I dreamed.
- Long time no see, bro!
Messages were piling up.
- You've become quite famous while I was away, huh?
Messages, were piling up.
- Listen, bro. I have surgery coming up...
Messages.
- Can you just tell me to hang in there?
Were piling up.
***
"Gasp!"
My eyes shot open.
"Huff, huff!"
I sat up abruptly, my entire body drenched in cold sweat. I wiped my sweat away, breathing heavily.
"Was that... a dream..."
It must be around dawn... It's hard to tell time in this dungeon below the lake, without sunlight.
I took out a pocket watch. 5 a.m. It's still early.
"Your Majesty?"
I heard a voice and turned to see Junior was awake.
She leaned against the bed's headboard, puffing on a pipe.
Smoke lazily billowed from the pipe. A faint smell of herbs lingered.
"Are you okay, Your Majesty? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Ah, uh... No. I'm fine."
Seeing someone else awake, I was relieved and gave a small smile.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I woke up because of a short nap."
Junior, pulling the pipe out of her mouth, asked with a worried look.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty? You seemed distressed. Did you have a nightmare?"
"..."
After wiping the sweat off my forehead, I let out a small sigh.
"There's something I regret."
"..."
"And I think that's why I often dream about it."
Junior gave a bitter smile.
"A lot of people say that."
"A lot of people? Do others feel the same way?"
"I often do."
Junior shrugged her shoulders.
"I think it's because I have a lot of regrets. I frequently have nightmares."
"..."
I wonder what kind of nightmares Junior has.
Does she dream about the day her village burned down 15 years ago?
"Everyone else is sleeping soundly."
When I turned around, it was indeed true.
Evangeline was snoring and scratching her belly, Lucas was sleeping stiffly at attention, and Damien was so quiet, he didn't even seem to be breathing. Hey, are you alive?
"When you wake up from a nightmare alone, it's scary."
Junior looked around at our party members, a thin smile on her face.
"But when we're all together like this, I'm not that worried. Just hearing the others breathe is reassuring."
"Ha-ha, should we camp out more often?"
"He-he. That sounds good. ...However, next time."
As she looked at the peaceful scene of our party members sleeping, Junior calmly voiced her wish.
"I hope it's not in a dungeon but at a nice picnic spot with a good view."
"...That would be nice."
I hope that day comes soon.
Just then.
Bam!
"Your Majesty!"
Suddenly, the bedroom door flew open, and someone rushed in.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I think you need to wake up!"
A tall man wearing a jackal mask.
It was the Jackal, the owner of this Colosseum.
The startled party members began to wake up one by one. I quickly got up and asked,
"What's going on? What happened?"
"It's an enemy raid."
Reluctantly, the Jackal gave the dire news.
"...The vampires are attacking."
My eyes widened.
The Jackal grimaced.
"I guess Bernato wasn't lying after all."
The vampire we killed yesterday, Bernato, clearly said,
- I am a family member of the great Nosferatu Lord Celendion! For daring to lay a hand on me and making me like this, the Lord will surely judge you...
He wasn't lying.
Celendion's kin had indeed stormed here for immediate revenge.
***
Boom!
Gugung!
The building faintly vibrated.
The Colosseum was under attack.
The Frost Ghouls, rushing in like waves and surrounding the Colosseum, let out a monstrous roar as they charged.
In between them, reinforced Ghouls and Fallen Bloods sporadically strengthened the assault.
Kyeeek!
Kyaaaaak-!
On the Colosseum's side, giant monsters he had been breeding inside were retaliating.
The giant beasts that had rushed out of the Colosseum's gates roared mightily and tore through the attackers.
The Goblin God swung its eight arms, the Fallen Dragons spewed fire.
The Frost Giants swung their enormous spears.
Bang! Kwagwang...!
War between monsters.
My party members and I gaped at the spectacle before us.
'Honestly, I thought the vampire brat we killed yesterday was so pathetic...'
I never imagined he'd go to these lengths for revenge. I knew little about vampire solidarity, but this was an unexpected display.
"No matter how much they claim to be part of the commander's direct forces, this is my turf."
Jackal asserted confidently.
"They won't break through easily. I'll give them a taste of bitter defeat."
"Are you sure you'll be okay, Jackal?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. I've experienced far more challenging situations. I didn't become the Gladiator King easily."
Jackal glowed with a fierce gaze, his entire body brimming with a fighter's spirit befitting the Gladiator King.
"But the battle could escalate at any moment, so it would be best if you all retreated through the underground passage."
He was right. If we got caught up in that battle, we'd surely be reduced to bones.
My party members and I quickly prepared and gathered at the manhole in the center of the Colosseum.
Jackal himself opened the manhole cover.
"Your Majesty, you've already conquered this place. The Path of the Overlord will be open in the opposite direction."
"Thank you, Jackal."
"No need for thanks. Your Majesty."
Kung, Koo Goo Goo Goo...
Kwa Gwa Gwa Gwang!
The sounds of battle outside the Colosseum grew louder.
"Now, hurry along! I can only fight freely when you're safe."
Jackal urged, and my party members one by one forced their bodies into the vertical passage.
When I finally stepped into the passage, Jackal, who had lifted the manhole cover, whispered.
"Your Majesty."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for remembering the name of an insignificant man like me. Your words were my salvation."
Staring blankly at Jackal,
"...Hey, Jackal."
I curled the corners of my mouth into a grin.
"When you say stuff like that, it feels like you're going to die. Be careful in the future."
"Hahaha! I was speaking sincerely, but maybe the atmosphere got a bit heavy?"
Underneath his mask, a bright smile was visible.
"I hope to see you again, Your Majesty. Next time, I hope I can treat you more leisurely."
"I'd love a more leisurely treatment too. See you next time."
"Yes. Oh, and this is a small token of my gratitude."
Jackal pulled out a pouch and placed it in my hand.
"I look forward to seeing you again, Your Majesty. May fortune favor you."
Kung.
The manhole cover closed.
"..."
I silently climbed down the ladder into the passage and opened the pouch Jackal gave me.
Clink.
It was filled with Dark Crystals.
"...Damn."
It really feels like a death flag, Mr. Gladiator King.
Quietly stowing it away in my inventory, I lifted my head.
My party members were staring at me with stern faces.
"Let's go."
Staring down the long passage, I muttered under my breath.
"Teaching those vampire bastards a lesson can wait."
***
I don't know how much time passed since we started heading in the opposite direction.
"By the way..."
Evangeline, walking at the end of the line, spoke in a puzzled tone.
"Hasn't this passage gotten a bit colder than yesterday?"
"Oh, has it...?"
True, whenever we spoke, white breath puffed out.
"I-I'm cold... all of a sudden..."
Damien shivered, hugging his arms.
"...This is."
Frost clung to Junior's pallid face.
I furrowed my brows.
Something was off.
Clearly, something was wrong.
The moment everyone in the party noticed this.
"Your Majesty."
Lucas, leading our group, spoke with a stiff voice.
"What is it?"
"There's... something ahead in the passage."
"..."
Though I didn't feel like it, I moved beside Lucas and looked in the same direction.
"...!"
There stood a boy.
A small boy, dressed in a neat black suit.
Pale as snow, his hair was a deep blue like the night sky.
And... his eyes were blood-red, overflowing with mischief, staring in our direction.
There was no need to ask who he was. I had fought against him dozens of times in the game.
"Celendion..."
I gritted my teeth.
"...It's the Vampire King."
Shrriiing! Shrriiing!
The party members quickly arranged themselves into a battle formation.
Evangeline joined the front line, and the two knights drew their silver weapons.
Damien, with his crossbow, retreated backward and lowered his posture, while Junior began to cast magic, standing erect.
I stood in the middle, gripping Maestro in my hand.
"Hmm."
And then.
"Excuse me for a moment."
The next moment, Celendion was right in the middle of our party.
In Celendion's hand was Lucas' silver sword, snapped in half.
In his other hand, Evangeline's spearhead and Damien's crossbow were similarly broken.
"Huh?"
"No way..."
"What?"
Confused exclamations slipped from the mouths of the three. The next moment...
Thwack! Thwock! Swoosh!
Lucas, Evangeline, and Damien were scattered in all directions, like bowling pins.
An invisible force had struck the three of them.
The party members, vomiting blood as they were knocked away, slammed into the corridor walls and then slid to the floor.
"Heurgh-!"
Junior hastily cast her magic. In the air, three elements gathered to form a magic sphere.
And Celendion merely glanced at the magic sphere.
"That's enough."
Whoosh!
Just with that, the magic disintegrated and disappeared completely.
Junior murmured in disbelief.
"...No way."
Thwack!
The next moment, Junior too was hit by some force and was thrown far away.
In the blink of an eye, after incapacitating all my party members.
"Let's have a chat, player."
The Vampire King walked leisurely to stand in front of me, looking at me intently.
"I have many questions for you."