Morning light streamed through clean glass windows into the corridor on the third floor of the academy affiliated hospital, casting bright spots of light across the spotless floor.
The smell of disinfectant in the air was fainter than during the night, mingled with the subtle, drifting aroma of food from breakfast time.
Nurses softly pushed medicine carts past, and occasional early-rising patients strolled slowly down the hallway, supported by family members.
Everything was neat and orderly, filled with the vitality and peace unique to daytime.
However, the atmosphere inside single ward Room 306 was completely out of place with this tranquility.
Victoria had woken up very early—or rather, she had hardly slept all night.
A dull, continuous ache throbbed in her injured right shoulder, but what unsettled her even more was that Silvia and Greg had not returned all night.
It was already morning... and they still hadn't come back.
She leaned back against the headboard, her grey eyes gazing out at the sky slowly brightening beyond the window, her brow unconsciously knitting together.
Her worry for Silvia was pure and intense.
Would her sweet-natured friend, who lacked practical combat experience, run into dangers she couldn't handle deep within the perilous, unknown dungeon?
Although Greg seemed somewhat capable, could he really protect her properly?
And when it came to Greg, her feelings were far more complicated.
That mix of vigilance and an awkward, lingering gratitude she hated to admit made it impossible for her to worry about his safety as purely as she did for Silvia.
That guy... wouldn't do anything reckless, right?
Since he dared to go, he had to have had at least some confidence...
Just as Victoria was troubled by these conflicting emotions, a noisy burst of chatter suddenly came from the corridor outside the ward, breaking the hospital's quiet as it drew closer.
"...Have you heard? Over at the dungeon!"
"It seems like commotion broke out from the deep area! The entire first layer is shaking!"
"More than just shaking—some people near the entrance said the ground was trembling! The Academy Patrol Team and several professors have already rushed over!"
"Could it be a monster riot? Or maybe... some treasure appeared?"
"Who knows? Either way, a huge crowd is gathered at the entrance square right now trying to find out what's happening..."
The voices hurried past the door, carrying excitement and curiosity they couldn't suppress.
Clearly, many hospitalized patients, visitors, and even medical staff had been drawn in by this sudden news.
Some couldn't contain themselves at all, leaving their rooms or posts to run directly toward the rumored front lines, eager to see for themselves.
Victoria's heart sank abruptly.
Massive commotion in the dungeon's deep area... and two people who hadn't returned even after morning broke...
She was almost certain this sudden abnormality was intimately tied to Greg and Silvia.
What on earth had they done in the dungeon?
What had they encountered?
To cause such a massive scene that even the academy's professors were alarmed?
Worry for Silvia's safety instantly overwhelmed every other emotion.
She didn't hesitate any longer. Enduring the sharp pain in her right shoulder, she pulled back the blanket and stepped out of bed.
Over her simple hospital gown, she only had time to grab a coat, throw it over herself, and pull open the ward door, quickly merging into the crowd surging out of the hospital.
She had to go check the dungeon entrance. No matter what, she had to confirm that Silvia was safe.
...
Completely unaware of the commotion in the outside world caused by the deep-layer tremors, Greg finished sorting through all his gains from the adventure. After taking a brief rest, he retraced his steps through the route in his memory, heading back from the deep area.
When his figure reappeared near the exit of the safety passage leading to the middle layers, a pink-haired figure dashed out of the tunnel like a swallow returning to its nest, arriving before him in an instant.
It was Silvia.
Lingering tension and a flush from running still remained on her face. The instant her pink eyes caught sight of Greg alive and well, they lit up brilliantly before becoming misted over with a layer of tearful relief.
"S-Senior Greg! You're back! That's wonderful... truly wonderful..."
Her voice trembled slightly, filled with obvious lingering fear:
"Earlier... the entire cave was shaking, and the noise was so loud... I-I thought... Thank goodness you're okay..."
Looking at the girl in front of him who had clearly been terrified for a long time, the minor irritation Greg felt from having his plans disrupted softened.
He relaxed his tone, speaking reassuringly, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a minor accident, but it's been taken care of. Sorry to make you worry."
After comforting Silvia with a few brief words, Greg's gaze drifted past her toward the passage entrance behind her.
There, three figures stood close together right at the boundary between light and shadow, cautiously watching him with complex, unreadable expressions.
It was Alvin, Leonard, and Leah.
They hadn't left yet.
Seeing this, Greg secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, they were still here.
If they had run off on their own, it would have been more troublesome later.
He turned to Silvia and said in a low voice, "Wait here for a moment. I'm going to speak with them in private."
"Ah, okay."
Silvia nodded. Though somewhat puzzled, she obediently stepped back a few paces to give them space.
Greg stepped forward, walking toward the three upperclassmen.
As he approached, Alvin and the other two tensed up in unison, clear dread showing on their faces alongside an instinctive respect for the strong.
The Greg standing before them was a completely different person from the arrogant, incompetent former noble's son who relied solely on his family background in their memories.
He had single-handedly dealt with three powerful deep-area monsters and even successfully escaped the terrifying pursuit of the First Layer Lord.
This level of strength was far beyond their understanding and imagination.
Greg stopped in front of them, skipping the pleasantries and cutting straight to the point:
"Listen up. After leaving the dungeon, don't say a single word about me. If anyone asks who saved you or what happened, keep your story consistent—it was Silvia who saved you. Got it?"
The three looked at each other, clear confusion and surprise on their faces.
This was clearly a golden opportunity for Greg to clear his name as useless trash and rebuild his image—he might even receive praise or attention from the academy for it.
Why would he hand over such massive credit entirely to that timid-looking first-year girl?
But Greg gave them no time to ask questions or hesitate.
His gaze swept calmly across the three of them. Under the dim light, those amber eyes seemed to carry an invisible pressure, instantly crushing the doubts they had just harbored.
"I don't want to repeat myself."
Greg's voice was flat, yet it sent a chill down the spines of Alvin and his companions.
"U-Understood!"
"We definitely won't blab!"
"It was Junior Silvia who saved us!"
The three hurriedly nodded, practically scrambling to state their stance.
Only then did Greg nod slightly, the expression on his face softening just a fraction. "Very good. Remember your words."
With that, he stopped looking at them, turned around, and walked back to Silvia.
"Let's go. We're heading back."
Although Silvia was curious about what Greg had said to them, she was sensible enough not to ask, simply nodding and following beside him.
Alvin and the other two quickly followed as well, keeping a delicate distance behind them.
After walking for a while, they finally stepped back into the relatively familiar and safe shallow layers.
The light seemed to brighten a bit, and the constantly tense atmosphere relaxed slightly.
Silvia leaned closer to Greg with some trepidation, asking in a quiet voice audible only to the two of them:
"U-Um, Senior Greg... May I ask... did I do a good job helping you this time?"
Her voice carried obvious self-doubt and anticipation. Her pink eyes secretly stole glances at Greg's profile, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Almost the instant her words left her mouth, Nightmare's chaotic voice echoed in Greg's mind, brimming with unvarnished malice:
"Hehehe... The chance to humiliate that girl has arrived! My other half, quick! Tell her in the most cold and ruthless tone: 'That's right, you didn't help at all—you only got in the way! Is this really the extent of the Goddess of Light's so-called Messenger? How disappointing!' I can't wait to see what kind of expression will appear on that little face!"
Rate on N.U.
