Chapter 164 - Back to reality

As my eyes opened, my vision filled with a girl with black hair and eyes. Her gaze was intense, tears streaming down her face, falling onto my chest. I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, but it definitely didn't seem like just a few seconds.

"Hey" 

I whispered, reaching out my hand to Saemi's tear-streaked face. Gently, I touched her tear with my hand, offering her a weak but determined smile.

"Do I look so weak that I'd be defeated by a crazy skeleton?" 

I asked with a hint of irony in my voice. Surprise flashed across Saemi's face before her tears intensified. In an impulsive movement, she threw herself at me, enveloping me in a tight hug.

"I... I thought you really left me... your heart stopped, and... I was so scared" 

Saemi said between sobs, tears still streaming down her face. I wasn't sure how to calm her down, or even if I could, so the best I could do at that moment was to hug her back, hoping it would bring some comfort.

Around me were also Fujiwara, Ana, and Aoi, though to a lesser extent, you could see small signs that all of them, like Saemi, were also crying. After a while, Saemi finally managed to calm down. Once she pulled away after long minutes of hugs, I finally managed to get up. Although my body still ached a bit, it didn't seem like I was in life-threatening danger.

Without wasting time, I started to look around, trying to find clues from the battle I had with the Lich. However, everything seemed exactly the same. It made me wonder where the heck the Lich and I were when we fought each other in Shade's home.

"What exactly happened?" 

I asked uncertainly, looking at the girls. Upon hearing my question, they exchanged glances for a few seconds before turning back to me. The first to speak was Aoi, who, like me, seemed to be filled with doubts.

"You and the Lich suddenly disappeared. Minutes later, you came back unconscious, and when we approached, we realized you weren't breathing and your heart wasn't beating" 

Aoi explained. I could sense there was more information, but she seemed hesitant to say the rest.

"Was that all?" 

I asked. Hearing my words, Aoi looked at me for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. Then she continued, her words sounding uncertain as she spoke.

"Well... as we were thinking of a way to help you, a light suddenly shone, and we felt time stop or something... after that, you woke up"

Listening to this, I could understand to some extent what had happened. It seems that, just as Lady Aurora said, I really died, and somehow, Lady Aurora came here and revived me. Well, I couldn't really call that luck; in the end, I had been careless.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, my gaze turned to the throne where the Lich had been sitting before. Suddenly, my eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. Looking at the girls, their expressions mirrored my own.

Where the Lich had been before, several translucent figures – men, women, and children – were looking at us with smiles on their faces. The children waved excitedly while the adults simply nodded in acknowledgment. Witnessing this spectacle, a small smile crept onto my face.

(At least now, they'll be able to rest in peace)

After that, the girls and I moved out of the dungeon, which, to be honest, wasn't very difficult. When we reached the castle's exit door, as soon as we opened it, we found ourselves back in the forest. There was no sign of the cemetery or the fog that surrounded it. Furthermore, upon leaving the castle, it simply disappeared without a trace. Somehow, everything that happened felt like a long dream.

"What do we do now?" 

Fujiwara asked beside me. It was quite evident that she, like the other girls, was quite exhausted.

"Let's go back to the palace and rest. We can think about our next plans tomorrow morning"

With that decided, we chose to return first to Sylvia's palace, where we would spend the night. The day had been exhausting, including the fact that I had died. I believe the least we deserved was a good night's sleep. The girls also seemed worn out, so they happily agreed to my suggestion.

The day was still early afternoon, but for some reason, it felt like we were still in the same day. It didn't make much sense since it seemed like days had passed since we entered the dungeon. In the end, I decided to put that aside and simply accept it. The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed to be, so I thought it best not to spend any more energy trying to understand.

As we returned to the kingdom, we made our way quickly to the castle. Our entry was easily permitted by the guards who recognized us, so we proceeded toward the palace without incident. On the way, we were spotted by Sylvia. Upon noticing our fatigued state, she advised us to take a bath and rest a bit before dinner.

Furthermore, as I had imagined, Sylvia confirmed that only a few hours had passed since we had left. Well, considering we're in a world where gods and mythological creatures exist, that seems to be relatively normal.

(Haaa... today seemed longer than it really was)

I thought as I let out a small sigh. At that moment, I was inside Sylvia's palace bathtub. The girls had already bathed before, so, in a way, I had the place to myself. Sunk in the water, I felt my aches gradually dissipating.

(Also)

With that thought, I slowly looked down, focusing my gaze on my abdomen.

(...I really got quite physically strong. Though, after all I've been through, I guess that's not much of a surprise)

Just as I mentioned, my abdomen, along with my arms, was remarkably different compared to the past. I looked literally like a different person.