The Labyrinth's Middle Zone, the 18th Floor—the designated Safety Point. This lush forest, teeming with vibrant greenery and crystals emitting a faint, ethereal glow, enjoyed a tranquility that made it difficult to believe such a place existed within the Dungeon, the very den of monsters.
The shades of blue and green saturating this subterranean world, often called the "Labyrinth Oasis," felt like a subterranean reflection of the surface world. The monsters inhabiting this floor were mere migrants from other levels; no new monsters ever spawned on this specific floor. This sanctuary was never shrouded in total darkness, as the crystals embedded within the rock walls and ceiling cast a soft, reassuring light.
Amidst this breathtaking scenery, far removed from the typical gloom of an underground vault, lay the Loki Familia. They had only just survived the horrors of the Deep Floors. Their strength had been utterly depleted during a lethal struggle against "Mutants" and "Spirits" on the 59th Floor. On their ascent, relentless swarms of Poison Vermis hounded them through the Lower Floors, leaving the expedition members physically and mentally shattered. They had no choice but to halt on this floor to recover.
They had quickly bought out the entire supply of specialized antidotes from the town of Rivira to combat the lethal Poison Vermis toxins, which standard purification magic could not cleanse. While they managed to treat those lacking "Abnormal Resistance" and low-level members in critical condition, their supply was insufficient. A significant number of the crew remained bedridden.
The brutal combat in the Deep Floors had also drained their stocks of healing potions. Although they managed to purchase basic supplies in Rivira, the prices there were exorbitant, far exceeding surface rates. Between the cost of repairing "Unbreakable" weapons corroded by acidic monster fluids, replacing numerous consumed Magic Swords, and purchasing specialized antidotes, this expedition was recording a staggering financial loss.
"I wonder if Al is going to be okay..."
In the midst of that somber atmosphere, a slender figure stood by the shallow waters of a shimmering blue lake. It was an Amazonian girl, her lithe limbs radiating a fiery energy. Though her frame lacked significant curves, she possessed healthy bronze skin and a perfectly toned physique.
This was Tiona, the Amazon whose usual bright expression was now clouded by grief as she hung her head. Nearly a week had passed since Al was struck by the Behemoth poison. Since Riveria's magic had proven ineffective, Al's survival depended entirely on Mind-restoration potions and his own desperate use of magic to stall the toxin's spread. However, no one knew how much longer he could endure.
No matter how vast his Mind capacity, sustaining magic without sleep or rest was an impossible feat. Although he had managed to maintain his magic even while unconscious since the third day, he was undoubtedly drifting closer to death. Seeing their strongest member bedridden had left the Loki Familia in a state of instability—especially Ais, who, as far as Tiona knew, had barely slept since the incident.
"I hope Airmid gets here soon..."
Tiona, whose only talent lay in swinging her weapon, found herself helpless, capable only of waiting for the friend who might be the only person capable of curing the poison ravaging Al's body.
●○●○●
"────!! Filvis-san!!"
When Lefiya returned to the camp carrying a bag filled with fruit and various foraged foods, she spotted an elven girl with black hair wearing snow-white battle gear. The elf was pacing nervously in front of one of the tents. Lefiya smiled at the sight of her friend and hurried over. The other girl noticed her and jumped, quickly averting her gaze with an expression of shy embarrassment.
This was Filvis Shallia, the captain of the Dionysus Familia. She was a Level 2 adventurer with exceptional skill as a Magic Knight. Lefiya had met her during the incident on the 24th Floor and was the friend who had taught her "Concurrent Chanting" before the expedition. While she usually carried an aura of melancholy due to her tragic past, Filvis seemed even more withdrawn than usual, refusing to meet Lefiya's eyes.
"Truly... are you okay? It's been a long time."
"Fil...vis-san?"
Suddenly, Lefiya realized something. The tent Filvis was hesitating in front of was where Al slept. Al appeared to be an old acquaintance of Filvis. Ordinarily, strangers were not permitted to visit the wounded, but despite the lethal poison, Al remained more conscious and alert than the other victims. Since she was from another Familia but had been a member of his previous party, her visit was deemed acceptable. This was likely why the Loki Familia members had allowed her to reach this area.
"Aren't you going to see him? If it's you, Filvis-san, then perhaps..."
"No... I don't have the right..."
"..."
"..."
An indescribable silence fell between them, creating an awkward tension reminiscent of their past. Just as Lefiya found herself wishing Tiona were there to break the ice, the tent flap suddenly swung open. A handsome, pale youth stepped out. It was Al.
"Cranel?!"
"W-what? Why are you up?! You need to stay lying down!"
He looked listless, lacking his usual commanding presence, and his face remained deathly pale. However, his eyes seemed to glow with a red brilliance more intense than before. Even though Spirit appendages had pierced his entire body and the cursed Behemoth poison had eaten into his bones, he stood there calmly, as if he had completely forgotten he was on the brink of death.
".. Filvis, it's been a long time."
"C-Cranel. I..."
●○●○●
Don't mess with me!! Don't mess with me!! You idiot!!! Gaaaaaaahhhhh─────!!!!
I put on such a magnificent show! I delivered my farewell line perfectly! So why am I still alive?! That was supposed to be my grand finale!
That "Tsundere" wolf, I'm not joking!! Does he know how many years I spent preparing for that cinematic moment?!
And what is wrong with this body? How am I not dead after my heart was pierced and a lethal, instant-kill poison was coursing through my veins?
If I had died from the poison right then, it would have been perfect. I would have died away from Bete's eyes before he could reach me, leaving him in a state of eternal regret and depression. I would have made everyone feel guilty for causing my death... but because of my skills, my magic activated automatically and I started recovering from the poison. Damn it... what terrifying potential this body has.
Because of the "Spirit Purification" skill and my other abilities, my Mind isn't going to run out anyway. Since my magic works automatically even while I sleep, Airmid will arrive long before I reach my end. Dying instantly would have been the best thing...
And you, Revis-chan, why didn't you take my head off with the first blow? Do you think ripping out my heart is enough to kill me? At least if you had sliced my body at the waist, I might have bled out... no, if you had done that, I couldn't have secured the escape of Ais and the others, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.
.. Damn, my "intuition" is screaming loud alarms.
Ah, hell.. Airmid is definitely coming..
What do I do..
Since my magic succeeded in stalling the poison, there's no way Airmid won't succeed in curing it with her magic..
Ah, damn it. Is it all going to end like this after everything I did..
This is all because of that bastard Bete, who showed some kind of sudden awakening. To hell with him..
I don't care about anything anymore..
There are no guards. I'm going for a short walk.
Oh, it's Filvis. Good morning.
..... That's the look. Filvis-san is wonderful; she sinks into depression the moment I treat her normally. On top of that, her true identity is an enemy character with the power to kill me.. Is she a goddess, I wonder?
Filvis is truly the best!! As for Bete.. how tragic, he's useless. Why doesn't he just retire?
Oh, she ran away.
Well, whatever. I'll walk around for a bit and then head back.
Wait, someone is lying on the ground. They look alive.. an apprentice adventurer?
"Help me.. brother.."
It's Bell.
●○●○●
A monster with violent features appeared, looking like a distorted, larger, and more savage version of a predatory insect. Its efficient, natural physique struck terror into the hearts of all who saw it. That monster────the sworn enemy of humanity inhabiting the Labyrinth────found its air-shaking roars silenced one by one, replaced by the sounds of wretched death throes and the continuous tearing of flesh.
Two shadows moved at a speed that transcended the simple word "fast." They exceeded the limits of the monsters and even the visual capabilities of the Takemikazuchi Familia members accompanying them. Only the lingering trails of reflected silver light marked the path of their movement.
An abnormal state occasionally occurs in the Labyrinth────a "Monster Party." Because of this phenomenon, which had previously ensnared Bell and his party through the actions of the Takemikazuchi Familia, monsters began to emerge from the stone walls of the Labyrinth one after another to attack the enemies who had breached the "womb." Massive numbers of monsters gathered—too many to count in tens or twenties—to repel the intruders. It was a scene that would have annihilated any high-ranking Level 3 adventurer party that typically roamed this floor.
However, the individuals here now were not those who cared for such opponents. Even an army of a hundred monsters represented no threat to them. With every movement of these two swift shadows, monsters were sliced to ribbons, crushed, and trampled.
A rapid sprint. The mere act of running was enough to shatter the bodies of Al-miraj and scatter the flames of Hellhounds. Although high-mobility monsters like Hellhounds attacked with eyes overflowing with murderous intent, they could never match the duo's speed. Within moments, the gap widened and the monster packs were slaughtered in succession.
Like a storm, like thunder, like a hurricane itself; these two violent entities swept through everything. Faced with this power, the monsters had no choice but to be cut down and utterly eradicated.
It was an indescribable slaughter, where enemies were crushed in a single blow. At the hands of just two men, mountains of monster corpses and rivers of blood accumulated in the blink of an eye. When the last Hellhound was decapitated and drew its final breath, a heavy silence fell over the area.
"I don't understand what just happened.."
"That many.. in a single moment?"
Confronted by this battle that belonged to an entirely different level, which crushed the monster army like mere trash────an army that would have wiped out the Takemikazuchi Familia alone────Mikoto uttered those words of disbelief. A clamor of questions followed as if time had begun to move again. Their reaction was understandable after seeing that force strike down the monsters that had tormented them as if they were nothing more than dust.
"A.. Ow.."
The 13th Floor of the Labyrinth. The search party tore through the Upper Floors in a heartbeat and breached the Middle Zone. The advance was faster than anyone had anticipated. There was no room for others to intervene; the pace was so rapid it made them wonder if their presence had any meaning at all. Faced with this massive level disparity, the Takemikazuchi Familia felt completely overawed.
It wasn't just Mikoto and her companions; even Ryuu and Asfi, seasoned Level 4 adventurers, could not keep pace with these two individuals standing at the peak. Watching their combat style, the Takemikazuchi Familia felt as though the rules they knew about the world had collapsed before their eyes.
"Vana Freya" Allen Fromel and "The Mad Wolf" Bete Loga. Both were leaders of the two greatest Familias, and both were demi-humans who focused on speed over raw power or magic. Their movements were imperceptible to the eyes of the Level 2 Takemikazuchi Familia. Even the two gods who had lost their divine powers couldn't catch even a trace of their shadows; only the monster corpses served as evidence of their terrifying strength.
Even Ryuu, nicknamed "Gale Wind" and possessing arguably the highest level among second-tier adventurers—surpassing many first-tier ones in mobility—seemed dull by comparison. Except for the "Sword Saint," these two occupied the first and second spots in speed among all adventurers in Orario. Their overwhelming presence made everyone feel ashamed to even accompany them. After seeing those signs of true heroism, no one could help but be in awe.
"At this rate, we will reach the 18th Floor within the day."
The only one who showed no amazement at this slaughter that had stunned even Hermes was the silver-haired girl known as the "Field Saint." She was the type to stay at the very back of the lines. Her name was Airmid Teasanare. Although she was Level 2 like Mikoto and the others, she was the saint feared by death itself, regarded as the finest healer in all of Orario.
"Perhaps there was no need for us to be here.."
The reason these three accompanied Hermes's party dated back several hours.
"You're late, Hermes!!"
Central Park, the Labyrinth entrance. Under a night sky shrouded in total darkness, Hestia shouted at Hermes, who had just arrived. Seeing Hestia in such a state of impatience and anger made Hermes smile with regret and apology.
"Sorry, many things happened... I didn't expect to find you here. Weren't you on the expedition?"
Hermes bowed in apology, his gaze shifting toward the werewolf who appeared furious. The members of the Takemikazuchi Familia were shrinking into themselves, as if Bete had just finished scolding them.
".. Tch, it's just a coincidence. Let's go, quickly."
Bete and Airmid. After Bete received instructions from Finn to return to the surface immediately to bring Airmid to treat the Loki Familia members struck by the lethal poison, he met Hestia. Learning from her that his student Bell had not returned from the Middle Zone, he decided to join the rescue party heading to the 18th Floor.
While Hermes smirked after hearing this explanation from Airmid, a slender shadow approached from the night's darkness. Graceful, beautiful legs appeared from beneath simple adventurer's clothing, and her form under the moonlight looked exquisitely beautiful. Her lean body was surrounded by an aura of mystery and prowess devoid of any excess. In her eyes, hidden behind a deep hood, the sharpness of a warrior gleamed.
She wore shorts and long boots, carrying a long wooden sword and two daggers. She stood before Hestia and her companions and greeted them with a slight nod.
"Ah, she is an assistant for us—very strong. No need to worry."
Hermes said this to introduce her to Hestia and the others, who were confused about how to deal with her. However, Bete alone was looking neither at Hermes nor Ryuu; he was watching a demi-human man (a cat person) who emerged silently from the darkness behind them.
".. Tch, what is scum like you doing here?"
"Aaaah?! That's my question, you filthy dog."
The situation was ready to explode at any moment. The glares exchanged between these two demi-humans embodied the deep-seated animosity between "Wolf and Cat." Had Al been there, he would have laughed, describing it as mutual hatred between two of a kind. But those present were far beneath them. Everyone froze in fear of the murderous intent radiating from two monsters who transcended the level of Floor Bosses.
(Syr said she asked for help from a regular customer—a very strong one who had become her friend and had happily agreed—but it doesn't look like that at all..)
"He is also an assistant, terrifyingly strong. Don't worry...well, I suppose things will turn out fine?"
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