Before long, the several dozen attackers who had surrounded them were slaughtered down to a scattered remnant—though, despite everything, a few still managed to escape.
These rats were weak, but their tricks for running away were endless. Using companions as human shields wasn't even rare. It was nauseating to watch.
To be safe, Captain Alise didn't have the exhausted team continue the pursuit after a major battle. Instead, they would return to the town to rest. There would be plenty of chances later—and besides, the tracking technique planted on those rats needed time to do its job, didn't it?
After cleaning up the aftermath and confirming there were no Evilus members left at the scene, everyone regrouped and headed for the town that always had people stationed there.
On the way, they passed a cliff with what looked like a wide-open view. Xien couldn't resist walking up to take a look.
What he saw next was pure nature.
First came a vast grassland—so grand and expansive that the emerald earth filled most of his vision. Tiny moving shadows dotted the distance; they were probably monsters. Crystals were scattered everywhere throughout the scenery.
To the left was a marsh… no, something so large it could be called a lake—a broad basin of water dyed a vivid deep blue. The beauty of it made Xien let out a meaningless little sigh.
In the center of the lake floated a massive rock—
No, an "island."
To the right stretched an endless mass of trees: a forest as far as the eye could see. Near the center of the distant grassland, a gigantic tree rose high enough that even its hollow could be clearly seen.
And Xien's gaze was pulled upward along that tree.
Following it to the distant, towering ceiling, he saw—
Countless brilliantly shining crystals.
Like blooming chrysanthemums, crystals filled every corner. They came in two colors: a sunlike white at the center, surrounded by a skylike blue.
It wasn't that there was a "blue sky" inside the Dungeon.
It was the crystals' self-generated light that created the illusion of one.
"The crystals' light fades as time passes… this place has 'night' too."
Hearing that explanation from the captain—who had come to his side without him noticing—Xien nodded deeply.
"Their brightness seems to change with time. Right now it's like 'daytime.' Though I heard it doesn't perfectly match the surface sky…"
It was as if the Dungeon had prepared a deliberate imitation of the world above.
When they reached the town, familiar noise greeted them.
The sounds of intelligent life. Without even realizing it, the fatigue Xien had built up from staying underground eased.
Everyone was busy with their own work, and no one paid attention to the arriving party—because teams coming here was a completely normal sight.
This was the only small town the people of Orario had built inside the Dungeon, a place for traveling adventurers to trade and rest.
There were inns here that could accommodate them, but the captain didn't choose any of them. Instead, she set up camp in an empty patch of unclaimed ground nearby.
Xien asked why they weren't staying at an inn. The answer was exactly what he expected:
First—price.
Second—no need.
Everything here—daily supplies especially—cost roughly two to three times what it did in Orario. The core reason was simple: getting materials down here wasn't easy. Scarcity drove prices.
And the inns here weren't particularly secure either. Accidents weren't uncommon. Compared to splitting up across separate buildings, the entire Familia camping together in one open area was far safer and more practical.
They also sent a few members into town to sell the magic stones they'd gained—along with some lower-tier materials that were inconvenient to carry—while restocking supplies.
They also informed the locals and the Guild members that Evilus operatives had been sighted in the area, telling them to stay alert and watch for suspicious individuals in the coming days.
Xien, high-spirited, joined everyone in setting up tents. For practical "life skills" like this, he had zero resistance—there was a nostalgic feeling, like returning to childhood.
"So… that tracking technique was…?"
He walked up to Lyla—the prum—who was hammering in pegs, seeing if she needed help.
As a prum, she stood under a meter tall, but no one dared look down on her for it. She was a vital pillar of the team, earning respect through capability and action.
"Oh, that?" Lyla said. "Curious, huh? It's a technique I tinkered with when I was bored. No magic signature, and it's extremely well-hidden."
"That's amazing…"
"Right? Those guys are a pain. Finding them took us a lot of work."
Xien helped secure the rope while asking, "Then… Lyla—when we get back, can you teach me short-knife techniques?"
"Oh? Want to learn that?" Lyla laughed. "No problem. I'm happy you called me 'sis.' But don't go thinking you can flirt with me, okay? My heart—and body—belong to Finn."
"…Six."
Even for Lyla—someone who'd already seen how ugly the world could be—she couldn't bring herself to dislike this little "brother." If anything, the tough mental walls she'd built were already starting to soften toward him after only a few days.
Because she couldn't smell lies on him.
He wasn't someone polluted by society's darkness. What she felt from him was a genuine love of life, and a pursuit of what was true, good, and beautiful. That was the biggest reason she'd accepted him so quickly.
Of course, it also helped that he was "smart." He was friendly, but understood his place. He always helped where he could—without making anyone feel uncomfortable or overstepping. Being around him felt… easy.
It didn't take long to finish building camp. Unlike other floors, here they only needed basic watch measures.
And Xien—who'd earned unanimous praise—continued as head chef, making a special "everything-in-one" stew. Everyone applauded and raved as they ate.
Before turning in, Alise held a meeting.
Topic: tomorrow's plan for tracking Evilus.
After discussion, everyone agreed: if the target location was before the Middle Floors, they would pursue. If it was in the Lower Floors, they would temporarily abandon the chase—diving deep recklessly would bring catastrophic consequences. They didn't yet have the capital to withdraw safely from the Deep Floors.
After a night's rest—and with a round of gentle healing from Xien before sleep—everyone woke up the next day refreshed and full of energy.
The tracking beacon had stopped moving.
Its location was close.
And the place it indicated was—
Floor 20.
So everyone reached the same conclusion:
Pursue.
They stored all heavy loads, geared up light, and moved toward the vermin's hideout—those pests that poisoned order itself.
Monsters on Floors 19 and 20 were, frankly, not in the same class as those in the Upper Floors. Any one of them appearing on the surface would probably be a massacre.
Even without updating their status, the team's spirit had changed after slaying the Floor Boss. These monsters were troublesome—but not terrifying.
As long as they weren't surrounded, and with Xien as their backline guarantee, the whole team wasn't in serious danger.
And to avoid exposing their movement to those scum, they avoided large monster groups whenever possible.
Finally—after several fierce engagements—they arrived, silently, at the hideout.
It was a chain of connected caverns that didn't generate many monsters.
Extremely well-hidden. If the beacon hadn't pointed here—and if Lyla didn't have specialized techniques—they could have walked right past without ever finding the entrance.
"As planned," the young captain said coldly. "Leave no one alive—"
"Yes."
With that decisive command, the judgment of Astraea Familia—
began.
They infiltrated quietly. Long-accumulated combat experience let them perform decapitation strikes without alerting the others.
But unfortunately, this wasn't the enemy's main nest—only a temporary base. In a sense, these rats were unexpectedly hard to fully eradicate. In the end, the hunt concluded with only one base cleared.
The purge itself went smoothly.
However—just as everyone was about to return in high spirits—
Something unexpected happened.
A special Dungeon incident:
"Monster Lure."
"What the hell…? Why would a Monster Lure happen with no warning?"
Kaguya cursed under her breath. They'd already cleared a relatively safe route on the way in—so why were there even more monsters filling their view now?
"Could it be those guys…?"
"Now's not the time!" someone snapped. "Run—kite them and drain them!"
Their reaction was understandable.
A "Monster Lure" was a tactic used in the Dungeon—especially during retreat—where someone drags a pursuing monster pack into another party's position, making the monsters switch targets and letting the original party escape.
That was why Kaguya suspected it: the scum's allies probably stirred up a mess on purpose before leaving, purely to spite them.
And sure enough—being hit with a Monster Lure on Floor 20 caused real trouble.
It wasn't just strength—the numbers were the issue. Dozens, at least, and mixed types. A lineup that was objectively nasty.
Even the most perfect team could develop a crack.
And in that crack, a cunning enemy slipped its blade.
The Dungeon began shaving away at their reserves, drop by drop. It would never miss a chance to exploit a single miscalculation.
The Dungeon was sly.
It licked its lips without ever showing greed—silent, circling, patient—focused only on stealing its prey's stamina.
Sometimes, it made monsters roar in the distance.
Sometimes, it shook the ground underfoot, mimicking an earthquake.
Sometimes, it "gave birth" to vicious children to block the road.
Each incident was minor on its own.
But minor things stacking up became an unbearable burden.
The monster horde pursued them.
A tide of beasts filled the whole field of view—an ordinary Familia might faint at the sight.
But this time—
The Dungeon's "invincible" army had kicked a steel plate.
The monsters were burning.
Not as a metaphor—as reality.
Where Sun Breathing struck, black hides were scorched through in many places. The agony and collisions spread the flames to their companions, triggering a chain reaction.
Still, perhaps because they could breathe fire themselves—and thus had resistance—the beasts, even engulfed, clung to life instead of dying immediately.
With their red eyes melting under the heat and their minds broken, the hellhounds vibrated ruined vocal cords in a maddened scream.
The higher-grade monsters were handled by the captain and the others.
They fought while retreating, moving in perfect coordination—combined with Xien's healing, they were actually pushing toward the point of cutting through the entire pack.
But it wasn't over.
The Dungeon walls showed no abnormalities—no "womb" producing monsters in silence—
And yet, a familiar sound came from above.
Everyone looked up.
And sucked in a breath.
The ceiling was webbed with countless cracks, like spider silk—covering the entire ceiling of the corridor where they stood.
It was too wide.
A range so massive it felt unreal.
The cracking noises came and went, piling up until there were almost no gaps left.
Pebbles began to fall. The ceiling groaned, as if saying it couldn't hold much longer.
—Monsters.
"Evil Bats."
Dungeon beasts with strength comparable to a Level 2 adventurer—slightly larger than a human head. Individually not too strong.
But bats were pack creatures.
Judging from the sight above—
There had to be hundreds.
For the team's current state, that was a huge problem.
"Ryuu—magic support!" Xien called.
"Got it."
Ryuu glanced at the boy's eyes—seeming to understand his plan—and began chanting without hesitation.
And Xien drew his sword, gathering power.
Firelight bloomed.
"Sun Breathing: Bone-Scorching Blazing Sun."
"Gale of Light."
Wind fed the fire.
Countless wind spheres, assisted by the flaming sword slash, transformed into fireballs and blasted into the bats in the sky.
In the team's astonished gaze, explosions erupted one after another—
And the entire wave was wiped out.
One day later.
Xien and the others appeared at the Dungeon exit.
Unlike everyone else's easy pace, Xien—backline support—was exhausted like a dead dog.
It couldn't be helped.
After feeling his strength surge, he'd "volunteered" to take on corridor-clearing duties below Floor 13… and brought this disaster on himself.
Even if enemies got easier, clearing an entire Upper Floor worth of monsters still worked him to the bone.
But hey—
As a man, once you've started bragging…
Even if you're crying inside, you finish it.
....
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