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

The twilight glow streaming in through the window bathed the room in a golden hue.

"A humanoid monster... there's no mistake."

After putting her goggles back on, Dix smiled.

"While the fact that it had wings is intriguing... you didn't have wings when you saw that monster, did you?"

"No, it really is just a human form. However, the Dragon Girl (Vivel) was originally a serpentine winged monster..."

"Indeed... Anyway, it's a monster, so it can have as many wings and fangs as it wants."

After listening to the group members' suggestions, Dix tapped his shoulder with the handle of his red gun.

The hall had no windows and was dominated by gloom. Surrounded by several dark cages, the men were having a conversation that no one could overhear.

"But then again, it just so happened on the very day that the Supreme God was spying on the other party... Is this what they call a divine blessing? We really shouldn't underestimate the Supreme God."

He offered words of feigned reverence to the fickle and unrestrained supreme god who was not present at the moment.

Dix let out a chuckle.

"So, Dicks?"

"Um."

Decided.

Beneath the smoky tinted glasses, his crimson eyes narrowed.

"Keep a close eye on the Hestia Familia."

As the sun set and dusk fell, darkness soon enveloped the sky overhead.

The city was still awake, and in the heart of the city, the central square was quiet.

Few pedestrians pass by the towering Mosh, and the noise of the pubs outside the square, with their lights gleaming, is far removed from this place.

It was late at night, and the date would soon change.

Bell and the others gathered at the west gate of the white-walled giant tower.

Bell, Welf, and Mikoto wore fire spirit armor over their protective gear, while Lily and Haruhime wore giant armor (Goliath robes). As for Vinnie, she wore fire spirit armor like Bell and the others, and covered her single wing with a backpack with a hole cut out for camouflage, as if she were carrying it.

As Winnie looked curiously behind her, the supporters, carrying a variety of weapons and armor, made their presence felt. They had large shields, spare weapons, and even a "magic sword." The team was armed with the most complete gear they'd ever been prepared, meticulously crafted by the blacksmith (Welf).

The mandatory mission was about to begin, and Chunji, Ming, and Lili all showed signs of tension.

"..."

"What's wrong, Bell?"

Standing in front of the open door, bathed in the light from inside the tower, Bell turned to look behind him.

As he listened to Welf, who was carrying a large sword, speaking beside him, he looked around the dark central square.

(Someone is watching us...)

And there were several of them.

Bell's senses told him that some people were watching them from somewhere in the deserted square. They must have been far away, but there were definitely people there. They were scattered in different directions, not gathered in one place.

Are they being watched by guild members, or—

Bell felt a surge of excitement in his chest as the image of the male god (Ikelos) with his sinister smile flashed through his mind.

He shifted his gaze to Winnie, who was hiding her true face behind a long robe.

"Bell..."

Beneath the deeply pulled-down hoodie, amber eyes looked up at him uneasily.

Seeing Winnie's expression, Bell took a small breath.

He put aside his own worries, smiled at the girl, so as not to cause her any unnecessary anxiety.

"It's fine."

Bell touched the girl's hooded head and switched consciousness.

"--Time is up."

Lily snapped the cap of her pocket watch shut, signaling the arrival of midnight.

Bell nodded to the team members who were watching him.

"Immortal, we'll be right back."

"Yes, you must come back."

As he was about to depart, Bell bid a temporary farewell to Hestia, who had come to see him off.

The goddess gazed upon her retinue, then Winnie, and finally spoke softly to Belle:

"Bell..."

"Um?"

"...No, it's nothing."

Hestia said with a calm smile, "Be careful on your way." Bell tilted his head, nodded, and entered the "Tower of Babel." The mandatory mission began.

The team set off, heading towards the 20th floor.

Volume 9, Chapter 5: Heretics

The white crystal covering the ceiling fell silent, and the floor lost its light.

Instead, blue crystals growing throughout the forest and along the lakeside glowed faintly, unfolding a bleak landscape unlike the stark nightscape of the surface.

The 18th floor is called "Under Resort".

When we stepped onto the secure floor, it was during the "night" hour.

Protecting Winnie, we galloped swiftly, successfully breaking through the "upper" and "middle" levels to reach this point. This was because we chose the shortest route and spared no expense in using "magic" and items. Perhaps we also benefited from our experience of visiting the 18th floor several times, and luckily, Lu Shengzhi wasn't there.

Heading straight north along the passageway leading from the south of the building to the 17th floor, we arrived at the large grassland with the central tree.

To our left, on the edge of the cliff of the giant island floating on the shore of Lake 1 in the west, we could see several magic stone lights, but we passed by without entering. We didn't plan to go to the inn town (Rivera) along the way; we wanted to go straight to the 20th floor.

After battling the monster horde a few times, we quickly reached the giant tree root in the center of the building, leading to the 19th floor. "Now comes the real show."

"Yes, although I did enter this place on the day I met Lady Winnie, for an adventurer's request..."

Upon hearing what Welf and Miss Fate said, Winnie tilted her head slightly.

We were amused by her and began our first and last rest.

From here to our destination, we probably won't have a chance to rest properly. To recover the energy we used to speed up our way to the 18th floor, we found a spot away from the entrance to the next floor.

This was a grassland surrounded by the massive, horseshoe-shaped roots of the central tree, creating a blind spot when viewed from the tree hollow. Furthermore, due to the time of day, no one in the industry was going to or returning from the 19th floor.

No longer threatened by the black dog (hellhound), I, Welf, and Miss Ming took off our fire-element protective robes and became lightly dressed.

The cool night air on the floor embraced the feverish body.

"Lily, is the stinky bag already...?"

"Yes, we don't have many left. We should use them sparingly to plan for the return trip, unless there's an emergency..."

"Let me confirm," Lily replied as she placed her luggage on the grassland.

She thought the team would be exhausted on the return journey, so it was reasonable to leave some "strong odor bags" as a precaution. However, it's important not to forget that not all battles can be avoided.

Lily's backpack was more crammed than usual, filled with all sorts of weapons. She rummaged through it, carefully checking the items. I glanced at her sideways, deciding to forget about the return journey for now and focus all my attention on the mandatory mission.

"Lord Welf, the number of 'Demon Swords'..."

"There are three, Little Riko, don't choose the wrong time to use them!"

"Lily knows!"

After answering Miss Fate's question, Welf directly gave Lily advice from behind.

The squad possesses three "Crozo's Magic Swords": two short swords for the defenders and one long sword carried by Welf along with his greatsword on his back. Welf brought all the "Magic Swords" he had crafted beforehand for the exploration.

Hopefully, this can cleverly compensate for the team's lack of a mage...

(...However, in the end...)

Ultimately, what influences the outcome of the battle is always the adventurers' own power, that is, the power of people.

Weapons and tools can only help us in the end. What we really need to overcome difficulties is each person's ability, resourcefulness, and mutual assistance.

In the harsh dungeons, the true value of the party will be tested.

Although I don't know what will happen... I just can't afford to make a mistake about things I can rely on.

"It's about time we went."

After resting for about thirty minutes, I said.

After replenishing our supplies with the elixirs, Winnie and I went into the hollow of the central tree.

After traversing the thick tree roots that resemble stairs with varying elevations, a straight, long path covered by tree bark—a "maze of giant trees"—appears before you.

"Lady Haruhime, then..."

“Okay, okay!”

Urged on by Miss Ming, Miss Chun Ji began to chant.

To prevent outsiders from witnessing the "sorcery" they were about to use, the entire team increased vigilance both in front of and behind the single road.

The beautiful singing continued unabated.

We used "magic" as soon as we entered the dungeon.

"—【The Treasure Hammer】."

The fox-person magic, praised as "sorcery," has been activated—Miss Haruhime's "Level Ascension."

The light hammer appeared along with a cloud of light accompanied by "magic," enveloping Welf at the front of the squad.

With a surge of light particles and increased power coursing through his body, Welf clenched his right hand in exclamation, "Good!"

"Wow, so beautiful... Haruhime is amazing!"

"You flatter me... This is the only strength I possess..."

When Winnie first saw Haruhime's "magic," her eyes sparkled at the beautiful added light.

To advance through the "Great Tree Labyrinth," you must continuously use Haruhime's "Level Up." First, strengthen the Vanguard (Welf), who will repeatedly engage in close combat with monsters.

Before today, we tested it, and the longest duration of the [Treasure Hammer] was about fifteen minutes—Miss Haruhime infused it with a large amount of spiritual energy—with an interval of about ten minutes before it could be activated again. We must accurately calculate when the effect will disappear so that Miss Haruhime can use the "magic" without interruption.

"Let's drink a magic potion first." "Okay!" Miss Haruhime followed Welf's instructions. "Leveling up" consumes a considerable amount of mind power each time, so this was just in case.

Miss Chunji brought the magic potion to her lips and drank about half of the solution.

"Okay, let's get ready... Ah, hey, Riko? What are you doing?"

"in case."

Just as Welf was about to set off, he looked back at the team and saw Lily crouching down in front of the maze wall, making a "click, click" sound. The dagger in her hand was piercing into a patch of moss growing on the wall.

She appears to be collecting the luminescent moss that serves as the light source for this layer—"blue-light moss".

"Lady Lily, you wouldn't happen... to be planning to sell it on the ground...?"

"Even at times like this, they have to take odd jobs. Is the family's finances really that dire?"

"Of course not! Lily also knows how to choose the time and place!!"

Seeing the groaning Miss Mikoto and the trembling Miss Haruhime, this Far Eastern duo, Lily blushed and yelled angrily.

Okay, I heard that "Azure Moss," like the crystals on the 18th floor, can be sold for money on the surface...

But I'm willing to believe that Lily isn't that outrageous.

"Seriously... Alright, let's go."

Lily stuffed the collected moss into a small bag and tucked it into her bosom.

Seeing Lily stand up, Welf and I nodded and set off.

"Bell..."

"Lady Winnie, please don't disrupt the formation! Don't worry about Lord Bell."