A Glimpse of Reality

Ryuji and his party stood around Yumiko, who opened the golden chest. The first item that appeared seemed strange because it looked like a necklace with a small bloody axe attached to a crimson gemstone. 

The other rewards were just coins.

— [Blood Drinking Great Axe Pendant] (Growth Type - Level 1)

— 20 Silver coins

**

"Oh?" 

"Wow, what a pretty necklace!" 

Yumiko's eyes looked at the pendant and soon realised it might be like her necklace and special. No matter if its attributes looked weak right now. She believed it might grow to become a superb weapon for Ryuji.

"It's a magic item, not a necklace." Yumiko's eyes narrowed as she took it from the box and wrapped it around Ryuji's neck. 

He looked a little confused at her actions before his eyes suddenly glowed brightly. With the flick of his wrist, a massive black axe suddenly appeared with a loud wail as it cut through the air, almost tearing Ryo's body in half before slamming into the ground with a loud bang.

The long shaft was black, around 150cm long, with an enormous double-sided axe-head that was roughly 50cm in size with a blood-red edge that felt eerie and evil to look at, yet the ability that came with it suited Ryuji far too much.

"This is amazing, Yumiko. Can I really take it?" Ryuji asked.

"Of course. You literally killed the boss alone. Are you stupid?" Yumiko said, nodding with a bright smile.

"Alright! Sorry, I just got a bit excited. This axe is so cool."

He swung the axe repeatedly, a small gale of wind blowing each time he slashed and swept across his chest. However, the trio didn't realise that this weapon weighed more than double the iron axe.

That is probably why the requirement to wield this item, even at its weakest, was 22 strength.

Ryuji didn't want to keep the group too long, so he quickly placed his hand holding the axe to his chest before it vanished. However, there wasn't any sign of a necklace but a strange tattoo on his chest with the bloody axe at the centre.

"Shall we go?"

He noticed the strange gaze of Ryo. It felt a little strange that he suddenly feared him after being so close during the last dungeon attempt. It caused Ryuji to worry that he had done something wrong again.

"Let's go. I think we've earned a lot of money from this dungeon, and we still have another to clear before tomorrow." Akari nudged Ryo and tried to be pleasant to Ryuji and Yumiko despite her fear and bumps raised on the surface of her skin.

"Okay. Let's go," Ryuji said.

Ryuji remained quiet and inspected his new weapon. Since his party members were acting strangely, he followed Yumiko towards the exit.

As they walked through the cave, the sound of their footsteps and dripping water echoed out.

A reminder that the two people ahead of them wiped out the entire dungeon alone.

***

[Blood Drinking Great Axe Pendant] (Growth Type - Level 1)

— Chance on hit to drain the target blood, healing the wielder for a small portion of the damage dealt

— Armour Piercing Weapon

— Self Repairing

***

'I used my lifesaving card during the explosion; I feel so vulnerable right now.'

Ryuji thought to himself as they left the dungeon. The bright lights from the knights caused everyone to cover their eyes,

'I wonder how dangerous the other dungeon might be without a full party?'

Ryuji thought, looking at his hands while noticing Yumiko grasped his hand and gently squeezed them.

'Maybe it won't be so bad.'

'But what if I fail?'

He looked at the trio around him and suddenly noticed a sight in the corner of his eyes. It was such a strange sight that his mind tried to block it out. Yet Ryuji recognised the person being carried away with their chest ripped open.

'Shota? I think that was his name.'

This was the first time that Ryuji saw one of his classmates dead and realised that they could die in the dungeon. Ryuji felt everything was too game-like, and since it followed Alex's books and the stuff in his games, something in Ryuji's mind caused him to avoid the truth, even though he got wounded subconsciously. It was okay because he was a berserker and meant to suffer.

The reality of the situation made his mind blank.

'He died?'

Ryuji looked at the corpse and realised that it was a boy with a large wound across his chest. This wound was like the ones he received when fighting goblins and kobolds, except he healed, and this boy died.

"I see."

Though it shocked him for a moment, there seemed to be a different light in Ryuji's eyes after seeing the boy. Yumiko watched the entire thing; only a few moments passed, seconds, and you might miss the change. It was the flip of a switch that would change Ryuji forever.

'I just have to become stronger and fight harder.'

"Ryuji, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Yumiko—let's take a rest and decide if we will dive in the dungeon today or tomorrow."

'I am not normal... am I?'

He thought to himself as the party sat on a large bench and took out food and snacks, some prepared by the kingdom and others by Akari herself.

Ryuji wanted to go back to the dungeon now to fight monsters, kill them, and grow stronger. He also knew that if he did, he would discover the strange feelings and thoughts he had endured from the moment he turned thirteen.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"I am fine."

"Okay..."

Yumiko's soft voice trailed off, but the look in her eyes was concerned as she stared at him because his look wasn't calm, but the look of someone who was dying to fight.

The same look that she had seen on his face during the monster trap or when the kobold almost crushed his chest.

'That reminds me, I got a special tattoo from that guy...'

*****

Meanwhile, back in the castle barracks, where the knights gathered, Alan and several other knights were in their noble attire, relaxing and drinking wine together while speaking about various topics.

"Duke Alan, I heard the hero you support cleared another dungeon with just himself and a beast as the party!"

"Is it Knight Dan? I didn't know. That's good to hear. How about the hero you supported?"

The knight named Dan gave a grim look before shaking his head. "The useless garbage died this morning. I couldn't even remember his name, but the female party members died. There wasn't even a body to recover. The cowardly bastard suffered a single wound and then fled to the exit. But still bled out."

Alan sipped his wine, taking a moment to arrange his words, not wanting to upset his friend of many years.

"I see. Did they all die? If any survived, I can suggest a powerful and rather bizarre boy to take over as your tank."

"No, I'm afraid not. I lost the tank and rogue classes while the priestess survived, though the goblins cut her face, and she became useless while the witch became aggressive and didn't seem to trust men, or rather, who can blame her when that bastard I spent good money on just fled like a little coward. This batch of heroes is utterly rubbish."

"Well, it was to be expected."

Alan laughed before his smile vanished as he recalled something.

"Did you hear about the girl who got into a fight with the princess a few days ago? I hear she now serves as the number one girl in the lowest-class brothel in the city. 1 small copper a try."

"Hah, those heroes are trash, but there are some gems this time. Ryuji and the female swordsman at the hero's party. They work hard and train hard. It's a shame that they were put in different parties." Another knight pitched in, her face heroic, with a scar on her chin, but the other males gave her a respectful nod.

"Lady Anne, it's good to see you."

"Knight Anne, how are you doing?"

"Princess Anne, you shouldn't be here. What about your title as a princess of this kingdom?"

The beautiful woman looked identical to the lovely summoner who brought the students to this world, but more mature and with a battle-hardened face that lost her cute nature and became a mature beauty instead. "Peh, shut up, Dan and you, Greg! I want to hear more about those two you spoke well of, and I know Alan already praised the male. Is the girl worth training?"

"Yes, princess, although she looks like a cheeky wench. Her ethnicity towards training and battle is beyond a normal person. She transforms the moment she holds a sword."

"I see... What of the holy knight?"

Their conversation seemed simple, but it seemed under the surface some strange deals and trades were happening, especially between Princess Anne and Duke Alan.