Chapter 173 A Melancholic Smile, II



"Ready when you are."

Mark lay his hands against the cold doors, and everyone went silent.

The Moonlit Feline's heart was pumping powerfully. So much so that the other two could practically hear it.

He took a deep breath in and remained immobile for a moment.

They didn't rush him.

It had come.

The time to leave.

The time to enter a new World.

And just when he was about to push the doors open.

"Ummm..."

Mark sighed.

It was the second time Elisa was interrupting him as he was about to push those doors.

"What is it?" Mark asked without turning or moving away from the Exit.

"It's just... We're in front of the Exit. So according to our Contract..."

"Yeah? What?"

"Well... Do you have a Request of your own?"

Mark could feel his nose twitch.

"I didn't fulfill yours, so-"

"It's not about fulfilling. Just about hearing the other out."

He turned his head to look back at her.

Mark stared for a bit, before letting his gaze wander, seemingly deep in thought.

He turned his head to the other side and looked at the Moonlit Feline for a moment.

It's time to break away, Mark-

With its clear and blue, large and round eyes, the Moonlit Feline looked at him.

It tilted its head to the side.

"Can..." Mark muttered.

Elisa took a step closer. She couldn't hear his whispering. Or perhaps wanted him to speak more clearly. He was about to Request something after all.

"Can?"

"Can I take a raincheck on that?"

"Pfhahaha! Um. Yes? Sure, yes. Won't be part of a Contract though."

"Yeah... Of course... I'll just... I'll ask later... If I think of something."

"Fine by me." 

Mark looked over his shoulder for a bit, before turning back to the mission at hand.

'At that time, I could barely move outside...'

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that you should trust yourself!]

'Mm...'

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that you have grown much stronger!]

'Yeah. I know...'

[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should stop acting like a softie and a coward.]

'Wha-'

[Your Title "Devourer" urges you to stop acting like a bitch.]

With a vein bulging from his forehead, Mark pushed the doors open.

Elisa could feel goosebumps all over her body.

The floor was covered by a thick layer of snow.

A dozen meters further, was the edge of the platform they were on.

The edge, completely buried in snow, protruded, resembling the edge of a balcony of sorts.

'So the entry is elevated from the ground...'

[Your Title "Devourer" says that it wasn't so hard in the end.]

'Just...' Mark shook his head. 'Shut up.'

[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]

He took a step outside and raised his gaze.

Mark took a breath in and quickly realized that his breathing was unstable.

Excitement or nerves? He could not tell.

He raised his gaze. And for the first time, there was no ceiling.

The next second,

[Congratulations!]

[You have Cleared the Dungeon "Burrow Hidden In The Storm"!]

[Rewards are being calculated.]

'Burrow. Ironic.'

Mark hadn't expected to be rewarded. It was a nice surprise.

He took an additional three steps forward and looked around.

"Blizzard. Still here..."

[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should stop complaining.]

'You know...' Mark took a short pause. 'You're the most unpleasant of the three.'

[Your Title "Devourer" is outraged by your words!]

[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]

There wasn't much to be seen on the platform Mark stood on.

It was covered by snow, and beyond its edge, nothing was visible due to the ruling snowstorm.

He couldn't wait to jump off the platform.

Even though he couldn't wait to do so, he didn't.

Mark took a deep breath in.

The air was cold.

Incredibly cold.

But not as cold as last time.

He turned and looked at his shoulder.

Some snow was already piling on.

Mark brushed it off before turning around.

"So what do you-"

Awe?

Shock?

Confusion?

Astonishment?

Mark couldn't tell exactly which one it was, but the expression on Elisa's face was definitely an interesting one.

"It... It... It..." She stuttered.

"It?"

"It's back."

Elisa took a deep breath, probably to stop the tears hanging by a thread from flowing down.

"It's back..." She whispered to herself while staring at the floating words in front of her.

As those words explained, their appearance meant much more than one might think.

She had gained back access to the System.

She wasn't part of a Dungeon anymore.

She wasn't indistinguishable from the mass of Space and Beings that made up the Dungeon anymore.

She wasn't a Slave anymore.

She had gained back what made her Elisa.

Once more, she was an Individual.

"S... S... S..." Stuttering, she couldn't get the word out.

And once she did, a torrent of tears went down her eyes.

"Status."

In truth, Elisa didn't care about her Status much.

Only one part of it was important.

The first line. That was all she needed. She was happy to ignore the rest.

[ Name: Elisa

Species & Level: Dark Elf Royalty, Vamp...]

Seeing the expression on her face, Mark thought celebrations were in order.

He didn't know how to celebrate with her though.

The Moonlit Feline jumped up into Elisa's arms as she spun around, as happy as one could be.

Mark thought that if he looked differently, he might have had ideas.

If he wasn't a Monster.

But he was one.

And as a Monster, he had no idea how to partake in such festivities.

Elisa brought her hands together, scooped out snow from the ground, and threw it up high.

She laughed at how ridiculous the action was.

The Moonlit Feline jumped around as petals of snow fell upon its white fur.

It wasn't clear whether Krista knew exactly what they were celebrating. But that didn't matter much.

Mark looked at the two from afar with his lips curled up.

Such an ugly smile he had.

How could anything else be expected?

It was a Monster's smile.

Somewhere during the celebrations, Elisa caught him.

She smiled, and he turned away.

Mark walked towards the end of the platform they were on.

He lays his hands on the snow-covered edge and looked at the World.

Cold.

Unwelcoming.

Just like he remembered it.

With meaning to, Mark moved his hand.

It lay between his neck and chest.

It moved absent-mindedly, as if looking for something.

[Your Stats have been Updated!]

[Your Skill List has been Updated!]

[Your Skill Ranks have been Updated!]

[Your Status has been Updated!]

[Would you like to check your Updated Status?]

"I'll do that in a bit."

Mark turned around.

Elisa's palms were filled with snow.

On her knees, she was seated in front of the Moonlit Feline. 

The latter was merrily stomping on the ground with both front legs as it spun around.

"Wouuuh... Hahahaha!" Elisa moved and pressed her fingers, letting the snow slowly fall upon Krista as if it was dust made of crystals.

Mark thought about jumping over the edge.

About entering the snowstorm immediately.

His hand, once again, moved absent-mindedly.

"What's with that expression? Thinking about that Vampire Lord coming back?" Elisa asked suddenly.

"No. He's not coming back... Probably."

"Think we should get a move on just in case?"

There is no we-

"Yeah... We should..."

"Alright-"

Elisa was interrupted as a message appeared in front of her.

A message only she could see, of course.

"Light Armor...!"

"Huh?"

"Elven too! Yes!"

Elisa's gaze moved to Mark.

It was that kind of look, so he understood and turned around.

Though he thought he was a bit stupid and, truthfully, meaningless.

He was a Monster after all.

"Yes..." Elisa got undressed under the snowstorm.

She threw her clothes which, perhaps not so randomly, fell and covered the Moonlit Feline's body.

"Equip..."

Elisa moved a bit in her new set and spent a bit of time admiring it.

Only once she was satisfied, did she ask,

"How does it look?"

Mark turned around.

"It doesn't look light." He said after a moment.

"It's not supposed to. But it is. It's Elven, remember?"

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Huh?" Elisa stared as if the question was the most idiotic one she had ever heard. "It's Elven, so it's good... Good quality... And stuff. Obviously."

"Obviously." Mark repeated.

He scratched his neck.

Elisa thought him nervous.

Perhaps she was right.

She took a pose.

"How do I look?" Elisa asked, a serious expression on her face.

"That's what we're doing?" 

She pressed her lips, fighting off the rising smile.

He chuckled, and she laughed.

The Monster's voice had changed.

Previously, only growls exited its mouth, even when one could tell that it was laughing.

But now, the chuckles sounded... Almost normal.

Mark turned away.

He stared at the snowstorm that seemed to englobe the whole world.

'Going to be tough out there...'

Mark was truly glad to have her by his side.

To have both of them by his side.

But as he was reminded not so long ago, the time to break away had come.

Atchoom-

"It's pretty cold out here."

Snif-

Mark nodded.

"It is."