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

Emerging from the entanglement of a boy's shattered life is the clear and unmistakable word "despair."

When Ais gave the answer, her gaze didn't waver even slightly.

His gaze pierced straight through Bell's ashen face.

Ais was puzzled by Bell's appearance. She found it utterly unbelievable.

So, she asked back with her eyes:

—Aren't you one?

Bell's body trembled from the impact.

His ever-changing expressions were as if he were replaying his memories like a revolving lantern, or recalling the reasons for the world he lived in.

The boy stood frozen between Ais and "something," his face etched with a deeper sense of despair and contradiction.

In contrast, Ais was no longer confused.

She stared back at Bell, as if trying to find out his true feelings.

only……

Yes, but it seems there's a certain...

She seemed to be hallucinating, hearing what sounded like shattering glass... the sound of parting ways with the boy.

"Me—"

Sweat dripped from Bell's delicate chin.

Just as he was about to open his stiff mouth—the next instant…

Clang—, clang—!

The bells of the clock tower rang out loudly, breaking the silence between the two.

""!?"

Ais and Belle looked up together, gazing at the sky.

This is not the sound of a clock striking noon.

The bells tolled more and more fiercely, as if they had lost their composure. Who would believe that this was the sound of a peaceful daily life? The sound from the air stole all sound from the city, sending countless birds fluttering away.

The sound did not originate from the east clock tower where the time is usually announced, but from the northwest.

"This direction leads to the guild headquarters... or perhaps the City Alarm?"

Ais's murmur startled Bell.

That's the clock tower that belongs to the guild headquarters.

The purpose of ringing this bell is to issue an alarm throughout the city—announcing the arrival of an "emergency."

Ais quietly opened her eyes wide.

*

"The guild's clock tower!?"

same moment.

Lefia, walking down the street, stopped in her tracks along with the crowd around her, her pointed elf ears perked up.

"—Emergency alert! Emergency alert!! All [Families] belonging to Orario, please heed the Guild's instructions!"

Then, the large megaphone made of magic stone was activated.

As the echoes of bells reverberated through the sky, loudspeakers broadcast the sounds of turmoil.

The guild will be issuing a mandatory mission!

"Raul!"

"A mandatory mission...? The entire [Family] has to participate!?"

The anxious tone, even among broadcasters, hinted at impending major changes.

Anachitty, Raul, and other members of the Loki Familia who were out walking in the street all stood frozen in place.

"The 18th floor, Rivera, has been destroyed by an armed monster!! And a large-scale movement of the monster has been confirmed!!"

The guild staff's announcement turned into a desperate scream informing the adventurers that the situation was dire.

"It said armed monsters?"

"Berbert Roca, it said the monster is moving on a massive scale, isn't that terrible? What if the Tower of Babel is breached...!?"

"Tsk... what's going on now?!"

Bert, arriving at the ruins of the Fengyue Street reconstruction area, was accompanied by a persistent Amazonian girl, and clicked his tongue.

"The guild will quickly assemble an adventurer party to defeat the monster—wait, how... I... I understand."

The situation was changing every second, creating chaos.

"Is the voice on the loudspeaker panicking?"

"I don't know what's wrong?"

Tiony and Tiona, who had jumped onto the high platform, looked around at the turbulent city.

"Citizens and all adventurers are forbidden from invading the dungeon!! All [Familia] are requested to wait at headquarters for further instructions from the guild!! Repeating this—"

Then the voice became extremely urgent again, a desperate cry for help that seemed to indicate an imminent crisis, flying through the air.

"Change instructions, right?"

"Is it because the 'guilds' are in complete disarray and unable to reach a unified strategy, or...?"

"Or maybe some big shot got involved."

Riveria, Grace, and Loki opened the mansion windows and listened intently, having already shifted their focus to investigating the situation.

"Well, will this be the 'opening horn' for the collapse of the labyrinth city (Orario), or the 'god' that guides us...? Which one is it?"

Finally, the leader of the Lilliputians…

He squinted his blue eyes as he listened to the sounds of daily life crumbling.

*

Orario has been transformed into a turbulent city.

The destruction of Rivera Town, coupled with the massive movement of hordes of monsters.

This situation is spiraling towards its worst, threatening to shatter the labyrinth city's proud myth of security—leading to a monstrous "surface invasion." Panic grips the city, centered around astute individuals who recognize the danger or astute businessmen with a keen "sense" for danger.

On the avenues, streets, and squares, the city residents were staging an increasingly chaotic scene. In some areas, residents were even screaming in terror, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. Lefia, Bert, Tiona, and Tione, who happened to be on the street, witnessed this urban landscape where daily life had been shattered.

The guild headquarters was shrouded in an atmosphere of utter chaos.

The residents of Rivera, who had fled from the 18th floor, crowded into the guild, their incoherent roars echoing throughout. According to them, a group of "armed monsters" of various races attacked Rivera from the lower floors, passing through the central tree and advancing in a straight line, scattering the high-ranking adventurers present and quickly capturing the stronghold in the labyrinth.

If their intelligence is accurate, then the "armed monsters" are a "subspecies" possessing potential abilities unmatched by ordinary monsters. The horrific injuries sustained by the adventurers forced the guild staff, their faces ashen, to confront reality.

The entrance to the guild headquarters—the Pantheon—was packed with adventurers and ordinary citizens demanding explanations, making the scene resemble a living hell. Ais, who had come directly to the guild headquarters with the boy (Bell), personally experienced this frantic situation.

Only the gods were the only race that did not panic or lose their composure in this situation.

Very few of them were worried about this matter, held a sense of crisis, or were anxious. Most of them were unceremoniously excited and held great expectations for the inevitable "stimulus".

In response to this unprecedented situation, the guild immediately issued a mandatory mission order.

They decided to send only the Ganesha Familia as the expeditionary force to the 18th floor.

The other [family members] received a standby order.

"What do you mean by telling us to standby!?"

Bert's rough roars echoed in the reception room of the "Twilight Pavilion".

Heeding the warning from the management organization (guild), the main members of the Loki Familia, who had temporarily returned to their base, gathered there.

The lower-ranking members, under the command of the second-tier soldiers Alicia or Kos, went into the streets to quell the chaos among the general populace. They were currently cooperating and assisting other [Familia].

"It would be much faster if we went and took care of those monsters ourselves!! Why bother having those Ganesha guys do it!"

"Bert, you're so noisy!!... But seriously, why are you making us wait? The broadcast alarm seems a bit confused too."

Beside Bert, who was yelling and screaming in a fit of rage, Tiona frowned.

Her expression also revealed her bewilderment at the unprecedented situation in the city.

"To be honest, this isn't the first time a town (Rivera) has been destroyed. How did it escalate to this extent?"

"Indeed, it feels like the problem has escalated too much... They've even issued mandatory missions affecting the entire city. Armed monsters... are they really that terrifying?"

"I saw an announcement on the guild's notice board saying they were carrying adventurers' weapons..."

Ais interrupts and joins in the conversation between Tiona and Tione.

Sightings of the "Armed Monster" had been circulating among adventurers for some time, but were generally considered unreliable. However, no one expected the "Armed Monster" to be so threatening as to cause such a commotion—powerful enough to almost invade the surface—causing Ais and her companions great concern.

"Those monsters are unusual; they are not equipped with natural weapons, but rather with weapons used by adventurers. It is reasonable to regard them as special monsters. They are also very likely 'enhanced species,' and in large numbers."

"Shouldn't we be the ones to go?"

"Calm down, Bert. Calling it 'normal' might be a bit strange, but I don't think this is just an ordinary anomaly... well, there's definitely something fishy going on."

Bert sharply rebuked Riveria, who stood by the wall explaining her views, while Grace offered gentle advice. However, the dwarf himself frowned at the "attempt" of someone lurking in the situation.

Even under these circumstances, the Guild has not disclosed all information to its members.

Of course, it could also be because they haven't gathered accurate information or can't predict the situation, but I always feel they are being too pessimistic.

Yes, it's almost like...

"...It feels like they're trying to 'hide' something."

Grace muttered to herself.

"Okay, whatever."

Finn sat down in a chair and interrupted the group members' discussion.

"Things won't end like this, I'm sure of it... though it's just a gut feeling."

He licked his thumb as he asserted with absolute certainty.

A smile even appeared on his face.

"Hmm, I don't really like staying out of things, but... I agree with Finn's opinion."

Loki sat rudely on the table, slightly opening his narrow, crimson eyes to express his opinion.

"I think this will cause a lot of trouble for a long time. And it will shake the entire Orario."

The "declaration" of the gods brought silence into the room in an instant.

Everyone was watching the God's face, which was showing a slight upturn of his lips.

The one who broke the silence was Lefia, who had remained silent until now.

"Excuse me... is it possible that this situation is related to the remnants of the dark faction...?"

"Isn't it a bit too hasty to describe everything at once?"

"But Angie, what Lefia said isn't entirely impossible... Things have escalated so much, it might also be a strategy set up by the enemy..."

It began with the timidly raised hand of the elf girl, followed by the opinions of Annaquite, Raul, and others at the same table.

Just then, a light "bang!" was heard.

Tiona clenched her fist into her palm.

"Ah, I get it—! It's because the dark faction did it, that's why the 'guild' can't disclose the information! If they say the dark faction has reappeared, everyone in the city will be scared!"

"Ugh, I'm not letting you talk, you stupid Amazon."

"Why?!"

"Use your brain a little. If the guild has information indicating that this was the work of the dark faction, it wouldn't make sense for them not to share the information with us or the Freya Familia."

"To deal with the dark factions, it would be better to join forces with a powerful [Familia]..."

"what……"