The gates of Briar's Hollow had never felt this loud before.
Not because of noise. The town was actually quieter than usual, the normal bustle of merchants haggling and children running through the streets strangely muted. No, the gates felt loud because of attention. Heavy, disbelieving, almost reverent attention that pressed down on the returning group like an invisible spotlight.
Ryuji walked in like nothing had happened at all. Hands casually shoved into his pockets, posture loose and relaxed, expression calm and slightly bored as if he had just returned from a peaceful afternoon stroll through the woods instead of punching a corrupted Abyss dungeon core into oblivion while the entire place tried to swallow him alive. His clothes were still dusty and torn in places, but his stride carried that same easy confidence that made people do double-takes.
Behind him, the others followed at a slower pace—more visibly exhausted, more aware of the sheer weight of what they had just survived. Darek's massive frame looked heavier than usual, shoulders slightly slumped from the accumulated strain. Elrica walked with careful steps, clutching her staff like a crutch. Kaelina maintained her perfect posture, but the faint lines of fatigue around her eyes told the real story. Lumi hovered close to Ryuji's shoulder, unusually quiet but still radiating tiny sparks of leftover adrenaline.
The guards at the entrance froze the moment they saw them.
One of them—a grizzled veteran with a scar across his cheek—blinked slowly.
Then blinked again, as if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"…You're alive?" he finally managed, voice cracking with genuine shock.
Darek let out a tired, rumbling laugh that carried the exhaustion of ten men. "Good start. Really sets the tone."
The other guard stepped forward quickly, eyes scanning them up and down as if expecting to see missing limbs or gaping wounds that somehow weren't there. "The northern dungeon… it collapsed. We felt the tremors all the way here. Ground shook like the world was ending. No one thought anyone who went in that deep would—"
"We cleared it," Ryuji said simply, like he was announcing he'd finished his grocery list.
Silence crashed over the gate like a physical wave.
The guards stared, mouths slightly open.
Then one of them muttered under his breath, eyes wide with disbelief, "…What the hell."
---
Word spread faster than fire through dry grass.
By the time the group reached the guild hall, people were already whispering in clusters along the streets. Heads turned. Fingers pointed. Adventurers standing near the guild entrance cut their conversations off mid-sentence as their eyes locked onto the returning party. Some looked confused, like they couldn't process what they were seeing. Some looked relieved, shoulders sagging as if a collective weight had lifted. Others looked shaken, faces pale, because not everyone who had marched toward that dungeon had come back.
Ryuji noticed it immediately.
The empty seats inside the guild.
The missing faces at familiar tables.
The way the usual lively atmosphere wasn't lively at all—it was heavy, thick with unspoken grief and unanswered questions.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath, scanning the room. "Figures. Place feels different now."
Kaelina's expression tightened slightly as she walked beside him, her sharp eyes taking in the same details. "Other teams went in before us," she said quietly.
Darek nodded, his voice low and somber. "And not all of them made it."
Elrica lowered her gaze to the floor, fingers tightening around her staff until her knuckles whitened. The reality of it settled in quietly, a somber undercurrent beneath the relief of their own survival. They had made it. Others hadn't been so lucky.
---
"RYUJI!"
The voice cut through the heavy atmosphere like a blade.
Sharp.
Clear.
And very familiar.
Mira stood behind the guild counter, her usual composed, professional demeanor cracked just enough for raw urgency to slip through the professional mask. She moved around the desk quickly, her steps faster than her usual graceful stride, almost breaking into a half-run as she approached them.
Her eyes scanned him first.
Not the group.
Him.
From head to toe. Checking for injuries, for signs of the Abyss taint, for any proof that he was really standing there in one piece.
"…You're not injured," she said, her voice steadier now—but still carrying something deeper underneath it. Relief. Worry. Something warmer that she tried to hide behind efficiency.
Ryuji shrugged lightly, offering her that signature easy grin. "Told you I'd be fine."
"You did not tell me that," she snapped immediately, eyes flashing with a mix of exasperation and lingering fear. "You volunteered for a corrupted dungeon with unknown conditions and then disappeared for hours. Hours, Ryuji."
"Worked out."
"That is not how risk assessment works!"
Darek snorted quietly behind him, trying and failing to hide his amusement.
Lumi floated near Ryuji's shoulder, nodding vigorously. "See? I like her. She understands basic survival. Unlike some people who treat death like a suggestion."
Ryuji ignored both of them completely.
Mira stepped closer.
Closer than usual.
Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment longer than necessary, searching his expression, making absolutely sure he was standing there—alive, real, breathing. For a heartbeat, the professional guild receptionist disappeared, replaced by something far more personal.
"…You're really okay," she said, softer this time, almost a whisper.
Ryuji met her gaze steadily.
"Yeah."
Something in her shoulders eased.
Subtle.
But noticeable to everyone watching.
Kaelina noticed, her sharp eyes narrowing just a fraction.
Elrica noticed too, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips.
And neither of them said anything.
The moment stretched just long enough to feel electric before Mira caught herself.
---
Mira straightened quickly, clearing her throat as she forced her usual professional tone back into place like armor. "Report. Now. Everything. Don't leave out a single detail."
"Corrupted dungeon," Ryuji said simply. "Abyss influence. Core destroyed."
She froze mid-motion.
"…Say that again."
"We broke it."
Silence swallowed the entire guild hall.
Then—
"What?"
---
The guild erupted.
Voices overlapped in a chaotic storm of disbelief and awe.
"Did he just say they destroyed the core—?"
"No way—"
"That dungeon wiped two full teams—"
"They're lying, they have to be—"
Mira didn't react to the growing noise around them.
Her eyes remained locked on Ryuji, wide with a mixture of shock and something that looked almost like awe.
"…Explain," she said, voice low but demanding.
Kaelina stepped in this time, her tone controlled and precise as she laid out everything in careful detail—the corrupted monsters that thought and adapted, the overwhelming Abyss influence that twisted the very air, the massive Guardian, the living corrupted core, and how they had shattered it all while the dungeon tried to bury them alive.
As she spoke, the room grew quieter.
Not completely silent.
But close.
Because every word made the impossible sound more impossible.
Not better.
Worse.
The weight of what they had faced settled over the listeners like a blanket of ice.
---
When she finished—
Mira didn't speak immediately.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the sleeve of her uniform, the only outward sign of how deeply the story had affected her.
"…You destroyed an Abyss-corrupted dungeon core," she said slowly, tasting each word like it might bite her.
"Yes," Kaelina replied steadily.
"With four people."
"…Yes."
Mira looked at Ryuji again.
Not like before.
Not just concern.
Something else had settled in now.
Recognition.
Respect.
A flicker of something deeper that made her cheeks warm just slightly.
"…Of course you did," she murmured, almost to herself.
Ryuji smirked, that cocky grin flashing bright. "You sound surprised."
"I am," she said honestly, meeting his eyes.
Then added, quieter, almost affectionate—
"…And not surprised at all."
---
A groan came from the side of the room, breaking the charged moment.
Everyone turned.
Two groups of adventurers sat nearby—both clearly injured, though in very different states.
The first group—four battle-worn members—looked worn down but steady, bandages applied poorly, movements slow but controlled. They watched Ryuji's group with open curiosity and something warmer. Respect. Genuine respect earned through shared survival.
One of them—a middle-aged swordsman with a scarred face and kind eyes—gave a tired but sincere smile. "So you're the ones who cleared it, huh? The ones who actually finished what we started."
Darek nodded respectfully. "Yeah. We got lucky."
The man chuckled weakly, wincing as the motion pulled at his injuries. "Good. Means that nightmare's finally over. Thank the gods."
Elrica stepped forward slightly, concern softening her features. "Are you okay? Your wounds…"
"We'll live," he said, waving it off with a grimace. "Barely. But we'll live."
---
The second group was… different.
Six members.
Better gear.
Better armor.
Better everything money could buy.
And far worse attitudes.
At their center sat a young man draped in expensive, ornate equipment, his posture relaxed but his expression twisted with clear irritation and entitlement. His blond hair was perfectly styled despite everything, and his sharp eyes narrowed with disdain as they locked onto Ryuji.
"…So you're the one," he said, voice dripping with contempt.
Ryuji glanced at him casually. "One what?"
"The one stealing attention," the man replied coldly, leaning back like he owned the room. "Parading around like you're some kind of hero after we did the real work."
Lumi floated closer, rolling her eyes. "Oh great. One of these. The 'my daddy's rich' special."
Ryuji smirked. "You sound upset."
"I don't like frauds taking credit for things they didn't do," the man continued, ignoring the jab entirely.
The room tensed slightly, the air growing thick with potential conflict.
Darek frowned deeply, hand twitching toward his greatsword. "Watch it."
Kaelina's hand moved subtly toward her sword hilt, ready.
But Ryuji—
Just sighed, completely unfazed.
"…You failed, didn't you?" he said casually, like commenting on the weather.
The man's expression darkened instantly, face flushing with rage.
"That dungeon was abnormal—"
"Yeah," Ryuji cut in smoothly. "We noticed."
A few quiet chuckles spread through the room, lightening the heavy atmosphere just a little.
The man's jaw tightened until it looked painful. "You think you're funny?"
"I think you're loud," Ryuji replied with a lazy shrug. "There's a difference."
---
Mira stepped in sharply, her voice cutting through like a whip. "Enough. This is not the place—"
Ryuji raised a hand slightly, calm as ever. "Relax. I'm not fighting him."
The man scoffed loudly. "Good. You'd lose."
Ryuji tilted his head.
Then smiled, slow and dangerous.
"…You already did."
---
Silence.
Heavy. Electric.
The man's face flushed deeper with humiliated anger.
But he didn't respond.
Because he couldn't.
The truth hung in the air like smoke.
---
Ryuji turned away.
Completely uninterested.
Then glanced toward the injured group with genuine concern.
"…You guys need help?"
The kind group blinked in surprise.
The swordsman nodded slowly, hope flickering in his tired eyes. "If you've got something, we won't refuse. We're pretty banged up."
The rival group's leader scoffed loudly from across the room. "We don't need handouts from frauds."
Ryuji didn't even look at him.
"Good for you."
---
He turned.
And walked toward the stairs without another word.
Mira frowned slightly, watching his back. "Where are you going?"
"My room."
"For what?"
Ryuji glanced back over his shoulder, that mischievous spark in his eyes.
"…Gonna try something."
---
The room buzzed quietly with speculation as he disappeared upstairs.
Darek leaned back against a table, arms crossed. "…What's he planning now?"
Lumi crossed her arms, sighing dramatically. "Something stupid. It's always something stupid."
Kaelina watched the stairs silently.
Curious.
Thoughtful.
Elrica tilted her head slightly, a small hopeful smile forming. "Something helpful, I think…"
Mira didn't say anything.
But her eyes didn't leave the stairs either. The worry from earlier had shifted into something warmer, something that made her heart beat just a little faster.
---
Upstairs, Ryuji closed the door behind him with a soft click.
Then immediately summoned the system with a focused thought.
"…Alright," he muttered to the empty room, cracking his knuckles. "Let's test this."
The search bar appeared in his vision, glowing softly.
He typed with deliberate focus:
"First aid kit."
For a brief second—
Nothing happened.
Tension hung in the air.
Then—
The system flickered.
---
[Item Found]
Advanced First Aid Kit (Enhanced) – 25 Copper
Effect: Healing efficiency increased by 20x
---
Ryuji blinked.
Then grinned wide, excitement surging through him.
"…No way."
A shimmer of light appeared in his hands.
And the item materialized.
A compact, modern-looking kit.
Clean.
Organized.
Completely, hilariously out of place in this medieval fantasy world.
"…Yeah," he muttered, turning it over in his hands. "This is broken. Beautifully broken."
---
He returned downstairs.
And immediately—
Every eye in the guild turned.
Because what he was holding…
Made absolutely no sense to anyone there.
---
"What is that?" Elrica asked, blinking rapidly as she leaned forward.
Darek leaned in too, squinting. "…That looks weird. Like some kind of fancy box."
The swordsman from the kind group tilted his head. "Is that… a medical box? Never seen one like that."
Ryuji crouched down beside them without hesitation. "Something like that."
He opened the kit with a satisfying click.
Inside—
Bandages.
Disinfectant.
Gauze.
Clean tools.
Precise instruments.
All unfamiliar. All impossibly advanced.
One of the injured members picked up a small bottle curiously. "…Potion?"
Ryuji grabbed it instantly, gentle but firm. "Don't drink that."
"…What?"
"That's not how it works."
---
He got to work.
Quick.
Efficient.
Almost graceful in his movements.
Cleaning wounds with careful precision.
Applying treatments that stung for a second before bringing blessed relief.
Wrapping injuries properly with practiced hands.
The reactions were immediate.
Visible.
Miraculous.
The wounds didn't just stabilize—
They healed.
Fast.
Skin closing over gashes.
Pain fading from faces.
Color returning to pale cheeks.
The group stared in stunned silence.
"…What… is this?" one of them whispered, voice filled with awe.
Ryuji shrugged casually, like it was nothing. "Basic stuff."
"Basic?!" the swordsman echoed, eyes wide.
---
The swordsman looked at him seriously, gratitude shining in his eyes. "We'll pay you for this. Whatever it costs."
Ryuji closed the kit with a snap.
Then simply handed the entire thing to him.
"Keep it."
The man blinked, stunned. "…What?"
"You guys seem decent," Ryuji said with a small smile. "That's enough."
Silence fell again, thick with emotion.
Then—
"…Thank you," the man said quietly, voice thick. "Truly."
---
Behind them—
Kaelina watched the entire scene unfold.
Something in her expression softened, a rare warmth breaking through her usual stoic mask.
Elrica smiled brightly, eyes misty.
Darek chuckled deeply. "Yeah… that's him. Always full of surprises."
Lumi crossed her arms, trying to look annoyed but failing. "…You're annoyingly good sometimes."
---
Mira stood near the counter the whole time.
Watching.
Quietly.
Her gaze lingered on Ryuji longer than before, tracing the way he moved, the easy confidence mixed with unexpected kindness.
And this time—
There was no confusion in it.
Only something growing.
Slow.
Unspoken.
But very real.
---
Across the room—
The rival leader watched too.
His expression dark.
Cold.
Calculating.
His fists clenched beneath the table.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath, eyes burning with resentment.
"This isn't over."
---
Ryuji didn't hear him.
Didn't care.
He stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders with that familiar relaxed energy.
Grinning.
"…Alright," he muttered to himself.
"Now that was a good day."
And somehow—
It was only the beginning.