7.

[Entered the Noisy Toy Castle.]

[Difficulty: SS Rank (Rare)]

Looking around, I realized that my companions had vanished. We had been together until we knocked on the gates of the Toy Castle and stepped inside the dungeon, but now I was alone.

It was rare—no, it was the first time—I had entered a rare dungeon alone. Even after the transportation ended and the light faded, I had to take a moment to steady my emotions. But soon, someone spoke to me, stealing my attention.

“Aren’t you… Lady Krueger?”

A familiar face called out to me in surprise and relief. He stood huddled with others in a damp, narrow prison cell reeking of mustiness. As soon as he saw me appear in the same cell, he rushed toward me.

Where had I seen him before? The answer came to me quickly.

“Seika… is that you?”

“That’s right. I’m Seika Ail. So, you do remember me. Our first meeting was quite eventful.”

I had tried to forget that memory, but now it resurfaced. Back then, at the Rixan Temple, we had exchanged names—right before I ended up exposing the kiss marks on my shoulder and neck.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who remembered, as Seika’s face and neck turned bright red, even in this dim light.

“….”

“Ahem!”

In the awkward atmosphere, Seika let out a series of exaggerated coughs before changing the subject.

“Are you here to clear the dungeon? Meeting like this… what an incredible twist of fate.”

…Was this really such a fateful reunion?

Seika continued rambling about ‘our destiny’ for quite some time before finally introducing me to the others, who had been quietly observing.

“This is Lady Krueger. We had a brief encounter before, and now we’ve met again here.”

What kind of phrasing was that? It sounded as if we had some significant connection when, in reality, we had none.

Setting Seika aside, the other three individuals extended their hands for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Krueger. Let’s work together until we clear the dungeon.”

“Work together?”

“Yes. Those who enter the same prison cell form a team…”

“I’ll explain that, as someone who’s cleared this dungeon before.”

Seika cut in, drawing everyone’s attention. The man who had been speaking didn’t seem to mind and simply looked at him.

“I’m probably the only one here with experience in this dungeon. So let me explain. The Toy Castle has a total of six prison cells—three in this underground area and three at the very top floor. Those cells are the starting points. The dungeon randomly assigns five people per cell, making them a team. Teams must compete against each other while moving through the castle, ultimately defeating the boss in the middle floors.”

Five people per team… Since there were already four here, my arrival must have filled the last slot for this cell.

I had already heard a rough explanation of this dungeon from my party, even if not in such detail. Still, I had assumed at least one of them would end up with me. The fact that I was completely alone made me wonder if I had been too optimistic.

But since things had already turned out this way, I wanted to make the most of it and prove myself.

Fifteen days—that was how long the “Level Up Aine” operation had lasted. I wanted to show the results of everything they had taught me in real combat. Since my party had entered the dungeon as well, they were probably in one of the other prison cells. If I kept clearing the dungeon, I would eventually run into them.

“Let’s get out of the prison first.”

Following Seika’s lead, our “team” rushed out of the cell.

“Looks like the others already went ahead.”

The underground prison had two more cells aside from ours, but both were empty with their doors wide open. Seika shook his head as if telling us not to worry.

“Leaving the prison early just means facing more monsters. Everyone will gather at the middle floors eventually, so there’s no need to waste our strength before then.”

“As expected from Seika Ail, the pride of the Marquis Ail family. We’ll rely on you, Seika.”

“Haha. This is nothing.”

The staircase leading up to the surface was long. As Seika chatted leisurely with the others, he glanced at me.

“Still, you’re quite fearless. Entering an SS-rank rare dungeon alone…”

“Oh, I actually had a party, but we got separated when we entered.”

“Your party… could it be…?”

“Hm?”

“T-that time… the way you… did that…”

Seika’s face turned red again, as if recalling something embarrassing.

“Ahem! Ah, it’s nothing. More importantly, Lady Krueger, you were quite lucky. You ended up in my cell, after all. I had a party too, but unfortunately, we got separated.”

Was that… really lucky? I didn’t know how strong Seika was, but if I were truly lucky, I wouldn’t have ended up alone. At least one of my companions—Kelian, Seiris, Jenin, Dain, or Barkrud—would have been here with me. Any one of them could have cleared this dungeon with ease, the way they took down rare dungeon bosses as effortlessly as hunting beginner-tier Torongs. The memory of them doing so still amazed me.

“By the way, does everyone here already have a party? If not, we should form a temporary one. We’re allies anyway.”

As we neared the exit to the surface, Seika made the suggestion. I had been carefully watching my step, making sure not to trip in the darkness, when he suddenly stopped ahead of me.

“Teaming up with Seika? It would be an honor.”

“I feel the same.”

“So do I…”

The other three immediately accepted the proposal. I had noticed it earlier—Seika’s noble status as a marquis’ son seemed to carry considerable weight.

Well, it made sense. In my hometown, the most powerful person was the lord of Three-Seasons Castle, but a marquis of the empire was far more influential. Thinking about it that way, it was easy to understand why the others were eager to get close to him. Who wouldn’t want to be on good terms with a noble family of such high standing?

[Seika Ail has invited you to a party. Will you accept?]

[Yes/No]

Just then, a party invitation notification appeared before me.

“As Lady Krueger and I share a special bond, I’ll give you a gift to commemorate our party formation. It’s an item I received from the Mermaid Dungeon.”

Seika didn’t seem to consider the possibility that I might refuse his invitation. If I didn’t already have a party, I wouldn’t have rejected it. But I was part of Kelian’s party, so I couldn’t accept.

I hesitated for a moment before subtly pressing “No.”

“…Did you just decline?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

“W-why?”

Seika’s voice trembled slightly. Was this really that shocking?

“I’m already in a party. My teammates are in this dungeon too, so I can’t just leave them.”

I had once left the party before, only to see Kelian looking dejected. Ever since then, I hadn’t even considered quitting again. Still, aside from my teammates and Malri, this was the first time someone else had invited me to a party. That alone made me appreciate Seika’s gesture.

“Thank you for the invitation, though.”

With an apologetic smile, I stepped past him and continued up the stairs. When I finally reached the red door at the top, I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned back.

“Shall I open it?”

“…Ah, yes.”

Seika, still shaken from my refusal, barely managed a response. The others, seemingly waiting for his decision, simply nodded beside him.

Creak.

With a chilling creak, the door swung open. The red door spat us out into a corridor before slamming shut with another eerie screech—then it vanished entirely. In its place, there was now only a solid wall, making any return to the underground prison impossible. Not that we had any reason to go back.

“Aaaaargh!”

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the corridor.

Seika and the others, finally snapping to attention, immediately sprinted toward the source of the sound.

“Aine, follow me!”

Seika gestured for me to come along as he ran down the hallway. He had slipped into calling me by my first name… but this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. I wasn’t particularly opposed to it anyway, and given the urgency of the situation, I had no intention of correcting him. Without hesitation, I rushed after them.

The dimly lit corridor was lined with paintings on both walls. Every single one of them depicted human faces, making the atmosphere even more unsettling. A smiling woman, a crying man, a smiling man, a crying woman, a smiling child, a crying elder, a smiling elder, a crying child… The faces were all different, yet the expressions felt eerily similar.

“Damn it, there are more than last time…”

Seika muttered as he ran ahead. More than last time? Did that mean the number of paintings had increased since the last time he cleared this dungeon? I glanced at the portraits, and my gaze accidentally met one of the painted eyes. A shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly turned my head forward again. From starting in a prison cell to this—this dungeon was unpleasant in every way.

“Help me! Help…!”

At the end of the corridor, a door stood wide open. The screams were coming from inside.

“Gasp…”

Seika, who had reached the room first, sucked in a sharp breath. I arrived right after him, and the sight before me left me just as shocked.

A small doll, wearing a red bonnet, was clutching a man’s face with its tiny hands—trying to tear his mouth apart.

“I, Seika Ail, of the Marquis Ail family, shall gladly assist you!”

Seika unsheathed his sword and lunged at the doll attacking the man. The doll’s eyes flicked toward Seika.

“Ugh!”

With astonishing speed, the doll dodged, and Seika’s blade sliced through empty air.

“It avoided my attack?!”

—Will you play with me?

“What?”

The doll smiled and asked again.

—Will you play with me?

While Seika confronted the doll, I quickly scanned the room. At first, I thought the only person here was the screaming man, but on closer inspection, several others were pressed against the walls, trembling in fear.

One of them caught my gaze and frantically shook their head while covering their mouth.

I didn’t need to think too hard to understand what that meant. Their terrified expression alone made it clear—whatever happened, I must not answer the doll’s question.

Frowning, I stepped closer to Seika, who was glaring at the doll as it continued to repeat its eerie question.

“Seika.”

“This place is dangerous, Aine! You need to find somewhere safe!”

Seika hurriedly tried to push me out of the doll’s reach.

“It’s not that…”

—Will you play with me?

This time, the doll turned to me, its wide grin unnerving. Instead of responding, I clamped my lips shut and grabbed Seika, pulling him slightly toward me. Leaning close to his ear, I whispered,

“Don’t answer it.”

Seika’s face flushed for some reason, and he stammered,

“W-who said that?”

“The others.”

“Ah…”

He finally noticed the people clinging to the walls.

—You won’t play with me? Why not?

When no one answered for a long time, the doll pouted and walked past us. It headed straight for the man who had been hiding behind a large toy chest.

“Aah! Stay away from me!”

—But you said you’d play with me.

“I never said that! I just answered your question— Aaaagh!”

The man kicked and struggled, but he was powerless against the doll’s strength. As his mouth was about to be torn apart again, I quickly pulled out a club.

And the moment I swung it—

“Aine…!”

Seika, if you call my name now, the doll will notice!

Just as my club was about to strike the back of the doll’s head, its small body swiftly dodged to the side.

The old me would have lost my balance, planted the club into the ground, or worse—accidentally struck the man I was trying to save. But now, I was much faster. The moment the doll dodged, I immediately redirected my swing.

With no time to react, the doll took a direct hit. Its small body flew across the room, slamming hard against the wall.

“…”

Seika stood there, mouth agape. The other people in the room, including the bleeding man, were just as stunned.

—Will… you… play… with me?

Unfortunately, it wasn’t dead yet. The doll wobbled as it tried to stand again. The fact that such an innocent-sounding question could precede such a horrifying attack… This thing was monstrous in every way.

I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I raised my club and charged again. The doll, having already taken a heavy hit, was noticeably slower now. I swung down at its head.

Bludgeoning Combo (5) +15!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The room echoed with the sickening sound of my club repeatedly crushing the doll.

[Acquired: Doll Caretaker’s Hat.]

[Item Rank: A]

The doll vanished, leaving only the hat, which was automatically added to my inventory.

Defeating a high-level monster without using a skill was still tough, after all.

“What kind of strength is that…?”

Someone in the room muttered in disbelief.

It was true—I had gotten stronger. After all, anyone would improve after hunting so many Yarakya. If I hadn’t, that would have been the real mystery.

Unlike Kelian and Jenin, who always praised me no matter what, Dain had been a strict teacher. The stronger I got, the more he pushed me to kill monsters with an almost crazed intensity. And he seemed to take satisfaction in watching me do it.

“A-Aine… That was… incredible.”

“It was just luck.”

I gave that reply to Seika, whose face was still dazed in shock. But in truth, I felt slightly disappointed. The fight had been too easy. The doll was fast, but once I managed to land a hit, taking it down wasn’t difficult. It had also been distracted by others.

“Truly amazing. That doll already killed three people… And you took it down so easily.”

One of the people who had been pressed against the wall stepped forward.

Three people had died?

I looked around and saw three corpses on the ground, their mouths torn open.

“I… I almost ended up like them… Thank you! Truly, thank you!”

The man who had been attacked was still bleeding from his mouth. I handed him a handkerchief—just a random junk item I had picked up in a dungeon somewhere, with no special abilities. But at least it was useful for wiping his blood.

“Thank you… really…”

“It’s nothing.”

His face flushed red.

“Pardon me, but… may I see that weapon? I’ve never seen anything like it, and it seems incredibly powerful.”

“What level are you? Your strength is remarkable.”

More people started bombarding me with questions. Their fascination with my level and club caught me off guard.

Before I could respond, Seika stepped forward, blocking their view of me.

“Is this really the time for this? Look, a staircase has appeared. We need to move to the next floor!”

Just as he said, a previously hidden staircase had emerged in the corner of the room.

“And if any of you wish to speak with this lady, you must first seek permission from me, Seika Ail.”

He winked at me. Hmm… A bit overwhelming, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Wait… Seika Ail? Then, are you from the Marquis Ail family…?”

It seemed Seika was more famous than I had expected. As the others recognized him, he turned back toward me with a knowing smile.

“Haha, indeed. I am Seika Ail of the Marquis Ail family.”

“Oh, no wonder you have such an impressive presence! It’s an honor to meet you!”

Not only the three from our team but also the survivors from the other prison cells immediately flocked to him, practically declaring themselves his followers.

So much for competition—no one seemed interested in fighting against each other. Not that getting along was a bad thing.

Looking around, I noticed that all the prisoners from the underground cells had gathered here. Yet, not a single one of my teammates was among them. They must have all been sent to the upper prison cells.

“Let’s go up!”

With Seika now leading a group of about ten people, we climbed the stairs.

At the top, another red door awaited us. Just like before, once everyone passed through, it disappeared.

“This floor… I remember it.”

The corridor looked almost identical to the previous one, except for one key difference—it lacked the eerie portrait paintings.

Seika gazed down the long hallway to the right, his expression turning serious.

“What kind of floor is it?”

“Rolling… rolling…”

“…What?”

“A ball came rolling… rolling down…”

Seika’s pupils suddenly dilated as he spoke in cryptic half-sentences. At the same time, a deep rumbling sound filled the corridor, like an earthquake shaking the ground beneath us.

From the far end of the right hallway, an enormous ball came rolling toward us, so massive it nearly filled the entire passage. Yet, as Seika had said, it somehow avoided getting stuck, tumbling forward at an alarming speed.

“W-what is that?!”

Panic spread through the group as everyone scrambled for cover, hastily throwing open nearby doors and diving inside. Fortunately, there were plenty of rooms.

I rushed into the closest one, only to find it was already occupied—by a monster waiting for its next victim.

A tall, humanoid creature stood there, its entire body drenched in blood.

—Hahahahahaha!

With a grotesque laugh, it lunged toward me. Someone who had followed me into the room screamed in terror and tried to run—unfortunately, they fled deeper inside rather than escaping back into the corridor. The monster’s attention shifted to the fleeing figure instead.

Spinning gracefully, the creature drew a sword from its side—a rusted, bloodstained weapon as grotesque as its owner.

“Aaah! P-please, help me!”

I had already reached into my inventory, retrieving my trusty club.

Unlike ordinary weapons, my mithril club was light, incredibly durable, and never so much as cracked, no matter how roughly I used it.

Gripping my familiar weapon, I charged at the monster just as it raised its rusted sword.

—Hahahahahahahaha!

Its laughter was deafening, even more deranged than the monsters below. It moved faster, too—wild, unpredictable.

I nearly left myself open by misusing a skill, giving it a perfect chance to strike. But thanks to Kelian’s training, I avoided injury.

He had insisted I practice dagger thrusts with my free hand, and now I understood why. It was his foresight that kept me from taking a fatal hit.

[Acquired: Rusty Sword of the Laughing Doll.]

[Item Rank: A]

After dealing with the monster, I cautiously reopened the door with the dazed man who had watched me fight the entire time.

The rolling ball from earlier wasn’t the last—another one was barreling down the corridor. I quickly shut the door again, waiting for it to pass. When I peeked out moments later, the previous ball had vanished, but a new one was already tumbling toward us from the far end of the hallway.

“We need to move forward.”

“I think so too.”

The left side of the corridor was completely blocked by a wall. That meant our only option was to move in the direction the balls were coming from.

Looking at the multiple doors spaced along the hallway, an idea naturally formed.

To avoid getting hit or flattened, we would need to advance in short bursts—dashing forward between the rolling balls and using the rooms as temporary shelters.

Exchanging a nod, we waited for the next ball to pass. The moment it did, we flung open the door and sprinted down the corridor. Just before the next ball arrived, we dove into another room.

Screeeech—!

Of course, this room had a monster too. Another humanoid creature lunged at us, shrieking.

Now more composed than before, I swiftly took it down. The moment I heard the sound of a ball rolling past outside, I threw the door open again.

As I stepped into the hallway, I spotted Seika and the others emerging from rooms farther back.

“Aine! You’re safe. I was worried!”

“Yes, I’m fine. Is everyone else okay?”

“I don’t mean to boast, but the monsters in these rooms were quite strong, and I was forced to display my full capabilities.”

For someone who didn’t want to boast, Seika certainly said it confidently. And judging by how the others beside him nodded enthusiastically, it seemed he had indeed played a major role in keeping them safe.

“T-this lady was incredible as well!”

The person who had been with me blurted out.

Seika’s gaze softened, turning even more intense as he looked at me.

“You are truly an extraordinary lady. As expected, my destined—”

“Ah! Another ball is coming!”

His grand proclamation was cut short as yet another massive ball hurtled toward us.

Seika looked like he wanted to come to my side, but there was too much distance between us.

We had no choice but to split up again, each diving into the nearest available room.

“Ahem! The balls keep spawning from the wall at the end of the corridor! If we ring the bell at the far end, they will stop!”

Seika provided a crucial piece of information—further proof that he had actually cleared this dungeon before.

So there really was something at the end of the dark corridor. The goal was clear: reach the end as fast as possible and ring the bell.

“I’ll distract them!”

“Head that way!”

After repeatedly moving in and out of rooms, fighting off monsters together, my coordination with the others had improved. They would draw the monsters’ attention while I finished them off.

“Haa… haa…”

“We’re almost there!”

Seika shouted as we finally reached the end of the hallway.

Up close, I could see it—a small red bell hanging low on one side of the wall. Despite the constant rumbling from the spawning balls, the bell barely trembled and made no sound.

Another massive ball suddenly emerged from the gray wall, rolling toward us.

We instinctively darted into nearby rooms, but since I had already cleared the monster in mine earlier, nothing jumped out this time—a small relief, given how exhausted I was.

“I’ll ring the bell!”

The moment the ball passed, Seika dashed toward the bell.

But it seemed the dungeon wouldn’t let us off so easily. Instead of a brief pause, another ball appeared immediately, then another, rolling in rapid succession.

Seika hesitated for a split second, frozen in place.

Without thinking, I sprinted forward, shoving him aside and diving into the nearest room with him.

“A-Aine…”

I quickly got up from where I had landed on top of him.

“Be careful! A monster is coming!”

Dodging the balls wasn’t the end of it. Since this was a new room, a monster instantly appeared.

We had to fight again, though this time, Seika quickly composed himself, making it easier than our previous battles.

We collapsed onto the floor, catching our breath as the defeated monster vanished. But the voices of our allies calling for us from outside forced us to get up again. The end was in sight.

“Now!”

“Uaaaagh!”

With a loud yell, Seika sprinted forward and, just before another ball could appear, punched the red bell.

Dooooong!

A strangely lackluster chime rang through the hallway. At the same time, the ball that had just begun peeking out of the wall slid back in, disappearing as if it had never existed.

“We did it!”

“It’s finally over!”

“Wooooo!”

Cheers erupted around us. I, however, simply sat back down on the floor, exhausted.

Where the wall had once spewed endless rolling balls, a red door silently emerged, leading to the next floor. But right now, I was too tired to think about climbing any further.

“Want some?”

I took a sip of water and handed a cup to Seika, who was sitting beside me, catching his breath.

During my party’s relentless combat training, I had learned to always keep water and a cup in my inventory.

Seika silently stared at the offered cup before, for the first time, smiling without any of his usual dramatics.

“Thank you.”

Around us, the other survivors also wore expressions of deep satisfaction. Everyone had done their part, and the sense of accomplishment was palpable.

We climbed two more floors after that.

The trust built from dodging rolling balls together on the second floor only strengthened over time. Despite the increased difficulty of the third and fourth floors, we managed to avoid any casualties.

Technically, the dungeon’s rules dictated that people from the same prison cell should stick together, but by now, we were all mixed together. It hardly mattered anymore.

“Finally, the fifth floor.”

Seika’s voice carried a note of excitement as we stood before the red door leading up.

The castle’s middle level—where the boss room awaited.

“You said everyone would meet on the fifth floor, right?”

“Yes. If those who started at the top floor made it down safely, we should meet them here.”

The phrase if they made it down safely felt unnecessary. If the difficulty of descending was similar to our climb up, then there was no way Kelian and the others wouldn’t have made it.

“They did make it down.”

“Oh, right. Your party started at the top, didn’t they? My team was up there as well… so they must be on their way. Not to brag, but they’re all quite skilled. Of course, I am their leader.”

After climbing four floors with Seika, I had grown used to his boasting.

We exchanged a few more lighthearted comments to ease the tension. Then, after taking a deep breath, we stepped through the red door.

“…What is this?”

It wasn’t a corridor.

Until now, every red door had led us into a hallway. This time, we found ourselves in a small cave-like passage with only one visible exit.

“Looks like we should follow the light.”

A faint glow seeped in from the far end of the tunnel, the only indication of a path forward. Naturally, we followed it out.

“What in the world…?”

Stepping outside, we couldn’t hide our confusion.

A massive circular arena stretched before us—something I would have never expected inside a toy castle.

“You’re finally here.”

A mocking voice greeted us.

Looking toward the source, I saw a group of people gathered a short distance away.

“Ah.”

Just as I spotted a familiar face and was about to call out, Seika beat me to it.