The dungeon behind that door (P.2) – Chapter 5

Then, after making up her mind, she slowly crawled towards me in silence and got up on my back. I made sure that I would properly hold her legs between my arms while she would gently place her hands over my shoulders.

So this is what is called a piggyback….

"Then I will begin to move." I warned her before beginning to walk towards the exit.

She didn't seem to be responding to me about this sort of situation. However, amidst the tension, a subtle scent caught my nose. A sweet scent that emanated from her was gradually enveloping my senses, mingling with the urgency of the situation.

"If you feel uncomfortable, let me know."

I was quickening my pace because I was concerned about whether or not she was in pain. 

"I-I'm, f-fine…."

"If that's so, then I'll increase my pace a bit." I said to her beforehand, "I don't want to risk fighting those slimes with you right now."

"...uhm."

She hummed in agreement as she tried not to rest her chest on my back. But no matter how much she tried to keep a distance, she would always lean back and forth over my back, sometimes even resting those smooth cushions of her chest on my hard back.

Finally reaching the exit of this place, I walked outside the door with Aoi being carried on my back.

And since I didn't want anything like this to happen again, I made sure to properly close the door and put furniture in front of it so Aoi would know that this is the same forbidden door.

Right now, she still seems to be in pain every time she tries moving. That's why, the moment we escaped that place, I carried Aoi to the living room and quickly brought her some quick aid kits to deal with her injuries.

I didn't want to tease her or cause her any discomfort, which is why I quickly and gently disinfected her visible scratches, applied a bit of ice over her strained ankle, and then wrapped it with a tight piece of cloth to ease her pain.

She watched me help her the whole time in silence as her worried eyes gazed at me. She didn't seem to be against it. However, her silence worried me for a bit.

Once her injuries were properly patched up, I went back to the kitchen and prepared two more chocolate milkshakes before also sitting down on the other side of the couch, where she would be able to face me.

"So... I'm sure that you've got more questions about that place, don't you?" I decided to break the ice.

Aoi looked at her own warm milkshake before gently nodding.

"Basically, that door leads to an alternate dimension, much like our own. But the only difference between our land and that one," I continued, "is the presence of what many would refer to as... monsters."

"....Monsters?" She looked up at me in slight surprise. 

"Yeap. You probably noticed that those creatures weren't like any animals or beings you've encountered in your world. They're what we refer to as slimes."

"I've heard of slimes in a game a friend used to play." She shook her head slightly, a contemplative expression on her face.

"However," I clarified, "real-life slimes are quite different from the ones in games."

After thinking to herself for a couple of more seconds, she slowly looked back at me again in wonder and was a bit afraid to ask. But after swallowing her saliva, she tried to ask.

"...Why does a door like that exist here?"

"I'm not sure myself, as It's been awhile since I've entered that place. However, from what I know, I'm sure that that place is filled with dangerous monsters that continue to get stronger the deeper you go." I continued to explain, "At first I believed that the place beyond the door was a path to a dungeon. But that wasn't always the case each time I would enter beyond the door. I've been in that dungeon many times, and I still haven't found any sort of information or help in any way during the time I've been trapped in this land."

Even though this might seem like some sort of challenge or clue to us getting out, I already know the opposite. That dungeon-like place is nothing more than another alternative in case someone wants to commit suicide or die in a warrior-style way.

But from what I can see, Aoi doesn't seem to be convinced. 

She was recently brought to this land, after all, so it's not surprising that she would question or experiment around like I used to.

"...um…" She attempted to ask.

"Yes?"

"...H-how far…. Have you gone inside this… dungeon?"

I crossed my arms together in thought for a moment before looking back at the uneasy girl.

"Mhnm, if I had to say... I'm not sure, because every time I have entered the door — or let's call it a dungeon so we don't get confused — the monsters are different. And not only that, the environment also changes every time you enter or conquer a special dungeon inside it. You can expect anything." I shrugged uncertainly.

After absorbing every bit of information that I was saying about this dungeon, Aoi fell to her own thoughts for a slight moment before looking back at me with a rather questionable look that still raised many concerns. However, she still seemed a bit afraid or unsure tabouteven responding back to me.

"If you still have questions, feel free to ask." I tried reassuring her, "Since I as well haven't really figured much about that dungeon."

As she gripped her own milkshake, she let out a slight sigh.

"....does…. Does that also mean that there is a chance that every time someone enters, it changes the destination of where you end up?"

I let out a sigh. "I know what you are trying to ask," I said to her. "You're wondering that since that door leads to a random location, then there's a chance it could lead us back home, right?"

Her eyes showed surprise for a moment before going back to their uncertain ones that were afraid to look directly at me.

"....y-yes…"

"I've been in here for a very long time, and believe me when I say this, but entering that door numerous times is the most dangerous thing someone could possibly do," I said to her, my eyes filled with a deep sense of warning. "First of all, I did say that even if a random location gets set, there's still a high chance that there would be monsters or traps everywhere."

Aoi looked at me for a slight moment before looking back at her own milkshake that was beginning to get cold as her mind was beginning to connect the dots about why I was still trapped in this land.

"....um…" She attempted to speak, afraid to raise another question, "...I don't mean to sound rude, but... Did something happen to you in that dungeon that, um… made you give up?"

Her eyes darted back and forth as she struggled to finally ask that very question. She could still be seen being afraid of either knowing an answer back or simply having me snap at her in case she asked a question that I would find unpleasant.

And as her heart was beginning to grow anxious with worry and a slight regret, I looked at my own milkshake before drinking it whole with one breath. Then, as I put the glass on the table, Aoi's body flinched for a slight second.

"Aoi…." 

I called out to her, her body slightly twitching once again in worry as cold sweat was rolling down her face.

"....do you believe in hell?"

"....."

The moment I proceeded to continue with what I had to say, Aoi looked back up at me in slight confusion and a bit of concern.

"....hell?"

Of course she would be unsure of what to think about this because I was the only one who had to experiment and deal with everything with that damn cursed door.

Even though I would make sure to properly lock it, somehow it would open on its own and try to grab my attention as if telling me to enter inside. That was probably what happened to Aoi as well, when she found herself inside. The dungeon beyond the door must've drawn her attention without her even noticing it.

"Haaa, anyway," I broke the silence once again, "If you're still curious about the dungeon, we can go inside together and explore it for a bit. Of course, we won't do anything life-costing."

"....."

And with that, Aoi should be pretty much caught up on everything that I mostly know about the existence of this whole inescapable land and the door that would lead to different dangerous places filled with monsters and traps.