Chapter 36: Return

Lynn glanced at the timer in his vision - only 5 minutes remained before he would be forced to exit the dungeon. He had wanted to do one last sweep of the hospital floors, hoping to scavenge any remaining useful items like medical books. But with so little time left, he knew that was unrealistic.

"Anyway, finding books isn't a problem in Blue Star," Lynn muttered to himself. As long as he made it back, he could seek out that knowledge in this modern world.

Thinking of Blue Star reminded Lynn - did this ordinary-seeming world also have an extraordinary side hidden from regular people? The mysterious countdown timer, his reincarnation, and now the chaotic dungeon hospital - it was enough evidence to make Lynn seriously consider the possibility.

As his thoughts raced wildly, pondering the implications, the timer ticked down the final seconds. Lynn took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness, and steeled himself for whatever was to come.

Right as the timer hit zero, a shimmering vortex suddenly materialized in front of Lynn. Before he could react, the vortex rapidly enveloped him, warping his senses.

At the same moment, the dungeon world around Lynn began to blur and fade, as if painted over with layers of mosaic tiles that obscured all color and contour. Reality itself seemed to dissolve as Lynn lost all sense of perspective and scale.

He desperately tried to cling to consciousness, but it was futile. As darkness closed in, Lynn's mind went blank, awareness slipping away...

…

…

When Lynn finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying in the living room of his small rental home, back in the real world. The familiar sensations overwhelmed him. The brilliant sun shining through the window, the distant sound of traffic and people - the characteristic backdrop of modern life.

After the nightmarish experience in the dungeon hospital, these mundane details were almost enough to bring Lynn to tears of relief.

"I'm back," he whispered hoarsely.

Glancing down, Lynn saw his clothes were still disheveled and coated in dried bloodstains - one of the few traces that proved his bizarre ordeal hadn't been some fever dream. The sword and backpack in his hands were further evidence.

Lynn slowly rose to his feet, legs unsteady. His body still felt weary and battered.

Moving slowly to the window, Lynn gazed outside at the streets buzzing with life. He pressed a hand to the glass as if to confirm its solidity.

After days of fighting for survival in the nightmarish hospital dungeon, this ordinary urban landscape seemed surreal to Lynn. He kept expecting zombies to come lurching out of the crowds.

"I need to get a grip on reality," Lynn muttered, shaking his head.

But doubts lingered in Lynn's mind. Was this world truly "real"? After his bizarre experiences, he questioned what forces might lurk beneath the surface of ordinary life here.

"How did no one notice my disappearance?" Lynn suddenly wondered out loud.

Although Lynn was not particularly close with anyone, disappearing for more than two days would certainly be noticed and raise questions. His landlord might wonder about his whereabouts if he vanished without explanation.

Yet here he was, back in his rental home as if nothing had happened.

Lynn looked at the electronic clock on the side wall…

It was Monday, six o'clock in the evening.

He distinctly remembered it being the morning before the end of the countdown timer, which meant that less than a day had passed since his disappearance.

But he had clearly been in the hospital dungeon for more than two days!

"Could it be that time doesn't flow the same between here and that world?" Lynn muttered.

He was not sure, but a difference in the flow of time was not impossible after the bizarre experiences he had just gone through.

Lynn realized there was still so much about the world that he did not understand. But he was not the type to obsess over mysteries he could not yet unravel.

"For now, I should just focus on recovering," Lynn decided.

He was hearing a series of notifications continuing to chime in his mind, but he decisively ignored them. There would be time to examine those later. Right now, he needed rest and time to process everything that had happened.

After a quick shower to clean off the grime and blood, Lynn changed into fresh clothes. Already he felt more refreshed and centered. The familiar normalcy helped ground him.

Rummaging through some leftover takeout in the fridge, his body desperately craved nutrition after being pushed to its limits.

As he ate, Lynn's mind wandered back to the nightmarish hospital dungeon. Now that he was back safely, the memories almost seemed unreal, like scenes from a movie.

"I can't believe I survived battling all those zombies and mutated creatures," Lynn shook his head in disbelief.

He knew that without awakening his special talent [Gemini Soul], he surely would have perished.

Every accomplishment and victory he achieved in that dungeon was because of his talent. Without [Gemini Soul], Lynn would have been just another victim, devoured by the ravenous zombies that filled the hospital's halls.

Lynn sighed deeply, leaning back on his couch. A bone-deep exhaustion swept over him, the adrenaline rush of battle finally wearing off. He hadn't realized just how drained he felt, both mentally and physically.

Still, despite the trauma, Lynn also felt a sense of accomplishment and growth. The challenges he had overcome were immense, pushing him far beyond what he thought were his limits. He had proven his will to survive and adapt was strong.

He lay on the couch, finally allowing his weary body to relax fully now that he was back in the safety of home. Within moments, the comforting darkness of sleep embraced him. Lynn's breathing deepened as he drifted into a slumber, his mind and body desperate for recovery after being pushed to their absolute limits.