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

The man's narrowed eyes, which had been squinting mockingly, seemed to notice something and stared wide-eyed.

Immediately afterwards, the man in white did something incomprehensible.

He stopped advancing and shifted his upper body to the side. Just as Lefia was wondering to herself, suddenly—from the previously empty space, the sound of wind slicing through the air rang out.

A red line flew across the man's neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Just as Rafia, Philwiss, and Bert were all stunned, the man dressed in white angrily swung one arm.

"This guy!?"

The horizontal punch made a heavy sound and struck something.

A sound like metal breaking was heard, and then suddenly, a woman's delicate body appeared out of thin air.

(—【The Omnipotent One】!)

Reflected in her eyes the shimmering, watery hair, Lefia recognized the woman who had appeared.

It was none other than Asphi Al Andromeda, the leader of the Hermes Familia, the renowned magical item maker in the city, whom Lulune had asked for their help.

Even though she was on her deathbed, she still equipped herself with a magical artifact that could create "invisibility"—making her invisible to everyone—and ambushed the man.

"—You deserve it!"

The black helmet equipped was destroyed by the opponent—the "transparent state" was removed—and black iron fragments scattered.

Covered in blood, Asifi let out a weak laugh before collapsing to the ground. The short sword in her hand gleamed with a fearless light, reflecting in the eyes of the enraged man.

He was struck by a short sword, and a large amount of blood gushed out from his neck.

Seeing its opponent suddenly lose its footing, the bloodthirsty, ferocious wolf stuck out its tongue and licked its lips.

Bert glared and immediately launched a counterattack.

"Drink! Aa ...

"Oh dear!?"

A sharp, arrow-like front kick, coupled with a flurry of twin swords.

The kicks and slashes were like a torrential downpour, relentlessly attacking the man in white.

The man's body was slashed and kicked away, staggering backward. The two swords left his clothes and skin covered in cuts, and the powerful impact of the metal boots pierced through his entire body.

The man staggered two steps before finally taking a solid uppercut to the face, causing numerous cracks to appear on his helmet.

"Don't get too cocky...don't get carried away!?"

The man roared angrily, trying to push back Bert's onslaught.

Ignoring the cuts on his body, he flew into a rage and smashed the two swords he had thrust out with his fist. Bert threw away the two useless swords, roared, and continued his attack with even greater speed than before.

Both sides refused to give in to each other.

"—Shoot through, arrow that will surely hit!"

Faced with the ongoing back-and-forth battle, Lefia finally finished her incantation.

The arrow is nocked, the bow is drawn taut, and it is ready to be released.

Facing a man who had been battered and bruised from several fierce attacks yet remained relentless—an opponent as resilient as the floor master—Bert lacked decisive firepower. Now was the time to unleash a barrage (magic).

—What should we do?

However, Lefia hesitated.

Simply casting "magic" won't work. It will only lead to the same fate as Philweis, being subdued with bare hands just like that red-haired woman last time.

Faced with the white-clad man who reminded her of a red-haired woman, Lefia hesitated and dared not release the bowstring.

"What are you still hesitating for?!"

"!"

At that moment, Bert's voice, like a hand, grasped Rafia's shoulder.

Even amidst the fierce exchange of blows, he still glanced at Lefia and shouted at her, who stood there bewildered:

"Come on, shoot!!"

Lei Zangya's eyes met those amber eyes, and with a glare, she made up her mind.

She shook off her confusion, released the fully drawn bow, and shot an arrow.

"【Spirit Bow Lightsaber】!!"

Suddenly, the magic circle exploded with a burst of bright light, and a huge flash of light shot out.

The man in white, dressed entirely in white, reacted easily to the beam of light that stretched out in a straight line.

"A bunch of naughty kids!"

The man stretched out his right arm, intending to catch the magic—but the flash of light turned around in front of him.

「!?」

Ahead of the right-angle turn, Bert raised his silver boots and kicked the incoming giant arrow of light.

This is a Tier 2 Special Weapon, the Frosvelt. These metal boots, made of refined metal (mithril), possess the special ability to absorb magical effects.

"well done."

The attack spell [Spirit Bow Light Arrow] has the attribute of automatic tracking.

Lefia cast a spell with arrows that could change direction until they hit their target. The target was not the man in white, but her own man, Bert.

Seeing that Lefia had outmaneuvered him by delivering a powerful magic-output light blast to his hand—meaning she had correctly understood his true intentions—Bert curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

The metal boot on its right foot, now imbued with magic, emitted a dazzling light.

"Die."

「!?」

Bert fixed his gaze on the enemy and pressed forward at top speed in an instant.

The man dressed in all white quickly turned around, but Bert didn't give him a chance to dodge.

In the blink of an eye, he reduced the distance between them to zero, delivering a devastating flash to his opponent.

"————————————————————————!?"

The powerful light kick, a combination of the firepower of "magic" and the attack power (impact) of the boots, exploded on the white-clad man.

The man, who had raised his arms in defense, was enveloped in a dazzling light like a superstar, and flew backward with astonishing speed.

His back dug into the green fleshy ground, but he couldn't counteract the force for a long time. The man's body kicked up the dust piled up after the monster's death, and he flew all the way to the main pillar where the giant flower was parasitized before finally coming to a stop.

Only the sharp, piercing explosions that caused tinnitus in the eardrums still echoed before the sounds of battle behind them abruptly ceased. Lulu and her [Hermes Familia] had just managed to barely repel the robed group.

"Asphie!?" Luluni cried out, leading the other adventurers to rush over. They roughly poured high potions on the fallen Asphie, even Luluni's treasured elixir was poured down like a waterfall to help her revive. The magic of mages also showered her with healing light.

The beautiful woman, soaked to the bone by the liquid, slowly opened her eyes, seemingly annoyed by the sight of Luluni with tears welling in her eyes.

"Is it resolved...?"

"I intended to kill him with that kick."

Asphie swayed as she stood up, while Bertie, staring intently ahead, answered Philwiss, who was pressing on his shoulder. His boots, Frosvelt, had released all their magical power and returned to normal.

No matter how high that person's [Durability] stat is, once hit by that fatal blow, it's impossible for them to escape unscathed.

What's more, that was a combined attack from Bert and herself, using all their strength. Lefia was extremely nervous, waiting for time to begin ticking.

Deep within the cave, monster dust coalesced into a cloud of smoke. The obscuring mist filled the air, leaving only the eerie swaying of the giant flower to envelop the silent Asif and her companions.

As the smoke and dust broke into fragments and slowly dissipated...

Everyone who was holding their breath and observing the situation swayed slightly.

A tall figure emerged from the depths of the smoke and slowly walked out.

"What kind of monster is this...?"

Asphie, who was being supported by Luluni, narrowed one eye.

The man, dressed entirely in white, stood steadily on his two feet despite being covered in wounds.

The arms that blocked Bert's flash attack were severely injured. The forearms were smashed into a bloody pulp, leaving charred and bleeding marks. In addition, the combat suit in the chest and other areas was torn with large holes, exposing pale red flesh.

The skeleton's (dropped item) helmet was also damaged, and its dark white hair fell down.

"...It's a pity, but..."

The man's pale lips moved.

He lowered his head, and a sinister smile appeared on his face, hidden beneath his bangs that obscured his eyes.

"A body loved by 'her' will not decay because of this."

Just as he raised the corners of his mouth, almost tearing his lips apart.

The man's body underwent changes.

His arms, which had been struck by Bert, along with his neck, which had been deeply slashed by Asphie.

Slowly, the wound began to heal.

"Huh—"

Lefia began to doubt her own eyes.

Phil Weiss, Asifi, Luluni, and Bert had the same reaction.

The man didn't use any healing magic, yet he possessed a self-healing ability that defied common sense. Before Lefia and the others' eyes, the man's wounds gradually disappeared, as if he had never been injured at all. The wisps of smoke rising faintly from his body, like steam, were perhaps tiny particles of residual "magic."

Everyone present was speechless. As the smoke and dust completely dissipated, the man slowly raised his head.

"Varied……"

The first person to react was Asif.

Upon seeing the man's sickly appearance, she seemed to be greatly shocked and froze on the spot.

"Phi, Phil Weiss, Miss?"

"...How could this be...?"

Then, Phil Weiss reacted in the same way as Asfi.

Seeing her fellow girls standing there in astonishment, exuding an unusual atmosphere, Lefia felt a sense of unease.

Under her gaze, Philweis opened her trembling lips.

"Olivas Actor..."

The moment she mentioned the name of the man in white, everyone around her changed their expressions.

Their inner turmoil turned into a disturbance that dominated the entire space.

"Olivas Actor...you mean that [White-haired Demon (Vendetta)]!? No way!?"

Lulu let out a near scream and looked at the man's face several times.

She forced out a hesitant sound from her throat, as if trying to deny her own memory.

"Because, because the [White-Haired Demon] should already be...!?"

Only Lefia was clueless and out of touch with the situation, nervously glancing around at the faces of everyone else.

Just then, Asphie, who had been looking lost and confused, seemed to finally lose her temper and shouted:

"Impossible! How could a dead person be here?!"

The hoarse screams echoed all around.

Lefia didn't understand what she meant. Seeing Asifi's chilling expression, Philwiss's profile, and Luluni and the others, she could only freeze in place.

Only Bert narrowed his amber eyes, staring at the man dressed entirely in white—Olivas.

"Dead...dead people...?"

Lefia murmured softly, feeling her lips spasm uncontrollably.

The red light of the quartz illuminated the great void, and Asphie rattled off all the information about the man in one breath, as if trying to shake off her own wavering.

"Olivas Actor... estimated level 3, named 'White-Haired Demon,' is a wanted person. The chief god has been sent back to the heavens, and his 'Family' has also disappeared."