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

Tiona and Tione's hair was blown into a mess as they disappeared beyond the battlefield.

"It worked... Wow!?"

"Run! We didn't defeat them! They'll be back soon!"

The astonishing wind reaction nearly blew the Double-Sided Invisibility Cloak away, and the officer hurriedly held it down; Welf shouted loudly to the cheering "Heretic."

Like "Ice Swallow," "Wind Weapon" is also a "magic sword" with reduced destructive power. A pure, strong wind barrage that doesn't result in a slashing attack (like a kamaitachi's) won't harm or kill the enemy if used correctly. The moment Tione and the others land, completely unharmed, they'll likely be furious and chase after them again.

"They actually managed to get a Level 1 adventurer...!"

Welf urged everyone to run, but Fels, who was among the "heretics," couldn't help but cheer.

Although he used a "magic sword" and magical items, his ability to defeat a first-level adventurer deserves his frank praise.

(However, this is...!)

Fels started moving forward again, with a sense of impending success.

The pursuit by [Great Severing (Amazon)] and [Jörmungandr] was evaded, which should be a major miscalculation for the enemy. The [Loki Familia] has deployed guards not only throughout the entire labyrinth district but also at the "gates" of the "artificial labyrinth," suggesting they lack the manpower to mobilize immediately. [Sword Maiden], closely following Bell, and Finn, steadfastly holding his command post, go without saying.

The underground passage leading to the "man-made maze" is now in sight.

If things continue like this, success is inevitable. Just when Fels was about to believe in victory—that victory arrived.

"──"

The magician in black saw a shadow in the air.

*

Time goes back.

"I'm sorry, Commander!"

At the Loki Familia headquarters, Raul Nord suddenly bowed his head and apologized.

Finn, with his back to him, gazed at the western region that had become a battlefield.

"It's all my fault...! The imposter commander looks just like you, practically a twin! I didn't see through the disguise at all...! Ah, really, I'm so sorry!"

"It's all in the past now, and there's no time to blame you. Answer my question, Raul."

Finn asked Raul, who was trembling and pale, in a calm tone:

Did my imposter ask you any questions?

"what?"

This problem alarmed Raul, but he still managed to dig into his previous memories.

"Uh... that man said a monster had appeared in the south and asked me to mobilize the troops... I remember later, he also asked me about the deployment locations of the guards for the 'artificial maze'."

"Is that so... Well done, Raul, now I can be sure."

"Huh?" Raul froze on the spot. Finn ignored him and continued talking to himself:

"The enemy would rather disguise themselves to spy on the defensive positions of our 'artificial labyrinth'... I didn't want to believe it, but now it's confirmed. The enemy has the 'Daedalus Manuscript'."

Once you find the guarded location, simply follow the "Man-made Maze Design" to the entrance/exit where you won't encounter the Loki Familia.

"Guarding the 'gate' underground is useless. Raul, half of the garrison has already evacuated. I've ordered them to remain on the surface. Go and relay the order."

“Okay, okay!”

Finn kept a straight eye on the battlefield and told him:

"Let Grace go."

*

Then, let's return to the present.

"──────"

The figure in the air that Fels saw with his own eyes raised its weapon high into the sky.

That was a large battle axe held high above its head.

In the cold air of the night after the rain, the dwarf warrior let his cloak flutter in the wind.

Seeing the veteran's eyes widen in horror as he rapidly descended—Fels shouted without thinking:

"Get out of the way—!!"

The next moment.

"Hmph!!"

The great axe swung down, cleaving the black brick road in two.

"Goo ...

"Ughhh!?"

Grace leaped and landed like a meteor, unleashing a powerful attack in the center of the group.

In his desperation, Fels unleashed a shockwave that sent the "heretics" flying. Although they weren't directly attacked, the impact shattered the ground, blasting everyone away—Wilf, Ming, and Winnie. The monsters' screams mingled with the earth's rumble as several monstrous creatures slammed into the walls.

Needless to say, the stone floor was damaged, and even the building structure developed cracks, with the walls collapsing.

"They went too far; now they're going to lose money."

Grace adjusted the position of his helmet, picked up the great axe that had been used to cleave the road again, and charged forward.

The approaching target was Fels, who had been smashed against the wall.

「!?」

Grace deduced that the man in black was the "leader" of the monsters and correctly identified the group's leader to attack. Just as the merciless axe was about to strike Fels, a longsword and a scimitar intervened at the last moment.

"Gurgle!"

"Oh?"

The axe blade was deflected from its attack trajectory by the sword's side and shattered the wall right next to Fels.

Reed, clutching his wound, lunged forward, intending to sweep his opponent down with both weapons. However, Grace narrowed his eyes and pulled back his axe faster, ramming the end of the handle into the lizardman's breastplate.

"Gugah!?"

The monster's massive body was easily knocked away and crashed onto the cracked stone floor. Fels stretched out his hands and fired a shockwave from close range, but the dwarf warrior quickly jumped away and dodged the attack.

"Roar!!"

The moment the gargoyle gave the command, the "heretics" pounced on Grace. They all knew that without dealing with this demi-human, they would have no chance of survival. Welf and Life coughed, checking that their "transparent state" was barely holding, but seeing the scene of battle, they both gasped.

The dwarf adventurer was surrounded by more than ten "heretics," but instead of letting them cross the line, he outsmarted them all. Unicorn horns thrust at him, or half-human, half-snake tails sweeping across his body, were all repelled and severed with his axe. He then used his gauntlet-covered fists to send large monsters flying. Even the strongest members of the group, the lizardman and the gargoyle, were dealt with in an instant.

This scene was exactly the same as the one in the labyrinthine street five days ago, with the overwhelming power of the Lv.6 monsters ravaging the monsters. What was terrifying was that the dwarf in front of them exuded a stronger presence than the two female warrior (Amazon) sisters or the werewolves.

"──────────────────Ahhh!!"

“Hmm!”

The strange sonic wave, imbued with the greatest power by the Songbird, struck Grace.

Unlike the agility expected of dwarves, which caused a momentary lapse in speed, Welf and Life, who had been standing still, saw an opportunity and moved.

"!"

The blizzard originated from the void. Although Grace dodged Welf's "Ice Swallow," his fate released a cold current at a time difference, freezing one of his feet. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in movement, Welf and the others seized the opportunity and unleashed a second barrage on Grace.

Level 1 adventurers are imprisoned in a world of extreme cold and frost, however—

(Varied……!?)

Fate was speechless.

(Are you kidding me...!?)

The swordsmith (Welf) witnessed a scene that left him in disbelief.

"Ughh ...

The dwarf warrior fought on despite all obstacles.

Even with his body frozen solid, Grace used all his "strength" to shatter the ice, displaying incredible power with his fists and axe. The "heretics," still in shock, didn't forget to attack their opponents, but were once again repelled by Grace.

Welf and his life were also cornered, and they continued to bombard their opponent. However, Grace did not stop. Regardless of half of his body being frozen, regardless of how many frostbite he suffered, he could not stop a single adventurer.

Quickly—splat!

"...!?"

It was as if he had lost an endurance contest to a dwarf; the magic sword shattered, self-destructing upon reaching its limit. Watching the fragments of the azure sword spill from his hands, Welf and Ming were speechless.

"Mr. Grace!"

"Charge! Everyone, charge!"

As if things weren't bad enough, reinforcements from the Loki Familia arrived at the scene.

From the paths connecting to the main road, and from the rooftops of the buildings lining the road, high-level male and female adventurers were coming from all directions.

"Ugh—!?"

Fels tossed several black beads from his black sleeve and scattered them on the ground.

Black smoke billowed from the shattered beads, engulfing the entire road. Five days ago, he had also used this same smokescreen—the magical item "black mist"—to escape. It was a last resort, used only to prevent adventurers from teaming up. The dense black mist instantly brought a chaotic battle to the scene, with humans and monsters shouting at each other.

(Oh no, this is terrible, what do we do!?)

Even though he was invisible, Welf was still attacked by spears and claws that pierced out from the depths of the fog, and his out-of-control heartbeat made him panic.

The word "annihilation" jolted my thoughts. With the battle in such disarray, regrouping and escaping was virtually impossible. At the very least, I had to find a way to deal with Grace.

Welf has lost "Ice Swallow". She still has "Wind Warrior", but the wind is indiscriminate, and if it disperses the black mist, Grace's rampage will resume. With other members joining the battle, the fate of the "Heretics" will be sealed. Separated from Welf, she is also unable to move.

(Should I use this...!? But if I do...!)

Welf looked at his waist.

Instead of a broadsword, he wore a longsword-shaped "demon sword" at his waist. Looking down at the unsheathed blade, its azure color even deeper than that of the "Ice Swallow," his heart was in turmoil.

And right after Welf wasted those precious few seconds, then—

"Hahaha! What a lively scene!"

A sudden downpour of icy rain fell from the sky onto the main road.

“Hmm!?”

All that could be heard was the sound of the road freezing, the cries of dwarves and adventurers, and then, from the depths of the thick fog, a fierce blizzard could indeed be seen.

Welf, unaware of what was happening, stood frozen in place when, thud! A figure landed right in front of him.

"You... Tsubaki!?"

"Hmm? Judging from that voice, is that little brother Will?"

The newcomer had brown skin, tied-up black hair, and an eyepatch over her left eye resembling that of a deity. Dressed in bright red trousers and a battle cloth, she resembled a swordsman from the Far East. Her well-defined and distinctive features revealed her mixed human and dwarf heritage.

Upon seeing the unexpected intruder—the leader of the Hephaestus Familia, Tsubaki Kobrand—Welf removes his invisibility cloak and reveals himself.

"How did you get here!?"

"It was the Supreme God who asked me to help you. I've also heard about 'Zenos' and all that. It seems you've gotten involved in something quite interesting, little brother Will?"

The half-dwarf woman, with a smug look on her face, gave a concise and clear explanation. Just like Mih's dog-men (Nazha) and the others, she had come to help Welf and the others rescue the "heretics (Zenos)".

Although Welf understood the situation, he still felt conflicted about the fact that the blacksmith goddess (Hephaestus) had told Tsubaki about the "heretic." From the perspective of the goddess he revered, she must have thought that Tsubaki "would be fine," but Welf himself was really unwilling to let this cheerful person know the whole story.

Chun was completely unaware of Welf's thoughts and raised the "demon sword" in her hand.

"Looks like we're on the same page, little brother Will. Alright, leave it to me. I'll blast them to pieces from a safe distance with my 'Demon Sword' without revealing my true identity. Heh heh, no need to worry, I've brought a whole bunch of weapons."

"You just wanted to test-fire the 'Demon Sword,' didn't you!?"

The sight of Tsubaki carrying several "magic swords" on her back was truly unsettling. Welf, seeing through her thoughts, forgot the situation and shouted.

This "master smith" is a mad, born craftswoman who will even venture into the "deepest parts" of the labyrinth to test the capabilities of her creations. Her forging skills, which earned her the nickname "Cyclops," and her sheer combat prowess also stem from this.

"Stop talking nonsense! I risked making enemies with the Loki Familia to come to your rescue, didn't I! Hah! Charge! Take this! Take this!!"

"I knew you were having a blast! Hey, if you keep attacking like this, the Loki Familia will..."

"Hahaha!! That dwarf couldn't possibly kick the bucket like that! The Loki Familia's officers are all monsters!"