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

"Please accept our adventurer's request..."

Far overhead, the sky was tinged with the colors of the setting sun.

Under the crimson sky, I walked along the road with my three friends.

"Uh, is this the place?"

"Hmm... it's around here."

After listening to the adventurer's request from the children... which was actually a small request, I came from the backyard of the church to the ruins and sea that Miss Seele had visited before.

The most important request, the thing they want me to investigate... is a "mysterious noise" coming from somewhere.

"I hear howling sounds around here!?"

"At first we thought it was a dog or something... but we didn't see it."

Fina and Lai said they had been walking this road every night to test their courage, and that's when they heard that strange noise.

Later, they would hear it every time they passed by, and it felt creepy, which bothered them a lot.

I gazed at the vast, ruined sea that the trio had been looking at.

All I could see were rubble and wood; there wasn't a single animal in sight, not even a hint of life.

"…Waaah…waaah."

...I heard it, I can't be wrong.

I also clearly heard the mysterious roar that the children were talking about.

The three quickly hid behind me, but I didn't pay attention to them, focusing my attention on my ears.

Relying on my enhanced hearing, I soon found myself on the ruined sea, heading towards the source of the sound. The bizarre roar, which sounded almost like crying, made me tense, and I stopped in the densest area of ​​rubble.

What appears to be an ordinary collapsed building... is no mistake, the source of the sound is right below it.

"Hmph! Ughhhhhh...!?"

I used my hands to start moving the rubble.

Hearing the screams of the children behind me, I used my Lv.3 "Power" to move the large stone pillars and timber.

After spending a few minutes digging through the rubble, a stone slab with the same design as the road was revealed underneath.

(No, this is...)

I am impressed by this "stone slab" that blends in with the surrounding paving stones.

Several days ago, in order to escape the red-light district—the palace headquarters of the goddess Ishtar—Miss Haruhime led me through a secret underground passage. The material and shape of the stone door blocking the entrance and exit were very similar to this stone slab.

The best evidence is that the stone slab was not tightly fitted to the ground, and was slightly raised, creating a gap from which the roaring sound came from.

I hooked my fingers around the edge and peeled the "stone slab" door off the ground in one go.

"Wow, that's amazing...!?"

"This...this is an underground passage?"

"Big brother, you're amazing..."

Seeing the stone door being lifted open amidst a cloud of dust, Lai and the others hurriedly ran across the sea of ​​ruins to get there.

Listening to the three voices behind me—excitement, doubt, and admiration—I pondered.

This is probably the same kind of underground passage that is scattered throughout the underground streets of Fengyue, where "something" is hidden deep inside.

I felt my expression quietly tighten.

It's like holding your breath while exploring an underground labyrinth or dungeon.

I completely switched into the mindset of an adventurer.

"You lot, and Mr. Bell! Honestly, what are you doing in a place like this?"

Just then, Miss Seele ran over from the orphanage.

The vast darkness of night slowly approached from the eastern sky, and she carried a portable magic stone lamp in her hand.

Miss Seele scolded us for running out of the backyard without permission, and when she saw the four of us looking down at the cave leading underground, her pale gray eyes widened.

"Excuse me, what is this...?"

"It seems to be an entrance to the underground. Miss Seele, I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

I explained why I was there and told her that I was going down to investigate.

Of course, not knowing what was inside, I planned to go alone... however.

"I want to go too!?" "Me too..." "Me, me too! Even though I'm scared!"

The children all clamored to go with them.

I turned to Miss Seele for help, looking quite troubled.

"We've already seen this, why are we still being asked to wait? Isn't that asking too much? I want to go too."

She actually said that to me with a smile on her face.

Uh, it's not that I can't understand how you feel, but... I forced a smile with half-open eyes, swallowing the sigh that was about to escape my lips. Since things have come to this, there's nothing I can do.

I made them promise me they would never act on their own and would not leave my side, so we all went together. "Okay—!" Miss Seele and the children agreed loudly, as if they were going on a hike.

I tensed up again, took the magic lamp, and stepped onto the stairs that led underground.

"This is awesome... What is this? It looks like a dungeon..."

"It's so dark."

"There's so much dust..."

The darkness that dominated the underground staircase was gradually cleaved apart by the light source of the lantern-shaped magic stone lamp.

Stone steps, stone walls, stone ceiling… the neatly designed passageway indeed resembled the secret passage I had walked through with Miss Haruhime. Could this passageway also have been built by the renowned "eccentric" designer of the labyrinthine street?

Ray was excited and jumping for joy, Fina was terrified, while Xiaolu remained unfazed. Listening to the voices of the three beside me, I continued down the steps. Cautiously descending the stairs, I discovered a small device embedded in the wall. As I stared at the device, Miss Seele noticed it too, reached out, and the stone emitted a soft "ding" as it activated. The magic stone lamps installed in the passageway lit up, and the pitch-black darkness became discernible.

Seeing the magic stone lamps embedded in the wall at equal intervals, I became even more certain that this passage was the same type of structure as the underground passage of Fengyue Street.

Just as the children were playfully activating the devices one by one... a mysterious roar came clearly from below, and I held my breath.

"Quiet."

The source of the sound grew closer, and I whispered.

Hearing my extremely nervous voice for the first time, the children gasped and fell silent. I nodded to Miss Seele, who remained calm, and handed Lai and the others over to her care.

Having companions in the dungeon is reassuring... but now I'm the only one capable of fighting. If anything happens, I'll have to protect Seele and the others by myself.

I checked the "Goddess's Blade" tucked into my waistband; of course, I wasn't wearing any armor. In my waist pouch... there were only three gold coins the children had prepaid for. In short, my equipment was meager.

Unlike the dungeons that our great ancestors had already conquered, I felt like I was leading the way into the "unknown" that the dungeons couldn't experience, and finally I climbed the stairs.

"Waaaaah...waaaah...waaaah..."

It was a dark, open space, and I knew I had entered a cavern, from which roars came from.

—Neither human nor animal.

My expression immediately tensed up. I told Miss Seele and the others to wait in front of the steps, and raised the magic stone lamp hidden behind my body high.

The light that swept away the darkness revealed a sound that was both a lament and a sob.

"----Whoa whoa……"

Emerging from the depths of darkness were two twisted horns, black skin, crimson hair, and a gigantic body.

I reacted to the light, and the other person's topaz-like eyes turned toward me, making me stop breathing.

Its arms and legs are structured like those of a Minotaur with a bull's head and a human body, and its physical body is comparable to that of a large-scale being—no, the monster that was originally kneeling on the ground suddenly stood up.

"Cover your ears!?"

As I shouted, the monster let out a deafening roar.

"Ooh o ...

The intense "howl" sent shivers down my spine.

I had no energy to worry about Miss Seele and the others behind me, as I was intimidated by the threat posed by my opponent.

No matter what, this was an existence one shouldn't encounter in the underground slums. Its eyes gleamed as it entered a battle-ready stance—and charged forward with a roar.

As the enormous monster closed in, I stretched out my right arm.

"【Flame Lightning】!!"

The launched fiery spear struck the enemy's body, unleashing its power.

The sudden release of the "Quick Attack Magic" startled the monster, causing it to scream in terror. The opponent's attack was repelled by the crimson flames, forcing it to retreat step by step. I drew the "Goddess Blade" and charged straight at it.

I left the magic stone lamp at the entrance of the cave and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the monster that had been enchanted and was now burning like a torch.

"Ooh ooh! Ooh o ...

"!"

The monster's pupil-less eyes were filled with murderous intent. With a swing of its thick arm, I dodged, trembling at its speed and hidden power. As we passed each other, it delivered a flash of blue-purple slash.

Seeing my opponent shrink back and dodge in the blink of an eye, I stared in disbelief and began to deal with the attacking opponent.

(This monster is—"Savage Warrior"!? A monster from the "Deep Layer"!?)

Its fur is still burning from the flames and lightning, allowing me to see its shape clearly, and I have been shocked countless times.

The "Savage Warrior" is a large-scale monster that is over two meters tall.

Starting from the area near the 37th floor, the guild speculates that the level is 3 to 4!

How could I possibly end up in a place like this?!

(Could he be a survivor of the Monster Festival!?)

The memory of being chased by "silverback apes" all over this maze street suddenly came back to me.

Having escaped the pursuit of the guild and adventurers, an unconfirmed and unslayed monster has fled into this underground space!?

Before I could recover from the shock, I was already fighting the monster.

A strong arm brushed past me, and as I dodged, I swung my black dagger. The enemy, with its arm strength comparable to a second-level adventurer, rampaged wildly, preventing me from getting close enough to strike.

Ultimately, this individual monster was very strong. It could either counter or dodge all of my counterattacks.

Facing an enemy that was like a storm, I found it difficult to launch an attack, but then I noticed something.

(Covered in blood?)

That wasn't a wound I caused.

The firelight illuminated the already congealed blood and wounds, which made me wonder for a moment.

The "Brutal Warrior's" yellow eyes were bloodshot, as if it wanted to drive away any threat it posed—or even fearfully—and was putting all its strength into taking my life.

With clear hostility, and precise tactics primarily based on evasion and counterattack.

(This feeling—)

It felt like fighting adventurers—no, that's not right.

The closest one is the one-horned Minotaur.

It's not about blindly charging forward out of instinct and destructive impulses, but rather about possessing a "self" dedicated to fighting—

The monster before me reminded me of my nemesis, and it shocked me. I shook off my hesitation and rushed forward.

I spotted the opening after the large arm swing, grazed the barbarian's waist, and swung the dagger all the way to the end.

"————————————————!?"

The splattering blood caused the monster's shrill screams to echo all around.

"It worked!?"

Perhaps as time passed and they were freed from the influence of the "howl," Ray and his companions peered into the cave and cheered.

“——”

Ignoring the children's excitement, I stood frozen in front of the savage warrior who was pressing his wound and enduring the pain.