Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

However, the stench of burnt human flesh, scattered limbs, and gruesome corpses that wafted from the dissipating heat of the explosion caused the young female members of the group to bend over and vomit uncontrollably. The Dionysus Familia, who accompanied the map maker, did the same.

"!...No spitting! Stand up! If we slow down, Brother Bert and the others will be slowed down too! So...don't look away! Deal with them!!"

Raul, who was in charge of commanding the follow-up troops, could barely speak, but he still clenched his fists and roared.

Raul grabbed the arm of the regimental commander who was supporting himself on the ground, forcing the troops to continue. He himself was also fighting off a wave of nausea rising from deep within his abdomen, desperately trying to complete his duty.

(This is unlike any battle in a regular dungeon, or any struggle between [Familia]...! This is the true dark faction! The opponents that the leader and his comrades have fought against for years! The battlefield where many predecessors... died!)

Back then, Raul was a newcomer to the guild and wasn't sent to fight against the Dark Faction, which was at its most extreme. He, or Anaquiti, only joined the battle late in the "Dark Period," after the situation had shifted in favor of the guild's faction alliance.

Therefore, Raul had no idea that such a cruel and ruthless battlefield existed.

Human lives were used and discarded without mercy. It must be said that they simply could not deprive the enemy of their fighting power without taking their lives. This battlefield did not allow them to be "hypocrites."

They rushed through the charred tunnels. It was like a real "war" scene. Trench warfare, siege warfare, suppression warfare—you name it. They were forced to pay the price for capturing the enemy's main camp. Here, one could witness the "karmic retribution" that adventurers who should never explore dungeons experience.

"Erect the 'pillar'—! A monster is about to appear at the right fork in the road! Form a vanguard human wall!""Time is of the essence! Magister Ines, you all, please chant the incantation to distract the carnivorous plants!"

Even so, Raul remained focused on commanding his troops.

He was certain that his wavering would dampen the morale of the troops.

I believe that my fearless voice can inspire courage in the band members.

In fact, Raul's pale face, which was no less than that of the other members, and his trembling fingertips, hardly made him a charismatic commander—but they made the members grit their teeth.

Even the unremarkable young man Raul is rising up to fight the enemy; they must do the same.

With just this one thought, the young members roughly wiped their vomit-covered lips with their arms and managed to regain their agile skills.

(Even the little ones need to... I need to have "courage" too...! Let me see the leader's back so I can guide everyone!)

He projected the image of the slender figure that always stood in front of him onto his own back.

Raul cut down the stubbornly resisting enemy army and charged forward bravely.

"[The Holy Grail of Destruction <The Goblet> transforms into a shield]—[The Holy Grail of the Supreme God and Salvation]!!"

A pure white barrier magic blocked the oncoming burst of flames.

"Philvis, speed up the deployment! What will you do if you hurt Dionysus?!"

"That's already the fastest speed! You should at least retaliate a little while you're drawing, Aura!"

"You two, stop arguing! Fighting the enemy is the priority!"

Hearing the argument between the vice-captain of the Dionysus Familia, Aura, and the captain, Philvis, Lefia fired her cannons while letting out screams. The location was the third level of the artificial labyrinth. On this frontline, the number of members and monsters from the dark faction was gradually increasing, and the intensity of the enemy's counterattacks was constantly rising.

"Ugh ugh ...

Leaving aside the elves who had become irritable and easily angered by the fierce resistance, the dwarf Grice pressed on.

Illustration 59024

As the strongest human cannonballs of the Loki Familia charged forward with two large shields raised, Thanatos's followers, in perfect unison—in an instant revealing their fear of death—triggered a chain of self-destructions.

"Tsk! What a disgusting tactic... But the sooner they give up the fight, the easier it will be for us to attack."

Grace, his massive body seemingly unaffected by the explosive flames emanating from his shield, swayed, filled with indignation at the enemy forces' lack of seriousness. However, the enemy's self-destruction, in a sense, was tantamount to abandoning the battlefield.

The explosive flames that affected nearby people and property were indeed a threat, but they also caused the front lines, which could normally hold out for a little longer, to collapse instantly. Although the damage to the troops was proportional, Grace and his men's attack flowed smoothly and unimpeded.

"...The self-destruct training is really thorough. As soon as the enemy gets within a certain distance, it's 'Bang!'"

"Yes, they're probably afraid of being captured by us, lest we discover the location of this crucial stronghold in the man-made labyrinth..."

Loki and Dionysus, heavily protected and waiting in the back row, correctly saw through the actions and thoughts of the dark faction with their divine eyes.

When you want to know the full structure of an enemy stronghold, the simplest way is to extract information from prisoners. No matter how tight-lipped the enemy is, if you use any means necessary, someone will eventually reveal something.

The Grim Reaper, Thanatos, completely eliminates this problem.

The method used was a self-destruction attack that combined silencing witnesses with bombing.

This ruthless tactic not only prevents information from leaking out, but also effectively accumulates damage to the enemy. Only Grim Reapers who have made a promise to their families about their "afterlife" are allowed to use this tactic.

"Finn did tell me to prioritize speed... but the further we go, the more severe the damage becomes. We might not have enough manpower to respond. It's not going to be easy to solve."

Loki slightly opened his crimson eyes and licked his lips.

"However, I think the other side is about the same."

"Aa ...

"grumble!?"

The astonishing, strange sound waves made the crystal tortoise shrink back.

As the attacks of many colorful monsters were blocked or their legs buckled, the lizardman wielding swords in both hands mercilessly cut them down.

"Alright, next location!"

"Forward, forward!"

"Roar! Ro ...

The fully armed "heretics" group made shouts that mixed with human speech.

Its ability to easily slaughter not only crystal striders but also man-eating plants poses a significant threat to the forces guarding the man-made maze.

Although they were just a small group, their advance was faster than that of the Loki Familia.

"Rei, which way!?"

"Take the next fork in the road and turn right! You'll enter a new, large space—a cave!"

Partly, this is because monsters have superior senses compared to adventurers. But the main reason lies in their ability to use echolocation, a skill possessed by the songbird Rey.ability.

This superhuman technology, which uses astonishing high-frequency waves to master the complex structure of the maze, guides the "heretics" group forward without being blocked by the "doors" or captured by large groups of enemies.

Reed, the lizardman who was the leader, would relay the information he received from her to his fellow lizards, so that they could change direction.

"—!! Reed, it's a simple seedbed!"

"Fine! Destroy it!"

In the large space the group arrived at, a grotesque, funnel-shaped organ occupied a prominent position, sitting firmly in the very center.

It is made of green flesh and is covered with crystals similar to those on the crystal strider.The way the central part of it frequently glows and vibrates resembles the heart of a living organism, the pulp of a pomegranate, or even an "egg".

The entire floor resembled a green carpet, and several crystal tortoises emerged from the central "egg," trailing slime. Immediately afterward, the gargoyle's voice and the lizardman's commands overlapped, and the red soft-hatted...The half-human, half-bird Happy and the large-scale Troll began to beat it and the monster to a pulp.

Even if colorful monsters could be born, the simple seedbeds, lacking any decent means of defense, would be destroyed beyond repair in the blink of an eye.

"This is the fourth one! Don't think we'll stop just because of this kid...!"

The "heretics" all harbored burning anger within their hearts.

Our compatriots were brutally hunted by huntersThe hatred and the root of the problem that the Ikelos Familia harbors for hunting are, in a way, even deeper than that of the adventurers. This is also the reason behind their overwhelming speed, surpassing even that of the Loki Familia.

Because the dark faction was tasked with intercepting the Loki Familia, the lower levels of the man-made labyrinth were almost entirely populated by monsters. Conversely, it was also because the "heretics" took on the heavy responsibility of dealing with the monsters, cutting off the supply from the lower levels, that the burden on the adventurers who were causing havoc in the middle and upper levels was greatly reduced.

The reason why the raiding party composed of adventurers was so unstoppable was due to the effect of the "heretics" participating in the battle.

Humans and monsters, who are currently unable to coexist peacefully, are interacting on different battlefields, creating a profound impact. This demonstrates the exceptional strategic planning ability of Finn, who orchestrated all of this.

The hero Finn and the magician Fels worked together to launch a thorough "pincer attack," which indeed caused damage to the man-made maze.

"Don't let your guard down, Reed."

"Oh, Rey! I know, kid! By the way, where's Fels? I haven't seen him since..."

A singing bird with golden feathers flew down beside a spirited lizardman.

Reid, who is one of the most powerful members of the "Heretics" and is one of the most senior members along with Gargoyle Gross—and has the same relationship as Finn, Riveria, and Grace of the Loki Familia—begins to talk with Rey.

"They're operating alone; they say they've discovered a 'vault' for monsters..."

Rei lowered her voice and spoke the message from the black-clad magician.

"Fells told us to use this area as a center to search for the stairs leading upstairs. He also said he would be back soon."

"Another one's up to no good! We just can't do anything about it!"

"Also, he said he would allow us to attack the thirteenth floor from here."

We are currently on the sixteenth floor of the man-made maze.

Upon receiving the order to advance to the level before the twelfth floor that Ais and the others had invaded, the lizardman warrior bared his fangs.

Only "a certain boy" among the humans could see that it was Reed's brave smile.

"Reed...should we continue, move forward?"

"Winnie..."

The dragon girl overheard their conversation and approached.

It was the young boy Bell who protected her to the end, and that's why Ais spared her life.

"I want to go too. I also want to... protect the gods' home!"

The dragon girl cherishes memories of a certain little sister goddess in her heart, and her beautiful amber eyes hold a powerful will.

Although she takes on a human form, her body, draped in a black robe, is that of a true "dragon." Among monsters, this dragon girl possesses exceptionally keen senses, and her ability to detect "abnormalities" is second only to Rey, who can perform echolocation.

And the dragon girl Winnie has now volunteered to participate in this dangerous mission.

The girl who could only be protected by the boy is no longer here.

Humans and monsters are the same. They can all fight for a sense of "friendship" and for the people and things they cherish.

Coincidentally, her posture was like a mirror image of Ais's unwavering determination to fight.

"Vinnie... Alright, let's go! Together with the adventurers, we must protect the goddess Hestia!"

"Um!"

"Guros, this place is yours! Let's expand our exploration!"

The remaining colorful monsters were left to the gargoyles and others to deal with, while Reed, Winnie, and Rey set out on their mission.

The Dragon Girl made the red stone on her forehead shine, doing her best to "repay the kindness" to the earth.

"—!! It's coming!"

then.

Behind Ais, who was charging like a whirlwind, Riveria roared as she unleashed a magic circle.

Maintaining "standby mode" is the wide-area annihilation magic, [Advanced Sword of Victory]. The emerald magic circle expanding beneath her feet can identify obstacles and all enemies and allies.

The powerful reaction that came into contact with the outer edge of this magic circle—the being approaching at an astonishing speed—must be an eccentric.

The moment Riveria rang the alarm, the tension in the troops rose sharply.

Ais, who was running ahead, opened her eyes wide, her eyebrows furrowed, and then she stopped abruptly at an astonishing speed, making a "crunching" sound as she scraped across the paving stones.

"Retreat! Retreat to the cave where Ax and the others are waiting! Quickly!!"

The troops, which had been advancing steadily, began to move against the current like a raging torrent after Riveria gave the order.

The neat and smooth "retreat" is just like the tide going from rising to falling.

If Ais is the "detector" searching for the location of the "fairy spirit" and the "bait" attracting Revis, then Riveria is the "alarm.". "

The ultra-wide-area magic circle she had been continuously reducing her mental energy from the beginning was a measure to detect the approach of extremely powerful enemies and retreat swiftly. This was also the reason Finn entrusted command to Riveria—having the city's strongest mage accompany Ais.

"Ais, don't overthink it!"

"……I know!"

Luring out the monster so that Ais can fight her one-on-one is the worst possible strategy.

Finn, at the very least, would not allow her to do so. He ordered Ais to go to the cave where the armed forces were waiting beforehand, to confront the enemy there.

Ais has temporarily sealed away the "strength" she honed through combat with the "fierce ones," along with her fighting spirit, deep within her chest. She responded to Rivera, running after the other members.

As for Riveria, she turned to look at Ais, who was now the rearguard of the troops, the exact opposite of what had happened before, and brought her mouth to the "crystal" she was holding.

"Finn—he's taken the bait."

"Well done, Rivera."

The magical artifact "Eye Crystal" transmitted her voice to the Commander-in-Chief.

The purpose of Riveria and her "feint team" was to lure out the monster, make her appear, and keep her as far away as possible from Finn and the others' main group.