When I wake up, people are around me. More specifically, most are sleeping, except Ahorn and Vegar who seem to be on guard duty.

“I thought we agreed that you guys wouldn’t come, if I died.” I rise up and give my opinion. My clothes are surprisingly intact, bar my boots. Well, I only received two clean cuts at the ankles and neck before dying and my corpse was usually only subjected to additional treatment by the variant monsters.

“You really are back, huh? What a creepy power…” Vegar says, while Ahorn just smiles. I think this is the first time someone I know confirmed my corpse and coming back to life.

“Don’t sweat it” Ahorn says. “These guys gave you trouble due to their carapace, right? But here in the group we have plenty of guys such defenses are useless against. We are stronger together, after all. That’s why, from today on, we will be advancing as a team!” I don’t know... True, Ahorn could probably take these guys out easy, since their speed wasn’t insane or anything, he simply had to hit them with that long stick of his before their very close-range attack came into range.

“It may have worked out this time, Ahorn, but think of the deaths I described in the previous dungeon. If we encounter any of those variant types, we will all surely die” His previous smile turns into a frown.

“You underestimate us too much. Did you not fight on equal ground with Spetus? And though you may have died a lot, you did make it through the dungeon, so one can assume that, bar the last special enemy you described, you would have made it through with perfect luck. And we are many times stronger with this many strong people.” His smile doesn’t leave his face. Shit, he may be right. I can hardly believe just how quickly we have progressed through this dungeon compared to my two year trek.

“Fine, but can you like… Say something so I won’t feel guilty if you die?” The thing that annoys me the most is the option of them dying, since I feel that they wouldn’t be here without me…

“Why would you feel guilty?” Ahorn has a very confused look on his face.

I freeze up, but feel a sad expression creeping up on my face.

“What nonsense! Each and every one of us is here today of our own volition. Everyone here very well know their lives could be forfeit and has willingly accepted that risk! We each carry the weight of our own life, your shoulders are unburdened”.

I think he is being serious and not merely trying to comfort me, but I have never been a good judge of stuff like that. I sigh and nod again. As I walk around a little, the boot stumps slip off my feet. Guess they were not made to stay on feet without the neck of the boot.

“Let’s wake everyone up and have breakfast” Ahorn cheerfully gathers everyone by shaking their resting bodies, to which they quickly jump up.

“To be fair, I wouldn’t be here without you. But it was my own fault I landed in jail… Sorry about that whole… thing by the way.” Vegar gives me a few words I don’t know if I should find relieving or stressful.

The party gathers up and cooks some of the bug-like monsters of the level. Gross, pale, fatty meat is extracted from underneath the carapace, which is roasted over fire, though it barely gains any color… I am surprised everyone is carrying it out without complaint… I don’t think I have been happier to not need to eat before.

When the party forms up once again, we assume a full formation, and proceed to the lower floors. Many of these monster could probably kill me, but our group with extremely offensive and defensive powers tears through floor after floor with ease and much greater speed than earlier, since they no longer need to wait for me to scout.

Vegar and Spetus especially excel in their defensive powers, as they receive tackles and strikes that would have sent me flying. It really bothers me that force doesn’t seem tightly related to mass in this world, though.

We luckily encounter none of the variant species. Guess this really is an easy dungeon. Only a single day passes before we arrive at the stairwell to what should be the 120th floor.

I feel a lump in my throat.

“Let me handle this one” I say out loud.

“What, didn’t I just convince you we are much stronger together? We can surely beat it in one go!” Ahorn seems confident, but…

“This one is different, probably. And the last guy I fought didn’t heal day after day. It is a matter of risking lives or sacrificing a mere few days before you can advance… surely you can understand that.”

I voice my opinion. I even see Vegar nodding along with me, but Ahorn won’t take it.

“Now listen here, I have postponed what I want for so long, and now it is within reach! Don’t you dare delay it any further, based on unknowable whims!” He is slightly pissed. I sigh again, remembering the line about not carrying the weight of their lives. Since I feel like he would follow me regardless of what I say, I reason it would be better to work together on good terms.

“Fine… Let us proceed” We climb down the stairs and much like in the other dungeon, a single, large room with a humanoid figure greets us. Are all of these last monsters single humanoids? But there is at least one large difference.

The stature of the figure is less than six feet, and the room much smaller to match. It is once again lit up in an inexplicable manner though.

Our opponent looks bizarre. A large snout and two pearly, black, tiny eyes from its face, otherwise entirely covered in spikes, bar its chest, which is home to sickly yellow skin folds, pierced by many large, metal rings, as if an oversized chainmail was built into its skin.

A large, piercing howl is emitted from the creature, immediately followed by a right hand swing, which causes a few dozen large spikes to fly towards us.