Menu no. 32- Back to the Drachenfall Dungeon

The darkness and endless corridors stirred memories I hadn’t visited in a long time.

This place—these walls, the damp air, the distant echoes—felt painfully familiar. They reminded me of the very first days after I arrived in this world, when the Dungeon was all I knew. Back then, I didn’t even understand where I was, or why I had woken up here of all places.

How long had it been since then?

Four months? Maybe six? Time had blurred together ever since coffee became part of my daily life. Days measured not by sunrise and sunset, but by boiling water, grinding beans, and listening to adventurers talk about their scars.

Kazuha walked at the front, his steps steady and confident. Asuna and Tiara guarded the rear, moving with practiced coordination. Erina walked beside me, helping carry supplies, her tail swaying nervously every time an unfamiliar sound echoed through the stone halls.

We were currently on the fourth floor of the Dungeon.

Monsters appeared occasionally—lurking shapes in the shadows, crawling things with too many legs—but none of them were particularly dangerous. At least, not dangerous enough to warrant a fight. Most of them retreated the moment they sensed Kazuha’s presence.

Still, the Dungeon never truly felt safe.

As we moved forward, the scenery began to change. Broken stone structures emerged from the darkness—collapsed walls, shattered arches, remnants of something that once resembled a city.

My steps slowed.

I recognized this place.

“This landscape…” I murmured. “It’s been a long time since I last saw this part of the Dungeon.”

Asuna glanced over her shoulder. “Ah, right. This is where we hid from the giant dragon back then.”

Tiara nodded. “You were barely conscious. We dragged you into one of the ruins.”

“And that’s where we found you,” Kazuha added casually.

“The so-called hero,” Asuna smirked.

“Who turned out not to be a hero at all,” Tiara finished.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I protested. “That actually hurts coming from you guys.”

They laughed.

The ruins passed behind us, swallowed again by shadows.

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Not long after, we encountered another adventuring party.

Six figures stood near a branching corridor, their long ears unmistakable even in the dim light. All elves—lean, elegant, and equipped with finely crafted gear.

“Oh—Pascal-san!” Asuna called out.

One of the elves turned, recognition lighting his eyes. “Asuna? Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Pascal’s gaze shifted briefly across our group. “Heading to the sixth floor?”

Asuna waved her hands quickly. “Ah, hahaha—no, no. We’re going to the fifth floor.”

“The fifth floor?” Pascal frowned. “That’s unusual.”

His eyes then landed on me.

“…Daiki, right?” he said. “The coffee drink maker.”

I nodded.

Pascal smiled faintly. “What a coincidence. We’re actually running low on beverages. Are you selling coffee right now?”

Perfect timing.

I smiled and reached for Erina’s supply pouch. Carefully, I pulled out a sealed bottle of cold brew—dark liquid catching faint reflections from the Dungeon crystals.

Pascal’s eyes widened slightly.

“Cold brew?” he asked.

“Freshly prepared,” I said. “Still good.”

Without hesitation, Pascal reached into his pocket and handed over a handful of reils. Erina passed the bottle to one of his companions, a quiet elf named Reyno, who held it like a treasure.

“That’ll be one hundred reils,” I said.

Pascal chuckled. “Worth it.”

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We met several other adventuring parties along the way.

Some were heading deeper. Others were retreating, bruised and exhausted. Whenever someone recognized me, the question was the same.

“Do you have coffee?”

By the time we reached the final descent toward the fifth floor, I only had three bottles left.

The weight of the Dungeon seemed to shift as we walked down a narrow, sloping path. The air grew more humid, heavier, carrying a faint scent of damp soil instead of stone.

“Alright,” Kazuha said, stopping near a fork in the path. “We’re close to the fifth floor.”

He led us toward the branch where the ground leveled out.

After a long walk, the narrow tunnel suddenly opened into something vast.

The ceiling stretched high above us, illuminated by massive crystal veins that pulsed like artificial sunlight. Thick vines crawled along the stone walls, and towering trees rose from the cavern floor, their leaves brushing against glowing rock formations.

It felt less like a Dungeon…

And more like a rainforest trapped underground.

“Whoa…” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

“But don’t let your guard down,” Tiara warned. “This area still has a high monster density.”

The sound of dripping water echoed around us, mixing with distant calls of unseen creatures.

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“You’ve been here before, right?” I asked.

“Only once,” Asuna replied. “There’s not much worth selling here, so most adventurers skip it.”

“If you’re talking about the plantation…” she continued, scanning the surroundings, “we should reach it soon.”

The terrain grew more uneven as we climbed steep stone steps, slick with moss. Just like Alisa had described—this floor was a rainforest.

Sweat clung to my back as we pushed forward.

Then—

We emerged into a vast green field.

Rows upon rows of plants stretched endlessly, their leaves glossy and dark. Small red berries clung to thin branches, unmistakable even from a distance.

My heart skipped.

Coffee cherries.

“There really are so many…” I whispered.

I dropped to my knees, gently plucking one from its branch. The scent alone made my chest tighten.

It was real.

“Looks like your information was correct,” Kazuha said.

Relief washed over me—but it didn’t last.

A low vibration rippled through the ground.

Tiara stiffened. “Everyone—”

The bushes rustled violently.

From the shadows emerged massive shapes—beast-like creatures with bark-covered skin and glowing eyes. Their movements were slow, but heavy, each step shaking the ground.

“Forest guardians,” Asuna muttered. “We’re not alone.”

Kazuha drew his blade. “Formation.”

My hands trembled as I backed away instinctively.

If we wanted coffee—

We’d have to survive this place first.

And somewhere deep inside, a quiet voice whispered:

The Dungeon remembers you.