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

Each person stuffed their hands into their fanny pack or handbag and scattered the shimmering blue-purple crystals toward the wall.

Ignoring the attacking members, the carnivorous plants swarmed toward the "magic stone" like livestock fighting over feed.

"Everyone, move forward!"

On a whim, Asphy used the information provided by Ais—the habits of the man-eating plant—to clear a path ahead. While the monster's attention was focused on the "magic stone," Lulu and the others ran forward without hesitation.

Asphie, who was covering the rear of the team, took out three bottles of explosives from her suit and prepared to take care of the monster.

"Nellie, use the 'Demon Sword'."

The grenade was thrown into the carnivorous plants that were still devouring the "magic stone".

At the same time, the human girl (the supporter) who received the order also took out the "Demon Sword" and swung it forcefully.

The fiery blades that erupted from the short sword came into contact with the three bottles of explosives thrown out, triggering an explosion far more powerful than a single explosive charge.

The possibility of pursuit was eliminated from the monsters, which were engulfed in flames and screaming in agony.

"Asphie, a whole bunch of them are coming!?"

Seeing the carnivorous plants swarming towards them from the front, Lulu shouted loudly.

As she spoke, she raced forward, weaving through the bodies of her enemies and slashing them as she passed by. Taking advantage of Lulu's swings weakening the monsters' momentum, the large weapons of the vanguard swiftly cleaved open the monsters' battered faces.

"It seems you really don't want us to run into each other...!"

Asphie stared sharply ahead, her lips twisting into a smile.

The monsters' increasingly fierce attacks confirmed to her that there was definitely "something" ahead. She moved from the rear of the group to the front, taking the initiative to fight off the monsters blocking her way and not slowing down the squad's progress.

Asphi and the tiger-man equipped with a greatsword took the lead and drove away the particularly large man-eating flower.

"...That is..."

Just as they repelled the monster's attack for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

The group members saw a blood-red light, different from the faint phosphorescence of withered flowers, leaking from the front of the endless passage.

"Could it be the light of quartz? Are we almost at the grain depot?"

Like her companions, Luluni squinted one eye.

The vast void at the very edge of the underground city is called the Food Bank, inside which stands an enormous quartz pillar. This massive crystal pillar seeps out nutrient solution to supply the monsters and emits a mysterious light that forever illuminates the void.

The main pillar on the 24th floor is made of red crystal—witnessing the red light ahead of the passage, everyone understood that they were not far from the end.

"Asphie".

"...just charge straight in."

The squad followed the commander's instructions.

They defeated the last man-eating plant and rushed through the Green Wall maze.

The group ran through the increasingly stench-filled space and rushed into the exit of the passage that was emitting a red light.

They stepped into the large hollow of the grain depot.

“——”

After their view suddenly opened up, Asifi and the others were speechless.

What awaited them, just like their journey so far, was a vast space encroached upon by a green, fleshy wall. The only difference was the countless flower buds of all sizes hanging from the green wall.

Within the vast void, what particularly captivated Asifi and the others' attention and consciousness was the enormous monster parasitizing the main pillar of the grain storehouse.

"Parasitic plants...?"

There were three monsters that looked like man-eating plants, wrapped around a red crystal main pillar that was at least thirty meters tall.

Qi Fang had three brightly colored, dazzling flower heads. The super-sized monster was at least ten times longer and thicker than the man-eating flower. Vines-like tentacles that grew from its enormous body covered the surface of the main pillar.

Illuminated by the red glow of the quartz, the scene resembled a series of blood vessels.

"Could it be... that's absorbing the nutrients seeping from the main pillar?"

Each slow, thumping thud was followed by a strange sound of something being sucked away. Before Asphie's wavering gaze, the giant flower monster was sucking away every drop of liquid seeping from the crystal.

The monster's tentacles and roots not only covered the surface of the main pillar, but also extended into the walls, ceiling, and floor of the large cavity, forming a green wall of flesh. The culprit that caused the mutations in the area around the 24th-level grain warehouse must be that giant flower-shaped monster.

It is certainly not an exaggeration to call it a parasitic plant.

The monsters absorbed the endless nutrients overflowing from the dungeon, explosively expanding their body composition, eventually forming this strange green-walled labyrinth.

“Th-That’s…”

Inside the large cavity covered by the plant flesh wall, besides Asif and others, there was another mysterious group.

These people wore large robes that covered their upper bodies, and headscarves and headbands that completely covered their heads and mouths. This group of people, whose appearances and origins were concealed and whose organization was unknown, caused a commotion when they saw the sudden appearance of the Hermes Familia. They then pointed at them, shouted warnings to each other, and increased their vigilance.

As a dangerous and murderous atmosphere filled the space, only Lulu remained focused on the red quartz behind them.

Her blank gaze was directed towards the base of the main pillar, which was entwined with three giant flowers.

A green sphere containing a female fetus was attached to it.

"Back then... the 'jewel'...!?"

"We've arrived here."

As Asphie, Lulu, and the others felt a chill run down their spines.

Those who opposed them also adopted a fighting stance.

A man dressed entirely in white, lurking near the base of the main pillar, stared at the fifteen intruders. His dark white hair, revealing his white bones (a dropped item), fluttered briefly outside his helmet.

This is the tall man who spoke with the red-haired woman (Ravis).

"What have you been doing! How did you let them infiltrate this place!?"

"Carnivorous plants alone are not enough to fight off those invaders."

As the man dressed entirely in white stared intently at Asif and the others, a human ran toward him.

The man's robe was a different color from the others, and he was reprimanded for it. The man replied in a suppressed tone:

"Get to work, remnants of the dark faction, become the cornerstone protecting 'her'."

After glancing at the other person, the man dressed in all white looked up at the main pillar.

A jewel attached to the surface of red quartz, representing a female fetus.

As if protected by the giant flower's vines, the eerie pearls parasitizing the quartz are absorbing nutrients from the main pillar like monsters.

In the dungeon known as the "mother" of monsters, the scene is like a fetus receiving nutrition from its mother's womb.

However, this fetus was quite selfish and disregarded the burden on the mother's body.

Completely ignoring the faint red light emanating from the quartz that seemed poised to groan at any moment, she greedily absorbed nutrients, slowly nurturing her growth.

The contractions and trembling of the fetus caused the man in white to momentarily lose himself in fascination.

"...I can do it without you telling me!"

The robed man who witnessed the baby's movements nearby turned and left with a crooked look in his eyes.

Under the watchful eyes of the man dressed entirely in white and the enormous fetus, the group known as the remnants of the Dark Faction drew their blades one by one.

■

"No invaders shall be allowed to leave alive!!"

There was a roar.

The man whose robe was a different color from the others—like a commander—gave an order, and all the robed figures in the great void responded in kind.

They brandished their weapons and surged toward Asif and the others.

"Hey, they seem pretty menacing!"

Seeing the enemy's murderous intent, Lulu shouted.

The mysterious group glared at the Hermes Familia at the entrance of the large, hollow passage, regarding them as enemies, and charged forward with fierce fighting spirit.

"Let's fight them. We also need to ask them what they're doing here..."

Asifi sensed the unusual atmosphere on the enemy's side and scanned her surroundings.

Besides the passage through which Asphie and her group invaded, the Great Hollow had several other entrances. Near these entrances were several large black cages containing coiled-up carnivorous plant monsters.

Not only that, the massive, hollow wall of flesh was intermittently spawning monsters. Flower buds hanging from the wall were constantly bursting into colorful blooms, then sliding down, leaving man-eating plants, only seconds old, lying on the ground. It seemed this food storehouse, swallowed by the giant flowers, like the underground city, possessed the ability to spawn specific monsters.

Could this green-walled maze formed by giant flowers be the work of a human? And was the new monster—the man-eating flower—born under such circumstances?

The observation aroused speculation, causing Asphie to feel an almost terrifying feeling, and at the same time, a bad premonition.

Asphie looked around the unrecognizable grain warehouse and thought:

What exactly is this huge cavity? And where do they plan to transport the black cage containing those man-eating plants? These are questions that need to be answered.

"Kill them!!"

"Everyone, charge!"

Both sides issued their orders, and the Hermes Familia and the Robed Group officially went to war.

In an instant, swords clashed, producing the sound of metal striking metal, and a fierce battle broke out between the human race.

The enemy legion, concealing their true forms with robes and headscarves that completely covered their heads and mouths, numbered more than twice that of the Hermes Familia. Facing the enemy vanguard, which roared furiously and charged forward like a tidal wave, Luluni and her demi-human central guard took to the front lines, engaging the enemy in fierce combat.

The swinging blades and spears were all knocked down by the tiger-men's large shields, and then the elves leaped out from behind him, hacking at the robed men.

As soon as the enemy's defender fired an arrow, our side immediately retaliated with a short incantation.

The Hermes Familia complements each other's weaknesses through coordinated actions, and more importantly, they possess exceptional potential, allowing them to completely overwhelm opponents with superior numbers. While their enemies may possess skills at the level of advanced adventurers, they are still unable to defeat them due to sheer numbers.

Asifi and the others deflected and neutralized every deadly attack as if it were nothing, and instead pushed back the enemy's momentum.

"Hey!"

“Guaaaaa!?”

Lulu used a dagger to slash her opponent's limbs, and then delivered a knee strike to the abdomen.

The robed man, who appeared to be human, groaned and could no longer get up.

"Alright, which clan are you from?"

Lulu grabbed the hem of the robe with one hand and pressed the other party for answers.

The man's bleeding hands hung limply at his sides, his eyes distorted beneath his headband. The others were still fighting, and the man kept his mouth tightly shut, which was gagged with cloth.

"...!"

"Sigh, it's no use if you don't say anything."

Seeing that the other party refused to say anything, Lulu made a vicious expression and took out a small bottle from her bosom.

Crystals float in a transparent, bright red liquid—this is a "status thief." This thief can forcibly remove (pry open) the divine grace (ability value) etched on the back, revealing the person's faction and real name.

The man's eyes trembled when he saw the small bottle prop held between his index and middle fingers brought before him.

"..."

Soon, as if realizing something, the man's gaze suddenly drifted into the distance.

"God, I dedicate myself to you in accordance with the covenant..."

The mouth, gagged with a headscarf, emitted indistinct sounds.

Then, in the blink of an eye...

The man, as if having made a firm decision, stared intently into his eyes and suddenly reached for his waist—the reaction force revealed what was inside his robe. Wrapped around his upper body were bright red rubies, as if sealed in flames.

The sight that came into view made Lulu Ni stop breathing.

——"Fire Stone".

This is a "dropped item" obtained from the monster "Flaming Demon Rock" that inhabits the deepest areas. It consists of a portion of the monster's unprocessed flesh, which is highly flammable and explosive.

The fire stones before him were exceptionally large among the obtainable "dropped items," and there were countless of them. These stones were strung together like prayer beads, wrapped around the man's body.

Ignoring Lulu, who remained frozen in place, the man made a move.

He yanked hard on the rope attached to the small box at his waist that held the fuse—the ignition device.

Lulu immediately released the man's shirt and kicked him forward.