The room was dark and oppressive, filled with an unsettling air of silence.
An elderly woman, her face weathered with deep wrinkles, sat within.
Little Red Riding Hood was nowhere to be found, her sudden disappearance as inexplicable as it was troubling.
In the quiet, peculiar chewing noises echoed faintly.
"...Grandma Wolf?!"
Tsubame's instincts screamed at her to flee, but she fought against them, nervously covering her mouth with both hands.
The notion of a wolf speaking was absurd—yet this was a game world, a kingdom of fairy tales. Here, even the improbable could be real. Perhaps Grandma Wolf truly existed.
Amamiya, standing beside her, remained calm and composed. He spoke with a quiet authority:
"I said, let there be light."
In the next instant, a dazzling light pierced through the oppressive darkness, flooding the room with brightness.
"What... Eh?!"
Tsubame's eyes widened in shock as she turned toward him.
It was as though a legendary superpower had been unleashed. Light had manifested out of nowhere! But as she looked closer, her awe turned into disbelief—and a tinge of exasperation.
The light hadn't magically appeared. It was coming from Amamiya's right hand. More specifically, it was emanating from a light bulb firmly held in his grip.
Clearly, this was just another game prop.
"Grandma," Amamiya said, holding the glowing bulb aloft as he surveyed the scene. "What you have there doesn't look very edible."
The room came into sharper focus. There was no stove, no proper kitchen setup—just a makeshift pile of stones on the ground and an old, soot-blackened clay pot. The living conditions were primitive at best.
Squatting near the earthen pot was the elderly woman. Her face was still human, not transformed into a wolf's maw as Tsubame had feared. In her hands, she wasn't holding bloody fingers or anything gruesome. Instead, it was... a tightly packed ball of snow.
Seeing this, Tsubame felt an immediate surge of guilt washing over her.
(It's just snow... I really thought it was something horrifying.)
(She gave us all the food in the house, leaving herself with nothing but snow. And yet, I doubted her, suspecting she was some kind of monster. How could I have been so wrong?)
The elderly woman smiled faintly and extended the snowball toward them.
"Would you like some?" she asked, her voice raspy but kind.
Tsubame shook her head hastily. "No, no, we're fine, Grandma. You don't have to—"
Her words faltered midway, her gaze falling on the snowball again. After all, it wasn't food.
"There's food outside," Grandma said gently. "Go out and eat to your heart's content."
Despite her words, the old woman pushed the snowball closer. "Don't be shy. There's plenty more where this came from. You should eat—gain your strength and endure longer."
Tsubame froze.
"What... what do you mean by that?"
A sudden chill ran down her spine.
"Maybe we're just like Paimon, storing food," Amamiya remarked casually as he made his way to a shadowy corner. Reaching out with his right hand, he pulled forth a teary-eyed figure.
It was Little Red Riding Hood, the girl who had mysteriously vanished moments earlier.
Bound tightly with ropes and gagged by a grimy cloth stuffed into her mouth, she looked pitiful—frail and utterly helpless.
Amamiya gently removed the gag from her mouth. Little Red Riding Hood coughed weakly before bursting into a tearful cry.
"Grandma wants to eat us!"
Across the room, the old woman wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her sunken eyes glinting with hunger as she rose slowly to her feet. Her gnarled fingers curled like claws, and her hoarse voice rasped ominously.
"I'm so hungry... so hungry... Little Red Riding Hood brought me two pieces of food. Grandma is very happy."
"They are heroes, not food!"
Little Red Riding Hood raised her tear-streaked face, her voice trembling but determined. "Grandma wasn't like this before. Brave one, please—pick the mushroom off Grandma's head! If you do, she'll return to her original self!"
"Leave it to me."
Amamiya handed the glowing light source to Tsubame before turning to face the old woman.
Though his recent experiences had been less than ideal—bullying lolis in ghost story towns wasn't exactly heroic—he figured today might be the perfect chance to add a new achievement: bullying lolis and defeating possessed grandmothers.
"Young man, don't be so stubborn..." Grandma growled darkly as she reached beneath her tattered clothes. From the folds of her skirt, she pulled out a rusty, jagged knife.
Seriously? A hidden knife under the skirt?
Amamiya's gaze fell on the corroded blade, and a fleeting thought crossed his mind. But that might just be the most valuable thing in this entire house.
"A single knife won't determine victory," Amamiya said coolly, unbothered by the threat. A moment later, with a flourish, knives appeared in both his hands. Their gleaming edges caught the light, glinting coldly.
"Two knives are better."
The old woman froze for a brief moment, her aggressive demeanor faltering as her eyes flicked to the dual blades in Amamiya's hands. Despite the mushroom's apparent influence over her, her basic intelligence remained intact, and for the first time, hesitation clouded her face.
"Now!"
Seizing the moment of her uncertainty, Amamiya narrowed his eyes and darted forward like a bolt of lightning.
The room was small, leaving little space for maneuvering. With only a few meters separating them, Amamiya's sudden burst of speed allowed him to close the distance in the blink of an eye.
"I'll Eat You!"
Grandma's fierce snarl accompanied her wild swing of the rusty knife, aiming to strike from above.
You've got no close-combat skills at all, do you? Amamiya thought with a hint of exasperation.
The attack was clumsy and poorly executed, leaving her wide open. For someone so close, such a predictable strike was practically an invitation to counterattack.
To be fair, most adversaries in these dungeons were vengeful spirits or monsters, rendering melee skills unnecessary. But against someone like him? It was a glaring weakness.
Without hesitation, Amamiya caught hold of her wrist. To his surprise, the old woman's strength was far greater than her frail appearance suggested. Undeterred, he acted swiftly and decisively. Using her momentum against her, he executed a flawless shoulder throw, sending her crashing to the ground.
"Senpai, come help me hold her down while I pick the mushroom!"
Amamiya looked up and called out, his voice firm.
"On my way!"
Tsubame nodded quickly and rushed over, with Little Red Riding Hood following closely behind to assist.
Together, the two girls worked to restrain the struggling grandmother, one securing her from the front and the other from behind.
Amamiya removed the hat from the elderly woman's head, revealing the mushroom beneath. Its grayish-white color stood in stark contrast to the reddish mushroom previously seen on Little Red Riding Hood's head.
Reaching out to touch it, Amamiya triggered the game's item identification system:
[Item: Gluttony Mushroom]
[Description: A peculiar mushroom that grows atop its host's head, inducing an overwhelming urge to eat and subtly influencing those nearby.]
[Warning: Removal requires specific skills. Forcibly removing it will result in the host's death.]
[Note: A potential remedy for individuals suffering from anorexia.]
Amamiya quickly put the dark chef badge pinned to his chest, which provided the necessary method for safely removing the mushroom. He realized that each type of mushroom had its own unique removal process. Fortunately, the resources and conditions available met the requirements.
After careful and methodical work, he finally managed to remove the mushroom from the grandmother's head.
The elderly woman, who had been thrashing violently, abruptly went still. The room fell silent except for the sound of her labored breathing.
"You can let her go now," Amamiya instructed calmly.
He inspected the mushroom in his hand. As expected, it was marked as a collectible ingredient, meaning he could take it out of the dungeon for later use.
"Phew..."
Tsubame exhaled deeply, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Relief flooded her expression. If she'd been on her own, she thought grimly, she might have ended up as the grandmother's next meal.
"Grandma, are you okay?"
Little Red Riding Hood knelt beside the elderly woman, her voice full of worry as she helped her sit up.
"I'm fine, dear," the grandmother replied shakily, her tone soft and grateful. "Thank you, brave one."
The mushroom's mental influence had faded, leaving her lucid and serene. Despite her trembling voice, it was clear she remembered everything that had just transpired.
Amamiya waved a hand dismissively, steering the conversation toward his goal.
"Now then, I have a few questions for you."
In any dungeon, what was the most important resource?
Intelligence.
Information was paramount, especially in non-combat-oriented dungeons like this one, where brute strength wasn't the key to success.
Amamiya's decision to accompany Little Red Riding Hood to visit her grandmother hadn't been made out of mere kindness. It had been a calculated choice—part convenience, part strategy. Gathering information was his primary motivation. Without the promise of useful intel, he wouldn't have agreed, even if Tsubame had insisted.
The grandmother, clearly wiser and more experienced than Little Red Riding Hood, held valuable knowledge. After a moment of rest, she began answering Amamiya's questions, her words shedding light on the mysteries of the dungeon.
—
"The forest isn't very large. If you head in the direction you mentioned, you'll find a village," the grandmother explained, her voice steady despite her frailty.
"There's also an old castle within the forest," she added after a pause. "They say a princess lies asleep inside."
"A sleeping princess..." Tsubame blinked in recognition. "Sleeping Beauty, perhaps?"
The grandmother nodded slightly and continued, "If you go east, you'll enter a valley where a family of dwarves resides."
"Seven dwarves, I presume?" Amamiya interjected, his tone dry but curious.
Grandma tilted her head, surprised. "You know about them, brave one?"
Seven dwarves and Snow White? Amamiya thought to himself with amusement. Not only do I know about them, billions of people around the world do too!
"Go on," he prompted, waving his hand casually. "Since there are dwarves, does a magic mirror exist too?"
"Yes," the grandmother confirmed, her voice carrying a hint of intrigue. "The castle near the village belongs to the queen. It's said she possesses a magic mirror..."
As she continued, the tales she shared began to sound all too familiar—fairy tale characters and legends known to almost everyone.
While listening, Amamiya took out a pen and paper, sketching a rudimentary map. He marked the locations she mentioned with careful precision.
"It's done," he announced after a few moments, holding up the finished map.
"It looks a little... small," Tsubame-senpai remarked, leaning closer to study the crude drawing.
Based on the grandmother's descriptions, the fairy tale kingdom was strikingly compact: a forest, a castle, two small villages, a valley, and an endless ocean surrounding it all.
Of course, Amamiya mused, with the dungeon's main quest only lasting forty-eight hours, players can only explore so much. A larger world would be pointless.
"One last question," he said, his tone turning serious. "Do you know anything about the Nightmare Seeds?"
The grandmother shook her head, her expression confused. "I'm sorry, I've never heard of such a thing."
Her response was expected. Amamiya's eyes darkened slightly, but he wasn't discouraged. It would be too convenient to uncover something so easily, he thought.
So far, even the players had no real understanding of what the Nightmare Seeds truly were.
"Senpai, let's move on."
Amamiya folded the map carefully, tucking it away as he rose to his feet.
"Brave one, please wait," the grandmother called out, standing up with some effort. She placed a gentle hand on Little Red Riding Hood's head. "This child is very familiar with the forest. Take her with you—she can guide you."
A guide?
Amamiya glanced down at Little Red Riding Hood, who clung timidly to her grandmother's arm. The young girl hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to speak:
"Master Brave saved my grandmother and me... I'll do anything to help."
"Using child labor is technically illegal," Amamiya muttered with mock seriousness, pretending to weigh his options. Then, with a small grin, he added, "But if it's unpaid, that's fine, right?"
"Amamiya-kun, stop spouting nonsense," Tsubame scolded, crossing her arms in disapproval. However, she recognized the value of having a guide. After a brief pause, she softened her tone. "When we're done, why don't we leave some clothes for Little Red Riding Hood?"
Hearing her suggestion, Little Red Riding Hood's eyes lit up with excitement.
Amamiya shrugged casually. "Senpai has the final say."
While clothing counted as a prop in their world, it wasn't particularly expensive and could be replaced easily.
Tsubame adjusted her bangs with a satisfied smile. "Exactly what I was thinking. Little Red Riding Hood, we'll be counting on you from now on."
Little Red Riding Hood clenched her tiny fists, her voice resolute. "I will lead the way!"
Amamiya let out a dramatic sigh. "Having to work at such a young age just to earn your keep... The fairy tale world really isn't as beautiful as it seems."
"…"
After bidding farewell to the grandmother, Amamiya and Tsubame set off with Little Red Riding Hood in tow.
The snow continued to fall, blanketing the forest in an eerie silence. The sky overhead grew darker and more oppressive, a looming storm threatening to descend.
"Come here," Amamiya called to Little Red Riding Hood.
The young girl hesitated, clearly shy. "Master Brave, I can walk on my own."
You can walk all you want, but those little legs won't keep up, Amamiya thought to himself. Without another word, he scooped her up, settling her in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Looking at Tsubame, he asked, "Senpai, would you like a lift too?"
"Absolutely not!" Tsubame crossed her arms indignantly and strode ahead.
I'm not a child in primary school—why would I let you carry me? she thought, huffing silently.
Amamiya smirked. "You'll regret missing your chance now. You won't get another one later."
"I won't need another one later!"
"…"
With that, the trio ventured deeper into the snowstorm.
Little Red Riding Hood proved to be an excellent guide. Having grown up in the forest and the nearby village, she expertly navigated them around treacherous paths and difficult terrain.
"If you follow this road straight ahead, you'll reach the valley," she said, wrapping her arms tightly around Amamiya's neck for warmth and pointing ahead with her free hand. "That's where the dwarves live."
Where there are dwarves, Snow White is bound to be nearby, Amamiya mused. While he was curious about meeting one of the world's most famous fairy tale princesses, his current objective lay in the opposite direction—toward Chika. With a slight sigh, he decided to put his curiosity aside for now.
"Senpai, mark the tree," he instructed.
"On it," Tsubame replied, stepping forward to carve a distinct symbol into the bark.
They had been marking trees along the way to avoid getting lost, especially since their guide was still a child. Given the valley's unique location leading to the dwarves' home, this mark was more specific to ensure they could find it again if needed.
"Snow White, huh?" Tsubame glanced toward the valley, her curiosity evident. "Do you think she managed to escape? She must be absolutely adorable, right?"
Amamiya replied with a teasing smirk, "A truly cute person—so far away and yet so close."
Tsubame blushed at the remark, quickly shaking her head in denial. "I'm not that cute!"
"You misunderstood," Amamiya said nonchalantly. "I was talking about Little Red Riding Hood."
"…"
For a moment, even the usually calm Tsubame felt a strong urge to strangle him.
The journey continued.
With Little Red Riding Hood guiding them, they eventually emerged from the forest and spotted a village up ahead.
"We've arrived," Amamiya announced, consulting the compass in his hand. "Chika is in that village."
The settlement was shrouded in darkness, with no streetlights to illuminate the paths. Only a faint glow of candlelight flickered from a few homes, though most doors were tightly shut against the cold.
Even in a fairy tale world, Amamiya observed, life without modern conveniences and abundant resources was hardly idyllic.