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

Actually, Luke always had this feeling for Lefia.

She is very tough.

However, her fierceness can sometimes be frightening.

She would calmly push herself into a corner.

She seemed to want to calmly see through the boundary between life and death.

She is no longer the "Lefia Viridis" that Nano and others admire and that Luke harbors feelings of love for.

The changes in her eyes sometimes defied description, and Luke felt both fear and anxiety whenever he saw them.

But what he disliked most was—

"Luke?"

"...It's nothing....Don't worry about me."

Lefia noticed Luke's gaze and turned around.

Those azure eyes were now reflecting Luke's image.

The boy lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly to avoid those eyes.

He hoped to rescue Nano and the others as soon as possible and to see them again soon.

It was so that he didn't want the "she" beside him to be "alone".

Luke couldn't help but think that.

*

"Whoa!?"

Nano and the others are desperately trying to escape.

This was the umpteenth time they had encountered a large group of monsters, forcing them to run wildly through a tunnel made of rocks.

"This number is ridiculously high! It's unfair! No matter what formation we switch to, it's no use!"

"Run faster! Don't get distracted, Nano!!"

As Nano ran around crying, Cole, who was bringing up the rear, shouted a warning in a voice that left no room for hesitation.

Besides the Minotaur and the Cerberus, there is also the fanged lion-tiger they hate the most.

The monsters unleashed the dungeon's most powerful weapon—"number"—and charged forward.

If the "Seventh Squad" hadn't been missing their forward (Luke), they could have won head-on if they were in top condition. Unfortunately, the three of them have been exhausted by the "gauntlet" and have no choice but to fight back.

This is the desperate situation within the maze, a harsh battle for survival.

The malevolent dungeon gradually drove Nano and the others to their doom.

"—[Sprouting tender leaves, new green light. Grow, grow, grow. Climb the giant tree, nourish the flowers, adorn the forest]."

At that moment, the elf Mililia boldly began to chant.

Although her magical power is not as great as that of a professional mage like Nano, she is a forest hunter who excels in archery and singing, thanks to her "dexterity" and "agility" stats.

Although she was only Lv.2, she kept Lefia's teachings in mind and focused on "movement" and "chanting" to use "parallel chanting".

"[Then bind and punish the barbarians. This is the forest shrine guarded by the guardians—]!!"

There were collapsed walls and protruding rocks along the way.

As Mililia ran, she kept gently patting the structure of the maze with one hand—like stroking a seed—and then glowing particles appeared in those places, forming small magic circles.

The moment the roaring monsters passed by, she immediately activated her "magic".

"【Silver Vine】!"

The magic circle unleashed countless glowing whips... no, they were "magic vines".

The green-glowing vines acted like traps, binding and restricting the movements of the monsters that were focused on hunting their prey.

"Roar!?"

"Gahh ...

With their limbs and bodies entangled in vines, the monsters all fell to the ground with a loud crash.

This is a "binding magic" carefully prepared by Mililia.

With no time to spare, she forgot the joy of her "magic" success and, while running, twisted her upper body to begin aiming.

She leaped into the air, turned, drew her bow, and fired the three arrows simultaneously.

The monsters, struggling to break free of the vines, were instantly killed by a perfectly accurate arrow that pierced their foreheads.

"—!! Nano!"

"Um!"

After demonstrating his agile skills, Cole, who was running at full speed, braced himself on the floor with one hand and turned around.

He and Nano turned around at the same time, wielding two short swords to remove the heads of the Minotaur and Cerberus, which were about to break free of their restraints.

"Heave-ho────────────────!"

Nano's meteor hammer is responsible for the final blow.

The fist-sized iron ball connected to the chain traced a parabola above the girl's head before absorbing her "magic" and transforming into a "ball of light" about the size of a human head, with countless magical spikes growing on its surface.

The "school district's" proud invention from its "alchemy department"—the "Magic Meteor Hammer"—exploded among the monsters.

"Gurgle—!?"

Although Nano is a mage, this clumsy but powerful attack was delivered using her Lv.3 ability stat.

The fallen monsters were all blown to pieces, and the tremendous impact created countless cracks in the ground.

The monsters' howls ceased, leaving only the students' panting.

"Yay! Xiaomi!"

Nano ran toward the person who had saved the day, but she stopped mid-cheering.

With her shoulders heaving and panting heavily, Mililia staggered toward the monster's carcass, then grabbed and pulled out the arrow she had just fired.

Of the three arrows recovered, one broke in two.

"Now we only have five arrows left..."

Mililia tilted her head, looking at the two arrows in her hand, then put them into the quiver at her waist.

Nano and Cole remained silent.

Mililia's figure at this moment perfectly illustrates the situation they are in.

"Cole... how many items do you have left?"

"...One bottle of spiritual medicine, half a bottle of spiritual energy medicine...the food is all gone, and there's not much water left."

The three ignored the monster's corpse and sat down in a circle in the middle of the road to rest.

After the boy who helped carry the backpack finished speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, both Mililia and Nano, who were sitting cross-legged, looked even more tired than before.

We are currently on the 17th floor.

Due to the landslide blocking multiple passages, Nano and the others finally arrived here after being forced to change their direction of travel several times. Unfortunately, the footsteps of "Limit" were already close at hand.

The items were being used up very quickly.

This is incomparable to anything seen before.

If Cole's prediction is correct, the supplies that should have lasted a little longer are about to run out.

He underestimated the "limit state" of the dungeon.

Whether it's physical exertion, mental exhaustion, or immense pressure.

In order to cope with the continuous crises that arise in the maze, the water, food and recovery items prepared for "Little Expedition" are almost used up.

(We've been in the dungeon for a whole day now...)

Kirk stopped his trembling fingers and took out the pocket watch that Lefia had given him.

"If it's Lv.2, it can stay in the dungeon all day without supplies."

Lefia once said that, but it must be added with the note "if it's an adventurer".

Cole and his friends were, after all, just students aspiring to become adventurers, and their experience was completely lacking. Just one encounter with a monster had already taken a heavy toll. Putting aside whether they could actually do it, they now had to switch to a tactic of sniping at "magic stones" and aiming for a one-hit kill.

He struggled to regulate his disordered breathing.

He realized he had one foot in hyperventilation (panic).

Because of the inability to see the sky, my sense of time is distorted, and the perpetually dimly lit underground labyrinth creates an invisible pressure on my heart. And this is only a day! Judging by the current situation, it will be quite some time before the rescue team arrives from the surface. I wonder if I'll be able to reunite with my senior (Lefia) and the others first? No, no, I can't keep thinking about relying on others. But, but, but—

At only fifteen years old, Cole could assert that this was the most difficult situation of his short life.

In this situation, he is desperately fighting against another version of himself that wants to say discouraging things.

The same applies to Mililia and Nano, who have fallen silent.

--The situation is very bad.

With the team leader (Luke) currently absent, Cole, who has to keep a close eye on his teammates' condition, realizes that the team is on the verge of collapse.

"Xiaomi, Ke'er... I'll give you the items, I don't need to drink water. After all, I'm Lv.3, I can hold on compared to you guys."

"...What arrogant talk are you spouting? Silly Nano, don't you even think about who's protecting you all the time? You're the one who should be receiving supplies. If a mage is unable to move in a critical moment, they're just a burden."

After Nano finished speaking, Cole was taken aback.

When faced with Nano's forced, awkward smile, Mililia immediately glared back and refuted her.

Nano and her teammates did not engage in the worst behavior of fighting over supplies among themselves, nor did they even have such a thought.

This happened to Cole's former teammate.

Cole had previously perished during a field survey far less challenging than the one he was facing, which resulted in a fight among his classmates. He could only helplessly watch as the incident unfolded, ultimately leading to the disbandment of the unit.

Cole really likes "Seventh Squad".

Teammates respect and support each other, bound together by a deep bond. Regardless of race, whether elf or human, he cherishes every teammate and doesn't want to lose any of them.

Cole gave the elixir and the spiritual power elixir to Mililia and Nano respectively.

He then stood up and smiled at the two stunned people.

Despite being bandaged, the head wound, which should have stopped bleeding, was still throbbing with pain.

These are medals the boys received for showing off.

He also wanted to emulate Luke, whom he admired like an older brother.

"Let's go... we're almost at the 18th floor."

This statement likely contains Cole's wish.

However, Nano and the others decided to believe the gentle boy's words.

Therefore, the two readily accepted Cole's kindness, completed the final resupply, stood up, and nodded firmly in response.

Cole, acting as a scout, strode ahead.

(This is the last way... If even this way is blocked, there's no hope. Everyone will be devastated and unable to turn back, let alone return to the surface.)

Cole held the rolled-up map in his hand and prayed silently.

This can't go on.

Please.

Let's find a way out.

Cole's act of "seeking divine intervention" is the most foolish thing an adventurer should never do.

Praying to the heavens in this way, the blow when hopes are dashed is immeasurable, so seasoned adventurers always prepare for the worst and act accordingly. Cole's actions have only compounded his own woes.

But perhaps it was just a passing fancy for the dungeon.

They escaped unharmed.

"...! Yay, great! Mili, Nano! We've arrived at the 'Grand Passage'! From now on, we just need to follow this path!"