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

(But... is there really a way for me to get close without my master noticing?)

Although we were still far from our destination, my mind was filled with the image of my master's profile, watching over every rustling sound from the enemy lines.

My master is extremely powerful and incredibly intelligent.

He probably figured out our plan a long time ago, didn't he?

I struggled against these frightening doubts, steadied my trembling breath, and moved forward at the fastest speed I could manage.

"……here it is……"

I arrived at a ruin that was much larger than the surrounding buildings.

This is the "Ruins of the Amphitheater".

Part of the outer wall has collapsed, revealing a bowl-shaped audience seating area and a central stage. The stage is approximately 150 meters in diameter, while the audience seating area, connected to the outer wall, reaches 30 meters. Given that this island existed in ancient times and likely had limited entertainment options, it's easy to imagine that many people would come to this outdoor theater to enjoy plays.

Looking at the collapsed and faded stone pillars, a sense of loneliness inexplicably rose in my heart, but I quickly looked away.

I don't have time to wallow in sentimentality right now; I need to get around this theater and keep moving forward.

Just then—

"Drink it all!"

「!?」

A shadow flashed across the ground, and a murderous aura descended from the sky.

I only managed to draw my dagger at the very last moment to block the blade that came swinging down with a roar.

“Hmm!?”

The attacker's twin blades clashed head-on with Goddess Blade.

I couldn't completely block that attack.

Although I barely managed to avoid being directly attacked, my "double-sided invisibility cloak" was torn, forcing me to deactivate my invisibility. Seeing me thrown into the air, the enemy followed up with a kick. Because I was still in a charged-up state and my right hand was immobilized, I was kicked away on the spot.

I used the momentum to jump backward to reduce the impact, and then flew into the "Amphitheater".

I tumbled several times among the severely collapsed outer walls, forced onto a stage with nowhere to escape.

"You think ringing a bell like that won't give us away?! Bell!"

"...! Mr. Paine!"

Mr. Pan, the fierce warrior of the Dwarf race, followed in, landing lightly in the center of the spacious stage, and shouted angrily as usual.

(We've been discovered...!)

The raid has been foiled, the plan has failed, and it seems I have no choice but to stop here.

Is Mr. Pain the only enemy? What about the other members? Is there any way I can salvage this situation? What should I do next?

As I grew increasingly anxious about revealing my whereabouts, Mr. Paine seemed to read my mind and shouted, as if he were cursing:

"I'm alone! This has nothing to do with Lord Hedin's orders! After all, I've fought you countless times in the 'Battlefield,' and I knew you would come from here!"

"Huh...!?"

"And I've made up my mind to personally send you to your death!"

My actions have been discovered—no, Mr. Paine was lying in ambush alone in the northwest, just waiting for me to walk right into his trap!?

Mr. Paine glared at me, who was dumbfounded, with the look of someone accusing me of being a traitor.

"You damned traitor! You dare defy the will of Goddess Freya despite being blessed by her! No matter what Lord Otto and the others say, I will personally finish you off!"

This is genuine anger, obsession, and a kind of "settling things down."

"This is the obligation I must fulfill, having once cared for you!"

Even though it happened in a world where facts are distorted, we still lived together in the same base camp (headquarters) and even shared the same pot of food.

Although we fought each other countless times during the "baptism," Mr. Paine still gave me advice, which made me feel a very strange bond.

Even if this relationship is fake, they are still my companions (Freya Familia) with whom I spent more than twenty days.

The half-human's gaze, fixed on me, wavered. And so did mine.

But Mr. Paine, as if trying to put aside his superfluous emotions, immediately launched an attack on me.

"Hmm—!?"

"Come on, Bell! Fight me!!"

Mr. Pain brandished his silver twin swords and pressed forward against me repeatedly.

"If I do not fight, I will die here"—this was the resolute message conveyed by the two swords in his hands.

Seeing the twin swords hurtling toward my chest, I quickly used "Goddess's Blade" to deflect the attack.

Now I had no choice but to comply, so Mr. Paine and I got into a fight in the "Amphitheater," as if reliving that "baptism" from the past.

The daggers and the two swords clashed fiercely.

Countless sparks flew.

The ear-piercing metallic clanging sound was like a series of heart-wrenching cries.

My attacks have been very inconsistent.

My confusion led me to make several poor judgments.

I was then surprised to realize that I had developed more feelings for Mr. Pain—for the Freya Familia—than I had imagined.

"Are you kidding me?! You're trying to fight me with only one hand! When did you become so powerful that you can look down on me like this?!"

"...!"

"Unleash your concentrated power upon me!! Your current enemy—is none other than me!!"

The angry shouts kept hitting my face.

Mr. Pain was so enraged to see that I was still holding back my charged attack that he genuinely wanted to kill me.

Faced with his imposing presence, I felt neither fear nor anxiety—but rather a suffocating emptiness and a deep sorrow that I wanted to scream out.

Upgrading is really brutal.

Mr. Pain, who has clashed with me countless times in countless "baptisms," sometimes losing to me and sometimes defeating me, his Lv.4 movements... are so slow.

I could see his attack clearly.

Even though I hesitated, I still deflected Mr. Pain's twin swords.

In order to adjust the "disharmony" between my body and mind after the upgrade, I fought countless times with first-level adventurers (Miss Tiona) and others.

Therefore... I have no reason to lose.

“──!!”

I gritted my teeth and took a step forward with all my might.

That's it.

As Mr. Paine's eyes widened, I rushed into his arms and threw a punch with my left hand, which I had previously sheathed.

"Cough!?"

At the same time, in order to burn away the sorrow and grief in my heart, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"[Flame Lightning]!"

The left fist that struck the opponent's abdomen made a loud thud.

The shooting lightning scorched Mr. Paine's body, blowing him away in a wide arc before crashing into a corner of the audience.

"...Bell...!..."

The half-human, who had fallen heavily to the ground, got up from the stone steps and then fell forward again.

Mr. Paine, his mouth full of blood, stretched out his trembling right hand to me, and then lost consciousness.

"...!"

I didn't even take a deep breath.

The entire battle took less than a minute.

Lv.5 and Lv.4, this number represents everything.

It was in this bitter way that I came to realize that I had entered the realm known as "Level One Adventurer".

"So you were here."

But—

"────"

This short period of less than a minute was enough to attract the "strongest" here.

"Did Paine act on his own initiative? Anyway, it saves me the time of searching for you."

The sound of someone descending onto the stage could be heard.

Then came a deep, resonant voice.

Forgetting to breathe, I slowly turned my head back.

His body was as robust and muscular as a rock, with reddish-brown hair and eyes.

He held a greatsword in each hand, and on his back was a sword that would be more accurately described as a giant black boulder.

Facing this boar-man who reigns supreme among adventurers, I managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice.

"...Mr. Otto."

The "strongest in the city" who didn't even join the main battlefield... has he been searching for me from the very beginning?

It will be a long time before I can fully charge up my attack, and more importantly, I've already revealed my location, so I can't launch a sneak attack on him anymore.

As if plunged into an ice cellar, I felt my body gradually losing temperature, while at the same time I could feel Lily's heavy breathing on the other end of the crystal, as if she were about to freeze.

This time, the plan had indeed failed, the operation had officially stalled, and the only chance of victory had died in the womb.

All that remained in our minds was the phrase "at our wits' end".

"..."

Mr. Otto, who remained silent, scrutinized me as I stood motionless in the center of the amphitheater.

He seemed to notice the point of light that had converged in my right hand, and squinted slightly.

Then──

He tossed the greatsword he was holding in his right hand in front of me.

"...?"

With a loud crash, the greatsword was stuck right within my reach.

I couldn't help but examine the greatsword closely.

Made of refined metal (mithril), its sharpness and hardness are genuine, making it a top-tier weapon without a doubt.

This action is not an attack, nor can it even be considered a threat.

Faced with this strange act that seemed to be "throwing weapons at me," and just as I was feeling utterly confused and unable to move, Mr. Otto spoke up.

"Pick it up."

“…Huh?”

"I told you to pick it up."

It means I should pick up the greatsword in front of me.

Faced with these brief words, I stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Give it your all."

The mighty one (king) said.

"Use your full power to attack me."

He made this announcement, displaying the demeanor of a king.