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

While observing my expression, Miss Liu spoke to me.

"What happened?"

"..."

She asked me with concern, but I could only lower my head.

It seems that Winnie has had a greater impact on me than I imagined.

Will the monsters you encounter also be able to speak, just like that girl?

Could it be that they actually possess intelligence and rationality just like us, or even shed tears? The thought of this... makes it impossible for me to bring myself to kill them with a blade.

Since I came down to the dungeon, I've always left the battles to everyone else; I've hardly ever defeated any monsters myself.

I would never have done this before.

Perhaps sensing my inner turmoil, Welf and Lily both watched me silently.

(This can't go on...)

This cannot go on.

I need to change my mindset, otherwise I'll cause trouble for Miss Liu and the others.

I told myself that, and clenched my fist as I looked down.

I apologized to Miss Aisha and the others, and let the team continue.

However, the result was...

Winnie's profile flashed through my mind, and I couldn't shake off the confusion in my heart.

Bell and the others soon arrived at the 18th floor.

The journey from the surface to here took about three hours, thanks to Ryu and Aisha's efforts—plus the fact that the floor master (Goliath) had already been defeated by other adventurers. Lily had initially predicted that it would take at least half a day no matter how fast they rushed, but the result was far from what she expected.

High above, crystals, growing densely like chrysanthemums, showered down "daylight" light, bathing the group in its glow as they headed towards the building.

The town of Rivera is built on a rocky island in the western lake.

The inn town in the dungeon is still bustling with crowds of high-level adventurers today.

"So, when will the little brother and the others come back?"

"Who knows? Those two men probably have their own social obligations too, right?"

In a town surrounded by tent shops and dazzling blue crystals, Aisha spoke.

Here was a corner of the roadside with her back to the crystal pillar. She glanced at the adventurers in heavy armor coming and going, asked a question, and answered without changing her expression as she put her bulging backpack back on.

Only Lily, Aisha, and Ryu were present.

"I'm really defeated by him. I never thought they would abandon you and act on your own."

Dropped items

Bell and Welf said, "Let's exchange the spoils for money," and temporarily split up with Aisha and the others.

And then he never came back.

"You said you have something to do on this floor. Would it be a problem if we knew?"

"Lily doesn't understand what Lady Aisha is saying."

Lily pretended to be stupid and refused to give in.

Seeing the little girl putting on a big smile, Aisha was both annoyed and amused. "This little one."

Standing beside them, Ryu also sighed under her hoodie.

"Is this alright, without telling Miss Ryu and the others..."

"It wouldn't be good if we got questioned about it if we acted together. Let's leave that to Xiaolizi."

I walked side by side with Welf through the maze of trees.

Miss Liu and the others escorted us to the safe 18th floor, and then we went down to the deeper 19th floor, the "Great Tree Maze," the same floor where Winnie and I first met.

"Besides, they are adventurers too. Once they accept a quest, they won't keep asking irrelevant questions."

Adventurers' requests are simply to complete the task; nothing more. There's no need to ask questions. Welf told me this with a smile—it's an unwritten rule among adventurers.

Although I still feel a little guilty towards Miss Ryu and Miss Aisha... in order to secretly gather information about Winnie, I can only do as Welf said and try to be more easygoing.

I forced a wry smile and focused on my immediate objective.

"I was here just now... but this floor is so different from the ones upstairs."

We walked along the wide passage, with Welf cautiously looking around.

The bark-covered maze makes you feel like you're exploring inside a giant tree. Just when you see the complex branching passages, another long, ten-meter-long tree path appears overhead. Sometimes, tree roots that bulge like tumors serve as steps. The 19th level is not only vast, but its height differences are also more noticeable than you imagined.

The light source was no longer the phosphorescence familiar from the previous floors; instead, the ceiling, walls, and floor were covered with lush, glowing moss, dazzling like stars. The beautiful, emerald-green light particles were dreamlike and ethereal, making one forget that they were in an underground city.

Welf is right; the 19th floor is quite different from the maze we have explored so far.

Following the "Under Resort" on the 18th floor, which is filled with crystals and nature, the "secret realm" feeling here is even stronger.

"The number of gathering-type adventurer requests from the Mih Familia may increase significantly in the future."

“Ahahaha…”

The air was filled with the scent of plants, mixed with the sweet fragrance of flowers that could bewitch adventurers.

Besides tree bark and moss, the "Great Tree Maze" is also overgrown with flowers and plants. Looking up, white flowers bloom at the junction of the walls and the ceiling, and huge clumps of fungi will suddenly appear as you turn a corner in the passage. Surprisingly, these can almost all be used as raw materials for elixirs and other items when brought back to the surface.

Herbs with magical colors, golden flowers and vines covering the end of the passage like thorns, and azure pools formed by water droplets dripping from the ceiling... the maze is full of things that pharmacists would covet.

"Bale, I'll take the midfield position. This is a rare opportunity, I need to earn some experience points."

Welf was cautiously aware of his surroundings, but had been casually talking to me since earlier.

He must be worried about me not being able to fight properly.

The 19th floor, which has not yet been conquered or explored, is even more challenging to navigate than the floors we've explored so far. Moreover, once you cross the safe floors, the difficulty increases. Although this area, like the "Cave Labyrinth" below the 13th floor (also known as the first line of death), is considered a mid-level area, it's best to think of this place as another world altogether.

Led by the naturally powerful bear-beast (Berg Bear) and the giant beetle (Crazy Beetle), from this level onwards, sniper dragonflies (Dragonfly Monsters) and firebirds, primarily using long-range attacks, will appear one after another. The most terrifying are the monsters that frequently use "abnormal attacks." Antidotes are a given, and developing the ability "abnormal resistance" is said to be key to conquering the "Great Tree Maze."

The deepest layers, from the 23rd to the 24th, require LV2 high-level abilities (stats), and more importantly, the density of the squad and coordinated actions... However, on this 19th layer, perhaps a two-man cell of me at LV3 and Welf at LV2 could still be used? We didn't plan to conquer it in detail, but instead explored without fighting. Although it would be risky, it seemed barely feasible.

Just in case, Lily also gave us various weapons and tools, such as the short sword "Krozo's Demon Sword" and the "Strong Stink Bag".

The biggest concern is that we're not used to this floor.

"...'Crazy Beetle' and 'Dragonfly Monster'."

"The road is blocked... we have no choice but to go up!"

A swarm of giant beetles (Crazy Beetles) blocked the passageway, while several sniper dragonflies (Dragonfly Monsters) flew around overhead. Welf tossed aside his black robe and launched an attack on the insectoid monster horde he was encountering for the first time since entering the 19th floor.

Over his kimono, Welf wore the Goliath robe that Lily had originally equipped.

It could deflect any attack, whether it was a monster's claws or flames, truly a giant's armor. When we formed a two-person team, Lily gave us this equipment as well.

Its performance remained unmatched even in the "Great Tree Maze," deflecting the giant beetle's claws and the projectiles fired by the sniper dragonfly from the front of its slender abdomen.

Seeing that the armor, made almost entirely of raw materials, was completely unharmed, Welf looked at them with a complicated expression and began hacking at the giant beetles one by one with his greatsword.

(...Don't be confused!)

Welf is reducing the number of monsters, and I clench my fists.

If I were to sabotage my comrades, the consequences would be unimaginable. Even with the most skillful use of weaponry and tools, there are limits to how much Welf can achieve on his own.

Only now, I sealed away the confusion that still lingered, and unleashed a barrage of [Flame Lightning]. I shot down the sniper dragonfly hovering overhead and swept away the flying monsters.

As if in sync with the [ability stats] that Hestia had just updated, the [Goddess's Blade] began to glow with a bluish-purple light. I swung the blade several times, slaying the opposing monsters and enduring their dying screams, as I walked with Welf deeper into the labyrinth.

Then, we deviated from the regular route to the next floor and walked for a while.

"Is that enough?"

"Um... I met Winnie around here."

We dared not be careless about our surroundings for a moment, comparing our maps with the simple map tucked into our pockets several times. The familiar terrain gradually unfolded in our field of vision.

This is a wide tree-lined path with many branching paths connecting it. The sky is high and far-reaching, and you can see the huge slope covered with tree roots in the distance. It is so tall that you have to look up to see it, just like a high mountain slope.

Winnie, who injured her foot, most likely rolled down from that top.

"On the way here, we didn't find anything that could be considered a clue..."

"If only I could learn something here," Welf whispered. I nodded and cautiously observed my surroundings.

Our gaze swept over the moss-covered, shimmering walls, the ground, and various plants as we headed down the slope in the distance.

Soon, we stopped in a secluded spot where trees and countless leaves grew densely.

The place where the injured Winnie was hiding—the place where I met her.

(...It wasn't that easy to find after all.)

We parted the plants and searched everywhere, but we couldn't find the fragment of information we were looking for.

Her current location is in the western part of the map. Although she is far from the outermost edge of the floor where the food storage is located, if Winnie fell down that slope, it means she came from deep inside the floor.

Perhaps the only option is to keep moving forward—that's what I was thinking.

(...An adventurer?)

A figure emerged from a horizontal cave.

It was a tall figure wearing a hooded robe, with what appeared to be armor underneath. The upper body was slightly more muscular than the lower body. She was about the same height as Welf, and the hood was pulled low, making it difficult to discern her features and race, but she gave the impression of being female.

The person in the hooded robe seemed to be looking for something, turning their face and looking around.

The person made footsteps coming towards us from the direction we came from.

Welf and I, standing awkwardly in a corner of the passageway, quickly exchanged a glance and pretended to be collecting prop materials. After acting out a short scene, we stood up, intending to walk back the way we came, brushing past the person in the hooded robe.

"—It smells like my compatriots."

All of a sudden.

The person in the hooded robe who brushed past us turned their head toward us and spoke a chilling voice in our ears.

A chill ran through me.

Welf and I were jolted, kicking at the ground.

We followed our instincts and distanced ourselves from our opponents, quickly turning around.

The hooded man in the long robe who had stopped slowly turned around and faced us.

"...What happened just now?"

The way he spoke while touching her ear wasn't very smooth, but what was more noticeable was the sudden, overwhelming sense of pressure.

Welf spoke in a daze, and my heart pounded wildly beside him.

"..."

The other person's gaze was fixed on us.

The delicate contours of a woman's face can be glimpsed from beneath the silent hoodie.

The eyes that were fixed on us like those of a raptor were blue, like the ocean or the sky.

"Are you the ones who kidnapped our compatriots?"

"—!?"

The opponent unleashed an extremely strong killing intent.

Fierce, like a wild beast.

Like a monster.

The primal, instinctive killing intent that humans can never imitate.

Blue eyes beneath the hoodie—pupils slit vertically.

——No way.

The clumsy pronunciation, the overwhelming hostility with hatred, and most importantly, the undeniable sense of déjà vu—the profile of the Dragon Girl (Winnie) flashing through my mind.

While suppressing our wavering feelings, Welf and I slowly deduced the true nature of our opponent.