AN HOUR LATER
ALEXANDER
Cold air, motion, stone passing overhead in blurred streaks. I blinked once then twice. My vision refused to fully stabilize, like reality itself hadn’t decided I was allowed to be conscious yet. Then I realized sothing very important: I was not on the ground. Instead, I was in soone’s arms.
"What?"I muttered.
I tried to move my head slightly. Big mistake because pain imdiately reminded that I had, in fact, been violently traumatized by dungeon physics. Rosalia’s face appeared above , calm, too calm. Crimson eyes focused forward, not even acknowledging the chaos around us, like carrying unconscious summoners was just part of her daily routine.
"Why am I like this?"I muttered weakly.
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"You collapsed."Rosalia said simply.
"That does not explain the bridal carry situation."I said.
"It is efficient."She said.
"That is not a dical term."I said.
"Posture optimal for transport stability."The sword in my head pulsed faintly.
"Even YOU are encouraging this?!"I scread.
Rosalia tilted her head slightly.
"Are you uncomfortable?She asked.
I opened my mouth, closed it, reopened it.
"No."I lied.
Ahead of us, the world snapped into focus. The adventurer guild building. Familiar, too familiar and running directly toward us like a man who had seen too many disasters in one week Michael.
"WHAT DID YOU BRING BACK THIS TI?!"He shouted imdiately.
"I DID NOT BRING IT BACK. I WAS FORCED INTO IT."I said angrily.
Rosalia didn’t slow down and Michael saw .
"Why is she carrying you like that?"He asked.
"DON’T START."I said.
Inside the guild, everything erupted instantly. We were rushed through doors, down hallways, straight into the healer’s room. A tired healer stared at , then at Rosalia, then at Michael, then sighed as if she had already accepted her fate.
"Put him there."She said.
I was placed on a bed instantly like I was fragile cargo.
"I am awake, you know."I said weakly.
"No you’re not."Michael replied.
"Rude."I said.
The healer pulled out a small vial a simple potion. Barely glowing.
"Minor healing potion."She said casually.
"I have survived a boss and existential dungeon systems, and THIS is what helps ?"I whispered.
She tilted my head up and made drink it, and it tasted like regret and herbs. For a second nothing happened, then my body lit up as warmth spread through my chest, slow and steady, like sothing unclenching inside . Mana circulation stabilized, breathing got easier, and even the pressure in my skull eased slightly.
"Okay."I muttered. "That actually helped a lot."
"It is basic, but effective."The healer shrugged.
The door burst open again. Scarlet, Noa, and Zavier all tried to enter at the sa ti and failed because sothing blocked them Rosalia standing in the doorway. Gun half raised.
"He is stable."She said.
"Barely."Scarlet replied.
"He stays here."Rosalia added.
"That is not your decision."Noa said flatly.
"It is."Rosalia answered.
"She is not wrong about his condition."Zavier exhaled slowly.
Everyone turned to him and that made it worse.
"Why are my summons not here?" Inside the room, I slowly sat up confused.
As if summoned by the question they all appeared outside the window. Watching, staring and refusing to leave.
"They are monitoring host survival."Even the sword vibrated softly.
"That is creepy phrasing."I said.
"Master, do not move too much!"Scarlet pressed her hands against the glass.
"His mana signature is still unstable."Noa crossed her arms.
"The shards are reacting even here."Zavier stood behind them, eyes narrowed.
Rosalia stayed closest to , still guarding, still too close.
"Do you require more healing?"She asked.
"Are you offering emotional support as a dical treatnt again?"I stared at her.
"Yes."She said.
"That is not how hospitals work."I sighed
The system flickered faintly in the corner of my vision.
"NEW CONDITION DETECTED: SAFE ZONE TEMPORARY."I groaned imdiately.
"Oh thank God."I said.
The room finally beca quiet, not peaceful. Just the kind of quiet people create when they are waiting for another disaster to happen. I leaned back against the healer’s bed slowly while Scarlet kept watching through the window like I might explode if she blinked wrong. Noa was still arguing with Rosalia about guard positioning, Zavier had sohow turned half the healer room into a forge inspection zone without moving from the corner. The healer herself already looked spiritually exhausted. Then I heard footsteps. Fast ones, coming down the hallway outside, everyone reacted instantly. Scarlet’s holy light flared, Noa’s hand moved toward her weapon, and Rosalia raised her gun imdiately.
"Unknown approach detected."The sword inside my head pulsed once.
"I WAS HAVING FIVE SECONDS OF PEACE."I complained.
The healer’s room door slamd open. A girl rushed inside, bright green hair, pointed ears, golden eyes glowing faintly with natural mana. And before my exhausted brain fully processed who she was she launched herself directly at .
"Alexander!"She scread.
"WAIT-"I gasped.
"OW. OW. EXISTENCE IS PAINFUL."She hugged so hard the healer bed nearly collapsed.
Pain exploded through my ribs as the girl ignored that completely.
"You’re alive!"She practically shouted.
"Isabella?"My brain finally caught up.
She pulled back slightly, smiling so brightly it physically hurt my tired eyes.
"You rember !"She scread.
"Unfortunately yes."I said.
"I missed you too!"She scread.
"I DIDN’T SAY THAT."I gasped.
Scarlet froze outside the window, Noa’s expression flattened instantly, Rosalia slowly lowered her gun.
"Who is she?"Then narrowed her eyes.
"Forr classmate! Current light elf support specialist! Future elite adventurer!"Isabella imdiately turned proudly.
The room went silent then Isabella hugged again. Very tightly as Scarlet’s smile twitched, Noa’s eye twitched harder. Rosalia stared at Isabella’s arms around like she was evaluating assassination angles.
"Jealousy detected."The sword humd softly.
"WHY ARE YOU ANALYZING EMOTIONS."I gapsed.
"Because they are loud."The sword said.
"Master appears popular."Scarlet finally stepped into the room properly.
That sentence sounded dangerously calm.
"Physical contact frequency has increased beyond acceptable paraters."Noa crossed her arms.
"THAT IS NOT A REAL SENTENCE."I said.
Rosalia stepped closer to the bed quietly. Very quietly then simply placed one hand on my shoulder possessively. Isabella noticed imdiately, then smiled wider and hugged harder.
"Found him first."She said proudly.
The room temperature dropped and the healer slowly backed toward the exit.
"I am suddenly underqualified for this room."She said.
"DING."The system said. Everyone froze as the system flickered violently across my vision. "MANA OVERLOAD WARNING."The system said. "ACTIVE SUMMON COUNT EXCEEDS SAFE LIMIT.
The air inside the room beca heavy instantly, Scarlet’s holy aura flickered, Noa’s mana circles destabilized and Rosalia’s gun trembled slightly. Even Isabella’s Light Elf mana dimd.
"HOST CONDITION DETERIORATING."The system glitched harder.
I suddenly couldn’t breathe properly again. Pain shot through my chest.
"What now?!"I gasped.
"RECOMNDATION: RETURN ONE SUMMON TO DORMANT STATE."The system suggested.
Silence. All three girls froze then slowly looked at each other. Absolutely not.
"No."Scarlet answered instantly.
"Denied."Noa crossed her arms harder.
"Unacceptable."Rosalia’s eyes narrowed.
"I LOVE HOW NOBODY CARES ABOUT MY INTERNAL ORGANS."I wheezed.
"FORCED STABILIZATION REQUIRED."The system sparked again.
Before anyone could argue further, Zavier moved. One second he stood near the wall. The next is body collapsed inward into black red light. tal folded, compressed, forged itself smaller and a ring appeared in midair. Dark steel lined with glowing forge runes. It flew directly toward and slid onto my finger. The mont it touched skin the mana pressure vanished.
"Temporary stabilization complete."Then Zavier’s voice calmly ca from the ring itself.
"You beca jewelry."I stared at my hand.
"It is mana efficient."He said.
"No normal person says that."I said.
Scarlet blinked rapidly, Noa looked deeply offended by the logic, Rosalia stared directly at the ring.
"I dislike this developnt."She said.
"THE BLACKSMITH TURNED INTO AN ACCESSORY."Isabella pointed dramatically.
"THANK YOU ISABELLA, I ALSO NOTICED."I said.
"MANA LOAD REDUCED."The system stabilized imdiately. "HOST CONDITION: SURVIVABLE."
"That is the worst dical status I have ever heard."I said.
"Accurate status."The sword pulsed once.
"I HATE ALL OF YOU."I groaned.
"You still have another problem."Then the ring on my finger glowed faintly as Zavier quietly added. "The shard resonance is getting stronger."
Outside the guild, sothing answered. A low tallic sound echoed through the city, like chains dragging across stone. Rosalia’s expression changed instantly, Scarlet’s barrier reignited as Noa reached for her weapon.
"I don’t think that sound followed here by accident." Isabella whispered nervously.
It seems whatever had happened in the dungeon was not over yet.
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