Transmigrated As A Stepdad In A Fantasy Doujin World

Chapter 9: 9. Suspicion

Cold outside air hit them as they burst from the dungeon into the late afternoon light.

Kael adjusted his grip on the full orc and the short swordsman.

The lean muscle of his body held under the combined weight but the strain was real.

Brianna staggered beside him supporting Tina with one arm while her other hand still pressed against the side of her head.

The portal behind them shuddered once.

The red light from the statues flared brighter then the entrance sealed itself with a final grinding sound of stone on stone.

The dungeon was dying.

A guild guard stationed near the stone platform stepped forward the moment he saw them.

His eyes widened at the sight of three unconscious adventurers and the blood on their clothes.

"What happened in there? Report."

Brianna’s voice came out rough and strained.

"Something was wrong with the dungeon. Only one monster on the way in. The boss was not normal. We barely got out."

The guard’s hand moved to the communication crystal on his belt.

"Stay here. I need to call—"

He never finished the sentence.

The blue portal that had linked the east dungeon to the outside world flickered violently.

The swirling light collapsed inward with a sharp crack. In less than two seconds the entire frame of runes went dark and the portal vanished completely leaving only bare stone.

The guard stared.

"It... disappeared."

Kael set the full orc and the short swordsman down carefully on the platform. His left hand still tingled where the new mark sat just below the palm.

’System. At least respond. What the fuck was that creature and why did it talk to me like I am one of their hidden agents trying to take down the world by resurrecting the Devil Queen.’

No answer came.

Brianna lowered Tina beside the others then looked at the empty space where the portal had been.

Her green eyes were still glassy from the head injury but the fear in them was clear.

"Dungeons do not just vanish," she said quietly. "Not unless the core is destroyed or something forces a full collapse."

The guard was already speaking rapidly into his crystal calling for higher-ranked support and a full investigation team.

Kael pulled the remaining potions from his pouch and held them out to Brianna.

"Use these. Wake them up and heal what you can. We need them conscious before more people arrive."

Brianna took the small glass vials without argument. She knelt beside Tina first and carefully poured a healing potion between the dark elf’s lips.

Then she moved to the short swordsman and finally the full orc. Color slowly returned to their faces. Soft groans started to rise as the potions worked.

Kael watched for a moment then spoke again.

"We should report everything to the guild ourselves. The sooner the better. If we wait for the investigation team they will question us separately and look for holes in the story. Better we go together and give one clear report."

Brianna glanced up at him while still supporting her brother’s head.

"You are right. The guild needs to know a dungeon just collapsed. And they need to know something that should not have been inside a D-rank was waiting for us."

The short swordsman’s eyes fluttered open first. Sweat covered his face. He sat up fast looking around in pure fear.

"Where is it? Where is the devil?"

The full orc woke next breathing hard. His yellow eyes darted left and right searching for the throne and the yellow-eyed monster.

"The Ascension Devil. Where did it go? Are we still inside?"

Tina’s crimson eyes opened last. Her whole body was shaking. Long black hair clung to her damp cheeks. She tried to speak but only a shaky breath came out.

Kael moved to her side and crouched down. He kept his voice steady and quiet.

"You are outside. The dungeon is gone. You are safe."

Tina’s trembling hands clutched at the ground. Her crimson eyes still searched the empty platform as if the devil might appear from the air itself.

Kael stayed beside her without touching her.

"Breathe. It is over for now."

The short swordsman and the full orc kept looking around frantically even after hearing the words. The fear had not left their faces.

Brianna finished checking her brother’s injuries then looked at Kael.

"We need to get to the guild. Now."

Kael nodded once and helped Tina to her feet. Her legs still shook but she managed to stand.

Behind them the place where the portal had been remained empty stone.

The dungeon was truly gone.

They moved as a group toward the town. The full orc walked with a slight limp but refused help.

The short swordsman stayed close to Tina though he kept glancing over his shoulder every few steps.

Brianna walked beside Kael her green eyes still carrying the residual heat of the pheromones mixed with lingering fear.

The streets of Grayhollow were still busy with late afternoon traffic.

Merchants closed stalls. Adventurers returned from smaller quests. No one paid special attention to the five of them beyond a few curious looks at the bloodstains and torn clothing.

The guild hall stood two stories tall at the center of the adventurer district. Warm light spilled from the windows.

The sound of voices and clinking glasses reached them before they even opened the door.

Inside the air smelled of ale sweat and ink.

The brown-haired milf clerk looked up from the counter as they entered. Her eyes widened slightly at their condition.

"Crimson Path. You look like hell. What happened?"

Brianna stepped forward and gave a short clear report. The empty dungeon. The single Crystalscale. The wrong atmosphere. The boss that should not have existed in a D-rank. The sudden collapse of the portal after they escaped.

The clerk listened carefully writing notes the entire time. When Brianna finished she left the counter for several minutes. When she returned she carried a small pouch of coins.

"Dungeon collapse confirmed by the outer sensors. Standard closure compensation applies. This is the team share plus hazard bonus. Sign here."

The full orc took the pouch without counting it. His yellow eyes still carried residual fear but the money seemed to steady him a little.

They moved to a corner table away from the main crowd. Drinks were ordered. Strong ones.

The short swordsman downed half his mug in one go.

Tina held her cup with both hands still shaking slightly. Brianna sat across from Kael her green thighs pressed together under the table as if the earlier heat had not fully left her body.

Silence hung over the table for a long minute.

Then the full orc set his mug down hard enough to make the wood rattle.

His yellow eyes locked onto Kael.

"How did we get out."

The question was flat and suspicious.

"I remember the devil. I remember it looking at you. Then everything went black. When I woke up we were already outside and the portal was gone. Explain that porter."

The short swordsman nodded slowly his hand resting near the hilt of his blade even though they were inside the guild.

"He is right. Something happened after it knocked us down. You and Brianna were the only ones still conscious. How did five people leave a collapsing dungeon that fast."

Tina’s crimson eyes lifted from her cup and settled on Kael as well. She said nothing but the question was clear in her gaze.

Brianna glanced between her brother and Kael. Her expression was carefully neutral but her fingers tightened around her own mug.

Kael met the full orc’s stare without flinching.

The mark on his left hand beneath the palm still felt warm under the table.

’They are suspicious. Of course they are. I would be too.’

He kept his voice calm and even.

"The devil stopped after it looked at me. It went still. Eyes closed. Like it lost interest. The statues started glowing red and the whole place began to crack. We grabbed you three and ran before the portal closed. That is all."

The full orc’s jaw tightened.

"It just stopped. Because it looked at a porter."

"I do not know why," Kael answered. "I only know we are alive and the dungeon is gone."

The short swordsman studied him for several long seconds then finally leaned back and drank again.

Tina lowered her eyes to her cup. Brianna said nothing.

The tension at the table did not fully disappear.

Outside the guild windows the sun continued to drop toward the horizon.

Somewhere in the distance the investigation team would already be moving toward the empty stone platform where a D-rank dungeon had once stood.

Kael flexed his marked left hand once under the table.

The Ascension Devil had let them leave.

But the questions had only just begun.

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