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

(Unable to manipulate... the enemy's actions...!!)

The biggest problem is that the "tactics" are not working smoothly.

Even though Bell tried to limit the battlefield by creating "traps," the coordinated actions of the "earth-born" monsters hindered him. Each monster used swords or shields, spears or axes, employing tactics appropriate to their weapons. Bell would block with his shield when he moved forward, and thrust with his spear when he retreated. Even Bell, who had explored from the "upper level" to the "lower level," had never seen monsters with such sophisticated coordinated movements. Furthermore, the fact that the battle took place in a wide passageway, lacking any usable terrain, was a major flaw.

He cannot "use his wisdom and strategize" at will.

"Ugh...!?"

"Miss Ryu!?"

The "Earthlings" also bared their fangs at Ryu, who was fighting back-to-back with Bell.

Her mobility was limited, putting her in a more dangerous situation than Bell's. Although she skillfully used "Iaijutsu" to barely repel the attacks, the blows she couldn't completely dodge still cut her fair skin.

"!—[Flame and Lightning]!"

Unable to withstand the onslaught, Bell finally decided to use "magic".

With precious mental energy depleted, [Flame Lightning] roared out.

The operational plan was to blow up one of the enemy positions and escape the encirclement first.

Given that the option to conserve mental energy occasionally appears, deciding to use magic is a very courageous act; in fact, even Ryu is confident that it is a fairly accurate judgment.

If it weren't for "that kind of monster" mixed in with the hordes of enemies.

"Varied……!?"

In the blind spot, a black rock slowly emerged from behind the other monsters, and then, just before the target was about to be bombarded, the power of the Flame Lightning was noticeably reduced.

Its power is so low that it is only comparable to that of artillery shells or bullets.

"Oh no—it's the Obsidian Soldier!?"

Even though its shape was distorted, the body emitted a jet-black luster like that of a gemstone. The part that corresponded to the head, like a single eye, contained an eerie purple light.

"Obsidian Soldier". A rock-type monster with an obsidian body.

Its movements are sluggish and heavy compared to warrior-type monsters, with only its defense being relatively strong. Among the monsters appearing on the 37th floor, this type of monster is generally considered to have low combat ability, and its characteristic is—a weakening of "magic power".

The body made of obsidian can neutralize magic like an "exorcising stone," making it a valuable and excellent material for armor (dropped item).

Seeing that the magic couldn't kill the horde of monsters, at most only making them retreat, Ryu's eyes twitched and Bell's expression stiffened.

It was as if the dungeon was playing tricks on them in coordination with Bell's "growth." The moment they realized they couldn't defeat them by force, they started resorting to underhanded methods.

The labyrinth reveals an abyss that no adventurer can contend with.

"Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo ooh ooh ooh!"

That's not all; it's like kicking someone when they're down.

A new monster has appeared.

"Peruda!?"

Ryu let out a sound that was almost a scream.

The monster had a long, slender body like a snake, but it also had four legs.

Its skin is a disgusting dark green, and its back is covered with countless sharp spines like those of a hedgehog. At first glance, it looks like a lizard, but its species is recognized as "dragon".

("Peruda"? Didn't Miss Ryu mention that...!?)

She gave an example of a race that was just as dangerous as the "Earthlings" on the 37th floor.

Its ability is—"highly poisonous".

"Don't get hit by those needles!!"

Ryu's loudly proclaimed warning proved the monster's threatening nature.

Before Bell's wide-eyed gaze, three "Peruda" appeared simultaneously, vibrating as if accumulating power, and shot out all at once with the countless sharp needles covering their backs.

「!?」

Faced with a barrage of sharp needles, Bell pulled Ryu into his arms.

Then he rushed toward the "earthling" who was holding a shield that looked like a kite.

Ignoring the swords tearing through their skin, the two hid behind large shields for refuge.

In the blink of an eye, thud! The sharp needle pierced the surface of the shield.

As for the surrounding area, deafening and shrill screams erupted.

"Gahh ...

"Guaah! Guaah--!?"

They were lizardmen or cunning wolves, their bodies pierced by poisoned needles. Attacked by their own kind (monsters), the lizardmen collapsed instantly, their skin blackening, convulsing, and bleeding from all seven orifices, even the leaking blood staining a murky black. Witnessing this scene, Bell's face turned deathly pale.

"Peruda's" poison needles can even easily break through the "abnormal resistance" of high-level adventurers.

It's incredibly destructive; even a mere graze from the needle can cause excruciating pain and coughing up blood. Treating this toxin requires high-level antidote magic or a suitable antidote. Lacking essential equipment, Bell and his companions are essentially doomed if they're affected.

“Wu!?”

Faced with the continuous rain of poison needles, Ryu used his katana to swiftly sever the "earthling's" arm, and Bell snatched the large shield from its grasp.

The rapid-fire barrage of needles threw the monster encirclement into chaos. Bell and Ryu could only raise their shields and cower behind them. Only the "Obsidian Soldiers" and "Earthlings" remained able to move normally despite being bathed in the poisonous needle rain. The dwindling number of monsters, their joints or dark eye sockets pierced by the needles, made it impossible for them to approach Bell and his companions.

Thump thump thump thump! The shield, sprouting countless sharp needles, vibrated.

Bel, who was close to Ryu, gritted his teeth and endured the storm of poison needles.

"Kissing!"

Finally, perhaps feeling that it was never-ending and getting annoyed, or perhaps having run out of poison needles, the "Perudas" resorted to a new tactic: breathing attacks.

With their scorching breaths befitting their "dragon offspring" status, they turned the surrounding area into a sea of ​​fire.

As the adventurers and the "zombies" were engulfed in flames, Ryu shoved her hand into her bag.

"Mr. Crannie, I need it!"

What was thrown out was a "firestone".

In an instant, the stones were thrown into the resulting sea of ​​fire.

Bell reflexively lowered his waist, and as his shield-wielding hands exerted more force, the massive explosion immediately occurred.

'~ ...

The explosion of the bomb caused the monster to let out a cacophony of death screams.

Bell and his companions, along with their raised shields, were blasted away. The "Earthlings" and "Obsidian Soldiers" at the epicenter of the blast were reduced to dust. The flames of the explosion also engulfed the three "Peruda" that had just breathed their last.

Bell and his men rolled on the ground several times before slowly getting up, exhausted.

"Did it succeed...??"

"...At least the monsters in the vicinity have been cleared out."

The bone shield, reduced to dust, shattered and scattered from their hands, casting a crimson glow on Bell and the others' faces.

The raging flames danced violently in the crater created by the fire. Countless bones and obsidian blocks, which looked like "dropped items," were also scattered all over the ground.

Bell finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the three dragons' bodies burning in the distance...

"—Waaah!"

No sooner said than done, thud!

With a muffled thud, long needles sprouted from Bell's left shoulder.

Bell and Ryuto, who was standing next to him, froze on the spot. He turned around and looked behind him.

What came into view was a "Peruda" that clung to the maze wall like a lizard, its back spewing smoke as it fired poison needles.

--The fourth one.

By the time they realized there were more than three monsters, it was too late.

"!!"

"Gooooo!?"

Once Ryu regained his senses, he took action, instantly shooting his katana at the monster.

The "Peruda," which had been nailed to the wall like a specimen with a straight sword, crumbled into dust and scattered after being correctly shot through the "Magic Stone."

Almost at the same time, Bale also collapsed to the ground, his knees buckling.

"Mr. Craney!?"

Ryu let out a scream. Even Bell could hear the despair in her voice.

His pierced left shoulder twisted and contorted in the vortex of venom. The toxins attempted to ravage his entire body with overwhelming force, trying to cause every organ that could be called an internal organ to rot and decay.

They wanted to lead Bell to the same fate as the remains of the adventurers they had encountered.

Just as the pale-faced Liu was about to kneel down—Bell widened his eyes to the limit and abruptly pulled out the poison needle.

"Varied……!?"

Then, he plunged the dagger he was holding in his right hand into the wound.

To plunge a dagger into a wound already pierced by a poisoned needle was blatant self-harm. Standing before Bell, Ryu wondered if he had gone mad—but her sky-blue eyes widened in disbelief.

"The dagger is slowly turning black... Could it have absorbed 'toxin'!?"

Right before Ryu's eyes, the bright white dagger piercing his left shoulder gradually turned the blade black.

The long dagger crafted by Welf, named "White Illusion".

The raw material used is the extremely precious material (rare drop) "Unicorn Horn".

The unicorn horn, a mythical beast that can be crafted into valuable healing items, can neutralize all "toxins." Therefore, the "White Illusion," made from the same material, naturally also possesses an "antidote effect." Bell remembered the origin of the Bright White Dagger, which is why he cleverly plunged it into his wound.

As it turned out, the Phantom Beast Dagger did indeed absorb the dark toxin.

Coal-ash-like black particles gathered at the center of the blade, gradually being purified as if melting away. Meanwhile, the pain in Bell's body, which had been marching towards death, slowly subsided like the receding tide.

Soon the dagger was completely free of poison, regaining its bright white color and gleaming in the darkness.

"ah……!"

With a soft thud, Bell pulled out the White Illusion and collapsed helplessly to the side.

Liu stood there, stunned, looking down at his right hand, which was holding the dagger, pressed against his forehead.

(Ah, Welf, Welf...!!)

He repeatedly called out in his heart to his companion who had prepared weapons for him.

If the young man were here now, Bell would want to hug him and wail uncontrollably against his chest like a little brother. Bell's throat trembled as he offered boundless gratitude to the young blacksmith who had saved him in his moment of crisis.

"...Mr. Crannie, let's begin the treatment."

After staring at the trembling Bell for a while, Ryu calmly spoke to him.

She stopped the bleeding from Bell's left shoulder, which was still gushing even after the toxins were cleared, and allowed him to use the last dose of the elixir. Ryu believed that if he didn't use it now, he would never be able to stand up again.

Bell slumped to the ground, pressing his hands to his shoulders, desperately trying to regulate his breathing.

Fortunately, the monster's appearance stopped there. The two used the raging fire to guard the surroundings and spent a few moments recovering.

"..."

While Bell struggles to recover, Ryu demands that she switch her consciousness.

Now that they've used up their last remaining item, they must move on to the next step.

Ryu took out the scroll tucked into her waistband. It was a map she had collected from the remains of the adventurers.

Ryu added the route she and Bell had taken to the map, creating a map along the way to complete the series. Now the scroll is filled with a complex maze that is so intricate that there isn't enough space to draw it all.

(We've already hit several dead ends... and we also have to consider Mr. Craney's stamina. It will be very dangerous if we don't find the proper route soon.)

She glanced sideways at Bell's condition while keeping her eyes on the map.

Although the original owners of this map had drawn it, it did not include all the surrounding areas. Whenever they came to a fork in the road not marked on the map, Ryu and his companions would encounter a dead end or a large group of monsters, forcing them to turn back.

(Turning back to the fork in the road that we haven't taken before is a poor choice considering the distance. The only remaining option is the route recorded by the deceased...)

Ryu's finger moved to the road ahead that wasn't drawn in her own handwriting.