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

The arms were covered in large, muscular muscles, almost as thick as Winnie's torso. They were now frozen to prevent putrefaction.

The object seemed to tell the story of the fierce battle that Reed and the others had survived by the skin of their teeth, and most importantly, it proved how powerful the being called "him" was. The dragon girl gasped.

"Your only way to survive is to return to the dungeon. However, both the entrances to the 'Tower of Babel' and the 'Man-made Labyrinth' are guarded by adventurers, so there is currently no way to go back."

Isolated and helpless, surrounded by enemies, the situation couldn't get any worse.

The magician revealed this from deep within his hoodie, paused for a moment, and then continued:

"If there's even a glimmer of hope, it's..."

Fels's murmur dissolved and vanished into thin air.

Winnie remained among her silent comrades, slowly raising her head to gaze at the darkness enveloping the area above.

"Bell..."

*

He has been hungry since birth.

The first thing he did when his feet touched the ground was to kill them all.

There lay countless kin, beings who sought to attack him, while he was a starving being. His kin showed him no mercy, nor did he harbor any such intention. He killed them with his bare hands, trampled them to death, and pulverized them with his flesh. He found himself in an endless, sprawling labyrinth, caught in an endless struggle.

He wasn't sure when his sense of self first emerged; it seemed to be the moment he was born, or perhaps even longer ago, when "himself" was already swaying in a "dream." He only clearly remembered a vivid and intense scene that made him aware of his own existence.

He also knew that he was still hungry and longed for that scene.

He was constantly hungry and constantly fighting.

Even with his skin cracked, bones shattered, and muscles dissolved and decaying, he continued to slaughter his own kind.

Just when he was finally at his knees, exhausted, a turning point came when he visited him.

What appeared before me were not people of the same race, but "compatriots".

They protected him from attacks by their own kind, rescued him from death, and took him back to their home to heal his body.

His fellow countrymen were a good presence, enough to evoke in him some emotion beyond hunger.

Moreover, they were very knowledgeable and told him the meaning of hunger.

"A strong longing (、、)"

The fellow soldiers said: That was your "wish".

Aspiration? He didn't quite understand what that was, only that it was his own "wish".

In the "dream" that lasts every day, every moment, there is no sound or smell, only light. It is a will that makes him tremble all over, a joy that gradually fills his empty body, and "something" that affirms his own existence.

Besides this, his fellow countrymen taught him many things, instilling in him wisdom, strength, and weapons. Finally, he bid farewell to his people and returned to the place where he was born, plunging into the bottomless labyrinth of black lead.

—No, it's not this one, nor is it this one.

Having grasped the true meaning of hunger, he could no longer be satisfied. No matter how much he honed his strength or slaughtered his own kind, it was all in vain; no matter how much time passed, he could not encounter that "dream." At one point, he even began to feel restless, or perhaps more accurately, anxious. His hunger grew ever stronger.

He continued to pursue the "dream," yet remained lost.

"Eek—Eek eeee eeee eeee eeee!?"

One of the hunters screamed and fled.

Several other hunters lay on the ground, their limbs bent in unnatural positions, blood pooling around them. These men had cleverly discovered his hiding place, so he had attacked and driven them away.

—No, it's not this one, nor is it this one.

The hunters resembled "something" he was looking for, but they were completely different.

That being, that "dream," would never turn its back on you like the hunter does.

He caught up with the hunter who had turned to flee, his strong arm whistling as he grabbed his opponent's neck and slammed him against the wall.

Cracks appeared on the desolate ruins, and the hunter, spraying dark red liquid, rolled his eyes. The neck, held like a twig in his palm, cracked easily with a splintering sound. He remembered his promise to his people and released the neck.

After the last hunter fell to the ground, he emerged from the ruins where he had been hiding.

It wasn't a deep labyrinth, but a place close to the sky.

He felt no emotion towards the night sky covered by thick clouds. He picked up his only weapon, blood gushing from his body, and continued his lost journey with resolute steps.

Keep pursuing it.

Pursuing dreams—reunion.

Volume 11, Chapter 1: The Scattered White Rabbit

"A terrifying presence has fled into the crowd, and monsters have scattered throughout the city."

Is the complete destruction of the labyrinthine town of Rivera causally related to the monsters that invaded the surface?

【Ikelos Familia】Operating in secret ~Is there a second entrance to the dungeon?~

Several newspapers were spread out on the table.

Seeing the various news headlines written in Koine, Hestia and Lily remained silent.

"Things are getting really serious..."

"Yes, intelligence with the same headlines has spread throughout the city, and the public's anxiety has reached its peak."

This is the morning of the fourth day since the incident involving the Ikeros Familia, which brought turmoil to the city, and the "Heretics".

In the living room of the headquarters, "Stove House," Hestia and the others looked down at the table.

The newspapers Lily scoured the streets for—scrolls made of stacked sheets of paper sold by some of the Familias or merchants—contained a multitude of pieces of information and speculation about the monsters appearing on the surface. At first glance, they seemed like nothing more than gossip about urban legends, but Hestia and the others, who knew the inside story, couldn't laugh.

"We'll see..."

Hestia spoke in a heavy tone, her gaze shifting to the surface of a newspaper.

The report itself only occupied a small space, but the content was as follows:

"The atrocities, loss of control, disappointment, and defeat of the winner, 'Rookie,' in the wargame."

Other newspapers also published similar reports, some even including portraits of the boy.

Hestia and the petite Lily stood silently on the footstool, their brows furrowed.

"Goddess Hestia, Lady Lily, we're back."

"Many shops were closed, which took a lot of time... I'm very sorry."

Haruhime, dressed as a maid, entered the living room with Mikoto.

The two people who went out to buy food put down the paper bag filled with vegetables, dried meat and other items.

"You're back. How were things on the streets?"

"...We weren't directly harmed, but the way you all look at us is different from before... uh..."

"It's inevitable that some people will look at us with disdain. It seems that Lord Bell's actions are having lingering effects... because we are all from the same [Family]. I also feel that the public's condemnation of us has been growing louder these past few days."

Instead of speaking, Chunji, who was reluctant to talk about it, said with a worried expression but a clear tone.

"I see." Hestia sighed, looked at Lily, and said:

"Is Welf the same as always today?"

"Yes, I've been holed up in the workshop ever since then. Seriously... the food I leave at the door disappears in the blink of an eye, so I should still be alive and well."

Thinking of the young blacksmith who hadn't shown his face since the commotion, Lily replied with a hint of complaint.

Hestia looked in the direction of the "workshop" in the backyard of the mansion.

at this time.

"Ah... Lord Bell."

Bell appeared as he opened the door to the living room.

The boy approached Hestia and the others, and everything seemed normal.

Besides displaying an unprecedentedly distressed expression.

"..."

Facing his female companions, including Lily, Mikoto, and Haruhime, Bell hesitated, then looked away.

The boy, swallowing his words, looked at Hestia.

"Um, deity... please let me go out on the street."

Bell asked permission to go outside, much to the astonishment of Lily and the others.

"...What do you want to do outside?"

Hestia, in her capacity as the chief goddess, had strictly ordered Bell not to step outside the headquarters.

She didn't say it was to avoid the limelight, only that things had just happened and they should at least keep a low profile for a while. She said this for the boy's sake, because Bell's current position was far too dangerous.

"The intelligence can be gathered by me, Miss Supporter, or someone else. There's no need for you to do it, is there?"

"this……"

Aren't you afraid of getting hurt again?

On the "Daedalus Road" at dusk, ordinary people and adventurers alike cast hostile and disappointed glances at Bell; perhaps recalling his encounter in the labyrinthine street that bore the scars of battle, his whole body stiffened.

Bell's breathing trembled, but she still looked back at Hestia and answered:

"What I fear most right now is... doing nothing and watching time slip away."

He could no longer stand idly by.

Seeing the boy speak with his eyes, Hestia closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded.

"I understand, okay."

"immortal……"

"However—on the condition that you let me come!"

Bell felt relieved for only a moment before her eyes widened. Lily and the others did the same.

"This...the goddess Hestia?"

"I'll leave it to you support staff to continue gathering intelligence and guarding the house! Today I'll be Bell's bodyguard!"

Seeing Hestia give a thumbs up, Lily, who was eager to ask more questions, could only pout and say, "I really can't do anything with you!" and reluctantly agreed.

Although Hestia spoke in a light tone, she had probably conveyed her divine will (intention) to everyone.

In other words, Hestia, as a goddess, is more suitable to protect Bell in his current state.

"We'll try to be back before noon! Let's go, Bell."

"Immortal, but..."

After giving Lily and the others these instructions, Hestia walked to the boy's side and looked up at his face.

Under the goddess's watchful gaze, Bell finally nodded.

"I see……"

*

We left headquarters and set off.

As agreed, the fairy and I went out on the street.

During the four days I was ordered to stay at headquarters to "reflect"—at least that's how I felt—thanks to Lily and the others gathering intelligence, I think I should know about the evolution of the city's situation.

Due to the invasion of monsters onto the surface, all eight city gates have been sealed off. The governing bodies (guilds) are stepping up their efforts to hunt down the "heretics," and many factions and adventurers are searching for their whereabouts.

I'm also very curious about the whereabouts of Winnie or Mr. Reed.

Hearing the news that reached my ears, and thinking about how the "heretics" are being hunted down, I felt restless.

"..."

The sky over Orario was covered with dark clouds.

Although the rain that followed the incident had stopped, thick clouds still covered the sky, as if reflecting the city's current state of mind.

The streets were eerily quiet, perhaps out of fear of monsters appearing. Few pedestrians were on the road, and those who were were hurrying away. I used to see groups of young children on my way to the dungeon, but now they'd vanished. Is this really Orario?

"I'm currently taking a break from my part-time job making potato balls..."