CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 59: DISTORTED PATHS

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Ethan stood in the half-crumbled corridor, his back to the wall, hand resting lightly on his weapon. Lili stood beside him, reloading her crossbow with trembling fingers. Her breathing was shallow, but controlled — she was getting used to this.

But this wasn’t normal.

The Dungeon didn’t behave like this.

The monsters. The pressure. The darkness creeping in like a living thing. Everything felt... off.

He tightened his grip.

"This isn’t how it was supposed to go," he muttered.

Lili glanced at him. "Did you say something, Ethan-sama?"

He shook his head. "Just thinking."

Caution in the Deep

After that last wave of obsidian creatures — silent monsters that didn’t even drop magic stones — the entire expedition had pulled back slightly. They weren’t retreating yet, but every unit was on full alert. Even the Level 5 adventurers had their weapons drawn and eyes darting toward the darkness ahead.

Ethan observed the other groups from a distance. The top-tier adventurers from the Loki Familia were discussing strategy with Finn, Riveria, and Gareth. He could tell by their body language — tense, uncertain.

And he couldn’t blame them.

These monsters weren’t just mutated. They were something else.

Not born of the Dungeon, but inserted into it. Artificial.

Unnatural.

"Lili," he said quietly, eyes scanning the walls, "stay close. Don’t wander more than ten feet from me, no matter what."

She nodded quickly. "Understood."

The Gut Feeling

He hated this feeling.

Like something was wrong with reality itself.

He’d watched the anime. He knew the story. The arcs. The beats. But this?

None of this was ever part of the plot. Mutated bosses, shifting walls, obsidian humanoids, and now a massive door laced with runes and burning magic?

And the others didn’t know how to react — but Ethan did.

Because he was an anomaly.

"...Is it because of me?"

He exhaled slowly.

Did his arrival change something? Was this divergence from the timeline because he existed here? Did his presence disrupt the Dungeon’s balance?

Or... was this always hidden behind the scenes, just never shown?

"Damn it," he whispered.

Tension Between Ranks

He walked back toward the temporary command post set up near the expedition’s core. High-level adventurers were arguing.

"This is suicide if we keep going," a tall, heavily armored man from the Freya Familia spat.

"And if we back down now, the Dungeon might collapse on us anyway," countered someone from Loki Familia.

Ethan stood near the edge of the circle, arms folded, silent.

One man, a level 4, scoffed and nodded at Ethan. "And we’re trusting him now? A Level 2?"

Finn didn’t flinch. "He was the first to encounter the changes and live to tell the tale. His experience counts."

"Still, he’s just—"

"I’m right here," Ethan said flatly, stepping forward. "If you’ve got something to say, say it to me."

The man glared. "You don’t belong down here."

Ethan returned the look. "Neither do those monsters. But here we are."

The room fell silent.

Riveria raised a brow, then smirked faintly. Finn nodded once in approval.

Ais, standing near the back, watched Ethan quietly, lips curling slightly.

The Door Calls

The reports of the strange door had stirred a new kind of fear.

Some theorized it was a sealed chamber. Others whispered that it was a remnant of ancient gods, or a core piece of the Dungeon itself. But no one knew for sure.

And Ethan wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out.

But his instincts — those honed through life-and-death — told him something was waiting.

Something meant to wake up.

Lili’s Concern

Later, back at a resting alcove, Lili sat beside him, nursing her crossbow and checking her gear. She glanced over with concern.

"Ethan-sama... are you alright?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Just... thinking about the road ahead."

"...You look like you’re carrying something heavy."

He didn’t respond at first.

"I’ve got a bad feeling, Lili. That something’s watching. Waiting. And it’s not just the Dungeon."

Lili bit her lip. "You think we’ll get through it?"

He looked at her.

"We don’t have a choice."

Cliffhanger

The last thing Ethan saw before the end of their break was a flicker of light at the edge of the cavern.

Not a torch.

Not a magic stone.

A glowing eye.

Then it vanished.

He stood, drawing his blade.

"...It’s starting again."

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