7 Chapter 11

"Five years had already passed and I am still stuck in the Rozea Dungeon. My daughter is now a six-year-old child and my wife probably assumed that I am now dead so she decided to marry another man."

[66%...]

An eerie silence quickly filled their surroundings. The only thing that Janus can hear is the cracking sound coming from their bonfire and their soft breathes. Goliah remained unmoving on his spot while staring into space. He is probably reminiscing about his past.

"Oh. Sorry about that. It has been a while since I have someone to listen to my ramblings." Goliah said before letting out a soft sigh.

"But you are not the only human inside the Rozea Dungeon, right?" Janus asked.

It was already too late when Janus realized that he just asked him a very stupid question.

"Listen to me, kid. Since you are just new here, I will give you a piece of important advice. Never put your trust in those people inside this dungeon. Your survival is the most important thing here. Small negligence will cost your life. You hear me?"

Janus nodded although he already knows that fact. Since the Valkyeria Rozea is designed to be a real simulator for players, of course, Janus knows the meaning behind the words Goliah just told him. But since he is still pretending to be a noble who just got inside the dungeon, Janus can only act as if he knows nothing.

"You are too trusting, kid. What will you do if I happen to be a bad guy who just wants to steal your stuff?"

'Then I will flick your forehead and your head will probably explode or burst open and your brain will be scattered everywhere...'

"But you are not a bad guy." Janus answered normally although a different thought just crossed his mind a second ago.

"Eh? How can you say so?" Goliah asked in amusement while checking his belt bag if there are still edible berries left. To his luck, he only found one berry inside. It is not enough to share with his new friend.

"Well... You tried your best to save me earlier. If you are really a bad guy, then you will just ignore me or probably let me die so you can get my stuff."

Goliah just let out a soft chuckle as a reply.

"Goliah, please take it and put it on your wound. It is an effective medicine that can quickly heal your wound." Janus said before giving a small pot of medicine to the big guy.

"Oh, damn. Is this a real medicine?!" Goliah asked in surprise as he took the medicine from Janus's hands. "It's been years since I last saw one of these! You surely brought a lot of goods, huh."

Janus did not say anything and just watched Goliah being amazed by the green medicine paste which can cure his wounds. Janus produced that medicine while Goliah was telling him his past. The wounds on his neck look so painful and it probably feels itchy too while it's scabbing. Naturally, Janus also knows the situation where medicines are such a rare thing to find inside the mansion.

While producing that medicine, Janus also checked its content twice with the help of his system. Although AI001 is busy updating his previous command to lock his powers, it is still responsive to him which made him satisfied. The only thing he noticed was his delay in producing the things on his hands. He guessed that maybe it is because his strength and powers are now slowly decreasing.

"If it's okay for me to ask, but what happened to your neck?" Janus asked while pointing at his neck.

"Ah, this?" Goliah said while touching his wound lightly. "I met an aggressive minotaur last week. Its right eye was bleeding because someone stabbed it using a sword. Before I can run away from it, the minotaur threw its hammer. Luckily, I just got a shallow slash on my neck while dodging it before I ran as fast as I could."

"Wait... You said a bleeding minotaur attacked you? And the weapon they used is a sword? How can you be so sure about it?" Janus asked.

"Oh. The sword is still buried on its eye."

Janus can feel a cold sweat forming on his back. As the person who encountered that minotaur in the game together with Meluna's memories stuck inside his head, of course, he is very familiar with it. That minotaur is the one guarding the door with a diamond doorknob. Behind that door is filled with medicinal herbs that can cure wounds, diseases, poisoning, and illnesses.

But that is not the important part. The real question is, who the hell stabbed that minotaur on its right eye? If he is still that lazy gamer sitting inside his apartment while eating junk foods, Janus can confidently say that he is the one who did it. Janus encountered that minotaur in the game and he stabbed its eye so he can buy some time to sneak inside the secret room and grab some medicinal herbs.

But he is now Meluna, the owner of this dungeon who is currently pretending to be a weak human while having a sentimental chat with a man who managed to survive for five years with these OP creatures around them. Did someone had already finished the Valkyeria Rozea in this world? But if that is the case, then someone had already defeated him?

[70%...]

"Kid? Hey kid, are you okay?" Goliah called him.

"Ah... Huh?"

"You are staring into space. Are you okay?"

"Ah. Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit tired, I guess."

"Well, yeah. You are just new here and not yet used to this place. I guess we can take a rest here for a few more hours. I can't hear any sounds coming from the creatures in this place. Heh. We are lucky today."

'Probably the monsters know that I am here that's why they are avoiding going near this place.'

Janus discovered that being the strongest person in this world has its perks too. Just look at their situation. No one dares to approach them because they are scared of him. This also works for Janus since he does not want to see any creatures kissing up to him or trembling in fear because they are standing in front of him. That jiggling slime earlier is enough for Janus's sanity level today.

"But Janus, are you sure you want to give this to me?" Goliah asked while showing him the medicine.

"Yes. You can have it. You need it more than me though."

Goliah stared at Janus first before looking at the small pot of medicine in his hand. Then all of a sudden, Goliah let out a loud laugh which made Janus confused. Did Goliah finally snapped and he is now starting to lose his sanity too?

"Kid, stop showing too much kindness in this place." Goliah said while wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes. Janus did not know if those are tears of happiness or tears of laughter. Maybe both.

"You are also kind to me, Goliah."

"Heh. You are really unique, kid. I like you. Do you want to join this old man in his journey inside the Rozea Dungeon?" Goliah asked him with a smile. "Though I am not a strong warrior, but I can confidently say that I have a lot of knowledge about this place. How about that?"

"Goliah, you are not that old." Janus corrected him.

"Heh. You're right. I am just twenty-nine years old this year but it feels like I had already spent twenty years of my life while exploring this dungeon for so long."

"Anyways, if it's okay with you then I will accept the offer."

"Great. Welcome to my team, kid."

"Who's the other members?" Janus asked intending to humor the big man.

"Me and my shadow. But now that you are part of the team, you can replace my shadow now."

It is not even funny but both Janus and Goliah laughed at their failed jokes. Goliah thanked Janus for the medicine as he carefully smeared a small amount of it on his wound. It stings a little but it soon gave a cooling sensation to his wound. It made Goliah sighed in relief.

"We should take a rest for now. After taking a break, we are going to find something to eat. Okay?"

"Alright."