Live Dungeon!

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“> and… >! There!”

“Thanks!”

Lorena’s hand brushed over Rara, the red-feathered Birdkin, as she cast a combo of support and healing skills. A heartbeat later, she sprang back into the air. In the past, she’d have skipped casting > to avoid the risk of drawing extra aggro from the monsters. But today, she welcomed the challenge, layering in the skill without hesitation.

“Ahhh! Misil, help me!!”

“Fine, but next time, try to handle your aggro properly — like Tsutomu does.”

“Oh c’mon, do you have to ALWAYS hold me to the Tsutomu standard? That’s impossible!”

Just then, Lorena had found herself the focal point of several monsters’ fury. Her Conykin instincts — especially that sharpened, danger-sensing intuition her kind were known for — were becoming keener, bringing her closer to the so-called “Tsutomu standard” she so often referred to.

Meanwhile, Riri, their evasion-based Tank, was wielding her newly obtained, light-infused one-handed sword. Its boost to her damage output made it easier for her to pull in the monsters’ attention, allowing Misil to redirect his focus to more intricate maneuvers, in turn providing the Silver Beast party with improved stability.

[Man, it looks like Lorena’s about to surpass me in aggro management…]

After two days off from exploration, a well-deserved rest to top off the discovery of their first treasure chest, Absolute Helix and Silver Beast had plunged back into the depths of the eighty-third layer. Watching Lorena’s swift progression in the thick of battle, Tsutomu couldn’t help but note her progress. She had watched him closely during each fight, as if decoding his every move, learning to control aggro with a precision born of pure observation.

Tsutomu knew his strengths as a Healer were no great mystery. His competency came from a learned discipline — mastery over tactics acquired through long hours in Live Dungeon. All of it was, in a way, available to anyone who studied his moves through the Monitors’ footage. His skills could be dissected and eventually absorbed by others, which, in time, would strip away his advantage in the dungeoneering scene.

The one true ace up his sleeve lay in his intrinsic sense of timing — a rare skill, but increasingly replicable as timekeeping technology advanced. When that final layer faded, all that would remain was his extraordinary affinity with the Spirits. In terms of instinctive aggro control, Lorena was gaining ground. For skill manipulation and sheer perseverance, Stephanie was likely already a step ahead. And Korinna, the Channeler with an uncanny ability to predict others’ impending death, was another formidable contender.

[Eventually, those three might overtake me…]

If the layers of God’s Dungeon beyond the hundredth deviated from his knowledge, the possibility of those three surpassing him as Healers would be as high as it could. Watching Lorena absorb his strategies and evolve before his eyes, Tsutomu couldn’t ignore the pang of melancholy rising within him. Yet, even as he cast another > toward Leleia, a thought took root, quiet but insistent.

[But… why doesn’t that unsettle me as it should have?]

Once, back in his days as a player of Live Dungeon, the looming threat of another Healer rivaling his abilities would have sparked a fierce urge to defend his place. And yet, Lorena’s steady progress stirred none of that. Instead, he felt an inexplicable warmth, a rare kind of contentment, as he observed her growth.

The question hung in his mind only a moment longer before the answer arrived. The corners of his lips tugged into a wry smile.

[Oh yeah… maybe I just want to feel like a novice Healer again…]

In the current Dungeon, Tsutomu was armed with knowledge he had gained from Live Dungeon, and he had known from day one what its end point was: the hundredth layer, housing the Corroded Elder Dragon, the monster that had welcomed him to this world. Tsutomu intended to reach it again — and he would not let himself be overtaken so easily.

But beyond the hundredth layer — now that was an uncharted mystery. Perhaps he’d return to Earth, or perhaps the Secret Dungeon — the game content he was less familiar with — lay in wait. Or it could even be another, wholly unknown Dungeon he’d never dared to dream of.

At the end of the day, Live Dungeon had been just a game. As friends drifted away, it had eventually been Tsutomu alone, enduring in its fading world until the final server shutdown was announced. Solo play was an option, of course, but how far could one go alone in a world meant to be experienced through jolly cooperation? It felt like holding on to the last remnants of a place that had already faded for everyone else.

But now — in this world, he was starting to see a chance to live it all again. To start afresh as a Healer in a new Dungeon in this foreign world. Just that would be enough to transform his adventures, thrilling as they already were, into something infinitely more exhilarating. He could practically feel the excitement waiting for him ahead.

And even if there was no hidden mystery, if the Dungeon didn’t extend into the unknown, he would still have rivals to contend with, just like in Live Dungeon.

Stephanie, lacking his years of knowledge but relentless in her Healer training, was one. Lorena was establishing herself as a Mobile Healer, a role beyond his own capabilities. Then there was Korinna, the Channeler with the “Eyes of a Reaper.” Surely, other new Healers would inevitably rise, and the thought of pitting his skills against them sparked fresh excitement. There were countless methods to refine his craft and new strategies to explore, and Tsutomu felt a renewed eagerness at the thought of it all.

[Well, you gotta keep at it too, all right?]

Tsutomu’s gaze rested fondly on Lorena, who, by now, had absorbed his techniques like a sponge.

“>!”

Under Tsutomu’s watchful eyes, Lorena fired a precise bolt of > at an Eyene, piercing the creature with needle-like force before she drove it deeper with a swift kick. Then, after confirming that no other monsters were lurking nearby, she pushed damp strands of her dark hair from her forehead and flashed Tsutomu a triumphant peace sign.

“Aww, yeah! I did great! Right, Tsutomu!?”

In this round, Lorena had handled the monsters well enough and increased her healing and support output without overcommitting. Her progress was evident in her every move. Tsutomu raised a brow, answering her triumphant grin with a look that said she shouldn’t get complacent.

“Ehh, I wouldn’t say GREAT — I mean, what was that slip-up earlier?” he teased. “You’ve got to make your performance more consistent.”

“Ugh…”

“You did say you’d surpass me because that’s your ‘duty as a student,’ right? Show me you mean it, or don’t bother bragging.”

“But I’m the type who grows better when I’m praised!”

Ignoring Lorena’s spirited reply, Tsutomu tousled her hair with a grin.

“…Then you’d better hurry up and get good enough to earn it, hmm?”

Lorena stiffened, then broke into a grin of her own and nuzzled against his hand.

“Hey, w-what do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Weren’t you aiming for something… SPECIFIC by patting my head? Well, you need to take your time! I need at least thirty minutes of this!”

His hand must’ve hit a particularly pleasant spot, as Lorena pressed her head more insistently like a charging bull, demanding extra attention. Tsutomu shot an exasperated look toward Misil, spreading his arms helplessly.

“Uh, so, what are you doing?” Misil proceeded to ask. “You’re weirding me out.”

“Huh!? Why are you asking ME!? Tsutomu tried to pull me down with that sneaky pat! There’s no hiding it from me — he was targeting the base of my ears with pinpoint accuracy! No way he would’ve gone for them if he wasn’t TRYING!”

“…The hell are you talking about?”

When Tsutomu had visited the Royal Capital during the Stampede, Amy had taught him the art of head-patting, and perhaps, without realizing it, he’d used the same technique on Lorena. Perhaps it was especially effective on Beastkin with sensitive ears — with that in mind, Tsutomu scanned the area with a raised brow.

“Daryl! Come over here a moment!” he called out, gesturing the ever-loyal Cynokin over.

Daryl trotted over, ears perked with a mix of curiosity and mild apprehension.

“Daryl, could you squat down a little?”

“…?”

Daryl tilted his head, confused, before lowering himself obediently. Tsutomu, recalling Amy’s demonstration again, reached out and patted Daryl’s head.

“Eh? S-Sir Tsutomu…! W-wait…!”

“Huh, this technique’s even more effective than I expected. Sorry ’bout that.”

Tsutomu watched Daryl’s expression shift from bewilderment to something suspiciously like bliss. His hand instinctively withdrew, yet he marveled at the result. Somehow, with Amy’s tutelage combined with his hands’ multitasking skill — a talent that once let him operate five computers at once — he’d stumbled upon a technique practically engineered for soothing Beastkin.

Just as he was musing on the surprising power of Amy’s guidance, he saw Lorena striding toward him, her eyes disturbingly bright.

“Tsutomu…you’re even better at it now! And I have a head too, don’t I? Come on, look!”

“Uh…your eyes look a little too intense right now. This is…actually terrifying.”

“Just pat my head already! You were petting me first, remember? So I’m owed at least one more head pat!”

“Misil…”

“Rara, Riri, secure the…rampaging rabbit,” Misil called with a resigned sigh.

“Roger that!”

The two Birdkin moved swiftly, each taking hold of Lorena, whose eyes gleamed with determination.

“Let me go! After seeing that, how could I possibly hold back!?”

“All right, all right — you’ll get all the head pats you could want later. Let’s get back for now.”

“W-wait! You’re holding me way tighter than usual! Stop that!”

Lorena wriggled in protest as Rara and Riri escorted her toward the Black Gate, leaving Tsutomu to observe them with a wry smile. He glanced down at his hands, which now seemed imbued with a power he hadn’t quite anticipated.

“…You think this could help me make up with Garm?”

“…..”

At Tsutomu’s hopeful expression, palm open as if to demonstrate his skill, Daryl simply shivered in silence.

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