The creature collapsed with a final gasp... then its colossal body slowly disintegrated in a brilliant light, leaving behind only a vast, glowing magic stone and several pieces of dragon shell, obviously made of a rare and precious material.
A heavy silence followed. No words, no breath. Then reality caught up with them:
They had done it.
They had just completed a dungeon. Together.
But just as the first expressions of joy began to appear on their faces, a dull thud abruptly brought them back to the present moment.
"Lys!"
She had collapsed without a word. Everyone rushed to her, worry instantly replacing pride.
Elaria knelt and took her in her arms, quickly checking her vital signs.
"She's just exhausted... her last action must have taken everything out of her," Iris said, a sigh of relief in her voice.
Reassured that it wasn't anything serious, the group slowly calmed down.
"Look... over there," Anne said, pointing to a far wall.
A huge door adorned with ancient inscriptions had just appeared in a halo of golden light. The engraved symbols seemed to vibrate faintly, as if waiting.
"A secret room? Rewards?... Or an even tougher boss?" Kyle sighed warily.
"Impossible to say," Tristan replied seriously. "Let's wait until everyone's recovered before taking any unnecessary risks."
Exhausted, Kyle dropped violently to the ground, his back against a broken pillar.
"I'm done for." Iris, a potion, please..."
She tossed him a vial, which he caught gracelessly but gratefully.
A few minutes later, Lys slowly opened her eyes, confused.
"I... I'm sorry I worried you."
"Are you kidding?" Tristan replied. "Without you, we'd still be getting trampled."
Everyone nodded, a genuine smile on their lips. The group's unity had never been stronger.
"Okay, now that everyone's standing... shall we go?" Iris suggested with restrained enthusiasm.
The group formed again. With Kyle and Tristan at the forefront, they simultaneously placed their hands on the door and infused their mana into it. The symbols lit up, reacting to their energy, and a low rumble sounded.
The door opened.
And what they discovered left them speechless.
It was a vast circular room, its ceiling disappearing into shadow. All around them, objects glittered, carefully arranged on pedestals, in open chests, or simply lying on the floor.
"Artifacts... grimoires... ancient weapons..." Elaria breathed, her eyes shining.
Some objects emitted an almost tangible glow of mana. Others, seemingly dull, seemed to hide a much older history. A few relics were purely aesthetic, made of solid gold, crystal, or precious stones.
There was also a pile of ancient scrolls, probably the notes or records of whoever had built this dungeon.
"I guess that's the reward," Kyle murmured. "No final boss waiting in wait. Too bad, I was ready for a fight..."
"You're the only one who would have wanted that," Tristan replied, smiling.
Then, naturally, the group dispersed throughout the room.
Tristan had headed toward a greatsword displayed on a black stone altar.
Elaria was examining magical rings and talismans, murmuring incantations to test their nature.
Anne, for her part, was inspecting a spear that seemed made of solid light.
Lys remained behind, seated, observing her friends with a peaceful smile.
Iris, ever curious, rummaged through the tomes with the excitement of a child in a forbidden bookstore.
And Kyle? He had stopped in front of a glass sphere suspended in a magical cage. He didn't know why... but something about it called to him.
It shone slightly, capturing the reflections of the room. He stood there for a moment, watching it... before sighing.
"Just a trinket... obviously." »
He walked away slowly, hands in his pockets, looking a little disappointed.
"I wish the script had rewarded me. But no. Not even a highlighted line of dialogue to congratulate me."
He wandered aimlessly until a voice caught his attention:
"Lys, can you come see this?" Elaria called out, kneeling before a small altar on which rested several objects engraved with ancient symbols.
Lys ran over, and as soon as her eyes landed on the artifacts, a flash of fascination crossed them.
Kyle approached, curious.
"So, what did you find?"
Elaria, embarrassed, pointed at Lys:
"I don't know anything about religious objects... I prefer to let the expert speak."
Lys, her eyes shining with genuine joy, replied:
"These objects... are linked to the Supreme Deity. Look, they are sacred relics, their energies are pure, ancient... almost alive. I've read stories about them, but I've never seen one in person."
Kyle, who had never shown the slightest interest in religion since arriving in this world, nodded politely, adopting a mock-scholarly expression:
"Ah yes... of course. All very interesting..."
"I didn't understand a thing, but let's pretend I do."
While Lys marveled at the symbols, she came across a pile of old manuscripts.
"They look like sacred texts... But I can't decipher them all." It's written in an ancient dialect."
Lys's passion was palpable, and even Kyle felt a kind of respect for her enthusiasm.
It was at that moment that Iris arrived, holding a thick tome with a black cover edged in silver.
"Kyle. Here. This is for you."
Kyle took the book, intrigued.
"What is this?"
"An artifact. Very powerful. It contains a unique spell. It's a tome of forgotten arcana."
She continued, calm and serious:
"When you open it, you automatically learn the spell it contains. Afterward... the book becomes a simple object. It can only be used once."
Kyle swallowed and was about to hand the tome back.
"Take it," Iris told him. "You're the best person to do this." »
"Iris, you found it, so it's yours."
"Maybe. But you have the ability to master it. And we don't know what spell it contains... it could be anything. See through objects... become invisible... or even manipulate time!"
At these words, Kyle's mind immediately drifted into dubious thoughts. Then he pulled himself together, coughed, and asked,
"And all those grimoires, do they only contain Void magic?"
"Affirmative," Iris replied.
A thought clicked in Kyle's mind.
"...So that's how I got the Void Veil? A while back... in Asterion... I opened one of those books."
Iris's eyes widened.
"You've ever had an artifact like this?! The Void Veil?" I don't know what this spell is, but it must be extremely rare!"
Kyle smiled.
"I thought it was just a weird bonus... but it was actually a freebie from the script."
"So you're taking it?" Iris asked.
"Yeah. It's settled."
Kyle opened the black tome.
Instantly, golden glyphs rose around him, swirling like fireflies. The book vibrated in his hands. As if carried away by a breath of light, the writings dissipated, leaving only the silence of emptiness and...
Kyle slowly began to levitate.
Everyone else looked up in amazement.
"He's flying..." Anne whispered.
"He's learning the flight spell..." Lys realized, her mouth open.
Kyle rose again, gently, carried by an invisible force. His hair floated in the air, his clothes billowing as if in a dream. He opened his arms, the light enveloping him completely.
Then, slowly, he reached the ceiling of the room.
He smiled.
"To fly... A dream shared by so many across the worlds..."
"And now I can do it."
Below, Iris watched the scene with a mixture of jealousy, wonder... and affection.
She knew this spell couldn't have fallen into better hands.
Kyle descended gently, landing silently.
He turned to his companions, a sparkle of almost childlike joy in his eyes.
As soon as Kyle slowly descended from the sky, carried by the last bursts of the flight spell, everyone in the group stopped to join him. Tristan was the first to approach Lys and Iris, arms crossed, a wry smile on his face.
"So... Kyle's flying now, huh?"
Iris, looking proud, replied immediately,
"It's thanks to the artifact I gave him. He was lucky; it's a rare spell." »
Tristan shrugged.
"With power like that, he's going to do some unpredictable things again. I can feel it."
Kyle landed with a wide grin, like a kid who'd just tried a really cool ride for the first time. At that moment, Elaria and Anne joined them.
"I didn't even know humans could fly..." Elaria said, amazed.
"Tell me, Kyle... Can humans from your world do that too?" Anne asked curiously.
Kyle was about to answer, but Iris took the lead in explaining the situation. She briefly summarized how the grimoire worked, the Void-related spells, and the rarity of this type of artifact.
Tristan, looking around, said:
"Okay. Since everyone's gathered, maybe we can think about going home now?" »
Lys, her arms laden with sacred texts and relics, asked timidly:
"Can I take everything related to the Church? These objects are precious... historically and spiritually."
Tristan grimaced.
"We'll never have enough room in the dimensional bag for all of this."
But Elaria immediately intervened:
"That's not a problem, Kyle also bought a dimensional bag with the money he received for Darian's quests, right? It's almost empty."
Anne nodded at Kyle:
"I knew this bag would eventually come in handy."
Tristan shrugged, defeated.
"Very well. Gather what you want, Lys."
The priestess's eyes lit up. She thanked everyone warmly before returning to work with silent passion.
Meanwhile, Kyle, silent, seemed to be staring at something in the distance. Then, without warning, he flew off again, hovering above the room like a bird that had just broken its cage. A light laugh escaped him, carried by the wind.
"He's really happy..." Elaria murmured, looking at him tenderly.
"Let him enjoy himself," she added to Anne. "If I had been given this power, I would have done the same. Maybe even worse."
About fifteen minutes later, the group had gathered in front of the large door of the treasury. Each had taken whatever interested them: weapons, documents, artifacts, or simple shiny trinkets.
Kyle went back downstairs and rejoined the group.
"So, are you ready?" asked Tristan.
"I've never been more ready," replied Kyle, still smiling.
They walked through the door together and returned to the boss room, where it all began. The magic circle shone again in the center of the room, like an invitation to leave.
"Well... we'll have to go back the whole way around," sighed Iris.
But Anne, followed by Elaria, immediately contradicted her.
"No, look closer. It's a direct transfer circle. We'll be teleported to the first level!"
Iris exclaimed, relieved:
"Thank you, supreme deity... I didn't have the strength to start all over again."
One after the other, they entered the circle. A soft light enveloped each of them, making them disappear with a magical rustle.
In a few moments, the group found themselves on the first level of the dungeon, close to the exit. The contrast with the heavy atmosphere of the depths was striking. Even the air seemed lighter.
And then, after one last step—or rather, graceful levitation, for Kyle—they crossed the dungeon exit.
Daylight blinded them for a moment.
After four days spent in the subterranean darkness, they were finally breathing the fresh air, standing on the sunlit plain. The sky was clear. The birds were singing.
A silence of relief fell.
They had just triumphed over a dungeon, a real challenge... together.
And the world, now, seemed bigger, more alive, more full of promise.
The cart that had brought them to the keep had long since disappeared. The horses, no doubt accustomed to this kind of mission, had to return to the capital alone.
"We'll have to walk to Thoralis..." Tristan sighed, looking at the forest road.
Kyle, confident, stretched his arms and said with a smile,
"It'll be without me this time."
He began to concentrate on taking flight, but Lys gently grabbed his arm.
"Wait... I'd like us to travel together, all of us. We started with six, so we might as well finish with six, right?"
Kyle looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"Okay. I guess I can stay on the ground a little longer."
And so, the group set off through the forest. The trees drifted by, and the surrounding calm gave everyone time to lose themselves in their own thoughts. But after a while, the sound of wheels and hooves caught their attention.
"It's like a carriage!" Tristan marveled. "We're really lucky."
Kyle rolled his eyes, a mock-blasé expression.
"I bet the author is tired of describing our long walks."
The carriage appeared between the trees. The driver, a jovial man with a gray beard, seemed to recognize Kyle almost immediately.
"Hey! Aren't you the adventurer Master Darian sent to clear out the goblin lair?"
Kyle raised his hand, a little surprised.
"Yes, that's me."
Tristan stepped forward.
"Are you going to Thoralis?"
"That's my destination! Come on in, I'll be happy to drop you off." »
Iris leaned toward Lys with a smile:
"You see, you did well to hold Kyle back."
The group boarded the carriage, and thanks to this providential—or scripted—coincidence, the journey, which would have lasted several hours, was shortened to just under half an hour.
They soon arrived at the entrance to Thoralis, the great royal capital. In front of the guardhouse, everyone got out and warmly thanked the merchant for his help.
After the usual checks, the group finally passed through the city's great gates. The sun shone on the white stone roofs, and the cobblestone streets buzzed with life.
Without even consulting each other, everyone naturally headed towards the adventurers' guild. A certain lightness hung in the air. Something had changed. Their group dynamic had evolved. The silences were no longer heavy, the smiles more sincere.
On the way, Tristan broke the peace:
"So, Kyle... what do you plan to do after this? Another mission? Going solo?"
Kyle replied in a calm, almost dreamy tone:
"I don't know yet. I'll go wherever the wind takes me."
Lys, a little flustered by his answer, asked softly:
"Are you leaving soon?"
"I'll see. But first, I'll stop by to say goodbye to Rose."
"Promise?" Lys insisted.
"Promise."
Anne, delighted, almost jumped for joy.
"Perfect! That means we'll be together for a little while longer, then!"
And so they continued walking, chatting about everything and nothing: what they were going to do with their rewards, the items they'd found, Kyle's new ability... until finally, the guild entrance appeared before them, familiar and warm.
They were home.
The Dawnbolt team finally walked through the familiar doors of the Adventurers' Guild. Seeing them, Julie, the receptionist, waved broadly from the counter.
Tristan and the rest of the team approached, but Kyle broke away from the group and sat alone at a table, looking thoughtful.
"You're back!" Julie exclaimed, smiling. "So, how did the mission go?" »
"Pretty well," replied Tristan, as sober as ever.
"Very well indeed!" added Anne cheerfully.
"Good, I'm delighted to hear it," replied Julie. "The guild master is waiting for your report. Come, I'll accompany you."
She signaled to Tristan, who followed her. Elaria, aware of her shortcomings with written reports, immediately offered to help, and Iris, who had noted down a lot of information during the dungeon exploration, joined them.
So, Tristan, Julie, Elaria, and Iris headed for the guild master's office.
Only Anne and Lys remained, joining Kyle at his table. The latter barely looked up.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"They're writing the mission report," replied Anne simply.
A brief silence fell. Then, Anne, wanting to lighten the mood, said:
"Say, between you two... How's your relationship going?"
Lys jumped, taken aback. Blushing, she shook her head.
"We... We're not together! Well... not yet," she whispered.
Kyle, on the other hand, pretended not to have heard, looking away, arms crossed. Anne immediately realized that she had asked too direct a question and tried to change the subject.
"And now? What are you planning to do?"
Kyle finally looked up.
"I'm going back to the first town... the one where Rose is."
"Do you even know the name of that town?" Anne asked.
Kyle frowned thoughtfully.
"No. I don't think I've ever asked myself that question."
"Lys, can you tell her?" Anne persisted with a knowing wink.
Lys, still a little embarrassed, replied softly,
"Her name is Helion."
"Thanks," Kyle said, nodding.
"You know," Anne added, "if you really want to go unnoticed, you should pay a little more attention to these kinds of details."
"I wasn't planning on lingering here in the first place. That's why I never cared about the town's name," he replied.
Lys continued quietly, "And after you leave us... what do you plan to do?"
Kyle shrugged.
"With this newfound power, I'm just going to... pick a random direction and follow it."
"That's not a very prudent idea," Lys pointed out.
"Obviously," Anne chimed in. "You need at least a plan, or a destination."
"Plans are for people with a goal or a cause to follow. I prefer to go by instinct." »
"What if you end up in a dangerous zone, or worse... under the control of another race?" Lys replied.
At the mention of "other races," Kyle's virginal otaku mind briefly raced, invaded by unsavory thoughts. He shook his head to compose himself.
"What's the problem with other races?"
"It's not that we're at open war," Anne explained, "but there are still a lot of old grudges."
"Is that why since I've been here, the only other race I've seen is Elaria?"
"Yes," Anne confirmed. "And even then, Elaria is a half-elf, raised between two cultures, human and elven."
Lys added in a more serious tone,
"There's also slavery. Some malicious groups capture members of other races to resell them."
Kyle thought for a moment before replying, his tone a little detached.
"Honestly, it's not my problem. If the people of this world want to fight among themselves, it won't stop me from enjoying my adventure in an Isekai work."
Lys clenched her fists, ready to reprimand him, but at that moment, a young receptionist approached their table.
"Excuse me, but Guild Master Edward is waiting for you and the rest of the team. He wants to discuss the dungeon."
Kyle, Lys, and Anne then stood up, ready to join the others.
The young receptionist led Kyle, Lys, and Anne to a large room where everyone was already waiting.
Inside were Edward, the imposingly imposing Guild Master, Julie the receptionist, and the other members of Team Dawnbolt. His powerful aura filled the room, commanding respect at first glance.
The last three entered in turn.
Kyle joined Tristan and asked in a low voice,
"Is there a problem?"
"No," Tristan replied. "The guild master just insisted everyone be present."
When Edward finally spoke, his solemn tone silenced everyone:
"I congratulate you all on the successful completion of this mission. Now... what did you find interesting in this dungeon?"
Julie interjected.
"That's exactly what we were writing in the report."
Edward dismissed the argument with a wave of his hand.
"I'd rather hear it directly. Besides, I've never read it."
Julie, visibly upset, reminded him:
"It's against administrative protocol," Master Edward.
"Protocol is the least of my concerns. I'm the boss here, right? I do what I want," he concluded with an amused smile.
Julie sighed, but didn't let the matter drop.
"We'll finish the report afterward, then."
Tristan intervened.
"Actually... I'd rather talk about it than write it, too."
Iris teased him.
"You really want to avoid writing, admit it!"
Julie, resigned, nodded.
"Very well. We'll finish the paperwork after this discussion."
Tristan let out a long sigh of disappointment.
Julie slipped away, leaving the adventurers alone with Edward.
"So? How was it?" the guild master asked curiously. »
Tristan shrugged.
"Child's play."
Iris exclaimed,
"Child's play?! We nearly died on every level!"
Edward burst out laughing.
"The important thing is that you came back alive."
Meanwhile, Kyle hung back, uninterested in the debriefing. He let the others talk.
"How far did you go?" Edward asked.
"All the way," Anne replied. "The dungeon ended at the 20th level."
Tristan added,
"Right. The predictions were right. It was definitely a rank D dungeon."
"And what kind of dungeon?"
"Dungeon," Elaria said.
"Dungeon infested with insects," Iris added, grimacing.
"Insects?" " said Edward, surprised. "It's rare, a dungeon based solely on creatures of this type."
"Usually we come across goblins, golems, sometimes even minotaurs," Tristan explained.
"And the rewards?" Edward finally asked.
It was then that Lys, who had remained silent until then, spoke.
"We found some sacred texts in a room. I'd like to deliver them to the church in the capital, if possible."
Edward nodded.
"What you found is yours. You can do with it as you wish."
"Thank you, Master Edward," said Lys, bowing slightly.
The discussion continued at length. Edward, increasingly curious, asked questions after questions, and the team answered as best they could. It lasted for hours.
At the end, Edward stood up:
"Thank you for this mission." I'm now going to notify the king to organize the dungeon's exploitation."
But the day was far from over.
As soon as the meeting was over, all the team members were called upon to write the official reports. Pages and pages to fill. Every adventurer's nightmare.
Except for Kyle.
Using his Void Veil, he completed a perfect report in a few minutes. It was of average quality, but with such speed, it's still impressive.
He then went to the counter and placed his document in front of Julie.
"I'm finished," he said simply.
Julie, surprised by his speed, had expected a sloppy job. But after reading it, she was astounded: everything was clear, structured, almost impeccable.
When she announced to the others that Kyle was finished, the entire team stared at him, mouths open.
"Already?!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Of course it's him," Anne sighed.
"He's not human," Iris muttered.
Kyle gave them a small wave and smiled.
"I'll wait for you afterward. And take your time."