Chapter 18
I pointed dumbly toward the dungeon entrance.
“Wait… why is this thing here?”
“I’m not certain, but I have a guess,” Luan replied, frowning. “I’ve heard that ever since the number of high-ranking demons began increasing, dungeons have started appearing at random.”
Ah, great. So this is just bad luck.
Of all places, a random dungeon had to spawn right where my cozy little house stood? Unbelievable.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Another quake hit.
Luan instinctively pulled me into his arms as I staggered.
Ugh, too smooth. He does it like it’s second nature…
Keeeeeeeng—!
The dungeon entrance trembled, and a loud noise echoed from within.
“…That sound came from inside the dungeon, right?”
I asked again, hoping maybe it hadn’t.
“Yes, without a doubt,” Luan said evenly—like he was answering “Did you eat?” with “Yeah, I did.”
“Haah… fine, let’s go in then.”
“No, I’ll go alone. Randomly spawned dungeons can’t be ranked beforehand. It could turn out to be a B-rank or higher, which is dangerous.”
“Sure! Then I’ll just stay here and read or something!”
‘No way. I can’t let Luan go into such a dangerous place alone.’
Oops. I thought that, but I said it out loud.
“Ah, I mean—no, that came out wrong. I meant what I said! I can’t let you go in there alone.”
“But—”
“Aaah, just go already! Before the house collapses completely!”
I quickly corrected myself and pushed at his back before he could protest again.
Luan sighed, unable to win against my stubbornness.
“Then, Zoe—inside the dungeon, you must stay right by my side.”
And so, we stepped into the dungeon together.
Luan glanced at Zoe, who was sticking close behind him like a baby chick following its mother. His lips curved into a half-moon smile.
Ever since entering the dungeon, Zoe had been startled by even the smallest sounds, clutching at her clothes nervously. Yet every time he turned to look, her expression remained calm—her clear, water-colored eyes steady and unbothered, as if nothing was wrong.
‘Anyone would say she looks tense…’
Still, he couldn’t help finding that side of her rather cute.
“Zoe, watch your step. There’s sticky fluid all over the ground.”
The inside of the dungeon was quieter than expected.
There were no monsters in sight—only sticky residue pooled on the floor, scattered cobwebs, and clumps of dirt.
“You could’ve said that a little sooner…”
Too late. Her shoes were already coated in slime.
Zoe struggled in vain to shake off the goo clinging to her feet, wriggling awkwardly.
Watching her flail about with that same calm face, Luan couldn’t help but laugh.
“What? Why are you laughing?”
“Laughing? No, you must’ve misheard me.”
His words denied it, but his mouth curved gently upward, betraying him. Zoe shot him a sharp glare.
That expression reminded Luan of someone else—another “Zoe” he had met.
Completely different.
The white-haired Zoe had never made faces like that.
When he’d met her gaze, it felt as if she could read his very soul.
Those emotionless, inhuman eyes—it was like facing something beyond mortal comprehension.
A creature utterly unlike the beast that slept within him.
‘Just who was that woman?’
Zoe’s repeated claims of ignorance had seemed entirely genuine, which made Luan wonder if he’d imagined the whole thing.
Even stranger was the fact that he hadn’t transformed into a beast during the three days he’d been unconscious.
From past experience, he knew he could feel his body changing even when unconscious.
So if Zoe said he hadn’t changed, it must have been true.
…And she said she’d absorbed my magic through that ornate watering can, right?
It looked so ordinary.
The more Luan got to know Zoe, the more she surprised him.
That captivating beauty and rare jewel-like eyes.
The fragile, delicate appearance that contradicted the immense power she wielded.
Adding all that up, Luan could only come to one conclusion—
‘A Demon God.’
A ruler among demons, who preyed upon innocent imperial citizens.
The pinnacle of that bloody hierarchy—the Demon God race.
Both Demon Lords and Demon Gods could take human form.
But the Demon Gods—those at the very top—possessed intellect and cunning that allowed them to perfectly imitate human emotions and behaviors.
That made them nearly impossible to identify when hiding among people.
Luan stared down at Zoe for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
‘No… she couldn’t possibly be one of them.’
Anyone who had seen Zoe’s clumsy honesty would think the same.
To Luan, she was simply… straightforward.
To him, nobles fell into two categories:
Those who hid serpent-like ambitions behind smiles to exploit power and wealth… and those who pursued him for his looks alone.
The former were tolerable—useful, even. If they aligned with his political interests, fine; if not, he could crush them with power.
The latter, however, were a nuisance.
They’d send endless love letters begging for affection, stalk him from the shadows, and even harm themselves for attention.
Because of that, Luan had long avoided women altogether.
But Zoe was different.
She didn’t fit into either group.
With her, everything was transparent—her emotions, her thoughts, her reactions.
Because of that, Luan found himself treating her more casually than anyone else.
Even earlier, when he had instinctively pulled her close, he was startled by how natural it felt.
Sure, it was meant to protect her—but still…
Remembering the warmth of her body against his, Luan’s face flushed.
Just then—
“Luan! Come over here! There’s some weird-looking sword on the ground!”
Zoe, who had walked ahead with an annoyed look, called out urgently.
Luan quickly regained composure and hurried over to her.
‘What’s this sword doing here?’
I stared down at the mysterious blade lying in the middle of the dungeon.
Despite all the tension, the dungeon itself seemed disappointingly uneventful.
When I’d entered, a system window had appeared:
[System: You have entered an unranked (?) dungeon — “Abandoned Dungeon.”]
A question mark for the rank, and the word abandoned…
So this dungeon had already been cleared and closed.
But then, why had there been those strange noises earlier? That was the real mystery.
I crept forward, neck stretched like a meerkat, cautiously scanning the surroundings. And then—squelch. I stepped right into another puddle of slime.
“Ugh, seriously.”
I wiped my shoe against the dirt, but the sticky substance clung stubbornly.
No matter how much I kicked or shook, it wouldn’t come off.
Luan’s laughter still echoed in my mind, and I sighed at my own pitiful state.
He could’ve warned me earlier… conveniently avoiding all the puddles himself.
I shot him a side-eye as he approached.
“It’s really a sword,” he said, crouching to examine it. After a moment, he picked it up with one hand.
“What do you think? If it’s good, take it with us.”
I eyed the sword greedily.
It looked shabby, sure—but hey, it was inside a dungeon, so it might be a valuable item!
If it was a good one, I’d snatch it right up!
“Hmm, this one’s quite old. The blade’s rusted and dull.”
Luan swung it lightly through the air, his movements fluid and practiced.
So that explained why the sword looked flimsy.
I quickly changed my attitude.
There was a shiny gem on the hilt that had caught my attention, but it must’ve belonged to some adventurer who’d fought monsters here and abandoned it.
“Probably just something left behind by an old adventurer,” I said.
I turned away from the battered sword, scanning the area for whatever had caused the tremors earlier—
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, the sword in Luan’s hand sliced past my head, so close it nearly shaved my scalp.
Even a dull blade could cut hair—and sure enough, a few pink strands fluttered to the ground.
Blinking in shock, I slowly turned my stiff neck toward him.
“…L-Luan? Wh-what are you doing?”
