Trapped in a Dungeon with the Boss Monster

Arghh, ughh, ughh-!

Grghhhh—

“Quiet. You’ll wake her up. She barely fell asleep.”

Gillen approached the iron cage that occupied one corner of the room and undid the lock.

As he opened the door and stepped inside, the clustered masses of flesh recoiled, dragging their mangled body.

Without hesitation, despite their grotesque and loathsome forms, Gillen moved closer to the masses and raised his arm, holding something. A rusted club with jutting nails soon slammed down on the flesh.

Crunch.

Rotten skin burst, and bones crumbled.

The chunks of flesh wriggled in agony, making grotesque noises.

Grkeee-!

“Be quiet.”

Gillen smashed the masses several more times, observing their response. As time passed, the flesh that had been crushed like dough started reattaching itself.

Gillen took a small notebook from his pocket and scribbled a few words.

“Recovery is still negligible to see. I’ll mix in more Lapidus genes. Might get a rejection response, but it should be tolerable. It’s not an uncommon occurrence.

And…”

The masses oozed blood and pus as they crawled across the floor with their multiple tattered limbs, trying to distance themselves from Gillen.

Finishing his notes, Gillen looked down at the masses and smirked.

He took one step, narrowing the distance, and stomped on them with his foot.

Squelch. Squish.

“I can’t express enough gratitude for your constant support in my research. But there’s no need to be so frightened, is there? Do you think I’d go as far as killing my seniors?”

Rotted flesh clung stickily to the tread of his shoes.

Tossing the bloody, raw meat to the masses, he turned and exited the cage.

He checked the lock and knocked a few times on the cage door.

“Well then, I’ll come back tomorrow.

Enjoy your meal.”

The masses stuck to the meat, gnawing at it with teeth.

After throwing more large cuts of meat into other cages, Gillen left the room.

Only his footsteps echoed in the pitch-black hallway.

No more sounds were heard from those dreadful creatures, barely recognizable as living beings.

 

The room at the end of the third floor, where Evie slept.

Before going there, Gillen tidied himself. He thoroughly washed off filth due to disgusting things in the basement and changed into clean clothing. He also stopped by the greenhouse on the second floor, picked a few flowers, and fashioned them into a bouquet.

It was a gift for Evie, who always seemed depressed.

Walking quickly, Gillen arrived at the last room on the third floor and carefully opened the door.

The blanket lay haphazardly across the wide bed, bulging in the middle.

Two tiny feet peeked out from under the blanket.

Gillen hid the flowers behind his back and gently pulled the blanket.

Slowly, Evie’s closed eyelids lifted. With a shy smile, he spoke.

“Morning, Evie. Did you sleep well?

I have a gift for you.”

She rolled her eyes at Gillen’s outstretched hand and his face.

Her hazel eyes were filled with drowsiness. Half-awake, Evie took the flowers Gillen offered and touched the dainty, lavender-colored petals.

“You like it?”

With her head down, fixing her gaze on the flowers, Evie nodded twice. She didn’t know where they came from, but they were pretty.

As she caressed the moist petals, she heard Gillen’s low chuckle.

Soon, his hand slid beneath her knees. He casually lifted Evie in his arms and took steps.

“I brought them because you seemed a bit down. I’m glad you like them.

Do you like flowers?”

Evie rested her head on Gillen’s chest without answering, looking at his familiar bluish skin.

Even without hearing her response, Gillen continued speaking.

“After we eat, I’ll show you the greenhouse. It’s on the second floor.”

Inside the bedroom, there was another door. As Gillen opened it and stepped in, an ordinary lounge was revealed.

There was a small table and a round sofa that would encircle all who sat. A kitchen area with a refrigerator, sink, and a dining table in front. Gillen brought Evie there and seated her on a chair.

Evie placed the flowers she had been holding on the nearby chair.

On the dining table, there was a meal for one person.

Bread, soup, salad, and smoked meat that Gillen had mentioned as artificially cultivated. She didn’t want to eat and had no appetite, but Gillen always took care of her meals. It wasn’t something she welcomed.

“Eat slowly.”

Evie reluctantly started eating. Gillen was watching her closely, which was why she had no choice.

Gillen shifted his gaze to the side after seeing Evie spoon the soup. His eyes fell upon the sofa and the small table where several people could sit.

“We used to play card games there together.”

Evie briefly glanced at him before lowering her eyes again.

Gillen continued, his words flowing like a stream.

“Usually, it was a bet on who would do the tedious task of sorting data or time-consuming basic experiments. I always lose. I wondered why I kept losing when everyone else had won at least one.”

Due to not eating well after being trapped in the dungeon, her portions had significantly decreased, making it hard to finish the meal.

When Evie put the spoon down, Gillen turned his head and looked at her. With a bitter smile, in a sad tone, he said.

“Thinking back, I guess my seniors didn’t like me from the beginning.”

Gillen slumped his shoulders.

Evie hesitated, then held his hand on the table.

It wasn’t heartfelt comfort, but whenever she awkwardly consoled him like this, he would let her sleep comfortably at night.

Seeing the tiny hand resting on his own, Gillen beamed.

Rising from his seat, Gillen lifted Evie into his arms and handed her the flowers she had placed on the chair.

He headed outside, hugging Evie dearly.

“Since you’re done eating, shall we go see the greenhouse? There’s lots of interesting things.”

But after taking a few steps out into the hallway, Gillen abruptly stopped in his tracks. With downward corners of his mouth, as if expressing apologies, he whispered to Evie.

“Honey, I’m sorry. It seems we have to postpone our visit to the greenhouse.”

Evie clenched her fists and released them. There was only one occasion when Gillen left her side while she was awake: when other hunters entered this dungeon.

“Evie.”

Gillen gently patted the small figure trembling in his arms. He turned around and carried Evie into the room, laying her on the bed.

The lavender-colored flowers were placed on the bedside table.

“I’ll go to the 5th floor for a moment.

Can you wait? I’ll be back soon.”

“…Yes.”

Evie bit her lips but eventually gave a slight nod, lowering her head. There was nothing she could do for the hunters anyway. She still feared Gillen.

Only after sucking on her tiny lips to his satisfaction did Gillen head outside.

Evie crawled into the blanket, hunching her body and covering her ears.

She could still hear the screams of her former party members.

At that time, the flowers on the bedside table began to drop their petals one by one. Evie lay facing the wall, her body curled under the blanket, unaware of the subtle change.

A small, pale leaf sprouted from the center of the withered flowers and gradually grew in size.

Its growth rate was abnormally fast.

***

“……Ms…Ms. James!”

Unconsciously, Evie waved her hand, and the hand shaking her shoulder moved away, only briefly. That person soon disturbed her light sleep again.

“Ms. James, Ms. James!”

She frowned, slowly opening her eyes. A person wearing a white coat stood before her.

Evie parted her lips and blinked, moving only her pupils to survey the surroundings.

IV fluids dripped, drop by drop, connecting to her arm. There was a hospital logo on the blanket and curtains. Patient beds lined up around her. A doctor and a nurse. Familiar buildings outside the window.

“Uhh…”

“Are you awake? I know you just woke up, but you shouldn’t sleep any longer. Try to get up and move about as much as you can. You could go for a walk.”

“What…”

“Rest a bit more, but please don’t sleep.”

Evie tried to lift her body but lacked strength, struggling for a while.

The doctor finished what he wanted to say and left the room.

The nurse mentioned some precautions, but she didn’t hear them. When the nurse left, Evie flicked her cheek with her hand. She could feel it.

“How comes…I was clearly in that dungeon…”

Just a moment ago, she was with Gillen. Although she didn’t keep track of the dates, it had been at least a few months.

She spent that time in a dungeon that resembled a research laboratory.

She was trapped there the whole time.

Those memories felt so vivid.

‘Then was all that a dream?’

The sound of the curtain being drawn came from the side. Evie, with dazed eyes, didn’t pay attention as she looked out the window. After some time passed, she heard a coughing sound from the bed next to her. Startled, she turned her head and saw a familiar face.

“You’re awake. Everyone else woke up early, so I was worried about you being the only one still asleep.”

“……”

With no response, the patient next to her became embarrassed. Evie observed that patient for a while before absentmindedly parting her lips.

“How… how are you still alive? You, back then…”

“Yes?”

The party leader who had raided [Hurem’s Orchard] with Evie.

He asked with a puzzled look.

“What are you talking about? Ah, you must still be half asleep.”

“No, that’s not it. You, others were also in that dungeon…!”

“Oh, yes. That dungeon.”

The party leader nodded in response to Evie’s words. And shuddered slightly with a crumpled face as he continued.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it. We could have died if we made the slightest mistake. Luckily, the dungeon management office responded quickly.

And there were also high-rank hunters nearby. It’s a true miracle that we all came out alive.”

The party leader elaborately recounted what happened in the dungeon.

The Second Gate appeared, and shortly after, fortunately, a raid team entered, and an S-rank hunter defeated the dungeon boss.

Evie still had a confused expression, not understanding.

The party leader folded his arms and shook his head.

“We should have listened to Ms. James… I apologize.”

He even bowed his head. Evie blinked hard. Then, she heard a ringtone from somewhere. It was a song by a popular female singer.

The party leader smiled awkwardly, holding his phone.

“You should rest more. Did I talk too much? It’s nice to see others survive the incident. Then, I’ll take the call.”

He gestured farewell to Evie with his eyes and left.

Since all the patients in the other beds had already left, Evie was alone in the room. She touched her face with her hands before getting out of bed.

Moving felt difficult as if her limbs were weighed down. But considering she had just woken up, her physical condition was surprisingly good.

She approached the window, looking outside. The view of a hospital specialized for awakened individuals came into sight.

Honestly, it doesn’t feel real. If this is reality, then what I’ve experienced until now?

It was like living without being able to die. Evie took a deep breath and exhaled.

Instead of the typical hospital smell, a sweet, fragrant scent filled the air.

Evie tilted her head.

“Why does it smell like this in the hospital?”

Knock, knock, knock.

Evie turned her body at the sound. Several people in suits stood outside the room. The woman who knocked on the room door met Evie’s eyes and smiled.

It was a formal smile.

“Hello. Are you Evie James? Could you spare us some time if you don’t mind?”

“Um? Oh. What is it… about?”

Noting wariness on Evie’s face, the woman approached her and politely extended a business card from her pocket.

“I apologize for the late introduction.

I’m Julia Kane from the Chaos Guild. I came here to make a proposal to Ms. James.

If it’s alright with you, would you mind if we moved our conversation to the lounge?”

Evie covered her mouth with her hand as she saw the business card.

Chaos Guild.

It was one of the most highly regarded guilds even in America. So why would they approach her? Evie had her suspicions, but when she regained her senses, she found herself naturally guided by the woman and seated on a sofa in the lounge.

It was noisy outside the lounge.

“Why is it so noisy outside?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a few pests hanging around. We’ll take care of them soon.”

“…pests?”

“Then shall we discuss the contract?”

“Yes? What, contract?”

Evie wrinkled her face as she answered, unconsciously reaching her hand below, only to startle and withdraw it abruptly. Somehow, it felt off down there.

It felt ticklish and slightly… wet? Her chest also felt tingly. Moreover, the sweet smell that had been lingering bothered her senses.

Evie clenched her fist and cleared her throat.

“What kind of contract does the Chaos Guild have with me?”

It was a place where she hadn’t submitted her CV to apply for a paperwork position before.

Even as a hunter, she couldn’t take a glance at it. It was such a high-threshold organization that discussing a contract seemed odd.

Though sitting on the soft sofa, Evie somewhat felt uncomfortable.

When she showed signs of getting up from her seat, Julia hurriedly took out documents.

“I’ve heard Ms. James possesses a special skill. That you can distinguish dungeons where the Second Gate phenomenon may occur.”

“I guess… you could say that.”