Chapter 50: Treasure

Perseus POV

As I slowly awaken, the warmth of the sun kisses my skin, and the gentle breeze rustles through the vibrant grass around me. It was a familiar sight, it was the same one as the rest floor. Blinking against the sunlight, I find myself resting against a woman's lap, her soft chuckle greeting me as I stirred in her lap.

"Finally awake, huh? You always were the sleepyhead," she teased

She looks to be in her late 20s or early 30s and has black hair, brown eyes, a fair complexion, and this familiar smile that I've only seen in my dreams...I've also heard her voice before.

I couldn't move, I couldn't even blink, so I just stayed in that position. This is such a weird dream.

"You know...there's a reason why I told you to never wake me up."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" her eyes sparkling as she countered, "Besides if I didn't wake you, who knows how long you'd sleep for?"

"A blissful century."

"Perseus...you know that words can hurt, right?" she pouted, "You're my younger brother, you should spoil your big sister and take me out more."

Sister? Since when did I have a sister? Am I reliving the memory of another Perseus or something...but I couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu, as if I had lived this moment before. Why was I here?

"Alright...What do you want to do today, oh demanding one?"

"Demanding?" she responded, "You're picky with your food, there's nothing more demanding than that."

"That's because you're a bad cook."

"Just because I confuse sugar with salt? You need to be less picky and just eat, there's people starving out there and you don't even need to eat, so you should just be grateful. Especially if the food is made by a beautiful woman."

"No beautiful woman would call themself beautiful...well, there are some, but they're considered arrogant."

"Well, today...why don't we find ourselves a proper home? Something to decorate and call our own."

"But I like it here."

"Don't you want a bed? A fluffy bed that can make you sleep so good that a century would be considered short...?"

"Can't I just sleep in the snow? I love the cold."

"Seriously...apart from your good looks, you have nothing going on for you."

"I thought you just said words can hurt, that hurt."

"You already have enough women on your coat tails, come on, let's go dreamer boy."

*****

I woke up for real this time, the persistent ringing in my ears began to recede, gradually fading into the background like a distant echo. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling of disorientation.

Why had I just experienced that dream? What significance did it hold, if any? And most importantly, what did it mean for my journey through the abyss dungeon?

"Did you experience any ringing in the ear?"

"No." Elpis answered, "But are you okay? I checked and saw that you were physically fine, but you passed out for a whole day."

"I see...would you like me to recount my dream?"

"If it makes you feel better, sure."

"Well, there was this beautiful woman who claims to be my sister..."

*****

"That is a weird dream." Elpis commented

"Was this a past life or something? You, the one before the one where I died and came here?"

"It could be since reincarnation exists after all, but unless there's interference, I doubt that you would be able to remember such memories."

"So maybe the dungeon is the interference? If this was some novel, I could be the creator of this dungeon based on how familiar the grassland on the rest floor was."

"Hmm, no, I know the name of the god who created this dungeon, and they don't go by the name of Perseus."

"So maybe I was his son?"

"They don't have children, relatives, or any subordinates...maybe it was just nothing but a dream." she responded in a dismissive tone

That dream, if it truly was just a dream, felt far too real. It was more than just a dream. I can't shake the feeling that it meant something, that it holds some significance, and as much as I wanted to dismiss it as mere imagination, a part of me knew that there was more to it than that.

Maybe my being chosen as the assistant hero was some sort of sign...it was on purpose, and that purpose was not to be a hero...but to unravel something else.

*****

Gathering at the organization's base, we awaited our briefing for our first official mission together. That task was raiding the royal treasury of the Southern Empire and searching for a key.

The atmosphere in the briefing room was tense, with a palpable silence hanging heavy in the air. Each member of the team was focused, their attention fixed on Lind as she outlined the details of our mission. Despite the gravity of the task ahead, there were no words exchanged, only the sound of quiet breathing.

Lind emphasized the importance of seizing this moment, knowing that the empire's weakened state would make our task significantly easier. With the chaos swirling around us, we had a rare chance to exploit the empire's vulnerabilities and secure valuable resources for our cause.

And if we do good, we can get a good share to split for ourselves, we can even pocket some rare treasures while we're there since the others can't really stop us even though they know that this squad pocket a bit of the things they stole.

"And don't forget to make our newest member go through the rite of passage." Lind announced

"Am I going to get hazed? Just know that I'll fight back."

"Well, you'll see, and if you survive, you'll laugh it off."

"Am I included?" Elpis asked

"Yes, you can both go through it together." Lind answered with an enthusiastic nod.

"Can't we wait a bit till I get to do this thing? I really couldn't be bothered."

"Exactly, that's the best time."