The entrance to the fifth floor felt completely different the moment Yash and May stepped inside. The air turned heavy and suffocating, as if the dungeon itself was warning them not to go further. The light was dim, the ground uneven, and an unnatural silence surrounded them. Even May, who rarely hesitated, felt a slight tension in her chest.
May: "We should have brought Igna."
Yash walked forward calmly without slowing down.
Yash: "No. It's too dangerous."
May didn't argue. She knew he was right, but that didn't make it easier to accept.
Back on the fourth floor, Igna stood near the entrance, watching the path where they had disappeared. His fists were clenched tightly. He understood why they left him behind, but it still frustrated him.
(I'm still not strong enough…)
Hena gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
Hena: "They'll be fine."
Igna nodded slightly, but his eyes didn't move away from the darkness ahead.
Meanwhile, deep inside the fifth floor, Yash and May moved forward cautiously. The monsters here were far stronger. The pressure in the air alone was enough to slow down weaker adventurers. Suddenly, an iron golem emerged from the shadows, its massive body blocking their path. Without hesitation, it attacked.
Yash stepped forward.
The fight lasted only a moment.
One clean movement, one precise strike, and the golem split apart. The pieces crashed onto the ground, and silence returned instantly.
May didn't react much. She had already accepted that Yash was on a completely different level.
They continued moving deeper until Yash suddenly stopped.
May noticed immediately.
May: "What is it?"
Yash didn't turn back. His voice remained calm.
Yash: "We mean no harm."
Silence followed.
Heavy and tense.
Then a presence appeared.
From the darkness ahead, a figure stepped forward. A girl. Her aura was sharp and cold, carrying a pressure that made even May instinctively tighten her grip on her weapon.
She looked at them without fear.
Girl: "You found me."
May stepped slightly forward, ready to fight at any moment.
Yash remained calm.
Yash: "You're the one killing people."
The girl didn't deny it.
Girl: "Yes."
The air became heavier.
May: "Why?"
The girl's expression didn't change, but her eyes carried something deeper.
Girl: "Because they deserved it."
May's eyes narrowed.
May: "Explain."
The girl crossed her arms, her voice steady.
Girl: "The rampage on the second floor and the giant skeleton… both were caused by them."
A short silence followed.
Girl: "They were experimenting with dungeon energy, trying to control it."
Her gaze hardened slightly.
Girl: "They caused everything."
May's grip tightened as the realization sank in.
Yash stayed silent for a moment before speaking again.
Yash: "Your name."
The girl looked directly at him.
Sele: "Sele."
A brief pause.
Sele: "SSS rank. Rank 34."
Even May felt the pressure increase slightly.
Sele continued without hesitation.
Sele: "I killed them. And I would do it again."
Her voice didn't shake.
There was no regret.
Only certainty.
Silence filled the space again as Yash closed his eyes briefly, thinking. When he opened them, his decision was clear.
Yash: "Join us."
May turned toward him in surprise.
May: "Yash—"
But she stopped when she saw his expression. He was serious.
Sele looked at him carefully.
Sele: "You're asking me to join you?"
Yash: "Yes."
He stepped forward slightly.
Yash: "You don't kill without reason."
A pause.
Yash: "We need people like that."
Sele stared at him for a moment. The silence stretched, heavy and uncertain.
Then she turned slightly.
Sele: "…Fine."
May blinked in surprise.
Sele: "I'll join."
Just like that, the decision was made.
The atmosphere shifted.
A killer had now become part of their team.