CHAPTER 44: HIDDEN DOUNGEN [5]

"Not... yet...!"

I gritted my teeth and shouted, forcing my arms to hold steady.

The edges of the mirror began to glow, warping slightly under the heat, but it was still holding—just barely.

"Come on, just a little more...!"

Summoning every ounce of strength left in my body, I shifted my weight and tilted the mirror ever so slightly.

The reflected beam began to move—slowly, steadily—following the mirror’s angle.

ZEEENG—!

The laser cut across the chamber like a blazing blade. I could hear metal sizzling, stone cracking.

And then—

BANG!

A massive explosion rocked the entire basement, shaking the walls and sending waves of dust through the air.

The heat vanished.

The vibration stopped.

And all that followed was silence.

My breathing came out ragged, my arms numb and scorched.

Then—

THUD!

The sound of something enormous collapsing echoed through the chamber.

Panting, I lowered the mirror and peeked over its edge.

The golem lay motionless on the floor, its massive frame crumpled and its head completely blown off.

Only after confirming it wasn’t moving did I finally let out a shaky breath and toss the still-hot mirror to the ground. The Dream Orb flickered, returning to its original transparent form as the mana connection between us faded.

"...Shit."

The pain hit me all at once. My whole body screamed in agony, every muscle twitching from exhaustion. My hands burned, the skin stinging as if I’d gripped a brand of fire.

Still, beneath all that pain, a strange sense of satisfaction pulsed through me. The thrill of surviving. The rush of victory.

For a moment, I just stood there, swaying on my feet. I wanted nothing more than to collapse right here and let the cold stone floor take me.

But I couldn’t—not yet.

Forcing my legs to move, I staggered toward the golem’s remains. The sight of it up close was... gruesome. Its head was gone, and its steel body was full of cracks and scorch marks.

I crouched beside it, peering into the gaping hole in its chest.

"Hm...?"

Inside was a maze of glowing mana circuits carved neatly into the steel, intertwined with dozens of small magic stones embedded in the structure. It looked like some strange hybrid between a machine and a magical artifact.

The outside screamed robot, but the inside—pure magic engineering.

"Why make it look like a robot if it’s just a golem inside...?" I muttered, rubbing my temple. "Whatever the author was thinking, I’m not even gonna try to understand."

Sighing, I started rummaging through the wreckage. Maybe it had something useful left. Anything that could make all this pain worth it.

After a few minutes of searching—

"Ah! Damn, that’s hot!"

I flinched back, nearly dropping the piece I’d just touched. My fingertips burned. Gritting my teeth, I leaned in to see what it was.

Inside the golem’s chest, I spotted the source of the heat.

"The weapon..." I whispered.

The same device that had been firing those laser blasts at me moments ago was still embedded in the golem’s chest, glowing faintly red from the heat.

Carefully, I waited until the metal’s glow began to fade, then pried it free.

It was surprisingly small—barely the size of my palm—and lighter than I expected. Smooth, compact, and pulsing with a faint trace of mana.

I turned the object over in my hand, watching the faint traces of light flicker and dance across its surface.

It definitely wasn’t made of any ordinary mineral. The strange texture and subtle hum of mana hinted at something valuable.

Thinking I might be able to sell it for a decent price later, I slipped it into my pocket without hesitation.

"Is this all the loot?" I muttered to myself as I crouched beside the fallen golem.

After a bit more searching, I managed to find two additional items.

One was a small, metallic bracelet lodged near the golem’s chest—right where the laser cannon had been. Faint traces of mana seeped from it, almost pulsing like a heartbeat.

"This must be the item the bookmark mentioned..."

The one that boosts mana.

My body felt heavy, my head throbbed, and my mana reserves were completely drained.

Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to slap the bracelet onto my wrist immediately and feel even a fraction of my energy return.

But after everything that had happened today, I wasn’t about to make another reckless mistake.

"Let’s play it safe... play it safe," I muttered under my breath.

I tucked the bracelet away carefully, deciding to test it with the bookmark later before using it.

The second object was far more intriguing—

"A dungeon core."

It was a small, cubic crystal that had been embedded in the golem’s chest, glowing faintly like a dying ember. This was both its heart and its power source.

It must’ve been maintaining the entire dungeon, functioning like a mana reactor.

Holding it up to the dim light, I admired its eerie beauty for a brief moment before sighing.

"...Well, there’s no point keeping this around."

I tightened my grip.

CRACK!

The core shattered instantly, crumbling into fine shards that scattered across the floor. The moment it broke, a wave of mana surged outward, brushing past my skin like a gust of wind.

I blinked—and suddenly, the dungeon was gone.

The stale air of the abandoned building returned, the walls cracked and dust-filled as if nothing had ever happened.

"...Finally."

My body screamed with exhaustion. Every step felt like dragging iron chains.

"I just... want to rest."

By the time I reached the dormitory, my legs were barely cooperating.

The moment I opened the door, a panicked voice greeted me.

"Young master?!? What on earth—!!"

Berno’s eyes widened in pure horror at the sight of my dirt-covered clothes and soot-streaked face.

"Shut up, Berno," I muttered, waving a weak hand. "I’m going to sleep. Wake me up in the morning."

"But young master—"

I didn’t even hear the rest. My body hit the bed before he could finish, and consciousness slipped away like sand through my fingers.

The last thing I heard was Berno’s anxious voice fading into the distance.

"Y-young master...?"

Then—silence.