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

Noticing the presence of the mermaid, Marie, who was emerging from the water and calling out to him, Reed quickly ran over.

"Mari, so you were here!? Then you should know what happened here—"

"Boy (Bell)! Bell ran down to the next floor!"

Marri interrupted the lizardmen's human language and began to speak tearfully.

"Little Belle!? Marie, have you seen Little Belle!?"

Greatly surprised, Reed quickly and accurately understood Marie's clumsy explanation.

She said that Bell and an elf, who were swallowed by the "Worm Well," were taken to the lower floors, and the "Extinction Apostles" that were born followed them.

This coincides perfectly with the message the old god brought them through Fels—the movement of [Calamity].

After grasping the situation, Reed gasped, then glared fiercely, his throat trembling with overwhelming force.

"Woohoo ...

Hearing the lizardman's shout that reached the heavens, the "heretics" all turned their heads as if they had been electrocuted.

Those shouts were a form of "monster" communication that humans couldn't understand; it could only be transmitted between them.

Upon receiving the message from Reed, the half-human, half-snake and his companions responded with shouts and quickly fled the scene.

"Armed Monster..."

"First they had an internal conflict, then they ran away, what's going on, meow—!? It's all so inexplicable, meow—!"

Chigusa was astonished to see the "heretics" rush out of the cave as soon as they finished hunting the "Vortex Emperor Fish," while Chloe beside her shouted loudly.

"What did Lord Reed say!?"

"He said that Lord Bell and the elven adventurer were taken to the lower floors by a monster!"

Meanwhile, Rhett and the others, disguised as adventurers, stayed with Lily and the others to share information.

"It's said that the 'Apostle' of the labyrinth (Mother)... a powerful monster has appeared and is also chasing after Lord Bell and his companions!"

"...! Which floor are Lord Bell and the others on!?"

"I don't know! But if the god Uranus's observations are correct... it's possible he went to the 'deep layers'."

Rhett's words left Lily speechless.

The worst possible scenario, which she couldn't even imagine, left her mind blank, however...

"Also, Reed has something to tell you all... 'Come on, kid, I'll take you there.'"

"!!"

This "call to action" jolted her awake.

She understood exactly what Reed meant.

"Lady Anya!"

"Meow, meow meow? You look like the little sister (supporter) with white hair...?"

Lily turned her head and shouted as she approached Anya, who was standing frozen in place.

"Lady Anya, what are your levels!?"

"W-What are you talking about, meow!? Never mind that, where exactly is Ryu—"

"Don't ask yet!! Please answer Lily quickly!!"

"Meow!? L, Lv.4 meow!? The cat, Chloe, and Lunova are all Lv. the same as Ryu, meow!"

Anya was terrified by the bloodshot eyes of the little people and answered without thinking.

When Lily heard her answer, her heart started pounding.

"—And so, we journey through the 'Mysterious City of Water'!"

Immediately afterwards.

Lily raised her voice and gave the team these instructions.

"Lord Bell and Lord Ryu have likely been taken to the lower floors by the 'Orochi Well'! Lily, we need to proceed to the safe floor with our current forces, reorganize the search and rescue team, and then head directly to rescue Lord Bell and the others!"

"Varied……!"

Hearing Lily's rapid-fire speech, Perth and the others were speechless, but...

"No dissenting opinions accepted!!"

The junior commander used tyrannical words to forcefully make a decision.

(The combat power of the "Abundant Mistresses," whose abilities were originally unknown, is that Lady Anya and the others are only Lv.4! Lady Tsubaki, the leader of the great forging faction (Hephaestus Familia), is only Lv.5! With the help of the "Heretics," it is not impossible to enter the floors below the 28th floor...!)

Lily hastily sketched out the combat strength of Anya and the others on a mental map, secretly reviewing the feasibility of the "operation".

Lily correctly understood the unspoken meaning behind Reed's "message".

The "Heretics" intentionally went to rescue Bell with Lily and the others. They likely planned to maintain a distance from Lily and the others, exchanging information through shouts from Rhett and the others while simultaneously tracking Bell's whereabouts. Doing so would essentially mean traveling with the "Heretics'" expedition.

Led by Reed, the lizardman with an impressive Lv.5 potential, and Gross, the "Heretics" are formidable fighters. If Tsubaki and the others are added, their fighting strength is more than sufficient to break through to the "Lower Level." Lily and the others, at Lv.1 or Lv.2, can simply focus on providing support.

This was originally a sudden "operation," and she was well aware of its flaws.

But is it possible to "achieve" this?

-- Possibly.

No, that's not right, it must be achieved!

Only in this way can we defeat the dungeon and rescue the boys.

"You mean we should follow the perforation marks (cave) of the 'Great Serpent Well'? No, to be honest, no one can prove that [White Rabbit's Foot] and the others were taken away, nor can they guarantee that they are still alive..."

"Let's go, Daphne!! Let's go rescue Mr. Bell and the others!"

"...Oh, alright! Fine, I'll play along! Things have come to this point, there's no point in reasoning with them!"

Daphne questioned Lily's strategy, but seeing Cassandra's enthusiasm, she had no choice but to give up and agree.

"I...I have no obligation to keep you company until the end...!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're a precious Level 3! You have to work yourself to death!"

"Stop joking, okay?!"

Aisha, with a fierce smile on her face, completely blocked Perth's escape route, who was only concerned with his own interests.

"I don't really understand cats... Anyway, as long as Ryu is on a lower floor, the cat will meow!"

"Isn't it supposed to get more dangerous the deeper you go in the dungeon? This is really tiring—"

"It would be such a waste if I didn't get the reward for the adventurer's quest, meow... even though cats aren't adventurers."

"Hahahaha! Since things have come to this, let's live and die together!"

Anya, Lunova, and Chloe reaffirm their determination to save their colleague (Ryu), and Tsubaki lets out a laugh that sweeps away her pessimistic thoughts.

"...Those armed monsters...seem to have saved us..."

"And those who conceal their true identities with robes and resemble adventurers... You'll have to explain that later, Blacksmith."

"That's hard to say. I don't know if I can explain it clearly."

During a battle in the labyrinthine town (Daedalus), Chigusa and Sakura witnessed a "dragon girl" saving a child, but they didn't voice their questions for now; Welf smiled at them nonchalantly.

"Let's go, Haruhime! Let's go save Bell!"

"Yes, Lady Winnie!"

Finally, Chun Ji firmly and resolutely grasped the dragon girl's outstretched hand.

Seeing the high morale and the adventurers' determined eyes, Lily's small chest burst with intense emotion.

(It works...! With this squad, we can even get through the "Deep Layer"!!)

So, there's only one question left—

"Now it's a race against time. The key is to find Lord Bell while he's still safe and sound!"

"...!"

"Moving down the lower floors is time-consuming no matter what. Reaching the 'deeper levels' could even take a day or two…!"

Hearing Rhett's murmur beside her, Lily's throat made a gurgling sound.

Adventurers without decent equipment have limited time to operate below the "lower levels." Every second counts; they must rescue Bell and the others as quickly as possible.

Anxiety, anxiety, and fear arose in her heart. But Lily first waved it away, issuing a command.

"Set off!"

The adventurers began to run.

They crossed the cave and ran onto the regular route leading to the next level.

The dungeon has no means to stop them.

The shouts of the heretical monsters, as if welcoming their courageous advance, resounded loudly.

Volume 14, Chapter 9: Hello, Deeper Level

"The deeper levels? ...That must be a terrifying place, right?"

I asked that before.

I asked the unattainable flower on the high mountain.

I asked her, who was filled with longing.

Ask her what the view is like from the high place where the swordsman, who bears the title of first-class adventurer, stands.

How thrilling is the stage where she embarks on her adventure?

I once asked this question out of curiosity, or perhaps because I just wanted to get a little closer to her.

"When I got there, it was the first time I felt that monsters... and dungeons, were terrifying."

On the city wall surrounded by blue sky.

With unfathomable golden eyes.

With the eyes of an adventurer whose life had been repeatedly threatened, she spoke.

"No matter how I explain it, you probably won't understand... but once you go, you'll understand."

She told me this with absolute certainty.

"If... a very, very long time from now, you are able to go there, then—"

At that time...

What kind of advice did she give me?

Now, no matter what I do, I just can't remember.

○

I can hear tinnitus.

You can hear the piercing cries of a child, as if having a nightmare.

One can hear the screams of reason refusing to acknowledge the current situation.

You can hear the instinctive screams that invade the depths of your brain.

"The 'deep layer'..."

The whispers that escaped from his lips melted and disappeared into the darkness.

Silence filled the ears.

My heart was pounding all over my body.

The labyrinth's dim darkness clung to us tightly.

A strange, murky white wall; a ceiling whose height is indiscernible to the naked eye; an excessively large labyrinthine structure that is impossible for existing buildings.

Current location: 37th floor.

This is the abyss of the dungeons that all adventurers fear – the "Deep Layer".