Chương 112: Towards the Third Floor

Before I knew it, we'd already crossed a good portion of the city. The lively streets of Inizio gradually gave way to something more familiar. Adventurers. Lots of them. Groups moved in and out of the massive chamber surrounding the entrance to the First Floor. Some looked excited. Others looked exhausted. A few had the thousand-yard stare of people who had just learned that giant spiders existed and had far too many opinions about it. The atmosphere buzzed with energy. Conversations echoed against stone walls.

Metal armor clinked with every step. Laughter mixed with nervous chatter. The occasional merchant called out to passing players, attempting to sell supplies to people about to willingly enter a place filled with creatures that viewed humans as interactive snacks. At the center of it all stood the familiar gate. The portal leading to Floor One. A colossal whirlpool of blue light churned endlessly within an ancient stone frame.

It looked like someone had ripped a hole into the ocean, taught it how to spin vertically, and then decided this was an acceptable transportation method. Its surface swirled hypnotically. Layers of azure and sapphire folded into one another. The magical currents twisted endlessly, radiating enough energy to make the air itself feel different around it. Even after seeing it before, it remained impressive. Terrifying. Beautiful. The kind of thing that made your brain go, "Wow."

Immediately followed by, "Absolutely not." Nearby, positioned slightly off to the side, was another familiar sight. A large white magic circle had been engraved into the stone floor. Intricate patterns intertwined across its surface. Geometric symbols connected through elegant lines that pulsed faintly beneath the polished stone. I recognized it immediately. That was where we'd appeared after teleporting from Floor Two. Our magical "Nope, we're done here" button. I glanced between the portal and the circle.

Fantasy worlds really loved their dramatic aesthetics. Nothing could ever just be a doorway. No. It had to resemble an ancient cosmic phenomenon created by gods with an unhealthy obsession with visual effects. Our group walked toward the white circle. Dimitri glanced back at us. Now that I thought about it, the giant Russian had accidentally become our designated tutorial NPC. He explained things. He encouraged everyone. He radiated enough positivity to power small villages.

If he suddenly developed a floating exclamation mark above his head, I wouldn't even question it. Dimitri smiled warmly.

"My dear companions," he began, his deep voice carrying easily through the surrounding noise, "having conquered the challenges of the Second Floor, we have earned a privilege." He gestured proudly toward the teleportation circle.

"We no longer need to traverse previously cleared floors from the beginning." His smile widened.

"We may now travel directly to the entrance of whichever floor lies ahead of us." I stared at him. Then I stared at the magic circle. Then back at Dimitri.

"... Wait." I blinked.

"You're telling me we don't have to march through all of Floor Two again?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Dimitri nodded.

"Indeed." I immediately looked upward.

"Oh, thank every deity currently accepting gratitude." I placed both hands over my heart.

"For a moment there, I thought we'd have to spend another several hours wandering around that giant forest looking for the Third Floor gate." I shuddered dramatically.

"Absolutely not." I pointed accusingly at the universe.

"Floor Two was ninety percent trees." I narrowed my eyes.

"Whoever designed that place clearly looked at forests and thought, 'You know what this environment needs? More forest.'" I spread my arms.

"It was like being trapped inside a tree's autobiography." I shook my head.

"I've never spent so much time asking myself whether every direction somehow led to more leaves." Dimitri chuckled before stepping toward the magic circle. The blue interface materialized before him. Translucent symbols floated above the glowing patterns beneath our feet. He reached forward without hesitation. His fingers pressed against the hovering display. The magic circle responded instantly. Brilliant white light erupted beneath us. The intricate markings illuminated all at once. Energy surged outward.

The world dissolved. The sensation of teleportation was impossible to describe properly. There was no falling. No movement. No sense of direction. Up stopped existing. Down resigned from employment. My stomach briefly considered abandoning ship. White consumed everything. Blinding. Endless. The city disappeared. The bustling adventurers. The towering portal. The familiar stone walls of Inizio. All swallowed whole by light.

For one surreal moment, it felt as though reality itself had been erased and replaced by an aggressively enthusiastic flashlight. Then... The brightness faded. Shapes emerged. Colors returned. The scent of stone and city air vanished. In its place came earth. Damp soil. Fresh greenery. The rich smell of untouched wilderness. I blinked. Massive trees towered overhead. Ancient trunks stretched toward the heavens like colossal pillars supporting the sky itself.

Their thick canopies intertwined high above, filtering sunlight into scattered beams that painted the forest floor with patches of gold. The cheerful noise of Inizio had been replaced by rustling leaves and distant chirping. Floor Two. Except... I quickly realized we hadn't arrived where we'd first entered. Instead of the familiar entrance area, we stood somewhere else entirely. Recognition settled in almost immediately. This was the exit. The point we'd reached after overcoming Floor Two.

The place that led onward. I slowly lifted my gaze. Then stopped.

"... Well." There it was. The gate to Floor Three. Another enormous portal of swirling blue energy stood before us. Its endless currents twisted and churned within its stone frame. Waiting. Silent. Patient. Like a doorway inviting us toward whatever fresh nonsense the next floor had prepared for us. I stood there staring at the enormous portal leading to Floor Three. The swirling blue currents twisted endlessly within the ancient stone frame. It looked exactly like every other gate I'd encountered so far.

Mysterious. Dramatic. Questionably trustworthy. You'd think magical doorways that determined whether people lived or died would come with warning labels. Something practical. CAUTION: THE OTHER SIDE MAY CONTAIN MONSTERS. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING THE DUNGEON EXPERIENCE. Instead, all we got was a giant magical blender pretending to be subtle. Nearby, other players approached the portal. Some stepped through without hesitation. Others exchanged nervous looks with their teammates.

A few adjusted weapons and armor one last time before entering. I watched them disappear into the blue light. Gone in seconds. No fanfare. No dramatic music. Just people willingly walking into uncertainty because apparently humanity had collectively agreed that curiosity and poor self-preservation instincts were admirable traits. I folded my arms. Then glanced toward the others.

"So..." I tilted my head toward the portal.

"Any guesses?" I looked between June and Dimitri.

"What exactly do you think is waiting for us in there?" I pointed at the gate.

"Because Floor One gave us oversized crab... Cows." I held up another finger.

"Floor Two decided that getting lost in a forest while being hunted by monsters was peak entertainment." I narrowed my eyes at the portal.

"So naturally, my optimism tells me Floor Three either contains something horrifying..." I paused.

"... or even more trees." I pointed accusingly at the gate.

"And honestly, if it's another forest, I'm filing a complaint." June let out a soft breath. She crossed her arms more tightly beneath her chest. Her expression remained composed. Elegant. The look of someone discussing tomorrow's weather rather than increasingly dangerous death zones.

"They say that only those capable of enduring the trials of the Second Floor can advance beyond it," June said. Her British accent somehow made ominous statements sound refined.

"If that reputation holds any truth..." Her gaze shifted toward the portal.

"... then we should assume the Third Floor surpasses the previous one in every conceivable regard." I stared at her.

"... Wow." I placed a hand over my heart.

"Thank you, June." I nodded solemnly.

"That was both informative and deeply unsettling." I looked back toward the portal.

"So basically, Floor Three took one look at Floor Two and said, 'You know what this place lacks? More suffering.'" June's expression remained unchanged.

"I fail to see the inaccuracy in that assessment."

"... You know what?" I pointed at her.

"I appreciate that about you."

"You never sugarcoat anything." June lifted her chin.

"I simply acknowledge reality."

"Meanwhile, reality keeps trying to kill us."

"Indeed."

"That's honestly rude of it." Before the conversation could continue spiraling into philosophical debates about the hostility of existence itself, Dimitri stepped forward. The giant Russian rested one hand against the massive shield strapped to his back. Excitement gleamed within his eyes. There wasn't fear there. No hesitation. Only anticipation.

"My dear friends," Dimitri said with a broad smile.

"Rather than speculate endlessly about what lies beyond..." He turned toward the portal.

"... why not witness it with our own eyes?" He sounded like a tour guide introducing us to a famous landmark. Not a man leading people into a potentially lethal environment. Honestly, Dimitri approached danger with the enthusiasm most people reserved for amusement parks. Then again, maybe that was why everyone trusted him. The man genuinely believed tomorrow was worth seeing. Without another word, Dimitri walked toward the gate. The blue currents reflected against his armor as he approached.

Then he stepped forward. The portal swallowed him whole. Gone. Fiona immediately followed after him. The cheerful Scotswoman didn't hesitate. Then Aiko gathered her courage. She took a small breath before walking into the swirling light. The fierce armor she wore contrasted sharply against the shy determination visible in her expression. One step. Then another. And she disappeared as well. June looked toward the gate. Then toward me. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

Honestly, I couldn't tell whether it was directed at the dungeon...... or at me. Knowing June, the odds weren't exactly in my favor. Without ceremony, she entered the portal. Leaving me standing there. Alone. I looked at the giant whirlpool of blue energy. It churned silently before me. The doorway to whatever madness awaited us next. I stared at it. The portal stared back. Probably. I wasn't ruling out the possibility that magical gateways had opinions. I exhaled slowly.

"Well..." I looked up at the giant gate.

"There goes my perfectly reasonable plan of retiring early and opening a bakery." I clicked my tongue.

"What a shame." I squared my shoulders.

"Guess we'll save that dream for later." I took one final look at the swirling blue light.

"There goes nothing." Then I stepped forward and entered the gate.