CH 22

Chapter 22: The Instant Dungeon Trap

Ellis is from the slums of the Labyrinth City of Kronos.

She has no recollection of her parents.

By the time she could remember anything, she was already living in the slums.

Banding together with the other children, they made every desperate effort to live one more day.

One day, one of her friends came back with severe injuries.

He failed at pickpocketing and got a severe beating.

That friend would die without medical attention.

—You can’t die!!

Ellis prayed earnestly.

A light began emitting from her body, and her friend’s wounds began to heal.

This was the day Ellis’ healing abilities awakened.

Using her new found healing powers, she made as much money as she could.

In the downtown area, there were many who were injured.

There were those who sprained their ankles on the uneven stone pathways.

There were those who hurt their backs carrying heavy objects.

There were others who lost their finger from a kitchen knife.

Ellis healed as many of them as she could for gards and began making a living.

This is how Ellis received the nickname, “The Saint of Downtown.”

Then, one day…

“Do you want to be an adventurer? Let’s go to the dungeon together.”

An adventurer party scouted and invited Ellis.

Up until then, the thought never crossed Ellis’ mind.

But Ellis became an adventurer.

She knew that adventurers can strike rich and make a fortune with one dungeon raid.

Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about food any more.

Ellis’ party specialized in Instant Dungeon raids. The party members were skilled adventurers.

And among them, Ellis joined as the party’s healer.

The adventurers began to clear dungeons left and right at an amazing rate.

Before she knew what was going on, Ellis rose to a C-Rank adventurer status.

She also made a fortune.

She no longer has to worry about crying out of hunger or shivering in the cold without a place to warm her body.

Everything seemed to be going exceedingly well.

She hoped everything would remain unchanged. That was her prayer.

But one of her party members received a critical wound.

“Ellis, please! You have to save him!!”

“Ugh…….”

The person injured had a wound so large that his insides were spilling out.

Ellis furiously casted [HEAL] but life continued to drain from him.

Ellis’ [Heal] spell was Level 2.

At Level 2, it would be impossible to heal an injury this bad.

“Why…...WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE HIM?!”

“YOU KILLED HIM! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!”

The loss of their party member caused the remaining members to grow cold and bitter towards Ellis.

If she spoke to them informally, they yelled at her.

If they didn’t like her attitude, they beat her.

Anything and everything Ellis did got on their nerves.

“You’re just a ‘Healing Potion’ and you can’t even properly heal wounds?!”

“Ah……..”

If she’s even a second late, they beat her.

Fearing their wrath, Ellis used her spells for even minor scratches.

But because of that, she would easily run out of magic and be on the brink of feinting from magic exhaustion while inside the dungeon.

But suffering from magic exhaustion would be better than the beatings.

Even if she felt like her feet were about to give out, she continued to cast [Heal].

“Hey, we’re going to start from Floor 11, so make sure you can transport there the next time we see you.”

Ellis: “But I’m just a healer…”

“Huh? Aren’t you a C-Rank Adventurer? You can’t get through a D-Rank dungeon on your own?!”

Ellis: “....!!”

Fearing another beating, she began heading towards the 11th Floor.

Ellis was not able to refuse.

Even as a C-Rank Adventurer, Ellis is 12 years old.

There was no way she could stand up to full-grown adults who were constantly beating her down. Fear would always grip her and take control.

And Ellis also held onto a guilty conscience.

Ellis: (It was my fault that the party member died. If only I was stronger…)

Because of that guilt, she accepted the beatings and abuse without resistance.

But just because she accepted the abuse didn’t give her combat abilities.

Ellis was acknowledged for her healing, not her fighting.

She never defeated monsters so her level remained low, and she also lacked any physical enhancements from Skills.

She barely made it to the 4th Floor, but that was her limit.

She was surrounded by Horse Bats and was on the brink of death.

An adventurer named Yuto saved her.

“Are you okay?”

It was the first time Ellis learned the taste of a Healing Potion.

Ellis is a [Heal] Caster. She is capable of healing her own wounds.

So it was a waste to use a healing potion on her.

Up until that day, her party would tell her to heal her own wounds.

“Healing Potions are expensive. Why do you need one if you can heal yourself?”

Even though she can heal herself, he gave her a healing potion.

And he helped her go back to the surface the entire way.

Something warm filled Ellis’ chest.

Ellis: (My body...feels warm…, yes)

Ellis is from the slums.

She had no experience of anyone caring orlooking out for her.

Ellis: “I need to...repay him back!”

Ellis went straight to the medicine store.

Healing Potions are expensive. But even so, Ellis did not look once at the 1,000 gard potions and went straight to the 10,000 gard potions and purchased it.

She picked out a cute bag to place the potion in and looked for Yuto in the Temple Square.

Yuto is an adventurer. Surely, he would pass by here.

—no matter how long it will take, Ellis was determined to find Yuto.

As a result, she easily spotted Yuto in the crowd.

When she saw his face, something hot burned inside her chest.

Ellis: (Something is really hot inside me, yes…)

Ellis did not know what this feeling was. She tilts her head as she wonders.

Was she sick? Did she have a fever?

But the burning feeling only came up when she saw Yuto’s face.

She was able to return the favor, and Yuto departed. The warm feelings inside left with him, and felt as cold as standing in the rain.

Ellis: (I want to talk to him...more…)

Ellis wanted to stay with Yuto more,

This was the first time she felt this towards anyone.

She didn’t understand why she felt this way.

But talking with him eased her mind. Being with him gave her peace.

No glares.

No harsh words.

No violence.

He spoke kindly, and he always carried around a warm smile.

She would walk up to him and look up. She liked where his face was.

Ellis: (Will I… see him again?)

Ellis began to wait for Yuto everyday at the Temple Square, but since that day, she hasn’t seen him around.

“Hey, are you able to transport to the 11th Floor?”

“....I’m sorry, yes. I haven’t reached it yet, yes.”

“Geesh! You’re so worthless!”

Her party members she hasn’t seen in a while spat and yelled at her.

Ellis: (They're gonna beat me again.)

Ellis braced for the attack, but against all expectations, no violence headed her way.

“Whatever. We’re going to an Insta-C. C’mon.”

Ellis: “.....huh? Oh, okay, yes….”

Ellis follows them to the Dungeon Generation Room.

Today, they are heading to a C-Rank — the same Instant Dungeon rank as when they lost their party member.

Ellis’ body trembles in fear.

But her party members have leveled up since then.

They’ll be more cautious this round.

The biggest reason why the party member got injured was because of overconfidence.

Their adventures were going too smoothly, and they became overconfident.

And that led to that huge accident.

A key is inserted into the door, and the Instant Dungeon is generated.

When the door is opened, her party members turned to her.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

Ellis: “Yes! Yes, yes”

Ellis walked through the Dungeon door as usual.

She takes a deep breath and waits for her party to come through.

—but no one is coming through the door.

Thinking how strange that is, Ellis turns around to see what’s going on.

Ellis: “——what…?”

From the Generation Room, her party members did not take a step forward.

They sat on the bench and just looked towards Ellis.

“Y-you need to hurry and come this way, ….yes.”

“Why do we have to go?”

“You’re the almighty C-Rank Saint, right? Go ahead and clear it by yourself.”

Ellis: “Huh? Wha…? Wa-wait… wh-why…”

Ellis began to panic.

She already stepped into the Instant Dungeon.

Unless she clears the Dungeon, she will not be able to get out.

Trying to escape through the doorway, she is blocked by an invisible wall.

The door is still open, but she cannot get back to the Generation Room.

Ellis: “N….no, please! Don’t abandon me!!”

“You’re one to talk!! You’re the one that abandoned him!”

The person who died was an important member of the party.

The party consisted of childhood friends.

The 15 years they spent made them more of a family than just a party.

“And you let him die!!”

“Do you even know what it’s been like after he was gone…”

Ellis: “Just...for that…?”

“For that? It was more than just that!!”

Ellis: “But that was an accide…!!”

“SHUT UP! Just shut up you ****ty healing potion. You would never understand!!”

“You don’t know what he meant to us!!”

“You don’t know how much we hated you since!!”

“He would feel the same way as us!!”

“He would never forgive you…”

——Why didn’t you save me?

“So we’re sending you to the same place as him.”

Ellis: “No….”

Despair and panic fill Ellis’ mind.

Ellis hits the invisible wall as hard as she could.

But the wall does not budge.

Ellis: “P-plea-please! Please! Please help me!!”

Tears flowed down Ellis’ face.

She screams at the top of her lungs calling for help.

“It’s a 100,000 gard coffin at least. You should be happy to die in such luxury.”

“If you don’t wanna die, just clear the dungeon by yourself.”

——well, probably impossible for you.

With those words, the doors of the Instant Dungeon closed.