The Shard of the Dungeon

A heavy silence followed. No words, no breath. Then reality caught up with them:

They had just completed a dungeon. 

Together.

"Lys!"

 "She's just exhausted... her last action must have taken all her strength," Iris said, a sigh of relief in her voice.

"Look... over there," Anne pointed to a far wall.

"A secret room? Rewards?... Or an even tougher boss?" Kyle sighed warily.

Exhausted, Kyle collapsed heavily at the foot of a broken pillar, his breath short.

"I'm drained... completely exhausted..."

"I... I'm sorry I worried you."

Everyone nodded, a genuine smile on their lips. The group's unity had never been stronger.

The group formed again. Kyle and Tristan led the way, simultaneously placing their hands on the door and infusing it with their mana. The symbols lit up, reacting to their energy, and a low rumble sounded.

The door opened.

It was a vast circular room, its ceiling disappearing into shadow. All around them, objects glittered, carefully arranged on pedestals, in open chests, or simply lying on the floor.

"Artifacts... grimoires... ancient objects..." Elena breathed, her eyes shining.

Some objects emitted an almost tangible glow of mana. Others, seemingly dull, seemed to hide a much older history. A few relics were purely aesthetic, made of solid gold, crystal, or precious stones.

There was also a pile of ancient scrolls, probably the notes or records of whoever had built this dungeon.

"I guess that's the reward," Kyle murmured. "No hidden boss. Too bad, I was ready for a fight..."

"You're the only one who would have wanted that," Tristan replied, smiling.

 Then, naturally, the group dispersed throughout the room.

Tristan had headed toward a greatsword displayed on a black stone altar.

Elena was examining rings and magical talismans, murmuring incantations to test their nature.

Anne, meanwhile, was inspecting a spear that seemed made of solid light.

Lys remained in the background, seated, watching her friends with a peaceful smile.

Iris, ever curious, rummaged through the tomes with the excitement of a child in a forbidden bookstore.

And Kyle? He had stopped in front of a glass sphere suspended in a magical cage. He didn't know why... but something about it called to him.

It shone slightly, capturing the reflections of the room. He stood there for a moment, watching it... before sighing.

"Just a trinket... obviously." »

He walked away slowly, hands in his pockets, looking a little disappointed.

"Tsk... I was hoping for at least a small plot twist. But no, not even a highlighted line to mark the occasion."

A short, bitter sigh.

"I forgot... This author didn't even bother to integrate a reward system into his world."

He wandered aimlessly until a voice caught his attention:

"Lys, can you come see this?" Elena asked, kneeling before a small altar on which rested several objects engraved with ancient symbols.

Lys ran over, and as soon as her eyes landed on the artifacts, a flash of fascination crossed them.

Kyle approached, curious.

"So, what did you find?"

Elena, embarrassed, pointed at Lys:

"I don't know anything about religious objects... I prefer to let the expert speak."

Lys, her eyes shining with genuine joy, replied:

"These objects... they are linked to the Supreme Deity. Look, they are sacred relics." »

She then pointed to a pile of ancient parchments and tablets:

"And these are records dating from before the Great War that divided the world. I'd read about it... but I'd never seen one with my own eyes."

Kyle, who had never shown the slightest interest in religion since arriving in this world, nodded politely, his expression mockingly scholarly.

"Ah yes... of course. Very interesting, all that..."

Then, he sighed inwardly:

"I didn't understand a thing. But oh well, let's pretend. Maybe one day I'll take the time to delve into this subject... to deepen my knowledge of the lore of this world."

While Lys marveled at the symbols, she came across a pile of old manuscripts.

"They look like sacred texts... But I can't decipher them all." It's written in an ancient dialect."

Lys's passion was palpable, and even Kyle felt a kind of respect for her enthusiasm.

It was at that moment that Iris arrived, holding a thick tome with a black cover edged in silver.

"Kyle. Here. This is for you."

Kyle took the book, intrigued.

"What is this?"

"A rare and powerful artifact. It contains a spell... it's a tome of forgotten arcana," Iris explained.

She continued, her tone calm and serious:

"When you open it, you immediately learn the spell it contains. Afterward... the book loses all value, it becomes a mere object. It can only be used once."

Kyle swallowed, ready to hand the tome to his friend.

 "Take it," Iris said calmly. "You're the best person to do this."

Kyle shook his head.

"No, Iris. You found it; it's rightfully yours."

She stared at him for a moment before replying firmly,

"Perhaps... But even if this is my only chance to use such an artifact, I know only you could unlock its full potential. Besides, we still don't know what spell it contains... it could be anything: see through matter, become invisible... or even manipulate time."

At that, Kyle's mind immediately drifted into unreliable thoughts. Then he pulled himself together, coughed, and asked,

"And all those grimoires, do they only contain abilities related to Void magic?"

"Yes," Iris replied.

A thought clicked in Kyle's mind.

 "...So that's how I got the Void Veil? A while ago... in Asterion... I opened one of those books."

Iris's eyes widened.

"Have you ever had an artifact like this?! The Void Veil? I don't know the spell, but it must be extremely rare!"

Kyle cracked a smile.

"I thought it was just a plot twist to make the protagonist completely cheated from the start of their adventure... But no, in the end, I just got lucky."

"So you're taking it then?" she asked, her voice full of expectation.

"Yes. It's decided," Kyle replied determinedly, his gaze firm.

Without further hesitation, he placed his hands on the dark cover and opened the tome.

 Instantly, golden glyphs rose around him, swirling like fireflies. The book vibrated in his hands. As if swept away by a breath of light, the writings dissipated, leaving only the silence of emptiness and...

Kyle slowly began to levitate.

"He... he's learning the ability of Flight..." Iris breathed, mouth agape.

"Usually, only archmages can acquire such a faculty..." she thought, her heart pounding.

Kyle rose again, gently, carried by an invisible force. His hair floated in the air, his clothes billowing as if in a dream. He opened his arms, the light completely enveloping him.

Then, slowly, he reached the ceiling of the room.

He smiled, his eyes shining.

"Flying... a dream shared by so many people across the worlds... And now I can do it," Kyle said solemnly.

Then, thoughtfully, he added:

"But the humans of my world have already achieved that dream... with airplanes and other flying machines."

A slight smile played on his lips.

"No... I prefer to put it this way: flying without artifice is a dream shared by so many people across the world," he concluded, as if to give his words their full meaning.

 Down below, Iris watched the scene with a mixture of jealousy, wonder... and affection.

She knew this spell couldn't have fallen into better hands.

As soon as Kyle began to slowly descend from the sky, carried by the last bursts of the flight spell, everyone in the group stopped to join him.

Tristan was the first to approach Lys and Iris, arms crossed, a wry smile on his face.

"So... Kyle's flying now, huh?"

Iris, looking proud, replied immediately:

"It's thanks to the artifact I gave him. He got lucky; it's a rare spell."

Tristan shrugged.

"With power like that, he's going to do more unpredictable things. I can feel it."

Kyle landed with a wide grin, like a kid who had just tried a really cool ride for the first time. At that moment, Elena and Anne joined them.

"I didn't even know humans could fly..." Elena said, amazed.

"Tell me, Kyle... Can humans in your world do that too?" Anne asked curiously.

Kyle was about to answer, but Iris took the lead in explaining the situation. She briefly summarized how the grimoire worked, the Void-related spells, and the rarity of this type of artifact.

Tristan, looking around, said,

"Okay. Since everyone's gathered, maybe we can think about heading home now?"

Lys, her arms laden with sacred texts and relics, asked timidly,

"Can I take everything related to the Church? These objects are precious... historically and spiritually."

Tristan grimaced.

"We'll never have enough room in the bag for all of this." »

But Elena immediately intervened:

"It's not a problem, Kyle also bought a magic bag with the money he received for Darian's quests, right? It wasn't used."

Anne nodded towards Kyle:

"I knew that bag would eventually come in handy."

Tristan shrugged, defeated.

"Very well. Pick up what you want, Lys."

The priestess's eyes lit up. She thanked everyone warmly before returning to work with silent passion.

Meanwhile, Kyle, silent, seemed to be staring at something in the distance. Then, without warning, he flew away again, hovering above the room like a bird that had just broken its cage. A soft laugh escaped him, carried on the wind.

"He's really happy..." Elena murmured, looking at him tenderly.

 "Let him enjoy it," she added to Anne. "If I'd been granted such power, I would have done the same thing. Maybe even worse."

About fifteen minutes later, the group had gathered in front of the large treasure door. Everyone had taken whatever they wanted: weapons, documents, artifacts, or simple shiny trinkets.

Kyle went back downstairs and joined the group.

"So, are you ready?" Tristan asked.

"Affirmative," Kyle replied, still smiling.

They went through the door together and returned to the boss room, where it all began. The magic circle shone again in the center of the room, like an invitation to leave.

"Well... we'll have to go back the whole way around," Iris sighed.

But Anne, followed by Elena, immediately contradicted her.

"No, look closer. It's a direct transfer circle." We'll be teleported to the first level!"

Iris exclaimed, relieved:

"Thanks to the supreme deity... I didn't have the strength to start all over again."

One after the other, they entered the circle. A soft light enveloped each of them, making them disappear with a magical rustle.

In a few moments, the group found themselves on the first level of the dungeon, close to the exit. The contrast with the heavy atmosphere of the depths was striking. Even the air seemed lighter.

And then, after one last step—or rather, graceful levitation, for Kyle—they crossed the dungeon exit.

Daylight blinded them for a moment.

After four days spent in the subterranean darkness, they were finally breathing the open air, standing on the sunlit plain. The sky was clear. The birds were singing.

A silence of relief fell.

They had just triumphed over a dungeon, a real challenge... together.

And the world, now, seemed bigger, more alive, more full of promise.

 The cart that had brought them to the keep had long since disappeared. The horses, no doubt accustomed to this kind of mission, had to return to the capital alone.

"Well have to walk to Thoralis..." Tristan sighed, looking at the forest road.

Kyle, confident, stretched his arms and said with a smile,

"It'll be without me this time."

He began to concentrate on taking flight, but Lys gently grabbed his arm.

"Wait... I'd like us to travel together, all of us. We started with six, so we might as well finish with six, right?"

Kyle looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Okay. I guess I can stay on the ground for a little longer."

And so, the group set off through the forest. The trees drifted by, and the surrounding calm gave everyone time to lose themselves in their own thoughts. But after a while, the sound of wheels and hooves caught their attention.

"It sounds like a carriage!" Tristan marveled. "We're really lucky."

Kyle rolled his eyes, a mock-blasé expression.

"I bet it's the author who doesn't want to write a long March scene."

The carriage appeared between the trees. The driver, a jovial man with a gray beard, seemed to recognize Kyle almost immediately.

"Hey! Aren't you the adventurer Master Darian sent to clear out the goblin lair?"

Kyle raised his hand, a little surprised.

"Yes, that's me."

Tristan stepped forward.

"Are you going to the capital?"

"Yes, that's my destination! Come on in, I'll be happy to drop you off." " replied the merchant.

Iris leaned toward Lys with a smile:

"You see, you did well to hold Kyle back."

The group boarded the carriage, and thanks to this providential—or scriptural—coincidence, the journey, which would have lasted several hours, was shortened to just under half an hour.

They soon arrived at the entrance to Thoralis, the great royal capital. In front of the guardhouse, everyone got out and warmly thanked the merchant for his help.

After the usual checks, the group finally passed through the city's large gates. The sun shone on the white stone roofs, and the cobblestone streets buzzed with life.

Without even consulting each other, they all naturally headed for the adventurers' guild. A certain lightness hung in the air. Something had changed. Their group dynamic had evolved. The silences were no longer heavy, the smiles more genuine.

On the way, Tristan broke the tranquility:

"So, Kyle... what do you plan to do after this? Another mission? Going solo?"

Kyle replied in a calm, almost dreamy tone.

"I don't know yet. I'll go where the wind takes me."

Lys, a little flustered by his answer, asked softly:

"Are you going to leave soon?"

Kyle shrugged, his gaze vague.

"I'll see." But first, I'll stop by to say goodbye to Rose."

Lys's eyes misted slightly. She took a step closer, insisting.

"Promise?"

He met her gaze and nodded seriously.

"Promise."

Anne, delighted, almost jumped for joy.

"Perfect! That means we'll be together for a little while longer, then!"

And so they continued walking, chatting about everything and nothing: what they were going to do with their rewards, the items they'd found, Kyle's new ability... until finally, the guild entrance appeared before them, familiar and warm.

They were home.

The Dawnburst team finally walked through the familiar doors of the Adventurers' Guild. Seeing them, Julie, the receptionist, gave them a broad wave from the counter.

 Tristan and the rest of the team approached, but Kyle broke away from the group and sat alone at a table, looking thoughtful.

"You're back!" Julie exclaimed, smiling. "So, how did the mission go?"

"Pretty well," Tristan replied, his usual sober manner.

"Very well indeed!" Anne added cheerfully.

"Good, I'm delighted to hear it," Julie replied. "The guild master is waiting for your report. Come on, I'll accompany you."

She gestured to Tristan, who followed her. Elena, aware of her shortcomings with written reports, immediately offered to help, and Iris, who had noted down a lot of information during the dungeon exploration, joined them.

So, Tristan, Julie, Elena, and Iris headed for the guild master's office.

 Only Anne and Lys remained, joining Kyle at his table. Kyle barely looked up.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"They're doing the mission report," Anne replied simply.

A brief silence ensued. Then, Anne, wanting to lighten the mood, said:

"Say, between you two... How's your relationship going?"

Lys jumped, taken aback. Blushing, she shook her head.

"We... We're not together! Well... not yet," she murmured.

Kyle, on the other hand, pretended not to have heard, looking away, arms crossed. Anne immediately realized she'd asked too direct a question and tried to change the subject.

"And now? What are you planning to do?"

Kyle finally looked up.

"I'm going back to the first town... the one where Rose is." »

"Do you even know the name of this town?" Anne asked.

Kyle frowned thoughtfully.

"No. I don't think I've ever wondered."

"Lys, can you tell her?" Anne persisted with a knowing wink.

Lys, still a little embarrassed, replied softly.

"Her name is Helion."

"Thank you," Kyle said, nodding.

"You know," Anne added, "if you really want to go unnoticed, you should pay a little more attention to these kinds of details."

"I wasn't planning on lingering here in the first place. That's why I never cared about the town's name," he replied.

Lys continued softly,

"And after you leave us... what do you plan to do?"

Kyle shrugged.

"With this newfound power, I'm just going to... pick a random direction and follow it."

"That's not a very prudent idea," Lys pointed out.

"Obviously," Anne added. "You need at least a plan, or a destination."

"Plans... they're for people with a specific goal or cause to fight for." "I prefer to follow my instincts," Kyle retorted.

"What if you end up in a dangerous zone, or worse... under the control of another race?" Lys retorted.

At the mention of "other races," Kyle's mind briefly raced, filled with unsavory thoughts. He shook his head to compose himself.

"What's the problem with other races?"

"It's not that we're at open war," Anne explained, "but there are a lot of old grudges."

"Is that why since I've been here, the only other race I've seen is Elena?"

"Yes," Anne confirmed. "And Elena is a half-elf, raised between two cultures, human and elven."

Lys added in a more serious tone,

"There's also slavery." Some malicious groups capture members of other races to resell them."

Kyle thought for a moment before replying, his tone a little detached.

"Honestly, it's not my problem. If the people of this world want to fight among themselves, it won't stop me from enjoying my adventure in an Isekai work."

Lys clenched her fists, ready to reprimand him, but at that moment, a young receptionist approached their table.

"Excuse me, but Guild Master Edward is waiting for you and the rest of the team. He wants to discuss the dungeon."

Kyle, Lys, and Anne then stood up, ready to join the others.

She led Kyle, Lys, and Anne to a large room where everyone was already waiting for them.

 Inside were Edward, the imposing guild master, Julie the receptionist, and the other members of Team Dawnshard. His powerful aura filled the room, commanding respect at first glance.

The last three entered as well.

Kyle joined Tristan and asked in a low voice,

"Is there a problem?"

"No," Tristan replied. "The guild master just insisted everyone be present."

When Edward finally spoke, his solemn tone silenced everyone:

"I congratulate you all on the successful completion of this mission. Now... what did you find interesting in this dungeon?"

Julie interjected.

"That's exactly what we were recording in the report."

Edward dismissed the argument with a wave of his hand.

"I'd rather hear it directly. Besides, I've never read it."

Julie, visibly annoyed, reminded him:

"That's against administrative protocol," Master Edward.

"Protocol is the least of my concerns. And I'm the highest authority here, aren't I? I do what I want," he concluded with an amused smile.

Julie sighed, but didn't give up.

"We'll finish the report afterward, then." »

Tristan intervened.

"Actually... I'd rather talk about it than write it, too."

Iris teased him.

"You really want to avoid writing, admit it!"

Julie nodded, resigned.

"Very well. We'll finish the paperwork after this discussion."

Tristan let out a long, disappointed sigh.

Julie slipped away, leaving the adventurers alone with Edward.

"So? How was it?" the guild master asked curiously.

Tristan shrugged.

"Child's play."

Iris exclaimed,

"Child's play?! We nearly died on every level!"

Edward burst out laughing.

"The important thing is that you came back alive."

Meanwhile, Kyle remained in the background, uninterested in the debriefing. He let the others speak. 

"How far did you go?" Edward asked.

"All the way," Anne replied. "The dungeon stopped at the 20th level."

Tristan added.

"Right. The predictions were correct. It was definitely a rank D dungeon."

"And what kind of dungeon?" Edward then asked.

"Dungeon," Elena said.

"Dungeon infested with insects," Iris added, grimacing.

"Insects?" Edward said, surprised. "It's rare, a dungeon based solely on creatures of that type."

"Usually we find goblins, golems, sometimes even minotaurs," Tristan explained.

"And the rewards?" Edward finally asked.

It was then that Lys, who had remained silent until then, spoke.

"We found sacred texts in a room. I'd like to return them to the church in the capital, if possible."

Edward nodded.

"What you found is yours. Do with it as you wish."

"Thank you, Master Edward," Lys said, bowing slightly.

The discussion continued at length. Edward, increasingly curious, asked questions, and the team answered as best they could. It lasted for hours.

At the end, Edward stood up:

"Thank you for this mission. I will now inform the king to organize the exploitation of the dungeon."

But the day was far from over.

As soon as the meeting ended, all the team members were called upon to write the official reports. Pages and pages to fill. Every adventurer's nightmare.

Except for Kyle.

Using Void Veil, he completed a perfect report in a few minutes. Of average quality, but with such speed, it's still impressive.

He then went to the counter and placed his document in front of Julie.

"I'm finished," he said simply.

Julie, surprised by his speed, had expected a sloppy job. But after reading it, she was astounded: everything was clear, structured, almost impeccable.

When she announced to the others that Kyle was finished, the entire team stared at him, mouths open.

"Already?!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Of course it's him," sighed Anne.

"He's not human," muttered Iris.

Kyle gave them a little wave, smiling.

"I'll wait for you afterward. And above all, take your time."