"There you are, you damn frog."
The moment Dean said those words, the figure standing beyond the doorway stopped.
Then the familiar voice came from the darkness.
"Ah! Found me, have you?"
Dean’s eyes narrowed. There, in front of him stood Humphrey.
The ridiculous little frog was wearing the same suit and felt hat as always, his walking cane resting comfortably against one shoulder. And, much to Dean’s irritation, the frog was smiling.
Not his usual smug grin. Not the mischievous expression he wore whenever he was about to say something particularly annoying.
He was genuinely happy.
Humphrey hopped toward him, tapping his walking stick against the stone floor.
"Well done! Well done indeed, my dear fellow!"
Dean stared at him.
"You disappeared," he said.
"I did," Humphrey replied.
"You didn’t say anything," Dean added.
"I did not," the frog added.
"You watched me get chased around by a fucking behemoth."
Humphrey’s smile widened. This time it was more like a sick smile.
"I most certainly did."
Dean’s eye twitched, and he said, "And you couldn’t help?"
"Oh, I could have," Humphrey said, rolling his small eyes. He adjusted his hat.
"But that would rather defeat the purpose of an examination, would it not?" he added to his own words.
Dean stared at him for several seconds. Then he sighed. He wasn’t going to win this argument. More importantly, he didn’t have the energy for one.
His right arm was still hanging awkwardly against his body, and every small movement sent another wave of pain through the broken bone.
His ribs weren’t much better. Breathing deeply was uncomfortable, and every time he moved too quickly, a sharp pain reminded him that the behemoth had managed to get through his defences after all.
Dean slowly walked toward Humphrey. He didn’t rush. He couldn’t.
Humphrey noticed. The frog’s expression softened.
"One broken right arm...And one broken rib, I should imagine." He carefully looked Dean over.
Dean nodded.
Humphrey’s usual grin faded.
"My dear fellow...You’ve done rather well, considering."
He approached slowly and examined Dean’s arm without touching it. He gave him a tired look.
"I’d prefer not to do it again."
"Oh, I quite understand," the frop replied.
Humphrey tapped his walking cane against the floor. A faint golden light spread beneath Dean’s feet. Dean immediately became alert.
"What is that?" he asked. To be exact, he did not fully trust Humphrey.
"Nothing dangerous," Humphrey responded in a calm voice.
The golden light rose around him like a gentle mist. Dean felt warmth spreading through his body. It wasn’t healing his body, at least, not completely.
Instead, the pain became duller. His breathing became easier, and the pressure around his ribs decreased enough for him to take a proper breath.
Dean’s shoulders relaxed.
"Just a temporary relief, a tiny rest, you may say, chap," Humphrey explained. "I cannot heal injuries sustained during the examination. That would invalidate the result. But I can certainly make sure you aren’t suffering unnecessarily."
Dean breathed deeply. It still hurt. But considerably less. Actually...way less than before.
"Thanks," he said, almost feeling bad because of his own thoughts.
Humphrey smiled.
"You are most welcome."
Dean looked around the chamber. The behemoth was gone. The ancient symbols had stopped blinking. The strange eyes above them had disappeared.
Only the doorway behind Humphrey remained, and for the first time since the second puzzle began, there was no immediate threat.
Dean walked toward one of the walls and slowly lowered himself onto the floor. He winced when his ribs moved.
Humphrey watched him.
"Rest," he said.
Dean glanced at him.
"You’re actually telling me to rest?" Dean asked; he was doubting the frog’s words.
"I am a gentleman, my dear fellow," Humphrey said; his old self was back.
"You’ve been trying to kill me for the past hour," Dean said, and to be honest, he wasn’t wrong.
"Testing you." Humphrey acknowledged.
"Same thing." Dean articulated without stopping.
"Entirely different," Humphrey replied again.
Dean leaned his head against the wall. He closed his eyes. For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
The silence was surprisingly peaceful. Dean’s breathing gradually became steadier as his mind replayed the examination.
The symbols, the blinking lights, the behemoth, the path. Everything was now gone, but the adrenaline was still there, although it was quite tiny.
Had Humphrey not hinted at the relationship between light and darkness earlier, Dean wasn’t sure he would have figured it out.
He opened his eyes suddenly, his face turned to the frog standing close to him.
"You actually helped me? That clue was more than enough," he said suddenly. Although he didn’t wanna accept it, the frog’s clue actually helped him.
Humphrey looked at him innocently.
"Me?" said Humphrey.
"Yes."
"I would never," he added.
Dean stared. Humphrey smiled.
"Directly, of course."
Dean shook his head.
"So it is not allowed for you to help me directly. I see..." Dean said, smiling this time.
"Hmm?"
"You said I should try to see the light and the dark and find the way between the flickering thoughts."
Humphrey nodded slowly.
"Ah."
Dean sighed.
"Then you were helping."
Humphrey tapped his walking stick against his shoulder.
"Guidance is not assistance, my dear fellow. Again, I am not allowed to do such things directly."
"That sounds like something you made up."
Dean couldn’t help but laugh quietly. It hurt his ribs like crazy. One broken bone was affecting almost everything.
He immediately stopped.
"Damn it," he said.
Humphrey winced sympathetically.
"Ah. Yes. Best not laugh."
Dean rested again. Well...he tried.
Several more minutes passed. Eventually, he felt capable of standing. Slowly, he pushed himself upward using his left hand against the wall.
The frog waited patiently as Dean stood.
His right arm remained tucked against his body. He tested his breathing.
Painful but manageable. It was good enough.
"So..."
He looked toward the doorway.
"What now?" he asked.
Humphrey’s smile returned.
"Now, my dear fellow, comes the third puzzle...examination," he said.
Dean’s face immediately became tired.
"Already?"
"Oh, no, no." Humphrey waved his hand and said, "You shall have plenty of time to rest."
Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Indeed."
Humphrey pointed toward the doorway.
"The next chamber itself is a resting chamber."
Dean stared at him.
"There’s a resting chamber?"
"There is."
"And you’re actually letting me rest?"
"Of course."
Humphrey placed his hand over his chest.
"I may be an eccentric frog, but I am not entirely without compassion."
Dean nodded.
"Good."
He started walking very slowly. One careful step at a time. He...still wasn’t sure if that fucking frog was telling the truth.
The distance between him and the doorway wasn’t far, but Dean didn’t rush it. Every few steps, he stopped.
Sometimes to breathe. Sometimes simply because his body reminded him that it had been through enough.
Humphrey didn’t say anything. He walked beside him...well, hopped would be a better term.
For once, the frog wasn’t making jokes.
When they finally reached the doorway, Dean stopped. The next chamber was completely different.
There were no monsters. No ancient traps. No strange symbols.
Instead, there was a small room filled with soft blue light.
A stone bed sat against one wall.
There was even a table. On it rested a glass of clear water.
Dean stared for a few seconds and said: "So...You weren’t lying." He was shocked that Humphrey was telling the truth.
"Of course not," the frog said.
Dean walked inside. He slowly sat on the stone bed. The moment his back touched the wall behind it, his body relaxed.
It really didn’t matter if it was stone or not. He was so tired because of the behemoth, and he was so hurt that it really made him relax.
He closed his eyes.
"I’m staying here for a while."
Humphrey nodded.
"Take all the time you need."
Dean opened one eye.
"You aren’t going to suddenly yell that the examination has started?"
Humphrey looked offended.
"My dear Dean, what sort of monster do you take me for?"
Dean stared at him.
"You summoned a twenty-meter behemoth."
"Not me; it was how the exam was designed. Remember, I am just a clue giver?" the frog said.
"Whoever the fuck did it. I really don’t care. Whoever made this dungeon is a hoe." Dean said.
He was mad and legit didn’t care who created this dungeon. This was the last of his concern.
"You are being rude, my dear chap," said Humphrey. He quite literally was serious about this.
Still, Dean couldn’t give a damn less.
"You watched it break my arm," Dean said, quite annoyed.
"Character building," the frog replied, messing with him.
"You’re a frog," Dean said, literally mad.
Humphrey smiled and said, "Precisely," he said. Although he was a frog and did not carry any emotions other than some little smiles, Dean could sense the sincerity in him.
Dean closed his eyes again. He was mad, but he really needed to rest.
"I’m sleeping," he said, still waiting for something.
"Then sleep," Humphrey said. He legit did not have anything to do against Dean, and for once, Humphrey allowed him to rest.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter