Deranged Writer's Afterword

I enter the portal without hesitation.

I was even more calm since I've already prepared more than enough.

During the last five months, I've been training for this test by entering many F-rank dungeons, of course it was illegal for an underage child to enter a dungeon no matter the rank but when you have the green…..you don't have to worry.

I even took Lecia on a few of them.

Of course, I hired more than capable people to protect me if something went wrong. I tried my luck with a basic goblin dungeon which had a hob goblin as it's boss. I closed it within five days…..it was extremely easy so I wasn't all that worried for this one.

After entering the portal, we were greeted by a lush forest. In the goblin dungeon the habitat was a desert so it was more easier in a sense...but I had anticipated this. I just have to be a little more careful.

" It's like a whole other world, huh ?", Jennifer says looking around in admiration.

" Be alert.....there's no telling when the monsters will attack.", I warn her remembering my experience.

Jennifer nods her head and we plunge into the bowels of the deep forest.

~~~~

Katherine and Emilia were surrounded.

It had been just five minutes since they entered the dungeon.

" This doesn't look good...", Emilia said kicking a small wolf like creature away.

The creature by itself wasn't that difficult to deal with but getting surrounded by a horde of them was an entirely different story.

Emilia and Katherine stick close to each other as the wolfs closed in on them.

" What should we do ?", Emilia asked in a panic.

Katherine had been behaving strangely since a while ago, to be more exact since they had been cornered.

" Emilia....could you close your eyes for a second ?"

" Huh ?....wh-", Emilia stopped speaking as she saw the serious expression on Katherine's face.

" Alright then...", she said deciding to put her trust in her friend.

Emilia closed her eyes and for a second there was silence-

until howls of pain could be heard..... a loud 'bam' could also be heard once in a while.

" What the fuc--", Emilia said opening her eyes and gazing at the view in front of her with surprise and shock.

~~~~

'Swish'

'Swish'

'Swish'

Eric used three of his arrows to instantly kill three monsters.

" Woahhh.....you're amazing.", said Bob, clapping his hands.

Bob was Eric's teammate.

Hearing Bob, Eric frowned.

Bob hadn't done anything till now so it was only natural that Eric was a little angry.

'Just twenty more minutes to go...', Eric thought nocking another arrow.

~~~~

" What....was that ?", Emilia asked Katherine, who looked visibly drained.

" It's.....a...skill.", Katherine managed to say, struggling to breathe properly.

After Katherine dealt with the monsters using her 'skill', she had fallen down completely exhausted and Emilia had carried her to another area in the large forest that looked safe.

" I can use it only for five minutes.....and I can't even move after...so I'm pretty much useless now."

Emilia took out the shining blue stone and said,

" Should we use the return stone ?"

" No...we only have five more minutes to go....why don't we start heading back...slowly."

The both of them start walking back as that was their best option.

~~~~

" Let's head back.", Eric said to Bob, who was hiding behind him.

" Sure thing, boss."

-and just like that....they too started heading back.

~~~~

" I think we should head back now.", Lecia said after they had made considerable progress.

" If you say so.", Max said slicing another monster's head in a clean slice.

They start heading back as well.

~~~~

" Why don't we head back now ?", Jennifer asked looking tired.

" Hell no.", I say, scoffing at Jennifer.

I had lost count of the number of these things I had burned....I was starting to feel a little bit of fatigue as well but I won't stop until I'm completely exhausted.

After another hour, I finally reach the point where I couldn't move.

We were in a clearing right now....

In front of us, there was menacing cave that was most probably where the boss was hiding...

" You may have to carry me back.", I say falling down on my knees, tired.

I had used the [Hell Fire] skill closely for more than three hours....I don't know what the criteria for exhaustion was but I was surely feeling it.

"Jennifer ?", I say when she doesn't respond.

" What's going o-", I try to speak but a sharp pain hit my shoulder.

What was it ?....a monster ?

Is Jennifer okay ?

I look down to find a dagger piercing me from behind.....a lot of my blood was flowing from my fresh wound...but that dagger...it belonged to Jennifer...that shouldn't be possible.

I turn around to find her behind me with an expressionless face...she drove the dagger deeper into my shoulder making it much more painful.

" ARGHHHHHHH", I screamed unable to think.

Yet...I voiced out the only thought in my mind,

" W-why ?"

~~~~