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

Bert said with disgust as he watched the woman reveal her excessive obsession with Finn.

The dwarf leader, still being glared at by the other party, rebuked him.

"At least Tione wasn't as cruel and ruthless as her."

Finn's blue eyes looked up at the woman's sinister grin.

The other members were surprised to see Finn and the others acting as if they knew each other.

"Do you...do you know her, Commander?"

"Yes, her name is Valetta Greider. Fifteen years ago, when Orario entered the Dark Ages, the Dark Faction disrupted order and caused chaos throughout the land... and she was one of its key members."

When asked a question by Lakta, a humebunny among the lower-ranking members, Finn answered fluently.

Upon hearing this response, the group members gasped.

"The guild leader, Miss Riveria, and Mr. Grace need no introduction. That faction has historically been hostile to the Freya Familia, the Ganesha Familia, and many other factions that have sided with the guild."

"Five years ago, when [Gale]'s out-of-control behavior was the final blow that led to the destruction of the dark faction, it was generally believed that she was dead. She died in that 'Nightmare on the 27th Floor'..."

Fifteen years ago, when the dark faction rose to power, the Loki Familia naturally participated in the operation to suppress this force.

Raul and Angie, who joined the Loki Familia eight years ago, added details about what happened back then in a stiff tone.

"So, the 'Nightmare on the 27th Floor' was just a decoy used to fake death after all?"

"You're so prescient that it makes me angry, you short hero. Six years ago, the Dark Faction was constantly being attacked by you guys and the guild, and our strength was greatly reduced. So we instigated the White-Haired Demon (Olivas) to have all the executives pretend to be dead."

Valetta responded to Finn's criticism with a crooked smile.

"The Nightmare of the 27th Floor" is a large-scale "pass parade" instigated by the dark faction. The enemy is not only the monsters of the entire floor, but also the "Monster Rex" is lured in to attack the guild's adventurers who have fallen into the trap.

What followed was a scene of carnage, with corpses scattered everywhere, indistinguishable from friend to foe. Valetta and other key members disguised their own bodies among the carnage to deceive the guild.

Countless comrades sacrificed their lives so that one day they could rise again.

The truth behind the "nightmare" that led to the tragic end was actually a desperate attempt by a dark faction to prolong its existence.

however.

"Finn, you're a piece of scum! From our perspective, you're as vile and utterly wicked as a demon! That day, you didn't go to the 27th floor to save people! As soon as you heard the news, you led Freya and Ganesha's gang to attack our main gods!!"

Valetta, her fury barely contained, hurled the weapon at Finn.

Finn saw through Valetta and her group's intentions and judged that there was no time to rescue them, so he abandoned the 27th floor. Instead,

He raided all the candidate locations for the dark faction's strongholds because he saw that the enemy camp's defenses must be weak.

With the help of the various chief gods, Finn and his companions successfully banished many of the dark faction's gods, known as the "Evil Gods," back to the heavens. This brilliant operation played a decisive role, significantly shifting the balance of power between the dark faction and the guilds to one side.

For the survivors of the dark faction, the existence of the Brave must be something they hate to the core.

"The Supreme God was banished, and his 'Blessing' was sealed in the dungeon. Do you understand the fear I felt? How many times I was almost eaten by monsters!"

"I can understand how you feel, but when I think about the sins you have committed, I really can't pity you."

"Stop pretending to be merciful! I no longer care about the dark factions that have been destroyed! But you are the only one I will never let go! I will absolutely take revenge, I swore an oath!!"

Perhaps recalling those memories, Valetta's eyes were bloodshot, and she was spitting saliva everywhere.

"I'll first cut off your hands and feet, then straddle you and humiliate you at will, smashing your fake, angelic face: I'll shame you until I'm happy, laughing out loud to my heart's content!!"

"Are you trying to seduce me into spending the night with you? Unfortunately, I am bound by the wishes of my people, and sweet talk in bed is only for members of the same tribe of the opposite sex."

Finn responded to Valetta's tasteless curse with a smile and a nonchalant air.

Seeing the troupe leader's bold response to the lewd joke, the female members blushed but were also quite intrigued.

Not only Tione, but everyone liked this leader of the little people.

"Besides, while it hurts me to say such things to a woman, Valeta, you're so un classy. Could you at least try to be as refined as Riveria before asking me out?"

"Ahhh!" Excited screams erupted from the crowd.

"The captain's type is definitely Lady Rivera...!!" "Write it down, write it down..." The female members, ignoring the situation, quickly took out their notebooks to take notes. The male members, who weren't captivated by their leader's magic, along with Angie and Lefia, couldn't imagine what the raging female warrior (Tione) would do, and rubbed their upper arms.

Bert knew he was being provocative, but he was also getting tired of listening.

"Fin! You bastard...!!"

Valetta was absolutely furious.

Her veins bulged, and she seemed intent on staring the little warrior to death.

"I'm certain once again that you will die by my hand!! Right here and today!"

"You're quite patient, aren't you? If you care so much about me, why wait until today? There were plenty of other opportunities, weren't there?"

"Idiot! I've been waiting for you to come to us! Waiting for you to stupidly barge into our city!!"

Seeing Valetta's lips curl up, Finn lost his smile for the first time.

Driven by a thirst for revenge, the woman's eyes gleamed like those of a raptor, and she declared:

"This will be your graveyard! Die and be swallowed up by this 'Knossos'!!"

—"Knossos"?

Could this keyword be the name of the maze? As Finn raised his eyebrows, Valetta stretched out her right arm, which was holding a ball.

The material covering the surface of the crimson sphere is refined metal—with a "D" mark engraved inside.

The sphere, which looked like a magic item, emitted a blood-red glow, and then the "door" behind Finn and the others closed.

"We've been locked up!?"

Raul shouted, and then the "doors" on the left and right sides of the hall suddenly opened, and a large group of carnivorous plants emerged from them.

Seeing the view below, Valette smiled and kicked the floorboards as she retreated deeper into the passage.

"Everyone, charge!!"

'Roar! Ro ...

Bert's shouts overlapped with the man-eating plant's roar, thus beginning the battle.

The Loki Familia members each drew their weapons and fought against the monster.

(The magical artifact Valetta used was the "key" to open the "door" made of the hardest metal... She did it on purpose to show us.)

Finn nimbly wielded his spear with its golden tip, slaughtering the carnivorous plants with an aura that rivaled Bert's among his companions, and glanced at the main passage where Valetta had disappeared.

(Is this some kind of bait to lure us to the real trap...? It's unpleasant, but we have no choice but to follow.)

Monsters kept emerging from the left and right passages, and now that their retreat was cut off, they had no choice but to move forward; Finn made a decisive decision in the hall.

"All personnel, advance forward!"

Under the leader's instructions, the members obeyed as if they were their own hands and feet.

They dodged the enemy's attack and, with swift and orderly movements, rushed from the hall into the main passage.

Of course, the carnivorous plants then gave chase.

Several long, thin bodies surged into the straight passage; the passage was wide enough for adventurers, but too narrow for large-scale (monsters).

"—Captain, please allow me and Miss Philvis to cover the rear!"

Seeing this scene, Rafia exclaimed.

It was too dangerous for a mage to volunteer for such a position. While Raul and the others were still in shock, Finn turned around from his center-back position, looked into the girl's azure eyes, and nodded.

"Please, Rafia."

"yes!"

Seeing the leader's trusting smile, Lefia was filled with fighting spirit. At the same time, she turned around and confronted the carnivorous plants that were swarming and relentlessly attacking her.

"Miss Philweis!"

"...I understand, leave it to me!"

The girls who were traveling with Lefia understood everything from her calls and eyes, and took a step forward.

"[The Holy Grail (the goblet), transforms into a shield!]!"

She stretched out her left hand straight out and completed the incantation in an instant.

"The Holy Grail of Gods, the Salvation Grail!"

The short chant activated a circular barrier, and the pure white light representing the girl's noble sentiments acted like an unbreakable shield, blocking the attack of several carnivorous plants at once.

"[Unleash a beam of light, the bow of sacred wood. You are a master archer—]"

The singing that followed was Rafia's chant.

Philweis's barrier formed a canopy, blocking the passage and preventing the monster from crossing the line; at the same time, the incantation she was used to chanting flowed smoothly into a chapter, and in the blink of an eye, a turret was completed.

"Miss Philvis, I'm launching!"

The girl instinctively dispelled the spell and stepped back, and Lefia switched places with her, releasing the cannon fire.

"[Spirit Bow and Light Arrow]!!"

"————————————————Ahhh!?"

A dazzling flash of light cleansed the interior of the passage, along with the carnivorous plants that had been burned by the intense light.

Lefia wiped out all the monsters that rushed into the straight passage, truly sweeping them clean.

"This...this method seems to work in the dungeon too...!"

"You can try it as many times as you like after you get back; the next batch is coming!"

A new wave of carnivorous plants invaded, but the two elves simply continued to deploy their golden and white magic circles, repeatedly blocking the pursuit.

"Refia is amazing!"

"Well, since we don't have to worry about monsters spawning from the walls here, this is the perfect place to use this trick."

Having witnessed Raul's wit, both Raul and Angel, who were above her in LV, praised her highly.

"...Ha! At least it's starting to be somewhat useful."

Bert, seeing the girl's rapid growth, gave her a daring smile.

"The progress of the younger players has exceeded expectations, which is truly gratifying. — Bert, you continue to stay in the vanguard and clear obstacles! Don't rush too fast, and pay attention to the length of the formation!"

Finn also smiled and then sharply gave instructions.

Upon seeing the monstrous shape ahead, Bert led the vanguard squad into close combat with the enemy.

"It's not a man-eating plant...it's a new species!?"

They encountered a monster that resembled a water strider.

It has six long legs, reaching up to a human waist in height. Its central body is covered with crimson crystals that are different from the "magic stones." It is small in size, but most importantly, there are a great many of them.

Lakta, a rabbit-woman mingling in the front ranks, was on guard against this monster whose attack methods were unknown...

"To hell with them! Before they even make a move—I'll just smash them to pieces!"

"Eek!?"

Bert charged forward and launched an attack, biting several monsters at once.

Several enemies were sliced ​​in two by the excessively sharp foot blades. True to his word, Bert gave the monsters no chance to attack, instantly and beautifully killing the new species.

Although the members of the front-line team were intimidated by the ability that only the strong could accomplish, they still followed the reliable werewolf in the attack.

"Whoa, a trap!?"

"Watch out! They're everywhere!"

While Bert and the others were displaying their prowess, Raul jumped away from his spot with a shout, and Angie also called out to warn everyone to be careful.

As they said, the passageway, no less than five meters wide, was filled with square longitudinal pits, the dim darkness indicating that the pits led to a very deep place below.

The haphazardly placed pits gave the impression of a half-finished construction project being halted rather than a true trap. While Angie and Raul watched their feet, one equipped herself with a small buckler and a light sword, while the other drew her bow and arrows to deal with the monsters that were beginning to emerge chaotically from the surrounding side passages.

(Valeta... is watching us.)

As the scene descended into chaos, Finn and his central guards brandished their spears, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

Valetta hadn't left. Finn had clashed with her several times in his fight against the dark faction and was very familiar with their mindset. She must be hiding in one of the side paths, spying on them.

Is she observing for an opportunity, planning to capitalize on her victory by setting a real trap?