"Hello everyone, today marks the third day since Nova entered the dungeon, and there's still no sign of it being cleared. But don't worry—Nova is alive and well," a voice spoke confidently from behind the screen.
The teenager next door had his tablet set up on a tripod, live-streaming the house where the dungeon was located. Positioned at his open window, he was utterly enthralled. A huge fan of Nova, he considered this a dream come true. He had been glued to the window, desperate to catch even a fleeting glimpse of his favorite actor.
The tablet screen displayed a crystal-clear view of the house from one camera and its entrance from another. Comments poured in on the left side of the screen, creating a fast-moving cascade of reactions.
---
• It's the third day already? Why isn't Nova back yet? I hope he's doing alright :(
• I don't think they'll make it out alive lolz.
• Nova should've stuck to acting. What is the government doing? Instead of protecting the country's treasure, they send him to the most dangerous place on Earth??
• Nova isn't a kid anymore, guys. He can make his own decisions—respect that.
• +1
• +2
• Didn't you guys hear about the tarot card reading 'The Witch' did for his first dungeon? She clearly stated the chances of survival were slim, but Nova came back unscathed on the third day! He's a prodigy—a once-in-a-lifetime talent!
• You just wanted an excuse to praise him, didn't you?
• The Witch also said something else. Why are you ignoring that part? She mentioned a white-haired young man being the key to their survival.
• Have you seen Nova in real life? He's so radiant you'd think his hair was white from a distance, okay?
• Close enough, tbh.
• LOOK LOOK! THE LIGHT! IT'S BLUE!!
• OMG I KNEW IT! SUCK IT, LOSERS WHO DOUBTED MY NOVA.
• THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THE HOUSE!!
• Why isn't there a single ambulance called for them? What if Nova gets scars from improper treatment?? So unprofessional.
• NOVA!! THAT'S NOVA, RIGHT??
• Huh? Who's that guy next to him, covered in blood from head to toe?
• Wait, is that guy dying? That's too much blood. How can he walk like it's nothing??
• Okay, but he looks kinda hot covered in blood...
• TRAITOR! YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO THIS FANDOM!
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"Are you sure you're not hurt?" Nova asked, his voice thick with concern as he scanned Xerxes once more. Aside from his lifeless expression and unsettling silence, Xerxes didn't appear to have any visible to the eye injuries. Yet, something was undeniably wrong. He hadn't uttered a single word since they exited the dungeon.
"Was this your first time in a dungeon?" Alexa's voice was sharp as she crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at Xerxes's unresponsiveness. "Haven't you seen the characters die in front of you before?" she scoffed, her tone laced with impatience.
"Don't provoke him further, Alexa," Lucas said, his tone icy and stern.
"I was just trying to help," she muttered, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Do whatever you want—I'm out of here." With a small wave, she turned and walked off.
Caitlyn couldn't have been more stunned if she tried. Never, not even in her wildest dreams, had she imagined this team clearing the dungeon without any casualties. In fact, she had been certain their leader would be the first to fall. Yet here they were, standing in front of her, all alive and without a scratch—an outcome so rare it bordered on impossible.
"Would you all like to get a checkup, just to be safe?" she offered, her gaze lingering on Xerxes.
The team ignored her question completely, their eyes all fixed on Xerxes. Caitlyn suppressed her anger. So much for being kind to these newbies.
"Fine. Do whatever you want," she snapped. "Take the car back and get some rest before your next assignment. Keep the bracelets on unless you have a valid reason to remove them. And You," she added, her voice softening slightly, "you might want to wipe your eyes."
Blood was still slowly trickling down Xerxes's face, a haunting sight that made Caitlyn's stomach churn. The metallic stench was suffocating.
Before anyone could respond, several news vans screeched to a halt nearby. Reporters spilled out, cameras and microphones in hand, scrambling to be the first to cover the story. Nova's frown deepened at the sight.
Just then, a small tug on his leg drew his attention. A little girl smiled up at him, holding out a baby pink paper airplane.
"Thank you, mister, for cleaning our house," she said brightly.
Nova chuckled softly, ruffling her hair. "Heh... Thank you." He accepted the paper airplane with a warm smile, his voice gentle.
The girl had intended to thank the rest of the team, but when she peeked behind Nova and spotted the blood-soaked figure of Xerxes, she froze. His fierce expression sent a jolt of terror through her, and she quickly ran back to her parents.
"You're scaring the kids, Xerxes," Nova teased, though the joke fell flat when Xerxes didn't react.
"Let's get out of here before they start the interviews," Lucas suggested. He positioned himself in front of Xerxes, using his body to shield him from the cameras.
Still, there was no response from him.
"Xerxes, Let's go?" Kai asked carefully, tugging on his hand.
Finally, Xerxes's eyes shifted to Kai—just for a moment—before darting to the reporters. His glare was so intense it made one of the reporter stop in his tracks. The man had interviewed countless dungeon infiltrators, accustomed to their kind by now yet something about Xerxes felt otherworldly, almost inhuman.
Without warning, Xerxes dropped into an Asian squat, his arms hanging limply over his knees.
"Leave me alone...." His voice was low and guttural as he spoke between gritted teeth.