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

Perth was lost in thought, glancing around at Lily and the others.

The domineering and tyrannical demeanor of the former innkeeper is nowhere to be found in him today.

It was as if she had returned to reality from a nightmare, uttering a series of sleep-talking words.

"Are you alone!? Where are the rest of the expedition team?!"

Aisha sensed something was very wrong and pressed the man who had returned from the 27th floor for answers.

With a somber expression he would never normally show, Perth managed to speak in a low voice:

"...I'm the only one left. Everyone else...everyone's dead."

"what?"

"What are you saying...? You think! You think there were originally many high-level adventurers in the team!?"

"How could the entire army be wiped out?!"

"You mean they were all killed by [Gale] instead!?"

Starting with Chigusa's soft murmur, Daphne, Sakura, and Aisha bombarded her with questions.

However, even though Daphne and the others verbally acknowledged that it was impossible, their faces stiffened with doubt.

A few hours earlier, Aisha and the others had also seen the 27th floor, the "Waterfall Pool," which was decorated with bright red colors.

I've seen the lower reaches of the River Styx, which can turn massive watercourses "blood red".

"It's an 'abnormal situation'... A new type of monster I've never even seen before, it wiped out all my underlings..."

"...[A massive calamity]."

Seeing Perth become gloomy and sinister as if he had encountered some kind of evil spirit, Cassandra's face turned pale.

Only she understood that the "prophecy" of calamity had come.

"Where is Lord Bell!?"

Then, Lily let out a piercing scream.

"Lord Bell, how is he!?"

"【White Rabbit's Foot】was also taken down...one arm was knocked off, the neck bone was...it must be..."

「!?」

"【Swift Wind】also... that elf actually protected me, and she too... it's all over! Everyone was killed! They were all wiped out by that monster!!"

Upon hearing Perth's description of the tragedy, Lily's shoulders jolted as if she had been slashed with a sword.

As for Perth, he seemed to gradually regain his emotions and strengthen his tone during the description.

It was as if they had given up on themselves, as if they were in utter despair.

"You're lying to me...you're lying to me, you're lying to me, you're lying to me! Lord Bell couldn't possibly be dead! He couldn't possibly have left Lily's side!!"

"Calm down, Riko!"

Seeing Lily grab Perth's clothes as if she was about to hit him, Welf pulled her away.

And it's impossible for him to remain calm and composed.

The complete annihilation of the high-level adventurers, coupled with the death of the boy, created a sudden and devastating blow that became a shackle binding the team's movements.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, except for Lily's constant cries.

"Roar!!"

“──!?”

But the monster could not possibly understand the feelings of the girl and the others.

While the team was arguing, oblivious to the situation, a violent roar erupted.

A horde of monsters appeared around the corner of the passage and was about to close in on them.

“Run!!”

Only Aisha cried out in extreme urgency.

But all the adventurers overcame their mental shock and took action.

They succumbed to their survival instinct, screaming for help, and once again embarked on the path of resisting death.

"Woohoo ...

The monster's roar sounded like a vicious mockery to the adventurers.

There was no way to retreat, and the remaining options for moving forward offered no hope.

The floor we were about to go to was littered with the countless corpses of our fellow travelers.

Having escaped the coffin and overcome despair, the adventurers are about to face a horrific feast.

The monsters relentlessly pursued them, their forms shifting with each tremor, their bodies wreathed in phantoms, as they murmured, "Give up."

Under the phosphorescence, the many departed alien figures seemed to dance with ecstatic joy.

They all want to break the adventurers' fragile hearts.

"That damn bastard!!"

Seeing that a large number of monsters were finally emerging ahead, Welf raised his last remaining "magic sword" and swept it out.

The raging fire, capable of burning even the waterfront buildings to ashes, roared out and consumed the entire group of monsters along with their dying screams.

Then, a cracking sound was heard.

"...!!"

The last "Crozo's Demon Sword" cracked.

Seeing the short sword-shaped "Demon Sword" about to self-destruct, Welf's face turned anxious. Sakura and the others also showed signs of distress. The moment they lost this last "Demon Sword," the team would truly crumble.

Before long, the group arrived at a junction where multiple passageways intersected.

First, they heard fierce barking, then a large group of monsters appeared from all directions.

Just when Lily and her friends were facing a dead end, and they were at their wits' end...

"Little one, take out the 'Strong Stink Bag'!!"

"Huh...!? You mean the 'Strong Stink Bag'!? But its effect is only on water monsters...!"

"It's not about fuming their noses, it's about their 'eyes'!"

"!"

Lily understood Aisha's intention and put her hand into the side pocket of her backpack.

She took out five stinky bags and threw all the "strong stinky bags" she had brought to the dungeon into every passageway where monsters were surging.

"Waaaaah!?"

Aside from a few individuals with a keen sense of smell struggling in agony, most of the monsters cried out in confusion upon seeing the emerging green particles—a thick, smoky "smokescreen." A strange, pollen-like stench filled the intersection, concealing the adventurers' figures.

Unable to slow down completely, the monsters plunged into the intersection, resulting in a series of collisions. They even forgot about the vanished adventurers and began furiously killing each other.

Aisha's purpose was not to keep the monster away with the "strong stench bag," but to break the bag and cause a dense, foul-smelling fog as a "smokescreen."

"Now's the time!!"

Just before the stench erupted, Aisha and the others had already turned and rushed into a passage free of monsters. They desperately escaped the stench of the "Strong Stink Bag," which was also harmful to humans, and left the chaotic intersection where the monsters had fallen.

The group had to continue their desperate escape, even if it meant deviating from the proper route.

After Lily and the others managed to create some distance between themselves and the monsters, they ran into a spacious area.

"...!! Dead end..."

It was a cave with no exit.

There was no water flowing in the cave, which was approximately thirty meters long on each side. It had likely collapsed under the impact of the building's collapse, leaving only the ruins of a crystal field. There was only one entrance and exit, with nowhere to escape.

"quick……"

Let's get out of here quickly.

The words that everyone knew they had to say were prevented from being uttered by the sound of disordered breathing.

The battle with the floor master, coupled with the threats from monsters along the way, left Lily and the others desperately needing rest. They absolutely needed time to catch their breath.

Most importantly, the clear possibility that "Bell is dead" means that the body and will are about to lose their harmony.

(We haven't escaped our desperate situation yet... escaped [destruction]. Is the "prophecy" still ongoing? Or have we already transcended the "prophecy"? Did I make the wrong choice?)

Cassandra also wandered aimlessly in the labyrinth without answers.

Is she now following the trajectory of the "premonitory dream," or has she inadvertently deviated from the content of the "prophecy"? A series of bleak thoughts arose, robbing her of the strength to look up and move forward.

Everyone was unable to take action or move.

"--Perse, accurately describe what you've observed."

Just as the team paused for a moment, as if in deep thought, Aisha broke the silence.

"You said a monster attacked Bell Craney, and that whole thing... I'm not going to be pessimistic; I just want you to state the facts."

"...[White Rabbit's Foot] had one arm broken and was hit on the neck. There's no mistake, it was definitely a fatal wound. However, I also saw [Swift Wind] use healing magic. It's possible... he's still breathing."

"...!"

Faced with Aisha's sharp gaze, Perth truthfully recounted what he had witnessed.

Upon hearing this explanation, Lily and the others swayed, their eyes shining.

Seeing the changes in everyone, Cassandra was also startled.

"You all heard that, right? The strategy remains unchanged: just keep walking until we reach the safe floor. No matter what happens along the way, whether we're on the verge of death or not, we must rescue Bell Craney. I'll make him help us end this do-or-die mission, even if it kills me."

"...Hey!? Didn't I say there's a terrifying monster on the 27th floor?!"

"Whatever, there's no turning back now."

"I...I'm not going! I don't want to go to the place where that monster appears, to step into that kind of hell!"

Faced with the howling and screaming Perth, Aisha grabbed his combat uniform by the collar and threatened him:

"If you feel even the slightest bit guilty towards Bell Craney, or towards [Hurricane]... then show some manliness."

The female warrior's words were calm yet heavy.

Perth was stunned at first, then his eyes twitched as he looked down at his feet.

He didn't nod, but he didn't offer any further rebuttal either.

(So ​​strong... She's really strong. It's not just the power supported by her ability points, but her "mental strength"... Even in this situation, she didn't give up on surviving.)

Cassandra gazed at the dark-haired shrew, covered in blood and sweat, yet still beautiful.

Aisha's series of words and actions not only silenced Perth's rebuttal but also unified the will of the entire squad. The fact that the shadow of despair was no longer visible on Lily and the others' faces was the best evidence of this. Aisha had rekindled their fighting spirit, which had been nearly crushed by the news of the boy's death.

Neither Lily, who plays the role of commander, nor Daphne could do that.

Only Aisha, who was stronger than everyone else present and had experienced more battles than anyone else, could have done it.

At the same time, her strong attitude became a role model for Cassandra.

"...If we're going to take action, we need to turn back sooner rather than later."

Daphne spoke slowly.

It's like telling everyone the reality with heavy lips.

"Although we've escaped those monsters, the path from there to this cave is practically one-way. If we don't leave soon, the monsters will crush us..."

But—and then what?

What happens after you get past the horde of monsters?

How many more battles await them before they reach the distant 27th floor?

Can the current team get past that hurdle?

Unspoken questions swirled between the team members. Even Daphne, who had spoken, had no answer.

Even though they successfully unified their will, the situation did not improve in the slightest.