Chương 44: Soul Boy

Lloyd looked at Mippo with raised eyebrows, feeling new questions crowding his mind. — What do you mean? Mippo crossed his arms over his chest and paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing the right words. — Support isn't always someone who heals and does things like that. Support classes usually have the greatest number of skills available at the beginning. Quite often, they can easily hold their own in a fight. It's just that their abilities reveal their true potential when they're helping others.

His green eyes glowed more gently, as though he were speaking about something he had always known—something he understood more deeply than words could express. Lloyd stroked his chin, pondering those words and trying to imagine what they truly meant. A support class that could fight for itself? It sounded strange, different from everything he had ever heard about that class. — Well, I hope I'm one of those lucky ones.

His voice carried little hope, as if he were speaking only because the silence would have been even heavier. But Lloyd didn't have the strength to figure out what his skills actually did right now. Exhaustion washed over him in relentless waves. Every muscle screamed in pain, every cell in his body begged for rest. He just wanted to go home, lie down in his bed, and forget everything that had happened—even though he knew he never truly could. — I guess that's everything. Thank you... for everything, Mippo.

His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, like the final breath of an exhausted man. Mippo silently nodded. The movement was slow, almost solemn. For a brief moment, his green eyes shone brighter, as if he had conveyed something important to Lloyd without saying a single word. Lloyd was just about to reach for the crystal. He could feel his arm rising, his body preparing to bring this unbelievable journey to an end. But then he turned around.

Behind Mippo, the tunnel continued, stretching deeper into the unknown darkness, as though another abyss—another mystery—awaited beyond. — Mippo... may I ask one more question? Mippo nodded reluctantly. Even that simple movement seemed sluggish, as though every gesture demanded effort, as though he, too, was weary. — I defeated the Dungeon Boss, didn't I? If I beat him... then what's beyond there? Why does the dungeon keep going?

Lloyd expected Mippo to say it was another passage, another route he had overlooked during his journey. He expected a simple, logical explanation. But it never came. Mippo remained silent for an unsettlingly long time—so long that it felt like entire minutes had passed, like an eternity. The silence within the tunnel grew heavier and heavier, pressing in from every direction, as though reality itself was holding its breath in anticipation of the answer. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road.

If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Then, at last, his childish voice broke the silence. It was surprisingly calm and gentle, completely at odds with the seriousness radiating from him. — I can't tell you. You're free to go and find out for yourself. The answer caught Lloyd completely off guard. For a brief second, a spark of curiosity ignited within his chest—a nearly painful desire to discover what lay hidden in the darkness beyond the crystal's light. What else could this dungeon possibly conceal?

What other creatures? What other dangers? What other secrets? But he had absolutely no intention of going. In his current condition—drained, wounded, barely able to stand—he wouldn't survive another encounter, another creature, another enemy. His body had reached its limit. His mind had reached its limit. His spirit was hanging by a thread.

A faint smile appeared on Lloyd's face—the smile of someone who had accepted his decision, someone who knew it was the right choice, even if it meant leaving the unknown forever unexplored. — Well... I won't be checking. Thank you again for everything, Mippo. Without you... I wouldn't have survived. Those words were sincere, filled with genuine gratitude. Had it not been for Mippo—had it not been for that little creature who had stood beside him in his darkest moments—Lloyd would have died long ago.

He would have become nothing more than another corpse left behind in the dungeon's endless tunnels. Mippo simply waved in response. It was a calm, quiet gesture, as though he were seeing Lloyd off, silently blessing his return to the world of the living. Lloyd turned toward the majestic crystal. It shone like a fallen star. Its white radiance seemed almost heavenly, almost divine within the endless darkness surrounding it.

It was his destination—the final stop of his journey, the gateway to a new life, to a new existence. Gently, Lloyd placed his hand upon it. A drop of blood slid from his hand across the crystal's smooth surface. For a brief instant, it glowed crimson before being absorbed into the crystal, dissolving into its magic. Almost immediately, warmth spread throughout his entire body. It wasn't the same warmth he had felt when advancing to a higher rank.

This warmth was different—soft, gentle, comforting, as though a mother's embrace had wrapped around him. His vision gradually turned white. The world around him began to fade, dissolving into a sea of radiant light. The white glow before his eyes rippled like waves upon the ocean, waves of light that would carry him away from this place and return him to where he belonged—to the world of the living.

Only a few seconds later, his body began to break apart into white sparks, tiny particles of light drifting slowly through the air like falling stars, like fragments of his former life dissolving into the crystal's magic. Mippo silently watched the magnificent crystal before him. His green eyes shone more brightly than ever, as though he could see something no one else could—as though he were watching Lloyd depart on another journey. — We'll meet again soon...

The words were spoken softly, almost like a whisper, almost like a prayer—a promise destined to be fulfilled when the time finally came. Mippo swept his green cloak behind him. The fabric fluttered as though it were alive, like the leaves of an ancient tree that had stood for eternity. He turned away, preparing to leave, preparing to disappear into the darkness of the tunnel, preparing to wait for their next meeting.

His small feet carried him slowly into the depths of the dungeon, into the darkness that swallowed more and more light with every step. Mippo's green eyes were the last thing that remained visible in the gloom—two tiny lanterns of hope within an endless sea of darkness. Behind him, the majestic crystal slowly dimmed. Its white radiance grew weaker and weaker, as though the crystal itself were falling asleep after accomplishing its great purpose. Once again, the tunnel sank into its familiar silence.

Somewhere in the distance, drops of water fell in a slow, steady rhythm, while the cold air drifted gently between the stone walls, as though the dungeon itself had fallen back asleep after its brief awakening. For a few more moments, Mippo continued to stare at the place where Lloyd had disappeared. Then he slowly turned away and stepped into the darkness. Just before his silhouette was completely swallowed by the shadows, a quiet childish voice could barely be heard. — Soul Boy.