Two masked figures walked through a dim corridor deep beneath the town.
The stone walls were cold and damp, lit only by a few flickering torches.
One wore a deer mask.
The other wore a rabbit mask.
Both figures were cloaked in dark robes that concealed most of their bodies. Beneath their masks, faint crimson eyes glowed in the shadows.
The rabbit mask had long pink hair spilling out from under her hood.
The deer-masked man had dark skin and medium-length blonde hair.
"The monster I released into town was dealt with," the Deer said casually. "Though it lasted longer than expected before anyone noticed."
"Good, good," Rabbit replied. "Our goal was to test the town's response time anyway, not slaughter civilians."
She tilted her head slightly.
"So I assume the town guards killed it?"
"Nah," Deer said with a sigh.
"An adventurer ran into it first. It attacked some kid. The guy managed to cut its head off."
Rabbit folded her arms.
"Which adventurer? If there's someone strong in town we should know about it."
"Our biggest threat here is still Team Starburst."
Deer waved his hand dismissively.
"Nah, it wasn't anyone impressive. Just some weakling."
He shrugged.
"Though he was a red-eyes like us."
Rabbit went still.
"Maybe we could convince him to join—" Deer continued.
"I think his name was River."
Rabbit's eyes widened beneath her mask.
"River?"
Her voice suddenly rose in panic.
"My River?!"
She grabbed the Deer by the front of his cloak.
"The one person in this entire town I told you not to let get hurt?!"
She began shaking him violently.
"Why was my River fighting that monster?! Why, why, WHY?!"
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Deer protested as he was rattled back and forth.
"I was drunk when you told me not to kill that brat! Not my fault I forgot!"
"I was already mad he was traveling with that slut Hana," Rabbit muttered darkly.
"And now he's fighting monsters alone?"
She grabbed her own head.
"My River… my River…"
Her voice began spiraling into manic excitement.
"Maybe I should just tie him up."
She started pacing in small circles.
"Lock him inside our base forever."
Her grin widened behind the mask.
"Mine… mine… mine… mine…"
Deer stared at her nervously.
"Hey, hey… I'm sorry, alright?" he said quickly. "Just calm down…"
Before the situation could spiral further—
A third voice echoed through the corridor.
"Calm down. Both of you."
A tall figure stepped into the room.
He wore a ram mask.
Long white hair flowed down his back, and beneath the mask faint crimson eyes glowed in the darkness. A long scar ran down the side of his face, partially visible beneath the edge of the mask.
His presence alone quieted the room.
"We must stay focused," the Ram said calmly.
His voice carried authority.
"Soon, the day will come."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And when it does… they will all suffer."
"Yes, my lord," Deer said immediately, straightening up.
Rabbit stepped forward eagerly.
"Boss, please!" she said. "Let me try to recruit River!"
Her voice softened slightly.
"I can't let him wander around in that dangerous world without me."
She clasped her hands together.
"Please."
Ram studied her silently for a moment.
"I'm hesitant to bring newcomers into our ranks," he said.
"Betrayal is common in this world."
The torches flickered.
"But…"
He turned slightly toward her.
"If you can convince him yourself, I will allow it."
Rabbit nearly jumped into the air.
"Yay! Thank you, boss!"
Ram slowly looked toward the dark hallway beyond them.
A faint smile formed beneath his mask.
"Soon…"
His voice echoed quietly.
"We, the Beasts of Prey, will sink our fangs into every predator that corrupts this world."
Meanwhile, River sat quietly in the corner of the inn, listening to the gossip drifting through the room.
Adventurers filled the tables around him, their voices loud from ale and excitement.
"Hey, did you hear?" one adventurer said. "Team Starburst finally finished mapping the fifth floor. They're releasing the map to the public for free."
"Not like any of us could even make it there," another adventurer laughed. "Maybe Team Sunrise on a good day, but even they don't stay down there long."
River felt his chest tighten.
His old team's name had come up.
"Team Sunrise just got rid of their weak-link healer," the first adventurer continued. "If they find a good healer, I bet they'll start exploring the fifth floor too."
River lowered his gaze.
Inside the Bible, Buer spoke casually.
"Making it to the fifth floor really isn't that impressive."
River blinked.
"What?"
"The dungeon has seven floors total," Buer said lazily.
River stiffened slightly.
"…What happens if someone reaches the final floor before I do?"
"Well," Buer said with amusement, "then they become my new contractor."
"You'd lose all the power I've lent you."
The demon chuckled.
"And if that guy Alexander gets there first… oh, the sinful things I could make him do."
River's hands slowly tightened around the Bible.
"I bet lust would be especially easy," Buer continued with a laugh. "A man surrounded by three beautiful women? The temptation would be irresistible."
"Don't you dare, you damned demon—"
River stopped himself mid-sentence.
"…Please don't."
"So cute," Buer teased. "Does it hurt? Imagining Alexander getting lustful with Hana?"
River's grip tightened further.
"Of course it does," he muttered. "I don't even want to imagine that."
Buer hummed thoughtfully.
"Then let's explore the dungeon tomorrow."
River looked down.
"Even if you refuse to rely on my power," Buer continued, "you could grow stronger naturally."
"And one day… maybe she'll accept you."
River was silent for a moment.
"…Fine."
He exhaled slowly.
"We'll go into the dungeon tomorrow."
"I'm broke, and I need the money, anyway. But only the first floor."
"See?" Buer said smugly. "Good deeds don't fill your wallet."
River glanced down at the Bible.
"If I get really poor," he said calmly, "I might have to eat you."
He tilted the book slightly.
"I wonder if demons are good for fiber."
"Violent priest," Buer groaned. "I can't even call that a sin since it's directed at me."
River stood up.
"Good."
He stretched slightly.
"Let's go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."
With that, he headed upstairs to his room.
The next morning, River and Buer walked toward the dungeon entrance.
Buer had been unusually quiet the entire trip.
It was… unsettling.
Normally the demon never stopped talking.
Now he was strangely peaceful.
River found it creepy.
Outside the dungeon temple, dozens of adventurers gathered near the entrance. Many stood in small groups while others called out, trying to form parties before heading inside.
"Looking for a healer!"
"Need one more for first floor exploration!"
"Experienced team only!"
River watched them for a moment.
"Should we join one of them?" he asked quietly.
Buer answered immediately.
"Would any of them actually want you around?"
River paused.
"…Probably not."
He sighed.
"Solo it is."
Together, they stepped inside the dungeon.
The first floor greeted them with silence.
Long hospital-like corridors stretched endlessly ahead. Flickering torches lined the walls, their flames casting shifting shadows across the white tiles.
No one spoke.
No one made unnecessary noise.
Because everyone knew what lived on this floor.
The Floor Guardian.
If you attracted its attention, you died.
River walked carefully through the hallway.
Then—
"Psst… hey…"
River stopped.
"Ask us a question…"
A soft whisper echoed from the wall.
River turned his head.
A small plant grew between the floor tiles.
But instead of a flower—
A severed human head was attached to the stem.
Its eyes blinked slowly.
Its mouth moved.
This creature was called a Brainchild.
Weak monsters scattered throughout the dungeon.
They were technically harmless.
But they were dangerous in a different way.
They could answer questions.
Many adventurers used them for directions, hidden treasure locations, or warnings about nearby monsters.
But there was always a price.
The moment someone asked a Brainchild a question—
Its head would begin to shake violently.
Then it would release a thick, invisible pheromone into the air.
A scent that monsters loved.
And within minutes—
The halls would flood with them.
River quickly covered his mouth.
The last thing he wanted was to accidentally speak to it.
"Hey, River."
Buer's voice came from inside the Bible.
"Step on it."
River blinked.
"…What?"
"Step on it," Buer repeated calmly.
River frowned.
"Why would I—"
Then he froze.
"Remember our deal yesterday?" Buer said pleasantly. "In exchange for lending you power, you agreed to step on some fresh flowers."
River's eyes widened.
He slowly looked down at the Brainchild.
Technically…
It was a flower.
Buer had been quiet all morning.
He hadn't reminded River about the deal.
Now River understood why.
His stomach dropped.
"…You planned this."
But it was too late.
A verbal agreement with a demon carried weight.
It was a pact.
And River's body suddenly moved on its own.
His leg lifted.
"No—wait—!"
Crunch.
His foot came down on the Brainchild.
The head burst apart instantly.
Blood, bone fragments, and grey matter smeared across the tile floor.
The sweet scent of the dungeon mixed with the sharp smell of fresh death.
For a moment—
Everything was silent.
No adventurer had ever been stupid enough to destroy a Brainchild before.
Until now.
Then the reaction began.
The crushed plant trembled violently.
A thick, invisible pheromone flooded the hallway.
From deeper within the dungeon—
Screams echoed.
Monsters began howling.
The dungeon was entering a frenzy.
River grabbed his Bible.
"What the hell, you damned demon?!" he shouted in a harsh whisper.
"If I die, you can't convince me to commit any sins!"
Buer laughed.
"If you're pushed into a desperate situation…"
His voice sounded almost excited.
"Either you'll become desperate enough to make more deals with me…"
"Or maybe you'll unlock a new power."
A pause.
"Let's find out."
River's eye twitched.
"…Fuck you."
The hallway quickly filled with monsters.
Zombies poured in from every corridor—undead figures wearing torn patient gowns. Their bodies were stitched together with rotting flesh, and their hollow eyes locked onto River.
They shuffled forward in a growing mass.
"So," Buer said cheerfully, "want to make a deal?"
River jumped back as clawed hands reached for him.
"If you kill that annoying kid's cat later," the demon continued, "I'll give you the power to survive this."
"Go to hell," River snapped.
Wind magic surged around his legs.
He leaped over the closest zombie, barely clearing the grasping arms below.
"I'll see you there," Buer replied with a smile in his voice.
River kept moving.
He couldn't fight this many.
He ducked under one monster's swing, slid past another, and used short bursts of wind magic to keep distance between himself and the growing swarm.
His mind raced.
Think… think…
"OH my, it seems you need help!"
River blinked.
"Duck!"
Without thinking, he dropped low.
A sword flew past his head.
THUNK.
The blade buried itself in a zombie's skull.
Before River could react, a figure sprinted into the hallway.
The woman ran straight through the undead.
She grabbed the sword from the zombie's head—
And in the same motion spun around, slicing another monster's neck clean off.
Two blades flashed through the air.
One in each hand.
The zombies collapsed one by one.
The woman wore light armor that allowed quick movement. Long pink hair was braided behind her head, swaying with each step.
Her crimson eyes shone with confidence.
She was slightly taller than River.
And she was smiling.
She finished off another zombie before turning toward him.
Then she gave a small, polite bow.
"I'll help you, my fellow red-eyes," she said warmly.
"The name's Celestia."
Inside the Bible, Buer groaned.
"…I hate this woman already."