MTLNOVEL Chapter 8
When I stepped out of the dungeon, the world outside was bright.
Inside the dungeon, with no sunlight to guide me, my sense of time had been warped, but judging by the light, it seemed to be morning.
“No wonder I’m so tired.”
I had entered and exited my Room several times to avoid monsters, but after my initial rest, I had pressed onward through the dungeon. It appeared I had been moving nonstop through the night.
“For now, I should head back to town…”
This particular dungeon was close to the city—barely an hour’s walk.
“I wonder if everyone’s worried about me.”
Images of Rex and Miranda popped into my mind.
Knowing those two, they might have been so concerned about my safety that they hadn’t gotten any sleep.
“I should hurry back.”
Picturing their worried faces brought a faint smile to my lips as I quickened my pace toward the town.
“Calm down! The Explorer’s Guild has already sent out a request. Once the high-ranking explorers return, we’ll organize a rescue!”
“And how many hours do you expect us to wait?!”
When I arrived at the Explorer’s Guild in town, angry voices reached my ears.
“Based on the notice of departure, they should return shortly.”
One of the voices was unfamiliar, but the other I recognized all too well.
“Screw this! I’m going to rescue him myself!”
“Uncle, take me with you!”
“I-I’ll go too!”
The voices belonged to my father, Malik, as well as Rex and Miranda, who seemed determined to follow his lead.
“Please, calm down! Rushing out without proper preparations will only lead to more casualties!”
Selene was trying to soothe them, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“My precious son is trapped in that dungeon! How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?!”
“Erik’s my best friend! I’ll save him no matter what!”
“And he’s my dear childhood friend! I’m not sitting around either!”
Their passionate words made my chest tighten, and I felt a sting behind my nose. Rubbing my eyes to fight back tears, I stepped inside.
“Can you go over how you escaped one more time?”
At their prompting, I sat down on a sofa, with Rex on my left and Miranda on my right.
Across from us, my father, Malik, sat on the side sofa, hands clasped tightly as he stared at me.
“Sure, I understand.”
After I returned safely and showed my face to everyone, the entire room had fallen silent.
Everyone stared at me as though they’d seen a ghost. Miranda, tears streaming down her face, had thrown her arms around me, sobbing, “Erik, I’m sorry! I’m so glad you’re safe!” pressing her head against me.
I ended up having to console her instead.
Once Miranda calmed down and let go, I explained how I escaped and returned from the dungeon. Selene had then said, “I’ll report this to the higher-ups,” and left the room.
When she returned, she informed me, “The Guildmaster will see you now,” and led me to this room.
Seated across from me were Selene, the Explorer’s Guildmaster—an older man—and the Submaster, a woman. They were the ones asking me questions.
So, I repeated the explanation I’d given earlier.
“…And that’s how I used the power of my Room to evade monsters and escape the dungeon.”
“I see… So your Blessing can be used in such a way.”
After I finished, the Submaster jotted something down on a document.
“In any case, it’s good that you’re safe.”
Selene gave me a warm smile, which I returned with one of my own.
“So, you’ve got the Dungeon Core with you, right?”
The Guildmaster fixed me with a probing gaze.
“Yes, I have it.”
“I don’t mean to doubt you, but could you show it to us?”
He likely wanted to confirm my story.
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
I opened my Room to retrieve it, but then…
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Whoa! What is this?!”
Rex and Miranda leaned in to peer into my Room from both sides.
“This is… way bigger than I imagined from the stories!”
What stretched before us was no longer a “room.” It was an impossibly vast space—so expansive that you could easily build a mansion inside.