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

As Finn pondered this, he was about to step into a huge crossroads...

My thumb started to throb.

"————"

I have never felt such intense pain before.

The ominous sign was so strong that it made my fingers twitch.

Meanwhile, Finn's ears caught it.

The heavy sound of a nearby "door" opening was detected.

(--This is……)

Even Finn, who possesses "intuition" that allows him to foresee crises, is sometimes unable to handle certain situations.

For example, they might sense something but not be able to give instructions in time, or their physical abilities might not be up to par. Sometimes, these "abnormal situations" exceeded the handling capabilities of individuals and groups. He didn't know how many times he lost his men during "deep" expeditions because of this.

The harbinger of that threat has now transformed into an absolute zero chill descending upon me.

Immediately afterwards, from the flank of the center-back guarded by Finn...

The ferocious monsters all parted to the sides.

Just as one acts on behalf of a king, paving the way for him.

The "gate" ahead of the crossroads has been liberated, and the force launching the whirlwind attack is—

(—Red hair…)

Green eyes, a strange, jet-black longsword, and blood-red hair.

The Death Raider held his breath behind the "door," waiting for this moment.

The strange woman, Rives, suddenly closed in on Finn.

「!?」

"It's you again, little people."

With a cold voice, the black sword was raised high and slashed down.

Finn blocked the attack, and the terrifying force of the impact surged through his body.

Its immense power and speed, coupled with the destructive force that its small stature could not withstand.

After only three exchanges, Finn's posture was completely dead.

"This is what I owe you on the 18th floor."

The intimidating feeling was completely different from when they last met, and the fighting strength increased abnormally.

The enemy is a monster, and a "super-powered" one at that.

Just how many "magic stones" did she devour?

(—Use "magic (Hel Vanges)"—)

Otherwise, defeat is inevitable.

However, a flicker of doubt (noise) crossed Finn's mind.

The Ferocious Demon Lance (Hel Vanges) is a "magic" that can rapidly increase abilities. However, in return, the user will be dominated by an inflated warlike desire, turning into a vicious warrior who cannot give any proper instructions.

In this situation, once Raul and his men lose their command—

That is an unavoidable moment of distress for leaders.

In that brief moment, the winner and loser were decided.

"Die."

Finn's confusion is a fatal flaw for the monster (Ravis) of today.

The dark blade, tracing a fierce arc, sliced ​​through Finn's body.

"Waaah————"

The raised gun handle was cleaved in two, leaving deep cuts on his short frame.

Rives's emotionless face gradually moved away from Finn's view of the copious amounts of bright red blood he had sprayed.

All sound among the adventurers vanished, and just as time began to slow, the broken Spear of Courage (Fortia's Spear) swayed and fell backward.

"group……"

The crew members were unable to react to the monster's sudden attack; their eyes only reflected the hero's fall.

"...Commander——————————————————!?"

Finn's body bounced off the paving stones, and the screams of the band members rang out.

Bert and Rafia looked back and time seemed to freeze.

Finn fell down.

The hero who always inspired his clan has fallen.

Even if Riveria, Grace, or Ais had fallen, it wouldn't have driven the group members to such despair. Their faces were ashen; the blow they had suffered was immeasurable. The panic that surged within them threatened to shatter the frozen time.

No one can replace him.

Finn is an indomitable pillar of strength for the Loki Familia.

(————)

and so……

Finn, the person involved, understood the fatal nature of the situation more deeply and quickly than anyone else.

Morale was low, chaos ensued, and the group disintegrated.

In a hazy, blood-soaked state of mind, the conclusion drawn was "total annihilation."

Therefore, he made the final decision as quickly as possible.

"Raul!!"

The blood-stained, desperate scream reached a young man who stood frozen in place.

Raul, who had been rigorously taught all the knowledge and experience by the leader (Finn) and others, opened his eyes wide and understood what to do without waiting for him to finish speaking, and put it into practice.

"!!"

Raul threw down his bow and arrows and rushed out ahead of everyone else—even faster than Revis.

The strange man, who was about to give chase, swung his sword at the young man, but the young man only had eyes for Finn and continued walking briskly without slowing down.

Their determination to act paid off.

Only the right shoulder guard was shattered. Raul staggered from the impact, but his hand narrowly missed touching the dwarf.

“Tsk!”

As Rives smacked her lips, Raul had already embraced Finn's body like a baby, kicked the floor with all his might, and jumped towards a corner of the passage—a vertical cave leading to the deep underground.

"Keep up!!"

"!"

The young man's desperate shout seemed to attract everyone's attention, and Angie and the others followed suit.

They abandoned the fight and plunged into the pit where Raul and Finn had fallen. This was to avoid total annihilation and to escape the monsters and freaks.

The entire team of center-backs who were positioned next to Finn fled the scene.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"

Valette's loud laughter echoed through the passageway.

Just as Finn had predicted, she had been observing the battle situation. At this moment, she peeked out from a side passage and headed towards the pit where Raul and the others had fallen.

"Look at the pathetic state you're in, Fen~~~ Hmm! So you finally have a day when you run away with your tail between your legs, how wonderful!"

Letting the sounds of pleasure echo in the cave, Valetta looked up at Revis.

"Thanks, you really are a top bodyguard."

"Now their leader is taken care of."

The strange woman answered lazily, glancing down at the vertical cave where Finn had escaped.

Her attention to this matter ended there.

"I'm going to Arya's place."

"Hey, we haven't finished off Finn yet..."

"Will you handle things yourself from now on, or do you expect me to take care of you more?"

The black blade was bathed in the blood of the dwarfs, crimson droplets dripping down. Rives swung the sword, producing a ringing sound, and coldly responded with a casual remark.

The red-haired man turned to carry out his own purpose.

"Tsk, what a capricious woman... she's really annoying."

Valetta's face contorted as she watched the red-haired woman walk away with her back turned.

"Fine, it doesn't matter... I'm not planning to give it to anyone anyway. Just you wait, Finn, I'm coming to kill you right now!"

But she quickly changed her mood and gave Zongxue a sadistic smile.

The upturned corners of her mouth revealed the depth of her obsession.

"...You...guys..."

Bert let out a hoarse growl at them.

Among the stunned vanguard, the werewolf was the first to recover from the shock, tearing his eyes open and kicking the ground.

"Gahh ...

He roared angrily and charged toward Valetta and the monster.

Bert annihilated all the monsters blocking his path, intending to finish off his opponents with his sharp teeth and claws, but—

"I had no intention of seriously fighting you at LV6~, [Vanargand]".

Valette even mocked his actions.

She held the magical artifact straight forward, first a burst of light, then an extremely thick metal wall unexpectedly landed in front of Bert.

"!!"

The crossroads were sealed off with a deafening roar, blocked by a "door" made of the hardest metal.

Seeing the indestructible barrier blocking his way, Bert roared in anger:

"You son of a bitch!!"

The astonishing sound of fists pounding on the door spread outwards, but the hardest metal "door" remained unmoved.

The blue tattoo on his face was crooked and deformed, and his teeth were clenched so tightly that they made a squeaking sound.

"Brother Bert!?"

That wasn't all; the screams of the group members brought even worse news.

Turning around, I saw that not only water strider monsters, but also man-eating plants had joined in, forming a large army.

It was probably something Valetta had planned all along. The enemy's trap was driving Bert crazy, and he scanned his surroundings.

Staying in this dead-end alley will truly make them rats in a bag. Facing these countless hordes of monsters head-on, not to mention the danger, the team members will inevitably be in peril.

Bert cried out in grief:

"Run, all of you!"

The group forced their way through the monstrous wave surging from the front and rushed into the remaining escape route.

Bert was also forced to retreat from the scene.

"Commander... Commander... Mr. Bert..."

Lefia watched the whole thing unfold, but was powerless to stop it.

It seemed that the carnivorous plants had finally been defeated, and they no longer crowded into the passage, but the two were still unable to leave. Only Lefia and Philvis, who had separated from the team to serve as the rearguard, were left behind in the passage.