The ancient dungeon loomed before them like the final boss of a geometry textbook — all impossible angles, crumbling staircases, and ominous glowing symbols that screamed "bad decision." Naturally, MC was the first to step through the gate.
"This is it!" he declared, arms wide. "The unbeatable dungeon! The legend! The myth! The—"
"—deathtrap," Ciel finished flatly.
"Tomato, tomahto," MC replied, already skipping down the moss-covered hall like he was on a picnic. "What's the worst that could—OH GOD IT'S EATING ME!"
Everyone froze.
"Well, that was fast," Iris muttered.
Indeed, MC had once again managed to fall victim to his greatest nemesis: the mimic. It had disguised itself as a treasure chest filled with glittery buttons and suspiciously lacy gloves. Now he was half-submerged in a gelatinous, snarky stomach, muffled screams echoing as he kicked.
"This is why we can't have nice loot," Kira sighed, unsheathing her sword.
"I warned him it was too sparkly to be real," Lina added, already charging up a fireball.
"Do we have to save him?" Ciel asked, eyebrow twitching. "I feel like this might actually raise our average IQ."
The mimic belched.
"Yes," Luna said, conjuring a magic circle. "Unfortunately, his system links are still useful."
With teamwork honed from multiple disasters, the guild freed MC — charred, slimy, and still clinging to the gloves.
"Totally worth it," he wheezed. "I think these give +3 charisma."
"They give +3 brain damage," Kira snapped, smacking them out of his hand.
As they moved deeper into the dungeon — solving puzzles with unnecessary explosions, triggering traps just to see what they did, and arguing over whether a sentient statue was flirting with MC — it became clear this wasn't just a challenge of strength.
It was a challenge of endurance.
Specifically, enduring each other.
And yet, somewhere between the bottomless pits, cursed paintings, and slime-themed ambushes, the chaos felt… familiar. Homey, even.
MC grinned as they bickered their way through another floor. "Best unbeatable dungeon ever."
END OF CHAPTER 76