The moment Haruto collapsed onto the stone floor, gasping for breath, he knew that his life in
the dungeon had changed forever. The monster he had just slain wasn't the first he'd
encountered—but it was the first that had pushed him this far. His body, drenched in sweat,
trembled with exhaustion. His limbs burned, and his chest felt as though it would collapse under
the weight of his own heartbeat.
He glanced at the lifeless form of the creature. It was nothing but a pile of twisted, grotesque
flesh now. He had defeated it. He had done the impossible.
But Haruto knew there was no time to rest.
As the last remnants of the creature's form dissolved into dust, the stone walls around him
began to shift. The ground trembled beneath him once more. Haruto slowly got to his feet, every
part of his body protesting with each movement. The dungeon was alive, and it wasn't going to
give him the luxury of time.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus. The knowledge from the mysterious
book—"Only by defeating the guardians of each floor may you advance"—pounded in his mind.
He was still only on the 1,000th floor. This was only the beginning.
Haruto moved forward, deeper into the dungeon, his senses heightened. Every sound, every
shift of the wind, felt amplified. He wasn't alone anymore. There were eyes watching him,
waiting for him to slip up.
Hours passed. Or maybe days. Time had no meaning in this place. It was a void, a prison, and
Haruto was both its prisoner and its challenger. He pushed himself further, past traps and new
creatures that seemed to emerge from every corner.
Each new enemy he fought only seemed to be stronger, faster, and more vicious than the last.
His speed—his ability to move faster than his enemies—was his only real advantage. But it was
becoming clear that it wouldn't be enough. He needed more.
As he wandered through the twisting labyrinth, searching for the next challenge, something
peculiar caught his eye. At the far end of the corridor, hidden behind a set of stone pillars, was
an unusual door—a sealed passage that didn't fit with the rest of the dungeon's design. Unlike
the cold, jagged stone that lined most of the floors, this door was smooth, almost polished. It
seemed... out of place.
Curiosity piqued, Haruto approached the door. He could feel an unsettling energy emanating
from it, a pressure in the air that made his skin crawl. He tried to push it open, but it didn't
budge. There were no handles, no keyholes—just a strange, glowing blue symbol embedded
into the surface.
Another trap? Haruto's hand hovered over the symbol. Something about it felt important, like
this was a puzzle he needed to solve. He wasn't sure how, but he instinctively reached out and
touched the symbol.
At first, nothing happened. But then, a surge of energy flooded his hand, and the symbol glowed
brighter. The ground beneath him vibrated, and the door trembled as though something on the
other side had awoken.
With a low, resonating creak, the door slowly began to open.
The room beyond the door was unlike anything Haruto had seen before. The air was cooler
here, tinged with an unnatural stillness. The walls were covered in intricate, glowing runes, their
light pulsing in time with his heartbeat. It was almost as though the room itself was alive, as if it
were watching him, waiting.
In the center of the room stood a large stone pedestal, and upon it lay a figure—a girl, her body
encased in a crystal-like cage. Her long blue hair shimmered in the dim light, falling like a
waterfall around her slumped form. Her eyes were closed, and she was surrounded by a faint,
shimmering aura, as though she were sleeping. But the strangest thing about her was the sense
of overwhelming power that seemed to emanate from her very being.
Haruto approached cautiously, his heart racing. What is this?
His fingers grazed the surface of the crystal cage, and the moment they made contact, a low
hum filled the room. The blue-haired girl's body seemed to react—shifting slightly, her chest
rising with a soft breath. She wasn't dead. She was alive.
And Haruto had no idea who she was or how she had come to be here.
The runes on the walls flickered, their light intensifying. It was clear that something important
was happening. This wasn't just a random encounter. The dungeon itself was reacting to his
presence.
Before Haruto could make another move, a voice—a cold, distant voice—echoed through the
chamber.
"You have awoken her."
The words were not spoken aloud but instead seemed to come from within his mind. The voice
was deep, ancient, and full of power.
"She is the Guardian of the 1,020th floor. The one who has been sealed for eons."
Haruto's heart skipped a beat. A guardian? This girl was a guardian?
The voice continued, "She holds the power of the dungeon itself. To awaken her is to
unlock its true nature. But beware, mortal. She will not be free without consequences."
The ground trembled beneath him as the crystal cage began to crack, lines of light forming
where Haruto's hand had touched. It was as though the very dungeon was fighting against the
release of this girl.
Haruto backed away instinctively, but he couldn't pull himself from the sight of her. There was
something compelling about her, something that made him want to set her free.
"You can choose to leave her be. You can walk away and continue your trials. But if you
choose to free her, you will forever be linked to her fate."
The runes on the walls surged in brightness, and Haruto could feel the weight of the decision
pressing down on him. It wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about the future of the
dungeon, the future of the girl who lay before him, and perhaps even his own.
Haruto swallowed hard, making a decision that could change everything.
He reached out once more, his hand touching the crystal in full.
The moment his fingers made contact, the crystal shattered.
A blast of energy exploded outward, sending Haruto stumbling back. The runes on the walls
pulsed violently as the girl's body began to rise from the pedestal, her eyes snapping open to
reveal deep, glowing blue irises.
She stood before him, tall and regal, her blue hair cascading around her like a wave of light. Her
presence was overwhelming, as though the entire dungeon trembled in her wake.
For a moment, Haruto could only stare at her in awe.
Then, she spoke, her voice soft but carrying a weight of authority.
"I am Lyra. Thank you... for freeing me."