After reflecting on this, Mark questioned the System:
"Are the events proceeding exactly as they did in the novel? Can you release me from this dungeon?"
At the moment, Mark wasn't thinking too deeply. He only thought, "If I escape this dungeon, visit my father's grave, and prevent the future tragedies..." Upon hearing a "ding" in his mind, he gathered his thoughts and focused on the panel before him.
[I have warned you. Your mandatory five-year stay in this dungeon is specifically to preserve the timeline of events. Releasing you is not within my function. The dungeon will open naturally after five years of activity.]
Reading this, Mark began to rain curses upon the "reincarnated god" who brought him here, the "fantasy world god" who placed him in this dungeon, and the System itself. Then, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"System, if you had let me out, I definitely would have saved the world and prevented so many tragedies!" These were just meaningless words. Mark didn't expect a reply, but a "ding" echoed in his mind and a new panel appeared. The System's response was brief:
[Do you truly believe that?]
That sentence alone was enough to make Mark freeze. But truly, if he went outside, could he change anything? Was there any benefit to be gained from knowing the future? Not really. From the start, the demons relied on crushing, immense power rather than clever strategies. In such a case, knowing the situation in advance is of little use; the battle will happen regardless. Advance preparation? The first invasion was repelled only through Lucas's sacrifice. Because of that, the Human Empire, the Elven Kingdom, the Dwarven Kingdom, and even the demihumans who had split into tiny northern tribes had all suffered and were preparing for the next war. And the battles depended mostly on the absolute power of the characters, especially Colin.
Now Mark thought of himself. Hadn't he been walking around proudly just because he easily defeated an F-rank goblin? But honestly, he is very weak right now. Even the former Thaddeus would have been able to do nothing in this war.
After reflecting on this, neither hatred nor rage remained within Mark. Only despair. And its source was himself. Both Thaddeus and Mark were drowning in regrets over their pasts. Inaction, failing to do what was necessary, ruining relationships with loved ones... Now, there was no meaning left in life. Only despair. Mark could never return to his own world; he would never see his parents again. Lucas, the man Thaddeus respected most, was dead. His relationship with his beloved Anastasia was broken beyond repair. To the world outside the dungeon, he was a dead man, and even if his survival were known and he returned, there wasn't a single person left who would welcome him.
Despair was all that remained. Under the weight of the hopelessness inherited from Thaddeus, Mark's mind filled with dark thoughts: perhaps it was better to just end it? Should he head to the first floor and face the Floor Boss directly—if he could even reach it without dying along the way? Just like the first time he entered the first floor. But the primary difference was that back then, he had a will to survive. Now, he simply wanted to end his life.
As he contemplated suicide, a memory flashed—not Thaddeus's, but Mark's own. During his childhood and adolescence, Mark had considered himself a genius, but after encountering true geniuses, he had fallen into despair. Seeing no meaning in life, thoughts of death had begun to fill his mind, much like now. It was then that his father, Thomas Miller, sensed his condition. He had grabbed his son by the shoulders, shaking him firmly:
"Look at yourself! Who have you become? Have some courage! Did you fall into this state after just one defeat? Do you think there's no meaning in your life? You want to kill yourself, is that it? Are your thoughts trapped there? I guessed right, didn't I? Fine, you've realized life has no meaning—now spend the rest of your days searching for that meaning. If you don't have the strength to fight, fine—just drift with the current. It's okay if you don't try that hard, but just live, damn it!"
Mark remembered his father's words. They calmed his thoughts and helped him attempt a self-analysis. First, Thaddeus von Lightborn was dead; all that remained were memories of the past. From now on, he was only Mark Miller. He would live in this dungeon and eventually step out into freedom under that name. By then, the war would be over, and the Demon King would be dead. He would begin a new life in that world as Mark Miller. With this resolve, he began to focus on other matters.
He recalled exactly what he had been checking in the Inner World:
"System, if the Mana Veins are not formed around my eyes, has my mimicry ability been preserved at all?"
A cold "ding" echoed in his mind as a new panel materialized:
[Your mimicry and photographic memory were only possible due to that specific structure around your eyes. However, in the Forbidden Practice, that very part sustained the most damage. When the System reconstructed your body, it was impossible to simply restore that structure, so it was completely removed.]
The System's answer confirmed all his doubts. He was no longer that gifted young man. But perhaps that was for the best. Had that talent remained, Mark would have relied on it far too much.