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

After a short while, Bell, who was tilting her head back, clearly answered, "No."

I want to beat that person.

Hestia stopped what she was doing and smiled when she saw the profile of the boy who was staring at the ceiling.

"You're getting more and more handsome..."

"Eh?"

After saying it was no big deal, Hestia leaned her face close to Bell's shoulder. Her cheeks flushed, she whispered "Good luck" in the boy's ear. He nodded and said, "Yeah."

As they drifted off to sleep, their fingers intertwined, marking the eve of their final battle.

Volume 7 Prologue: The Goddess is the Cruel Queen of the City of Lust

The Taiwanese version is from the Kingdom of Light

Image source: linpop

Input: zbszsr

Inside the cave, where the air was damp, a faint phosphorescent glow flickered.

The pale light stretched the shadows of the monsters (monsters) across the ground. Black hounds (hellhounds) breathed fire, growling and twitching their noses. A herd of snow-white al-mi'raj rabbits turned their adorable faces, occasionally twitching their long ears. With their keen sense of smell and hearing, they searched for the scents of the whimsical and reckless intruders who had ventured into this labyrinth.

Within a labyrinth of countless intersecting paths, monsters roam in search of prey.

From the very depths of the passage ahead came a clanging sound.

That was the sound of digging and breaking rocks.

"Hey... is it really possible to dig something up here?"

"Ah, you don't believe Lily? Lily did her research beforehand; high-level adventurers brought back a lot of that ore from this area!"

Under the light of the portable magic stone lamp brought by the girl, the young man drove a small mattock into the rock wall and chipped away at the stones one by one.

Illuminating a corner of the dark maze with a light, Welf and Lily spoke in hushed tones.

"Lord Welf, Lady Lily... are you done yet?"

"It looks like a monster could appear at any moment, I'm so nervous..."

Both Fate and Bell called out to the two who were talking quietly in the same muttering voice.

Welf and his companion crouched down and began digging into the rock face, while Bell and Ming, standing beside them, kept watch. Of course, they were on guard against attacks from the monsters.

This was a narrow, dead-end passage. In this semi-circular space, less than half the size of the cave, the four-person team was carrying out mining operations. Once monsters swarmed in from the only passage, or if monsters sprouted from the surrounding walls, they would have nowhere to escape. Seeing that the mining operation was making little progress, the human boy and girl on guard were filled with anxiety.

The wall facing Welf and Lily was covered in signs of digging, with a pile of rock fragments at their feet. The two were arguing pointlessly because they hadn't found any "treasure" after digging for so long. Belle glanced at them with an indescribable expression and casually picked up the spare small pickaxe at Welf's feet.

This mining tool was made of a slightly more expensive metal, the same material used in the adventurers' weapons and armor. Bell picked it up and tried tapping it against the wall two or three times.

With a tap, a hole appeared in the wall, and several stones fell down.

"ah."

"""ah."""

The smooth, shiny ore rolled to the ground with a sound.

"It's a success! It's 'blood onyx'!?"

"Well done, Bell!"

"As expected of Lord Bell!!"

The team members were overjoyed and immediately put away the three pieces of ore they found, quickly packed their bags, and prepared to retreat.

Only after leaving the dead end and moving onto a wide, regular path did Bell and the others finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"As per the request, I found two or more 'Red Onyx' stones... and that completes the adventurer's quest."

As Lily walked, she took out a piece of blood-red and black striped chalcedony—"red onyx"—from her small bag, admiring its beautiful luster with a mesmerizing gaze. The guards lined up to protect her, her supporter, and Welf, amused by her, exchanged a knowing smile.

"I also obtained another adventurer's request, 'Unicorn Rabbit Fur,' during the battle just now..."

"Yeah, both were done in no time. ...I've been thinking ever since we formed the team that with you, I'll always have an endless supply of monster loot (dropped items) or ores, Bell? Aren't you incredibly lucky?"

"Ah, hahaha..."

These two adventurer requests were accepted directly from Eina before the god held the "Feast of the Gods." With the deadline approaching, Bell and the others came to the 13th floor of the "Middle Level" dungeon to complete the requests.

When asked this by Welf, Bell could only force a smile. About a month ago, the "luck (ability)" effect triggered by the rank up—the hypothesis that Eina had mentioned at the guild headquarters—flashed into his mind.

Indeed, compared to before the upgrade, the number of times I see "item drops" seems to have increased... Bell recalled past events and inadvertently remembered something, whispering:

"But is this really a good idea? Even though the deadline for the adventurer's request is approaching... we're just going to abandon the relocation of headquarters like this..."

"You can't do without money, Lord Bell. Even if the Familia grows larger, that won't change."

Lily remained cheerful and spoke with a smile, and Welf smiled back at her, then continued:

"Besides, the 'War Game' is over, so you must be eager to test your current abilities (strength), right?"

When the person carrying a large sword, who looked like an older brother, pointed out the truth so incisively, Bell was speechless for a moment, "Uh, um..." and then nodded a little shyly.

Beyond the fierce battle of the "War Game," the friendships deepened, the power gained, and the factions formed.

Today marks the first dungeon exploration for the newly formed [Hestia Familia].

"—Everyone, they're coming."

The voice of someone keeping a close eye on the front echoed throughout the squad.

As soon as she finished speaking, she assumed a fighting stance, and Bell and the others were no slower, each grabbing their weapons. From the dark depths of the passage, countless fierce and piercing eyes emerged.

Hearing the approaching, fierce footsteps, Welf and Bell took the lead, acting as the vanguard.

"Here's your front!"

"Um!"

The two charged out of the ranks and hacked at a group of up to ten monsters.

Two daggers and a large sword were used to attack the black dog that was spitting fire. The high-speed blade light cut several monsters into pieces in one go, and the hammer-like slash chopped a particularly large one into dust.

"Lady Lily, give me the gun!"

Bell and his men started the battle, and the order followed, letting his black hair fly in the wind.

Lily immediately took out a metal stick with a blade at the front and a length similar to a short sword from her backpack. The supporter threw the stick to her, which she caught and swung it horizontally with great force. In the blink of an eye, the stick extended into a long-handled weapon of more than two meters.

This is a retractable silver lance. Having once been a servant of a war god, the central defender wields the weapon with ease, providing cover for the two forwards. His thrusts pierce the swift unicorn rabbits with unparalleled accuracy, utterly defeating them or reducing them to dust.

When the unicorn rabbit was cornered, the stone axe it threw at Bell and his companions was swept away by a spear.

"Hmm~ Lily's totally enjoying herself on the side."

Lily, who was waiting in the back position, squinted as she watched her teammates wipe out the enemy in less than a minute.

Bell, the only exceptionally skilled and offensive specialist, teamed up with Welf, whose attacks became increasingly spectacular, and Mikoto, the center who handled both offensive and defensive support. With her addition as a combatant, Bell became the forward attacker, significantly boosting the team's overall strength (balance) by one or two levels. This combination of a high-level adventurer and a high-level blacksmith as the forward and center was incredibly powerful, never falling behind against the monsters of this level.

"I'm invincible on the 13th floor!" Lily was actually happy that she didn't have a chance to appear. She approached the monster's corpse, humming a song as she prepared to do her job as a supporter—collecting the spoils.

However, at this moment.

All that could be heard was a loud, gruff voice and the roar of a monster.

"That's... a scream?"

"They're coming this way... Could it be...?"

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump! The increasingly loud sounds and vibrations froze Bell and Ming in place.

Then, not long after.

Small ball

Just as they expected, a group of adventurers and a large number of monsters appeared deep in the passage.

"They're heading straight towards Lily and us...!?"

"Wait a minute! This situation seems so familiar!?"

The adventurers rushed over like madmen, and their bloodshot eyes twitched with glee when they saw Bell and his companions.

Welf seemed to remember something and cried out in grief; as for Ming, he kept apologizing, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...!?"

"You lot are from the Hestia Familia, aren't you!? Happy now, our prey is yours!!"

"Are you kidding me?! Who wants it?!"

"Quick, run away!?"

When faced with being forced to accept a monster—"Monster Parade"—Welf's angry curses overlapped with Bell's screams.

Seeing their fellow travelers running towards them with more than thirty monsters that could be easily counted, Bell and the others turned their backs on them and ran away.

"Who said this floor was invincible?!"

"It also depends on the time and place!! Oh dear, I haven't even picked up the 'magic stones' yet...!"

"Lady Lily! Quickly, hand over my baggage (backpack)!"

"Which way is the exit!?"

Welf, carrying a large sword and cursing, hurriedly slung a large pack over his shoulder, while Bell ran wildly carrying the constantly complaining non-combatant (Lily).

They were being chased by a large, excited horde of monsters and adventurers.

The newly formed [Hestia Familia] escaped the dungeon at top speed.

■

night.

Surrounded by darkness, under a high-hanging crescent moon, the labyrinth city of Orario is filled with the light of countless Materia lamps.

The majestic Pantheon—a bustling adventurer's district centered around the guild headquarters, an industrial area where the clanging of metal clatters echoes, and a vibrant district dominated by a theater and casino, where thunderous applause and cheers resound. Benefiting from the dungeon, the city remains prosperous today, its hustle and bustle never ceasing.

In a corner of a bustling metropolis that seems to symbolize prosperity.

Between the two buildings, faint sounds of various joyful moans could be heard.

The pleasure-seeking couple sometimes shouted loudly, sometimes whispered. The flickering lamplight cast a hazy shadow of their intertwined silhouettes on the window or wall.

Countless brothels that exchanged all their passions for money.

Unlike any other part of the city, the "red-light district" is dimly lit, seemingly isolated from other roads or districts, and exudes an ambiguous atmosphere.

"...Damn bastard."

A brothel street where people indulged in debauchery.

She was on the highest floor of one of the most towering palaces.

Headbands, earrings, jewelry, brooches, bracelets, and anklets made of gold and silver.

The only things that could be called clothing were a belt and a waistband, along with a few sashes to cover her full breasts. Her slender limbs and small waist, along with her alluring brown skin, were displayed without reservation, boasting of her breathtaking beauty—surpassing even the most goddess-like looks. Indeed, her body, which captivated not only men but all living beings, exuded a sweet, intoxicating fragrance.

In the dimly lit room, open on all sides and with a cool evening breeze blowing gently, she looked up toward the city center as if glaring at a hateful enemy.

She is now in a place higher than anywhere in the "red-light district".

But this still couldn't satisfy her.

This is because towering white-walled giant towers that reach the sky stand in the heart of the city, as if mocking themselves.

She glared fiercely at the top floor of the giant tower.

She harbored resentment towards the silver-haired goddess who should also be there, a "goddess of beauty" just like herself.

"Why are you allowed to stay there? Why isn't it me? Why are you the one ruling?"

It's an eyesore, really an eyesore.

That goddess (woman) always looks down on herself from the highest position.

From the highest point in the city, I see myself as just one of the masses.

She claimed all the most beautiful praises in the city (Orario)... no, in the world, as her own, and looked down on herself.

Don't be ridiculous, that doesn't make sense.

Are the eyes of the children and the gods blind?

To ignore himself and praise other women's beauty is absolutely unacceptable.