Stephanie found herself spiraling into an abyss of doubt and confusion.
When had HE first begun to notice her? No matter how heavy her burdens beca, his gaze had always found her. Just a simple exchange of greetings, those fleeting monts in the morning and evening, had once been enough to fill her heart with warmth and contentnt.
“Is this the world’s way of saying I’m inferior to this fool?”
When had he started looking at others? Lorena, Eunice, Korinna, Amy, and now Kisaragi — all of them had captured his attention. The re sight of him conversing with anyone else drained the joy from her soul.
“This isn’t right, Mister Tsutomu. You’re acting strangely these days. Why? Why won’t you keep your eyes on ? Why… why? Why is this happening?”
When did the man in her room, whose eyes were on her and only her, beco so different from the man she would see on Monitors? Each ti that cruel reality struck her, her affection for him twisted, warping into sothing dark and loathso.
It had all started at the Ealdred Crow Clan House, the day she had received Tsutomu’s praise. From that mont, she had driven herself harder than ever, desperate to earn more of his approval. But Tsutomu’s praise was not hers alone to keep. No matter how much effort she exerted, his acknowledgnt always seed to elude her.
Initially, she had convinced herself that he was pushing her, challenging her to grow stronger. But as the days passed, that thought beca a suffocating weight, pressing down on her. And then, during the chaos of the Stampede, she had seen it — his supposed favoritism toward Eunice. And now, the sight of him gently helping Kisaragi to her feet, was the final straw.
Kisaragi’s level and competency as a Healer were clearly beneath Stephanie’s. Her appearance was plain at best. She was inferior in every way, yet Tsutomu touched her.
“Ah… AAAGH!! AAAAAAHHH!!”
Jealousy, raw and corrosive, consud Stephanie. Her mouth twisted open in a scream as she bit down hard on her own fingers, as if trying to sever them right off. Drool dripped down her pale, trembling hands, mingling with the hot tears that stread relentlessly from her eyes.
Her emotions had curdled into a dark, viscous jealousy, so potent it seed to ooze from her very pores. The admiration she once felt for Tsutomu had turned inside out, becoming a tidal wave of bitterness that threatened to drown her, suffocating even those around her.
Stephanie’s voice rang out, sharp and desperate, as her skill wisps flared chaotically around her, swirling in erratic, uncontrollable patterns. Blood dripped steadily from her bitten fingers.
“Sir Tsutomu, get behind !”
Sensing the imminent danger, Daryl acted swiftly, pulling Tsutomu back and positioning himself as a shield. Kisaragi let out a brief, startled cry, instinctively clutching at Tsutomu’s arm for safety, while the surrounding Explorers looked on, their eyes filled with wary caution.
The looks in those eyes — Stephanie knew them all too well. She had seen those sa wary glances countless tis within the halls of Ealdred Crow. There, she had beco sowhat of a figure to be approached with caution, as she delved into God’s Dungeon relentlessly, without rest or respite. In their eyes, she was a solitary figure with no equal — save for Tsutomu. He alone had been the one to stand above her, the beacon she followed.
But understanding from others had never been what she sought. Her gaze had always been locked on Tsutomu. Yet even as she repeated this to herself, the stares of her Clanmates and the presence of those who gathered around Tsutomu gnawed at her resolve. Even Tsutomu himself was becoming a source of frustration. Why did he value them? Why would he not look at her the way HE would in her room?
These thoughts spiraled, twisting within her, and with each turn, Stephanie felt a growing disgust directed inward. How could she, who adored Tsutomu so fiercely, harbor such dark, corrosive feelings? Yet the man who watched over her in her room seed like a different person entirely from the real one — the one who now stood before her. She could no longer reconcile the two, and it was tearing her apart.
“S-stay back, miss! Please, don’t co any closer!” Daryl’s voice trembled, his fear palpable as he tried to contain the whirlwind of emotions that had taken hold of Stephanie. He recoiled slightly, his deanor a wide-eyed anxiety of soone facing an unpredictable threat. He looked every bit like a loyal puppy, trembling yet determined, trying to protect its bigger brother from a looming predator.
In the midst of the growing tension, Sova, Stephanie’s childhood friend, noticed the commotion and quickly intervened. His hand clamped down on her shoulder, trying to pull her away from the scene.
“What the hell are you doing, Stephanie!? C’mon, we’re leaving! Now!”
For a brief mont, he hesitated, his eyes reflecting a mix of fear and confusion as he grappled with the unfamiliar side of Stephanie that had surfaced. But despite his hesitation, he was physically stronger, and that strength prevailed.
“AAAHHHHHH!?”
Stephanie’s scream pierced the air as Sova pulled her away, her eyes desperately locking onto Tsutomu’s. Her cry was wild — completely unrestrained. She searched his face for a reaction, and all she saw was shock, the sa stunned disbelief that had spread across the faces of the others.
“Why!? I…! I’m your greatest admirer! Mister Tsutomu! Why!? Mister Tsutomu, Mister Tsutomu, Mister Tsutomu!? Why!? WHYYYYYY!?”
Her voice, cracked and frayed from the strain, echoed through the Guild’s halls as Sova dragged her further away. The onlookers, including Tsutomu himself, stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with discomfort and disbelief.
▽▽
The following day, the results of Ealdred Crow’s assessnt program were announced. Stephanie retained her position on Team 1, her status as one of the top Healers unchanged. anwhile, Kisaragi, who had shown promise, was offered a promotion to Team 2. However, to the surprise of many, Kisaragi declined the advancent. Instead, she chose to step away from her duties, opting to return to her family ho for a break. The Clan, fortunately, assured her a stipend, ensuring she would not have to worry about financial burdens during her ti away.
Tsutomu, who had witnessed Stephanie’s dark side firsthand for the first ti, scanned the newspaper as he sat at the breakfast table. He let out a long sigh as his eyes caught on to an article that lightly touched on the previous day’s commotion.
[How the hell did THAT happen?]
The newspaper hinted that the disturbance might have been a lover’s quarrel, which drew yet another sigh from Tsutomu. He had always sensed sothing off about Stephanie lately, but he had never imagined that things had deteriorated to such an extent.
[Seriously, what happened to her? She kept shouting my na like I was supposed to understand… but I don’t even know what she was talking about…]
Unbeknownst to Tsutomu, Stephanie had been driven to the brink by the pressures of her rigorous Healer training, her admiration for him warping into sothing darker — sothing obsessive. In her mind, she had co to believe that he had saved her, and that belief had spiraled into expectations he had no way of knowing.
[And the way she bit her own fingers until they bled… man, that was seriously ssed up. Creepy as hell.]
Tsutomu had encountered his share of troubled individuals during his ti playing Live Dungeon, including those who posted disturbing images of self-harm on social dia. But never before had he been confronted with a woman screaming his na while borderline mutilating herself right in front of him. Even with his experience in dealing with difficult situations, Stephanie’s display had left him thoroughly shaken.
[I’d like to believe that she can take care of herself. Stephanie’s got potential — she’s always been so eager to learn. If she keeps it up, she could even surpass
as a Healer soday. But seeing her like that… it’s hard to just leave her alone.]
Despite the unsettling madness he had witnessed, Tsutomu found himself reluctant to distance himself from Stephanie. He did not fully understand what had pushed her to such a desperate state, but he knew that sohow, whether through action or inaction, he had played a role in it. Stephanie was one of the few Healers who could match his skill — her dedication to mastering God’s Dungeon was unparalleled, save perhaps for Lorena, whose unique approach set her apart.
Tsutomu had learned, through his ti with Live Dungeon, the dangers of getting too close to those struggling with deep emotional issues. But Stephanie was different — she had been his student; the connection made it so that he couldn’t bring himself to heed his own advice. He was directly involved, and that gave him a glimr of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was still sothing he could do.
[I’ll have to talk to Rook about it. But not just yet. I have my own things to do — it’ll have to wait until I get a bit more breathing room.]
Tsutomu’s primary focus remained on conquering God’s Dungeon. He was determined to stay ahead of every other Clan in terms of layer progress by the ti he cleared the ninetieth layer. Stephanie’s situation, troubling as it was, would have to take a backseat. He would address it when the ti was right. Until then, his energy would be channeled toward the highest priority — conquering the hundredth layer as soon as possible.
Ealdred Crow, having completed their assessnts, was already set to resu work in full force starting today. Silver Beast, too, was making significant strides in their own campaign through God’s Dungeon. The competition was fierce; there was no ti to lose.
The living room around him was still and silent, the Clan mbers yet to awaken. From the kitchen, the familiar and comforting scent of breakfast being prepared by Ollie and her apprentice wafted through the air, stirring Tsutomu from his thoughts and pulling him fully into wakefulness.
[Now then… who should I team up with for layer eighty-one?]
Tsutomu set aside the newspaper and his lingering thoughts of yesterday’s commotion. Leaning back on the sofa, he began to strategize, his mind shifting gears to the challenges that lay ahead.
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