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

"I have absolutely no interest in doing something so frivolous," Hestia thought, gazing at the night view before her.

Feeling the warmth of the boy beside her, she smiled and gently closed her eyes.

The small clock, a hair accessory tied to the wrist, swayed gently in the cool night breeze.

Book Two, Chapter Three: "The Magic That Summons a Lap Pillow"

A streak of silver light flashed past.

"Goo ...

The silver trail carved in a straight line from the top of his head to his crotch caused the skeletal monster "Earthborn" to scream in agony.

Based on human bones, the skeleton protrudes like armor, presenting an ominous shape. Proud of its sharp angles and wielding various bone weapons, it truly deserves the title of a ferocious skeletal warrior.

Using the "deep layers" as its territory, this powerful monster, equivalent to LV.4, was instantly killed in a flash.

"..."

The swordsman's strike was so skillful it sent chills down one's spine. With a whoosh, the saber pointed its tip toward the ground.

Bones, bones, bones, bones.

Looking around, countless bone fragments were scattered everywhere. These white remains, unable to retain their original shape, were the final resting place of more than ten terrestrial humanoid groups.

Golden hair and golden eyes.

A young girl with beauty that rivals that of a god stands quietly at the center of the monster's tombstone.

"In the end, one person solved it all..."

"They'd look even cuter if they could fight a little harder..."

Whether she heard her companions' whispers or not, the long-haired blonde girl, Ais Wallenstein, silently sheathed her rapier and walked towards them.

"Come on, come on, you've worked hard, Ais! Want some magic potion? A panacea? How about Ais's favorite red bean cream-flavored potato balls!"

"I'm fine, Diona. Thank you. ...I'll take the last one."

"Since there were no injuries at all, of course there's no need for any elixirs."

"Anyway, the monsters are mostly dealt with... What's next, Finn?"

"Hmm—, shouldn't we head back soon? After all, this trip was more of a hobby, and staying here too long would waste too much time on the way back. What do you think, Rivera?"

Currently located on the 37th floor. Deep within the dungeon, defined as the deepest area, the Loki Familia are exploring the labyrinth. The total number of people present is small; the team, including support members, consists of seven people. Led by Ais Wallenstein, there are only five Level 1 adventurers.

As the phrase "for fun" suggests, unlike previous "expeditions" that gathered members of the Loki Familia, this time it was a more private dungeon exploration by a small group of like-minded companions.

To put it bluntly, it's just about killing time.

Arriving in this deep region, which many adventurers have yet to set foot in, and still boasting that it's just a hobby, speaks volumes about the vast difference in their abilities.

"I'm following the commander's orders... Everyone, prepare to retreat!"

The ethereal elf, Rivilia, gave the order in a loud voice.

The Amazonian sisters, with their tanned skin, expressed their understanding, while Ais held the nearly spoiled potato balls in her hands with a frustrated expression.

This problem often occurs when food is not properly stored when venturing deep into the maze.

"But seriously, if we brought Bert along this time, it would be incredibly noisy—that show-off guy's got all his energy going the moment he's around Ais!"

"After the party ended, as soon as he sobered up, I subtly told him: 'You were rejected by Ais,' and he turned green with anger."

"Waaaaah—! I really want to see it—! Why didn't you tell me, Dione—!"

They said they were preparing to withdraw, but there was practically nothing to do. Retrieving the magic stones was the supporters' job; the battle had been left to Ais to handle alone since the beginning. Two supporters who had just reached LV.3 were collecting magic stones from the natives nearby, and the atmosphere eased around the chattering twin sisters.

Just then, Ais, who had been watching the potato balls, looked up and said something that changed the mood.

"...Finn, Rivera. I want to stay."

The two reacted differently when their names were called. Finn's eyes widened slightly, while Riveria remained expressionless, closing only one eye.

Ignoring Tiona and Tione, who had stopped in their tracks in surprise, Ais calmly continued her demands.

"You don't need to share any food with me. I won't cause any trouble for anyone. Please."

"Wait, wait a minute—! Ais, saying things like that is already causing us trouble! Leaving Ais here like this just means we'll have to worry about you all the time!"

"I agree with Tiona. No matter how low the monster's level 3 is, we can't leave our companion alone in the deep levels. It's too dangerous."

Facing Tiona, who stood with her hands on her hips and her face almost touching her nose, Ais lowered her eyebrows slightly, looking troubled. She had no way to respond to Tiona's support fire.

Because what they said was absolutely right, and there was no room for rebuttal.

"Why does Ais love fighting so much? Ais is so beautiful, it's such a shame—you need to act more like a girl—even I, an Amazon, dress up more than you, how can that be—"

"I... I don't need to."

"Why? Don't you want to find a strong male...some man you like or something? Is Ais's pretty face just for decoration?"

"Alright, don't impose on others what you yourself wouldn't do."

Seeing that Ais had stopped speaking, Rivera, who had been watching from a distance with her head down, sighed.

She turned to Finn and said:

"Finn, I'd like to ask you for a favor too. Please respect Ais's wishes."

"Rivia!"

"Um--……?"

The Palum, shorter than everyone else present, looked up at Riveria, as if wanting to ask her true thoughts.

"This child rarely makes unreasonable demands. I hope you can grant her request."

"You can't reason with me using that childish, parental attitude, Rivera. What Tiona and the others say makes more sense. As the leader of the squad, I cannot allow it."

"I know I'm spoiling her... okay."

Rivera sighed for the second time and turned her gaze to Ais.

Seeing the apologetic look in the eyes of the girl who rarely showed any emotion, she turned to self-deprecation this time.

Then, she met Finn's eyes again.

"I'll stay too."

Rivera told him that she was willing to take responsibility for supporting Ais.

Finn looked into her eyes, placed his hand on his chin, and nodded as if to whet her appetite.

"Okay, I grant your permission."

"How could they do this—, Finn—. You should at least say something to them—"

"Since Rivera is staying, I think there's absolutely no chance of anything going wrong. On the contrary, we might encounter danger on our return journey."

"I'm not so powerful that I can both attack and heal, Captain."

Once the captain makes a decision, the rest is simple.

Finn and his supporters parted ways with Ais and the others who had decided to stay.

Standing at the only entrance to the cave, Tiona waved vigorously before leaving.

"Thank you, Rivera."

"I really want to say don't do this again, but it's no use saying it now. Anyway, just let me complain for once, don't make me worry too much."

"……sorry."

They didn't look directly into each other's words, but a feeling called trust was subtly revealed within them.

Unlike the distant upper levels, the 37th floor was quite dark. The space above was impossibly high, and the ceiling was not visible to the naked eye. The dim darkness obscured the space.

Only the candle-like phosphorescence, shining at equal intervals on the murky white wall, could serve as a reference for vision.

For a while, Ais stood still, wasting time in vain, just as a look of surprise began to appear on Riveria's face.

As if sensing something, Ais drew her sword.

"coming."

"What?"

Ais's beautiful features sharpened slightly. Riveria was about to ask her what she was saying, but—she quickly noticed it too.

The ground of the dungeon where they stood was shaking.

"Could it be...?"

As if agreeing with the murmured words, Ais's gaze fell upon the center of the vast cavern.

The next moment, the ground cracked.

Pushing aside a large amount of soil, an unusually large figure's face emerged from the ground.

The ground crackled with a nasty sound. The earth and sand caught in the cracks were lifted up by the body and, with a resounding roar, fell to the ground like a waterfall.

Skull, collarbone, ribs, pelvis. A series of exposed black bones rise from the ground, revealing its full form.

The shaking reached its peak. The entire 37th floor was trembling.

Like paying the price of pregnancy and childbirth, the dungeon groaned loudly.

"—Ooo ...

It was born with an incomparably fierce cry that reached the heavens.

The monster roaring at the sky was enormous. It was probably over ten meters tall.

A colossal skeletal body, its entire body stained jet black. Its lower half was buried in the ground, like a giant monster magnified directly by the earth-born humans, with two protrusions on its head.

Deep in the dark eye sockets, a small scarlet light flickered like a spark.

Inside the chest, as if protected by ribs and sternum, an oversized magic stone floats in the hollow.

"Oh, I see. Three months have already passed..."

Generally speaking, the number of various monsters that appear on each floor is fixed.

They won't increase to a certain number; when they decrease, new monsters will break through the dungeon walls and be born. The interval between the births of the next monster varies depending on the floor, but the longest is no more than a day.

Among them, there is a group of monsters that will not appear immediately after their death, and will only be born after a certain period of time.

One more thing to add: only one of these special monsters will appear on each floor.

Perhaps it was because of its power, or perhaps because of its size. Whatever the reason, it could only wander alone on the floor where it was born.

Guilds that have existed since ancient times have always referred to this special monster as this.

"Monster rex".

"Rivia, don't make a move."

All the "Lone Kings of the Maze," each with its own unique layout and appearance, share one thing in common: they are all incredibly powerful.

It is said that their LV. is the estimated level of each floor plus 2.

Just as adventurers of level three and above address the floor master with reverence, this is a position that should be taken only by many adventurers forming groups and working together.

"Ais, are you really planning to deal with it alone?"

Rivera asked with a serious look in her eyes.

Ais, carrying a silver sword, quietly walked towards the monster "Udeos," which was making a terrifying roar.

"don’t worry."

Facing a powerful enemy whom all the gods unanimously praised as "the leader of the monkeys," the girl confronted him alone.

"It will be over soon."

A week later, the rumor that [Fiora] had reached LV.6 spread throughout Orario.

★

"...?"

Bell stopped in his tracks.

He stood in the middle of the stairs connecting the second and first floors, turning his neck to look down.

"What's wrong, Lord Bell?"