Danger Approaches

After Davy and the others were locked up, the knights returned to the inn to gather witness statements. The atmosphere in the inn was tense; every worker stood firmly by Davy's side, emphasizing his innocence. The knights, visibly irritated, reluctantly accepted the statements and filed their report.

Later, they convened a meeting to decide the fate of him and his friends. In attendance were John and Charlotte, along with some unfamiliar faces.

"So, what should we do with Davy and his friends?" inquired the supreme commander. "All the witnesses claim he was merely defending his comrades. The two adventurers intended to kill his companions if he didn't intervene."

"Even if that's true, killing is forbidden in this town. He should have incapacitated them instead of resorting to lethal force!" Charlotte's voice rang out passionately.

"I concur with Charlotte," John added, his tone cold. "He was my closest friend in the other world, but he has changed significantly. I can't support him in this, but I implore you to spare his teammates; they are innocent in this matter."

"I remember he arrived just yesterday, no one informed him of our rules. Who are we to judge him for defending his friends?" countered one of the unfamiliar faces. "Besides, killings have occurred in this town for years, despite our claims of a 'no killing' policy. Let's not pretend this is a new problem."

"What did you say?!" Charlotte shouted, jumping to her feet.

"Enough!" the supreme commander barked, silencing the room. "You all bring valid points to the table. We shall put it to a vote. There are six of us here. Those in favor of him and his friends being released, raise your hands; the rest, abstain."

The votes were cast, and predictably, only two hands were raised in favor of Davy's release. The meeting concluded, leaving Charlotte with a mix of relief and discomfort, realizing she had nearly condemned him without knowing the full story. Meanwhile, John simmered with frustration, thwarted in his plans to rescue Suzy along with Davy's other friends.

[IN THE CELLS]

"Sigh, we should've heeded Davy's advice and fled when we had the chance," Suzy lamented, her eyes fixed on the still-unconscious Davy.

"I made a grave error; I should have just trusted him. I'm sorry," Sakura said, her voice heavy with regret.

"No, it's alright," Ari responded with a serene smile. "You said it with good intention, and he considered your suggestion too."

Sakura mirrored her smile, a rare genuine expression on her face. For someone accustomed to commanding others, having real friends was a novel experience. Meeting him had filled a void in her life; without him, she would have endured a long stretch of loneliness.

After a few minutes, John approached their cell. His eyes scanned Davy, then shifted to Ari, who avoided his gaze while clinging tightly to Davy.

"Tch, Suzy, we need to talk. Can you spare a moment?" his voice was strained.

"I refuse. I know what you want to discuss, so let's talk about it here... I don't love you and never will. The person I love more than anyone in this world is Davy. I was aware of how you looked at me, but I never liked you. I only pretended for Davy's sake. I never expected you to hate him so much because of me. Well, I shouldn't be surprised. It was strange how you suddenly wanted to be his friend. Leave us alone and don't come back," She responded, her tone cold and unwavering.

"FUCK!! WHAT DO YOU SEE IN A LOSER LIKE HIM? HE NEVER TREATED YOU WELL. ALL HE DID WAS GAME AND EAT ALL DAY. HOW CAN YOU LOVE SOMEONE LIKE THAT? DATE ME INSTEAD. A GIRL OF YOUR QUALITY DESERVES SOMEONE LIKE ME, NOT THIS ONE-ARMED FREAK. [huff, huff]." He yelled until he ran out of breath.

"Pfft, you as my boyfriend? You're only interested because you want to have sex with me. I've encountered many boys like you. The only man I'll allow to be with me is Davy. So stop wasting your time. He treats me like a normal girl, not with the hungry eyes you have," She retorted with a stern expression.

"FUUUUCK," he roared, kicking the cell bars in frustration.

He stormed away, his face contorted with anger. Unbeknownst to him, Charlotte, who had come to apologize, overheard everything. She hid when he emerged, wanting to intervene but deciding it wasn't the right moment.

The following morning, a group of knights delivered food and water. They callously tossed the food into the cell and greedily consumed the water themselves. Ari, parched and weak, approached the bars, her voice pleading.

"Please, sir, can you give us some water? We're really thirsty," she begged, her eyes reflecting her exhaustion.

"Stupid brat, know your place," one of the knights sneered, shoving Ari away callously.

She stumbled and fell, her knee slamming into the ground, eliciting sharp cries of pain. The heartless knights merely laughed, indifferent to her suffering. Suzy and Sakura seethed with anger. They possessed the strength to break free from the cell and teach the knights a lesson, but they refrained, not wanting to create a scene while Davy remained unconscious.

\[Rooooooooaaaaaaar\]

"What the hell is that?" one of the knights exclaimed, his confusion evident.

They dashed outside to investigate, finding their fellow knights equally perplexed. Meanwhile, Charlotte hurried to the supreme commander's office to report the unfolding crisis.

"Sorry to barge in, sir, but we have a massive problem," she said urgently.

"What is it, commander? Speak up," he demanded.

"The dragon of death, sir. It's here. The boss of the 1st floor is heading this way," she stammered, her tone laced with nervousness.

"WHAT? WHY IS THE BOSS ON THIS CONTINENT? IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON ONE OF THE HIGHER ONES!" The supreme commander shouted, his confusion matching the gravity of the situation.

Before delving further, it's crucial to understand how the tower floors and bosses function. Climbing to a higher floor didn't necessitate defeating the boss; it was possible once a certain level or rank was achieved. However, this rule changed after a specific number of otherworlders entered the tower. Once a boss was defeated, it didn't respawn unless a different boss took its place. The first-floor boss had been vanquished before, but it had been a different creature, over 30 years ago. The dragon of death had become the new boss, dwarfing its predecessor both in size and strength, being ten times more formidable.

"Go and evacuate everyone immediately. We can't deal with that thing at our level; it's at least mid-silver rank," he ordered Charlotte.

The knights hurried through the town, alerting the populace about the impending danger. Panic swept through the streets; people abandoned their belongings and fled. In their haste, the knights forgot one crucial detail: Davy and his friends.

"What's happening outside? It sounds like people are running away," Suzy exclaimed, her concern evident.

Davy stirred awake shortly after, his head throbbing, and his thirst and hunger intensifying.

"Big brother!" Ari, her eyes brimming with tears, rushed to his side.

"Davy, you're finally awake. We were so worried about you," Suzy said, relief coloring her voice.

"What happened? Where are we?" he asked, his confusion palpable.

"After your fight against Charlotte, you passed out. We were all knocked unconscious and locked up here. We could have easily escaped, but we waited for you to wake up," Sakura explained.

"Oh, so that's what happened." he said, piecing together the situation. He stood up and stretched his body, feeling the stiffness from being confined.

"John was here but not to save us," Suzy replied, her voice tinged with bitterness.

He skillfully cut through the bars with a wind blade, and they retrieved their weapons, which had been placed nearby. As they stepped outside, a distant roar echoed through the air, sending shivers down their spines. The dragon was approaching. Davy swiftly picked up Ari, and they ran toward the nearby forest. Some knights and adventurers had also sought refuge in the forest, which housed one of the dungeons. Few dared to enter due to its notorious difficulty.

The forest, though teeming with beasts, posed no threat to his party. After running for an hour and a half, they finally stopped to rest near a lake.

"I wonder what monster made that roar," he mused aloud.

"Ding, it's the death dragon, master," the System chimed in.

"Oh, System, I almost forgot about you. So, what's a death dragon?" 

"A death dragon is a skeleton dragon that has killed its master, a necromancer, and then absorbed their power," the System explained.

"So, it was under someone's control. Hmm, I suppose that creature is the boss?" He deduced.

"Yes, master."

"We can't deal with that thing right now; we're too weak. Is there a dungeon nearby?" 

"There is one just 3 miles from here—a scorpion dungeon. In the outside world, it would be classified as a high rank-A dungeon," the System informed him.

"Good, we'll go there to level up," he decided, reclining on the ground.

The girls gathered fruits and herbs from the area, preparing a meal as they discussed their next move. He shared the information about the nearby dungeon he sensed using his skills, which, technically, was not a lie. After their conversation, the girls fell asleep while he kept watch over them. He sensed a presence nearby but chose to ignore it. 

Suddenly, an arrow came flying toward him. With swift reflexes, he caught it. The shooter, an injured elf with torn clothes, attempted to flee, but he instantly appeared behind her, rendering her unconscious. He carried her back to where the others were resting, opting not to tie her up but letting her sleep peacefully among them.

"Um, master, are you trying to build a harem?" the System teased, its tone playful.

"Shut up, System," he replied nonchalantly as he lay down and closed his eyes.