It was nearly two hours later when the door started to open. I didn’t waste a second, I dived in through the door. As I ran out into the hallway, there I saw her. It was Celeste. Her wing was ripped and it looked like she had received several cuts and scratches.

“Moderate heal!” I declared immediately, and a glow came over her.

She jerked, her eyes shooting to me. “Y-you…”

“Celeste…” I shook my head. “What are you doing? Why did you come and challenge this monster on your own? I’m here to help.”

“You… you left me…” She said, backing up. “You abandoned us all.”

“Celeste… I’m Deek, remember, Deek?”

“You… Karr…. Deek…” She shook her head. “Destroy! I must… I must destroy everything…”

“Celeste! Stop!” I cried out.

Celeste took one look at me and then turned to leave. Reequipping Slave Master, a grimaced, but still took a step forward.

“I order you to return to normal!” I cried out.

The fairy stopped, shuddered for a second, and then continued onward.

“Celeste!” I took a few steps forward.

Suddenly, she spun back and a massive gale-force wind shot out from her hand. I was too surprised to dodge it. However, this wasn’t a cutting attack. Instead, I was struck with terrible force and flung back. I flew through the door I had entered from. Just at that moment, Celeste left out the side of the other door.

“N-no!” I let out a scream, running back.

However, the door to the boss room shut before I could reach the other side. I slammed into it, immediately banging on the door with all my force. However, it was completely impossible to get through it. I was trapped on the 19^th floor, and Celeste had already made her way to the 21^st. A moment later, some familiar text popped up in my vision.

{Celeste is no longer in your party.}

Why? Why did she leave like that? What was going on? I felt completely helpless. Feeling drained of life, I crawled back up the stairs and collapsed on the floor of the library. Some time passed, and I eventually went to the Kiosk and teleported to the 15^th floor. There was no way I could defeat this boss solo. The level 9 boss had taken everything I had, and I hadn’t made much in the way of leveling since then. Celeste had gone down below. My only choice was to meet up with the girls and follow her. Perhaps, I should have taken this route from the beginning.

After setting the fire and cooking some food, I headed out. While my girls were leveling on the floors above, I began my own training. There was a midtier boss on this floor. Did he pop every hour like his 19^th-floor companion? I suspected it was a similar deal. He could be avoided easily enough, and he wasn’t too difficult to kill if you could restrain his movements.

I had remained stagnant for far too long, depending on OP swords and spells rather than my own abilities. It was about time I trained. One way or another, I was taking this dungeon. I decided on this entirely.