The Dreamer's POV

[Time Left: 30 Days, 17 Hours]

<Current Number of Participants: 111,200>

I was already pretty used to walking through the dense foliage, so it didn't bother me too much.

It still felt strange, though. As if something was watching me, but even with my heightened perception, I wasn't able to pick up anything abnormal.

I even used <Absolute Appraisal> on the trees surrounding me, thinking that perhaps they too were Demon Trees, but that wasn't the case.

It almost seemed like I was just being paranoid.

"Well whatever..." I told myself not to bother about it, instead looking at the contents of the Guidemap in my hands.

The Guidemap didn't resemble a regular map. It didn't even have a general layout of the area I was in, unlike what I expected.

Instead, it simply showed my position and the position of whatever the map was supposed to lead me to.

In this case, that would be a Rune.

Both positions glowed white on the map's surface, and since I was constantly on the move, the white symbol representing my position constantly shifted.

The dense foilage, and any trap I may encounter on my way to the goal were conveniently left out.

'At least, I'll get to the goal.'

After walking for what I would estimate to be over an hour, I finally arrived at the place directed to me by the map.

It was a place I calculated to be Northeast from the starting point.

Since I started from the North, and I pretty much knew the way thanks to the coordinates, I was able to arrive at the destination pretty quickly.

Unlike before, however, there was no clearing.

"Dense foilage everywhere, huh?" The Guidemap could only give the general position of the Rune, and according to it's contents, I was already there.

'I'll have to search for it myself, huh?'

The problem was that I didn't even know how the Rune was supposed to look like, or how ai was supposed to obtain it.

'Considering most people who are participating in this Floor are in a similar situation as me, I'm guessing the System won't make it too complicated...'

That was my hope, anyway.

After searching tree after tree, looking carefully at their barks, while also spreading my senses to look at many places at the same time, I began to rule out a lot of possibilities.

I was bound to find it eventually.

"Huh...?" It was during this process that I noticed something among the shrubberies and undergrowth.

"What's this?"

My attention left the tree trunks and barks, instead focusing on the stony edge perched on the ground.

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It resembled a gravestone, one where epitaphs would be written on. However, unlike regular gravestones, this one was very small.

Small enough to fit into my palm.

'What's something like that doing here...?' I drew closer to it, my eyes narrowed on the object.

And then...

~SHIIIIIIINNNGGGG!!!~

As soon as I reached a particular distance, a bright oight suddenly enveloped my line of sight.

It seemed to be coming from the rock's surface, and it was so intense that even I had to block it's powerful rays while struggling to keep my eyes open.

The environment seemed to blur, and I thought I heard whisperrs as a result.

~FSHUUUUUU~

Not long after the light peaked, it finally sizzled out.

"Ah..." A whisper escaped my lips as I felt something; an afterglow of the light from the gravestone.

It came from my hand—particulatly my right palm.

"What... is this...?"

My eyes widened slightly as I looked upon it, surprised to find a glowing sigil occupying my usually empty palm.

The glowing thing had the appearance of a symbol, appearing ancient—almost like hiroglyphics. It also warbled the more I stared at it.

It didn't take me very long to understand what was going on.

"This is the rune, huh? Perfect."

With one down, and two more to go, there wasn't anything left to do here.

"I should be able to finish off the remaining two guardians and rreach the other two runes before the end of today."

A smile coursed through my face as I decided to make that my goal.

With all of that settled, I left the area, deciding to pick up the gravestone at the last minute as a keepsake.

'It looks solid...'

My <Absolute Appraisal> didn't register anything special, so I was pretty sure the stone didn't have any special properties.

I just wanted it, I guess.

**********

[Time Left: 30 Days, 09 Hours]

<Current Number of Participants: 66,505>

"Looks like I was right." I gazed upon the pitch black sky above me.

Thanks to the covering that the trees provides, and the dimness of the starless sky, the entire forest had taken on a very dark tone.

"Well, it's not like that matters to me..."

A smile crept upon my face as I stared at my palm, watching the three sigils on it warble endlessly.

I was able to defeat the remaining two Dark Demon Trees, obtain their Guidemaps, and finally found the Runes.

In essence, I had already completed one of the first requirements to pass this Floor, and the day wasn't even over yet.

'I can't get cocky. I'm sure there are quite a few people who could do the same...'

Lucy was one of them.

"In any case, it's pretty dark out. I should probably hurry back."

I had left my Elite Shadow in charge of the clearing, and he must have been done setting up camp.

Using my sensory link to him, I was able to confirm that to be the case.

I had already unsummoned all my wyverns, and as for my dragon, I gave it a special mission.

As such, I was all alone as I traversed the forest at night.

The twisted trees trunks and their ominously large branches occupied my line of sight. They resembled Demons, to be honest, but my <Absolute Appraisal> told me otherwise.

"I should maybe just take it easy..."

If I could point to what occupied my mind the most, it would be the reduced amount of players.

'Did many of them quit because it's nightfall? Were they killed? Or... have they completed the mission?'

These three options swirled in my mind, but the more I considered them, the more I leaned towards the middle one.

'They probably challenged the Dark Demon Tree...'

Was it even possible for someone to complete the mission in a day, especially if they were exercising due diligence?

'I shouldn't assume for others. I just need to complete the task as quickly as I can.' The moment I thought this, I yawned and my vision blurred.

My steps also became clumsy, and I felt increasingly tired.

'I haven't properly slept in days, now that I think about it...'

Since the Trial was approaching, I had dedicated my last few days in the Lyma Estate making sure everything was in place before my departure.

As a result, I didn't have much time to rest.

'As much as I would love to breeze through this trial, I'm very tired. I'll just sleep for a few hours...'

Once I woke up, I wouldn't rest until I completed all the condiditions and Quests. The goal was to finish everything as quickly as possible, after all.

"Alright." A smile formed on my face as I passed through the last shred of undergrowth and shrubbery, leading me to the clearing.

The Elite Shadow waiting for my return was on his knees, his head hung low.

I took a look at what he had made of the place—seeing a campfire, a properly made tent, and a simple meal already prepared for me.

'This is why having an intelligent minion is a necessity.'

"Good job." I told it, realizing quickly that I was only speaking to a mere corpse.

It wasn't like minions.under <Fallen Foe> has a will of their own, so what in the world was I saying?

I sighed, shaking my head as I sat to have my meal. I unsummoned the Elite Shadow, leaving only the Dragon left of all my minions.

"It should be done with ita surveillance any moment now. Uwaa... I'm so tired."

Smacking my lips as I tasted the meal made by the Elite Shadow, I realized it tasted too plain and lackluster.

That darn minion didn't use half of the ingredients I left behind for it.

'I guess it must not have used them when it was alive.'

There was a limit to my subordinate's intelligence, it seemed.

Once I finished eating, I returned the bowl and the unused ingredients to my <Personal Space+ (Custom)> and proceeded into my tent.

I collapsed on the soft mattress there, and closed my eyes almost instantly.

"Ahh... this is bliss..."

Before long, I had drifted off to sleep, completely unaware of anything happening around me.

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[A/N]

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