The place was the Academy Dungeon, yet Greg woke in perfect comfort and contentment.
He rolled over, reached down to feel the soft mattress beneath him, then glanced at the neat ceiling overhead. A smile crept onto his lips.
No more drafty, shabby tent or rock-hard ground.
Now he lay in a real bed, in a real bedroom, in a real house-and a house that belonged to him, at that.
"Ahh..."
He stretched leisurely, his bones popping and cracking, then gazed at the ceiling and murmured to himself:
"Too bad Nightmare is still asleep. If only she were awake now. I'd definitely show off my new place and let her see that I've got a house of my own now-a little two-story villa with a courtyard, no less."
He imagined the expression Nightmare might wear when she woke and saw the house, and couldn't help laughing aloud.
Once he'd had his fill of laughing, Greg climbed out of bed, put on his jacket, and opened the balcony door to step outside.
No matter the hour, the Dungeon had a unique sense of tranquility.
On the rocky ceiling above, luminous moss gave off a soft blue-green glow, bathing the entire space in dreamlike colors.
Greg braced both hands on the balcony railing and took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
But when his gaze happened to sweep across the outskirts of the camp, it suddenly stopped.
Just beyond the nearby fence, a furtive figure was peeking around, looking toward the camp.
"Is that..."
Greg narrowed his eyes. Once he got a clear look at the person's face, he immediately turned back into the room, quickly changed clothes, and went downstairs.
Meanwhile, Lilith was hiding behind a stone pillar, secretly observing the building standing ahead of her in