei." I didn't know any more information than that.

"Kei. Let's see, was he the male that entered the dungeon earlier with you?"

I nodded my head as she tapped out information on a tablet in her lap.

"The association will take care of any funeral arrangements and inform his family. Would you like to be notified when it will be?"

I shook my head and the young girl smiled sadly.

"Did he have any last words?"

I shook my head again.

"The association thanks you for reporting his condition in the dungeon. Feel free to use this room as long as you need." She slowly left the room and the door clicked silently behind her.

I felt so stupid for crying so much about a guy I barely knew. I couldn't even work up the strength to attend a simple funeral. How could I face his family and tell them I let him die? That I wasn't strong enough? They would just hate me and curse at me. We were a bad matchup from the start.

I punched the pillow beside me. I was covered in blood. Kei's blood. I left the room immediately and almost sprinted towards the residence building. I needed to wash it off. People stared as I ran past but I ignored them.

Hot scalding water fell on me and I scrubbed until my skin was raw and red. I sent my clothes away to be cleansed. I curled up in the middle of my bed and held my body tightly. My mind couldn't help but replay all that had occurred in the dungeon.

Every mistake was analyzed and every point we should have turned back haunted me. This was why they said looking back was 20/20. I let my mind process all this over and over until I finally passed out. My dreams were empty and lifeless, just like I felt. It would be a while before I could finally get myself to enter the dungeon again.