I forgot to clean up after the Party. I didn't worry much about it, figuring they could become Skeletons themselves to replace the ones I'd tragically lost.
I was, unfortunately, still stuck on the Fifth Floor. And I didn't get any Loot for defeating those Adventurers because I was a Spawn. At least nobody would remember anything about me using my real name for an Undying Lich Floor Boss that spat fire.
I huffed and turned East again. My next decision was likewise East-bound. Another took a bit more of an Eastern route, while the one after was decidedly read on a compass as a letter 'E'.
I had yet to find the other important word that began with 'E': exit. But, in a place with a rule against water, you just keep swimming...somehow[1].
Then, I found the exit. It was buried under a pile of moss and broken wall pieces that I was sure must've stunk like skunk. Not wanting to soil my perfect, bloodied hands—I'd forgotten about carrying the entirety of the Mikami church with me—I kicked away the shit and walked on.
It was back to boring: long hall of absolutely nothing taking me up to the Fourth Floor. When I saw another door, I practically blasted through it as I had previously, but I restrained myself from desecrating this Dungeon. It had re-birthed me. It was basically my mother.
The Fourth Floor was Zombies, which I really should've guessed, because what other Undead things were there? They didn't disturb me, so I didn't deign to try talking in moans. This was not going to turn into a bad Isekai-Hentai mash-up[2][3].
This Floor was kind of Swampy, with vines hanging everywhere, just as green and slimy and gross as the Zombies. I'm pretty sure the floor was sponge, but I tried to ignore that aspect.
I would estimate the time it took me to find the way to the Third Floor maybe the rest of the daylight hours, but strangely, I only seemed to be getting stronger. It was most likely the Lich thing. I suspected that, from now on, anything I wasn't sure of would be the fault of the Lich thing.
The Third Floor had, get this, Zombies. But wait, they weren't just Zombies, they were Zombats. I personally loved Bats, but they were even cooler when Undead. Zombats became my new passion.
I found out they spoke in echolocation, which was surprisingly adorable. Who wouldn't love a bunch of winged things shrieking overhead? I really wanted a pet Zombat.
Floor Two was a cave which had nice, entirely friendly, Ghouls tucked away in the dark corners. They loved playing games like Peek-a-Boo and Hide and Seek.
One particularly playful Ghoul led me to a drop off that had sharp-pointed Magic Crystals at the bottom. They were too big to harvest, but cool to look at. I almost fell in when the Ghoul started a game of Tag. Silly little thing.
The First Floor was a normal walled corridor with what I thought were Ghosts. There weren't many of them, and they kept disappearing, but I caught glimpses sometimes. I could tell they had a weak kind of power that might scare off some Beginner Mages, but was overall easy to deal with, perfect for First Floor Spawns.
I think the First Floor was the hardest to get out of, because it was meant to be traipsed by Ghosts, who thought of walls as decorations.
It was near-morning when I got out, and my Lich aspect went back down to its daylight measurement. I breathed fresh air at last, not that I could tell the difference. Glad my Magical Transformation had been temporary, I hiked up my hood and headed home.
Except, it wasn't that easy.
I was in Seikatsu sure, and I knew I was at the entrance of the Anded Dungeon, but I didn't know where that was. Good thing I was a Runner, we were notoriously skilled at finding things: like per-say, paths out of Advanced Dungeons.
I headed East, because, what the hay? Why the Hell shouldn't I? Also I had 'E' lodged in my braine forevere.
I passed grass and fields and more grass and hills and what might've been a town until I saw something I knew: Hajimari. It was the Capitol of Seikatsu, and a place full of Elves. I'd went there a few times. Once for a Runner gig, and the other when my sister had wanted a high-quality Spear.
Thankfully the route from Hajimari to Owari was one I knew. It didn't take long for me to be running.
Grin on my face, hood practically falling free, hair barely still in a ponytail, I ran. The sun had just hefted itself into the sky by the time I saw the Smithy, and off to its left, my sister's place.
I burst through the door, knowing the lights in the kitchen meant she was home. Then I declared, with grammar fit for a noble I might add,
„Suzui! Zu, guess what?." She turned her head slowly with little enthusiasm. She was stirring her noodle-dish just as languidly. I smiled a shout.
„I can Magic!"
[1] Reference to Finding Nemo
[2] An anime in which the main character has been reincarnated into a magical world, and usually ends up with a harem of girls
[3] Straight porn which often entertains some sort of kink and is made in an anime style