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

The impact and the hot air from the explosion rushed towards the corner where we were hiding.

Even the overlapping screams of the monsters were drowned out.

When the heatwave finally subsided, I quietly peeked out from around the corner... In the distance where the thick smoke had dissipated, there was a shattered passage and the corpses of the monsters that had been blown to pieces.

"...Miss Ryu, what was that just now...?"

"Yes, it was the 'Fire Stone' that was taken from that dwarf."

Trembling with fear at the stench of burnt meat, I timidly turned to ask, and Miss Liu admitted it with a crooked expression.

That was when I first met her on the 27th floor.

Miss Ryu was stealing "something" from the dwarf who had lost his fighting ability—an accomplice of a beast tamer named Jalluo.

That's the "Flame Stone" used to destroy the building, which is the bomb we just saw.

"I never expected that the 'Flame Stone' we stole from Jaluo and the others would actually save our lives..."

How ironic. Only now did Miss Ryu not hide her disgust, speaking with disdain.

Although she herself said that she had to resort to any means necessary and that she had no other choice, her feelings seemed to be very complicated.

In short... that explosion just now seems to have interrupted the attack.

Perhaps all the monsters in the vicinity have been wiped out, for silence has descended upon the passage.

"...How many 'Flame Stones' are left?"

"Five left."

In other words, if we use it five more times, we will never be able to break free of the enemy's encirclement...

I fell silent.

This also reveals my feelings of powerlessness.

"Mr. Crannie, please give me a moment. I need to start drawing the map now."

"OK……"

"Please be responsible for guarding the surrounding area."

After carefully observing her surroundings, Miss Liu sat down in the middle of the passageway, avoiding the wall, and took out a map.

She attached a quill—a magical item called a "blood feather" that could use blood instead of ink—to her wound to absorb the blood, and then began recording the subsequent map route. We were repeatedly chased in battles, deviating significantly from the maze route recorded on the map. Miss Ryu seemed to remember the complicated path we had taken, and her pen moved swiftly.

"You can even draw maps..."

"They only know the basics, far inferior to professional thieves or mapmakers."

What I can't do, a level 2 elven adventurer can do with ease.

...I've become too dependent on Miss Ryu.

Not only did he fail to protect her, he also continued to receive her help.

Honestly, if it weren't for her, I don't know what would have become of me.

Looking at the correctly drawn red line, I slumped to the ground with a thud.

They no longer have the energy to save face.

This series of battles alone has exhausted all my recovered strength.

With my current state, is there any way I can continue exploring the "deeper"...?

"Mr. Crannie, you're making too many unnecessary movements. You need to be more efficient."

"...!"

As Ms. Liu continued drawing, she pointed out my mistakes.

When I saw her calmly telling me while still looking at the map without raising her head, my head suddenly felt hot.

Because I felt so useless, and I felt so sorry.

"...I know, I understand! But I just can't do it!"

I've even forgotten what the current situation is, I shouted.

"This can't go on! But the monster is so powerful and fast! The more anxious I get, the worse I do!"

I covered half my face with my right hand, wallowing in frustration and disappointment.

Miss Liu silently raised her face.

"If this continues...!"

Neither myself nor Miss Ryu can be protected...!

"…………sorry."

Finally, what came out of his mouth was a pathetic, low-pitched apology.

I groaned dejectedly.

Just as bitterness welled up between my brows and my gaze fell upon the ground… Miss Ryu opened her lips and said:

"Mr. Craney, you certainly don't seem like an adventurer."

What she said to me in a flat, unremarkable tone was something that seemed out of place.

“Eh…?”

"You've done very well. For you, the 'deep (here)' is a series of 'unknowns'... It's perfectly reasonable to panic or not do well. Even if you reach Lv.4 and are completely transformed in mind and body, it will still be the same."

"...!"

"If it were an ordinary adventurer, they would have yelled at me and told me not to force myself on them."

Miss Liu neither blamed me nor was disappointed; she calmly told me.

Tell me what she's thinking right now, without any embellishment.

"You blame yourself too much. That's why you don't seem like an adventurer."

"what……"

"On the other hand, if you could have just a little more confidence... you could become an even more formidable adventurer."

As Miss Liu finished speaking, her lips curved slightly.

Her smile, still clearly visible even in the dim light, held my gaze captive.

She put down her quill, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and firmly grasped my little finger.

"You must observe the enemy's movements carefully and deduce their actions. The monsters in the 'Deep' are highly intelligent, so a more sophisticated 'tactic' approach than that of previous monsters should be feasible."

"……yes."

"You have a bad habit: when you get anxious, your right arm tends to float upwards. You need to relax your shoulder muscles and aim at the 'magic stone'."

"……yes."

"We need to rely more on me, who's playing as a guard. Right now, we're teammates."

"……yes!"

Use your index finger and thumb to wrap around the other person's little finger. I don't know if this is a custom among elves.

My mood calmed down, and Miss Ryu's words flowed smoothly into my mind.

The warmth transmitted through my little finger made my heart transparent.

"Besides targeting the 'Magic Stone,' do you remember anything else I said?"

"...We must make use of the terrain."

"That's right." Miss Liu nodded, staring intently into my eyes.

"Don't forget what I just said, and fight again. You can do it."

Even under these circumstances, Miss Ryu's words still had a magical quality.

She brought to my attention a lot and reminded me of many things.

I should re-examine myself.

Encountering a "heretic" and losing to a "formidable rival (that person)," perhaps I have changed.

But that by no means means I've become capable of "standing on my own."

No matter how much I grow, no matter how much my stats or level increase, I've only been an adventurer for five months, so I'm still a novice. I'm not an all-powerful adventurer.

I'm not mature enough yet.

But conversely, it means I can continue to become stronger.

From this moment on, there is unlimited room for growth.

(She really is amazing...)

The same applies when facing the corpses of adventurers.

She removed my anxiety and guided me.

Therefore, guided by her, I must become stronger so that the "deep" cannot harm her.

"...I always feel that Miss Ryu is like my mentor (teacher)."

It took me a moment to realize that I had unintentionally uttered a thought.

Although I, who apprenticed under Miss Ais, was once pointed out by a Level 1 adventurer that my fighting style was very similar to hers...

But perhaps Miss Ryu and I once had the chance to establish such a relationship, which made me smile involuntarily.

"...That possibility might also exist."

Miss Liu, who was slightly taken aback, also smiled at me.

The situation hasn't improved. Even so, we can still laugh together.

"Mr. Crannie, prepare your reply."

after a little while.

Miss Liu switched her focus, adopting her usual flawless expression.

I nodded. Even though the confusion in my heart had been swept away, my current physical strength was still not enough to withstand the monsters' fierce attacks.

While keeping an eye on her surroundings, Miss Liu carefully put away the completed map and took out something else instead.

Inside the test tube, the gaudy, garish purple solution rippled eerily.

"Drink it."

“…………”

This is a rare elixir I obtained from a fellow practitioner; I don't know how old it is.

She held the completely discolored medicine up to my face without a smile, which made me break out in a cold sweat.

Is it really absolutely necessary to drink it...? Just as I was thinking this to myself—

"Now is not the time to be picky, drink it."

She seemed to read my mind and told me without any hesitation.

Honestly, even her strict and serious personality is just like that of a cold-hearted mentor (teacher)...

"Even if the elixir smells bad, you can still drink it."

"Miss Ryu!..."

"The effect won't disappear... I think."

"Miss Ryu~!?"

Hearing her blurt out those terrifying words, I couldn't help but scream again.

But no matter how terrible it is, she has no choice but to drink it, because Miss Ryu's "healing magic" must be saved for an emergency. Besides, many adventurers who get lost in dungeons or ruins must have overcome the hurdle of eating rotten food or items...!

My face twitched as I tilted my head back and drank the "rotten elixir".

"Gurgle...!?"

The pungent, foul stench that numbed my mouth made me scream.