Chapter 19:
Chapter Nineteen : Leila's Story
Saving the demon queen in another world
“I come from a village in the demi human part of the continent…”
Her soft, fluffy tail swayed calmly as she began.
“Our village was especially poor because most of the residents had very weak magic. It’s been that way since its founding. But one day, three children—a fox girl, a bunny girl, and a dog boy—exhibited a level of magic control never seen before in our village. All three could use every type of magic as if it were their own.
“As time passed, they became prodigies, destined to bring prosperity to the village. Their well-being became the village’s top priority. They were given everything they wanted and shown the deepest respect.
“By the time they turned sixteen, they had already proven themselves invaluable—hunting monsters, farming, completing dangerous requests from neighboring towns. Their names and the village’s reputation were well-known across the region. That was when their path was decided: ‘Go to the capital. Earn more to continue supporting the village.’
“They were sent to the capital during Mighty Week to begin their adventure. They stayed in the town near the gate to the demi-human side, where all newcomers first settled. Soon, their magic caught the attention of the Moon Guild, who recruited them.
“They succeeded in all missions, despite their dangers, because of their trust in one another. Yet they had never explored the dungeon at the heart of the capital. Proud and ambitious, they aimed to tackle the dungeon, which allowed only level thirty adventurers. There, they encountered monsters far stronger than any they had fought.
“Reaching the tenth floor, they defeated the floor boss, Crokius, using all their skill and experience. But instead of resting, two of them wanted to scout the next floor. On the eleventh floor, they triggered a trap that teleported them to level eighteen. Before them stood a minotaur with razor-sharp teeth that it used as weapons.
“Their chances of defeating it were slim. They fought with everything they had but could not inflict significant damage. When defeat seemed inevitable, they used an expensive teleportation stone to return to the first floor. Yet the minotaur followed.
“They abandoned the fight and ran, promising never to look back. Only one—Leila, the fox girl—escaped. When she saw the daylight, she turned to celebrate with her friends. But they weren’t there. Panicked, she returned to the dungeon, defeating monsters in her search. All she found were weapons and fresh blood—her friends’ bodies dismembered.
“Overcome with grief, she passed out. When she awoke, she had been rescued by guild members, still on the first floor. Everything else—the dungeon, the blood, the bodies, the weapons—was gone. Desperate, she tried to advance to the second floor but was stopped. Even the guild’s strongest members, above level thirty but below fifty, had never gone beyond the fifteenth floor. They forced her out.
“She had lost everything. She couldn’t fight anymore, paralyzed by fear. Some time passed. The guild expelled her, deeming her useless. Her life became lonely and mundane.
“One day, she encountered a pickpocket who stole her last coins and fled to a grand mansion. She followed but lost track of him. Inside, she found herself trapped in a wealthy merchant noble’s house. A vase, wrapped in exquisite golden fabric, shattered behind her. It was a legendary vase requested by the emperor, said to cure all illnesses.“Her punishment was severe: she had to work her entire life to repay its value—over 500 gold coins, enough to buy her village. The noble sent her to work in a diner at the human gate town. And that was how her life continued, barred from adventuring.
“The children’s names were Duralik, the dog boy; Teila, the bunny girl; and Leila—me.”
Leila’s voice trembled as she finished. Tears soaked her chest, making her shirt cling, revealing her flatness.
I couldn’t find words. After a moment, she stretched, yawning.
“But thanks to you, I feel like I can finally pay back my debt after seven months!”
“Y-Yes! I’ll get you as many stones and herbs as you need!”
Instead of praise, she scolded me for being reckless. Later, we discussed her story, particularly about the dungeon.
“The dungeon is a tall magical building that appeared when the demon queen rose to power,” she said, pointing far away. A pillar-like structure stretched into the sky.
“It has exactly one hundred floors, with bosses on floors 10, 20, 30, up to 100. Monsters inside are twice as strong as their outside counterparts. Level thirty adventurers often die because a level thirty dungeon monster equals a level sixty outside. Most adventurers below fifty play it safe, rarely exceeding the fifteenth floor. The dungeon resets if new adventurers enter a floor. Monsters drop crystals, once you kill them. Rewards increase with the floors. Even floor one monsters can kill unprepared adventurers. Skilled parties are usually lured to higher floors, where most perish.”
“So a level zero like me would be destroyed immediately?” I asked.
She smiled genuinely. “Not necessarily. Floor one monsters rarely gang up, but with your skills, I think you could reach above level twenty.”
“Me?” I pointed at my chest, shocked.
“Yes. Do you know the forest where you found those herbs?”
“The Nightmare Forest,” I said. “It’s over 100 km, home to monsters above level ten.”
Leila’s eyes widened when I mentioned a recent battle.
“You fought a winged freezer,” she whispered. “It freezes its target and pierces the heart with its drill horn. One of the top three strongest in that forest. Many would die without a hero’s intervention.”
I realized I had fought something elite without even knowing.
She continued explaining the monsters I had encountered, confirming my suspicions: defeating a level ten monster alone suggested I might be above level ten.
Night came, and she left after making arrangements to sell items and pay off her debt. The gold she earned from previous items was already substantial—over seventy percent of her debt.
Something felt strange. How did I manage to acquire such rare items so easily? Was the shop owner trustworthy?
That night, I ate well and slept behind a rock, resting my aching muscles.
Morning came with unfamiliar sounds: people on foot and rides racing toward my location. Over a thousand adventurers were heading my way.Panicked, I fled toward the gate. I deduced their target: my cave and the valuable stones within. I had to protect them for Leila.
I ran across adventurers who dispersed at my approach. I reached my mountains on foot.
From a distance, I saw my ladder broken and my hideout crowded with adventurers, tossing my meager belongings aside. Magic had been used to pluck the stones from the walls.
A man in fur gave a speech atop the rock, and the crowd listened silently. Some scattered toward the barrier and the Nightmare Forest. Others persisted.It came as a shock to me a while later when i found out that those people couldn't pass through the barrier. To each and everyone of them, the barrier was hard and sturdy like a mountain. But the strangest thing was that as the adventurer's gave up on the barrier and searched through the fields, a hoarde of monsters slipped inside the causing an unprecedented mayhem. And in just few minutes, a great number of adventurers were killed. This is crazy. Nothing makes sense anymore. I can understand the adventurers not being able to pass through but how can the monsters come in?It seemed as though my fear was the same as the survivors. Cries of help filled the air after thr monsters had retreated and everyone was shocked to their core for the monster emergence. Over half their number was lost. They retreated frantically back to the town with faces full of despair.
Her soft, fluffy tail swayed calmly as she began.
“Our village was especially poor because most of the residents had very weak magic. It’s been that way since its founding. But one day, three children—a fox girl, a bunny girl, and a dog boy—exhibited a level of magic control never seen before in our village. All three could use every type of magic as if it were their own.
“As time passed, they became prodigies, destined to bring prosperity to the village. Their well-being became the village’s top priority. They were given everything they wanted and shown the deepest respect.
“By the time they turned sixteen, they had already proven themselves invaluable—hunting monsters, farming, completing dangerous requests from neighboring towns. Their names and the village’s reputation were well-known across the region. That was when their path was decided: ‘Go to the capital. Earn more to continue supporting the village.’
“They were sent to the capital during Mighty Week to begin their adventure. They stayed in the town near the gate to the demi-human side, where all newcomers first settled. Soon, their magic caught the attention of the Moon Guild, who recruited them.
“They succeeded in all missions, despite their dangers, because of their trust in one another. Yet they had never explored the dungeon at the heart of the capital. Proud and ambitious, they aimed to tackle the dungeon, which allowed only level thirty adventurers. There, they encountered monsters far stronger than any they had fought.
“Reaching the tenth floor, they defeated the floor boss, Crokius, using all their skill and experience. But instead of resting, two of them wanted to scout the next floor. On the eleventh floor, they triggered a trap that teleported them to level eighteen. Before them stood a minotaur with razor-sharp teeth that it used as weapons.
“Their chances of defeating it were slim. They fought with everything they had but could not inflict significant damage. When defeat seemed inevitable, they used an expensive teleportation stone to return to the first floor. Yet the minotaur followed.
“They abandoned the fight and ran, promising never to look back. Only one—Leila, the fox girl—escaped. When she saw the daylight, she turned to celebrate with her friends. But they weren’t there. Panicked, she returned to the dungeon, defeating monsters in her search. All she found were weapons and fresh blood—her friends’ bodies dismembered.
“Overcome with grief, she passed out. When she awoke, she had been rescued by guild members, still on the first floor. Everything else—the dungeon, the blood, the bodies, the weapons—was gone. Desperate, she tried to advance to the second floor but was stopped. Even the guild’s strongest members, above level thirty but below fifty, had never gone beyond the fifteenth floor. They forced her out.
“She had lost everything. She couldn’t fight anymore, paralyzed by fear. Some time passed. The guild expelled her, deeming her useless. Her life became lonely and mundane.
“One day, she encountered a pickpocket who stole her last coins and fled to a grand mansion. She followed but lost track of him. Inside, she found herself trapped in a wealthy merchant noble’s house. A vase, wrapped in exquisite golden fabric, shattered behind her. It was a legendary vase requested by the emperor, said to cure all illnesses.“Her punishment was severe: she had to work her entire life to repay its value—over 500 gold coins, enough to buy her village. The noble sent her to work in a diner at the human gate town. And that was how her life continued, barred from adventuring.
“The children’s names were Duralik, the dog boy; Teila, the bunny girl; and Leila—me.”
Leila’s voice trembled as she finished. Tears soaked her chest, making her shirt cling, revealing her flatness.
I couldn’t find words. After a moment, she stretched, yawning.
“But thanks to you, I feel like I can finally pay back my debt after seven months!”
“Y-Yes! I’ll get you as many stones and herbs as you need!”
Instead of praise, she scolded me for being reckless. Later, we discussed her story, particularly about the dungeon.
“The dungeon is a tall magical building that appeared when the demon queen rose to power,” she said, pointing far away. A pillar-like structure stretched into the sky.
“It has exactly one hundred floors, with bosses on floors 10, 20, 30, up to 100. Monsters inside are twice as strong as their outside counterparts. Level thirty adventurers often die because a level thirty dungeon monster equals a level sixty outside. Most adventurers below fifty play it safe, rarely exceeding the fifteenth floor. The dungeon resets if new adventurers enter a floor. Monsters drop crystals, once you kill them. Rewards increase with the floors. Even floor one monsters can kill unprepared adventurers. Skilled parties are usually lured to higher floors, where most perish.”
“So a level zero like me would be destroyed immediately?” I asked.
She smiled genuinely. “Not necessarily. Floor one monsters rarely gang up, but with your skills, I think you could reach above level twenty.”
“Me?” I pointed at my chest, shocked.
“Yes. Do you know the forest where you found those herbs?”
“The Nightmare Forest,” I said. “It’s over 100 km, home to monsters above level ten.”
Leila’s eyes widened when I mentioned a recent battle.
“You fought a winged freezer,” she whispered. “It freezes its target and pierces the heart with its drill horn. One of the top three strongest in that forest. Many would die without a hero’s intervention.”
I realized I had fought something elite without even knowing.
She continued explaining the monsters I had encountered, confirming my suspicions: defeating a level ten monster alone suggested I might be above level ten.
Night came, and she left after making arrangements to sell items and pay off her debt. The gold she earned from previous items was already substantial—over seventy percent of her debt.
Something felt strange. How did I manage to acquire such rare items so easily? Was the shop owner trustworthy?
That night, I ate well and slept behind a rock, resting my aching muscles.
Morning came with unfamiliar sounds: people on foot and rides racing toward my location. Over a thousand adventurers were heading my way.Panicked, I fled toward the gate. I deduced their target: my cave and the valuable stones within. I had to protect them for Leila.
I ran across adventurers who dispersed at my approach. I reached my mountains on foot.
From a distance, I saw my ladder broken and my hideout crowded with adventurers, tossing my meager belongings aside. Magic had been used to pluck the stones from the walls.
A man in fur gave a speech atop the rock, and the crowd listened silently. Some scattered toward the barrier and the Nightmare Forest. Others persisted.It came as a shock to me a while later when i found out that those people couldn't pass through the barrier. To each and everyone of them, the barrier was hard and sturdy like a mountain. But the strangest thing was that as the adventurer's gave up on the barrier and searched through the fields, a hoarde of monsters slipped inside the causing an unprecedented mayhem. And in just few minutes, a great number of adventurers were killed. This is crazy. Nothing makes sense anymore. I can understand the adventurers not being able to pass through but how can the monsters come in?It seemed as though my fear was the same as the survivors. Cries of help filled the air after thr monsters had retreated and everyone was shocked to their core for the monster emergence. Over half their number was lost. They retreated frantically back to the town with faces full of despair.
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