Silvanus felt the hem of his clothes being gripped a little tighter, but he didn’t give Neo any chance to refuse.

He directly picked Neo up and followed Nick back to the room. Now that he knew Neo wasn’t his son but something else entirely, he wasn’t even as afraid as he had been at the beginning.

At first, he might have worried about revealing something about himself, but now neither side knew the other. He was simply testing where Neo’s limits lay while doing what he wanted at the same time.

He was certain that the arrangement of the room was related to them. Mia would open that computer, and Nick would eventually open those comic books. They had to be connected to their lives somehow.

"Do you normally like reading comics that much, Nick?" Silvanus glanced over the brightly colored covers lining the bookshelf and asked casually.

Nick’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Of course. The feeling of accompanying the protagonist all the way to the end is truly wonderful..."

As he spoke, his gaze settled on Silvanus. Suddenly, he said, "But right now, I don’t think I like them that much anymore."

He had already found the real protagonist he wanted to walk alongside. Though if he said that out loud, people would probably think he had gone crazy. Haha.

Nick thought to himself while continuing to smile at Silvanus. Silvanus had already begun getting used to Nick’s excessive enthusiasm. Symbolically, he lifted Neo a little higher and asked,

"Neo, which one do you like?"

Neo immediately shook his head. "I don’t like any of them."

He muttered before struggling free and returning directly to Silvanus’s arms. He buried his entire face against Silvanus’s chest, looking completely unwilling to interact with the outside world.

Silvanus gently patted Neo’s head and said with a faint smile,

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here, aren’t I?"

As he spoke, he picked up a comic book from the shelf. It was a rather cute story. On the cover, a chibi dragon was holding an enormous sword, while behind it, an unremarkable stick figure was being blasted away by a massive explosion.

"Have you read this one before, Nick?"

Silvanus ran his fingers along the spine of the book and asked.

Nick stepped closer and shook his head. "I’ve never even seen comics like these on the market." He chuckled. "Though I guess that makes sense. This is a completely different world, after all. I wonder what comics in this world are like..."

As he spoke, he picked up a comic book from the shelf and opened it without the slightest hesitation.

Silvanus’s gaze followed Nick’s movements. He didn’t stop him, but he had already heightened his focus, ready to face whatever might come.

But no, nothing happened.

The colorful panels appeared clearly before all of them.

The space around them didn’t change, nor did they disappear. Nick even began seriously reading through the comic that looked far too childish for someone his age.

[Their heads are practically touching now.]

[There’s a bookshelf, and they’re actually reading the same book together.]

[I feel like Neo wants to kill someone.]

[Isn’t this scene way too peaceful for a deadly dungeon?]

"This is..." Nick paused. It was utterly ridiculous, the stupidest story he had ever seen in his life. He raised his head, about to voice a complaint, only to find himself face-to-face with Silvanus, who was looking down at him.

Meeting Nick’s gaze, Silvanus said casually, "Do you like things like this? It’s actually pretty good."

The dim light filtering through the window didn’t make Silvanus look ugly or strange. If anything, it softened his features. With that almost radiant appearance and those gentle eyes, he seemed like someone who could forgive anyone’s mistakes and accept anything that was different.

Nick parted his lips, but before he could say anything, Neo tightened his grip on the front of Silvanus’s shirt and said softly,

"Daddy, I’m hungry."

Hearing that, Silvanus immediately replied, "Alright, we’ll go have breakfast. Nick, you should come too."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Nick stood frozen, staring at Silvanus’s retreating figure. Only after Silvanus had disappeared from sight for quite some time did he lower his head and raise a hand to cover his forehead.

[...]

[Is it really necessary to go this far?]

[This is literally me when I get to stand next to my idol.]

[Just a guess, but maybe in their world, Silvanus is a famous idol and Nick is his obsessive fan.]

[Nick knows everything about Silvanus, while Silvanus knows absolutely nothing about Nick!]

[I think we’ve actually figured it out!]

[That’s why Nick is so happy and so enthusiastic whenever he sees Silvanus!]

[I wish you guys would put this much effort into theorizing about the dungeon’s script.]

There were no additional clues to be found in Mia’s room. The others had already gone down to the first floor, the same place where they had appeared yesterday.

The grand hall remained as vast as ever. The lighting inside the castle had never been dim. Whether it was day or night, it remained dazzlingly bright, in complete contrast to the weather outside and the rooms they occupied.

There was no snowstorm today. The howling winds no longer slammed against the windows, making everything seem even more strangely quiet. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the slow footsteps of Daniel’s group.

There was no one else in the hall besides them.

The round table where they had appeared yesterday had changed completely. Resting on top of it was a golden-roasted suckling pig. Its blistered skin had been glazed with a thick honey-colored sauce that shimmered appetizingly beneath the lights.

Plates had already been placed in front of the seats where they would sit.

Clearly, this was their breakfast.

Almost the instant he saw the roast pig, Silvanus caught an irresistibly rich aroma drifting into his nose. It invaded his mind and urged him to step forward and enjoy the lavish meal. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Yet at the same time, his instincts screamed a warning.

A warning to run as far away as possible from the delicious feast before him.

"Waaah, it smells amazing. Whoever cooked this definitely isn’t joking around."

Just as Silvanus was still hesitating, something lightly bumped into his back.

Nick had already returned to his usual state. His eyes sparkled as he practically skipped toward the round table. While walking, he didn’t forget to turn around and wave enthusiastically at Silvanus.

Silvanus frowned slightly.

His expression did not change much. Instead, he lowered his gaze. His already pale face seemed even more fragile and weak.

"Nick."

He called softly.

Hearing his name, Nick’s pupils seemed to pause for a moment. His attention was briefly pulled away from the tempting breakfast waiting ahead.

Even so, his steps remained hesitant, as though he couldn’t decide whether to rush forward and claim a seat or stay behind to wait for Silvanus.

Looking at him, Silvanus said quietly,

"I’m feeling a little unwell. Could you hold Neo for me?"

The moment he heard that, Nick immediately walked back.

One arm stretched out to take Neo while the other gestured anxiously as he asked,

"Unwell? Where are you feeling unwell? Are you alright?"

Neo, who had been clinging tightly to Silvanus all this time, frowned the moment he saw Nick approaching.

Almost instantly, he turned his head away and buried himself against Silvanus’s chest. He tucked himself into the smallest space possible, openly rejecting Nick’s presence.

"Daddy, I can walk by myself."