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

"How should I put it... you've gotten stronger. Given your current condition, I can confidently hand over the forward position to you."

"Mr. Perth..."

"—So, try to scare away as many monsters as possible! The tough ones are all yours! Oh, and if any rare parts drop, we'll split them equally!"

Ah, yes.

Seeing Mr. Perth's expression change from a deeply moved fatherly one to a wicked grin as if he'd struck gold, I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

The cleanup of the battle was underway nearby. To prevent any abnormal situations like "enhanced species," the support team quickly collected the "magic stones." Meanwhile, I looked around at the members of this team.

A fierce-looking twin-sword spirit.

An orc axeman with his mouth covered by a piece of cloth.

A dwarf carrying a large shield and a warhammer.

Although I had already witnessed their strength firsthand on my way through the "middle level," but...

(Mr. Perth and his group may have stronger [status] than Welf and his group... but they can't coordinate their actions effectively.)

One of the reasons I acted somewhat reluctantly and took it upon myself to deal with the monster was precisely this.

Hastily assembled teams often lack the flexibility to adapt their offensive and defensive rhythms. Sometimes, they may even hinder each other.

This made me realize again how great and precious Lily or Welf are for cooperating with and supporting me.

(And these monsters... are indeed different from those up to the "middle level".)

While its long-range beam attack, unlike the "Hellhound's" flame-breathing attack, is still troublesome,... like the half-fish leader, the monster is intelligent. Its intelligence is much higher than that of the "Upper Layer" or "Middle Layer".

Even though it's still clumsy, the fact that the monster can lead a group shows that the threat level of the "lower levels" is immeasurable.

I kept this in mind and told myself that I must never underestimate my opponent.

"Alright, time to split into groups again! Group action will only reduce efficiency! Once we spot [Gale], try to chase her into the Great Void! In the worst-case scenario, it's okay to turn back to the 25th floor as soon as we spot her! As long as we hold our positions there, she'll have to come back sooner or later!"

After we bypassed the second large cavern connected by the giant waterfall, which is the waterfall pool on the 26th level, and passed through the cave leading to the next level, Mr. Perth gave instructions.

We made it all the way to the 27th floor and decided to split into groups again to search for [Swift]... to track down Miss Ryu's whereabouts.

"Alright, [White Rabbit's Paws], come with me!"

"Oh, okay."

Mr. Perth, based on his own opinion, made me, at level 4, join his side.

The other adventurers booed in disdain.

Could it be that I've been mistaken for a general store owner?

In short, we formed a team of five and entered a side path. It was one of the several regular routes leading to the 28th floor passageway.

This is a labyrinth made of deep blue crystal with faint stripes. A wide stream of water runs parallel to the land, flowing much faster than the floors above. A faint glow emanating from a single piece of white crystal illuminates the dark space.

Everywhere you look, you see passageways marked by collapses. It's as if a landslide has occurred; mountains of crystal have collapsed, blocking our path. This is perhaps the result of the repeated "explosions" that have occurred until now.

I stayed at the forefront, guarding against the monster alongside Mr. Perth and the others, not daring to slacken my vigilance. We descended several steps or ramps within the multi-layered structure, moving forward through passageways.

"Hey, Bell Craney. Do you remember when we fought that giant (Goliath)?"

"We charged at that big guy with you, you know?"

"It's all up to you, [White Rabbit's Paws]!"

"Ah, okay, please guide me!"

To prevent the atmosphere in the team from becoming too tense, the experienced senior adventurers jokingly talked to me.

There were lively and cheerful orc brothers, and Amazon warriors who were just as capable as any man. I bowed my head in greeting to these approachable people.

Perhaps because I had fought in that "Black Goliath" battle, most of the townspeople were very friendly to me.

Other high-level adventurers also mentioned my battle against the Minotaur (Asterios) in the city (Olario), asking various questions and expressing their admiration for me.

I felt honored to receive praise from the adventurers, and I couldn't help but smile. However... the thought of having to deceive them and get ahead of them made me feel heavy-hearted.

Even if it's for Miss Ryu's sake, it's the same if it's something she has to do.

I think the easiest way to do this is to leave the group when no one is looking, but...

(It's impossible to find it even if you search everywhere...)

All those "explosions" that happened on the way here have now become silent.

Add to that the echoing sound of the massive waterfall from afar, and even the slightest noise would be completely undetectable. Finding Miss Ryu alone on this vast 27th floor would be extremely difficult.

However... it's not like I have no "people" to rely on.

Although I convinced Miss Aisha and the others to come alone, it wasn't like I had no idea what to do.

Okay, although it was entirely thanks to other people's help... no, should I say "thanks to monsters"?

I racked my brains trying to figure out how to get "her" to find me—and just then...

"Perseus!?"

On the right-hand side of the direction the group was heading, an orc peered out and peered into a fork in the passage, then cried out.

Hearing his terrifying tone, we rushed to his side.

"Varied……"

Then when I saw "that," I was speechless.

"What... what's going on...?"

Mr. Perth and the other adventurers all looked up.

That was a "big hole".

It's a vertical tunnel that runs through the area above the floors...

It's not a beautiful vertical cave like in "The Cavern Labyrinth," but rather a cave that seems to have been dug out by "something" forcibly moving forward.

It forms a small waterfall, with water cascading down.

"...I've never seen such an outrageous 'hole' on this floor before..."

Mr. Perth groaned softly.

Even advanced adventurers who had traversed the "Water City" multiple times had never heard of such an unusual change in the dungeon.

In a corner of my mind...

The alarm bell tolled silently.

*

"It's fine to stay, but... I might have to stay home for a while."

Welf placed his hand on his neck and twisted it, making a sound, as if trying to relieve the stiffness.

This is the southernmost cliff on the 25th level.

The cliff they were on was roughly the size of a sizable "cave," large enough to comfortably house dozens of adventurers. Just like Lily's suggestion when they were separated from Bell after encountering the "enhanced species (moss giants)," this space was ample. From the perspective of fighting winged monsters, it was also impeccable.

Several hours had passed since the [Swift Wind] expedition team, including Bell, set off, and the adventurers were all focused on their own tasks.

That being said, it was simply a matter of choosing between shirking their guard duties or taking a break.

"Morale... is very low. Although, to be fair, it's to be expected."

"It's not so much that it's hard to find something to do right now. If we're just hunting monsters to pass the time, and then can't do anything when something big happens, that's not right."

Fate and Cherry Blossoms observed and conversed with the other adventurers.

Those who remained were all people Perth had personally eliminated, and some were still resentful about it. These people didn't believe they were strong enough to defeat [Swift Wind], but they had originally planned to profit from the situation. With gold and silver treasures right in front of them, yet forbidden to touch them, their feelings were understandable. Many were simply idle.

However, the stunning scenery of "Water City" was still new to Lily, Mikoto, Chigusa, and Daphne. They didn't feel bored just gazing at the magnificent view of the giant waterfall that could be seen from the cliff.

"..."

Cassandra was originally one of them, but... tormented by "prophetic dreams," she only prayed for the future and for the boy's safety.

At the same time, from the edge of the cliff, one can look down at the giant waterfall that extends to the 27th level.

"...There's no suspicious activity at the moment, right?"

"If you keep staring at people, you'll get caught."

Hearing Welf say this while he was sitting, Lily, who was distributing her personal rations to everyone, offered her advice without saying a word.

In Welf's eyes, the werewolf man that Bell had mentioned had caught his attention was reflected.

"That werewolf's name is Tucker Slade. Lily inquired a little and it seems that he has indeed been living in Rivera Town for about three years."

"What about your [ability stats]?"

"If there's no false reporting, then it's Lv.2. Although it's said to be with a second-level adventurer, I've heard that it's been to the 'lower level' several times."

Lily answered the questions that Welf and the others asked while tearing apart and eating salted meat fluently.

In other words, this person had a certain degree of credibility among the town's residents. Just as Welf and the others were looking troubled, Aisha, who had been lying with her eyes closed, suddenly sat up.

"I've rested enough... Time to make my move."

"What are you saying!?"

When Aisha said such things out of the blue, almost everyone present complained.

"Spending all that time thinking and doubting is just a waste of time. The simplest and quickest way is to beat him up and make him confess, right?"

The undisputed strongest Lv.4 female hero on the scene arrogantly asserted this, causing Sakura and the others' faces to twitch.

"Wow—Amazonian thinking... If he really is hiding something, even if he does something that's almost like torture, he probably won't confess, right? And it would only make others resentful."

After Daphne complained in this way, she was quite annoyed.

"I really can't do anything with you guys... then you can keep watch for me."

"What...what are you planning to do?"

An ominous premonition returned, making the tone of fate stiffen.

"Is that even a question? I'm going to drag him into the cave and devour him. Just straddle him and let him moan and groan a few times, and his mouth will loosen—"

"Wow! Wow! Wow!?"

Aisha's loose tongue caused Chunji's ear tips to turn red, and she shouted and yelled without any regard for manners.

Seeing her waving her arms in strong opposition, Aisha spit out a disgruntled "Tsk!"

Needless to say, Mikoto, Chigusa, and Cassandra blushed, even Lily and Daphne. The only two men on the group—Welf and Sakura—looked genuinely embarrassed. The onlookers, annoyed by the commotion, turned their attention to the now-noisy "factional alliance."

Haruhime covered her flushed face with her hands, almost crying, and said, "This isn't Ishtar's [Familia]!"

"Hey, let's go over there too!"

Just at this time.

The person they were watching made a move.

"I still can't stand having Perth and the others do everything! For the sake of the dead Aján, I'm going to kill [Gale]!"

"...No matter how agitated you are, it's useless. With our strength, we'll only be repelled, okay? Besides, didn't Perth tell us to just stand here and watch?"

"You call yourself an adventurer?! Don't you have even the slightest bit of guts to take down bounty targets and make a name for yourself?!"

"...I'm going with Tucker. I can't stand sitting here waiting like this."

The man's outcry was met with both opposition and support, resulting in two opposing reactions.

The latter is overwhelmingly less common.

"We don't want to get yelled at by Perth. Go if you want."

"Fine, I'm going anyway!"

As a result, only four people wanted to go to that floor.

Perth's men did not stop him, and said listlessly; the werewolf Tucker parted ways with them on bad terms, and together with the adventurers who agreed with his ideas, headed towards the cliff path that stretched westward.

“…Let’s go.”

Lily stood up and spoke briefly, while Welff and the others nodded quietly to her.

Only Cassandra showed unease, but she couldn't leave everyone alone, so she had to chase after the men heading towards the 25th level of the labyrinth.