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

Seeing the two adventurers sitting on either side of her with a dazed and listless attitude, Hestia roared in anger. They showed no respect whatsoever to the dignified little goddess, merely giving her a perfunctory response.

"!" "Who is it?!"

"Huh, huh?"

Hestia looked around as she saw the two adventurers suddenly shout and jump up.

She followed their gaze and saw the green foliage rustling in the breeze. Just as the two men placed their hands on their sword hilts, about to draw their swords—a rabbit with long white ears popped its head out.

"Bell, Bell!"

"No, that's not it—!"

"Oh, it's a 'unicorn rabbit'... Damn, that scared me."

With its bright red eyes darting left and right, the rabbit monster emerged from the bushes. It carried many cloud fruits in its hands, seemingly searching for more, and hopped and skipped across Hestia and the others, disappearing into the distance.

Just as one of the adventurers was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

"Wait a minute, how come there's a unicorn rabbit on the 18th floor...?"

Those rabbit monsters only appear on the 13th and 14th floors. In the maze, monsters of different species fight each other, and the fact that the unicorn rabbit, whose individual strength wasn't particularly high, could travel three floors to reach the 18th floor aroused his great suspicion. He reflexively went to chase after the monster that had disappeared from sight, when he heard a snapping sound.

"Huh...?"

“Ouch!”

The honey-colored liquid clung stickily to their bodies. Their companion was in the same boat, his head also covered in fruit nectar.

They were a beat too slow to realize they'd been hit with fruit, and at the same time... the sound of wood breaking came from behind them.

The two slowly turned around, and saw...

“Guah…”

The three "Berg Bears" were drooling.

"—Woohoo!?"

"Roar! Ro ...

The three monsters pounced at once, causing the two adventurers to panic and focus only on escaping the Berg Bear, which was baring its fangs and claws, trying to snatch the cloud fruit. Hestia watched with wide eyes as they were chased by the monsters and disappeared at the other end of the forest. Just then, the unicorn rabbit that had thrown the fruit earlier hopped over.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh! No, don't eat me, I don't taste good!"

"—【The Voice of Apocalypse at 12 o'clock】."

Hestia's eyes widened when she heard the incantation for dispelling magic resounding from inside the monster's body.

"If you eat the goddess Hestia, even a monster will get a stomachache."

"Miss Supporter!"

The gray light membrane covering the white fur body melted away, and the one standing there was no longer a monster, but Lily, a dwarf.

As long as the condition of "the target's physique being similar to her own" is met, even monsters can be transformed. She successfully used this transformation magic, the "Cookhouse Ash Woman," to make adventurers suffer. Perhaps she honed her skills during the era of thieves, because even monsters became the targets of her manipulation.

"Are you alone? No, I should ask you how you found this place!"

"Lily and Lord Welf split up before reaching Lord Bell. Lily was able to find this place... thanks to Goddess Hestia, who also wore perfume this morning."

Since Hestia might have been kidnapped, she was likely being held hostage. Based on this deduction, Lily split up with Welf and the others, one of them transforming into a monster to try and rescue the imprisoned goddess through the security network.

As for Hestia's location, it was the scent of perfume she bought in Rivera Town that told her it was scattered on the ground along with the elixir.

"In terms of imitation, Lily's transformation magic can even 'copy' the physical abilities of the other person. Although it cannot copy abilities that are higher than Lily's, it can detect the orc's sense of smell and hearing, which are not related to any favors."

"Transformation magic is so convenient!"

Some of the orcs' senses are more acute than the five senses (abilities) that adventurers enhance after receiving blessings (ability values).

Lily was able to find this place by transforming into a dog-person or werewolf and "copying" their sense of smell.

"Lord Bell and the others are fighting near that crystal pillar. Go and join them."

"good!"

Lily used her dagger to cut the ropes and rescue Hestia, and then the two of them ran outside together.

"Burn away completely, external practices!"

Welf activated the anti-magic spell—[Invisible Will-o'-the-Wisp]—causing three enemies who were casting incantations to accidentally detonate their magic. Three spectacular explosions of flame erupted.

The adventurers, forced to self-destruct, spewed gray smoke and collapsed to the ground as charcoal.

"There's someone who can use strange magic!"

"Start with that guy!"

Two human adventurers, who were with Modo, charged toward Welf.

"Isn't it a bit much for two people to take on one blacksmith...?"

The Lv.2 advanced adventurer relentlessly pursued his Lv.1 self. Welf cursed as he prepared to fight, but he was too slow to deal with the enemy's incredibly fast attacks and could only use the blade of his broadsword as a shield.

Sword clashed with broadsword, the impact, equally powerful, sending Welf flying backward. Before he could regain his footing, the second adventurer leaped forward, pouncing towards him.

"Watch this!"

"——!"

A sharp flash tore through his fire-woven kimono. Trusting his instincts, he leaned to the left, thus avoiding a fatal wound; however, the sash slung across his right shoulder was severed.

The large sword sheath, bound with straps, and the rod-shaped object wrapped in white cloth were removed from the body.

The scabbard fell to the ground, while the white cloth bundle rolled down the slope leading to the distant forest below.

Welf froze, but there was no way he could chase after him, and then he was kicked to the ground.

“Ugh—!”

"You're finished!"

Welf lay on his back, and the man was about to swing his sword at him—a gust of wind blew by.

“Ah!”

The wooden sword slashed.

Welf stared in disbelief as the adventurer who had been attacked from behind collapsed, weak and exhausted.

"I was wondering why the forest was so noisy... now I know what's going on."

"you……!"

The one who saved Welf's life was a masked adventurer wearing a cloak.

She pointed the wooden sword at the ground with one hand and glanced at the other adventurers.

"Who are you?! Are you one of these guys' accomplices?!"

Seeing a human raise a sword, she reached out and took off the hood of her coat.

"You guys really never learn. I should have completely crushed you back then."

"—Eee ...

Upon recognizing the masked adventurer's true identity—Ryu's appearance—he instantly let out a wail as if the end of the world had arrived.

This is because the ferocious armed spirit among the "Abundant Mistress" shop assistants who had given Modo and his gang a severe beating had reappeared before them.

He tried to escape with a look of despair on his face, but was ruthlessly killed by Ryu.

"Sorry I'm late. I'm here to lend you all a hand."

"Okay, thank you."

Ryu, having covered her face again, turned around, her cloak billowing in the air. The adventurers who had surrounded Sakura and the others were instantly dispersed by her. Everyone was first taken aback, and then screams filled the air.

Seeing the devastating battle where high-level adventurers were treated with utter disregard, Welf turned around and tried to walk towards the slope where the white cloth had disappeared.

"..."

However, as if there were a wall between him and the slope, he stopped before going downhill.

He frowned bitterly, staring at the slope below for a long time as if he harbored deep hatred.

Then, he turned his back to the slope and ran towards Sakura and the others.

◆

The powerful, bone-crushing sound of punches echoed through the air.

As his upper body swayed, Bell endured the intense heat transmitted through his arm.

The high-ranking adventurers who had surrounded the stage had all fled. They were now facing Welf, Sakura, and Ryu, with roars and sharp metallic clangs echoing throughout the forest. On the natural stage, now devoid of an audience, Bell and the now-invisible Mordo continued their duel, a duel between the two of them.

The cries of the fallen thugs echoed among them.

"...?"

An attack invisible to the naked eye. Fierce punches delivered by thick arms. Bell defends against these attacks with his slender arms.

There was an air of unease. The unseen opponent exuded a clear sense of disarray. Modo paused his attack for a moment, then seemed ready to start again, fiercely striking from another angle.

Defense. Defense. Defense.

Even with imperfections, Bell deciphered the timing of the enemy's attacks and accurately predicted the opponent's position, relentlessly executing his defensive maneuvers. The boy's body, despite the painful blows, never gave way.

A deep red gaze pierced straight through Modo's transparent body.

A wavering aura rippled through the air. The opponent abruptly retreated, his footsteps echoing on the ground. The unseen enemy seemed to be trying to erase some mistake and create a significant distance between himself and Bell, perfectly eliminating the sounds of breathing and footsteps, even his very presence, like an assassin.

Once it was certain that the crimson gaze was not following, the transparent body pounced from the right rear—a blind spot behind it.

"——!"

In an instant, Bell turned around and took a step to the right rear with absolute certainty.

I'm guessing Hu Meng's big high kick. Then comes a backspinning kick with all his might, the left foot kicking diagonally upwards so hard it even cuts through the space.

*Swoosh!* The toe of the greaves-covered foot grazed the front of the opponent's chin.

The initial hesitation turned to surprise. After a sharp counterattack, the transparent body steadied itself, trembling slightly—then roared at Bell in a tone that sounded like an outburst of anger:

"You...you bastard, can you even see me?! Aa ...

Completely invisible.

Facing a space filled with anger, chaos, and trembling, where nothing could be seen, Bell stared directly at Mordo with a fierce look. No, to be precise, he sensed Mordo's "gaze."

—Just like being judged, the goddess (someone) stared at her without any politeness.

For about two months, every time he awoke, a silver gaze had been fixed on him, honing Bell's senses to an exceptionally sharp level. Several times, the chilling, unseen gaze caused him to act strangely, even rubbing his hands together repeatedly, and he became increasingly sensitive.

The goddess's (mysterious) ardent favor (gaze) will sharpen the senses of the timid white rabbit (boy) more than others.

At this very moment, Bell also sensed the hostile and biased "gaze" from Modo—as well as the two gazes watching him from above the trees.

We can see the enemy's line of sight, their position, and their direction.

Whether it was "transparent" or whatever, it didn't matter. Bell pinpointed the source of the gaze and skillfully located Modo.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it all!"

The sound of a sword being drawn.

Originally intending only to torture and humiliate for his amusement, Modo finally became serious and drew his sword. His weapon, like his body, was completely invisible.

Bell's eyes widened, and as soon as he sensed the opponent charging towards him, he immediately lunged to the ground to the side. Behind him, as he hastily escaped, echoed the sound of a sword striking the ground.

Bell quickly rolled forward on the stage, snapping a pebble-sized blue crystal that was growing on the platform and hiding it in his right palm.

"Watch me chop you in two with this thing!"

Modo raised his sword and charged forward again.

Sensing the gaze, Bell turned to face the enemy, shattering the crystal in his right hand.

The next instant, he unleashed a barrage of crystal shotgun shells at the unseen Modo.

"what!"

Blue light-emitting crystal fragments rained down on Modo's head and face, making his body sparkle.

As if to outline Modo's features, countless fragments clung to his body. The longsword was also covered in crystal powder, making it possible to identify who was standing there and what they were holding with the naked eye.

A transparent figure, shimmering with beautiful light, stood motionless in front of Bell.