"I think we made a mistake," Ron muttered, eyes darting through the misty path. "We should've stayed together."
DA, walking calmly beside him, replied,
"What you did was to protect them. You made the right call."
He paused.
"After hearing what Dream told me about their future... how future Lia spent centuries just for a single moment with her husband—how could we not act?"
He thought.
Then,
Ron stopped in his tracks.
I shouldn't have done that. And what's the deal with this guy.
Ron thought, looking at DA, he knelt near a dead creature.
DA turned, almost reading His thoughts, DA added with a grin
"Don't worry. The injections I gave them—they're meant for situations like this."
Ron felt a bit relieved. But still… he didn't trust him. Not fully.
Ron cleared the remaining monsters on the second floor and soon found Carter and Lia—collapsed on the stone floor, unconscious.
DA rushed forward and administered the injections. His hands were steady.
"Take them outside. Call someone to extract them safely," he ordered.
"How can I—"
Before Ron could finish, DA cut him off.
"Use your teleportation ability."
Suddenly, cursed creatures began pouring in from the shadows: bears with skeletal arms, snakes with venomous shadows trailing behind, wolves with molten eyes. They surrounded them.
"Who are you? How do you know all of this?" Ron demanded.
DA turned to Ron calmly, pulling out his sword.
"Now's not the time. Save them. I'll hold them off."
DA said.
"Fine. But I'm coming back—and you're answering everything."
Ron said.
Ron teleported out with Carter and Lia, placing them outside the Mill's domain. He called Locki, my old friend, nicknamed "Police."
"Get them to safety, now." Ron said.
Then,
He teleported back.
What Ron saw froze me.
DA was sitting atop a pile of monster corpses, drenched in blood but perfectly calm. These weren't just any monsters—they were the apex threats of the second floor.
Ron stepped beside him, and together, they stepped into the teleportation circle—ascending to the third floor.
Without warning, cursed giant spiders leaped at DA from the shadows, and a pack of cursed gorillas charged toward Ron.
[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED "THE BLADE OF VENGEANCE"]
His body surged with energy. Ron slashed once—one strike—and the gorillas exploded into dark dust.
Ron turned around—DA had already killed every spider. His sword was glowing with a pure red aura, darker and deeper than blood.
He looked at Ron.
"Hey, Ron… want to see a flashback?"
"Wha—"
He swung his sword at Ron.
Ron raised his blade and blocked just in time—sparks flew.
"What are you doing?!" Ron shouted.
"Do you remember that boy and the girl ? The only friends you had when you were small?" DA said.
Suddenly, images flooded Ron's mind—me, playing with a girl. Her laughter echoed. Her presence felt warm. And a boy, who looked innocent and caring.
But Ron couldn't see their faces.
[FOURTH WALL HAS NULLIFIED THE TRAUMA]
Trauma?
What trauma? Is this guy playing with my mind?
Ron thought.
"Who are you?! And how do you know all of this?!" Ron said.
DA sheathed his sword.
"Do you want to know who owns the house where Sami lives?
Who created the 'Crack of Scenarios'?
Or… do you want to know the identity and weakness of the boss in this Mill?"
DA stood calmly, letting his words linger like fog.
"I'll answer one of those three questions. Choose carefully." He said.
Ron narrowed his eyes.
"Will you answer the other two? Another time?" Ron asked.
"Of course... if we meet again." DA said, with a smile.
Ron didn't like the sound of that. But Ron didn't have time to think long.
"Tell me about the main boss of this Mill." Ron said.
Why would I care about some childhood trauma.
Ron thought.
DA nodded.
"His name is Shukya. An ancient being trapped here for more than a thousand years. He awaits at the final floor. Like Sami's House, this mountain and the Mill exist across dimensional layers. The Mill itself? It's not fully in our world."
Ron listened carefully as he continued.
"But that's not the real threat. Shukya possesses many powers—but two are terrifying
1. He breathes a white gas from his mouth that instantly reduces anything to bone dust—within a trillionth of a second.
2. He has infinite adaptability. Any tactic used against him—he learns from it instantly. Tries to overcome it immediately." DA said.
Ron's chest tightened. "So… he's unbeatable?"
DA smirked.
"No. Everything be overcomed. And every system has a flaw."
DA said.
"Tell me. What's his weakness?"
Ron said.
He looked at me with strangely knowing eyes.
"Use what you've learned from Dr. Thomas."
What?!
How does he know about me and Dr. Thomas?!
Ron didn't ask again, he just nodded.
"Let's go." He said.
They fought through the remaining floors—one after another. Together, they destroyed everything in their path, Ron was a little angry about what happened to Carter. With each level, the gas became thicker, the air heavier, and the monsters more distorted.
At the final gate, the teleportation seal glowed with ominous light.
Just before stepping in, DA activated an ability.
[CHARACTER STATS – RON]
He stared at Ron. Eyes wide. Breath caught.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
He didn't answer—just slowly followed.
[YOU HAVE REACHED THE FINAL FLOOR]
[THE BOSS "SHUKYA" IS ANGRY]
The ground shook.
Wind howled through the ancient gears.
And from deep within the Mill…
Shukya opened his eyes.