“Are you really going to pay us 10 million zeni?” Takumi exclaimed when the contractor casually mentioned the reward.
“Yeah… kid, I’m a generous man.” The contractor smiled sheepishly.
Takumi and his party bowed immediately. “Thank you so much!”
Ten minutes later — on the way to the dungeon
“You know why he agreed to pay that much, right?” Shiro asked quietly.
Takumi didn’t look at him. “Yeah. I know.”
“The contract says we get paid… if we come back alive.”
“Ehhhhhh?!” Haruka shrieked. “Takumi, you jerk! You didn’t tell me that part!”
“Now, now, calm down,” Mathew said, cracking his knuckles. “We’re already here. No point backing out when retirement money’s waiting.”
“Th-this place looks cursed…” the fifth member muttered.
They stood before a massive stone entrance carved with glowing letters:
Promise Dungeon
The air around it felt heavy.
“This is… super creepy,” Haruka whispered.
They stepped inside.
A long corridor stretched ahead. Five doors stood at the end.
Above the first door glowed:
“.then()”
A board hung beside it.
“This chamber connects to four sequential rooms and one final ‘.catch()’ chamber.
Each member must enter a separate room.
The first member receives a puzzle.
If solved, the result is passed forward to the next chamber.
This continues sequentially.
If any member fails, they fall into the ‘.catch()’ chamber and perish.”
Silence filled the corridor.
“So it’s like a chain…” Shiro muttered.
“Umm… shall we go?” Mathew said.
“Wait… my stomach hurts,” Shiro whispered, clutching his side.
No one laughed.
They each chose a door.
Takumi entered first.
The First .then() Room
The door shut behind him.
A steel table stood in the center. On it: a thin honey disk and a needle.
A mechanical voice echoed:
“Carve along the outline without breaking the shape.
Success allows you to return a new pattern.
Failure results in rejection.”
Takumi flipped the disk.
A simple circle.
“Manageable.”
He steadied his breathing. The needle scraped carefully along the line. The candy trembled under pressure.
Minutes passed.
A soft click.
The circle separated perfectly.
The disk glowed.
“Fulfilled. Choose a pattern to return.”
Three shapes materialized:
- Star
- Umbrella
- Dragon silhouette
Takumi frowned.
“So what I return… becomes the next challenge.”
He looked at the dragon. Then the umbrella.
“…Let’s keep it fair.”
He selected the star.
The disk dissolved into golden particles and vanished forward.
A new door opened.
Second .then() Room — Haruka
Haruka caught the glowing candy as it formed into a star.
“Takumi picked this… didn’t he?”
The star wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t cruel either.
Her fingers trembled at first.
“Don’t mess this up… don’t mess this up…”
A small crack formed near one edge.
She froze.
Adjusted her grip.
Carefully traced the final corner.
Click.
The star separated cleanly.
“Fulfilled. Choose a pattern to return.”
Three shapes appeared:
- Triangle
- Flower
- Spider web
She stared at the web.
“Nope. Not today.”
She chose the flower.
The candy dissolved and moved forward.
Third .then() Room — Mathew
The flower formed in Mathew’s hand.
He chuckled.
“A flower? Cute.”
He carved it cleanly, almost effortlessly.
Click.
“Fulfilled. Choose a pattern to return.”
Three shapes appeared:
- Square
- Heart
- Fractured lightning bolt with razor edges
Mathew’s eyes lingered on the lightning bolt.
“So… I decide the difficulty of the next.”
He imagined the others laughing. Competing for attention. For Haruka.
“We split the reward among survivors… right?”
A slow grin formed.
He selected the fractured lightning bolt.
“Let’s see how skilled our unnamed hero really is.”
The shape dissolved forward.
Fourth .then() Room — The Unnamed Member
The lightning bolt appeared before him.
“…Why does mine look insane?”
His palms were already sweating.
“O-Okay… steady…”
The needle touched the candy.
A crack formed instantly.
“No no no no—”
The fracture spread like a spiderweb.
The disk shattered.
The floor beneath him disappeared.
His scream echoed briefly before silence swallowed it.
The .catch() Chamber
In darkness below, broken fragments hovered midair.
A final glowing word appeared:
“Rejected.”
Then nothing.
The chain had failed.
Corridor Reunion
Takumi exited first.
Haruka followed.
Shiro emerged, pale.
Mathew stepped out last.
“…Where’s the other guy?” Haruka asked.
A pause.
Shiro exhaled slowly. “He must’ve failed.”
Mathew shrugged. “Dungeon rules were clear.”
Takumi clenched his fist but said nothing.
Ahead, a new chamber door opened.
Above it glowed:
“.finally()”
The .finally() Room
Unlike the previous chambers, this one held them all together.
In the center stood a furnace.
Beside it were the needles they had used.
A message illuminated the wall:
“Regardless of fulfillment or rejection, this chamber executes.”
“So this runs no matter what,” Shiro said quietly.
They tossed their needles into the furnace.
The flames burned briefly.
Then died.
Nothing changed.
No revival.
No additional punishment.
Their state remained the same:
One rejected.
Four remaining.
The next door slowly creaked open.
Carved deeply into iron:
“Promise.all()”
The “Promise.all()” Chamber
The iron door opened slowly.
The room was circular. No walls dividing them this time.
Four pedestals rose from the ground.
Four honey disks.
Above them, glowing in red:
“Promise.all()”
A board emerged.
“All members must fulfill their puzzle.
If even one is rejected, all will perish.”
Silence.
Haruka whispered, “So if one of us fails…”
“We all die,” Shiro said.
Takumi nodded slowly. “This method binds us together.”
Needles slid out from each pedestal.
The honey disks shimmered.
Shapes appeared.
Takumi — a detailed compass.
Haruka — a thin-winged butterfly.
Shiro — a narrow six-point star.
Mathew — a spiral tightening inward.
Different difficulties.
On purpose.
Mathew smirked. “Hope none of you are dead weight.”
Takumi ignored him.
“Don’t rush. If anyone panics, we all die.”
The room vibrated.
“Begin.”
They carved.
No one spoke.
Every scratch of metal sounded like thunder.
Haruka’s hand trembled.
Shiro’s glasses fogged from sweat.
Mathew moved fast — too fast.
“Slow down,” Takumi said without looking at him.
“Worry about yourself.”
A crack echoed.
Everyone froze.
It came from Mathew’s spiral.
A thin fracture forming along the inner curve.
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes.
Fear.
Real fear.
Because this time, if he failed—
Haruka would die too.
Takumi spoke calmly.
“Stop. Breathe. Don’t push through the crack. Trace around it.”
Mathew’s jaw tightened.
He adjusted his angle.
Slowly… slowly…
The fracture stopped spreading.
Haruka finished first.
Click.
Shiro followed.
Click.
Takumi separated the final point of his compass.
Click.
All eyes turned to Mathew.
One last curve remained.
The spiral looked like it could collapse any second.
A drop of sweat fell onto the candy.
Haruka gasped.
Mathew didn’t move.
Then—
Carefully—
He completed the final line.
Click.
For three seconds, nothing happened.
Then all four pedestals glowed at once.
“All fulfilled.”
The door ahead unlocked.
The room did not collapse.
They were alive.
Haruka exhaled shakily. “That was… horrible.”
Shiro adjusted his glasses. “Mutual dependency. One failure equals total rejection.”
Takumi glanced at Mathew.
For the first time, Mathew wasn’t smirking.
He understood now.
In this room, sabotage meant suicide.
Above the next door, new letters burned into existence:
“Promise.race()”
The “Promise.race()” Chamber
The next door opened before they could catch their breath.
This room was smaller.
Four pedestals again.
Four honey disks.
Above them burned in sharp white letters:
“Promise.race()”
A board rose from the floor.
“All members will begin simultaneously.
The first member to settle determines the outcome.
If the first fulfillment occurs, all proceed.
If the first rejection occurs, all perish.”
Haruka blinked.
“So… whoever finishes first decides everything?”
Shiro nodded slowly. “Not everyone. Just the first.”
Takumi’s expression darkened.
He understood immediately.
It didn’t matter what the others did.
Only the fastest result mattered.
Fulfilled or rejected.
The dungeon didn’t care which.
It just cared who settled first.
The shapes appeared.
Takumi — a square.
Haruka — a clover.
Shiro — a triangle.
Mathew — a thin, fragile crescent.
Mathew stared at his crescent.
Then at Haruka.
Then at Takumi.
Something in him finally collapsed.
Ten million zeni.
Haruka choosing Takumi.
Shared survival.
Shared reward.
He laughed quietly.
Takumi noticed.
Too quiet.
Too calm.
“Shiro,” Takumi said without looking away from Mathew.
Shiro adjusted his glasses.
“…Understood.”
The room vibrated.
“Begin.”
Before Mathew could move—
Shiro lunged.
He grabbed Mathew’s arms and slammed him against the pedestal.
“What the—?!”
“You were going to fail on purpose,” Takumi said coldly.
Mathew struggled. “Let me go!”
“If you shatter that candy first,” Takumi continued, carving calmly, “we all die.”
Haruka froze. “Mathew… you wouldn’t…”
Mathew’s eyes were wild.
“If I can’t have anything—”
Shiro tightened his grip. “Then none of us should? Pathetic.”
Takumi worked quickly now.
This room rewarded speed.
A fast success could override everything.
The square was simple.
Clean edges.
No trembling.
Shiro pinned Mathew completely, preventing him from even touching the needle.
Haruka forced herself to move.
But Takumi was already on the final line.
One wrong move from Mathew—
One sudden break—
It would count as first rejection.
Everything would end.
Takumi pressed carefully along the final edge.
Silence.
Then—
Click.
The square separated perfectly.
The room flashed white.
“First settlement: Fulfilled.”
The pedestals stopped glowing red.
Mathew went still.
The crescent in front of him dissolved without being touched.
All four disks vanished.
The door ahead unlocked.
Haruka exhaled so hard her knees nearly gave out.
Shiro slowly released Mathew.
Mathew didn’t look at anyone.
Takumi stepped forward.
“In this room,” he said quietly, “speed chooses reality.”
No one argued.
Above the final door, carved in deep gold:
“Promise.any()”
The “Promise.any()” Chamber
The final door opened slowly.
The room beyond was quiet.
Too quiet.
Four pedestals rose again.
Four honey disks.
Above them glowed in soft gold:
“Promise.any()”
A final board emerged.
“All members will attempt the puzzle.
The first fulfillment grants passage.
Rejections will be ignored.
If all are rejected, all perish.”
Haruka read it twice.
“So… even if someone fails…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Shiro said. “Unless everyone fails.”
Takumi nodded.
“This room only needs one success.”
Mathew let out a hollow laugh. “So the weak links don’t matter anymore.”
“No,” Takumi said calmly. “Now they’re irrelevant.”
The dungeon hummed.
The shapes appeared.
Takumi — an intricate snowflake.
Haruka — a simple circle.
Shiro — a pentagon.
Mathew — a complex dragon outline.
Cruel design.
The simplest shape was in front of Haruka.
Mathew stared at his dragon and scoffed. “Of course.”
Takumi looked at Haruka.
She understood.
This room didn’t require everyone.
It required someone.
The message burned brighter:
“Begin.”
They carved.
Mathew rushed angrily.
A crack formed instantly in one of the dragon’s wings.
It shattered.
The floor beneath him flickered—
But did not open.
“Rejection recorded.”
He stared at the message.
“That’s it?”
“No punishment,” Shiro muttered. “Not yet.”
He continued carving.
A thin fracture formed on his pentagon.
It snapped.
“Rejection recorded.”
Still, nothing happened.
Now only two remained.
Takumi and Haruka.
Takumi’s snowflake was brutal. One mistake and it would collapse.
Haruka’s circle was steady.
Simple.
Reliable.
Her breathing stabilized.
Slow.
Careful.
Takumi glanced sideways.
“You’ve got this.”
She nodded.
The needle traced the final curve.
One smooth motion.
Click.
The circle separated cleanly.
The room exploded with golden light.
“First fulfillment recorded.”
All remaining honey disks dissolved instantly.
Mathew’s shattered dragon vanished.
Shiro’s broken pentagon disappeared.
Takumi’s unfinished snowflake disintegrated mid-trace.
The door ahead opened fully.
Warm light poured in.
“At least one fulfilled. Passage granted.”
Haruka dropped the needle.
“So… even though they failed…”
“It didn’t matter,” Shiro said.
Takumi smiled faintly.
“This method doesn’t need perfection.”
He looked back at the shattered fragments fading into dust.
“It just needs one success.”
The four of them stepped forward together.
Alive.
The Promise Dungeon had been solved.
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