Going home

The group of nine slowly made their way to the exit.

Margaret was holding the shield they found alongside Max's items. Even though Andrew was carrying Max on his back he couldn't also carry his items as he would feel uncomfortable.

"We're going back.." Will said in a soft voice as he looked forward, he was now able to see the old door.

After the death of the shadow creature and their euphoric state subsiding he realized how exhausted he really was, no, how exhausted everyone was.

Even though they took breaks after every fight they didn't in fact sleep, they just rested and bandaged themselves up for the next battle. And as every battle was exhausting in it's own way, becoming harder and harder every encounter, not getting sleep became a problem but as it couldn't be solved while inside the dungeon everyone pushed it in the back of their minds. As they finally cleared the dungeon their need of sleep became more apparent and some which couldn't bare it anymore, like Anna, fainted on the way to the exit so they had to be carried along, making their pace slower and the people still standing more exhausted.

"We are almost there! Once outside we will be able to get some proper rest" Will raised his voice and said as loud as he could. Giving the others, but most importantly himself, the motivation to to continue and get out of here.

** A while later **

They finally reached the outside, it was dark, the moon was illuminating their surroundings where they could see people leaving their tents, they were the other people of their group. The other Weapon Masters in their group, which didn't get stuck inside the dungeon, came forward, helping them with Max, Anna, and the other two unconscious people.

Tents were already set up by the ones that waited for them to return. Not able to do anything Will and the others that were still awake got into random tents that were already set up after giving their own tents to be set up by the others. They fell asleep as soon as they felt the warmer inside of the tent.

They were all awake by the time the sun shone in the middle of the sky.

Max woke up, and as he got up on his feet he could recognize the familiar surroundings. He was in a tent, which meant that they were most probably outside of the dungeon. A wide smile appeared on his face at the thought of clearing a dungeon by themselves while only being 16 year old. As he thought about the dungeon the fights came to mind and then shock could've been see on his face if someone would've been inside the tent with him.

He immediately looked at his right arm which he was sure that he at least fractured when throwing Jericho's spear towards the creature. He didn't know how or why, maybe in the heat of the moment or the fact that he didn't want another life to be taken away, he threw the spear with all his might, managing to, again, break his own body to achieve the death blow on the enemy.

He looked around in the tent and found his belongings. He changed from his run down clothes he had under his hunting equipment and looked towards another item, which he doesn't understand why it is here.

Around the inside of the tent it was empty except for his bag and weapons which he recognized as his. But there was another weapon, a black shield that was about as big as him. It laid supported by a log, facing Max's direction.

Max instinctively reached his arm to grab it, and as he made his way closer to it, the white pattern on it began to slowly shine while also the shield beginning to vibrate, as if it was reaching out to Max as well.

Max was mesmerized, not being able to think clearly and as he was just a few centimeters away from touching the shield Gwen came into the tent and asked.

"Are you feeling better?" Gwen said, seeing Max staying on his own two feet with his arm reached towards the black shield they left here.

Max looked at her, she saw the astonishment in her eyes which also had a glint of bliss, reinforced by the fact she began smiling as she saw him. She was holding a small wooden cup with a pure white substance in it. Max knew what it was, it was Low-Tier Medicine. He looked at her for a bit more, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Yes I am... have you been applying medicine on my hand?" Max asked wanting to clear his doubts.

"Y-yes... you saved me multiple times so this is the least I can do!" Gwen admitted after a second of hesitation.

Max smirked at her. "Alright I thank you a lot, I didn't want to wake up and experience that level of pain again, you can give the cup to me I now can apply it myself..." He then stared at her arms while pointing for a second at the medicine.

"... we will be waiting for you outside.." Gwen said with an embarrassed expression as she handed Max the rest of the medicine.

The truth was that this was the second time she would have been applying the medicine on Max, the first time was in the dungeon and she wanted to do it once again now, but when she saw Max not feeling any kind of pain and even being able to use his hands and carry objects with ease it felt kind of weird.

Max applied the medicine on his right hand and after a while he went outside the tent, with his spear and his normal shield on his back, while holding the black unknown shield with his left hand. He also became dumbfounded when he saw how light it was, but he still had to ask about it at least.

"What is this? Max asked swinging the shield around a bit.

Margaret and Will stood up while Gwen continued to finish packing her things.

"We decided to give the shield to you as a sign of appreciation for what you did." Margaret said after getting closer to Max.

"We all know that without you we would've been dead, also..." Will continued after Margaret. His pride was nowhere to be seen, he was like a new man not caring about complimenting someone else for saving his life so easily.

Will then started walking into a direction and as he reached a tent he got inside it. After a few seconds he came out holding an object that Max was grateful for, Jericho's Spear.

"We didn't know what to do with this." Will awkwardly said, he didn't like having a dead man's possessions, especially of those who were once his friends.

Max stood there thinking for a while before reaching his hand and asking:

"Can I have it for now?" Max looked at Will whose eyebrows twitched at the question. 'He got the shield, I understand the spear is better than his but is he so shameless?' Will thought before disapproving his opinion.

He handed Max Jericho's Spear while nodding, and Max nodded back at him making him more relaxed and strengthening the idea of Max not doing such shameless things.

Everyone finished packing after another ten minutes. They began marching the way they came before, hoping of getting back to the their village.