Shadow Monarch: Heroines Could Hear My Thoughts?!

Chapter 25- Lava Mansion (Part 2)

"A-Aghh…" A quiet groan escaped Rin's mouth as he tried to open his eyes. His mind was still in shambles after what happened and he could barely even remember what got him into this situation.

Forcing his eyes open, he gazed at the place he was in with much confusion. His groggy mind had to take a few seconds to register what was going on so his reaction was very late.

"W-Where am I?" He muttered under his breath.

The place he was in seemed to be a dim room. The reason he thought it was a room even though he could barely see anything was because of the map on the side of his eye vision.

There, just right under the red dot which indicated his position was the word 'Bedroom' written in capital letters.

However, even with that much information thrown at him, he still didn't comprehend what was actually going on.

'Did I exit the dungeon?' He asked himself yet he surprisingly got an answer from the system.

[No.]

'Then where the fuck am I?' He asked back with even more irritation than he usually has when he speaks with the system. The fact that he was in an unknown place made him feel on the edge.

[This is another dungeon you were dragged into, host. D-Rank dungeon: Lava Mansion.]

Blinking his eyes a few times, Rin asked back.

"Can you repeat that?"

[You're inside the D-Rank dungeon: Lava Mansion.]

"What the fuck?!!!" His voice came out high-pitched from the deep shock.

But, Rin quickly noticed his blunder and calmed down his emotions. After that, he asked.

"Why am I inside a D-Rank dungeon, system?"

[Do you want the long or the short explanation, host?]

"The short one for now."

[Your powers and heritage are the reason for this occurrence.]

"Do you mean the shadow monarch heritage?"

[Exactly. Since every dungeon in this world is more or less linked directly toward you, host. They deemed your talent and capabilities to be way above that G-Rank dungeon.]

"Why would it even try to force me inside another dungeon?"

[It's because your inheritance itself wants you to become as strong as possible in as little time as possible.]

"Why is that?"

[No answer can be given.]

"Ugh, great!" He scratched the back of his head with a frown.

'Whatever, shit like this can happen, I guess. I can just exit this place now and it will all be good and dandy.'

Then, Rin thought of the word 'exit' in his head and waited for the portal that will get him out of there to appear. But, seconds passed with nothing happening. His relaxed face frowned again and he glared at the system.

[You can't exit this place, host.]

"Why?"

[You have to clear this dungeon to be able to leave.]

"Are you dumb? How do you expect me to clear this dungeon with my level of power? I had trouble fighting a G-Rank dungeon boss and you want me to clear a dungeon many times harder than that?"

[It's not my decision, host. Your powers have deemed this as a fitting way for you to become way stronger, way quicker.]

"I will fucking die."

[I don't think that your inheritance could try to kill you, host. It is very hard indeed but looking at the facts, it seems that you are somehow capable of pulling this off.]

"What in the hell is that logic?"

Rin's frustration grew as he found his situation direr and direr the more he thought about it. He was stuck inside an extremely dangerous place with no way of escaping except for beating everyone there.

To add fuel to the fire, his mana pool was still recovering and he was very exhausted from the previous fight with the dungeon boss. Can it even get any worse than it already was?

"Ah! I'm totally dead. For fuck's sake, I didn't even live in this world for a week and I'm already about to die."

[Look at the bright side, host.]

"What bright side? If getting killed brutally inside a dark shithole is a bright side then oh I'm looking straight at it!"

[You have the opportunity to be able and get stronger. If you come to clear this dungeon, your prowess will jump by leaps and bounds.]

"..."

[Instead of taking months and months to reach the level of strength that will allow you to start your journey to the top, you can get that same level of power in way less time. Remember, the bigger the risk, the higher the reward.]

"Your convincing methods are garbage, system."

[I can feel that you are more or less convinced by my shitty convincing methods, host.]

"Sigh, that's because I have no other choice but to do something. If I stay here, I will probably die from hunger or something. That's not something that I will allow myself to do."

Recalling the image of the people he loved with all of his heart, his fear twisted slightly to become a strong determination… determination to reach the top and get them back. He was still scared but he was sure that he won't let that feeling stop him from at least trying.

Dying in a corner inside a dark dungeon is akin to spitting in the face of his family and mocking his own love for them.

'My inheritance will try and send me to my death? Fuck that! I will definitely become as tenacious as a cockroach and get out alive. My chances are slim! Fine, as long as they are not zero, I will find a way to escape.'

Well, that was what a hot-blooded protagonist in a shitty half-assed novel would say. However, Rin wasn't that type of person. He was ambitious and determined but he knew full well that mere ambition and determination won't save his ass when he get screwed by a D-Rank monster. This wasn't a novel… This was the real world.

So, he had another approach to this situation. He knew his chances are almost zero so he could only give his best and hope for the best.

He had to carve into his mind that death was his most probable outcome in this situation and that he had nothing else as a choice. Even though many would think that this negative mindset will make his chances even slimmer.

But, the truth is, this made his fear lessen and his desire to live and get out even stronger than ever. As unfair as this situation was, he could only deal with it as it was and then complain later.

[I respect your way of thinking, host. I am sure that you will be able to do great things after you get out of this alive.]

'Keep the half-assed encouraging words to yourself, system. I know that you know that I am probably dead.'

[I can't deny that. You are most likely as dead as a pig in a slaughterhouse, host.]

Hearing the system's words, Rin laughed out loudly for some reason. He found it weirdly funny that the system bluntly said that he was fucked.

"What the hell!! Hahahaha!! I don't even know why I'm laughing at this joke!!" He muttered as he tried to stifle his laughs.

[That's because I'm funny, host.]

"You did make me feel better, system. I can give you that at least. Thank you."

[I will always be there beside you to mock you, host.]

Rin shook his head and then focused on his surroundings again to get a clearer idea of the place. After spending some time in the dark, he could finally see clearly now.

The room wasn't big. It was definitely smaller than his real room. But, it was by no means any less luxurious. In fact, looking at it generally, the room was better than this room in the Silvereye mansion.

Aside from the bed he was laying on, there was a closet, and a big table in the corner with a piece of paper on it. Just beside that piece of paper was an old quill pen. (For those who don't know what a quill pen is… It's a feather with a pointy end that can be dipped in ink to write with.)

There was also a smaller table beside the bed with a vase on it. The plant inside the vase was long dead and what was left of it was only grey and dry parts.

There were no windows in the room so he couldn't take a look outside.

But, even though the room was neat, it was by no means comfortable. In fact, Rin was feeling the hair on his body standing up from time to time. The same feeling someone would have inside a house filled with ghosts and paranormal activity.

'Is this really a dungeon? It feels more like some kind of haunted house.'

[It's called 'Lava Mansion' for a reason. The word 'Mansion' describes it very well in my opinion, host.]

'Stop interrupting my thought process with your witty remarks. I want to build up some kind of plan.'

[...]

'Good.' He nodded his head and stood up from the bed.

Before he thinks about leaving the room, he needed to check his stats and other things first. They were his only way of increasing his pitiful chances of getting out alive.

(A//N/ I wanted to ask but is the pacing of the story decent? If you think it's slow or boring then do tell me please.)

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Thanks for reading. Any support you give me is always appreciated no matter how small it was. Let's all keep it up :)