Chapter 31

****** Somewhere in the home of a corporate slave ****** 

 

"Let's break up." 

 

"Wait, why are you doing this to me?" 

 

When I returned home for the first time in three days, my fiance greeted me with this news. 

 

"Why? Are you asking why? Tell me, since we started living together, when was the last time we ate together, or better yet, the last time we had a proper conversation?" 

 

Thinking about it, all I remember is work, work, work, and coming home exhausted. 

 

"I told you to quit your job. You say you'll think about it or it's okay, but you continue with it." 

 

Every time I try to quit or resign, the boss starts talking about responsibilities, how I'm a terrible person, quitting due to a little pressure, or how it'll be difficult to find another job if I simply quit. 

 

"I don't care about your money. In these two years we've been living together, tell me once when we had a moment just for us." 

 

"But if I quit now, it will be hard to find another job." 

 

"I don't want to know. You only think about work, work, work, and saving money. Tell me, when will we spend the money with you only working and having no time for anything else?" 

 

When I was about to answer her. 

 

"Before you say anything else, how long do I have to wait for you? You said the same thing when I asked you to take some time for us. Tell me, what has changed until today?" 

 

"I'm sorry." 

 

I really can't defend myself about this. 

 

"You decide, either you quit this job, or you quit me." 

 

When she said that, her eyes seemed to fill with tears. 

 

"I-" 

 

"When you have the answer, you tell me. I'll be at my mother's house, but if you take too long to answer me, I'll consider that you already made your choice." 

 

Without wasting time, she left the house carrying some bags. 

 

I want to stop her, but when I approached her. 

 

"Stay away. Until you decide, I don't want to know about you." 

 

... 

 

After that, I don't remember anything else; I only realized what was happening when I heard my phone ringing. 

 

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? YOU'RE LATE FOR WORK, AND NOW, A COWARD WANTING TO QUIT, YOU'VE BECOME A SLACKER WHO IS LATE FOR WORK." 

 

When I answered the phone, the first thing I heard was my boss's voice reprimanding me. 

 

Damn, damn, damn, damn, all this happened because of this damn job. 

 

"HEY, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I WANT YOU HERE NOW." 

 

You know what, I give up. She was right; I managed to save up a good amount of money. One of the reasons I hadn't quit yet was that the salary wasn't that bad. 

 

"Hey, boss, I quit." 

 

After that, I hung up the phone. 

 

Sigh. 

 

"What do I do now?" 

 

Even though I said it on impulse, I think that was the best reaction I could have had. 

 

Is this the right thing to do? Am I really sure I won't regret it? 

 

Of course, it's the right thing. Am I more regretful now? 

 

Can I really change? Have you been abandoned, what right do you have to go after her? 

 

I... 

 

What will I work with now? Where will I work? 

 

I don't know... 

 

You're a coward, a slacker. 

 

Shut... up. 

 

Useless, only thinking about changing after losing something important. 

 

Shut up. 

 

Several moments flashed through my mind at that moment. I remembered all the moments I spent with her, but now she's gone. 

 

I also remembered all the times I couldn't come home because of the short time we had to deliver the projects. 

 

Not to mention the times I was reprimanded by my boss. 

 

Shut UP. 

 

A feeling of doubt, various insecurities and uncertainties, along with memories seemed to haunt my mind. 

 

I SAID, SHUT UP. 

 

Oh, it stopped, hahahaha... I feel light, for some reason, it's as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. 

 

Wet, I don't know why, but, my face seems to be wet. 

 

When I looked in the mirror to see what was happening, I found that I was crying. 

 

Now there's no turning back; I have to change, try to be better. 

 

"I have to submit my resignation letter at the company, say goodbye to the other employees, look for a new job, and I think only after solving everything, I have the right to go after her." 

 

After deciding what I have to do, I decided to take a good shower, have something to eat, and then take a good nap. 

 

-0- 

 

"Done, with this, I officially quit that job." 

 

To think it would be so simple to resign, I should have done it earlier. 

 

"Should I find a part-time job while looking for a new one?" 

 

Perhaps because of the habit of always working, the idea of being idle doesn't suit me, even though I have money that can sustain me for a while, it's not infinite. 

 

"Tired of the daily grind? Had a fight with an unreasonable boss? Or looking to try something new?" 

 

On the way home, an advertisement caught my attention. 

 

"Come to Sweet Dungeon, the best place to relieve your stress." 

 

Dungeon, until recently, was something rarely discussed, but something happened that as long as you have contact with someone, you'll hear about it at least once. 

 

The commercial sparked a curiosity in me. After all, due to work, I always heard about it but never had the time to visit one or learn more about what they are. 

 

"Wow, the internet is full of information about dungeons, and there seem to be several of them in this city alone. What's going on?" 

 

Although I had a vague idea of what was happening, I had no clue about the entire picture or, better yet, the magnitude of it all. 

 

"What's the point of going to a dungeon if I've never been interested in learning any kind of fighting, martial art, or anything like that?" 

 

Just as I was about to go back to looking for ads for places that are hiring, ironically, two more dungeon advertisements caught my attention. 

 

{Want to challenge a dungeon but never fought in your life and lack confidence? 

Are you afraid of getting hurt or even feel that desire to fight with the emotion that your life depends on it? 

This is your chance to change that. Our dojo is being operated inside a dungeon, and I believe you already know what that means. So don't waste time and enroll now. 

And for those who are interested but didn't quite understand what we mean, we still don't have all the information on how this works. However, when challenging a dungeon, there is a mechanism that prevents you from dying. However, it's crucial to understand that despite this, all feelings and senses are real. Therefore, all pain, fear, all sensations are real. So, if you really don't want to change or are not ready to overcome whatever it may be, this announcement and what we offer are not for you. 

If you still decide to enroll, we have psychologists on call, and for an additional fee, we have a recreational area.} 

 

{Come join us at Dungeons Shelters. We seek people with commitment, seriousness, and dedication. 

We are looking for members to fill different positions, from beginners to experienced veterans. 

Available positions include but are not limited to: 

Lawyers 

Chefs 

Accountants 

Masseurs 

Professional designers 

Aesthetic professionals 

Marketing professionals 

Programmers 

Receptionists 

Security personnel 

Salespersons 

Are you interested in joining us? Contact us for more information about the specific requirements for each position. 

P.S.: In addition to the salary, our employees receive various benefits. Come visit us to find out what they are.} 

 

All I need at the moment is a job and... a chance to change. Since I don't have a definite direction I want to pursue right now, it doesn't hurt to try. 

 

"The two seem to be in the same location after all; the address is the same. One more reason to give it a try." 

 

What do I do? I have experience as a programmer, but I was looking to do something different because of my old job. Anyway, first, I need to see the work environment and what functions they expect. 

 

Let's leave that for later. First, I will visit their dojo. My saved money can keep me going while I decide what to do at the moment.